Everest base camp kit list: all you need for this classic trek

My comprehensive Everest base camp kit list includes everything you’ll need to reach the foot of the highest mountain in the world

Having just returned from my Everest base camp trek in Nepal, I thought it would be useful to share my entire Everest base camp kit list as a point of reference for future trekkers.

I joined a G Adventures 15-day trek to base camp, which includes 12 days of trekking: eight to ascend to base camp and four to descend back to Lukla.

I had most of the gear beforehand but also made a trip or two to an outdoor shop to grab some last-minute pieces. I treated myself to a couple of new items – a new hydration pack and a couple of dry sacks – but nearly all of what I already owned was sufficient for a high-altitude multi-day trek.

Buying and hiring locally

It is possible to buy (or hire) most items on my Everest base camp kit list on arrival in Nepal. However, I wouldn’t advise leaving it that late and quality can’t always be guaranteed.

There are also strict weight limits on the domestic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. The flight only allows for a weight limit of 10kg for checked luggage and 5kg for hand luggage. This coincides with the maximum weight porters are allowed to carry: 10kg per trekker with a maximum of two trekkers per porter.

As such, I would advise doing most – if not all – of your shopping, packing and weighing before you leave home. Luggage can be stored securely at your hotel in Kathmandu, but you will need to take all your trekking gear with you. In our Kathmandu hotel, Fuji Hotel, there were some luggage scales available for guests to use.

Kathmandu does have a host of outdoor shops selling much of what you’re likely to need. There is a collection of imported gear shops – with comparable prices to those in the west – spread along Tridevi Marg near Thamel.

Additionally, Kathmandu has a wide range of locally made and inexpensive outdoor gear shops, although a lot of it can be bootleg. Most imitations are reasonably well made or at least good enough to last the trip. Locally made down jackets and fleece jackets can be just as good as their far more expensive Western…