Published
Everest Base Camp swings from t-shirt-warm afternoons in the Khumbu valley to well below freezing at Gorak Shep before dawn — so layering, not any single miracle jacket, is what actually keeps you comfortable. Plan on a moisture-wicking base layer, an insulating mid layer (down or synthetic), and a windproof/waterproof shell, plus a down jacket for camp evenings above 4,000m.
Footwear matters more than any other single item: broken-in waterproof trekking boots, plus a lightweight pair of camp shoes for teahouse evenings. Pack a 4-season sleeping bag rated to at least -15°C — teahouse rooms are unheated once the dining stove goes out.
Kathmandu's gear shops (mostly around Thamel) rent down jackets, sleeping bags, and trekking poles for a few dollars a day — genuinely good quality, and there's no reason to fly a heavy down jacket across the world if you don't already own one. What's worth buying new: a personal first-aid kit, water purification tablets or a filter bottle, and a good headlamp with spare batteries.
Leave at home: anything you're not confident you'll use daily. Porters carry a generous allowance, but every extra kilo is still a kilo someone is carrying up a mountain on your behalf.
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