Packing for the Everest Base Camp trek is a very important part of having a successful and enjoyable hiking adventure. We have spent several seasons hiking in Nepal, including a couple of hikes to EBC. In this post, we discuss everything you need to know to prepare for the trek from our extensive experience. This packing post should be helpful, whether you trek independently or with a company and we show you what to pack for men and ladies. Our complete packing list for the Everest Base Camp trek, includes clothes, gear, electronics, and all sorts of nifty little extras we pack on this trek.
Are you interested to see what you can eat on the Everest Base Camp trek?
Our Clothes on the EBC Trek
What clothes to pack? – Layering is very important and just means wearing a couple of layers of clothing. Breathable clothing can help you to keep warm, dry, and comfortable in changing conditions by removing layers depending on how you feel and the conditions you’re in. Multiple thin layers will keep you warmer than a single thicker layer because warm air is trapped between the layers acting as an insulator.
Clothes are arranged in 3 layers from your skin outwards; a Base layer (underwear) that wicks (draws moisture away) sweat off your skin using a synthetic material that doesn’t absorb wetness. Middle layer (insulating): retains body heat protecting you from the cold. An Outer layer (the shell) waterproof and windproof.
The Shell
Outer Shell Rain Jacket – wind and waterproof jacket ladies or Outer Shell Rain Jacket for men with a hood in case of strong wind or rain. Walking EBC in April we walked most of the time in a hiking shirt and outer shell jacket, layering up with a fleece and thermal vest a handful of times when it was cold.
Trekking pants – I had one pair of light fast dry hiking pants and I never zipped off the legs, on on very cold days I layer up with thermal underpants (you can take this off later in the day when it gets warmer). If you go hiking off-season when it is very cold it is nice to wear thicker waterproof pants. For women, I’d suggest packing trekking pants and stretchy workout tights. This is Alya´s hiking pants of choice, her stretchy, comfortable yoga pants, dries quickly if it gets wet and she layers up when it gets cold.
You can also watch our Everest Base Camp Trek video showing you what is in my backpack on the trek.
Insulating Later
Lightweight Down Puffer Jacket, These, soft, warm jackets are extremely comfortable and nice to walk in. Also nice to wear in the tea house at night. Light, small, and very packable.
Fleece – Essential item. I wear a fleece under my outer shell on cold days and over a thermal vest in tea houses.
A Fleece vest is great for extra heat layering, ladies fleece vest.
Base Layer
Merino wool socks – Walking thousands of kilometers on hiking routes around the world we found Merino wool socks the best at keeping your feet dry, blister-free, and preventing smelly feet. Merino socks come in different blends (wool percentage), weights (thickness) and heights (length). These socks are all perfectly suited for different conditions. For the EBC trek I recommend using a Mid-weight Wool Sock – Darn Tough Micro Crew Cushion Hike-Trek Merino Wool Sock (Hike Trek Ladies Sock). With a very high merino wool content (60%), this is a very good sock to use for feet that sweat a lot. Darn Tough is an excellent brand with a lifetime guarantee on their socks. Danish Endurance Premium Outdoor Hiking Socks (Unisex) is another excellent merino wool sock that is easier to get hold of in Europe. For more details about different merino wool hiking socks see our article on best socks for the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.
Hiking shirt – Wear breathable, moisture-wicking, quick-dry shirts. For men, I love hiking in Columbia shirts, does not absorb water so it dries quickly, and long sleeves are great for sun protection.
Moisture Wicking Merino Wool T-Shirts are also great, quick-drying, moisture wicking
For Ladies, Alya packs a mix of long-sleeve running shirts and short-sleeve running t-shirts.
Sports bras – For hiking and outdoor activities Alya prefers to wear sport bras .
Thermal underwear – thermals (men’s models) are great for sleeping in or use as an extra layer for hiking on very cold days. ladies thermal underwear
Underwear – Merino wool underwear is very comfortable, moisture-wicking, and temperature regulating. Pack at least three or four pairs depending on how long you are hiking for, You can usually hand wash on the way. Ladies – moisture-wicking panties
Beanie – since I don’t have much hair I often wear a beanie. Even though she has a lot of hair, Alya sometimes wear a beanie when it is very cold, pack one.
Gloves – Wearing thin fleece gloves or no gloves was fine most of the time. My hands get cold very easy and I was happy that I packed a pair of winter ski gloves on one or two cold mornings, I specifically recall ascending Kalapathar warm gloves helped a lot!
Cap/hat – a cap, or hat is very important for sun protection on hikes.
Sunglasses – I love my large Polaroid sunglasses with proper UV protection important for hiking in the mountains I will recommend polarized lenses.
