Shopping in Kathmandu for trekking clothes, gear and equipment is an overwhelming experience for the first-timer. So here’s our guide to making it easy. After 11 months on the road, living in the same two pairs of trousers and four t-shirts we had to buy some trekking gear in Kathmandu. To cut a long story short, we ended up in Shona’s Kathmandu Nepal buying virtually everything there!
UPDATE: October 2019: Thanks to a reader for confirming that Shona’s Alpine Kathmandu is continuing to supply trekkers and hikers with gear! (and yes my 2014 thermals are still working well too!!)
UPDATE: 21st October 2017 – Thanks to Jeff DuPilka for confirming that Shona’s Alpine Thamel Kathmandu is still in operation (despite having no internet presence) and that Andy and Shona are both well and continue to sell great gear for your treks! (My 2014 thermals are still going well!)
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED AND AFFILIATE LINKS MORE INFORMATION IN OUR DISCLAIMER
We’d frozen our way around Darjeeling, but we’ve arrived in Kathmandu overland from India to Nepal specifically to head off on a trek and therefore we need something a little more substantial than the Karrimor and Go Outdoors T-Shirts we’ve been living in. We needed to go gear shopping in Kathmandu.
If you want to see what we trekked with – here’s our Trek Gear List. We planned to supplement the stuff we’d been traveling with for 10 months, buy only what was needed, and donate what we did not want to carry afterward. Therefore we were on a budget.
What Trek Are We Going on?
We are doing the Everest Circuit via the Cho La Pass. It is an 18-day trek that starts with us flying from Kathmandu to Lukla. We then head up to Namche Bazaar, then towards the Gokyo Lakes, over the Cho La Pass to Everest Base camp, and return via the Tengboche Monastery.
Read a Day by Day Guide to Trekking to Everest Base Camp
- Day 1: Lukla to Monjo
- Day 2 – Monjo to Namche Bazaar
- Day 3 – Namche Rest Day – Exploring the Khumbu Valley
- Day 4 Namche to Phortse Tenga
- Day 5 Phortse Tenga to Dhole
- Day 6 Dhole to Macchermo
- Day 7 Macchermo Rest Day
- Day 8 Macchermo to Gokyo
- Day 9 Gokyo Ri
- Day 10 Gokyo to Thangnak
- Day 11 Thangnak to Phortse Tenga
- Day 12 Phortse Tenga to Dingboche
- Day 13 Dingboche to Lobuche
- Day 14 Lobuche to Gorakshep
- Gorakshep to Everest Base Camp
- Day 15 Summiting Kalapathar
- Day 16 Dingboche to Deboche
- Day 17 Deboche to Monjo
- Day 18 Monjo to Lukla
Most Important Item to Buy Before Trekking
The most important item to buy before setting off on a trek is an insurance policy. Most treks in Nepal are at high altitudes. That carries significant health risks. Read our article on travel insurance for Nepal here.
Trekking Gear to Buy in Kathmandu
Boots for a start – there is a very high likelihood that we’ll need crampons as well as just boots. You can also imagine that our warm weather gear just isn’t going to cut it.
You can find our entire Trek Gear List here – including what we brought with us, and what we donated to Nepali Porter Charities too.
We’re in Thamel, Kathmandu
We’re staying in Thamel, the tourist, backpacker area of Kathmandu, at a great cheap hotel – it’s easy to find cheap places to stay in Kathmandu, but you’ve probably arrived here after a long trip, so we recommend booking your accommodation before you get here.
Every other store is a gear store. And then there are restaurants and cafes and bars.
And if you’re short on tie-dye, hemp, woven handmade crafty things, then you’ll be in your element here.
