Everest Base Camp Trek
Packing List
Hiking the EBC Trek wasn’t a lifelong dream we had (at least we didn’t know it at the time), so the amount of time we had to plan this trip was limited. We knew the most important task was putting together a solid packing list for all sorts of events.
Below you can find the entire list of gear we brought with us, and we were quite satisfied with the outcome. We never really missed a thing (in fact rather the opposite).
Clothing
Rule Number 1: Layer the onion out of you!
Base Layer
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- 1x trekking T-shirt: men | women
- 2x pair trekking pants
one thin: men | women
one thicker: men | women - Â
- 3-4 pair woolen trekking socks
- don’t forget your underwear!
Outer Layer
- 1x wind and rainproof jacket with hood (hardshell): men | women
- 1x (thin) down jacket: men | women
- 1x warm winter hat
- 1x
lightweight robber mask to conceal your identitybalaclava - 1x headband/buff
- 1x pair thin gloves
- 1x pair thick gloves (for those freezing mornings)
- 1x pair trekking boots
1x pair of flipflops– intended for showering, we have not used our shared pair of flipflops once. If we needed to go for a late night bathroom run, we put the hiking boots back on. If you plan on bringing some, consider bringing open sandals. We also saw a few satisfied hikers, chillaxing in the lodge with those fluffy down booties you can get everywhere in Kathmandu or even Namche. They might be an all-around option that could potentially even be converted into some crazy shower shoes (if you manage to see one from the inside.) In hindsight, we wouldn’t bring any of it!
Jan’s things:
Gear
Since you are sleeping in teahouses, you don’t need a whole lot. There are lots of stores in Namche Bazaar, where you can reconsider your choices if you forgot something. Obviously prices there will be higher than in Kathmandu.
- 1 pair of (polarized) sunglasses
- 1 headlamp
- 1 heavy sleeping bag
(tea houses supply blankets, but the extra cushion makes all the difference! We bought our sleeping bags in Kathmandu. They were on the expensive side of the North Face Imitation gear, and we are quite happy with the quality. In hindsight we would have bought it at the official North Face Stores since they had great deals on this one) - 1 water bottle
(we packed an additional camel bag, which was great) - Snickers
(yup, an essential gear: fuel. We carried them all the way from Kathmandu. Its worth the price!) - 1 pair of trekking poles
(this is not necessary, but we love ours!) - Garmin or another GPS device
(again, this is not needed at all, but we enjoyed to check our speed, the altitude and how far away our next tea or MoMos were.) - a whistle
- 1 pair of cramponsÂ
(only necessary if you plan on crossing the Cho La Pass) - 1 foldable hiking seat
(great to not cool down during breaks) - 1 light daypack
(to hike with on you acclimatization days. It’s nice to switch to something small)
Bella’s things:
Documents
- Passports
- Permits:
– TIMs Card
– Entry permit to the Sagarmatha National Park
(You can get them at the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu or on the trek, in Monjo) - Rupees
(bring enough for accommodation, food, and drinks, a good rule of thumb is 25$ per person per day) - Map
(it’s difficult to get lost on the trek, still you should always know where you are.)
Electronics
You won’t necessarily need any of this. You will feel every extra gram that you have to carry up. Nevertheless, you will probably want to document this extraordinary experience. Listed is what we brought along and it is a lot!
- 1 DSLR camera (Canon 80D) with 2 extra batteries
(charging in teahouses is around $3 and not always accessible)
(with the Canon EF-S 18-135mm)
- 1 action camera (GoPro) with 1 extra battery (rechargeable with our RAVpower)
- 1 Gimbal (Removu S1)
- 1 solar charger (RAVpower)
(charging is expensive, free energy will save money and is fun in the process) - 1 power bank
(we love our Anker power bank!) - 1 GPS (Garmin)
Batteries will last longer if you keep them close to your body!
First Aid
- Diamox
- Ibuprofen
- Aspirin
- Anti nauseant
- Immodium
- Bandaids
- Antiseptic wipes
- Elastic Bandage
- Triangle Bandage
- Survival blanket
- Blister band-aids
- Safety-pins
- Tweezers
Don’t save weight on the important stuff, bring a well-stocked first aid kit.
Toiletries
- Sunscreen SPF 50
- a good chapstick with SPF
(don’t consider this as unnecessary. Bring a good one! We packed a regular chapstick with SPF, and our dry lips tortured us. It was the first thing we bought on our way down back in Namche, and it felt so good to have moisturized lips!) - Toilet paper
- All-purpose soap
- Microfiber towel
- baby wipes (too good to miss!)
- panty liners (to tear an extra layer off can feel so fresh)
- toothbrush
- toothpaste
And that is everything we carried up to Everest Base Camp.
Weather can be sneaky; you might sweat one minute while climbing up an exhausting path and freeze the next after reaching the top. Especially during the night temperatures will drop and you will appreciate some extra layers. Choose your equipment wisely and pack quick drying clothes.
Video Impressions:
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Thanks for all the great tips and info! Really helpful. I have one question. Is it allowed to fly a drone without a permit in Nepal? Do you get the drone past the Nepali customs?
Greetings from Niels
Hi Niels,
Thanks for your kind words. The Nepali customs wasn’t a problem at all. You aren’t allowed to fly the Drone in National Parks anymore. Most of the trails are in National Parks (EBC, Annapurna, e.g.) Getting a permit is possible but super difficult, and you need to have good friends helping you with the Nepali authorities.
Best JAN