Everest Base Camp Packing List
(Fall Season)

• Backpack (22-25L) – with hip support and a hydration bladder sleeve
• Rain cover for backpack
• Hydration bladder (if not included with backpack)
• Crossbody pouch (was incredibly useful for keeping everyday essentials close at hand)

• Hiking shoes/boots – Ankle support strongly recommended; must be broken in
• Socks – 6-8pairs Merino wool socks highly recommended (doubling up helped during the last two days)
• Sock liners (optional)
• Teahouse footwear – Lightweight sandals or slip-ons to give your feet a break at the end of the day

• Sleeping bag (most trek agencies provide one, but you can bring your own)
• Sleeping bag liner
• Pillowcase (provided at teahouses; BYO if you prefer your own)
• Emergency blanket (never used, but good for peace of mind - part of the first aid)
• Ear Plug (Helpful if you’re sensitive to noise)
• Sleepwear – A dedicated night-only set (sweatpants, sweatshirt, and socks) worn after wiping clean helps you sleep warmer and feel fresh)
  • During very cold nights, particularly at Gorakshep, we changed into our next day’s summit layers (base and mid layers, doubled socks, etc.) before sleeping. Doing this after a quick clean helped retain warmth and avoided the struggle of changing in the freezing morning.

• Base layers:
  • Thermal long sleeve Top - 2
  • Thermal legging -1
  • Fleece-lined legging -1
• Mid-layer fleece -1
• Short-sleeve dry-fit shirts – 2
• Long-sleeve shirts – 2
• Trek pants – 2 (Cargo-pocket styles worked best for keeping essentials handy while trekking)

• Down jacket
• Down vest
• Windbreaker–rain jacket combo (Outer layer for wind & rain protection)
• Rain pants (even without rain, they were useful on summit day as an extra insulating outer layer)

• Baseball cap/Brimmed/ranger hat
• Sun Glasses - 2
• Winter cap/beanie
• Headbands /Ear covers
• Neck Gaiters -3 (Multi-purpose: neck insulation, dust shield for nose and face, and can double as headbands or ear covers)
• Hand Warmers
• Gloves
  • 1 thin pair
  • 1 thick/ski-type pair
  • Glove liners (optional)

• Nalgene bottles - 2 (popular as they can handle boiling water & effective as a sleeping-bag heater on cold nights)
• Thermos Flask (optional, but proved useful in the final two days before summit)
• Water purification tablets (Aqua tabs – ~50 is more than enough)
• Electrolytes – Liquid IV
• Salt sticks - 2 pack (handy on the trail, esp when you don’t feel like drinking more electrolyte-mixed water)
• Trail snacks – Energy/protein bars, jerky, coffee bean snacks
• Instant coffee sachets (optional – teahouses always had hot coffee)
• Trail Mix (a small packet)
• Energy Gel with Caffeine (optional)

• Travel-size shampoo, conditioner, body wash
• Toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, mouthwash
• Face wash, moisturizing lotions
• Hand sanitizer
• Bath wipes / wet wipes / sanitizing wipes (MUST)
• Deodorant small
• Toilet paper - 2 rolls
• Quick-dry Bath Towel (available to rent at teahouses if you forget to pack one)
• Vaseline

• Personal medications
• Diamox ((altitude sickness medication)
• Pain patches / tapes
• Blister bandages
• Allergy meds
• Basic first-aid kit
• Vitamin C
• Throat lozenges
• Baby Aspirin
• Ibuprofin/Pain killers
• Immodium
• Antihistamine (recommended for those sensitive to motion sickness; particularly helpful during the offload drive to Ramechhap)

• Polarized sunglasses – 2 pairs recommended
• Face cover / dust mask
• Neck gaiter / buff
• Sunscreen (SPF 50 or above)
• Lip balm with SPF
• Nail cutter
• Small scissors
• Small mirror
• Comb
• Safety pins

• Phone
• Adapters
• Portable power banks / chargers
• All necessary charging cables

• Camera
• Camera equipment
• Accessories
• Photographer vest (helpful if you like keeping camera gear easily accessible)

• Important documents (passports, visas, insurance info)
• Cash (ATMs are rare beyond certain points)
• We were advised to carry Nepalese Rupees equivalent to about USD 20 per day for daily teahouse expenses.)

• Packing Cubes (highly recommend to Label them - made daily packing and unpacking far easier and more organized)
• Trash bags
• Ziploc bags
• Dryer sheets (throw in with dirty clothes to keep luggage fresh)

Pack light, pack smart. Layers—not volume—are the real game changer. Above Namche, it’s comfort, warmth, and hydration that matter, not the extras.
Layering guidance: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/layering-basics.html
Gorak Shep was brutally cold—most of us ended up wearing about five layers and tucked hand warmers inside our gloves for extra warmth.
Avoid cotton: It traps moisture and stays wet, making you colder in cold conditions. If you sweat, change layers promptly to retain warmth.
To help prevent Khumbu cough, it’s recommended to cover your nose; most of us used a neck gaiter.
Sunburn is common at high altitude. For sun-sensitive skin, pair sunscreen with a UPF 50+ UV face cover or neck gaiter for added protection.
Having one hand weighing scale in the group was extremely useful when repacking trek gear into the duffel bags supplied by the trek agency.
After Dingboche, bathing was discouraged. Wet wipes worked well for freshening up before bed.
If you forget any gear, don’t panic—Kathmandu has everything required for the trek, mostly knock-off versions, but perfectly functional.