Everest Base Camp Trek (Dec 2015)

[dfordarran]

Hey guys, this is my first post on the forum.

I am planning to do the EBC trek (via Dingboche) in the later half of December and am looking for some advice regarding my gear. The current plan is to go solo and hire a 2-in-1 guide/porter to assist. My list is not complete and I will need to purchase a few more bits & pieces and I would also like some advice on what I should purchase before I leave Sydney and what items will be better off being bought in Kathmandu itself. I will be spending 4 weeks in Kathmandu doing some volunteer work at one of the hospitals so I will have plenty of time to shop around for additional gear and organise for a reliable porter/guide.

Stuff I Own:
Backpack: Osprey Aether 70 + pack liner
Sleeping Bag: Kelty Ignite DriDown -18oC rating <--- is this warm enough, should i get a liner?
Footwear: I have a pair of gore-tex/leather hiking boots but they do not have any insulation, should i get a pair of winter hiking boots? any recommendations?
Socks: 3x merino hiking socks
Thermals: 2x merino thermals
Base layer:
- 3x Polyester/cotton t-shirts
- 2x polyester long trekking pants
More layers:
- Mid-weight North Face fleece
- 550-fill Kathmandu down jacket
- Vaude 3-in-1 jacket (i dont have the exact model but it's got an insulating inner layer made out of synthetic material and an outer rain shell)
- Timberland gore-tex rain shell/windbreaker
Misc:
- Sunglasses
- 3L water bladder
- Water treatment tabs
- Headtorch
- Compass
- First aid kit + common drugs

Stuff i'll probably need to buy:

- Hiking Poles
- Gloves
- Beanie / head warmer
- Ski pants or Waterproof pants
- Duffel bag or something for the porter to carry

So..
Any recommendations on winter hiking boots?
I am not sure if I have enough upper-body insulation as my mid-weight fleece and light down jacket seem a bit too light for winter in that region. What do you guys reckon? If i were to only get one heavier jacket, should i go for a heavy down or heavy fleece?
I'm thinking I will be ok with buying all the other stuff at Kathmandu, or will I be better off buying them in Sydney?

Any other general advice will also be appreciated! Cheers!

[johnrs]

Hi DFO
Stacks of gear there.
Does your down jacket have a good hood?
And maybe handwarmer pockets.
The boots should be fine, some gaiters will snow proof them.
If you are young there is no great need for a porter/guide,
the trick is to reduce your kit and take time with the acclimatisation,
and follow the big path.
Its not a hard trek.
Enjoy
John

[Strider]

Isn't that bag only 20F (-6C)? Might not be warm enough?

Cotton/Poly-Cotton is a big no no. It will get wet and never dry. Get some good synthetic or merino base layers.

Presumibg your midlayer is warm enough, leave the Vaude jacket behind.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[wayno]

which model kathmandu down jacket is it? if its one of the lightweight "sweater" type, get something more substantial

[dfordarran]

Thanks for the tips guys.

My down jacket is pretty lightweight, I think the model is the Kathmandu Helidown 550 fill. Looks like I may have to invest on a more heavy duty one with a hood.

Strider, the sleeping I have is this one - http://www.amazon.com/Kelty-Ignite-DriD ... B00AAU030W
It is rated to 0F

[wayno]

i often have a couple of fleeces for cold weather a thinner and a thicker one. layering gives more flexibility on regulating your warmth helps if the down jacket can fit over the other layers you're taking.

[hobbitle]

A few thoughts:

- lose anything that's cotton and replace with merino etc.
- if you want to get a new down jacket but don't think you'll have much use for it outside of this trek, you can pick them up pretty cheap in Kathmandu (Thamel district)... they tend to be North Face ripoffs or whatever. Also ask the company you hire a guide from if they can lend you down jacket (mine did).
- your sleeping bag at -18 is more than enough, presumably you're doing a teahouse trek
- your porter will just carry your 70L backpack, you don't need a special bag for him.
- hiking poles can be picked up for cheap(er) in Kathmandu
- +1 to leave the Vaude behind

Take the following with a grain of salt: I did the EBC trek back in Nov 2013, my porter carried like 15kg in my backpack. It was so unnecessary especially considering I had no camping gear apart from sleeping bag. Now I would do a week-long trek WITH camping gear AND food at 15kg. I swore that next time I did a trek in Nepal I would not have a porter and would carry a 30L pack containing:

-clothes (most of which are on you when you walk, just a change of warm clothes for the evenings + down jacket)
-bare minimum of toiletries (wet wipes, deo, toothbrush/paste, medications, water purification tabs)
-water
-sleeping bag
-camera
-a couple of snacks for between teahouses

You pretty much don't need anything else if you aren't doing snow/ice travel. Anyway, just some thoughts as a result of what I learned when I did it - I literally have no idea what the hell was in that pack back in 2013...

[Moondog55]

Well not hiring a porter could be considered very selfish given the poverty of the country and our comparative wealth; especially when tourist numbers are so far down after the recent seismic troubles
Just out of interest what is the current pay scale for a porter engaged from Kat ?
Family friends [ group of a half dozen females of various ages] went 3 years ago and had a guide plus 2 porters but I never asked what that cost was

[hobbitle]

Well not hiring a porter could be considered very selfish given the poverty of the country and our comparative wealth; especially when tourist numbers are so far down after the recent seismic troubles
Just out of interest what is the current pay scale for a porter engaged from Kat ?
Family friends [ group of a half dozen females of various ages] went 3 years ago and had a guide plus 2 porters but I never asked what that cost was

I was not suggesting it to save money - I wished I had done it without a porter for the physical challenge/independence of it. That's the way I roll these days and if people want a porter then they should by all means get one.

My guides rates were approx $250/week and porter approx $150/week (AUD). Additionally, I tipped them each these amounts at the end of the two-week trip (this is expected and often if they are guiding/portering a larger group they will get 3 or 4 times this amount, but I was student travelling solo.)

[Moondog55]

$150 per week is well above what I was expecting and is a decent wage for the country. I would expect that a porter hired out of Kat would cost less but then may only be available from village to village

[hobbitle]

$150 per week is well above what I was expecting and is a decent wage for the country. I would expect that a porter hired out of Kat would cost less but then may only be available from village to village

My porter was picked up in Lukla by my guide who worked for a Kathmandu based company.

And yes, it is decent. Part of my apparent "selfishness" is perhaps driven by the fact that my Facebook is always filled with photos of my guide & porter riding around on their motorbikes and generally having a pretty grand time. I know of course that the country as a whole is in deep financial distress and there are areas still requiring aid but yes, I have probably been a bit jaded.

[johnrs]

Hi Guys
Just some comments around Porter rates.
First the general perspective is that the general Nepali income is around $2 US/day
Folks that get to the middle east for construction or basic hotel duties are extremely happy on $15-20 day.
In 2012 the porter rate was about $8/day outside of the Khumbu,
and tipping at 25 or a more generous 50 % on top.
You could add 50 % to the rates for the Khumbu.
So that gets to something around $15-20 day for a porter
and add another 50% again for a guide.

I think its best in the long term not to allow expectations in the Khumbu to run away
and also Its important to spread the funds around
and prevent the trekking agencies and accommodation providers keeping the lions share.
As a footnote land around Goykyo ( hotel sites) is now some of the most expensive in all of Nepal
Hopefully this is useful
John

[Vstrom650]

Hi, just came back from Annapurna BC, would love to do Everest BC. If your looking for a great down jacket I have a Mont Icicle for sale for $300 they are going for approx $520. I have only used it on my trip to Nepal, it's black and XL. Have a great time in Nepal!