Everest Trek Kit List

Hi, I'm off to do the trek to Everest Base Camp in October. I have never been to Nepal before and although I have a few suggested kit lists off of tinternet, there must be other things that people could recommend.

Does anyone have suggestions as to things they wish they had taken, or found indispensable whilst there?

Toilet paper is already on my list.

Thanks,

Paul

 A couple to start:

Sticky in ear ear-plugs - assuming you are in lodges/tea houses

sleeping bag liner - to help cope with the variation in temps

alcohol hand cleaner gel stuff

Guide / phrase book so as to make some attempts with the local lingo beyond 'Namaste '

paul - at end of trek it is customary to give the porters and sherpas any unwanted kit (as well as a tip). I always take a few extra items to supplement the items donated  by the group -thermal t shirts, socks,fleece,mitts even the occassional pair of boots! For yourself make sure you take (or buy in Kathmandu from a pharmacy) some CIPROFLOXACIN for stomach and gut problems -  its very effective; also DIAMOX for altitude sickness -which can really spoil your day.Dare say you will get conflicting advice re. these 2 drugs, all I can say is that they have worked for me when I needed them. A recommended read is Trekking In Nepal A travellers Guide by Stephen Bezruchka, published by Cordee.If you are on a supported trek you will have T rolls provided so dont go overboard and take too much.Take plenty of alcohol handwash and be absolutely fastidious with your personal hygiene.Your travel co. will give out a comprehensive kiy list.Its a great trek you are doing, it was my first many years ago -enjoy.

I'm a big fan of those water bottles with built-in filters. They're very easy to use and effective if you follow the instructions - you simply fill up at any village tap and have rapidly filtered water. You can buy hot drinks at numerous tea houses along the way as well of course, but the filter bottle makes a really good stand by and is lighter than a full-on filtration kit.

Alcohol hand cleaner gel seconded. I thoroughly recommend the Trailblazer range of trekking guidebooks, particularly the Everest one by Jamie McGuinness. For background reading - if you're a reader - have a look at Ed Douglas's book, Chomolungma Sings The Blues and pack a very thick novel or two, if you're that way inclined.

As far as clothing goes, think lightweight three-season UK walking kit, but remember it gets very cold in the evening and sitting around during a day, a down jacket isn't strictly essential, but it's a very nice thing to have, ditto a fleece or similar hat and some gloves. The higher you go, the colder it gets. A pair of baselayer leggings double up with trekking pants for colder days and also make good cool weather jim jams.

Good quality sunglasses - remember the atmosphere is thinner at high altitude, so there's lots of UV flying about, ditto sun cream. I like the P20 apply and forget stuff, but supplement with lip block. If you're prone to dry skin, a small tub of something like Netrogena will keep your hands happy

Multi-day friendly baselayers are good news out there. Merino wool works really well in my experience, buty if you're going synthetic, make sure you use stuff that doesn't pong like a dead sheep after one day.

And a properly warm sleeping bag. It's quite cool up at Gorak Shep

It's an aweseome country and a lovely trek, have a great time!

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OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

Thanks guys, some good suggestions so far. I plan to go and see the Dr next month re: injections so will ask about the drugs you mentioned.

I've got the down bag, jacket and subglasses covered. Totally agree about the marino tops, I was lucky enough to find lots on sale in Wales for 50% off, so stocked up in preparation. Great for running in as well.

I'll look into the filter bottles and bag liner, thanks.

Cheers, Paul

You can ask your doctor and he may prescribe them for you, but some GPs can be reluctant. If you can't get them here, you can buy pretty much anything over the counter in Kathmandu. The other thing I normally carry on treks is a course of the giardia treatment drug, generally either Metronazodol or Tinazadol (sorry, spelling is up the creek, Flagyl is the name it's also known by). Nasty stuff, but giardia takes a while to develop and it's not the sort thing you really want to cop in the middle of nowhere.

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OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

Flagyl is Metronidazole. You don't want to be taking it unless you really need that particular one as it's a powerfull broad spectrum antibiotic that can give you more problems than you started out with - get two lots in case you end up with C-Diff later!  OTOH it's bloody good at what it does, and is very cheap on a private script. 

Jon Doran wrote (see)

Nasty stuff, but giardia takes a while to develop and it's not the sort thing you really want to cop in the middle of nowhere.

I have been to Nepal twice; the first time got the standard bout of runs but the second time, due to being snowed-in and stuck in a tea-house with shoddy hygiene, I ended up contracting amoebic dysentery, giardia and had oocysts of cyclospora... all at the same time! It was not fun, I can assure you. This followed 8 months of travelling and living in India during which time I had avoided all such serious infections through my own measures (I had a decent water filter and followed local hygiene practices including NOT using toilet paper).

Take all the precautions you can, but it is always possible to get caught out. Having a supply of medicines with you is a good idea but only if you (or a member of your group) is proficient in their use. An amoebacide might be a good thing to take along if you can get your doctor to prescribe one. I managed to deal with the giardia and amoebic dysentery in Pokhara, but the oocysts remained and it took months in the UK to get rid of it.

That being said, I was pretty unlucky. Expect to have a bit of Kathmandu Quickstep, but it shouldn't stop you enjoying one of the finest places on Earth. As for additional medical needs, I would advise getting a small tube of fungicidal cream (Lamisil for example) in case you have problems with athletes foot or dhobe itch. Pre-injection alcohol swabs are an easy (if slightly painful) way of cleaning up any minor wounds and can be used to sterilise your hands if you don't want to carry the gel stuff. And a personal blister kit is a good idea. Some people like compeed but I have tended to go back to traditional moleskin patches when necessary. Whatever works for you.

As for entertainment, take a pack of cards as the Nepali people love to play long into the night! A frisbee or other throwing game can be fun too as the local kids will often join in. This kind of stuff beats the language barrier instantly. Equally, a few photos of family and where you come from is always well received.

As with most outdoor excursions, the real trick is what to leave behind. Try to make everything multitask if possible. If you pack a down jacket or synthetic insulation layer, you may not need such a warm sleeping bag. In fact, I managed without a sleeping bag on a tea-house trek; just a good down jacket and sleeping bag liner supplemented with blankets provided by the teahouse owners. I also did without a towel, using a lunghi (indian sarong) as a multifuntional item; wearing it when I wasn't trekking and for sleeping under on warmer nights.

Anyway, have fun and tell us how it went when you get back!

John

I would question ciprofloxacin as an antibiotic for bowel upsets.  Take advice from a doctor with experience of travel medicine before demanding obscure antibiotics from your GP.