What Kind of Gear Do You Need at Mount Everest Base Camp?

It’s no secret that Mount Everest climbers travel with tons of gear.

Guess what—so do Outside reporters who are headed to Base Camp. In his latest video, our Dispatches from Everest writer Ben Ayers discusses some of the items that he will be using over the next month. Ayers recently departed Kathmandu (elevation: 4,500 feet) for Lukla (elevation: 9,500 feet) to being the 11-day trek to Everest Base Camp (elevation: 17,500 feet). He will spend three weeks in Base Camp, and if the conditions permit, he may ascend to higher camps on the mountain.

Throughout the journey, Ayers is testing a litany of outdoor gear, from parkas made for sub-zero blizzards, to hiking shoes designed for desert treks, to midlayers and shells designed for rain and snow. The trek to Base Camp is an ideal setting for this kind of test. During his journey, Ayers will encounter sub-tropical conditions in the foothills, sub-zero temperatures at Everest, and almost every type of microclimate in between.

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