Packing for the Everest Base Camp Trek gets easier once you know what’s already handled. Here’s what we provide as part of the trip, what you need to bring yourself, and why this trek’s packing list differs from a lower-altitude route like Annapurna Base Camp.
What’s already provided
A 70-litre duffel bag for your porter to carry, a trekking map, a sun hat and a neck gaiter all come with the trip. Your guide also carries the group’s first aid kit, including a pulse oximeter for daily altitude checks. What this trek doesn’t include, unlike our Annapurna Base Camp Trek, is a complimentary down jacket or sleeping bag, so those are yours to bring or rent.
Cold-weather layers
Temperatures at Gorak Shep and Kala Patthar regularly drop well below freezing before dawn, even in the reliable autumn and spring seasons. A proper down or synthetic insulated jacket, a sleeping bag rated to at least minus 15°C, thermal base layers, a warm hat and insulated gloves are not optional. If you’re travelling in winter, both the jacket and the sleeping bag need to be rated colder still, our season-by-season guide covers how much the gear requirements shift between autumn, winter and spring.
Footwear and trekking gear
Broken-in waterproof hiking boots are worth getting right before you fly, not in Namche. Trekking poles help on the long descent days, particularly from Kala Patthar back down through Pheriche. A headtorch is essential for the pre-dawn starts to both acclimatisation viewpoints and the Kala Patthar summit morning.
Practical extras
A power bank matters because charging is a paid extra at most teahouses and unreliable above Dingboche. Bring enough Nepali rupees in cash too: ATMs in Namche are unreliable, and there are none further up the valley, so budget your cash for drinks, charging, hot showers outside Phakding, Namche and Lukla, and tips before you leave Kathmandu.
What you don’t need to worry about
Food is covered: full board is included on the trail and fresh fruit is served after dinner every night. Permits, the TIMS card, and park fees are all arranged on your behalf, and your guide is a licensed professional carrying the safety equipment, not something you need to source yourself. See the full inclusions list on the Everest Base Camp Trek page.
Before you fly
We run a full gear check at the pre-trip briefing in our Thamel office the day before departure, so anything missing can usually still be rented in Kathmandu. Travel insurance that covers high-altitude helicopter evacuation needs to be arranged before you arrive, not after, our guide to altitude sickness on this route explains why. If you’re still working out what to pack for your dates and group size, ask us directly and we’ll tell you honestly what you’ll need.