Layer for dawn, strip for noon, bundle for night. The packing list we hand every guest before they fly into Ulaanbaatar.
Nomin G.
Mongolia asks something of you before you arrive: pack for four seasons in a single day. In June the dawn is 4°C and the noon is 28°C. In February the dawn is -30°C and so is noon. Layering is not a suggestion. It is the system.
A merino wool base — long-sleeve and long-john — worn next to the skin regardless of month. A mid-layer fleece. A shell that is both windproof and waterproof. Good wool socks, at least three pairs. Proper hiking boots broken in before you board the plane.
Add a brimmed hat. The steppe sun is fierce and the shade is somewhere else. Sunscreen 50+. Long trousers — shorts are fine in a ger but outside, the mosquitoes find you fast. A light down jacket for nights. Yes, nights.
A proper down parka rated to -30°C. Insulated boots, not fashion boots. Thermal glove liners under heavy mittens. A balaclava or neck gaiter. Hand warmers. If you are riding horseback in winter, we will provide the dell (wool overcoat) — but pack your base layers.
This is Mongolia's most underrated window. Pack both summer and winter gear. Wind is the defining condition. A proper windbreaker saves the day.
Hairdryers. Cotton t-shirts (they soak and stay wet). Heels. Expectations of Wi-Fi in the countryside. Expectations of the Mongolia you saw in the Netflix documentary.
Everything else, we handle. Ger warmed before you arrive. Every route chosen for you. Every guide named.