I’m not really sure if there’re other equivalent ‘Lonely Planet’ style books out there, but these seem ubiquitous enough, and I’ve never heard a bad thing about them, so … they’ll do.
Though you might only be going to basecamp, this book has a load of information you might need about visas, money, diseases and places to stay and eat. There’s a whole section for trek routes, and not just for basecamp. Another which caught my eye was the Annapurna Circuit, which I’d like to visit if I ever come back.
This book is pretty solid. I’ll be sure to take it along with me. Other than that … do I need anything else? I thought about maybe getting myself a Kindle to take with me. Not sure how much reading I’ll be doing out there, but it’d be nice to have something to do if I get bored.
I did have a look on a lot of other sites for researching clothing, climate and vaccinations (the book is a sparse on these details), but this is general info, available anywhere.
Update: Everest related reading
Update: Kindle!
Afterthoughts:
The Lonely Planet guide was very helpful in background reading, but unless you’re travelling on your own without any guides, you probably don’t really need it. If you accidentally forget yours, there are many, many opportunities to buy maps and things when you’re there. My water bottle leaked in my bag while we were in Kathmandu and soaked my copy. I left it in the hotel after that.
I eventually did buy a Kindle to take with me which I found very good to have. Mostly I read while I was waiting for planes and before I went to bed (generally anytime there was noone to talk to). There was no need whilst actually on the plane as there was enough in-flight entertainment. The battery life was excellent, and didn’t even run halfway down, having read through three books in that time. The only time I had any questions as to its durability was on the coldest nights when condensation formed on the screen (mostly from my own breath, I suspect) but no problems there either. A recommended and lightweight purchase if you can see yourself reading while you travel.