Workflow
Gear is logged before departure, carried on a named route in a named season, and inspected once we are back. Drafts wait until the item has survived at least one full trek, and a second reviewer checks every claim against the field log before anything goes live.
We are a small team, and most of us are on a trail or in a repair shed for part of the year. That shapes how fast we can answer. If your question is about a specific jacket, a teahouse along the Langtang route, or a water filter that failed on you, write to us with the details and we will get back to you with something useful rather than a template reply.
Best for detailed questions about boots, down jackets, sleeping bag warmth, or a teahouse you stayed in. Attach photos if you have them.
info@pbanepal.comPhone
Call if you are sorting out permit logistics or a route change close to departure. Weekdays are the safest bet for a real conversation.
+27133509283Post
If you are sending a sample for review, include the model, the season you want it tested in, and whether you accept our disclosure policy.
6831 Robyn Mount Apt. 235
Nkululekoport, KZN 4071
Many of the questions we get are already answered in the notes. Check the seasonal gear index and the route-by-route write-ups first, and if something is still unclear, tell us which page you read so we can fill the gap.
Still stuck? The support page covers the common cases, and the contact page has the direct lines if you would rather skip the reading.
Nothing here is written from a showroom. Gear is logged before it leaves, carried on a named route in a named season, then inspected once we are back. The steps below are the same for a pair of boots and for a guesthouse write-up.
Step 01
Weight, size, purchase date, and any prior repairs go into the sheet. For a lodge, we note the route, expected altitude, and the dates we plan to stay. If a brand has sent a sample, that is written down here, not buried later.
Step 02
A jacket rides in a duffel for ten days. Boots cross wet stone on the Annapurna side in October. A teahouse gets visited on the night we actually sleep there, not on a quick walk-through. Season and route are part of the record.
Step 03
Seams, baffles, sole wear, zipper drag, wet-out points. For lodges we compare what was served against what the menu promised, and how the kitchen handled a dietary request. Repair attempts get their own line in the log.
Step 04
The write-up is built from the sheet, not from memory. If a claim is not backed by a dated entry, it does not go in. That is why some notes are shorter than the gear deserves.
Step 05
Another person on the desk reads the draft against the log and flags anything that drifted. Sponsored placements are declined at this stage, and any sample is disclosed in the note itself.
Step 06
We wait until the item or the lodge has seen at least one complete route in one season. First-impression warmth tells you very little. Two seasons tell you what to carry again.
If you want the longer version of the reasoning behind these steps, the process page walks through it, and the use cases show how readers apply the notes to their own trips.