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Packing for the Everest Base Camp trek can be a challenge – over the 13 day trek I encountered a vast range of climates from sub-tropical to snow and frost! Follow this hiking gear list for the Everest Base Camp Trek to help make the process a bit easier!
What to Pack for an Everest Base Camp Trek
Written By: Erin Fry
To further complicate things, flights to Lukla only give you a luggage allowance of 10kg, with an additional 5kg allowed in your carry-on. Luckily, if you happen to be a little over your weight limit, excess baggage is quite inexpensive.
The best way to ensure that you’re prepared for all weather conditions is to pack clothing that can easily be layered. As I wanted to be relatively coordinated, I purchased clothes in a neutral palette – who says you can’t be a bit stylish on a trek! Hopefully this hiking gear list for the Everest Base Camp Trek will offer you some feminine options.
Laundry facilities are few and far between (we managed to do some hand washing in a bucket on one of our acclimatisation days) so merino clothing is always a good choice as it’s odour-resistant.
4 Pairs of Shoes
Keen Women’s Gypsum Ii Mid Wp-w Boot
1 Pair of hiking boots
Finding the best hiking boots for women are the most important part of your luggage – you have to look after your feet on a long trek! Make sure to get them well before your trek and wear them in lightly to be sure that they don’t rub.
Tip: wear these on the flight (as well as any other heavy items of clothing) so they don’t count towards your luggage allowance.
Merrell Women’s Sandspur Rose Sandal
1 Pair of sandals
A pair of outdoor type sandals are great to give your feet a break from your hiking boots at night (your feet will thank you for it!).
It’s a good idea to get sandals that are quite enclosed so you can wear socks with them when it is cold higher up the mountain.
4 Pairs of Pants
prAna Halle Roll-Up Water-Repellent Pant | Sizes 0-18
2 Pairs of trekking pants
Add quick dry trekking pants to your hiking gear list for the Everest Base Camp Trek – wear these during the day. It can be handy if one pair is convertible into shorts so you have the flexibility for the hotter first couple of days of the trek.
Champion Women’s Fleece Open Bottom Pant
1 Pair fleece pants
Fleece tracksuit pants are wonderfully warm and snuggly for those cold evenings in the teahouses, and it’s nice to have a clean pair of pants to change into at the end of the day.
1 Pair thermal leggings
Great to layer under your trekking pants with women’s thermal underwear as it gets colder higher up the mountain.
4 Tops
Eddie Bauer Long-Sleeve T-Shirt | Sizes XS-3X Available
3 T-shirts
Synthetic technical t-shirts are best as they wick any moisture away and are quick drying. 2 short sleeved tees and 1 long sleeved tee will give you the flexibility to layer as needed.
1 Thermal top
Long sleeved and made from merino, don’t leave this out of your hiking gear list for the Everest Base Camp Trek. It’s a great option to layer with as the temperature drops.
4 Jackets
Icebreaker Merino Women’s Rush Windbreaker Jacket
1 Light merino jacket
I found this invaluable for the trek. The merino perfectly insulates you and keeps you warm, while at the same time being light and airy to wear.
It was my go-to for pretty much every day of the trek once we reached the colder climates.
North Face Resolve 2 Jacket | Sizes XS-XXL and 1X-2X
1 Windproof and rainproof jacket with hood
The weather can be unpredictable, so this is great to have in your daypack every day. It’s handy as an extra insulating layer over the merino jacket if you get a little cold.
32 Degrees Plus-Size Ultra-Light Packable Down Jacket
1 Hooded down jacket
Several people have asked me if I thought a down jacket was essential, and I’d say a definite yes! It’s great for chilly evenings in the teahouses, as they can get quite cold if you’re not near the stove!
It’s absolutely needed if you’re climbing Kala Patthar before sunrise, we saw several people that had to turn back as they were way too cold!
Tip: if you won’t use a down jacket again, you can rent them in most trekking shops in Kathmandu. If you’re going to through a trekking company they’ll be able to help you organisz it.
