QC's Gear DOs and DON'Ts for Himalayan trekking and Everest Marathon

List of all the recommended gear, the brands/specifics of what I brought, and my comments on each. 

I did also bring a Dri-Fit short-sleeved shirt (used as a clean shirt after the marathon), a Dri-Fit long-sleeved shirt (used, but not necessary), Spi belt (didn't use, but it was used by someone in my trekking group!), cell phone charger (used), micro USB charger (used), Mighty music player (used the earbuds, but not the player), small bungee cords (used affixing my trekking poles), camp-sized pillow (I left in Kathmandu & only slightly wished I had a base camp), and gels (used for the marathon).

I acquired a set of ear plugs on the plane ride and at the hotel in Kathmandu and those are HIGHLY recommended for light sleepers in the tea house.

Gear I wish I had brought: a smaller microfiber towel for hand drying (luckily someone in my trekking group had an extra to give to me), more options for granola bars, small bar soap(s), a cold symptom reliever (I got some sort of nasal crud at the end), and dried fruit (for porridge or snacking).

Gear I probably could have left at home: camping pillow, trekking poles, extra pair of shoes, Dri-Fit short-sleeved shirt, Dri-Fit long-sleeved shirt, extra sports bras, and the solar charger.

Gear favorites: All my merino wool gear - the shirts and sports bras seriously did not smell even after 2 weeks of wearing! Hoka Torrents were perfect for hiking and running - really glad I opted to not get hiking boots. Buffs were used every single hike for a multitude of uses. 12 liter (dry) Camelbak pack was plenty for my day stuff and not cumbersome to carry.

Expedition Gear
Sleeping bag w/0 degree rating	Marmot women's Ouray 0	Recommended for the last couple of days of trekking. No sleeping bag necessary in the tea houses though I did use mine a few times anyway because I had it. In retrospect, I could have just rented a bag and saved some money, but this is a high-quality bag that should last me a long time.
Down jacket	Arc'teryx women's Cerium LT Hoody	Recommended for higher altitude days and sitting around tea houses. Wore 24/7 at base camp because it was comfy and warm.
Fleece jacket	Port Authority women's fleece jacket	Inexpensive jacket I got through work - good middle layer for tea houses or hiking.
3 pairs hiking pants (2 NF, 1 Columbia)	2 pairs of North Face Aphrodite pants, 1 pair of very old zip-leg Columbia pants	I wore the Aphrodite pants pretty much the entire trip. I could have worn shorts for a good bit of the hike because it was warm enough, but the extra leg protection from dust/dirt was better. I ended up wearing the 3rd pair as my "clean" pair around tea houses and after the marathon.
2 long sleeved merino wool shirts	1 Kari Traa Tikse Base Layer & 1 REI Co-op Merino Wool	Both highly recommended. Zero stink even after wearing day after day. Light enough to wear for sun protection on warmer days and heavy enough to protect a bit from cold on cooler days.
2 short sleeved merino wool shirts	1 Patagonia Capilene Cool Trail shirt & 1 Icebreaker Spector Short Sleeve Crew	Highly recommend the Icebreaker shirt. Wore it reguarly without it stinking and the fit was great. I liked the Patagonia shirt and it didn't stink, but the lower scoop neck left more of my chest exposed which wasn't great at higher altitude.
6 pairs socks	2 Injinjis, 3 Swiftwicks, 1 Wrightsocks	1 pair of Injinjis for hiking, 1 pair of Injinjis for wear with flip flops in the tea houses, 3 different thicknesses of Swiftwicks, Wrightsocks for the marathon
3-4 sports bras	1 Icebreaker Sprite, 3 Champion Seamless Racerback	I wore the Icebreaker Sprite every day except race day. Zero stink, super comfy for low-impact hiking. I should have just packed 2.
6 pairs underwear	Everyday VS underwear	Washed out 1-2 pairs each night and had clean ones to wear pretty much the entire trip.
Running tank	1 Q Running tank	Brought it, left it in Gorak Shep because I thought the race shirt was mandatory. It wasn't.
Running shorts	1 pair Lululemon Speed Shorts	Most people were wearing tights/capris for the race, but I run hot so I prefer shorts.
2 pairs long underwear	1 pair Icebreaker Oasis Legless and 1 pair Icebreaker Comet 3Q Tights	I only wore the legless hiking 1 day and it wasn't necessary. However, I did end up using them as my pajama pants because my hiking pants were dirty. I saved the tights to wear for after the marathon and as an alternative to shorts.
Beanie	1 Q Running stocking hat	Recommended to have a hat that covers your ears, especially at the higher elevations. I even (tried) sleeping in it a few nights, but always ripped it off in the night.
Gloves - liner + down	1 pair of New Balance running gloves (liner thickness) and 1 pair of down gloves	Really didn't need the down gloves. Probably could have just had a thinner, windproof layer to put over the NB ones and been okay. I wore the liner gloves 4-5 days though and they were useful during the marathon when I ran in just a t-shirt/shorts.
Hoka Torrent	<---	Yes, yes, yes! Comfortable and lightweight. I wore these every day hiking and during the run. Definitely did not need hiking boots.
Hoka Speedgoat - Waterproof	<---	Not necessary. I could have left these at home. If we had more rain, I might have felt differently as putting on cold, wet shoes is not pleasant, but my shoes were dry within an hour or two of hiking after our one day of rain.
Sandals	Oofos OOlala Luxe Sandal	Highly recommended! I love Oofos and these were nice to slip on after a day of hiking. They are lightweight and made of rubber so they clean up well if I ventured beyond the tea house in them.
2-3 Buffs	4 Buffs	Highly recommended! Pretty much everyone wore Buffs the entire trip to keep their neck covered from the sun, dust out of their mouth, nose, and ears, and later, to keep the wind/cold off your face. I even bought another one while I was there!
Hat	Ameris cotton hat	A hat with a brim is highly recommended. We had full sun many days and keeping it off my face was imperative for both vision and sunburn reasons.
Headlamp	Black Diamond Storm	Highly recommended. Lightweight and bright enough light for navigating dark hallways and sleeping tent to potty tent at base camp. Prefer a headlamp over a flashlight to keep hands free.
Toiletries	Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, razor, deodorant, contact solution/case, extra contacts, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, gum picks, wipes, toilet paper, tissues, tiny hairbrush, hair ties	All used, all necessary at some point, probably could have just bought the TP & wipes when I got to Lukla and restocked along the way.
Quick dry towel	1 bath sized microfiber towel	Highly recommended. Probably should have also brought a small, hand towel sized version for just washing my hands.
Ziploc bags	Extra galloon, quart, and snack sized	I brought about 10 of each size in addition to packing all my gear in gallon sized bags. These were really, really useful for organizing my gear in the giant duffel and keeping dirtier things away from cleaner things.
Outlet adapter	1 Nepal outlet adapter - Ceptics Direct via Amazon	Highly recommended. I had no trouble charging when there was an outlet available and the double USB ports were useful for charging multiple things at once.
Kindle	1 old AF Kindle	I ended up ditching this in Kathmandu during the trek and just using my cell phone to read on the Kindle app. I'm glad I brought it for the plane and outside the trek, but definitely not needed.
OTC meds - Excedrin, Benadryl, Tums	Excedrin, Benadryl, Immodium, Tums	Used 3 out of 4. I never needed the Benadryl, but I tore through the Excedrin Migraine when my headaches began and there were a few days that I took the Immodium/Tums.
Ginger chews	0.5 pound from Sprouts bulk bins	Not necessary. If I had more nausea issues, I probably would have used these more as I love them during ultras. But these were just extra added weight I could have left at home.
Oatmeal packs	5 x instant oatmeal packs	Not necessary. They were recommended by the tour company, but I didn't find them necessary at all. Porridge was available at every breakfast and food was plentiful
Garmin charger	<---	Necessary for 3 weeks of hiking 4-6 hours a day. I charged it frequently!
Journal + 2 pens	Small, unlined journal	Highly recommended. I recorded my thoughts and days events. I could have used my phone, but it was nice to actually put pen to paper.

