TheGreatGame
Pre-DepartureInformation
Welcome!
TRAVELINFORMATION
Passport
Visas
Money
SpecialDiets
Tipping
Communications
CustomsandImmigration
MEDICALINFORMATION
Inoculations
StayingHealthy
MedicalServices
GettingInShape
HELPFULINFORMATION
Photography
CulturalConsiderations
BeingaConsiderateTraveler
SuggestedReadingFromThe
TripLeader
ReadingList
PACKINGLIST
TheEssentials
WTGearStore
Luggage
WeightLimits
NotesonClothing
Clothing
Equipment
PersonalFirstAidSupplies
OptionalItems
We’redelightedtowelcomeyouonthisadventure!This
bookletisdesignedtoguideyouinthepracticaldetailsfor
preparingforyourtrip.Asyouread,ifanyquestionscometo
mind,feelfreetogiveusacallorsendusanemail—we’re
heretohelp.
PLEASESENDUS
TripApplication:Complete,sign,andreturnyourTrip
Applicationformassoonaspossibleifyouhavenotalready
doneso.
MedicalForm:Complete,sign,andreturnyourMedical
Formassoonaspossibleifyouhavenotalreadydoneso.
AirSchedule:SendusacopyofyourAirScheduleonce
you'vemadeyourflightarrangements.RefertotheArrival&
DeparturesectionoftheDetailedTripItineraryfor
instructions.Pleasereviewyourproposedschedulewith
WildernessTravelbeforepurchasingyourtickets.
PassportPhotocopy:Scan*yourpassportphotopageand
emailittousasaJPGorPDFattachment,orsendusahigh
qualityphotocopybymail(immediatelyuponreservingyour
trip).
VisaPhotocopy:Onceyouhaveobtainedtherequiredvisa
inyourpassport,pleasescan*acopyofyourvisaandemailit
tousasaJPGorPDFattachment,orsendusahighquality
photocopybymail.
*Ifyouarescanningdocumentstoemail,wesuggesta
maximumresolutionof300dpi.
PLEASECAREFULLYREVIEW
TravelDocuments&MedicalInformation: Carefully
reviewtheTravelDocumentsandMedicalInformation
sectionsofthisbooklettofamiliarizeyourselfwithPassport
andVisaentryrequirementsforyourdestination,aswellas
anyrecommendedinoculations.
OptionalTravelInsurance:ReviewtheTripCancellation
&TransferFeeScheduleincludedintheDetailedItinerary.Werecommendthatalltrip
memberspurchaseTravelInsurance.
FinalDocuments:Approximatelythreeweeksbeforeyourtrip,wewillsendyoufinal
departuredocuments,includinghotelandlocalcontactinformationandrendezvous
instructions.
QUESTIONS?
Call:1-800-368-2794,gotoourwebsite:www.wildernesstravel.com,ore-mailusat:
[email protected]
TravelInformation
PASSPORT
Avalidpassportisrequiredforyourtrip.Besuretochecktheexpirationdate.Yourpassportmustbe
validforsixmonthsafteryourdateofexitfromAsia.Inaddition,werecommendyourpassporthasat
leasttwocompletelyblankvisapagesforeverycountryyouwillbevisiting.Itisveryimportantthatthe
blankpagessay“Visas”atthetop.Thelastfewpagesofyourpassport,whichsay“Amendmentsand
Endorsements,”andthefinalpageofyourpassport,whichmaynothaveapagenumber,arenot
consideredtobelegitimatevisapages.Youcanrequestanewpassportthroughavisaserviceagencyor
theUSPassportServicesOffice(theserviceofaddingpagesforvisasisdiscontinuedasofJanuary1,
2016).Besuretoallowsufficienttimetoacquirethisbeforeyourtrip.
Itisagoodideatocarryphotocopiesofyourpassport’sphotopageandanyacquiredvisapagesforyour
trip(ifapplicable)incaseyourpassportislostorasanadditionalpieceofidentification,aswellastwo
extrapassportphotos.
VISAS
UScitizensneedvisasforChina,Tajikistan,Pakistan,andUzbekistan.Thesevisasmustbeobtainpriorto
yourdeparture.AvisaisnotrequiredforKyrgyzstan.WerecommendthatyoucontactPassportVisas
Express(PVE)forhelpinobtainingyourvisas.
