Backpacking Mongolia – Summer Packing Checklist

Backpacking Mongolia – Summer Packing Checklist

Backing Mongolia can be a trip of a lifetime. You’ll see things you might have never seen before. Make sure you pack the right gears and clothing for Mongolia though. If you plan on traveling all over Mongolia, then pack for all occasions: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The weather in Ulaanbaatar, the capital, can be sunny and hot, but as you drive out to the steppe, it becomes windy and cold.

I was in Mongolia from mid-August to mid-September; the sun was less harsh. Some part of the Gobi desert was cold and windy while in another; you can walk in short and a t-shirt. In Yolyn Am, your feet can be stuck ankle-deep in the snow. Most of the time I wore many layers and peeled off one by one depend on the weather condition.

This list can also be used for traveling to any country with changing weather conditions: hot, cold, sunny, windy, rainy and mild snowing.

Mongolia’s packing list

Reference

• Mongolia guidebook
• Pen and notebook (If you don’t use it as a journal, you can use it to explain things to Mongolians, most of whom don’t speak English.)
• (optional) A large detailed map of Mongolia to check where you have been. Having a map is a must if you travel on your own.

Storage

• 1x Travel Backpack >=40 L (Roll-on luggage isn’t recommended unless you will be on an arranged tours or just driving  around the country.)
• 1x Day backpack (A normal backpack can carry more and have extra compartments, but I prefer the lighter one which can be folded when not in used. Mine is very thin and light but can carry my 13-inch laptop, a bottle of water among other items.)
• 1x Money belt (I stopped using it for years until this trip. It’s extra useful in this country where there are many warnings and signs against pickpockets. I don’t recommend the visible money pouch which you carry around the waist. It’s too visible and begs for attention. Money belt is extra useful if you do a lot of travel on overnight train, long-distance buses, and tours, and you don’t want to carry your bag all the time with you but you don’t want to leave money and other important items behind either.)
  (optional) 1x Money or document pad which you can tie around your legs and stay hidden under the pants. (I never used it, but it can be useful to keep some emergency money.)
  (optional) 1x Shoulder bag (Keep important things in front of you when you carry the large backpack. It’s also useful for evening occasion in the city when you dress up and don’t want to carry the day backpack. This should be as light as possible.)
  (optional) 1x Backpack jacket or cover (Protect the entire backpack from dust, sand, mud, etc. The rain-cover only protects one side of the backpack.)
  (optional) 1x Backpack rain-cover (Protect from the rain but most of the time keep one side of your backpack clean. A lot of backpacks have rain covers as an addon.)

Footwear

• 1x Hiking boots (Your boots should be water-repellent or waterproof and ankle high. They are useful for hiking, walking on wetland, horse-riding, and all walking activity.)
• 1x Sandals (Your feet need to breathe in hot weather.)
• 1x Flip-flop 
• (optional) 1x Pair of shoes for special occasion
• (optional) 1x Pair of rubber boots (You can buy them in Mongolia. I saw a few travelers using them. They are handy if you will do some work with the nomads. Mongolia’s lands are wet and muddy. All nomads wear these boots.)

Clothing

Clothing should be lightweight and dry quick. You don’t have much time between washing and drying when on the move. Breathable clothes keep you from smelling especially in Mongolia when you might not have access to water for days. Melina wool is the best option since it’s light, breathable and keeps you warm. However, Melina wool is quite expensive. Despite a lot of people advising against cotton, I still recommend it if you choose good, quality clothes. My cotton t-shirts don’t smell and last me days of wearing and weeks without washing.

• 1x Jacket (Softshell windproof and waterproof as a 3rd layer)
• 1x Fleece as a second layer
• (optional) 1x sweater or warm clothes to use as another 2nd layer (You don’t want to sleep in a sweater which was wet or dirty during your day activity.)
• 1x Long-sleeve t-shirt
• 3x Short-sleeve t-shirt (Pack a nice one for special occasion in the city and the rest for heavy activities.)
• 2x Pairs of long hiking/travel pants (Better if at least one pair is water-repellant, and the other pair can be unzipped and used as a short. I can manage with just one pair, but I find it’s necessary to have the extra.)
• 1x Pair of shorts or capri pants
• 3x Pair of socks (2 pairs for activities during the days and the other to keep warm or for sleeping. You can buy socks made from wools of sheep, camels, and yaks in Mongolia. They are cheap and warm. Avoid synthetic material at all cost. They stink the moment you put your feet in it.)
• 2x Bras (at least one is a sports bra)
• 4x Underpants (You can manage with two. I don’t recommend thongs or Tanga. They are not comfortable.)
• 1x Thermal long-sleeve shirt and pants (For sleeping at night in the tent or windy weather condition.)
• 1x Pair of Pajama Pants (For sleeping or walking around the guesthouse.)
  (optional) 1x t-shirt for sleeping
• 1x Raincoat (A good waterproof jacket can still get wet in heavy rain. A long and big raincoat can cover your entire body. It doesn’t need to be expensive.)
• (optional) 1x Nice dress/shirt for special occasions

