Mongolia Packing List
Be prepared Diverse Environments
Traveling to Mongolia. Mongolia is a harsh and remarkably diverse environment. With a growing season of less than three months, it’s easy to understand why temperatures stay cool for much of the year. For the Mongolia trip (boundlessphotosafari.com/mongolia), we’ll be moving through both mountainous regions and the desert. You can expect a wide temperature range—from around 30°F on the coldest nights to as warm as 80°F during the middle of the day. Please come prepared for these conditions.
The list below focuses primarily on cold‑weather gear, but since layering is the best way to manage low temperatures, those thinner layers will also serve you well in the desert. Consider bringing one regular t‑shirt and one long‑sleeve t‑shirt.
Clothing
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Beanie or Thermal hat
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Polarized Sunglasses x2
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Glasses Strap - so you never lose your glasses/sunglasses
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Neck Gaiter
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Bandana
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Ultra Lightweight down jacket
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Waterproof Shell
https://www.rei.com/product/240198/patagonia-3-in-1-powder-town-insulated-jacket-womens If you bring a waterproof shell and put a down puffer under that then it's the same as this jacket. You'll need other base layers as well. -
Poncho
Medium: https://amzn.to/4aYLQuj Large: https://amzn.to/4qTg0Uo We are not expecting rain but you never know. -
Thin & Thick Thermal Top
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Lined Pants
I love these lined pants , but you could just put a pair of tights under hiking pants. -
Rain Pants
Anything will do. -
Thin or Thick Thermal Tights
Thicker layer https://amzn.to/45qwNWq Thin layer https://amzn.to/45qwPO2 -
Liner Gloves
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Wool Liner Socks
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SmartWool Thermal Socks
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Hiking Boots
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Booney Hat
Photography
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Camera Body
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Ultra Wide Angle Lens
14-35mm or 16-35mm -
Medium Zoom Lens
24-70mm or 24-105mm -
Long Zoom
70-200mm (at a minimum), longer than 400mm is preferred -
Tripod
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ND Filters
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Power Strip
Misc.
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Sleeping Pad
https://amzn.to/3LMgA7o In the mountains we’ll be sleeping on spring cot beds, and even at my size I sank into them. You may find it more comfortable to sleep on the ground in the Gers. We’ll have mattresses available to put directly on the floor, or you can bring something like this. I don’t have any personal experience with this brand, though. -
Sleeping Bag
One can be provided for you. But I will bring my own. If you want to use one of theirs I highly advise you bring a liner. Something like this should work https://amzn.to/4b07lL8 but if you sleep cold you should consider something insulated. -
Head lamp or small flash light
https://amzn.to/4qKPaxu or https://amzn.to/4jF52zx Anything will do, I like Black Diamond. Mike didn't like the flash light because "it's too small". -
Smartphone neck strap
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Flip Flops for desert showers
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Sunblock
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Lip Balm with Sunblock
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Trekking Poles
https://amzn.to/4bitXXB one day of hiking and one day of climbing the sand dunes. Anything will do, I just like Black Diamond. Their carbon fiber poles are really great. -
Collapsible Water Bottle
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Travel Pillow
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Travel Towel
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Shampoo Bar
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Digestive support (fiber tablets, Tums) — diet there is low in fiber
Bring what you need for both constipation and diarrhea!