Packing for altitude: what I got wrong in Ladakh

Ladakh sits above 3,500 meters for most of the trip, and I packed like it was any other trip with slightly cooler nights. That was the first mistake.

What I'd leave behind:

• A second camera body I never touched
• A laptop I used twice
• A daypack too small for the layers altitude actually demands

What I wouldn't travel without again:

• Acetazolamide, started two days before altitude gain rather than after symptoms started
• A proper down layer — "it's July" does not apply above 3,500 meters