The first tension that crosses your mind once the days of your trip are approaching is what to and what not to pack for the trip. Especially while traveling in the mountains, travelers need to indulge in smart packing. Here, we will provide an optimum packing list for Everest Base Camp Trek along with a rationale.

Everest Base Camp is the most famous trek in the world, every travel enthusiast's dream destination from where they can witness an up-close view of the sublime Mt. Everest. EBC is located 5,364 meters above sea level. This trek starts after a thrilling flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. Lukla Airport is one of the most thrilling airports in the world. During the trek, you will be hiking through the elevated land of the Himalayas enjoying the serene natural and cultural beauties. You will pass through the enchanting forests, Sherpa villages, monasteries, glacial moraines, suspension bridges, foothills, and praying flags.

While planning on visiting this portal to the top of the world, a traveller must properly research packing gear. This trek requires hiking for several hours and accommodating tea houses/camps. Our today's blog is for all those people who have planned to spend days before their trip, just jotting down a packing list. We are here with our informative scissors to cut down that time of yours.

A Glimpse of Your Packing List for Everest Base Camp Trek

Before we move to a detailed discussion, let us give you a quick overview of our packing list.
● Trekking Bag
● Trekking Equipment (Shoes, Stick)
● Clothes
● Toiletries
● Mobile phone, camera, and charger
● First aid ointments and medicines
● Documents

1. Trekking Bag

A trekking bag should fit all your necessities in a small space without making the bag too heavy. Moreover, the trekking bag should be waterproof and leakproof, to ensure a no-hassle trip.

If you are hiring a porter, then we do recommend you to carry two bags- one waterproof duffel bag and another backpack. These bags are differentiated as night and day backpacks. The waterproof duffel bag that is carried by the porter is somewhat big, with a volume of approximately 80 liters to 90 liters. Your porter is going to carry that from one tea house to another. It houses most of your belongings, especially those which are not required during the daytime. Before buying a duffel bag for yourself, check the weight of the empty bag. A lightweight bag is ideally preferred.

The daytime backpack is supposedly small, holding a volume of 24 liters to 30 liters. You will be carrying the trekking necessities like a bottle of water, snacks, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, extra layers, camera, mobile phone, etc in this backpack. You could also carry a fanny bag that has a waist belt, and gives a perfect ergonomic fit to ensure comfort.

2. Trekking Equipment

A trekker, irrespective of his expertise, is bound to keep some trekking equipment for a safe and majestic trip. Now, by the word 'Equipment', we do not really mean some big machinery with complicated functioning. For a trekker, a pair of hiking boots, trekking socks, and a hiking pole is paradise.

Trekking shoes/hiking boots are completely different from sports shoes. They are strong and durable enough to withstand the wear and tear of the trip. These shoes have soft and thick soles, to ensure that your feet do not get hurt while soaring up the hills.

Trekking socks are a pair of sturdy cloth socks that protects your skin from blistering from hiking shoes. You can buy your pair of trekking socks, and pair them with a linear sock underneath. A thin ordinary linear sock will help you to wear your trekking socks for a long time without washing.

Although you will be sleeping in tea houses, it would be better to carry your own sleeping bag for an extra layer of warmth during the nights, especially during peak seasons when the hotels have big traffics. Sleeping bags can be purchased or rented in Kathmandu.

You need to have a trekking pole whenever you plan to trek any of the Base Camp. Trekking poles help you maintain stability, especially when the rocks are slippery or the slopes are muddy.

3. Clothes

We know most people get stuck here while packing their bags. And hence, we pointed all our focus to this part.

The first thing that you need to understand about your clothes is that you need two different types of clothes for two different purposes- one for trekking purposes and the other for teahouse purposes. Now, the clothes that you would pack for trekking purposes come in three different layers- the base layer, the insulating layer, and the outer layer. We will discuss each layer separately.

4. Trekking Clothes

Base layer

The clothes that you choose for this layer are the closest to your body. Hence, the quality of cloth matters most, otherwise, you may land up itching all the way up to the Everest Base Camp. Also, remember to buy quality clothes that absorb sweat from your body. The base layer clothes include-
● Sports Bras (for women)
● Underwear
● Short sleeve shirts
● Leggings/Tights

Insulating Layer

This is the middle layer of your body wrap, and the main objective of the insulating layer is to keep your body warm. The insulating layer clothes include-
● Long sleeve shirt
● A lightweight fleece
● A half zip, that comes with long sleeves

Outer Layer

This is the layer that needs much of our attention. This layer itself is going to shield you against the wind, snow, and any other natural calamities. It tolerates all the wear and tear of your trekking tenure. Always remember to wear waterproof and wind-resistant outer layer clothes. The clothes that come in the outer layer are-
● Waterproof Jacket and Raincoat
● Waterproof Full-Length Pants
● A pair of woolen gloves
● Fleece sweater
● Down Jacket
● A warm hat, that should compulsorily cover your ears
● Scarf
● Neck Buff

Teahouse Clothes

These clothes are often neglected while tourists pack their bags for Everest Base Camp. But, we say, rather we insist, these are of utmost importance while you sleep in those small and cozy tea houses. The must-have tea house clothes are-
● A warm Fleece lined pants
● Full-length underwear pants
● A cozy pair of fleece-lined socks
● Long sleeve shirt
● A sweatshirt
● Opaque eye mask (Optional)
● Ear plugs (Optional)

TIPS for Packing your clothes for your Everest Base Camp Trek

Right now, you may be thinking about how to pack so many clothes into your backpack. Well, we will tell you a secret. Packing them all in a single chamber of your backpack will unnecessarily complicate things. Every time you need leggings or an eye mask, you have to turn your bag upside down and search for it. Sounds frightening, right?

