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Everest Base Camp Gear List – Don’t forget to bring toilet paper and leave the cotton at home

So you’ve decided to head to Base Camp and want to know what to bring? Well I’ve included a list of gear below.

CLOTHING
[ ] 2 pair Lightweight Capilene long underwear, tops & bottoms. No cotton!
[ ] 2 pair light-colored nylon trekking pants. I say “light-colored” because they get less hot in the sunlight and I recommend pants over shorts because it is generally unacceptable to wear shorts in the Sherpa culture.
[ ] 2 synthetic T-shirts
[ ] 1 or 2 Bandanas
[ ] Fleece jacket
[ ] Fleece pants
[ ] Down jacket (preferably with hood)
[ ] Waterproof rain/snow shell pants & shell jacket with hood

SHOES
[ ] 1 pair trail running shoes
[ ] Light hiking boots, very water repellent
[ ] 1 pair gaiters, used to keep shoes clean and dry
[ ] 1 pair flip flops, for showering

SOCKS
[ ] 3 pair heavyweight wool or synthetic socks
[ ] 2 pair synthetic liner socks

GLOVES
[ ] 2 pair heavy fleece or synthetic gloves
[ ] 1 pair glove liners, such as capilene

HEADGEAR
[ ] Headlamp, with spare bulbs and batteries
[ ] 1 photon light
[ ] sun hat
[ ] 1 warm wool or synthetic hat
[ ] Glacier glasses – don’t skip out on these – we’re talking High Altitude here.

CAMPING
[ ] Sleeping bag – at least 0F or warmer.
[ ] Ridge Rest sleeping pad. 1 full length closed-cell foam.
[ ] Therma-Rest pad. 1, 3/4 or full length w/repair kit. No Ultralights
[ ] Backpack – A day pack big enough to carry water bottles, camera, lunch and extra clothing. 3,000 cu.in. max.
[ ] Rain Cover for Backpack.
[ ] Water bottles. 2 (1 quart), wide-mouth. Put stickers on them to distinguish them as yours.
[ ] Sunscreen. SPF 40 or better.
[ ] Lipscreen. SPF 40 or better.
[ ] Personal first aid kit. Aspirin, Moleskin, Adhesive tape, Band-Aids, Tums, Immodium AD, and Pepto Bismol. Trust me, you’ll use all of it and what you don’t use you will definitely be able to sell to other tourists!

TRAVELING
[ ] Large Boundary Bag or Water-Proof Duffel. This is the bag that will be tied to a yak so make sure that it is durable.
[ ] Plastic bags. 5 for lining stuff sacks & pack to keep gear dry
[ ] Toilet paper – no joke! Bring 3 rolls
[ ] Duct tape – you can wrap some around a water bottle so you don’t have to lug a whole roll
[ ] Good zip lock bags for keeping gear dry
[ ] Extra Camera batteries
[ ] Chocolate Bars – there is no good chocolate in Nepal!

TIPPING
[ ] Old gear. You will want to tip your head Sherpa guides after the trip and in addition to cash they love getting gear from people so if you have an old gortex jacket or something that you don’t use, bring it and present it to your guide as a gift.

Everest Base Camp Trek Journal:
Lukla – Welcome to the Khumbu Region
Phakding – It’s all uphill from here
Namche Bazaar – Never stand between a yak and a 1,000-ft sheer drop off
Thame – Good ‘ol sherpa hospitality
Khunde – May those who seek the Path of Peace find It, and Happiness
Tengboche – Hot showars for everyone
Dingboche – 14,300 foot high yak pastures
The Pyramid – Who built a pyramid in the middle of the Himalayas?
Gorak Shep – The inside of my tent is as cold as a meat locker
Kala Pattar – It’s all downhill from here, for us anyway
Everest Base Camp – We’ve already traveled a vertical distance of over 37,000 feet to get here – that’s more than one Everest!

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