IMG Everest Nepal Trek Gear List

This equipment list is meant to help you compile your personal gear for a high altitude trekking trip. Most items are required. Please consider each item carefully and be sure you understand the function of each piece of equipment before you substitute or delete items from your duffle. Keep in mind that this list has been carefully compiled by Eric Simonson, the expedition organizer. Don't cut corners on the quality of your gear.

Travel Items
[  ]	Duffel Bags: One duffle will accompany you on the trek to BC. Climbers will need a second duffel, which will be packed with the mountain equipment and which will go direct to BC. Duffels are carried by porters and yaks and should be sturdy and waterproof with name written on bag (in case tag is lost). Bags with wheels are nice for the airport, but the porters and yaks don't like to carry them, so don't bring wheeled bags. You will also store some travel clothes at the hotel in Kathmandu while trekking, so a smaller additional bag with a lock might be handy. Tip: Bring 5 large plastic garbage bags to pack gear inside duffels to protect gear from rain.
[  ]	Daypack: Large daypack or bag with a shoulder strap, so you don't have to set it down while doing the duffle shuffle or handling travel documents while going through passport control and customs at the airport. It needs to be big enough to hold everything you'll need for an overnight stop.
[  ]	Locks: You'll want padlocks in Nepal and Tibet, but for flying out of the USA, it might be better to use plastic zip ties which can be cut by TSA staff if necessary (bring extra zip ties).
[  ]	Travel Wallet: Important for carrying your important documents including passport, extra photos, duffel inventory list, and money. We suggest that you use a travel wallet that you can hang around your neck and place inside your shirt, or around your waist tucked under your shirt or trousers.
[  ]	Passport (valid for at least 6 months after the trip ends with sufficient extra pages for visa stamps and in same name as airline ticket (or with endorsement-for women who changed name w/ marriage). Get your Nepal visa on arrival in Kathmandu at the airport ($50 for trekkers, $125for climbers).
[  ]	Additional passport photos: one for Nepal visa (needed on arrival at KTM airport). If you plan on buying a local sim card for your unlocked cell phone you will need one (also a copy of your passport).
[  ]	Photocopy of passport and photocopy of flight itinerary
[  ]	Bathing Suit: Some of the hotels have pools (eg, in Bangkok).
Trekking Gear
[  ]	Trekking Poles: Get collapsible poles that can attach to your backpack.
[  ]	Backpacks: The "day pack" is great for a travel carry-on and may be big enough for the trek (need room for your clothes, water, camera, food, etc during the day while hiking). Climbers will need a larger pack (60 liter size is popular) and this will also be fine for the trek. For the international flights put your backpack into the duffle bags, but carry it on the plane for the Lukla flight.
[  ]	Pack Cover: Waterproof rain cover for your pack.
[  ]	Sleeping Bag: Rated to at least 0°Fahrenheit. Synthetic or Down. Base Camp can get down to around 0-10°F at night... so quite chilly. Everest and Lhotse climbers will want to bring a second sleeping bag (available for rent if you do not have a suitable one).
[  ]	Trekkers do not need a pad (foam mattress provided for trek and Base Camp). Climbers should have a Thermarest, NeoAir, or similar lightweight pad to augment the closed cell pads in higher camps.
Footwear
[  ]	Lightweight Shoes: Running/tennis shoes and sandals for camp, around town, etc.
[  ]	Hiking Boots: Medium-weight hiking boots, waterproofed and broken-in.
[  ]	Gaiters: To keep snow, mud, and scree out of your hiking boots while trekking to Base Camp.
[  ]	Socks: at least 5 complete changes of socks, in a combination that you have used and know works for you. Make sure your boots are roomy enough for the sock combination you intend to use. Tight boots will make your feet cold. It is no problem to wash underwear, socks, etc at Base Camp!
[  ]	For trekkers on the Gokyo departure option (crossing high passes), we suggest bringing Kahtoola Microspikes or similar traction devices in case of slippery trail conditions.
Clothing
[  ]	Base Layer: 2 pair synthetic long johns: one midweight set and one expedition weight set.
[  ]	Mid Layers: One additional warm layer (wool sweater, fleece jacket, shelled vest, light puffy, etc).
[  ]	Shell Jacket: Waterproof/breathable jacket with hood.
[  ]	Shell Pants: Waterproof/breathable pants (full side zips are best).
[  ]	Climbing/Trekking Pants: Look for construction that provides freedom of movement and/or stretch materials. Fabric should be a breathable synthetic that preferably holds up to abrasion and dries quickly. You can wear them over longjohns if it is cold.
[  ]	Warm Parka: Down or synthetic. This should be big enough to go over other garments. Many climbers and trekkers also like insulated pants for cold mornings and evenings.
[  ]	Trekking Clothes: Light hiking pants and / or hiking shorts for warm weather down low- NOT cotton. Shirts for hiking on nice days (t-shirts OK, quick-drying synthetic fabric far better.)
