Editor Pick
The wide outdoors
- July 27, 2000
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Amanda from London, United Kingdom
Mongolia is not a place to go for luxury, but it's the world's largest campsite! The land is unfenced, unowned, and empty of humanity, it appears. Pick a spot, and it's your home for the night. Take a good tent though, there's no camp bar to hide in if it rains - and it's well worth taking a tent that's quick and easy to put up and take down, or you'll get very fed up with it after a little while! Temperatures can vary hugely from very hot in the Gobi to chilly at the lakes in the north. We took the combination of warm sleeping bags and thin silk inner bags which can be used alone and pack very small.
You need to be careful about where you camp. The middle of the country has a lot of dry river valleys and streams, and it wouldn't be much fun to be sleeping in one during a storm. The middle to north of the country seems to have a lot of thunderstorms, so it's a wise idea not to be on a hill. There aren't many buildings, so be careful you aren't the highest thing around! A lightening strike could wreck your day.
One thing to prepare for is people showing up. You can stop for the night in a seemingly deserted location, pitch your tent and light the stove for dinner, and you can set your watch by the nomads turning up half an hour later to see what's going on. For this reason, it's a good idea to pack some extra food and tea bags, as you'll often be catering for more than just your party!
The best thing about camping in Mongolia is it's freedom. You can do it just about anywhere, just pick your spot. The sky is very dark, and there's almost no artificial light in the whole country, outside the few big towns. Washing is in a stream, and you go to bed when it's dark, but it's the best thing you'll ever do.
From journal Roughing it in Mongolia (the only way to travel)