Where to Stay in Kathmandu
Karma Boutique Hotel – Jyatha Marg, Thamel, Thamel, 44600 Kathmandu, Nepal Check Rates here Great location, friendly staff, and very clean. All rooms are equipped with a flat-screen TV. Some rooms have a seating area where you can relax. Every room includes a private bathroom. For your comfort, you will find slippers and free toiletries. Karma Boutique Hotel features free WiFi throughout the property. Reserve your room now
Yatri Suites and Spa – Amrit Marg(Manang Plaza), Thamel, Thamel, 44600 Kathmandu, Nepal. You can reserve a room here. Great location with 24-hour reception, gift shop, and bar. Some rooms have seating areas, Free Wifi throughout, plus Flat-screen TV and AC in each room. Grab a room at this superb spot in Kathmandu
Thamel Villa – Chaksibari Marg Thamel, Thamel, 44600 Kathmandu, Nepal – Reserve at this great boutique hotel with an airport shuttle service. Breakfast is served daily, 24-hour desk, a great location if throughout, and Air-conditioned rooms. All rooms include private bathrooms and flat-screen TV, fridges, and kettles. Plus rooms have seating areas and some rooms have terraces. All rooms have a seating area and some have a terrace. Book your room now!
Shopping in Kathmandu – the shops
There are legitimate brand stores here in Kathmandu. You’ll pay only around 5% cheaper than you would at home. If you’re looking for legitimate branded gear, then you’ll find most of the brand stores on the road into Thamel, from Durbar Marg. This road is called Tridevi Sadak. Here are the brand stores that you’ll find there.
- Red Fox Kathmandu: Narayanhiti Path, Lal Durbar Marg
- Sherpa Kathmandu: Narayanhiti Path, Lal Durbar Marg
- Black Yak Kathmandu: Narayanhiti Path, Lal Durbar Marg
North Face Kathmandu Store
You’ll find the official North Face Shop in Kathmandu at Tridevi Sadak, 44600, Nepal. It’s in Thamel near the Garden of Dreams.
Mountain Hardware Shop Kathmandu
You can find Mountain Hardware in Kathmandu on Tridevi Sadak.
Shops selling fake branded trekking gear in Kathmandu
In all the other shops we’re of the opinion that everything is fake. Some are better than others. There are legions of shops here. Legions. There are no prices on anything. It can be completely overwhelming. Every other shop in Kathmandu is a trekking shop. Kathmandu is one of the easiest places to buy hiking gear.
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Some stores have a good reputation for non-branded, locally made gear. One of those is Shonas Alpine Kathmandu, Nepal. We recommend Shona and Andy who run the shop. They won’t rip you off and you’ll get decent enough gear for your trek. This is one of the best places for buying trekking gear in Kathmandu. Shonas Rentals is another service that they provide – they provide trekking gear rental in Kathmandu. You can even rent sleeping bags, down jackets, and tents from them. If they don’t supply the specific trekking equipment that you’re looking for then they’ll tell you where you can get it.
It’s not just us, I’m sure in the process of finding this post you saw a lot of reviews about the best place to buy trekking gear in Kathmandu. And the name Shona’s alpine is referenced.
What to Pay for Trekking Gear in Kathmandu
We have a list of what we need to buy. We spent all of yesterday figuring out what starting prices were, as we’d met our guide, Ramesh, who told us that we should expect to pay 60% of what folks start at. It’s pretty difficult then when we found the same gear – a thermal top for instance for a starting price of 2,100, 2500, and 3,500 Nepalese Rupees in three successive stores.
It starts as amusing going into a store when clearly the person trying to sell you something is making the price up on the spot. The look of concentration that passes across their face as they size you up, they look at what you’re wearing, what you’re carrying, and presumably the look of desperation on your face before they then stare into the middle distance and pull a number out of the air.
To a certain extent, the cost of the trekking gear in Kathmandu depends on what you’re prepared to pay and how good a negotiator you are, especially if you’re going to the knock-off/fake shops.
Don’t buy Nepalese Fakes.
This is what we were told in one shop. “You don’t want the Nepalese fakes said one guy. You want the Chinese fakes. They’re better. Nepal = bad. Chinese = good quality.” Make up your own mind, if you haven’t brought your own gear with you.
And that was amusing in itself. I never really thought that there would be knock-offs of the knock-offs. Neither did I consider that I’d be considering Chinese knock-offs to be good quality.
I have no idea how to check what is a Nepalese fake versus a Chinese fake. We checked the gear that we bought as much as we could. Trying to pull it apart, looking at the seams. On our boots, we tried the soles and looked at the inner soles. Got a general sense of the quality of the kit.
