Start with the weight limit
Everything you take to the Khumbu has to fit within the Lukla flight limit, usually 15 kg per person including hand luggage. In practice that means a duffel of about 10 kg for your porter and a day pack of about 5 kg that you carry. Anything else, such as city clothes and souvenirs, stays in your Kathmandu hotel's store room, which every trekking hotel offers for free.
Most trekkers overpack clothes and underpack warmth. You will wear the same trekking trousers for two weeks and change base layers every few days. What you cannot skimp on is the down jacket, the sleeping bag and gloves, because nights above Dingboche are well below freezing in every season except the monsoon.
A simple test before you leave home: pack the duffel, weigh it, then take out one thing you are sure you will not need. Trekkers almost always come back with something unused at the bottom of the bag, usually spare clothes, too many snacks or a second book.
The core list for every season
This is the list we give our own trekkers for a 12 to 16-day teahouse trek to base camp or Gokyo. Adjust with the monthly notes below.
- Broken-in waterproof trekking boots with ankle support, and camp shoes or sandals for lodges
- Three or four pairs of trekking socks and two pairs of liner socks
- Two or three base layers (merino or synthetic), top and bottom
- A fleece or light insulated jacket
- A down jacket with hood, rated for about −10 °C or colder
- A waterproof, breathable shell jacket and trousers
- Two pairs of trekking trousers, one pair of thermal leggings
- Warm hat, sun hat or cap, neck gaiter or buff
- Thin liner gloves and warm insulated gloves or mittens
- Sleeping bag rated to about −15 °C comfort for October–May; a liner adds warmth
- Day pack of 25–35 litres with rain cover
- Two one-litre water bottles or a bladder, plus purification tablets or a filter
- Head torch with spare batteries
- Sunglasses with UV protection, category 3 or 4 for high days
- Sunscreen SPF 50 and lip balm with SPF
- Trekking poles
- Personal first-aid kit, including your altitude medicine if prescribed
- Power bank, charging cables and a universal adapter
- Toilet paper, hand sanitiser, quick-dry towel and wet wipes
Your day pack and first-aid kit
Your porter usually walks at a different pace and arrives at the lodge before or after you, so everything you might need during the day goes in your own pack. On a typical day that means water, a warm layer, the shell jacket, gloves and hat, sun protection, snacks, your camera or phone, toilet paper and some cash. Above Dingboche, carry the down jacket too, because the wind on the moraine can turn a sunny lunch stop cold within minutes.
Your guide carries a group first-aid kit and a pulse oximeter, but bring a small personal kit with medicines you know and trust. Pharmacies in Kathmandu stock most common medicines cheaply, and Namche has a health post and a pharmacy, though choice above Namche is limited. Discuss altitude medicine, antibiotics and any regular prescriptions with your own doctor before you travel, and carry them in your day pack, not the porter duffel.
- Blister plasters and tape, applied at the first hot spot
- Paracetamol or ibuprofen for headaches and sore knees
- Oral rehydration salts for stomach upsets and hot days lower down
- Anti-diarrhoea tablets and, on your doctor's advice, an antibiotic
- Throat lozenges for the dry, cold air
- Any prescribed altitude medicine, such as acetazolamide
- Your regular medicines, with a copy of the prescription
A planner can turn what you are reading into days, nights and a price.
Month by month
The table shows typical temperatures we plan for, not records. Mountain weather varies year to year and day to day, and a clear night at Gorak Shep is always colder than a cloudy one. Daytime temperatures in the sun can feel much warmer than the figures suggest; in shade or wind, much colder.
| Month | Namche by day / night | Gorak Shep at night | What to add or change |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | ≈ 4–8 °C / −8 to −12 °C | ≈ −20 to −25 °C | Heaviest down jacket, −20 °C bag, mitts, microspikes |
| February | ≈ 5–9 °C / −8 to −10 °C | ≈ −18 to −22 °C | As January; snow likely on passes |
| March | ≈ 8–12 °C / −5 °C | ≈ −15 °C | Full winter kit at night; sun protection by day |
| April | ≈ 10–15 °C / −2 to 0 °C | ≈ −10 to −12 °C | Lighter day layers; afternoon cloud and snow showers |
| May | ≈ 12–17 °C / 0–3 °C | ≈ −6 to −10 °C | Rain shell for late May; strong sun |
| June | ≈ 14–18 °C / 6–9 °C | ≈ −3 to −6 °C | Full rain gear, pack liners, leech socks lower down |
| July | ≈ 15–19 °C / 8–10 °C | ≈ −2 to −5 °C | As June; quick-dry clothes |
| August | ≈ 15–19 °C / 8–10 °C | ≈ −2 to −5 °C | As June; expect daily rain |
| September | ≈ 13–17 °C / 4–7 °C | ≈ −5 to −8 °C | Rain gear early in the month, warm kit later |
| October | ≈ 10–14 °C / −2 to 2 °C | ≈ −10 to −15 °C | Classic kit; −15 °C bag; sunglasses |
| November | ≈ 7–11 °C / −5 to −8 °C | ≈ −15 to −20 °C | Warmer bag and mitts; dry air, lip balm |
| December | ≈ 5–9 °C / −8 to −10 °C | ≈ −18 to −22 °C | Winter kit; shorter days, head torch |
Autumn: October and November
This is the main trekking season, with clear skies, stable weather and the coldest nights of any busy season. October days are pleasant in the sun, often warm enough for a single base layer while walking below Tengboche. Nights from Dingboche upwards drop below freezing, and by late November Gorak Shep can reach −20 °C on clear nights. Pack the full core list with a sleeping bag rated to about −15 °C or −20 °C for November.
