What to pack on your Mongolia trip: detailed packing list

Okay. So you really need one large bag (backpack or suitcase) to be left in the luggage compartment, hotel room or yurt, and one smaller back (daypack, fanny pack/ bum bag, shoulder bag) to accompany your more often. The small bag is what you store your valuable stuff in.

Some travelers choose a suitcase. I used judge other tourists taking suitcases as idiots who were spoiling my budget travel destination. But in my older age I've come to see they make a fair bit of sense, even in Mongolia. They are easier than a backpack to get in and out of, but harder to walk with over uneven ground (i.e. most of Mongolia, UB included). It all comes down to how much you'll be carrying your bags around between accommodation and transport points. Ask yourself how often you usually go walking with your luggage on your back -probably not that often, when you think about it!

More well-heeled travelers will probably be jumping in taxis (which are only a few dollars, after all) around town and going on organized tours, so a suitcase is probably the most convenient option. There are soft 'duffel' suitcases these days which are a big more durable and suitable for being banged around in third world countries.

I always end up taking my backpack because I travel more on a budget; my luggage will get banged around, I usually choose to walk my luggage to the hotel if it's less than 1km away, and it usually ends up getting strapped onto a pack horse again when I go on a horse trek.

Backpacks range from super-expensive top-loading hiking models, which distribute weight properly (i.e. on your hips, and close to your back) but aren't so easy to pack, to traveler's backpacks, which aren't as great for long hikes but have a big front zipper and are much easier to get in and out of. Many people spend a lot of money on a backpack when they really don't need to. If you're regularly going on a 7-day hikes through the mountains then, sure, you need to invest in a good hiking pack. Me, I bought a bottom-of-the-range, Chinese-brand traveler's backpack 8 years ago for about $150. Since then it's held together fine over a number of long hikes and a load of travel.

My backpack is on its last legs and I'm planning on doing some serious hikes in New Zealand and Mongolia in the next 12 months, so will invest in an Osprey pack. My wife and one of my friends have had theirs for years and I've been very impressed with their form, comfort and function. Plus they're great value compared to some of the over-priced 'specialist' hiking brands. I just don't think you can go past Osprey for backpacks: their gear's outstanding value and they're very proactive in honoring their lifetime product warranties. Those spending most of their time on hardcore hikes in Mongolia should get a top-loading pack, such as the Osprey Xenith.


Most people, though, will want the convenience of a front-loading pack, which can be very comfortably be used for the odd multi-day hike (just not as comfortably as their top-loading models).

If your backpack doesn't have an in-built water-proof cover, it's worth buying one to ensure your back is kept dry and protected from stains. A simple alternative is to simply buy some heavy-duty garbage bags, and just keep them stuffed at the bottom of your backpack till you need them.

You need a smaller bag in addition to your backpack/suitcase to take your more valuable and regularly-needed items in. This stays close to you when on the move -in constant contact if possible- and is NOT to be left in the luggage compartment, or zipped onto the back of your backpack so thieves can take your stuff without you noticing. You should be able to carry it on the front of your body when you need to (to avoid thieves when walking through cities, markets, and crowded places; see my safety tips for Ulan Bator), and it should always be right next to you on public transport -not strapped on the roof or down the back of the bus.

Most people take a daypack as their small bag. It can fit plenty of the day's items, can be carried on your chest in crowds (though you'll look like a dork) so you can have your hands free and keep a direct eye on it against thieves, and can be used for a day-hike or overnight stay while leaving your backpack/suitcase behind. On the downside, they can get a little too big. Make sure you get one small enough so you can always keep it next to you or under your feet on buses and airplanes! Don't go over 20 liters.
The Osprey Talon is nice and small, but comes with fold out hip straps so is handy for day hikes.

I took a PacSafe traveler's fanny pack/ belt pouch/ hip bag/ bum bag on my last 1.5 year trip, including Mongolia and West Africa, and it served me well. It was great: very easy to carry in front of me; hands-free carrying, small enough to keep next to me at all times, but big enough to fit all my valuables and essentials, plus a guidebook and a novel; and I could sling it casually over my shoulder when I wasn't in a crowded/thief-prone place. The only complaint with a hip bag is that you don't quite have room to squeeze in a sweater or a rain jacket. Other than that, I love the Packsafe model, it includes some handy security features like anti-slash mesh and the ability to lock the cable in the waist band and the bag's zippers together in a closed loop -enabling you to secure it to just about anything.

Some people take a one-strapped shoulder bag because they are a good size and can be carried in front of you -which gives more security that carrying a day pack behind you. That could be a good option, as long as the strap is slung over your head (not just over one shoulder) so it can't be snatched easily. The downside to a shoulder bag is it will get uncomfortable weighing down on one single shoulder if you're carrying heavy loads, so you have to keep it light and can't take it on long day hikes.