WildernessTravelwillobtainanynecessaryvisainvitationsneededforyourvisas.Moredetailed
informationregardingthevisaprocesswillbesenttoallparticipantsaboutthreemonthspriorto
departure.Inordertoprocessthenecessaryvisainvitationsforyou,pleasesendWildernessTravelacopy
ofyourpassportphotopageassoonaspossible.
IfyouareacitizenofanycountryotherthantheUS,checkwithalocalconsulateortouristofficefor
entryrequirements.
MONEY
WesuggestyoubringUScashonly.CurrencyexchangecanbeconductedattheBankofChinabranches
inmajorcities.Cashistheonlyformofpaymentinthemostremoteareas.
PleasecheckwithyourTripLeaderforguidelinesonwhereandhowtoexchangefundsintheCentral
Asianrepublics.Itisdifficulttoexchangemoneyinthelocalvillages.Creditcards(VISA,etc.)are
acceptedonlyatmajorhotelsandinlargershopsinthemajorcities.Inadditiontocash,youcanalso
bringalonganATMcardtodrawmoneyfromATMmachinesinmajorcities.
TouseanATMinternationally,youmusthaveafour-digitPIN.Ifyouplantouseyourcreditcards,
informyourcreditcardcompanybeforeyourdeparturethatyouwillbeusingthecardabroad.
Youwillneedtobudgetspendingmoneyforgratuities,anymealslistedas“onyourown”inthetrip
itinerary,forinternationalanddomesticairportdeparturetaxes,andforpersonalitemssuchasbeverages.
Youwillneedtopayforpersonalitemssuchasshopping,phonecalls,orlaundryathotels.
SPECIALDIETS
Wewilldoourbesttoaccommodatespecialdietaryneeds,however,pleasekeepinmindthatcertain
culturaldifferencesorlimitationsduetologisticscanmakeitextremelydifficultandattimesimpossible
toaccommodatedietaryrestrictions.Pleaseinformusatleasteightweeksbeforeyourtripifyouhavea
restricteddiet.Itisimportanttobringaflexibleattitudeandsupplementalsnacks.
TIPPING
Duringthetrip,theTripLeadertakescareoftipsforwaitersatrestaurants,forportersforluggage
handling,andforlocalguidesanddriverswhoarewiththegroupforonlyashorttime.Forthestaffwho
haveaccompaniedyouthroughoutasignificantportionofyouradventure—ourdriversandguides—
excellentservicecanberewardedbytheorganizationofapooledtip,aprocesstobefacilitatedbythe
TripLeader.
TippingfortheTripLeaderisnotformallyorganized.ShouldyouwishtotipyourTripLeader,we
suggestthatyoudosotowardtheendofthetrip.Tippingiscompletelydiscretionary,butovertheyears,
clientshaveaskedusfortippingguidelinestorewardoutstandingservice.
Arangeofreferencewouldbe$15-$18pertripmember,perdayfortheTripLeader($375-$450total),
and$12-14pertripmember,perdayforthelocalguides/drivers($300-$350total).
Manyclientshaveexpressedconcernovercarryingsomuchcashonatrip,soforyouconvenience,your
TripLeaderwillacceptpersonalchecksfortips,ashewillcarryextracashfortippingthelocalstaff.
COMMUNICATIONS
Mostcitieshaveinternetcafeswhereyoucanaccessemailaccounts.However,internetaccessmaybe
limitedatthehotels,lodges,andguesthousesonthetrip(andyoumayhavetopayextraforthisservice).
YoucanaskyourTripLeadertoshowyouwheretheyare.
CUSTOMSANDIMMIGRATION
OnenteringChina,youwillcompleteaBaggageDeclarationFormandindicatehowmuchmoneyyou
arecarryingandthebrandandquantityofcameras,recorders,jewelry,watches,etc.,youarebringingin.
Anyitemsonthislistmustbetakenoutofthecountryonexit.
