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Everest Base Camp Gear List

ByMac Hours
Comments 16 Comments
Comments Reading Time: 4 minutes

Just days away from my departure in search of Everest Base Camp I have started getting together all that will be accompanying me to the land of Earth’s tallest peaks.

This will be my first time backpacking during the winter months and much of my gear has yet to be tested outside the small Japanese apartment where I currently hang my hat. I have been unable to discover a gear list online reflecting the same kind of trip that I have in mind for myself: a solo (camping?) winter trip without the use of a porter. That being said, I hear that finding gear in Nepal is incredibly easy (and cheap (and fake)).

Note: After returning from EBC I can tell you that a tent and sleeping pad are in no way required and I met no other people who were camping (there are villages everywhere).

GEAR

Everest Base Camp Gear 4
Everest Base Camp Gear 3
Everest Base Camp Gear 2
Everest Base Camp Gear 1
 

CLOTHING

Everest Base Camp Gear Angle
MORE ANGLES!

PHOTOGRAPHY

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Sunglasses (with case)
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrush
  • Credit cards
  • Cash
  • Cell phone
  • Mini Bic
  • Assorted rubber bands
  • Passport
  • Micro USB cord
  • Mini USB cord
  • Notebook
  • Pens
  • Spork
  • Moustachio
  • Assorted Ziplocs
 

*Still up in the air on these items.

Upon returning from Nepal I will follow this up with a more detailed version of this list including reports on how everything performed in the extreme cold and altitude I expect to encounter.

The weather report shows snow (which is apparently unusual this time of year) which means either extensive testing or, dare I say, no testing at all (either way it will be an adventure).

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16 Comments

  1. Hey Mac!
    Great pack list! I wanted to know what your total pack weight ended up being? And which additional items, other than your tent and pad, you could have left behind. My friends and I are looking at a 2 week summit to EBC and the helicopter transports are requiring a pretty strict 10kg pack weight. So the pack weight included with your visual documentation would be very helpful. Thank you!

    Reply

    1. I’m working on a revision of this post, but you can easily get away with a pack weight under 10kg as long as you don’t double up on anything (e.g. one shirt instead of trying to have a clean one every two days or something).

      Reply

  2. Hey Mac!
    My partner and I are doing this trek in 7 days currently our gear list is looking pretty extensive and the fear of over packing is real! – how did you go with your gear list?
    any changes?
    Also in emergence situations even with high altitude insurance what was your game plan if something went horribly wrong?

    i.e did you carry a satellite phone? If so who would you reach out to? Ive hurd guides will usually organise this sort of thing, but as a solo hiker not sure best way forward.

    Reply

    1. You definitely don’t need a shelter or sleeping pad. I was plenty warm with my gear (I run warm if that helps). I would bring a Garmin inReach Mini 2 with me now (I carry one everywhere now). There will be plenty of people on the route so if you need some local help you shouldn’t have a difficult time finding it. I did not have a sat phone (nor would I, personally, bring one on a future EBC trek).

      Seven days is quick to go up to that altitude – if you’ve never been up that high before. But maybe you mean that you’re starting in seven days. In that case, never mind.

      Reply

  3. Hi Mac,
    Thanks for the gear list.
    Did you also carry a shell layer i.e. rain jacket and overtrousers ?
    Thanks

    Reply

    1. My down jacket is waterproof so I just used that. Nothing on the bottom, but fortunately, I didn’t encounter any wet weather (except a bit of snow at the end).

      Reply

  4. Aaahhhh thanks so much for this list! I want to do this trek solo also (no guide, no porter), but it seems like all the information I find is written by inexperienced hikers who go to Everest as part of a tour group. The amount of overpacking I’ve seen in most blogs is just ridiculous! No wonder these people feel the need to hire porters…

    Anyway, I know it’s been more than a year, but do you remember how much did your pack weigh? And how did you handle the weight at altitude? I can confidently hike with 10-15kg at “normal” elevations, but I keep reading that 10kg feels like 30kg at altitude, and that sounds scary. I’ve read your whole Everest trip report and it sounds like you handled the weight just fine, but if you could offer some gear insight post-trek, I would appreciate it. I’m just nervous about the altitude.

    Also, did you do any sort of physical training before the trek? I’m not fat or anything but I would rather die than set foot in a gym (you don’t sound like a gym person either).

    Reply

  5. Hey! So… amateur question… If I am going in September/October, and will be hiring a guide once I get to Kathmandu or Lukla (probably no porter, going by myself) would it be safe to say that I would be sleeping a tea house each night? I know it will be a peak season. I am mostly just wondering if I should be bringing a tent and planning to sleep outside at all. I don’t think there is a teahouse at EBC :)

    Reply

    1. Safe to say you will be in a tea house every night. Definitely no need for a tent (at least not in low season). Your guide should be able to deal with the reserving of places for you if you would like. Should probably clarify this somewhere. Best of luck – it’s awesome out there!

      Reply

  6. No solar panel this time?

    I guess with the local stops and being able to charge your gear on the way, it’s not really necessary.

    Reply

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