If you have room to pack or strap on your own tent, it will allow you with a lot more flexibility on your trip. Our Marmot Limelight 3 wasn't the lightest tent on the market, but it was comfortable, performed really well in bad weather, and was great value for money.


Carrying valuables on your person: essential!

The bigger the city or town you're in, the more chance you have of being victim of theft. Outside Ulan Bator you should still follow safe packing practices, no matter where you travel. Even in the country, and when staying in gers, sometimes your valuables are just too much temptation for people who couldn't possibly acquire them through fair means. Sure, you can relax things if you're on an organized tour with trusted people, but stick close to the below as a matter of course -especially when new to a country, in a city, and on public transport:

People can always steal your stuff if they really, really want to. But they're unlikely to target you because you're going to travel smarter than other travelers. The tourists more likely to get robbed are those doing stupid things, like the woman I met who flew to Mali with 1,000 Euros sitting in her checked-in luggage (two year's salary for some lucky baggage handler at Bamako International!) or the guy who had his passport stolen in China because he'd left it zipped in his backpack on the roof of the bus on an overnight trip. That is not you. You are smart and secure, and you carry money and passports always touching your body, and keep electronics and valuables in your small bag, which should rarely leave you.. The more valuable something is, the closer it should be to your body!

Money belts are stupid because they sit too close to your skin and get sweaty (when I first went travelling I took a money belt through humid Central America, and just about ruined my passport with sweat!). A neck pouch which straps over your neck but stays under your clothes is best.

I take one debit card, to cash up on Mongolian Togrogs at ATMs without paying exorbitant credit card advance fees. ATMs are are in Ulan Bator and most aimag capitals these days. A credit card is also handy because you can use them to buy expensive items, and can use them at a lot of upmarket shops, hotels, and travel agencies. These places can usually do a cash advance for you if you're desperate for cash -but know the current exchange rate before you go in, and be very careful of the figures they're charging to your card compared to the cash they're giving you! They need to make money for it to be worth their while, but some might take a 30% exchange rate margin if you don't watch carefully.

If you want to take Travelers checks, you'd keep them here in your pouch, too. However, I don't bother with them anymore as i've found anywhere that's going to have a bank to change travelers checks will also have somewhere that gives credit card advances. I take out another couple of hundred $US in Togrogs as well whenever I get the chance -I take more than that if i know i'm heading out to remote areas requiring sizable cash payments.

ATM withdrawal fees can add up quickly: if you're traveling for a long time, it's worth investigating financial products which don't charge you for international transactions. But check the details carefully, there are some new 'cash passport credit cards' on offer which are loaded with hidden fees and don't think save you any money over a conventional credit card. [A tip for any Australians reading this: the '28 Degrees Mastercard' credit card can also be used as a debit card because doesn't charge ATM fees or international transaction fees. It does apply over 20% interest as soon as you withdraw a cash advance from an ATM, but as long as you log in and pay off the account soon after withdrawing, it's a fantastically-cheap travel product. On an 18-month trip I reckon it saved me $400 in withdrawal fees].

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You can buy a cheap gas stove (and canisters) for about US $25 at every aimag/province capital in Mongolia. You can even take them hiking if you have to, but obviously they're more bulky and heavy than a hiking stove.


Essentials to go in your small bag:

Electronics

You should also keep any electronics in your small bag, as these are likely to be amongst your more valuable items. Again, don't take anything you can't afford to use! All electronics should be viewed as a luxury: you don't NEED any of them, if you think about it. However, I admit to spoiling myself with a few things. Pricey electronics are out-of-reach for most people in developing countries, so i try to be really discreet when I do use them, and avoid flashing them around (and never when I'm in a public or crowded area in a third world city: it's asking for the attention of bag slashers and pickpockets!).

Also consider what else is important or precious to you, or anything you need to access while your big bag is out-of-reach in a van or on a plane. All this should go in your small bag. I take the following:

Cameras:

Mongolia is such a scenic destination that most travelers will understandably want to take a camera. You don't have to: some travelers justifiably argue that you should be enjoying and experiencing the special and beautiful moments, not tyring to fit them in to your view finder. However, i always take a camera. For the following word on cameras, i'm going to just split them into 2 categories: big, SLR-style ones, and small, pocket cameras (there are a few models that try to give the benefits of both, but they're still too bulky for your pocket).