We also bought duct tape, super glue, and a sewing kit in case we needed them. We didn’t. All our gear that we bought in Kathmandu in 2015 worked for our trek. I was still using the thermals, gloves, and hat today in 2021.
After a full day of this. It’s less than amusing. We were chased out of several stores with folks screaming, “well how much do you want to spend?” and with the price halving from the back of the store to the front – and these are tiny stores.
Little wonder there are so many bars here. Never have I found shopping so much hard work. The shopping list now seems endless.
Shona’s Store – Kathmandu
The Internet in its wisdom had told us of a British Expat called Andy Griffeths, married to a Nepalese woman called Shona. They have a store – “Shona’s Alpine Kathmandu” that several blogs raved about. Honest, said many of the sites, and Trustworthy said others. Near Thamel said yet more, “just ask any local, they all know where Shona’s is”.
Four locals down and we were still none the wiser. Add to that the fact that the locals call the streets different names than what Google maps does and the depression about having to buy gear continued until, trudging towards our hotel in defeat, there she was. On a pale blue signboard, SHONA’S in white lettering.
Perhaps it was the accent – Andy might have left the UK 40 years ago – and as well as Nepal he calls Perth, Western Australia home now – but there’s still a strong Brummie accent there. Or perhaps it was the no-nonsense advice as to what we’d need for the trek – including what we definitely didn’t need it was all just so easy. Add to that no bargaining (and the price we paid seemed fair compared to all the other stores we’d visited).
And so, less than an hour later, we walked out with 95% of our list of gear satisfied – with at least 5 items not even purchased – he’d told us how we could manage without – Andy used to be a guide and we’d explained which company we were going with (World Expeditions) and which trek (The Everest Circuit and Cho La), so you can add me to the list of folks who will now recommend him and Shona.
Of course, most of their items are of a Nepal/Chinese origin but the prices are fixed and cost about 60% of the asking prices of other stores seems about right.
How to Find Shonas in Kathmandu
So on the off chance that you’re in Kathmandu searching for gear, here’s how to find them.
First of all, you need to be in the Thamel area of Kathmandu. Then you’re looking for a road that runs parallel to Thamel Marg. The locals call it Jyatha Marg. Google calls it Amrit Marg. If you leave Tridevi Sadak and turn to the south, down Amrit Marg, then Shona’s is on the right-hand side (spot the vertical white on the blue sign on the lamp post). Just past the turn down for Rumdoodles. Easy.
The Address of Shonas Kathmandu is Amrit Marg, Kathmandu. Shona’s Alpine Opening hours are Sunday – Saturday 0900 – 1830. The telephone number of Shonas Alpine is +977 984 3688910.
We wanted gear that wasn’t going to break the bank, that would last the trek, and that we could donate to our Porters when we were finished and Shona’s ticked all the boxes for us.
We arrived in Kathmandu by way of Kakarvitta and you can read about that here.
Essentials for an Everest Base Camp Trek
- To do the Everest Base Camp trek, a medical evacuation by helicopter will cost at least US$5,000. The fittest member of our group was evacuated from Macchermo with altitude sickness. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.
- Hiking Poles – these are lightweight, packable, and a great aid. Want more options for trekking poles? My guide to the best budget trekking poles is here.
- Good layering thermals
- Great sunglasses – the glare here is amazing- my Maui Jim sunnies have been to Everest Base Camp, and Macchu Picchu, they’ve sailed the Atlantic, and been to the Galapagos & Easter Island.
- Amazing socks – I’ve hiked in Bridgedale Socks for 8 years now and they’re amazing.
- If you’re looking for hiking boots on a budget – then here’s our guide to the best budget hiking books for men
And… the most important thing…
- A great team to trek with – you can check options here.
Travel Tips for Exploring Nepal
- Read about Nepal in these incredible books
- Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.
- Book the best Nepal tours and guides on GetYourGuide, Klook, and Civitatis
- Save money in Nepal with a Wise debit card
- Book accommodation in Nepal with Booking.com and Hostelworld
We receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using our affiliate links. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
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10 thoughts on “Shopping in Kathmandu for Trekking Gear”
Do you know of shops that rent backpacks? We’re a family of 5 doing the Poon Hill Trek. Trying to keep costs down. This article is very helpful -Thanks!
