• Climbing
• Upper Body
• Hands
• Head
• Lower Body
• Feet
• Sleeping
• Rucksack
• Personal Hygiene
• Medical
• Personal Food
• Practical
• Group Equipment

Please go to our personal & team equipment section of the "Ama Dablam Questions" for additional information and detailed discussion of the equipment lists below.

Where should I purchase my equipment?

Please "click here" to view our list of recommendations on where to purchase kit from our Ama Dablam Frequently Asked Questions.

Climbing-

• Climbing harness;
• 2 locking carabiners, 1 large and 1 small;
• 4 regular carabiners;
• Ice axe w/leash;
• 1 mechanical ascender with handle and arm length leash;
• Crampons - must fit boots perfectly. Steel crampons with anti-balling (anti-bot) plates are the best;
• Optional; Adjustable trekking poles;
• Figure 8/Abseil belay device;
• One 3 metre/10 foot sling and three 2 metre/6 foot slings. back to top
  

• 2 cotton t-shirts;
• 1 polypropylene t-shirt;
• 2 long sleeve polypropylene shirts, lightweight;
• 1 polar fleece pullovers, medium weight;
• Lightweight down jacket for those chilly days in basecamp;
• Gore-Tex jacket with hood, waterproof and breathable;
• For high altitude use, 1 very warm goose-down (duvet) jacket with hood;
• 1 polar fleece jacket. back to top
  

• 1 pr. lightweight poly-liner gloves. These will be worn when tying knots, but not inside your mitts;
• 1 pair mittens, consists of 1 Gore-tex over mitt matched with the very warm polar fleece mitt liner.

Head-

• Helmet
• Warm hat wool or synthetic that covers your ears;
• Balaclava;
• Face mask;
• Ballcap or brimmed suncap;
• Glacier glasses with side shields;
• 1 pair ski goggles (Optional) with light and dark lens;
• Headlamp with extra batteries and bulbs;
• Bandana. back to top
  

• 1 pair walking shorts;
• 1 pair walking trousers for trekking and around camp;
• 2 pair lightweight thermal bottoms;
• 1 pair medium or expedition weight thermal bottoms;
• Cotton underwear briefs;
• 1 pair fleece, polar, or pile trousers;
• 1 pair Gore-Tex trousers, salopettes, or bibs. Waterproof/breathable with full side zips.
  

Ama Dablam boot/shoe requirements: 

• Plastic double (Koflach-style) boots with a removable liner. Must fit comfortably with one thick and one thin sock and vapour barrier liner;

Or:

• 1 pair One-Sport Millet Everest boots or equivalent;

Note: Some people would like to bring single boots for Ama Dablam. We don't really recommend single boots for this expedition. Ama Dablam is really too cold for single boots. Frostbite is not an option on our expeditions. If your single boot has a special super-warm insulated liner and fits two thick pair of socks and a vapour barrier liner comfortably it might work. But, most people would never buy a single-boot so large. Did you?

Attention: All climbing boots must fit your crampons perfectly before leaving home.

• For high altitude, 1 down (duvet) sleeping bag (rated to – 20 Centigrade or -0 Fahrenheit). In the high camp, you can sleep in your down clothing inside the tent;
• 1 additional sleeping bag for basecamp (good to -10 degrees C or 10 degrees F);
• 3 closed cell foam kari-mat for use in basecamp and high altitude, We do not recommend inflatable mats, as we have never seen one not puncture. You can buy these non inflatable mats very inexpensively in Kathmandu. Why carry foam mats around the world, when you can purchase them inexpensively in Kathmandu.