Day Pack
Camelbak	Camelbak Circuit Vest	Really glad I opted for this over a heavier daypack. I went minimal with the things I carried during the day and I think I was far less exhausted than some of my counterparts for it.
Water bottle	Camebak Chill 20 oz	Highly recommended. I used this as my backup water bottle during the day (tucking it in the back pocket of my Camelbak) and as my drinking vessel at mealtimes.
Soft flask	Hydroflask 20 oz flask	Highly recommended. Lightweight, easy to rinse out, and collapsible. I used this as my main water source while trekking and during the marathon.
Trekking poles	Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork trekking poles	On the fence about this one. I really would have been okay without them. I only used them 2 days and that was more because I felt like I should since I hauled them all the way there. If you are comfortable hiking and running on rocky terrain without poles, I wouldn't bother. If I were going to do the trip again, I don't think I'd pack them.
Chapstick	<--	100% useful for dry lips and nose
Sunblock	Neutrogena Ultra Sheer sunscreen	Highly recommended. I used this on my face, neck, arm, and hands daily.
Cell phone	<--	Duh
Solar charger	Lit solar charger	Not recommended. Too heavy and despite having it in direct sun for hours, it didn't seem to charge very well. I should have just gone with a smaller, traditional charger and paid $5 to fill it.
Energy bars	10 x RX Bars	Really wished I had brought a variety of brands of bars with me instead of all of the same.
Selfie stick	<--	Very not necessary and could have left it at home since I always was around people who gladly would take my photo. But I did get a couple of cool bridge shots.
Rain jacket	Mammut Wenaha rain jacket	Recommended. I actually only used this a couple of times and (of course) decided to not pack it the day it rained. But it was good as a wind/cold protector.
Rain pants?	Didn't take	Didn't need
Toilet paper/ziplocs/hand sanitzer	<--	All used, all needed

Docs
Passport	Duh
Photocopy of passport	Not needed, but always good to have
4 passport-sized photos	Didn't end up needing even though it was a required item
Medical insurance card	Took a picture on my phone - totally forgot and left the actual card at home. But I didn't need it anyway.
Cash	Happy I had some with me, but ATMs were easy to find through Namche.

Extras
Clean set of clothes for Kathmandu	Didn't pack an extra set, but I ended up just buying a dress at a nearby shop. Worked out perfectly.