Packing for a country with no in-between

Mongolia has an extreme continental climate — hot summers, very cold winters, and a daily range that can cover both. The country sits at the heart of continental Asia, far from any sea and in the lee of high mountains, which is why it is so dry. Cloud thins as you go south, and annual sunshine reaches 3,200 hours down there. They call it the Land of Blue Sky for a reason.

Clothes

Whatever the season, bring warm thin layered clothes: a waterproof jacket, hiking boots, sandals, a hat and a headscarf. Layers beat bulk here, because you will be warm in a vehicle at noon and cold outside a ger at ten.

The small things that matter

Insect repellent, sun cream, lip balm, a first aid kit, and general medicine for headaches, colds and digestive upsets — plus any prescription medicine you take. Photography gear, obviously. Something to listen to or watch, because the drives are long and that is part of the point.

Power and connection

Mongolia runs on 220V at 50Hz and sockets take European-style two round pin plugs, so bring a converter for 110V appliances. Four- and five-star hotels usually have adapters, but pack your own anyway — and if you forget, your guide or the hotel staff can find one almost anywhere. Internet is available at almost all hotels on our itineraries, mostly free Wi-Fi, and some tourist ger camps have it too. All four mobile networks run 4G across most of the country, so a local SIM is worth the ten minutes it takes.

If you want to bring a gift

Every one of our tours includes a visit to a nomadic family. If you'd like to bring something, pocket knives, flashlights, sweets, small toys, colouring books and pencils all go down well. But whatever you choose, the person receiving it will be happy — that part is not complicated.