Rucksack and Travel Bags-

• 1 medium rucksack (50-70 litres / 3000-4500 cubic inches, can be used for airplane carry);
• 2 large (120 L / 7500 cubic inch) duffle bags for gear. Must be durable for use on pack animals;

• Small padlocks for duffel bags. back to top

Personal Hygiene-

• female or male hygiene supplies;
• 2 tubes lip sun cream, 1 tube skin sun cream (min.factor 15);
• anti-mosquito cream;
• 1 skin blister repair kit;
• 1 toothpaste/brush;
• 1 bar soap/1 small towel;
• Camp towel;
• Hand wipes;
• additional sun creams. back to top

Medical-

Medications are inexpensive and readily available in Kathmandu with no Doctor's prescription:

• Small personal first-aid kit. (Simple and Light) Aspirin, Moleskin, mole foam, waterproof first-aid tape, athletic tape, Band-Aids, personal medications, etc. The guides will have extensive first-aid kits, so leave anything extra behind. Please let your guide know about any medical issues before the climb;
• 1 small bottle anti-diarrhea pills;
• 1 small bottle anti-headache pills;
• 1 small bottle cough and/or cold medicine;
• 1 small bottle anti-altitude sickness pills: Diamox, Acetylzolamide;
• 1 small bottle stomach antibiotic: Ciprofloxacin, etc.;
• Do not bring sleeping pills. They are a respiratory depressant;
• 1 small bottle of water purification tablets or water filter;
• 1 set earplugs;
• extra prescription glasses, contact lens supplies. Contact lens wearers, please bring glasses in case of emergency. A new pair could be quickly made in Kathmandu, Lhasa, or Kashgar for just $20. Please order in advance if you are interested. back to top

Personal Food-

• We ask each member to bring their own imported daily snack and energy foods. We also ask members to bring 2 dehydrated meals (freeze-dried dinners) for their summit attempt. We do not provide cold “snack” food such as chocolate or "energy-bars". We ask that you bring or buy your own "snack" or daily cold energy food, 2-4 kilos is a good amount. A growing variety of imported foods such as European and American cheeses, chocolates, biscuits, cookies, nuts, and locally made power-bars are now available in Kathmandu, at realistic prices. However, imported power bars, GU, re-hydration drinks, dehydrated food, "freeze-dried meals", imported cheese and sausage are not available. If you want these items, you must bring them from your home country. Many of our members, especially Britons, Europeans, and Australians with tiny baggage allowances, now purchase their daily snacks in Kathmandu. Our schedule in Kathmandu allows plenty of time for shopping.

• 1 small roll of repair tape, 1 sewing repair kit;
• 1 cigarette lighter, 1 small box matches;
• 1 compass or GPS, 1 small multi-purpose knife;
• 1 battery powered alarm clock/watch;
• 1 camera and film, or digital camera with extra cards and extra batteries;
• Nylon stuff sacks For food and gear storage, large Ziplocs are useful also;
• 3 Water bottles 1 liter wide-mouth Nalgene (1 is a pee bottle);
• 1 plastic cup and spoon;
• 1 small folding knife;
• Binoculars (optional);
• 4 large, waterproof, disposable rubbish sacks;
• passport, 2 extra passport photos, flight ticket, flight itinerary;
• separate photocopies of passport and relevant visa pages, proof of insurance;
• Dollars, Pounds or Euros cash for purchasing Nepalese visa at Kathmandu airport, for paying for restaurants and hotels, for gratuities, snacks, and to purchase your own drinks and gifts;
• 1 bathing suit/swimming costume (you never know);
• Credit cards, Bank/ATM/Cash machine cards for use for withdrawing funds from cash machines (bring a photocopy of your cards), traveler's checks, etc.;
• Base Camp Items. It is good to bring additional items which you have found to be useful on previous expeditions. For example: paperback books, playing cards, ipod mp3 player, short-wave radio, game boys, musical instruments, ear plugs, lots of batteries, etc.;
• Travel Clothes for basecamp and in town.

• Please be sure and bring your patience and try to keep an open, relaxed, positive and friendly attitude as travelling in this part of the world may be very different than what you are used to, but things always seem to fall into place at the last moment. Thank you.

* This is not an exhaustive list. Please submit other equipment concerns and suggestions. Thank you. back to top

Group Equipment:

We provide a plethora of top-quality, and time-tested equipment, group gear, and supplies, including: rope, ice, rock, and snow anchor protection; basecamp, advanced basecamp and altitude tents; cookers, fuel, high-altitude food, walkie-talkie radios, bamboo marker wands, etcetera. We now provide an individual tent for each member in basecamp, so you do not have to share. We also have a shower and toilet tent for Basecamp. Please see the group EQUIPMENT link, in the menu bars above to study what we bring for your use and safety.

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