[  ]	Casual Clothes: For travel/meals in hotels. You'll want a shirt or two with a collar to wear on flights and for restaurants. A sweatshirt or light jacket might be nice in the evening.
[  ]	Gloves: Light gloves for hiking and warm ski gloves. Bring mittens too if your hands tend to get cold.
[  ]	Hats: Warm wool or heavy fleece hat, sun hat and bandana.
[  ]	A "Buff" or light balaclava to breathe through in the cold dry air. Good for preventing "Khumbu cough."
Personal Accessories
[  ]	Water Bottles: 2 water bottles with foam insulation shells. Bring a Pee bottle too.
[  ]	Water Treatment: Iodine tablets (Potable Aqua or similar) or iodine crystals (Polar Pure) are easy and inexpensive. Many people also like to use the "Steri Pen" or similar devices. Filters can freeze.
[  ]	Hand sanitizer (Purell), ear plugs, and several rolls of toilet paper (we will have a supply at Base Camp), small towel, soap/shampoo, a few disposable dust masks, hand cream (for chapped hands).
[  ]	Headlamp. Climbers should bring a second "back up" headlamp. For high altitude we recommend use of lithium AA batteries (beware of headlamps which do not accept lithium batteries).
[  ]	Camera: With spare batteries and memory cards (also for swapping photos).
[  ]	Pocket Knife (climbers need a small sharp knife that is accessible if you really need it).
[  ]	Wrist Watch: With alarm and light for reading in the dark. We like the Suunto altimeter ones.
[  ]	Eyewear: Bring good sunglasses. For contact lens wearers, ski goggles with light color lenses (for use at night) might be useful in windy conditions that cause blowing dust.
[  ]	Vision correction: Bring extra prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses if you wear them. Lens solutions are not widely available in Nepal, bring enough.
[  ]	Skin Care: Maximum SPF sunscreen and lip balm.
[  ]	Basic First Aid: you'll want moleskin, tape, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin (many climbers take 81mg every day to prevent stroke), Imodium and Pepto Bismol for diarrhea, Band-Aids, antacid.
[  ]	Prescription Medications: Antibiotic for respiratory and GI problems (two courses of azithromycin/Z-Pak) Diamox (acetazolamide) for acclimatization (125 mg tabs recommended, enough for a week) Sleeping pills for jet lag Malaria Chemoprophylaxis, if needed based on travel plans Asthma medication, if any history (many climbers use Advair inhalers at high altitude to prevent Khumbu cough) nifedipine (for pulmonary edema) dexamethasone (for cerebral edema)
[  ]	Cold medicine (Sudafed, etc), Chloroseptic or Tessalon Perles throat lozenges.
[  ]	Personal Snack Food: Approximately 10 pounds of personal snacks (for Everest climbers) or 5 pounds (for EBC Trekkers and Lobuche climbers). Also, some drink mixes if you like these (add drink mix to your water bottle after giving iodine tablets 30 minutes of contact time). Everest climbers should really focus on bringing snacks you know you will be able to tolerate up high!
[  ]	Books/ Ipods/ Kindle. Plan on sharing among your team members. You can also borrow from and add to the Base Camp Library we establish every year.
Climbers Add:
[  ]	Ice axe: We like a general-purpose axe in the 60-70 cm range. A wrist leash or tether to the harness is useful on steep slopes where losing an axe would be a big problem. A spike with a point is preferable to a tubular shape (which can glance off the ice at certain angles).
[  ]	Crampons: The number one rule with crampons is that they need to be compatible and stay on your boots, period! Petzl Vasaks, BD Sabertooth, Grivel G12 are all reasonable choices. Make sure your crampon straps are long enough to go around your big boots!
[  ]	Helmet
[  ]	Climbing Harness: We prefer a harness with a minimum of padding that can be adjusted to fit over bulky clothing with leg loops that open so you don't have to step into the harness.
[  ]	Ascender & Hardware: Two large locking carabiners, mechanical ascender with slings, rappel device (Figure 8 or ATC that will work on a variety of rope diameters from 7mm to 11mm), 4 extra 60cm shoulder slings with 'biners. Bring 30 feet of 7 or 8mm accessory cord or ½ inch tape webbing to rig your ascender and safety sling (we will show you a good way to do this).
[  ]	Warm shelled mittens
[  ]	Plastic double boots are OK for Lobuche or Camp 2. For C3 and higher most climbers prefer the Millet Everest, La Sportiva Olympus Mons or other type high altitude boots.
[  ]	Insulated pants. Great for the cold evenings at Base Camp, and up higher.
[  ]	1 pair of Glacier glasses, with a spare pair as backup.
[  ]	Bowl, Cup, Spoon.
[  ]	Small repair kit. We'll have a large repair kit at Base Camp with tools, etc.
[  ]	Hand Warmers and Foot Warmers