What I Wish I Knew Before Packing for Everest Base Camp Trek

Bom Oliver

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Transcript

00:00We made it!

00:01We are Garrett and Lauren's spare time travel vloggers always looking for an adventure.

00:05This year we hiked the Everest Base Camp trek and had the time of our lives.

00:09Before the trip we had a million questions and most of them revolved around what to pack.

00:14In this video we'll share everything we packed in order to be prepared for the Everest Base Camp adventure.

00:21The time of year you choose to visit is going to determine your packing essentials.

00:25The weather changes drastically throughout the year.

00:28Post-lunch three hours uphill.

00:31Tomorrow I'm going to bring my warm gloves.

00:34And in peak season the trail will be very busy.

00:37In spring, which is March through May, and fall, September through November are great times to visit.

00:42The weather is a bit warmer and there is much less snow or rain.

00:45We decided to hike the Everest Base Camp trek in early March.

00:48This was towards the end of winter and it only stood out one day and the sun was out pretty much every day, which was great.

00:54The trail was less crowded.

00:55Even though it was colder, we think it was worth it as the trail traffic really picks up towards the start of April.

01:04Remember, the key is to not overpack and bring layers.

01:07This morning it was very cold so it's very important to have layers.

01:11We had a jacket on, down jacket this morning.

01:13And I have a t-shirt with like a mid layer on, but it is warming up very fast.

01:17So it's always important to have multiple layers of clothing so you can just strip it off as you go.

01:22You're subject to a weight limit from the trekking company as well as your flight to Lukla.

01:26All of the gear in this video that we packed weighed less than 10 kilograms per person.

01:30And to help you prepare, you can get a luggage scale such as this one so you don't have any last minute panic attacks.

01:36Most tours, you'll have the option to hire a Sherpa to carry your duffel bag and you will be carrying your day pack.

01:41Our tour operator, Outfitter Nepal, gave us the duffel bag for us to pack.

01:45And don't underestimate the use of travel packing organizers such as these because you will be packing and repacking your duffel bag and your day pack pretty much daily.

01:54I would recommend using a dry bag such as these.

01:57Due to the weather, snow or rain, you want to make sure that your clothes stay dry in the event you have some bad weather.

02:03Don't worry if you get to Kathmandu and you forgot some of your gear or you don't have everything you need.

02:09If you get here a little early, there's a million trekking shops with really high quality gear that you can buy.

02:13Some of you are often rentals that you can use and return them.

02:16So we highly recommend that.

02:18That way if you're doing like a lot of traveling, you don't have to carry so much stuff from wherever your home country is to Nepal.

02:24Our tour operator, Outfitter Nepal, gave us down jackets, sleeping bags, sleeping bag liners.

02:30They really helped us out and gave us some gear that were really bulky so that way we didn't have to travel with all that.

02:35And we highly recommend asking your tour company if they can provide some of that.

02:39Real quick, we want to thank the sponsor of this video, Level 8.

02:42We recently received this Grace Extendable Luggage Carry On Series and let me tell you, this thing has so much space.

02:50On the front, my favorite feature is the laptop compartment that has plenty of space for my laptop and Kindle and all my other favorite electronics.

02:59On the interior, there's a handy pocket for undergarments and an entirely separate compartment for your shoes to keep it separate from the rest of your clothes.

03:07Or at least that's what I use it for.

03:09This product features a hard, durable outside shell and I swear if I just threw it, it would hold up.

03:23Level 8 has a discount for our followers this holiday season.

03:26Use the link and code in the pinned comment for 5% off at checkout.

03:30Also, this product is on sale during Amazon's Black Friday week. Make sure to check that out.

03:35Alright, thank you Level 8 and now back to the video.

03:38So for clothing, I brought six pairs of hiking socks and six pairs of underwear.

03:46Yes, you will have to re-wear them, but you're really going to be dirty, gross and tired most of the trip, so it really doesn't matter.

03:53I also brought one pair of thermal base layers.

03:56I only had to use this one day. Most of the time, you know, it was decent weather.

04:01And even when it's cold, once you start hiking, you warm up pretty quickly.

04:04These are nice to wear when you're back at your accommodation because at the tea houses you stay at, there is no heat.