Rain poncho – On our last trip to EBC Alya left her rain jacket at home and took a light poncho that can fit over her and her backpack to make sure nothing gets wet. She wore a fleece or down jacket for the rest of the trip. We always pack ponchos when go traveling – they are small and light and are often quite handy. It rained a bit once or twice and she used the poncho.
Multifunctional Headwear “Buff” great to protect your neck and face from sun, wind and weather.
Gear and Equipment – buying or renting?
There are many shops selling the necessary clothes and gear to trek to Everest Base Camp in Kathmandu. Mostly fakes of well-known brands like The North Face. Many people buy the fake gear, completing the trek successfully using this equipment. Obviously, the quality is inferior.
You can rent gear in Kathmandu, be careful it is often fake, I rented a The North Face sleeping bag that fell apart after 3 days of use. There are a handful of shops selling authentic branded equipment in Thamel, you can not miss them. We bought proper The North Face gear in Thamel, I would however recommend buying essential gear before your trip while you still have time to order and exchange sizes, colors, models, etc.
Knock-off trekking Gear in Kathmandu
There are hundreds of little trekking shops in Kathmandu and Pokhara selling good-looking knock-off equipment from well-known brands.
You are not climbing Everest so you probably won’t die of cold in a fake jacket in summer. Having something that fits, lasts, and keeps the wind and rain out is just nicer and will improve your chances of finishing the trek successfully though it might significantly increase the cost of the EBC trek.
Season is an important consideration when buying gear, in summer the knock-off stuff is OK and might last for the duration of your trek. When we were trekking to EBC in late February it was a lot colder than when we did the same trek in April. I was glad we had proper gear, it was freezing. I wore my real down jacket most of the trek, even sleeping in it at Gorakshep, I would recommend taking a light packable down jacket with a hood. The fake jackets are not filled with goose down, but with synthetic material, it is heavier and not nearly as warm.
Insurance for the Everest Base Camp trek
EBC is a high altitude trek and altitude sickness is common. Since there are no roads in these mountains if you get seriously injured or sick you will have to be evacuated by helicopter which is very expensive. Travel insurance that states it covers you for hiking to an altitude of 6000m is a ‘yes’ for Everest Base Camp at 5364m. Insurance can be taken out for your whole trip or only for the duration of your trek.
World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.
Best Backpacks for EBC
A quality and comfortable backpack is a very important piece of equipment. I will recommend a dedicated hiking backpack from a well-known brand.
Backpacks are expensive, but buying a good quality pack is worth the money if you are carrying your own backpack. If you are using a porter he will probably put the pack in a basket so it does not make a difference. I am currently using an Osprey Kestrel 48L backpack. I really like this backpack it is relatively light, fits very comfortably, can open from the top, has a side zipper, breathable back fit, adjustable torso, and comes with a rain cover. The top opening and side zipper are important since it is a good-fitting hiking backpack that is also easy to pack. A 40-50L backpack should be enough for this route. Everest Base Camp is a tea-house trek there is no need to bring any camping gear with you unlike for example when you pack for hiking in Patagonia.
The Deuter Unisex – Adult’s Aircontact Lite 50+10 Trekking Backpack or Osprey Atmos AG50 for ladies are two more great packs you can consider.
We had been traveling around Asia for about two years when the trekking bug bit and I was using a travel pack, these backpacks such as the Osprey Far Point 55 Travel Backpack are great for traveling because they are not only top loading, you can open them in front for easy packing. Travel packs also have all sorts of straps, clips, and zips and they are nice to carry, but a backpack designed for hiking is the number one choice for comfort. This kind of backpack can be used for trekking but is not as comfortable as a dedicated hiking backpack.
Top Hiking Pack Features: Adjustable Torso Length, Integrated & Detachable Rain Cover, 3D Suspended Back panel, and Lumbar for perfect fit and comfort, a top hiking pack!
Packing Footwear for EBC Trek
Hiking boots/shoes – important qualities to check for
good grip
waterproof
breathing
good quality (quality brand)
Should you trek to Everest Base Camp in boots or shoes? Doing the hike in shoes is possible, make sure they are waterproof. With a boot laced up to the top chances of water coming in from the top are much lower in rain and snow than with a shoe. If you do not have hiking experience I would go for a higher cut for some ankle support. The porters often wear sneakers or even sandals. I will recommend wearing merino wool socks in waterproof hiking shoes.
We are both very happy with our Gortex Salomon X Ultra boots. Light and comfortable, 100% waterproof. Even after hiking for hours in snow and mud on the Annapurna Base Camp trek our feet stayed dry! Ladies Salomon X Ultra Boots
If you want a low-cut shoe I am currently very happy trekking with my Merrel Moab 3 shoes, for the EBC trek I recommend buying the waterproof Gortex version Merrel Moab 3 GTX.
