EBC in February - just how cold?

[1000km]

Planning a trek to Everest Base Camp in the last two weeks of February.
Very keen to know just how cold it gets...
Will I be confined to the teahouse shivering myself to sleep every night?
Do I absolutely need a down-filled sleeping bag and/or down jacket?

Also, what's the best way to find an amiable porter-guide? I only have a few hours in KTM - how easy is it to find somebody in Lukla or Namche?

[Michael Sunkist]

Nameste, Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Bareable in the day with clear sunny skies but you best have a good sleeping bag. Mine was brand new rated to minus 20 F and I still got cold. But what the heck, a little misery for a whole lotta fun. Happy trails

[1000km]

Thanks Michael - I'll wrap-up warm!

[RRainey]

No one answered my other post on mid December through New years daytime temps. So what is the range? RR

[Spaceman347]

It's hard to give categoric temps as I don't think many people carry thermometers. I've been using the "does a water bottle freeze in your room overnight" scale.

In mid December I found the water bottle freeze level to be around Periche, above Periche the water bottle froze overnight, below it didn't.

I just noticed that you actually asked for daytime temps and I don't really have a scale worked out for that, it depends a LOT on the prevailing wind. Out of the wind and in the sunshine can be really quite nice, however if you're in the shadows and a breeze picks up........

The stream at Thukla was freezing over in mid Dec 2005 if that's any help, although I remember walking through there in basic trekking pants, a base layer and a thin fleece (Polartec 100) pullover and not being particularly cold (until the wind picked up late in the day).

Nights are definitely down jacket time (and hut booties if you have some - toasty warm).

[RRainey]

I am trying to get a handle on when you need the down coat for a teahouse trek. Is the common area heated? Not during the actual hiking, so when?

I guess I don't get cold so easy. During my Kilimanjaro hike it was -10 C or colder every night and it snowed or hailed several days, fleece with a waterproof layer, hat and gloves were fine for the day. When stopped
I put another lightly insulated coat on top and fleece pants. Then sleeping bag at night. Maybe I am warm blooded?

[Spaceman347]

The common areas in the lodges are 'heated' but not particularly well. There is no wood above the tree line so they burn dried yak dung which doesn't particularly burn very well (ie don't think raging open fire in a Swiss lodge with people basking in front).

The insulation value of some lodges could possibly be measure in the negative, and some have quite a few drafts particularly if it's very windy. It all depends when you are there, I've been in both December and March and would not think of not taking a down jacket with me.

A good quality down jacket will have significantly better warmth to weight ratio than any form of fleece. Most people take a light fleece / down jacket combination, rather than a heavy fleece. My thick Gore windstopper fleece weighs about 800gm and isn't particularly warm, my down jacket is good to -20 celsius and actually weighs less (and packs smaller).

Renting a down jacket is always a good option if you don't own one.