Equipment

• Pocket knife (1) Invaluable for peeling fruit and occasional repair jobs
• Torch (1) I carried the smallest of the maglights (AAA battery) since All I wanted to use it for was finding the toilet at night. Most of the lodges do not have electricity and the toilets are outside.
• Candle plus Lighter/Matches . For lighting candles in the lodge (some lodges provide candles in the rooms, but carry some anyway. Also to be used for burning paper waste during the day, especially toilet paper you may use on the trail.
• Emergency whistle (1). Especially if you will walk alone sometimes. Invaluable if you trip and slip off the trail, or need to summon help. Keep if easily acessible as you walk, not buried in the bottom of your pack.
• Compass (optional). Useful to orient maps, or if you get caught in a mist, but all the paths on the annapurna circuit follow sime routes along a river and locals will often give a better indication of the right path to take than the grossly inaccurate tourist maps of the area.
• Map (1) I strongly recommend the Kartenwerk der Arbeitgemeinschaft fuer Vergleichende Hochgebirgsforschung series. Though more expensive than the cheaper and more colourful tourist maps (Rs 800 rather than Rs 150-300) it is a properly surveyed map and shows more natural features and habitation. I never went wrong with it whic is more than I can say for other unfortunates I met on the trail.
• Sleeping bag (1). Warm, down, four seasons and long enough to cover up to the tip of your head
• Guidebook (1). Carry some book which will tell you the sequence of towns along the way, the sequence of interesting features to see, but steer away from those which split your journey into day 1, day 2 etc. (or at least divide the journey according to your tastes - you'll avoid the crowd and wont feel bad if you sometimes don't feel like completing the days 'task'). I recommend 'Trekking in Nepal, a Travellers Guide' by Stephen Bezruchka (ISBN 1 871890 93 4). Its a heavy book, so if you know whereabouts you are going, photocopy the relevant sections. His medical advice is good also.