Columbia Benton Springs Fleece Jacket | Sizes XS-XXL and 1X-3X
1 Fleece jacket
Much the same as the fleece pants, these are great for something clean and warm to wear in the teahouses at night.
Accessories
Smartwool Jovian Stripe Crew Socks
5 Pairs of socks
Thick merino trekking socks. If you can fit more pairs than this in, do it – there’s nothing better than a clean pair of socks for your weary feet!
Tip: you can also purchase merino liner socks to wear under your trekking socks, these can help reduce friction and blisters.
Terramar Thermasilk Glove Liner
2 Pairs gloves
One thin pair and one ski-style. It’s good to be able to layer the thinner pair under the ski gloves so your hands don’t freeze when you need to take off the heavier ones to take photos etc!
1 buff
A buff is a tubular piece of knit fabric, that’s able to be worn in many different ways. I mainly wore mine around my neck as a scarf, but it’s also handy as a headband, face protector (there’s a lot of dust on the trek!), etc.
Icebreaker Merino Skyline Slouch Beanie
1 Beanie
A beanie is a fun way to inject some colour and personality into your outfit, with the added bonus of keeping your head warm!
I picked up a really cute one in Nepal, and it kept my head nice and toasty all trek, as well as being a cool souvenir to bring home.
Ray-Ban Aviator Classic Sunglasses
1 Pair of sunglasses
You’ll end up wearing these every day of the trek, as even when it’s cold there tends to be a lot of glare. A wraparound style is optimal to give your eyes the most protection possible.
If you happen to forget anything, you can easily buy any extra essentials in Kathmandu when you arrive in Nepal, or even in the largest towns on the trek, Lukla and Namche Bazaar. I hope this hiking gear list for the Everest Base Camp Trek helps you prepare for your own trip. Enjoy the adventure!
What would you add to this hiking gear list for the Everest Base Camp Trek?
For more packing tips, please read:
- Hiking Boots for Women
- Arctic Clothing: Extreme Cold Weather Gear for Women
- Onion Layering Strategy for Cold Weather
- Packing for High Altitudes
Suggested Travel Resources:
- Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring
- Lonely Planet Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya (Travel Guide)
We hope you found this hiking gear list for the Everest Base Camp Trek helpful. Please share this post with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
Author Bio: Erin is a travel and adventure blogger who fell in love with Asia six years ago and has travelled every chance she gets since! She has canoed through limestone karsts in Phang Nga Bay, stayed with a local Indian family in Varanasi and watched the sun rise over Mt Everest from the summit of Kala Patthar. You can read about Erin’s adventures on her blog No Ordinary Nomad or follow her on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
I could talk on this topic all day as I have reached EBC. One thing to add is ginger and ground cloves. It will help with altitude sickness so much or if your stomach hurts. Also bring some cough drops for your throat and eye drops. Will help to save the day
Helpful Tips Erin. I have been there already so this will be the ideal preparation before Everest trek. You can purchase fleece in much cheaper rate there. But its better to go there fully prepared.
hello, I found you blog very helpful, I just wanted to know what medical/toiletries would you need and is there a chance to charge my camera/phone on rout?
The down jacket, does this have to be a big jacket or can it be one of those ones that fold in on itself?
Hey 🙂 Glad you found it helpful! It might be useful to take things like painkillers, blister plasters, hand sanitizer, wet wipes etc for a trek like this :). Take a look at this post for more tips on what to pack http://bit.ly/2anh4uJ. Also the most important thing about a down jacket is that it keeps you extra warm!
Hi,
Im undertaking Everest Base Camp in a few weeks. I was just about to purchase a North face Osito Fleece online as I cant seem to find it anywhere in Ireland. It is 100euro online. Just wondering can I purchase this fleece in Kathmandu for a much lesser price?! Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Marita:)
Hi Marita, thanks for your message! I’m not sure it will be cheaper in Kathmandu. They have many knock offs but they also have the original North Face store which is probably about the same. I’ve seen it cheaper at retail store outdoor brand outlets.