Packing for the Everest Base Camp trek can be challenging. How much should you carry? What type of backpack can you bring? And what should you buy in Kathmandu? I had all of these questions leading up to my EBC trek and below you will see my Everest Base Camp packing list as well as questions I had answered from my experience on the trek.

Complete Everest Base Camp Packing List

I purchased the majority of my gear for the Everest Base Camp Trek before I departed for Nepal. Individual packing lists will vary but the essentials will remain the same. I recommend purchasing the essentials before you leave and below you will see everything I purchased for my trip with Active Adventures.

Jump to the end to see my complete EBC packing list or browse by section below.

Which Backpack is Best for Base Camp?

This completely depends on the type of trek you are going on. If you are carrying all of your own gear you will obviously need a larger backpack. If you are using a porter you will want a small to medium sized daypack with enough space to carry daily essentials.

I carried the 28 liter pack on the left from Osprey. It had enough room for my heavy down jacket, a light long sleeve shirt, GoPro, Camera, and backup batteries. At 6’2″ I would go with a 35-40 liter pack next time. The straps were a little narrow on this pack and caused me some pain a few days into the trek. Wide straps and comfort are key to a pain free trek.

28 liters was plenty of space for my daily trekking gear and 6 liters of water. I had a porter on my trek which is why I was able to carry a small daypack.

Everest Base Camp Camera Gear

This is going to vary for professionals and amateur photographers but there are few keys to packing camera gear. You will need backup batteries and you will want to pack light. A small point-n-shoot, light DSLR, or a GoPro are great. Small or light tripods are also great additions. Below you will see the camera gear we carried on the EBC trek.

The Canon s120 takes great photos and is a perfect lightweight solution. The Sony a7 is an amazing camera and is also lightweight compared to most DSLRs. It has a small body and is easy to carry.

The Peak Design CapturePRO Camera Clip proved to be one of the best items I packed. You can use it to attach your camera to your shoulder strap while you’re trekking. This is great for when you aren’t shooting or when you need to use trekking poles on the trail.

Best Hiking Boots for Everest Base Camp Trek

Before arriving in Kathmandu you should break in your hiking boots for weeks during your training. You don’t want to develop blisters on the trail and want to be sure they are comfortable. Look for lightweight and comfortable hiking boots that offer a lot of stability and comfort. My boot of choice: Scarpa Men’s Kailash GTX Hiking Boot

Scarpa Boots were recommended to me by a friend who makes 30, 40, and 50 day treks. I had zero blisters when wearing one or two pairs of socks on the trek.

Also See: Everest Base Camp Training Guide

Hiking Socks

Comfortable hiking socks are key to a comfortable and enjoyable trek. There may be a few spots to wash your socks along the trek but don’t plan on it. Pack merino wool socks. They reduce odor and can be worn over and over again. I carried one pair of heavy merino wool socks, 2 medium weight hiking socks, and 1 light weight pair of socks.

Best trekking socks: Icebreakers | Smartwool | Patagonia

Trekking Shirts for Everest Base Camp

A shirt you can wear everyday on the trek to EBC is important. Cotton t-shirts are not good for hiking. Investing in merino wool shirts is a great idea. Just like merino wool hiking socks the shirts will last for the duration of the trek. I packed two Icebreaker Tech T Lite shirts , one long sleeve shirt, and a merino wool sweatshirt.

Trekking Pants for Everest Base Camp

My EBC trek was during the month of April and shorts were a common sight on the trail at lower altitudes. They are completely optional and I did not wear shorts during the trek (unless I was in the tea house at night). Another common option is shorts with compression tights underneath. Carry what is most comfortable for you.

I carried two pairs of hiking pants and did not carry running tights but I would pack them next time.

Jackets for Everest Base Camp Trek

A good jacket is essential for your trek to EBC. If you are traveling with a company your tour group will likely supply a warm down jacket for you. These are also available in Kathmandu (real and fake). Kathmandu is full of fake gear but it is decent and cheap fake gear. I bought a few fakes in Kathmandu but an authentic and warm jacket is important. This also goes for sleeping bags and boots.

I was supplied with a large down jacket but I carried a light down jacket and light-weight zip hoodie.

Tea House and Lodging Gear

On the trek to Everest Base Camp you are going to work up a sweat and get a little dirty during the day. You are going to want clean and comfortable clothing to wear in the evenings at the tea house and inside your sleeping bags.

This is easy gear to pick up in Kathmandu but I bought my gear before I left with exception to a warm pair of sweatpants I purchased in Namche.

My nightly gear included: Long sleeve merino wool shirt, wool long underwear, warm socks, and a sweatshirt. You will also want a pair of shoes to wear in the tea house at night. Many people wear down booties but I don’t recommend wearing those to the bathroom in the middle of the night. My shoes of choice in the tea houses were Nike Frees. They are light weight and easy to pack.

Long Underwear, Base Layers, and Rain Gear

This gear is similar to what you may wear in the tea house. The difference for me as the long underwear or base layers I wore during the day were lighter than what I wore in the evenings at the tea house.