Trekking to Base Camp is no easy feat. You need to bring the right essentials to be able to make it to the finish line.
I was very lucky to go on my trek with both a guide and a porter, so during the day I only had my daypack and my camera bag, while my porter carried my big duffle (provided by my trekking company).
There are weight restrictions when boarding the plane in Kathmandu. I was told I couldn’t have a duffle that weighed over 30 lbs (about 13.5 kg). Honestly, you don’t want to be carrying much with you or make your porter carry such a heavy load, so it’s easy to pack on the light side. Truth be told, if I was carrying all of my own belongings on my back, I would have cut down so much more.
I am a chronic overpacker; I will easily admit this. I did end up bringing quite a few things that I never ended up using. I, stupidly, thought I would do a little light makeup every morning. A bit of mascara and a little powder on the face to look fresh when I knew I was going to be quite stinky from the lack of showers. HA! I think I did it the first day and never again. I carried around that small makeup bag and some makeup remover wipes for no reason.
Speaking of being stinky, I brought my normal bottle of face wash, multiple travel-size shampoos, and a bar of soap. Biodegradable soap is the way to go. There is no soap in the bathrooms at the tea houses typically, so this doubles as a handy thing to have. Bringing your own toilet paper is a MUST as well. I regret bringing full-sized versions of things; you only need to bring travel-sized products, with one small shampoo and face wash, plus a mini toothpaste. As you get closer to Base Camp, the likelihood of having a shower or sink is slim to none, so you won’t be able to freshen up anyway. It’s all squatty-potties and greasy hair. The really nice thing about this though is everyone is in the same boat. You don’t have to worry about not looking your best because everyone is there for the adventure.
I brought a couple of Ziploc bags with me and they were very useful. I ended up getting my period a few days into the trek, and there often aren’t trash bins in the bathrooms. I’m someone that uses tampons, so this was a good way to keep my trash in one place without having to be worried about discarding things in places I shouldn’t or having a scrambled panic in the toilet.
A sleeping bag was something I regretted bringing. I never touched it. It did get very cold at night when I was trekking in May, but with all of my layers and the duvet provided in the tea house, I didn’t need it. It just took up a lot of space and a weight in my duffle. I would forgo that next time, but this could 100% be something that’s a necessity for other people at other times of the year.
One thing that I didn’t bring that I ended up regretting was hiking poles. They were suggested by the company I trekked with, but I didn’t bother because I had never needed them on a hike before. I thought they would be something I would lug around and find annoying. When we were going uphill or were at higher altitudes where the air was super thin, those would have been a game changer.
If there are things that you’re missing or need to purchase, Namche Bazaar is pretty well equipped for trekking bits! That’ll be your stop on day two or three of the trek, depending on your pace, so you’ll be able to get a feel for something you glaringly need. My guide picked me up some Diamox to help with altitude sickness. I’m so thankful that he did, it became a life saver after Pangboche.
Based on my experiences, this is my finalized list of things that I would bring the next time I went to Base Camp. I’ve added a couple bits and pieces and streamlined a lot of stuff, but I think this is a very solid list. Every person is different, but this could be a good jumping off point for when you’re packing your own bags to go to Everest!
My Everest Base Camp Trek Packing List
Clothing
Hiking boots
Waterproof sandals (Tevas, Chacos, Birks etc)
Two pairs of hiking pants
One pair of leggings
One pair of shorts
Insulated down jacket
Sweatshirt
Rain jacket
Two long sleeve shirts
Two short sleeve shirts
One tank top
Two sports bras
Underwear
Socks - lightweight and heavy wool
Buff
Baseball cap
Beanie
Gloves
Hiking Kit
Daypack
Hiking poles
Filtered water bottle
Microfiber towel
Minimal personal toiletries
Toilet paper
Ziploc bags
Biodegradable soap and shampoo
Personal medication
Sunglasses
Medicine kit with ibuprofen, bandaids, moleskin, blister bandaids, ear plugs, and altitude sickness pills
Sunscreen
Wired headphones
Chargers
Portable charger/portable solar panel for charging
Playing cards and Kindle (for tea house entertainment)
Snacks - protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, and something sugary for energy boosts
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