Is a Sleeping Bag necessary on the EBC Trek?
It gets very cold inside the tea houses at night. Our water froze inside our bottles inside at night at the highest altitude! You do get blankets and can ask for extra, we however always carry a light summer sleeping bag that compresses for easy packing, it helps for warmth and we like sleeping in our ‘clean’ sleeping bags.
Everest Base Camp Trek Packing – Suggested Accessories
Trekking Poles – great to reduce the impact on your knees, very helpful on some icy descents on the EBC trek. TrailBuddy Hiking Sticks very well rated for durability, comfort, shock absorption, quality, and adjustability. Good value for money, aluminum trekking poles.
Microfibre towels are light, pack small and dry quick.
Petzl is good quality headlamps, the electricity in the tea houses is not always on at night, a headlamp is handy Petzl Arctic 300 Lumen waterproof headlamp
Water is expensive and the higher you climb the higher the price. It is possible to sterilize tap water and save a lot. You have three options to sterilize tap water and drink
A Lifestraw filter bottle makes water from most sources on the trail perfectly drinkable. Try not to buy plastic bottles of drinking water in the mountain. This contributes to pollution in this pristine area.
The Swiss knife is very handy, a sharp knife not always available in tea houses, the Swiss knife for cutting, opening cans etc. Important! Don’t forget if you fly only with hand luggage no knives will be allowed.
Take a notebook
Travel wet wipes very high on our list, often use for washing if ‘shower’ cold or expensive.
Hand sterilizer – tap not always available
First Aid Kit for EBC trek
Pack a good, basic, light first aid kit such as this one. I customize mine by adding some of the medication below.
Add some
pain killers paracetamol/aspirin/ibuprofen
Imodium for an upset stomach
rehydrate (isotonic drink) for when you are dehydrated
Diamox. It’s used by many trekkers to prevent altitude sickness. At high altitude the air pressure is low and less oxygen available, Diamox prevents AMS by acting as a respiratory stimulant. Contraindications Diamox is a diuretic so you constantly have to urinate, not nice to go to the toilet if it is cold at night. Needles and pins (paraesthesia) in hands in feet.
Altitude RX Oxyboost Complex for Mountain Sickness – natural remedy against altitude sickness, we have never used it, but it has good reviews, check here for about 500 reviews, sound like it works to me!
Plasters – pack enough plasters if you get blister that you can replace them daily. There are special blister prevention patches for shoes as well.
Antiseptic/iodine.
Vaseline – you can use it for blister prevention put it every morning on your feet (some areas) before you start walking. It’ll help to reduce chafing.
Toiletries
EBC Trek Permits and arrangements
Permits and Admin are not always the most fun part of packing, the permits are available in Lukla and Monjo so they can be paid on the way.
Everest Base Camp permits required 2024
Local permit cost NPR 2000 ($20)
Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit (USD 30 + 13% Govt. Tax)
Both permits can be bought during the trek at checkpoints at Lukla and Monjo. This is the easiest way to do it and you can not miss these checkpoints on the route.
Do you need a TIMS permit to trek to EBC?
TIMS ( Trekkers’ Information Management Systems) permits are required by the central government of Nepal to collect data of all individuals hiking in Nepal. There is a lot of conflicting information online regarding whether this permit is required or not for hiking EBC.
This permit used to be a requirement for trekking in the Everest region. The TIMS card is no longer required for the Everest Base Camp Trek it has been replaced by the local area permit. There are several trekking routes around Everest Base Camp. TIMS might be required for other regions such as Annapurna or Langtang
Accommodation in Kathmandu
We’ve stayed at several hotels in Kathmandu in different parts of Thamel, our favorite location in the city is Keshar Mahal Marang Street. A small and quiet dead-end street in Thamel with only hotels, hostels, restaurants, and coffee shops. The street is a 5-minute walk from the main touristy area with hundreds of shops and agencies.
We have stayed at Aryatara Kathmandu Hotel several times, a nice hotel and good value for money. Large rooms, comfortable beds, good breakfast (included), great hot shower, AC, wi-fi, TV, free airport pick-up (for international flights only). The staff is very helpful and friendly. We stored our extra luggage here every time we went hiking for free without any problem.
More options in the same street
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The strong half of Stingy Nomads, a nomadic aquaman that would be happy to spend all his life in the water diving, surfing and spearfishing but often has to compromise with Alya and go hiking instead. Campbell is responsible for all our marine adventures and following them with write-ups. He loves traveling, braai (BBQ in South Africa), red wine and spending the day in a wetsuit.