04:09They have a fire in the dining area where you can sit by to stay warm kind of during the evening.

04:14But once you're walking around and go back to your room, there is no heat.

04:18I brought a few pairs of long sleeve trekking shirts as well as short sleeve.

04:22Really, I like this dry fit material because it dries very quickly and it doesn't smell as bad.

04:28Hiking pants, I brought one standard pair of hiking pants and then one pair that has a little bit of insulation in it for those colder days.

04:34For our down jacket, we use these Patagonia down sweaters.

04:37This is very lightweight, packs down into a very small cube and it's very, very warm.

04:42We highly recommend these. These are a little bit on the expensive side, so if you don't want to buy a new jacket,

04:48you can always check with your tour operator as a lot of times they'll either let you use a down jacket or allow you to rent one.

04:54Make sure to bring a rain jacket and rain pants so you stay dry if it snows or rains.

04:58We also use these rain covers for our backpacks so that way our actual day packs stay dry and nothing got soaking wet.

05:05Check it out.

05:06You're going to want a good pair of hiking boots because you're going to be walking a lot.

05:10On top of the Everest Base Camp Rock.

05:14Eight days later, now he's going to go back.

05:18It's important that they have Gore-Tex or something that makes sure they stay dry if you step in a puddle, if it rains or it snows.

05:24I used the Salomon X Ultra Mid 4s and they were great and paired with a good pair of insulated socks.

05:30My feet stayed warm pretty much the whole time.

05:33Last but not least, don't forget a mid layer.

05:35I brought this Patagonia quarter zip and I also brought another one.

05:38This comes in handy to wear over your base layer but beneath your down jacket so that way throughout the day when you start in the morning, it's very cold.

05:45You'll likely have all your layers on and then as you go throughout the day hiking and it warms up, you'll most likely take off your down jacket and you might end up taking this off as well.

05:54But that way you always make sure you're staying warm because the weather will change on you drastically.

05:59Also, make sure to bring one pair of clothes to sleep in.

06:02For clothing accessories, you'll want to bring a nice warm winter hat.

06:08I like this one from Outdoor Research.

06:10It's very lightweight and it was very, very warm.

06:13You also want a sun hat to keep the sun off your face and the lower parts of the trail, it's not as cold.

06:19So you probably won't be wearing this the whole time but this will be a nice thing for your head.

06:23Also, it's very, very sunny so make sure you have polarized sunglasses.

06:27You don't want to be squinting the whole time and you don't want to burn your eyes.

06:32Last but not least, a good face covering.

06:34This not only keeps you warm but it also keeps you from inhaling all the trail dust.

06:38Parts of the trail are very dusty and it also helps protect your face and your neck from getting sunburned.

06:44So the one part of my body that gets pretty cold are my hands.

06:47So I bought a new pair of insulated hiking gloves.

06:50The cool thing is is it comes with kind of a lighter insulated glove and then when you get higher up in elevation and it's really windy,

06:56you slip this on over it so it keeps the wind from getting through your insulated glove and it really adds another layer of protection and warmth.

07:05These were very, very, very warm.

07:08Also, you're going to want a headlamp when you're hiking early in the morning and when you're back at the tea houses.

07:12It's a really good idea to put a lot of thought into your toiletries.

07:19We made sure to bring a toothbrush and toothpaste deodorant.

07:22Really, don't forget this one.

07:24Hairbrush, hair ties and clips.

07:26Moisturizer and chopstick.

07:27It is so, so dry up there.

07:29Sunscreen.

07:30Contacts if you need them.

07:31Tums for your tum.

07:32Nail clippers.

07:33Trust me, you do not want a long toenail and a hiking boot and you're out there for like over a week.

07:37Wet wipes.

07:38This is basically your shower, so get enough for at least two a day.

07:41Dry shampoo.

07:42Face wash.

07:43There will be opportunities to splash water on your face and you do not want to waste it.

07:46A quick drying microfiber towel if you wash your face or opt for a shower.

07:51There are showers at some tea houses, but no towels.

07:54Hand sanitizer.

07:55Toilet paper.

07:56It's BYOTP pretty much the whole way.

07:58Advil and Tylenol just in case.

