What to Pack for a Hike to Everest Base Camp, Nepal

The internet is chockful of YouTube clips and packing lists discussing the core kit (often ultralight and ultra-expensive) for an Everest Base Camp adventure.

Yes, I am adding to that body of information and I can promise you my input will be far less technical, and far more practical. I am a practical gal at heart.

My list of essentials will not include all the usual clothing and kit that you pack for any normal multi-day hike and will just focus on the things that I found most important or useful as an older chick on a supported (not independent) trek.

Let’s chat…

First off, don’t panic if you leave something at home. In the Thamel area of Kathmandu, it is wall-to-wall outdoor gear shops all selling genuine branded gear. Lukla also has plenty of gear shops for those last minute items before you hit the trail.

Once you do hit the track, the last major town on the way up to Everest Base Camp (EBC) is Namche and you can buy almost anything there. Note: the higher you hike, the less products are available for sale in the villages and the more expensive they get.

Let’s start with the basics…

Clothing & Footwear:

• This is not a fashion parade, unless you are into that sort of thing. Pack for function, not form and consider how you can reuse/recycle clothing for the duration of your hike i.e. wearing items multiple times!
• We enjoyed the most spectacular weather when we walked in early October 2024. Despite the clear weather, a good quality rain jacket was essential at the higher altitudes to cut the wind. I wore it daily, even if it was just to pop on during a rest break.
• I also packed rain trousers, but thankfully we didn’t need them.
• Merino clothing is your friend! It is warm, light weight, layers well and doesn’t smell ever after two weeks on the track.
• Pack multiple buffs and beanies. You will wear them day and night.
• You must have good footwear that is supportive of your feet and ankles (if that is an issue for you), and has good tread/grip. This is especially important to handle all the loose rock and gravel on the track.

Gear:

• Like your merino layers, your hiking poles will become your other best friends. They are so handy for uphill, downhill and for all the loose terrain you will walk across, littered with endless trip hazards just lying in wait for you.
• Everyone has their own preference for hydration. I love my water bladder set-up as I can be continually sipping as I walk. I have heard of people having issues with the water freezing in the tube, but it wasn’t that cold when/where we hiked.
• Consider taking a couple of Nalgene-type water bottles as these can hold boiling water. They can double as hot water bottles in your sleeping bag at night time and then a normal bottle to hold treated drinking water during the day.

Consumables:

• Snacks and muesli bars were great for keeping hunger at bay out on the track. You can buy snacks at most villages, but they were often limited to highly processed and sugary items. They also got more expensive the higher the path took you e.g. even a single apple cost up to $AUD5.
• If you have a sweet tooth and, like me, need a sugar hit every now and then, pack some lollies or chocolates. Consider taking enough to share with your group, the porters and guides. Again, a single Mars bar could cost up to $AUD4.

Personal Items:

• Those small bottles of body wash etc that you get when you stay in a hotel are ideal for this sort of trek – minimising space and weight.
• One of the most important items on this trip is toilet paper! No toilets provide paper and everyone must carry their own. Again, you can buy it along the way and expect to pay from $AUD2-8 per roll and it is pretty flimsy quality. Bring your own paper of choice from home.
• One of those small microfibre cloths is handy as a washer when you have a birdbath wash. They dry relatively quickly pinned to the outside of your backpack.
• A small container of baby powder also works wonders and creates a nice illusion that you are clean, and fresh after a meagre birdbath.
• This hike was my first experience of hiking at altitude and I found the sun, cold and general exposure very taxing on my skin. Pack good quality sunscreen (with moisturiser included), a moisturiser to put on your face at the end of the day and a couple of lip balms – one with SPF50 and another for repairs and maintenance when you finish walking.

Medical:

• Walking on a supported hike with World Expeditions meant that our guides carried a very comprehensive first aid kit. I recommend you carry your own basic supplies too.
• Not everyone takes Diamox to manage the impacts of altitude, but I am glad I had it. It made a huge difference and eliminated the headaches almost immediately.
• I never leave home without electrolytes and again, this is a personal preference. Consider that your diet on this hike may be very different to what you usually eat and a multivitamin or Vitamin C may be useful to top up your system.
• Not all places have running water to wash your hands after using the toilet and a few small bottles of hand sanitiser are essential. Use it before eating too.
• Youmay have heard about the Khumbu Cough – a cough that comes on due to the dry, cold and dusty air. It’s real! Pack cold & flu tablets, headache tablets, and cough lollies to minimise irritation and help you get some sleep at night.

This is a pretty basic list and it may not suit everyone. It just contains a few things that I (older female on a supported hike) found myself using most days. Hiking to EBC is a simply amazing life experience and being prepared, including packing a few small luxuries from home, can make it that little bit more wonderful.

Namaste.

What are your essentials you never leave home without?

The Basics

What: A 21-day tour to Nepal including a 17-day trek to Everest Base Camp via Cho La Pass.

Where: After flying into Kathmandu, we had a nightmare mini-bus ride to Ramechap, and then had to wait for the weather to clear before flying to Lukla and then starting our trek from there.

When: October 2024 and early Autumn in Nepal.

Why: Because it was be breathtaking, memorable and because both body and heart are still willing! And we are probably a little bit crazy!

How: By foot, car, plane, bus, foot, mini-bus, plane, foot, foot, foot, foot, foot, etc, plane, minibus, plane, car, foot.

Who: Myself, The Husband, The Partner in Crime and a First Timer.

Related Posts: To start at the very beginning, here is our chaotic introduction to Kathmandu.

Related Blogs: For some great insight into Nepal and what it takes to trek to Everest Base Camp have a look at this fabulous blog – Monkey’s Tale. Lots of handy information for would-be trekkers there.

Read About it: Prefer an armchair adventure to Everest Base Camp? Then strap on your crampons, take a deep breath and open Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. An astounding first-hand account of what it takes to climb Everest.  

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