MedicalInformation
Thefollowingrecommendationsshouldbeusedasaguidelineonly;consultyourphysicianformedical
advice.ItisvitalthatyouletWildernessTravelknowofanymedicalproblems,allergies,orphysical
limitationsyoumayhave.Pleasefilloutandreturnthepersonalmedicalquestionnaire,andfeelfreeto
consultusifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutyourabilitytoundertakethisparticulartrip.
WildernessTravelisnotamedicalfacilityandhasnoexpertiseorresponsibilityregardingwhat
medicationsorinoculationsyouandyourphysiciandecidearenecessaryforyoursafeparticipationinthe
trip.
Traveler'shealthinformationisavailablefromthe CentersforDiseaseControl.Medicaltravelproducts
areavailablefromTravelHealthMedicineandfromMagellan'sTravelSupplies.
INOCULATIONS
Entryrequirementsandinternationalhealthsituationsaresubjecttochange;checkwiththeCentersfor
DiseaseControlforupdates.AllshotsshouldbeenteredonyourInternationalHealthCard(yellowcard),
whichisprovidedbythefacilitygivingtheshots.Keepitwithyourpassportwhiletraveling.Itprovides
animportantpersonalrecordforyoutorefertowhenmakingfuturetravelplans.Pleaseconsultwithyour
physicianregardingthefollowing:
TetanusBooster
Stronglyrecommended(effectivefor10years).
Polio
Peoplewhohavereceivedtheprimaryseriesofatleastthreedosesofpoliovaccineareconsideredfully
immunized.Peoplewhoareunsureoftheirstatusshouldreceivethevaccine(threedosesspacedat
intervals).
Hepatitis
ThevaccinesHAVRIXandVAQTA(twoinjections,sixto18monthsapart)givelong-termprotection
againstHepatitisAandareworthwhileifyoutravelregularlytodevelopingcountries.
Typhoid
TheCDCrecommendstheshotortheoralvaccineVivotifBerna.
STAYINGHEALTHY
Changeofdietandanumberofotherfactorscancausestomachupsetswhiletraveling,especiallyin
underdevelopedcountries.Toguardagainstillness,followtheseguidelines:
Consideralltapwaterunsafe.Donotdrinkitorbrushyourteethwithit.Bottledwaterisavailable
everywhere.Don’tdrinkthewaterservedinrestaurants(bottledwateriswidelyavailable).Avoidicein
yourdrinks(itmaynothavebeenmadewithtreatedwater).Bewareofuncookedorrawfoodssuchas
salads.Don’teatfruitunlessyouhavepeeledityourself.Avoidcustards,pastrycreams,yogurt,andmilk
whererefrigerationandpasteurizationareunreliable.Don’teatfoodboughtfromsidewalkvendors.
Overall,beconservativeaboutwhatyoueat.Frequenthandwashing,especiallyafterusingthebathroom
andbeforeeating,cancutdownonthepossibilityoftraveler’sdiarrhea.Onanyairline,drinkonlythe
bottledwater,notthetapwater.
MEDICALSERVICES
Medicalservicesareextremelylimitedincertainareaswevisitonthistrip.Intheeventofillness
requiringevacuation,therearerisksinvolved.Dependinguponthepointwhereweareintheitinerary,an
evacuationmaytakeseveraldays.Youshouldbringanamplesupplyofanyprescriptionmedicinesyou
needandtheitemslistedonthepersonalfirstaidlist,inconsultationwithyourphysician.
GETTINGINSHAPE
Thisisnotahikingtrip,butthereareopportunitiesonmanydaysfortouringonfootforonetothree
hoursatatime.Thewalkingtoursarenotdifficult.However,werecommendyoumakeaspecialeffortto
getingoodphysicalconditionforthetrip.Sixweekstoamonthbeforeyougo,beginaprogramofhiking
orotherformofaerobicexercisethatgoesbeyondyournormalroutine.
