The temperature in Mongolia can move 20 degrees between dawn and midday. That single fact drives everything about packing here. You do not pack for a season. You pack for a day that contains three of them.
Layers, not outfits
On the steppe we dress in three layers and adjust all day. A merino or synthetic base layer next to the skin. A fleece or light down over it. A windproof shell on top. At seven in the morning outside a ger you wear all three. By eleven you are down to the base layer. By nine at night you are back in all three and looking for a hat. Cotton is the one thing to leave at home. It holds sweat, dries slowly and is cold the moment the wind arrives. Bring two full sets of layers so one can dry while you wear the other.
May to June
Spring is dry, bright and windy. Days are warm in the sun and sharp in the shade. Bring the full three layers, a warm hat and gloves for mornings, and sunglasses you trust. The dust in May is real, so a light scarf or buff for the face is useful in the Gobi and on open steppe. Nights at Big Sky Lodge in Terelj still drop close to freezing in May. A down jacket that packs small earns its place.
July to August
High summer is the warmest window and also the wettest. Rain comes as short, hard showers in the afternoon, mostly in the Khangai and around Khövsgöl. Bring a proper waterproof shell rather than a poncho, and shoes that can get wet and recover. Daytime is shorts and T-shirt weather on many days, but keep the fleece in the vehicle. Sun protection matters more than people expect. Much of Mongolia sits above 1,300 metres and the air is thin and clear. Bring high-factor sunscreen, a brimmed hat and lip balm.
September to early October
This is the month we love. Grass turns gold, skies stay clear and the air is still. It is also the month when the first snow can fall in the west and the north. Pack as for spring, then add one more warm layer. Thermal leggings under trousers make the difference on a morning at the Eagle Festival in Ölgii, where you stand still for hours watching the sky. Warm socks, two pairs at a time, and boots with room for them.
Winter
Winter in Mongolia is dry cold, which is kinder than it sounds but still serious. For Tsagaan Sar in February or the Ice Festival on Khövsgöl in March, bring an expedition-grade down parka, insulated boots rated for well below freezing, a balaclava and mittens rather than gloves. We can also help you buy or borrow the right outer layer in Ulaanbaatar, where winter clothing is made for this exact climate and sold in every department store. Batteries die fast in the cold. Keep phone and camera batteries in an inside pocket.
By journey type
- Ger and lodge journeys: a soft duffel rather than a hard suitcase. It fits in the Land Cruiser and on a camel. A small day pack for the vehicle.
- Riding journeys: long trousers without an inner seam, a helmet if you prefer your own, and gloves. Chaps are not needed.
- Gobi: an extra water bottle, a buff for sand, sandals for the camp in the evening.
- Khövsgöl and the taiga: insect repellent in July and August, waterproof boots, a warm sleeping-bag liner for nights with reindeer families.
- Ulaanbaatar: one smart outfit. Dinner in the city is a proper occasion and our guests enjoy dressing for it.
What you do not need
A tent, a sleeping bag, a stove or a water filter. We carry all of that in the vehicles when a journey calls for it. Formal shoes for the countryside. A second camera body unless photography is the point. Cash in large amounts. Ulaanbaatar has ATMs and card machines, and the countryside runs on small notes we help you get before you leave the city.
A word from us
Packing lists are only useful when they fit the journey. Once we know where you are going and when, we send a short, specific list for your dates, not a generic one. We design private journeys only. Write to us and a person who lives here will reply within four hours in office time. We do not send a price list until we have talked, because the journey has to come first.
