Tibet Travel Packing list

Published on January 1, 2009 by brooks | This story has been viewed 1,123 views

Essentials
Address list and list of important contacts or numbers
Backpack, suitcase, sports bag (something to pack everything in)
Paper or Notebook
Passport (check validity!)
Pencils, Pens
Tickets and itinerary (airline, train, bus etc.)
Visa

Finances
ATM card (Maestro or Cirrus logos on the back are most widely accepted)
Calculator or currency converter
Cash in the local currency of your arrival destination
Credit card (Visa or Mastercard are most widely accepted)
Money belt (You can’t be too safe in some places)
Sufficient Travellers’ cheques (and receipts for travellers’ cheques)

Luggage and Bags:
Dragging along a sleeping bag is a MUST. Make sure it’s covered because if you’re doing a road trip over land like we did, you’ll see more dust than you can ever imagine. Even though your bag is piled on top of the vehicle, it’s not exempt from the dirt and dust that kicks up from any living thing passing over the roads. And believe me – you’ll want your bag to snuggle in when you’re holed up in some Communist dump called a “hotel” along the way…..a small refuge from the cold nights at altitude.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear:
Layer, layer, layer. And protect your skin from the sun! You’re up high, so slather on the lotion AND the sweaters. As long as you’re in the sun, you can be reasonably warm…we went in mid-October and the temps required jacket and sometimes just a sweatshirt or long sleeve shirt. But along those high-passes as you’re traveling the Plateau – yikes – windy and C-O-L-D! You can see the Tibetans’ cheeks are windblown and ruddy. Yours will be too if you don’t protect yourself. Wear comfortable shoes – tennis shoes.

Toiletries & Medical Supplies:
That saline nasal spray will really come in handy because the air is so dry, your nose is likely to bleed. If you keep it moist, however, you’ll be winning the battle. Plus, you’ll breathe better.

Make sure to get a prescription for Diamox (250 mg should do) from your doc, just in case you have an uncomfortable night of altitude sickness. We were somewhat bothered maybe one night and one day during the entire 8 day trip, and we each took half a pill. Sleep is about the only thing that will help, plus a pill – if used with caution and the approach that it’s a precautionary measure – not a panacea. Altitude sickness is a serious ailment and if left to continue, can KILL.

Oh – DRINK PLENTY OF WATER!!!! Staying hydrated will help your body deal with the altitude.

First Aid Kit
Band aids
Compression bandages
Diarrhoea tablets
Insect and/or mosquito repellent
Iodine
Motion Sickness Tablets
Small scissors
Tweezers
Vitamin pills
Water purifying tablets

Photo Equipment:
Bring a mechanical camera, since it might be possible your automatic one won’t work because of the extreme coldness. Or your batteries are empty in no time, so you might need to bring lots of those as well.

Miscellaneous:
If you go on a trip into Tibet, Bring compact sources of energy E.g. chocolate. The air is extremely dry and you need to drink a lot.

There can be big wolve-like dogs around. If they scare you, you can bring some stones in your pocket, just in case…

Note: if you fly directly into Lhasa, you’ll need at least a full 24 hours of absolute REST. No eating – just sleep and water. It’s the only way to help your body build those extra red blood cells needed for precious oxygen!!

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