08:00Any other meds.

08:01We brought Mucinex and Sudafed.

08:02A first aid kit.

08:03Lens wipes for your sunglasses.

08:05Altitude thickness medication if you're taking it.

08:08And finally, to hold it all, this Cotopaxi toiletry bag is a favorite of ours with all the compartments that keep everything organized.

08:14Another key thing to think about is hydration.

08:20We recommend you bring a hydration bladder to put in your backpack such as this one.

08:24Probably in the range of two and a half liters to three liters.

08:27I used a three liter backpack and it was perfect because I drank a lot of fluids.

08:31We recommend this Osprey brand.

08:33It's much easier to fill than the Camelbacks.

08:35You will need to purify your own water.

08:37You can purchase water bottles throughout the trek, but the higher up you go, it gets pretty expensive.

08:42So we bought these purification tablets and they worked great for us.

08:46I do recommend you put this in a separate water bottle first though because they will stain your hydration bladder for sure.

08:52If you're into electrolytes, electrolyte sticks are always good to make sure you don't cramp or anything like that.

08:56So we always had about one of these a day.

08:59We did bring a few luxurious items with us on the trip.

09:02The first one being earplugs.

09:04At this point, the tea houses are just filled with wild noises like people throwing up for altitude sickness.

09:09Everyone seems to have the Khumbu cough, including me, just basically from all the dust and the cold air.

09:16The noises really comes alive at night between the snoring and the coughing.

09:20If you want to get some sleep at the tea houses, bring earplugs.

09:24You and I both bought a Kindle.

09:26There's a lot of downtime.

09:27You usually finish hiking, I feel like, in the early afternoon.

09:30So there's a lot of time to talk with people in the tea houses, which is great.

09:34Read some books, play some cards.

09:36So we brought a Kindle.

09:37For us making these videos, we wanted to make sure we could charge our camera.

09:41So we brought in Anker Power Bank.

09:44This thing would charge our GoPro, our camera, and our phone if we needed it.

09:47We also had spare batteries, so this was nice to have.

09:50Laura had a camera clip, so it just went right here on her backpack, which was nice.

09:54So she could hike and the camera could be there without touching it.

09:57And then if she wanted to stop and take a photo, she could grab it and it was easily accessible.

10:01Also brought a pair of camp shoes like Crocs.

10:03And trust me, there's nothing better than taking off your hiking boots after a long day of hiking and slipping into those bad boys.

10:08As far as your day pack goes, we'd recommend having something between 20 and 25 liters.

10:13You really just want to make sure it's lightweight and it can hold everything that you're carrying for the day.

10:17Lauren loves this REI Flash 22 liter backpack.

10:21It has a lot of pockets for water bottles and different things.

10:25And you want to make sure that everything you need while trekking is in here

10:29because you won't have access to your duffel bag while you're on the trail.

10:32So things like your layers, gloves, toilet paper, sunglasses, medicine, things like that, I would keep in your day pack.

10:41And then all the rest of your clothes and things like that, keep in your duffel bag.

10:44And make sure to keep your rain gear in there because trust me, you don't want to be without that.

10:47Remember to check with your tour operator to see if they can provide sleeping bags.

10:51We didn't want to spend a bunch of money on sleeping bags and haul it across the world with us.

10:54This saved us some extra money as sleeping bags for cold weather can be quite expensive.

10:59But remember, you will need a sleeping bag.

11:01Also, check with your tour operator for weight limits for your gear.

11:04We carried our own day packs, but we hired a porter to carry the duffel bag.

11:07And the duffel bag did fit our sleeping bag.

11:09I know that went pretty quick, so we have summarized our packing list with helpful links in the description below.

11:14Feel free to pause the video and drop this stuff down.

11:16We spent a lot of time overthinking all the worst case scenarios,

11:20but everything we listed was more than enough for the trip.

11:22And despite one tough snowy day, we never felt like we were missing gear.

11:26So don't be stressed and just get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

11:29Check out the links in the description and leave us a comment with your questions.

11:32We'd love to hear from you and help you prepare for your trek.

11:34Our next video will be everything you need to know guide for your Everest Base Camp trek.

11:38Thanks for watching and we'll see you in the next video.

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