HelpfulInformation
PHOTOGRAPHY
Formostpeople,acompactdigitalcameraorevenacellphonewithafixedzoomlensworkswell,and
newerpoint-and-shootsandphonescanproduceexcellentqualitypictures.Forhigherqualityimages,
especiallyforprinting,andtheabilitytouselongertelephotolensesforcloserwildlifepictures,adigital
SLRiswellworthwhile,thoughheavier.Lensesof200mmor300mm,withimagestabilization,allow
youtohand-holdthecamerawithminimalcamerashake.Apolarizingfilterisuseful,especiallytoreduce
reflectiononwatersurfacesandtodeepentheblueofthesky.Packyourequipmentwellanduseplastic
bagstoprotectitfromdustormoisture.Bringwipesandadustblowertokeepyourlensesclean.Most
digitalcamerasandphonesnowhavevideooptions,andyoumayevenwanttoconsiderbringinga
GoPro.Alwayspracticeaheadoftimewithnewequipmentandbringyourmanualwithyou.Youmay
wanttoconsiderinsuringyourequipment.CameraequipmentisavailableforrentfromBorrowLenses
witha10%discountofferedtoWildernessTravelclients.
Werecommendbringingatleasttwolargecapacitymemorycards.Ifyoutakealotofpicturesandsave
thematahighresolution,itcanbehelpfultobringadigitalstorageunitorlaptopsoyoucandownload
yourpicturesandfreeupyourmemorycardsforreuseonaregularbasis.Bringabackupbatteryorsetof
batteriessooneisalwayschargedandreadytouse,andbringyourbatterycharger(andappropriateplug
adapter).Ifyourcamerausesreplaceablebatteries,bringspareswithyou.Note:fortripswhereyoumay
beawayfrompowersourcesformultipledays,considerlookingintoasolar-poweredbatterycharger.
Whentakingpicturesoflocalpeople,beawareofculturalconsiderations.HeedyourTripLeader’s
guidelinesforwhatisappropriate,andalwaysusegesturesorsimplephrasestoaskpermission.Ifpeople
donotwishtobephotographed,pleasehonortheirrequests.Weurgetravelerstoavoidgivingmoneyin
exchangeforphotoopportunities,whichonlymakesitharderforothertravelerstotakepicturesandto
haveameaningfulpersonalinteractionwithlocalpeople.
Wefindthatourclientscreatewonderfulimagesthatreallydefinetheuniqueaspectsofouradventures.
Wewouldlovetomakeuseofyourimagesinourmarketingmaterialsandourphotoblog,andrequestthat
yousendusasmallsampleofyourbestimagesandasimpleemailgivinguspermissiontousethe
photos.Pleaseemailyourphotostowtphotoblog@gmail.com.Welookforwardtoreceivingthem!
CULTURALCONSIDERATIONS
Therearesomeessentialelementscommontotheculturalexperiencesofmostofthepeopleofthese
areas.Forexample,respectforone’seldersandhospitalityarewidespreadculturalattributes.Hereare
somethingstobeawareof:
Respect
Greatrespectisgiventoreligioussitesinthesecountires.Theseareas,largeorsmall,ruinedornot,are
regardedassacred.Itisnotappropriatetoclimbupononetotakeaphotograph,ortodoanythingthat
mightshowalackofrespect..Whenindoubt,thebestguideistowatchthelocalpeopleanddowhat
theydo.
VisitingReligiousSites
It’sOKtowearshoeswhilewalkingaroundthecompound,butshoesareoftentakenoffbeforeentering
areligioussite.
LosingFace
Inthesecultures,itisconsideredunseemlytoshowtoomuchemotion,suchasdisplayinganger.Itisbest
tojustrelaxthroughanyconflictsorirritations.Inparticular,avoiddoinganythingtocausepublic
humiliationtoanyone.Thisextendstocriticismofservice,engaginginpublicarguments,and“demanding
toseetheboss.”Thepeopleofthesecountrieshaveanextremereluctancetohurtothers’feelingsand
thusloseface.
OtherDo’sandDon’ts
Inthesecountries,publicdemonstrationsofaffectionbetweenmenandwomenarefrownedon.Thehead
isthemostspiritualandexaltedpartofthebody.Thus,itisnotappropriatetotouchanyoneonthehead,
exceptforsmallchildren.(Touchingtheheadofasmallchilddemonstratesyourprotectionofthatchild.)