An SLR camera will certainly take the best photos. The wide lense takes better landscape photos than pocket cameras, and they are far, far superior when taking close-ups or pictures of distant subjects (e.g. wildlife, and goings-on at the Naadam festival). However, an SLR is quite a burden to take when traveling: they're heavy, cumbersome, expensive, and a glaring target to thieves when strapped in a carry-bag over your shoulder. They're much more difficult to just slip out and operate, so you're less likely to take spontaneous snaps and quickly have it in your pocket to 'capture the moment'. They're too bulky to be much use while on a horse trek, rafting trip, or any kind of rough adventure activity. And they're complicated: too many travelers spend the money on one without knowing how to get the best out of them; consider a short course in photography if you have no idea. So, my advice is: if you're really 'into' your photography and it's important to you, and/or you're particularly dedicated to capturing amazing shots of scenery, wildlife or the Nadaam festival, then an SLR will be really rewarding. Otherwise, try something smaller. Generally, Canon rate very highly as a good value choice for an SLR, if you're a real pro you might want to get some expensive german model, but Canon seems to be great for the majority of people.

Pocket cameras are remarkably cheap these days. They also take great photos. All the photos on this site were taken with my Lumix camera, or my fiancee's Canon pocket camera. The picture quality has been drastically reduced to cut down file sizes, but i hope you can see the colors and the landscapes are captured pretty well. I'd highly recommend both those brands.

Sure, your pics won't be as great from a small camera as with an SLR, but they're good enough for most and the units are so darn easy to carry around. They discreetly fit in your pocket, so you're likely to have a camera at hand more often and will probably take more photos. At the end of the day, smaller cameras are great because they allow you to capture your holiday, not define or limit it by creating a burden. When buying a small camera, get a good brand (such as the two mentioned above) and, very importantly, try to get one with the wider lense (usually printed in millimeters, on the lense itself) to ensure your camera captures wide angles and allows more light into your pictures. Whatever your camera, it should be kept in your small bag if not in your pocket/ in a separate carry bag.

With my camera I take a few spare memory cards. For me, my memory cards (i.e. store of photos taken) quickly become as (or more) important than my camera. I can get another camera on insurance, but if I lose my memory cards then my photos of my Mongolia trip are gone forever. You can spend a lot of money on high-density cards with faster loading speeds, but they're not really necessary unless you're a professional. I don't buy memory cards above 1GB, as I don't want to keep all my eggs in one basket. Rather than taking my camera and a USB cord, you can buy a small USB stick memory card reader to save you taking your camera to internet cafes. They're only $10 or so, at any camera shop. If traveling for over a month, I would usually make a back-up of my photos on a CD/DVD or USB stick and send it back home in case all my stuff happened to get stolen.

Okay, that should be everything to take in your small bag. But if you have anything else that you'll need regularly or is very valuable to you, then take it in your small bag.

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Stuff to pack in your big bag

A few words on Clothing:

You can wear the same clothes traveling as you do back home, you don't need to buy an entire new wardrobe full of zippers and quick-dry polyester.

I take the following:

If you find you haven't packed warm enough once you've reached Mongolia, you can easily buy a wool sweater or one of the long, woolen dels like the locals wear. If you don't have a shell rain jacket you will want to have your outer layer completely water proof. However this really isn't recommended to have a warm item as your only waterproof item, because if you want to stay dry and walk in the rain, you'll probably start sweating a lot outside winter.

With those layers and a good water-proof shell, i'll have good clothing for anything from hot sunshine, to blizzards, rain, and below-freezing nights in the mountains.

Best way to pack clothing? Folding? Rolling? Scrunching? These days I roll each item of clothing, and stuff some into packing cells. That seems to be the most efficient way to pack, but the jury's still out on that one..

Footwear

You should think really carefully about what kind of footwear you'll need. Ideally you'd be able to take 10 different pairs of shoes, but you're going to have to rely on one or two. What exactly are you going to DO in Mongolia? That question will define your choice of footwear above everything else. Again, this is one of those things people spend a lot of money on when you really don't need to.

Hiking boots are heavy, take up a lot of room, not overly comfortable day-to-day, and are only good for (you guessed it!) hiking. Too many people lug around hiking boots when they don't need them. If you're going on a serious trekking trip in the Mongolian mountains, you will need a good pair of hiking boots, but if you're just going on a day-hike or two, and spending most of your time in cars or on horseback then you can save a lot of weight, space and money by taking something other than hiking boots.
I have had a pair of Zamberlan hiking boots for years, which I bought online from REI after doing a lot of research. They have served me well on countless hikes, including in Mongolia. I really love them and have convinced a number of my friends to get them after they struggled through backcountry hikes while i stayed upright and comfortable! My wife also has a pair and she loves them, too.

There are a lot of travel shoes made by Merrell, Ecco, Timberland, and Colombia which are are like trail shoes with better grip. If you're just taking one pair of shoes, they could be a good choice. There's usually a conflict between form and function, with the rugged, waterproof travel shoes ones looking a bit like hiking shoes, but try to get ones that look okay enough to wear out in the city if you can. These shoes are comfortable to walk in and can manage your average day-hike (but don't have the ankle support for treks over rugged country, especially when carrying heavy loads). I had a pair of Merrell Moabs which were unbelievably comfortable and stood up to a 1.5 year trip of everyday use in Mongolia and Africa. They stood up well on many hikes, too, including some pretty demanding ones where I really should have been wearing proper boots.