The air is dry, so lip balm, moisturiser and a buff for the dusty trail matter. The Khumbu cough, a dry, persistent cough caused by cold, dry air, is common; breathing through a buff on cold mornings helps.
Early October can still bring the tail of the monsoon, with a day or two of rain and leeches in the forest below Namche, so keep the shell and pack cover in your bag even if the forecast looks dry. By the second half of the month the skies are usually settled.
Winter: December to February
Winter in the Khumbu is quiet, clear and very cold. Days are often sunny and calm, but the sun leaves the valleys early, and nights at Lobuche and Gorak Shep fall to −20 °C or lower. Water pipes freeze, and some higher lodges close. Snow can close the Cho La, Renjo La and Kongma La.
Add a heavier down jacket, a −20 °C sleeping bag or a liner to boost yours, insulated mitts over gloves, warm socks for sleeping and microspikes for icy trails. Keep batteries, phones and water bottles inside your sleeping bag at night. Shorter routes such as the Everest View trek are excellent in winter, with clear views and empty trails.
Bring a thermos if you have one; lodges will fill it with hot water in the morning and it keeps fingers and spirits warm on the cold walk to Kala Patthar.
Spring: March to May
Spring is the second trekking season, and the climbing season at base camp, where expedition tents fill the glacier in April and May. March still feels like late winter above 4,000 m, so take full warm kit. April and May are warmer, with rhododendrons in flower below Tengboche, but cloud often builds by midday, with short snow or hail showers in the afternoon.
Strong sun on snow and glaciers makes sunglasses, a sun hat, SPF 50 sunscreen and lip balm essential. From late May, monsoon moisture starts to arrive; bring a reliable rain shell and a pack cover.
Monsoon and what not to bring
From June to September, monsoon clouds sit in the valleys most days, rain falls daily below about 4,000 m, and leeches appear in the forest below Namche. Higher up, it is cooler and drier, and the green valleys and wildflowers are lovely, but views are rare and Lukla flights are often cancelled. Pack full rain gear, a rain cover, dry bags inside your duffel, quick-dry clothes and spare socks.
In any season, leave behind cotton clothing, which stays wet and cold; heavy jeans; too many books; and unnecessary electronics. Sleeping bags, down jackets, poles and microspikes can be rented in Thamel for a few dollars a day, and Namche has gear shops for anything forgotten, at higher prices.
Questions
What sleeping bag do I need for Everest Base Camp?
For October to May, a bag with a comfort rating of about −15 °C, or −20 °C for November to February. Lodges provide blankets, which add warmth on top. A silk or fleece liner adds a few degrees. In the monsoon a bag rated to about −5 °C is enough. Bags can be rented in Kathmandu.
How cold is it at Everest Base Camp?
It depends on the month. In October nights at Gorak Shep are about −10 to −15 °C; in December and January they can fall to −20 °C or lower. Days in the sun can feel mild, around 0 to 10 °C, but wind and shade make them much colder. Monsoon nights are only a little below freezing.
Can I rent trekking gear in Kathmandu?
Yes. Shops in Thamel rent sleeping bags, down jackets, trekking poles and microspikes for a few US dollars a day, usually with a deposit. Check zips, loft and cleanliness before you take them. Namche also has gear shops for last-minute purchases, though prices are higher and choice smaller.
Do I need crampons for the Everest Base Camp trek?
Not on the main trail in the usual seasons. Microspikes, which strap over boots, are useful on icy patches in winter and early spring, and on passes such as the Cho La. Full crampons are needed only for climbs such as Island Peak. Your guide will tell you if conditions require them.
What boots are best for the Everest trek?
Broken-in, waterproof trekking boots with ankle support and a firm sole. Heavy mountaineering boots are unnecessary unless you are climbing a peak. Bring boots you have walked at least 50 km in, and a pair of light camp shoes for lodges. Blisters from new boots are a common and avoidable problem.
How much should my trekking bag weigh?
Aim for about 10 kg in the porter duffel and 4 to 5 kg in your day pack, within the usual Lukla flight limit of 15 kg per person. Porters typically carry two trekkers' bags. Leave extra clothes and valuables in your Kathmandu hotel's luggage store for free.
What should I wear while walking on the Everest trail?
Layers: a base layer, trekking trousers and a fleece or light jacket you can open or remove as you warm up. Add the shell in wind or rain and the down jacket at rest stops and in the evening. Wear a sun hat and sunglasses during the day, and a warm hat in the morning.
What is the Khumbu cough and how do I avoid it?
It is a dry, persistent cough caused by breathing cold, dry air hard at altitude, very common above Dingboche in autumn and winter. Breathe through a buff or neck gaiter in the cold mornings, drink plenty of water, and use throat lozenges. If the cough comes with breathlessness at rest, see a doctor.
Do I need rain gear for an October trek?
Yes, a light waterproof shell is still needed. October is usually dry, but early-month rain and occasional storms happen, and the shell doubles as a windproof layer on high days. In late May and the monsoon months, bring full rain gear, a pack cover and dry bags.