We do advise you to buy packing cubes, of different sizes, and pack your clothes based on their usage in different cubes. So, every time you need your fleece jacket, you can open the cube labeled as 'Insulating layer clothes, and take out your fleece. Your arrangement will not be messy this way!

4. Toiletries

Toiletries are obvious even when you go for a single-day trip, so how can you even forget them while you pack your bag for the Everest Base Camp trek?

You may have already prepared a list of toiletries that you need to carry along with you. But here we jot down the things that we felt are absolutely necessary.

● Toilet Paper
● Brown waste paper bag
● Toiletry Bag
● Dry Shampoo
● Conditioner
● Body Wash
● Wet Wipes
● Toothpaste and toothbrush
● A pocket mirror
● Sunscreen with UV shield
● Moisturizers
● Body lotion
● Deodorants
● Quick drying towel
● Nail clippers
● Lip balm with SPF
● Foot powder
● Moisture Wicking Fabric
● Hand Sanitizer
● Menstrual cup/Pad/Tampon

5. Mobile Phone, Camera, and Charger

Mobile Phones, Cameras, and chargers have become the most irreplaceable thing in our lifestyle and while traveling. So, do not forget to tuck them in your backpack.

Since these belong to last-minute packing, we have listed out the gadgets for your convenience.
● Mobile phone
● SIM card provided by the local operator
● Charger
● Camera with charger
● Spare lens
● A power bank
● Earbuds or earphone

6. First Aid Ointments and Medicines

These are perhaps the most necessary things to pack in your bag before you start your Everest Base Camp trek. You can get some Over The Counter ointments and medicines for first aid and regular problems. Most of these items are carried in the first aid bag by the Himalayan Trekkers guide but is always recommended to carry a few must-have medications for your safety and convenience by the travelers as well.

The must-have medications include-
● Gel/Spray for joint pain and sprain
● Antiemetics for nausea or vomiting
● Diamox or Acetazolamide to prevent altitude sickness
● Antipyretics for controlling fever or reducing body temperature
● Anti-Flatulence drugs for reducing extra gas, bloating
● Balm for headache or migraine
● CPR kit
● Analgesics for relieving pain, painkiller
● Insect repellent
● Anti-inflammatory pills
● Anti-diarrhea pills
● Ibuprofen, Meftal, Paracetamol, Aspirin, Advil
● Cough Lozenges like Strepsils
● Bandages
● Blister Kit
● Other drugs that you use regularly, like, drugs for Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, etc

7. Documents

Do you think you can close the zip of your backpack without putting your documents in? Well, not really! Without these documents, traveling is as good as impossible. Moreover, there are multiple checkpoints, so remember to keep all the documents safe throughout the trek.

The documents that you must have with you are listed below. You can buy a secure folder, which is waterproof, to keep all your documents safe throughout the tenure of the trek.
● Passport
● Visa, with at least a 6-month validity
● A couple of passport-sized photos
● Document for Immunisation
● Document of travel insurance
● A certain amount of cash
● A blueprint of your trip

PACKING TIPS for Everest Base Camp Trek

• Packing all of the clothes or other items in a single chamber of your backpack will unnecessarily complicate things. Every time you need leggings or an eye mask, you have to turn your bag upside down and search for it. Sounds frightening, right? We do advise you to buy packing cubes, of different sizes, and pack your clothes based on their usage in different cubes. So, every time you need your fleece jacket, you can open the cube labeled as 'Insulating layer clothes, and take out your fleece. Your arrangement will not be messy this way!

• Cover both nighttime and daytime backpacks with backpack covers. This ensures the protection of your backpack against rain, sunrays, and dust.

• Carry your own water bottle. And we highly request, not the plastic kind. The mineral water bottle can be purchased during the trek but this costs much higher than usual. If you carry your own bottle then you could fill water from the tea house that you are staying in. You could also fill it with Himalayan Springwater and purify it yourself during the hiking or you could purchase boiled and filtered water that costs very cheap than Mineral water.

• Carry a Garbage Bag and place it in a separate pocket of your daytime bag. This way you will help in keeping the environment clean and your backpack will also remain clean.

We walked the extra mile to bring all the necessary information right to your plate. By now, we are pretty sure you got enough enlightenment about what to pack in your trekking bag for the Everest Base Camp trek. Packing gears is the first and most important thing we do before starting our journey. Since you will be traveling so far away from your home country, and not to mention in the Himalayan region, hence, we prepared the informative packing list to ensure your hefty-free packing. Happy Trekking and soaring up the heights!