IMG Everest Tibet Trek Gear List
This equipment list is meant to help you compile your personal gear for a high altitude trekking trip. Most items are required. Please consider each item carefully and be sure you understand the function of each piece of equipment before you substitute or delete items from your duffle. Keep in mind that this list has been carefully compiled by Eric Simonson, the expedition organizer. Don't cut corners on the quality of your gear.
| Travel Items | |
| [ ] | Duffel Bags: Two duffel bags with name tags. They go on the trek/climb with you and will be carried by the porters and yaks. Expect for them to get wet and muddy, so rugged, waterproof duffles are good. Bags with wheels are nice for the airport, but the porters and yaks don't like to carry them, so don't bring wheeled bags (or at least not two of them). |
| [ ] | Daypack: Large daypack or bag with a shoulder strap, so you don't have to set it down while doing the duffle shuffle or handling travel documents while going through passport control and customs at the airport. It needs to be big enough to hold everything you'll need for an overnight stop. |
| [ ] | Locks: You'll want padlocks in China and Tibet, but for flying out of the USA, it might be better to use plastic zip ties which can be cut by TSA staff if necessary (bring extra zip ties). |
| [ ] | Travel Wallet: A secure travel wallet is a must for carrying your important documents including passport, extra photos, duffel inventory list, and money. We suggest that you use a travel wallet that you can hang around your neck and place inside your shirt, or around your waist tucked under your shirt or trousers. |
| [ ] | Passport (valid for at least 6 months after the trip ends with sufficient extra pages for visa stamps and in same name as airline ticket (or with endorsement-for women who changed name w/ marriage). We will arrange for the Chinese and Tibet visas. |
| Trekking Gear | |
| [ ] | Trekking Poles: Poles come in handy for balance and easing impact to your knees. Get collapsible poles that can attach to your backpack. |
| [ ] | Backpack: Medium size backpack, approx 50 liter / 3000 ci size, big enough for your clothes, water, camera, food, etc during the day. This should be packed into one of the duffle bags for the flights. |
| [ ] | Pack Cover: Waterproof rain cover for your pack. |
| [ ] | Sleeping Bag: Rated to at least 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Rain is unlikely, down or synthetic is fine. |
| [ ] | Sleeping Pad or Thermarest NOT required, unless you want to bring a small light one…you will be provided a thick open cell foam "trekking mattress". |
| [ ] | Tip: Bring 5 large plastic garbage bags to pack gear inside duffels to protect gear from dirt/dust/rain |
| Footwear | |
| [ ] | Lightweight Shoes: Running/tennis shoes for camp, around town, etc. |
| [ ] | Hiking Boots: Medium-weight hiking boots, waterproofed and broken-in. |
| [ ] | Gaiters: To keep snow, mud, and scree out of your hiking boots. |
| [ ] | Socks: 3 complete changes of socks, in a combination that you have used and know works for you. Make sure your boots are roomy enough for the sock combination you intend to use. Tight boots will make your feet cold. |
| Clothing | |
| [ ] | Base Layer: 2 pair synthetic long johns: one midweight set and one expedition weight set. |
| [ ] | Mid Layers: One additional warm layer (wool sweater, another fleece jacket, shelled vest, etc, that can be worn in conjunction to the other layers). |
| [ ] | Shell Jacket: Waterproof/breathable jacket with hood. |
| [ ] | Shell Pants: Waterproof/breathable pants (full side zips are best). |
| [ ] | Climbing Pants: Look for construction that provides freedom of movement and/or stretch materials. Fabric should be a breathable synthetic that preferably holds up to abrasion. |
| [ ] | Parka: REQUIRED. Down or synthetic. This should be big enough to go over other garments. |
| [ ] | Trekking Clothes: Light hiking pants and / or hiking shorts - NOT cotton. Shirts for hiking on nice days (t-shirts OK, quick-drying synthetic fabric far better.) |
| [ ] | Casual Clothes: For travel/meals in dining rooms. You'll want a shirt or two with a collar to wear on flights and for restaurants. A sweatshirt or light jacket might be nice in the evening. |
| [ ] | Bathing Suit: Some of the hotels may have pools |
| Clothing Accessories | |
| [ ] | Gloves: Light gloves for hiking and warm ski gloves. Bring mittens too if your hands tend to get cold. |
| [ ] | Hats: Warm wool or heavy fleece hat, sun hat and bandana. |
| Camp Accessories | |
| [ ] | Headlamp: With several sets of extra batteries and bulbs. The new LED headlamps are great. The Petzl Myo and the Black Diamond Gemini lamps are good options that use AA batteries. |
| [ ] | Water Bottles: 2 water bottles with foam insulation shells. |
| [ ] | Water Treatment: Iodine tablets (Potable Aqua or similar) or iodine crystals (Polar Pure). |
| [ ] | Camera: With spare batteries, and film or memory cards. |
| [ ] | Pocket Knife. |
| Personal Accessories | |
| [ ] | Wrist Watch: With alarm. We like the Suunto ones. |
| [ ] | Eyewear: Bring good sunglasses. For contact lens wearers, ski goggles with light color lenses (for use at night) might be useful in windy conditions that cause blowing dust. |
| [ ] | Vision correction: Bring extra prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses if you wear them. Lens solutions are not widely available in China, bring enough. |
| [ ] | Skin Care: Maximum SPF sunscreen and lip balm. |
| [ ] | First Aid: Hand sanitizer (Purell), moleskin, tape, aspirin / ibuprofen / acetaminophen, Imodium for diarrhea, Band-Aids, small towel, antacid, insect repellant, ear plugs, and several rolls of toilet paper. |
| [ ] | Prescription Medications: 1) Antibiotic for upper respiratory problems; 2) Antibiotic for GI problems; 3) Diamox for acclimatization (125 mg tabs recommended, enough for a week); 4) Sleeping pills for jet lag; 5) Tylenol 3 or similar for severe headaches; 6) Malaria Chemophrophylaxis, if needed based on travel plans; 7) Asthma medication, if any history. For serious illness on high altitude expeditions standard treatment protocol is 8) nifedipine (for pulmonary edema) and 9) dexamethasome (for cerebral edema) in association with immediate descent. |
| [ ] | Personal Snack Food: The food is great on the trek but you might enjoy a few snacks from home and also some drink mixes if you like these to add to your water bottle (let the iodine have 30 minutes contact time before adding). Summit climbers should bring some high altitude snacks they like to eat. |
| [ ] | Books/ tapes/CD's. Plan on sharing among your team members. |
This trip was a 15 year dream in the making and it was everything I had hoped for, and more. The trip started out to be Everest ABC, but the Tibetan people and their culture soon became as exciting and interesting. Adam did a great job ensuring all went well and 'making a team of the team'. Our drivers, guides, and sherpas were as friendly and helpful as they could possibly be. Our accommodations were great —be it hotels or tents— and the food could not have been better.