Thefeet,consideredthelowestanddirtiestpartofthebody(especiallyinthevillages)shouldneverbe
pointedatsomeone.Bowingyourheadandbodyslightlywhenwalkingthroughsomeone’s“space”is
consideredapoliteandnecessarythingtodo.Youreffortstoemulatethelocalbehaviorwhileinthese
countrieswillbemuchappreciated.
BEINGACONSIDERATETRAVELER
Pleaseshowrespectforthecultureswearevisitingbyobservinglocalcustomsconcerningappropriate
dress,particularlyinsacredplaces.YourTripLeaderisalwaysavailabletoansweranyquestionsthatyou
mayhaveregardingthis.Ifitisnecessarytouseacellphoneduringthetrip,pleasedosoprivately.
Smokingisrarelyanissuethesedays,butifyoudosmoke,pleasedosoonlyawayfromthegroup.
SUGGESTEDREADINGFROMTHETRIPLEADER
Inadditiontothetitlesinourreadingstandard"ReadingList"byLongitudeBooks,ourTripLeader,
RogerWilliams,hassuggestedafewofhisownfavorites:
Abazov,Rafis,CulturesoftheWorld:Tajikistan ,MarshallCavendishBenchmark,2006
Allsworth,Edwin,editedby, CentralAsia:ACenturyofRussianRule ,ColumbiaUniversityPress,1967
***Bailey,Col.F.M. MissiontoTashkent.
Balker,Hazel,Russia&CentralAsia byRoad(BradtGuide)
Bernstein,Richard,Younghusband:TheLastGreatImperialAdventurer
***Buchan,John,Greenmantle
Childress,DavidHatcher,LostCitiesofChina,CentralAsia&India
Curzon,George, RussiainCentralAsia ,1918
Cutting,Suydam,TheFireOxandOtherYears
***Fleming,Peter,NewsfromTartary
Graham,Stephen, ThroughRussianCentralAsia ,1916
Hare,John, TheLostCamelsofTartary:AQuestintoForbiddenChina ,Abacus,1999
Hiro,Dilip,BetweenMarxandMuhammad
Hedin,Sven,MyLifeasanExplorer
Hedin,Sven,BigHorse'sFlight:TheTrailofWarinCentralAsia ,1936
Hedin,Sven,ThroughAsia,1898
Hopkirk,Kathleen,CentralAsia:ATraveller'sCompanion
***Hopkirk,Peter,ForeignDevilsontheSilkRoad
Hopkirk,Peter,TheGreatGame:TheStruggleforEmpireinCentralAsia
***Hopkirk,Peter,SettingtheEastAblaze:OnSecretServiceinBolshevikAsia
Hopkirk,Peter,OnSecretServiceEastofConstantinople
Hopkirk,Peter,QuestforKim:InSearchofKipling’sGreatGame
Johnson,Robert,SpyingforEmpire:TheGreatGameinCentralandSouthAsia ,1757-1947.London:
Greenhill,2006.ISBN1-85367-670-5-1
Kaplan,RobertD, TheEndsoftheEarth:AJourneytotheFrontiersofAnarchy ,1996
PP243-325"CentralAsia:GeographicalDestinations,"
