Kyrgyzstan Kit List - Autumn / Winter

The list below provides a guide on what kit you should bring with you on expedition. It is your responsibility to ensure this kit is fit for purpose: serviceable, suitable for the environment and an appropriate fit. We encourage you to bring muted colours.

Temperature can drop to -20°C at night, with day-time temperatures unlikely to reach more than 5°C. The later in the season your expedition is, the more likely it is you’ll experience the coldest temperatures. Climate change has meant temperatures are trending upwards, but they have also been increasingly unpredictable.

There will be an opportunity to purchase further kit in Bishkek before the expedition if you are missing something, but please do not rely on this as expedition supplies are not well stocked and tend to be far more expensive.

Below we have included some brand recommendations and further details for each item. However, feel free to contact us for any questions regarding kit. Generally we suggest spending more on layers touching your skin (i.e. thermals) and layers on the outside (i.e. your windproof layers). If these are of good quality you can generally get away with much cheaper solutions for mid-layers.

You may choose to rent some of your items. In that case, we tend to recommend Expedition Kit Hire.

Required Kit

  • 3rd party rental options are available in-country for those up to 190cm in height. The cost for rental varies year-on-year but will be around £80 for the duration of the expedition. This is to be paid in-country in Kyrgyz SOM.

    Rented bags come with a sleeping bag liner which is washed after each use, with the bags themselves washed annually.

    If you decide to bring your own, note down sleeping bags are unlikely to dry if it gets wet. We therefore recommend synthetic materials.

    We use Snugpak sleeping bags which are generally more affordable and robust.

  • Strongly recommended if you are bringing your own sleeping bag, particularly if your expedition is towards the end of the season.

    Those renting sleeping bags may still choose to bring their own thermal liner if they are a cold sleeper as the standard liners provided through rental do not offer much in the way of thermal protection.

    We use Sea to Summit Thermal Reactor Liner.

  • Your sleeping mat should have an R rating of at least 5. You can learn more about R ratings here.

    We use the Thermarest NeoAir XTherm NXT. They are a little more costly but are very light weight and with an R rating of 7.3 can be used in all environments, both at home and abroad.

    Alpkit provide cheaper alternatives, such as their Radiant model. However, we have not tested these.

  • Socks should be winter-grade. We tend to use Bridgedale as they tend to be very robust, but any winter socks will do. You may also want to pair this with a thinner sock underneath if your boots can accommodate this.

  • We recommend you bring two sets with you, one for sleeping in and one for use during the day. Most guests are comfortable with a lighter one during the day when we are active, and a thicker one at night.

    We recommend base layers containing wicking properties, such as merino wool. Synthetic base layers are likely to make you sweat.

    There are many options to choose from but we recommend a merino wool blend of at least 60%. The higher the %, the more you will benefit from its properties, however, this also comes with a higher price tag. Brands such as Helly Hansen provide a good range of options.

  • We recommend bring two pairs, one thinner pair which can be worn over thermals for daytime activities and a thicker second pair for early morning and evening spotting sessions where we’ll be mostly stationary. This also gives you a spare incase one pair gets wet.

    There are many brands out there. We tend to use Revolution Race, but we recommend visiting an outdoor shop to try on different options.

  • It is a good idea to test whether this fits comfortably with all your other layers.

  • There are many options available on the market. Becca uses the Rab Mythic Ultra Down Jacket, but equally we’ve both used £30 puffer jackets from Asda before.

  • Something that is windproof and at least water resistant.

    We use Revolution Race for both our outer top and bottom. They have good performance in a variety of environments.

    There are many cheaper options available, particularly for windproof trousers. These are very important to bring for horse riding elements, particularly if you are on one of the last expeditions of the season where we’re likely to have strong, cold winds.

    It is a good idea to test this with all your other layers for a comfortable fit.

  • These should have sufficient insulation for cold temperatures - it’s a good idea to wear these in before departure.

    They should comfortably accommodate your winter socks.

    You can try adding winter insoles to your existing boots to upgrade the thermal properties rather than buying a new pair.

  • Sunglasses should be a minimum of Cat3. Ideally these should offer some wrap around coverage.

    We use Julbo Legacy, although there are many cheaper options available.

  • These can be combined with glove and hat liners. Hat liners are useful in particular for horse riding elements where a thicker winter hat may not fit comfortably under your helmet.

  • You will use this bag day-to-day to transport extra layers and any personal camera equipment. You will also need this bag for our remote excursion deep inside the park so it’ll need to fit your personal clothing and equipment for a two night stay.

  • For example, painkillers, wound dressings, blister plasters, tweezers, assorted plasters, zinc oxide tape, antiseptic spray/wound wash, antiseptic cream, support bandages, any regular medication you require.

  • For example, toothbrush, toothpaste, antibacterial hand gel, sunscreen (factor 50), small towel, wet wipes, flannel, sanitary products as needed, contact lenses as needed. Please ensure your products, such as soap, are fully biodegradable.

    We strongly recommend you bring thick moisturiser for your face, and lip balm (ideally SPF rated). This will prevent your skin from drying out and cracking in the high UV, dry environment.

Recommended Kit

  • Encounters can be at some distance. We do not provide binoculars, scopes or camera equipment to individual guests. We use several high-end scopes, which will be predominantly used by our expert spotters. However, owing to our small group sizes, guests will have ample opportunity to use them, but note they are a resource shared among the group.

    Most guests will bring binoculars and camera equipment only, and use the shared scopes when available.

  • We get a mix of photography levels on our expeditions. Some people just bring their phone and take photos through our scoping equipment, some people want to capture wildlife on more professional setups. If you’re thinking about what camera equipment you’d like to bring, you can consider the below:

    • Main camera body. This can be mirrorless, compact or hybrid. Your lens choice tends to be more important than the main camera body. Full frame, APS-C or Micro Four Thirds are all fine.

    • Lens: for landscapes something along the lines of a 16-35mm or 24-70mm work nicely

    • Lens: for wildlife something at least 100-500mm as mountain wildlife can often be at least a few kilometres away. It is highly recommended you combine this with a 2x or 1.5x teleconverter.

    • Lens: for astrophotography a fast (f./2.8) wide angle lens is an excellent choice.

    • Spare batteries and a charger. These can be charged on our solar power system but bring spares.

    • Memory cards to ensure you can safely store your content. Sandisk are a well known and quality brand.

    • A good sturdy tripod that supports your camera and the largest lens you will be using. Remember you could be photographing at great distances where even a breeze can cause your image to destabilise.

    • Filters are useful (such as NDs, polarisers, and UV filters). These will help you better handle strong sun and UV exposure at altitude.

    • A cleaning kit such as a blower, microfiber cloths and a lens pen to keep everything clean.

    • A good camera bag that offers some protection to your equipment as well as easy access. Examples include Lowepro and Shimoda.

    • Rain protection / wrap in case we are filming in adverse weather.

    We’re happy to make further recommendations depending on what your experience level and what you aim to achieve. You don’t need the best top-end equipment to take great shots. And remember, the best camera of all is the one in your hand!

  • We recommend you bring warm, comfortable trousers for the evenings.

    It is also a good idea to bring slip on boots or sliders for around camp in the evening.

  • Alternatively you can bring a pillow case and stuff it with clothes you are not wearing.

  • Credit cards are widely accepted at ATM terminals in Bishkek.

    USD is generally easiest to exchange if you’d prefer to bring cash.

  • You will have access to a charging station in the evenings and overnight, however we prefer if guests charge battery packs rather than multiple devices at the same time as space is limited.

  • For a dip in the alpine stream if it’s not frozen over!

Return to the expedition here.