The Everest Expedition Checklist: Gear, Grit, and Questionable Life Choices

I decided to do the Everest Expedition for the first time. I was excited, a little scared, and definitely not sure what to pack. After months of training and packing too many odd gadgets, I learned what I really needed and what things I wished I left behind.

Everest by the Numbers

• Over 12,884 successful summits of Everest have been made through December 2024.

• Every season, about 800–900 climbers reach the top (depending on weather).

• Death rate on the Nepal side is about 2.7% of those who summit.

These stats helped me feel humble and smart enough to double‑check my checklist.

What I Packed (Smart List)

Here are things I took that I really needed:

• Warm down jacket (‑20°C nights)

• Mountaineering boots + crampons

• Ice axe, harness, ropes (safety gear)

• Sleeping bag rated for very cold

• Layers of clothes: base, fleece, shell

• Headlamp, extra batteries

• Sunglasses + sunscreen (snow burns are real)

• First aid + altitude pills

• Warm gloves + mittens

The Everest Expedition is hard. It tests you. But it also gives you magic: sunrise over snow peaks, standing where only few have stood, feeling tiny under the sky.

If you pack the right gear, bring grit, and laugh at your own questionable choices, you’ll be ready. And trust me, those views are worth every sore toe.