***Keay,John,TheGilgitGame:theExplorersoftheWesternHimalayas 1865-95.
Klimkeit,Hans-Joachim,GnosisontheSilkRoad
***Lattimore,EleanorHolgate, TurkestanReunion
***Lattimore,Owen, HighTartary
Lattimore,Owen&Eleanor, Silks,SpicesandEmpire:AsiaSeenThroughtheEyesofItsDiscovers
***Maclean,Fitzroy, EasternApproaches,Penguin,1991,originallypublished1949
Maclean,Fitzroy, APersonfromEngland ,1958
***Maillart,EllaK, TurkestanSolo:OneWoman’sExpeditionfromtheTienShantotheKizilKum ,
WilliamHeinmanLtd.,1938
Maillart,EllaK, ForbiddenJourney:FromPekingtoKashmir ,NorthwesternUniversityPress,2003,
Originallypublished1937,CompaniontoPeterFleming’sNewsfromTartary,
Maraini,Fosco,WhereFourWorldsMeet
***Meyer,Karl,TournamentofShadows:TheGreatGameandtheRaceforEmpireinAsia ,Shareen
Brysac,2001,ISBN0-349-11366-1
Meyer,Karl,TheDustofEmpire:TheRaceforMasteryintheAsianHeartland
Mirsky,Jeannette, TheGreatChineseTravelers
Moorhouse,Geoffrey,OntheOtherSide:AjourneyThroughSovietCentralAsia ,1990
***Mortenson,Greg,ThreeCupsofTea
***Nazaroff,Paul,HuntedThroughCentralAsia
Roerich,GeorgeN, TrailstoInmostAsia:FiveYearsofExplorationwiththeRoerichCentralAsian
Expedition,YaleUniversityPress,1931
Roerick,Nicholas,Altai Himalaya:ATravelDiary ,1929
Roerick,Nicholas,HeartofAsia:MemoirsoftheHimalayas ,1929
Rudelson,JustinJon, OasisIdentities:UyghurNationalismAlongChina'sSilkRoad ,1997
Schuyler,Eugene,Turkistan:NotesofaJourneyinRussianTurkistan ,Scribner,Armstrong&Co,,1877
Sinclair,Kevin,TheForgottenTribesofChina ,Cupress,Canada,1987
Taplin,Mark,OpenLands:TravelsThroughRussia'sOnceForbiddenPlaces ,1997
Teague-Jones,Reginald, TheSpyWhoDisappeared ,ProloguebyPeterHopkirk,1990
Teichman,SirEric,JourneytoTurkistan
Thubron,Colin, TheLostHeartofAsia
***Tyler,Christian, WildWestChina:TheUntoldStoryofaFrontierLand ,JohnMurray,2003
**Waugh,Louisa, HearingBirdsFly:ANomadicYearinMongolia ,Abacus,2004
Whitell,Giles,CentralAsia(CadoganGuides)
Whitell,Giles,ExtremeContinental:BlowingHot&ColdThroughCentralAsia
Whitlock,Monica,LandBeyondtheRiver:TheUntoldStoryofCentralAsia .ThomasDunneBooks,St.
Martin’sPress,2003.FirstpublishedinGreatBritain,2002byJohnMurrayPublishersasBeyondthe
Oxus.
Wood,Michael,IntheFootstepsofAlexandertheGreat
***Wu,AitchenK, TurkistanTumult,OxfordUniversityPress,HongKong,1984,
Wynn,Anthony,PersiaintheGreatGame:SirPercySykes,Explorer,Consul,Soldier,Spy .John
Murray,ISBN0-7195-6415-8.
Younghusband,CaptainFrancis,TheHeartofaContinent
RecommendedFilms:
TheManWhoWouldbeKing .BasedonashortstorybyRudyardKipling
TheDevil'sWind .IqbalMalhotra.ThedocumentaryfollowsinthefootstepsofKipling'sGreatGamers
andtriestojuxtaposethelessonsofthepastwiththerealityofthepresent.Theresultisanunusual
travelogueaboutCentralAsiasetinthebackdropofhistoryandmodernpolitics.
READINGLIST
Arecommendedreadinglistcanbefoundat LongitudeBooks.
PackingList
THEESSENTIALS
Passport(validforatleastsixmonthsafteryourdateofexitfromChina,Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan,and
Uzbekistan)
OneotherpictureID,suchasdriver’slicense
VisaforChina,Tajikistan,Pakistan,andUzbekistan
Photocopyofpassportpagetocarrywithyou
Fourextrapassportphotos
Airticketsandexpensemoney
Personalchecksforoptionalgratuitiesandemergencyuse
Proofoftravelersinsurance,ifpurchased(insuranceisrecommended)
Prescriptionmedication,ifrequired(packedinyourcarry-onbag,notyourcheckedbaggage)
WTGEARSTORE
TohelpyouprepareforyournextWTadventure,we'veputtogetheragreatcollectionoftopbrands
includingPatagonia,OutdoorResearch,EagleCreek,andmoreatourWTGearStore .
LUGGAGE
Soft-sidedrollerbagwithsmallpadlock(mustbeunlockedfortravel).Bemindfulofbaggageweight
limits.
Daypack,largeenoughforarain/windjacket,waterbottle,cameragear,andotheritemsyouwant
duringtheday.
