Packing List
The kit that actually matters on this route — what to buy, what to rent in Kathmandu for a fraction of the price, and what to leave at home.
By Laxman Rawal ·
Rent, do not buy
Expedition down jacket (−20 °C)
You need this for perhaps three evenings of an Everest Base Camp trek. Buying one costs several hundred dollars; renting one in Kathmandu costs a few, and the shops keep them in good…
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You need this for perhaps three evenings of an Everest Base Camp trek. Buying one costs several hundred dollars; renting one in Kathmandu costs a few, and the shops keep them in good condition because their business depends on it.
Not for: Anyone who trekks or climbs regularly. If this is your third Himalayan trip, buy your own.
Rental shops in Kathmandu and Pokhara carry this — about USD 1-2 per day in Thamel or Lakeside. We take nothing from that.
Read the full reviewBest overall
Kahtoola MICROspikes
The most useful 300 g in this whole catalogue on a winter or early-spring trek — they turn a terrifying frozen descent into an ordinary one, and they are completely unnecessary in a dry…
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The most useful 300 g in this whole catalogue on a winter or early-spring trek — they turn a terrifying frozen descent into an ordinary one, and they are completely unnecessary in a dry October.
Not for: Glacier travel or steep snow. That is crampon territory and this is not a substitute.
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Best overall
Julbo Shield M
The one pair that works from Lukla to the Cho La — shields on for snow, off for the walk-in. You pay roughly double a normal sports sunglass for that flexibility.
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The one pair that works from Lukla to the Cho La — shields on for snow, off for the walk-in. You pay roughly double a normal sports sunglass for that flexibility.
Not for: A short trek that never touches snow. A decent Category 3 wraparound at a fifth of the price does that job.
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Best rechargeable
Petzl Actik Core
The hybrid design is the honest compromise: charge it off your bank most nights, drop in AAAs when the solar has failed for three days — you pay more than either single-format lamp costs.
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The hybrid design is the honest compromise: charge it off your bank most nights, drop in AAAs when the solar has failed for three days — you pay more than either single-format lamp costs.
Not for: A short low-altitude trek. This is a two-format solution to a two-week problem.
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Best insulated
Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Insulated
On a −15 °C morning an insulated bottle is the difference between drinking and chipping ice; the weight penalty is real, and one of these plus a Nalgene is 700 g of bottles.
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On a −15 °C morning an insulated bottle is the difference between drinking and chipping ice; the weight penalty is real, and one of these plus a Nalgene is 700 g of bottles.
Not for: Treks below 4,000 m, where nothing freezes and it is dead weight.
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Pays for itself once
Digital luggage scale
Domestic Nepali flights have a 10-15 kg allowance and they enforce it at the desk in cash — a scale costs less than one excess charge and settles the argument in your hotel room instead of…
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Domestic Nepali flights have a 10-15 kg allowance and they enforce it at the desk in cash — a scale costs less than one excess charge and settles the argument in your hotel room instead of the queue.
Not for: Trips with no domestic flight and no porter.
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Best sleeping layer
Smartwool Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer Bottom
The single best sleep-warmth upgrade above 4,000 m and it doubles under trousers on a cold pass; at 250-weight it is too warm to walk in on any ordinary day.
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The single best sleep-warmth upgrade above 4,000 m and it doubles under trousers on a cold pass; at 250-weight it is too warm to walk in on any ordinary day.
Not for: Low-altitude treks. Below 3,000 m you will never take them out of the bag.
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The honest necessity
Biodegradable body wipes
Hot showers above Dingboche cost money, use a lodge’s scarce fuel, and leave you cold for an hour afterwards — a wipe wash is the realistic alternative, and "biodegradable" still means…
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Hot showers above Dingboche cost money, use a lodge’s scarce fuel, and leave you cold for an hour afterwards — a wipe wash is the realistic alternative, and "biodegradable" still means carry them out, not bury them.
Not for: Anyone unwilling to pack out used wipes. Then take fewer and use the shower.
Check price on Amazon Read the full reviewIf you buy through that link we earn a commission. It costs you nothing and it does not change what we recommend — the rental and advice-only entries in our gear guide earn us nothing at all.
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