Packing list for Mount Kailash. Here is what you really need (and what you don’t) when you are packing for your trip to Mount Kailash!
Mount Kailash is a high altitude behemoth in western Tibet and provides some of the most stunning trekking in all of Central Asia. The highest point of the 3-day trek is 5,636 meters.
For this trek, you are going to need some serious cold weather gear. But at the same time, because you will be sleeping in tea houses that provide food, beds, and blankets there are definitely some things you will NOT need to bring. Here is the packing list I recommend for anyone doing the trek in 3 days. As always, the less stuff you bring, the more your back and legs will thank you!
Tops
- 2 x Synthetic or merino long underwear top (one of these is for sleeping)
- 1 x long sleeve wicking hiking shirt
- 1 x fleece jacket
- 1 x Goretex rain jacket
- 1 x Down puffy jacket for cold nights or when you are not hiking
Bottoms
- Synthetic or merino long underwear bottoms
- 1 x pair of fall or winter-weight softshell pants
- 1 x pair of waterproof rain or snow pants
Feet and head
- Four pairs of wool hiking socks (keep one dry pair for sleeping)
- Boots or trail running shoes with a good tread (I wore a low top Salomon trail runner in the first week of May 2018 and was fine but you will need to check weather and snow reports as some years get up to 5 meters of snow on the Dolma La Pass)
- Gaiters for snow and mud (especially if you are wearing low top shoes)
- One synthetic or wool winter hat
- Sunhat (the sun up at altitude is intense!)
Other
- Foreign passport
- A day pack (20-30 liters) – If it is bigger than 35 liters you are carrying too much stuff!
- One liter water bottles (can be refilled with boiled water at the teahouses for a small fee)
- Mid-weight winter gloves
- Sunglasses (preferably polarized for the bright snow)
- Chapstick or lip balm
- Suntan lotion
- Small bottle of Tylenol
- Optional: Diamox – for altitude sickness (consult your physician beforehand)
- Optional: 1 x small aerosol bottle of oxygen
- 4 x small packs of tissues (paper is not provided in the rustic “squatty-potties”)
- Cell phone or camera
- Charging cord and external battery charger (the tea houses have solar powered electric outlets but the electricity is spotty)
- Hand sanitizer bottle (there is no running water on the trek)
- Snickers or Clif Bars
- 500 RMB for food (assuming your lodging is already paid for by your tour agent)
- Optional but recommended: 1 x set of trekking poles (the descent from the high pass can be rather steep and icy)
- a thin sleeping bag liner to add warmth/sanitation to blankets provided by the tea house (Optional)
- “Hot Hands” – single-use heat packs for keeping your hands and feet extra warm (Optional)
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