What to Pack for Mt Kailash Trek

Posted in Tibet Travel Info on February 1, 2019

What should you bring on a Kailash Trek?

Mt Kailash is located at a high altitude in far western Tibet. The weather can change so be sure to be well prepared. In this post, we will outline What to Pack for Mt Kailash Trek. If you have any questions, email for more details: info@himalayajourney.com

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What clothing to pack for Tibet?

The temperatures fluctuate considerably during the day in Tibet. The mornings and evenings can be cool, but if the sun is out, it can be quite warm during the afternoons. It is best to dress in layers that can easily be taken off and added as the day goes on. Mountain passes can have wind, so having your coat accessible is recommended. The Kailash Trek is at high altitude. While you are moving, you are generating a lot of heat. But when you stop for a rest, you can cool down quickly, so keep a coat in your pack. For info on what temperatures and weather to expect in Tibet, go to the following link: Weather in Tibet

This list is what you should bring for your entire journey in Tibet.  You will NOT need to carry all of these items on the 3 day Kailash Trek. A journey to Mt Kailash will take between 15 and 18 days, though the trek around Kailash is only 3 days long. Below is what you should pack for your ENTIRE trip in Tibet. A separate section below will list what to specifically pack for the 3 day trek:

• comfortable, broken-in hiking boots or hiking shoes
• 3 or 4 pairs of hiking pants (don’t bring jeans)
• 6 pairs of wool socks
• 6 pairs of underwear
• 1 set of thermal underwear (tops and bottoms)
• 1 set of warm pajamas for overnight
• mid to heavy weight winter coat (down is recommended)
• lightweight hooded rain jacket
• warm hat that goes over your ears
• warm gloves
• bandana or scarf (optional)
• baseball or sun hat with wide brim
• 2 fleece tops
• Sports bra for women
• 4 or 5 T-shirts (Mixture of short and long sleeved with wicking material)

Recommended Accessories

• sunglasses with UV protection (polarized are best)
• small thermos for tea/hot water (optional)
• 1 small bag for dirty clothes, etc (optional)
• 2 one-liter Nalgene type bottles
• 2 trekking poles
• Gaiters (useful if you have hiking shoes rather than hiking boots)
• 30 to 35 liter day pack
• lightweight sleeping bag or sleeping bag liner
• Micro-spikes (recommended for treks in April or May)

Personal Hygiene and Toiletry Items

• sun block/sun screen that is SPF 35 or higher
• lip balm that contains sunscreen
• skin moisturizer (optional; Tibet is very dry)
• anti-bacterial hand sanitizer
• deodorant
• feminine products
• shaving products
• travel size soap and shampoo
• toothbrush and travel size tooth paste
• wet wipes
• 1 or 2 rolls of toilet paper (toilet paper not provided in many public toilets)
• nail clippers
• band-aids and moleskin for blisters
• ear plugs
• eye drops (if you are prone to dry eyes)
• cotton buds/Q-tips

Recommended Medicines (contact your doctor for more info)

• medicine to treat travelers diarrhea
• anti-biotic ointment for minor cuts or blisters
• personal Tylenol, ibuprofen, cold medicine, antihistamine, etc
• Diamox / Acetazolamide (Optional….contact your doctor for details)
• medicine if you are prone to motion sickness
• prescription drugs (consult your doctor)

Extra Items

• iPad/Kindle
• Quick dry towel (optional)
• small flashlight (torch) or headlamp with extra batteries 
• batteries for personal items
• plenty of memory cards for your camera
• passport/money holder
• protein bars, chocolate, dried fruit or other snacks of your choice
• electric outlet adapters for Tibet (China)
• small notebook with pen
• digital version of Lonely Planet Tibet guidebook (optional; avoid paper book edition)
• small hand-held mirror (optional as guesthouses at Kailash ave no mirrors)

What to Pack for the 3 Day Kailash Trek

The list above is what you should bring for your ENTIRE trip in Tibet. You will not need to bring all of those items with you for the 3 day Kailash Trek. In fact, you will not need to bring most of those items. All the items that you don’t need will be locked up securely in Darchen, the starting point of the Kailash Trek. Here is a list of items that you should wear or pack specifically for the 3 day Kailash Trek (much of this you will be wearing):

CLOTHING

• comfortable, broken-in hiking boots or hiking shoes (wear)
• 1 set of thermal underwear top and bottom (wear unless really warm)
• pajamas or extra set of thermal underwear to sleep in (pack)
• 1 long-sleeve wicking material hiking shirt (wear)
• 1 pair of hiking pants (wear)
• 1 pair of waterproof rain pants (needed if rain is in the forecast)
• 1 mid to heavy weight fleece (wear)
• 1 rain jacket (needed if rain is in the forecast)
• 1 mid to heavy weight winter coat (pack unless very cold)
• 3 pairs of wool socks (wear 1 pair; pack other pairs)

ACCESORIES

• 1 sun hat/baseball hat with wide brim (wear)
• 1 winter wool hat (pack unless very cold)
• warm gloves (pack unless very cold)
• buff or bandana (wear)
• gaiters (optional, but helpful if wearing low-top shoes)
• sunglasses with UV protection or polarized (wear)

GEAR

• trekking poles
• 30—35 liter backpack
• micro-spikes for snow (especially for treks in April and May)
• lightweight sleeping bag or sleeping bag liner (read info below)
• headlamp (for early mornings and night time bathroom walk)

MEDICINE and PERSONAL ITEMS

• 8 to 10 snacks for between meals (Snickers, ProBar, Kind Bar, etc)
• Personal first aid and blister kit
• small tube of sun block rated at least 35 SPF
• chapstick with SPF for lips
• small bottle of tylenol, aspirin or other pain reliever
• Diamox or any other prescription drugs
• 1 roll of toilet paper
• small bottle of hand sanitizer
• pack of wet wipes (no showers on the trek)
• toothbrush
• travel size tooth paste
• ear plugs
• 450 to 600 Chinese Yuan for meals (per person)
• quick dry towel (optional)
• small hand-held mirror (optional)

Do I really need a sleeping bag?

Short answer, no…you do not NEED it, but we recommend it. The guesthouses at the Everest region, Lake Manasarovar and around the Kailash Trek all provide plenty of blankets. However, they are not regularly cleaned. We recommend a lightweight sleeping bag or a sleeping bag liner, mostly for the sake of hygiene. If you are cold, you can still put the blankets on top of the sleeping bag or liner you are using.

If you have any questions on What to Pack for Mt Kailash Trek, let us know! We have spent decades exploring Tibet and know exactly what you should bring.