Accessories

• 1x Headlamp (Outside the big cities, people live in gers. There are little if no light once you’re in the vast wilderness. You need the headlamp to go the toilet at night or hike in the late evening.)
• 1x Whistle (People think that it’s for self-defend, but I found it handy when our group got split up during a hike in the Gobi desert, going back to the ger from the sand dunes and couldn’t see anything. The guys whistled to each other, but some might not. It comes together with my first-aid kit and my head-lamp.)
• 1x Sleeping bag (Pick one which you can sleep comfortably at 0 and extreme -15 Celsius. The temperature can drop to below 0 degree on the mountain. Even a mediocre sleeping bag gives you a sense of security as you can rest anywhere if needed and prevents bed bugs. Most gers don’t change their linens.)
• 1x Quick-dry, microfiber towel
• (optional) 1x Small towel (for quick cleaning face and hand)
• 1x Hat (Wide-rimmed hat with strap protects better in the sun and the wind when you do horse/camel riding or just walking in windy weather.)
• 1x Winter Beanie
• 1x Sunglasses
• 1x Multipurpose bandana (Cover the head when windy, keep the neck warm or tie your hairs
• (optional) 1x Compression bag for clothes (Save a lot of space in your backpack and can be used as a pillow. I didn’t have it, but one of my traveling companion did.)
• (optional) 1x Insect/mosquito hat (I didn’t need it perhaps because I came later in the summer and didn’t go to the area with a lot of insects.)
• (optional) 1x Neck pillow (Very convenient to sleep during long-distance bus ride, car tour or in gers.)

Cosmetic and Toiletry

• Toilet paper (Make it your second nature to have a roll of toilet paper with you all the time. Public, “nature” toilets, and shit-pits are the norms outside Ulaanbaatar. Even inUlaanbaatar, some guesthouses, shopping malls, restaurants, and offices don’t have toilet papers in their toilets.)
• Wet wipes (The 2nd most important travel item after toilet paper. Wet wipes are useful when you can’t wash for days.)
• Sunblock of at last 30 SPF. Some people might need 50 SPF.
• Insect repellent spray or lotion (DEED)
• Hand sanitizer
• Shampoo, soap (soap sheet), tooth brush, tooth paste
• Razor and (optional) shaving gel
• Woman sanitary  pads
• Lotion for Face, body, foot (soften and repair the sole of the feet which can get very dry and broken)
• Nail clipper, tweezer, brush, comb, chapstick
• (optional) Mini hair-dryer (Most people don’t bring it, but it is one of the most important items for me.)

Electronics and Electricity

• Mobile phone
• Camera (Point-and-shoot is a better option for strenuous hike, horse riding, walking up the sand dunes. SLR camera is too heavy)
• Laptop or tablet (It’s worth the extra weight to be able to keep a journal, manage photos, check emails, etc.)
• Laptop/tablet sleeve (Protect from water, dirt, and shock.)
• (optional) Kindle or e-book reading device (Replace hundreds of physical books. Mongolia is one of the best places to read books as you will find too much solitude.)
• Chargers for all of the above.
• (optional) 1x Solar panel (For charging phones, cameras, etc. The sun is for free almost every day. You power it during your day activity and charge your equipment during the night. Most come to this country to travel around, staying the tents and gers from nomadic families which usually don’t have electricity. Mongolian nomads use solar energy themselves.)
• Other than chargers which come with your equipment, if you are traveling in car/van, you should consider buying a charger for the car cigarette lighter. Choose the USB-device to use it together with the USB solar panel.
• Extra batteries for your equipment (especially the headlamp)
• (optional) GPS device (A must if you travel on your own)
• (optional) Compass (not as necessary but can come in handy when you need to orient yourself)

Health

Always check with your doctor before the trip for necessary vaccination, medicine to brings, etc.

• First-aid kit
•  Vaccination record (You can also scan and keep it online instead of bringing the paper.)
• Prescription for glasses (You can also scan and keep it online instead of bringing the paper.)
• Medicine e.g. Multi-vitamin, Diarrhea medicine

Camping

If you don’t want to carry a lot of stuff, you can rent the tent+sleeping bag+ sleeping mat for either $2 or $1 per day at some guesthouse, e.g., Green Steppe Mongolia Guesthouse. You can also buy from other travelers who want to get rid of heavy stuff to continue their travel at much lower prices. I rented a sleeping bag and shared a tent with another traveler.

• Tent (waterproof and windproof)
• Sleeping bag (above)
• Sleeping bag liner (not necessary with your own sleeping bag but good if you rent a sleeping bag used it when the bed is not clean. Recommend to buy silk, it’s warm and add 5 degrees.)
• Camping cookware
• Gas can
• Cooking pot, bowl/plate, utensil
• Multi purpose knife, lighter

Tools

• Sewing kit (Repair backpack, clothes. I never need it, but I travel with a couple who sew their backpack from time to time.)
• Duck tape (cover cracks and holes on backpack, tent and many other things. I never brought it, but I always needed it.)
• Super glue

Use this list as a guideline only. You might need more or less depend on your style. That’s it. Happy backpacking Mongolia.