Packing List for Tibet Tour

What is the best way to pack?

Travel Gear:  Please try to pack lightly.  No matter how long your trip is or where you are planning to go, it is always suggested to pack with minimal amounts of clothes and other supplies.  One medium-large backpack or rolling duffel and a day pack should be enough for a two to four week trip. Before getting on the plane, Alpine Eco Trek recommends you to walk around the block several times with your bags and to see how it feels.  If it feels heavy, then it would be wise to take out any unnecessary stuff.

Here are the essentials items:

• 1 pair of Hiking Boots/Sturdy Sneakers
• Sleeping Bag and insulation pad
• Ground cloth or tarp (recommended but not required)
• Rain Gear (waterproof pants and jacket)
• Towel
• 3-5 T-Shirts
• 1 Lightweight Fleece or Wool Sweater
• 2 Pairs of Nylon pants
• 5-7 Pairs of Socks (polypropylene or wool are recommended)
• 3-5 Pairs of Underwear
• Sunglasses
• Personal Toiletries (you may want to carry your own toilet paper and some zip-lock bags, as bathrooms may not be readily available.)
• Personal Medication
• Camera, Batteries and Film/Digital Memory Cards
• Adapter and Surge Protector (see detail below)
• Light- weight thermal shirts or long underwear (recommended but not required)

Many of you may be wondering what type of power socket is being used in Tibet.  For Class 1 appliances, a Type 1 3-pin plug and socket is being used.  In Tibet, plugs are rated as 220V 50Hrtz.

Why is it important to bring these plugs?  For one, this age is also known as the  ‘cloud-computing‘ era, meaning more and more people are bringing their electrical devices overseas to use and enjoy.  Whether it will be a mobile phone, palm or PDA device, laptop, or other electrical device, all these use batteries and many need to be recharged.  It is very important to bring along the right pin plugs because most often, the power socket type is not the same type as in your own country. Although these plugs are just a small item, it will save you lots of time upon arrival if the right adaptors are brought.

Please be noted that if you are embarking on an extended trekking trip, you should leave room in your pack for a camp stove, water bottle, down jacket, tent, etc. If you need to borrow or rent any equipment, please let us know beforehand.  Most likely, Alpine Eco Trek can lend you these items for the extent of the trip.

In addition to the essential items listed above, you may also want to bring the following:

• Personal Music Player
• Journal
• Binoculars
• Wide-Brimmed Hat
• Swim Suit (for hot springs!)
• Bandanas
• Gloves
• Scarf
• Sunscreen- SPF 30+
• Money Belt or Fanny Pack
• Snacks (Cliff/Luna bars, trail mix, jerky and dried fruit are good options)
• Other Personal Items that may make you feel comfortable

Recommended reading list

Visiting Tibet will probably be a totally different experience for many of you so it also recommended that  you take a look at some of the books listed below.  With its natural beauty, rich culture and flavorful food, Tibet is a very special place that can sometimes be misunderstood if travelers are uninformed.  We suggest you become educated about different topics so that it’s not such a big “culture shock.”  Reading these books will only enrich your travel experience by informing you about Tibet’s background and history.  Although these books are excellent reference points to start with, we also suggest that you do your own personal research searching relevant topics on the Internet, looking  through Tibet related books in your local library or talking to local Tibetans in your area to get first- hand stories and tips. 

Books on Lhasa and the TAR (Tibetan Autonomous Region):  

• Tibet: The Lonely Planet Country Guide
• Trekking in Tibet: A Travelers Guide by Gary McCue
• Tibet Handbook: Moon Travel Guide
• Fodor's Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan: Expert Advice and Smart Choices: Where to Stay, Eat, and Explore On and Off the Beaten Path
• To a Mountain in Tibet by Colin Thubron
• The Mount Kailash Trek by Constance Roos/Sian Pritchard-Jones
• Trekking Tibet by Gary McCue/George Schaller
• The Heart of the world, A Journey to the Tibet's Lost Paradise By Ian Baker
• My Journey to Lhasa by Alexandra David-Neel
• Altitude illness; Prevention and Treatment, How to Stay Healthy at Altitude by Stephen Bezruchka

Books on Tibetan Buddhism and other topics:

• Photographic Guide to Birds of the Himalayas by Bikram Grewall
• Essential Tibetan Buddhism by Robert Thurman
• Tibet, An Inner Journey by Matthieu Richard
• Tibet, An Enduring Civilization by Francoise Pommaret
• Tibetan Book of the Dead by Graham Coleman/Gyurme Dorje
• My Tibet by Galen Rowell
• It's Easier Than You Think, The Buddhist Way To Happiness by Sylvia Boorstein
• Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism by John Powers
• Buddhism, A Very Short Introduction by Damien Keown
• Learning Practical Tibetan by Andrew Bloomfield and Yanki Tshering
• Lonely Planet Tibetan Prasebook by Sandup Tsering