Smallroll-upduffelifyouareanavidshopper.
WEIGHTLIMITS
Pleasenotethatthereisastrictweightlimitof44lbs.forcheckedbaggageondomesticflightsinCentral
Asia.Someairlinesarenowonlyallowingasmallpurseorcamerabag.Pleasecheckwithyourairlinefor
thelatestguidelines.
NOTESONCLOTHING
Dressonthetripisveryinformal,withtheexceptionofcitydinnersforwhichyoumaywanttodressup
alittle(jacketsarenotrequiredformen).Youshouldcarryorwearyourwalkingshoesonyourflightsto
makesuretheyarrivewithyou.
PeopleinCentralAsiadressconservativelyandvisitorsshouldtakecaretodressmodestly.Aflexible
systemoflayeredclothingisrecommended,suchaslightweightshirtsandtrousersandlightweight
raingear.Comfortablewalkingshoeswillcarryyoualongwayonthistrip.Afleecejacketis
recommended,asthetemperatureindesertcoulddropdowntofreezingathigherelevations.Theplaces
wevisitareverydry,withalotsofsunshine,anditcanalsobeverywindy.Asunhatandsunglassesare
highlyrecommended.Ascarforfacemaskwillcomeinhandytowardoffdustduringthelong,dusty
drives.
CLOTHING
Theclothinglistbelowisprovidedasaguidelineonly;weencourageyoutopackaslightlyaspossible.
Wind/waterprooflightweightrainjacketwithhood
Fleecejacket
Hikingpants,loose-fittingandcomfortable.Quick-dryingsyntheticfabricsareapracticalchoice.
Long-sleevedshirts.Quick-drying“travel”fabricsareideal.
T-shirts
Shadehatwithwidebrim
Lightweighthikingbootsorsturdyrunningshoeswithgoodtractionandanklesupport
Tevasorothersturdyhikingsandals
Socks,underwear.Syntheticsdryfaster
Sleepwear
Casualcity/hotelattire
EQUIPMENT
Bathtowel(travelfabricsdryfaster)
Waterbottle,1qt.capacity.Bottledwaterisavailablethroughoutthetrip
Goodqualitysunglasseswithcases
Flashlightwithextrabatteries
Kleenexpocketpacksfor“naturebreaks”ondrives
Assortedplasticbagstoorganizeitemsinyourluggage;garbagebagstouseasabaglinerforrain
protection
Moneybeltorneckpouch.Alwayscarryyourpassport,creditcards,andcashwithyouinamoney
beltorneckpouchtuckeddowninsideyourshirtorblouse.
PERSONALFIRSTAIDSUPPLIES
Everytripmembershouldbringasmallkitforpersonaluse.Yourownexperiencewillinfluenceyour
choices.
SunscreenSPF#30orhigher
Lipbalmwithsunscreen
Aspirin,ibuprofen,orTylenolformusclepainorheadache,TylenolPMforsleep
Topicalantibiotic(suchasNeosporin)forcuts,bites,orsores
Insectrepellent
Blisterkit.Lookforthelong-lastinggel-typebandagesthatyoucanapplydirectlyonblisters,suchas
Band-AidAdvancedHealingBandagesorCuradGelMulti-DayBandages.“Liquidband-aids,”suchas
New-Skin,areusefulbecausetheydryrapidlytoformatoughprotectivecoveroverablister.
Anti-bacterialgelforhandwashing(atleast60%alcoholtobeeffective)Antihistaminesuchas
BenadrylandcoldremedysuchasSudafed
Imodiumfordiarrhea.Ifyouwishtobringanantibioticfordiarrheaprophylaxis,consultyour
physician.
Prescriptionmedicationsproperlylabeled–bringaplentifulsupplyastheywillbeimpossibleto
replaceinChinaandCentralAsia
Sparecontactlensesorspareprescriptionglasses
OPTIONALITEMS
Converterandplugadaptorkitforapplianceuseinhotels.Plugshaveavarietyofbladetypes.Itis
besttobringaplugadaptorkit.
Camera,sparebatteries.
Reading/writingmaterial
Lightweightbinoculars
Travelclock
Revised:October03,2016