But don't get too carried away on expensive travel shoes: if you'd rather save money, ask yourself what shoes you have currently which you'd wear if doing some manual labor, or going on a 2 hour walk back home? Chances are they're good enough for Mongolia!

As well as you're every day pair of shoes, try to take a light, small-packing pair of something comfortable like flip-flops, sandals or cheap canvas slip-ons. These are for wearing around indoors and on planes and trains. This is particularly important in Asia, where most people consider bare feet dirty to wear around the house and within the bathroom.

consider taking some elastic-sided leather boots, such as Australian-made Blundstones or Rossi, as your main pair of travel shoes. If you're horse riding, the stirrups won't damage them as there's no stitching up top, and all riders should ideally have a heeled shoes like these so your feet don't slip too far into the stirrups. The elastic sides mean the shoe will slip off if you do get your shoes stuck in the stirrups, ensuring you won't be dragged across the steppe. These boots can pass for semi-dressy leather shoes if going out at night in cosmopolitan Ulan Bator; they are not adequate for serious hiking, but they have a padded rubber sole so are comforable for all-day wear and the odd day hike. They are also pretty water-proof.
On my most recent trip to Mongolia I took a pair of Rossi's as my everyday shoes, and my Zamberlans for a couple of big hikes. It worked really well for me, considering most of my time was out hiking, walking UB, or on horseback.

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Sleeping and Camping gear is something you should think carefully about. If you're doing a lot of camping out in Mongolia and have room for this stuff, you should take it. But it should be seen as optional: you can rent tents, mattresses, and even sleeping bags from tour operators. And you don't have to pay much more for them to cook for you and provide eating gear.

Serious hikers will want to take their own specialized gear such as stoves, and cooking and eating gear. Any specialist hiking cooking gear like this should be purchased BEFORE you get to Mongolia. Butane fuel cells can't be taken on the plane, but can be purchased in UB for a hefty price.
Less serious campers/ hikers can get by well enough by just taking a big tin mug, which you can both eat and drink out of, and a spoon, and lighting their own cooking fires. Many tour operators have their own stoves and plates/cutlery, and if you're on an extended horse trek or camping trip and need to cater for yourself, you can just buy a cheap pot and a pan and cook most things on the fire. You can also buy a cheap camp stove (as per the photo) just about anywhere in Mongolia, but obviously these aren't great to hike with.

You can buy matches, knives, a scrubbing brush and dishwashing liquid (which you might transfer to a sturdier bottle), and a couple of plates and cutlery, anywhere in Mongolia.

a metal water bottle isn't essential as you can just use any plastic bottle you get on the way, but it does save on wasted plastic and, if you're boiling water to purify it, you can pour it in a metal water bottle straight away and let it cool, whereas pouring hot water into a plastic bottle will melt it and/or release chemicals.

The more electronics you take, the more battery chargers and power cords you'll have filling up your bag -so try to keep them to a minimum. I keep my cords inside a plastic bag within my big bag, tied up with garbage ties, while the expensive electronics themselves are in the small bag. Try to carry the one, universal power converter. Mongolia is on 220V power and uses European-style 2-pin plugs.

Good batteries are hard to find in developing countries; always take plenty of spares for your goods. AA batteries also make great gifts for nomad families who provide hospitality.

Even if you don't intend staying in family's yurts (this can get awkward and uncomfortable for some Westerners), you will probably end up dropping into a few yurts for tea, or asking to camp nearby, or possibly to stock up on meat and/or dairy products. You should always have a gift to exchange for any hospitality received. Exchanging money for hospitality is seen as vulgar. Here are some ideas of things to bring: AA Batteries, quality tea, photos of the Dalai Lama (don't take them through China), razor blades, or little souvenir pins or knick knacks from your own country. Nomads really love handy things like mini swiss army knives or LED keychain lights, they simply don't have them back home. Take 5 or 10!! You could also have a more significant gift in case somebody shows you great human kindness. A spare headlamp, or a swiss-army knive could be a good idea for a big gift. If you don't have room for anything, you can always offer to have the family line up (all looking stern!) for a family photo. Get them to write their address on your notepad, and make sure you live up to your word and make the effort to print and send the photo once you get home! -it will mean a lot to them.

Try to also bring a few photos from home so you can show them where you live (pictures make a thousand words, which is handy when you can't speak the language). If you come from anywhere near a farm or stock animals, make sure you bring photos of that, as nomads will show great interest. Try to memorize how many heads of stock there are, how many acres of land, etc..

Well, that should be just about all you need to know. Good luck, and happy travels!!

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