Hold-all. A large duffle bag that can withstand yak and porter transport are needed. About 100 litres is the most useful size. Take a padlock for international travel and for local transport.

The North Face L Duffle

Small rucksack. A small size rucksack is required as you will not be carrying loads. Simple and light is the key here. The Osprey Talon 33 or Kestrel 38 are ideal.

Oprey

Dry bags are very useful. Look for Outdoor Designs or Ortlieb.

Dry Bags

Trekking Boots that are durable enough to cover rocky and snowy ground up to base camp. Asolo, Aku, Hanwag, Scarpa or Meindle have several suitable models depending on fit.

Hill Walking Boots

Socks for trekking boots. Take plenty. Thorlo are very comfortable, warm and non itchy. A thin, light Coolmax liner can add comfort and reduce any chance of blisters.

Smartwool

Base Layer Fast wicking and drying synthetics such as polypropylene are the most comfortable

Base Layer

Mid layers- fleece jackets. /soft shells. Take two... A Mountain Cap or fleece hat are also musts.

Mid Layer

Shell clothing. Jacket and trousers. A jacket and trousers made from Gore-Tex or eVent fabric is ideal. Berghaus, Paclite, Mountain Equipment, Prolite, Haglofs, Ozone and Rab Latok Alpine are all good examples. A roomy hood and good pockets are worth looking out for.

Gaiters are worth taking because quite often you will encounter a fall of snow or be crossing old snow patches. Gore-Tex is much more comfortable than other fabrics.

Gaiters

A down jacket makes life more comfortable in camp or in tea houses in the evening and early morning. We recommend the down filled Rab Summit jkt or a Primaloft filled jacket such as those from The North Face, Haglofs or Rab.

Insulation

Light fleece gloves. Black Diamond and Outdoor Designs windstopper/windbloc are the best. A pair of warm mitts or Black Diamond Renegade gloves are worth carrying to use in poor weather or for earlier starts in the cold.

Gloves

Sunscreen.Factor 30-40, and lip block.

Eyes. Good quality Glacier glasses and Sun glasses. Snow blindness can not only ruin your trip, but can permanently damage your eyes.

Hat. A sun hat such as a Tilley is good. A baseball hat will not protect your neck, so a Buff or equivalent is essential.

headwear

Sleeping Bag. A good nights rest and sleep can make a big difference to your chances of success or not. A good down sleeping bag will also last many years.
The Rab Summit Range is excellent, Summit 700 or Quantum 800.

Rab Summit 700

Sleeping Mats.  Insulation from the ground is even more important than the sleeping bag. Thermarests are softer to sleep on, but the latter can not get punctured. The best combination, especially for sleeping on cold ground or even snow is to take both, placing the Ridgerest underneath the Thermarest. Do not buy a Thermarest that is too short so your feet hang off the end.

Therm-a-Rest

Head Torch, bulbs and Batteries. The Petzl Tikka and Zipka models are great and will give plenty of light around camp, in the lodges and even for that very early start up Gokyo Ri to see the dawn on Everest! The Tikka XP or Black Diamond Spot give the best performance.

Petzl

Water bottles.Nalgene is best. Especially if an insulated sleeve is used. A steel thermos flask is also useful but a bit heavy. Drinking bladders are fine but the pipe may freeze and the drinking end needs to be protected and not dropped in the dirt whilst resting on a trek.

Nalgene

Trekking Poles are very useful and save wear on the knees. Two gives more balanced walking.

Leki Poles are recommended

Knife. Swiss army knife or a Multi Tool such as a Leatherman or Gerber.

Pocket Tools

Pee bottle. Nalgene is the best for this too, as for obvious reasons you must have one that does not leak! 

Nalgene

Passport &Visa, Tickets, Money, Passport photos, Personal first aid kit - a money belt from Eagle Creek is a useful accessory

Eagle Creek Money Belt