A few questions: How do you know which is a Nepalese copy and which Chinese?
Can’t you share the list of items you bought with the prices you paid?
Hi there, sorry for the delay, I was going back through my notes to make sure that I had a full list for you.
I’m afraid I haven’t got a clue how you tell a Nepalese fake from a Chinese fake, all I can say is that we checked seams, looked at soles and generally tried to check the quality. All the gear we bought from Shonas was excellent. We still wear some of it today. The boots that we bought lasted until the end of the trek, although the soles were looking as though they might need help staying on the boots at the end.
We bought the following: Note that this is EACH – per person.
CLOTHES & BOOTS
Fake Salewa hiking boots (seriously comfortable – and I hate boots that protect my ankle, I usually find them unbearable! – and no blisters despite not wearing them in), thermal tops x 2, thermal bottoms x 2, 1 pair of hiking socks, 35 litre daypack, crampons, gaiters, waterproof trousers with zip to the knee, fleecy beanie hat, buff, head torch with spare batteries,.
TREKKING GEAR, HEAD TORCHES, WATER BOTTLES
We also bought tissues, toilet paper, solar charger, trekking pole (each), 2 packets of wet wipes, chocolate, candies and mints, cold remedy, suncream, superglue, notepad, widemouthed Nalgene bottle
Plus Nigel bought a thick zip-up fleece.
We paid US$260 in total for everything. Pretty much everything came from Shona’s apart from the boots, the solar charger and the candies.
I hope this is helpful – you can find the full list of what we bought in our TREK GEAR LIST post as well.
Sorry but I’m going to strongly disagree with one aspect of your otherwise enjoyable post ! Don’t buy fake boots.
After living 22 years living as an expat in China I always, *always* now buy the genuine article after having two pairs fail on local hikes (I’d never trust them anyway to multi-day international hikes). Imagine when you’re at 5,000m and -20C and your boots fail (this exact scenario happened to one partner on one of my trips).
Luckily I always have Duct Tape wrapped around my hiking poles for emergencies (so I don’t have to go into my bag for it and I don’t care about the aesthetics – ha!) and that managed to suffice until we got back down to Namche Bazaar.
You can check them all you want but when you’re putting 20-30K steps a day, on rock, on them if they are not well built they will fail (or poor build quality means they rub and give you very painful blisters spoiling the whole trek. You will then curse yourself for not paying an extra $100-150 for a pair of genuine mountain hiking boots.
Thanks Kevin, this was the only time we hiked NOT in our Merrells, if we’d been heading home afterwards we would have bought a pukka pair, as it was we felt comfortable having our merrells as a backup in our packs 🙂
Thanks for the great article. I’m going in May and wanted to avoid paying the hefty prices here in the USA. To get an idea, how much did poles cost and also how much were the light jackets and trousers? I’m just trying to gauge how much savings there are to be had.
Thanks for the great post. I’ll be sure to share it on my Twiter feed.
The poles and waterproof trousers were bought as part of a bundle from Shonas – I haven’t got it broken down, but with all of it, I do remember thinking that it wasn’t expensive. The waterproof trousers were amazing, the open to the knee is superb. Since Nepal we’ve gone for z-type carbon poles (the ones at Shona we just went for cheap and cheerful), as they can now fit in my RTW backpack when we fy anywhere. The poles we bought at Shonas were heavy and did not fold/come apart. The light jacket I took with me from the UK, it was a cheap stowaway that cost me around US$10 equiv, and I used it for 3 years before the seams went, so I went back (it was from Go Outdoors in the UK) and bought the exact same jacket again… different colour of course!
I was in Kathmandu in Jan. If I wanted to purchase something from overseas is it possible?
Hi there Guy, your best bet would be to make contact with someone you trekked with or stayed with and ask them to help you. if it was legitimate branded gear then you’d be best trying to contact the brand and doing it that way. The alternatives are to find someone travelling there from your current location and do a deal with them.
Thanks for this article. I arrive in Kathmandu this Sunday Oct 28th. The weather seems to be fairly unpredictable and vastly differently regionally. I plan to do some last minute shopping upon arrival and appreciate a good honest referral!