List of equipment for traveling in China.

For the tour "Jade Dragon" (China) we won't need tents, sleeping bags and kettles - we will live in quite decent hostels, sleep on beds (or on trains), and eat in restaurants. Accordingly, the main element of equipment becomes a wallet :) However, it would be useful to take some things with you from home.

Basic backpack.

You need a few things on this trip and all of them can easily fit into a “medium” backpack with a volume of about 50 liters. But practice has shown that tourists tend to buy a huge amount of souvenirs and gifts (Chinese tea, clothes, trinkets). And many did not even have an 80-liter backpack to carry their purchases. So when choosing which backpack to take with you, you should try to predict your own shopping appetites.

Small backpack.

We will visit most interesting objects in the format of a radial foray, when the main pile of things is in the hostel, and we walk lightly. But “light” is a relative concept - you won’t go far without a bottle of water, a raincoat, spare batteries and a windbreaker jacket. Therefore, to carry such “operational ammunition” it would not hurt to take a small and light backpack with a capacity of 10-20 liters (especially if your main backpack is quite large). On the other hand, if you adhere to minimalism and the main backpack is 40-liter, then there will be no special need for a second backpack.

Sleeping bag.

A sleeping bag is NOT NEEDED for this hike. All hostels have blankets. And some even have heated mattresses (there is such Chinese know-how).

Shoes.

In principle, you can get by with one pair of shoes - durable “autumn” sneakers. Those. those in which you can walk around in the rain relatively fearlessly. I usually take two pairs of shoes - waterproof and indestructible Hanwag Robin leather hiking shoes and lightweight Teva Hurricane hiking sandals. Shoes in combination with a variety of socks behave well at temperatures from -5 (we are unlikely to encounter this on the route) to +20, and sandals are useful in the southern part of the route and as house shoes in hostels.

The second option of the shoe set - light trekking boots and flip-flops, is intended for more rugged guys :) In boots you will feel more confident in the Beijing metro (they won’t trample your toes), and in flip-flops it’s convenient to walk along Chinese reserved seat cars.

Cloth.

Since the route crosses many climatic zones, we will encounter the most varied weather. There will be cold rains in the north and hot days in the south. We will assume that the expected temperature range will be from -1 to +35. Moreover, most of the journey will take place in a certain middle zone, where it is +15 during the day and +7 at night. Based on this, we will plan clothing stocks. To better imagine what to prepare for, look again at the photos from our previous trip to China. Moreover, last year we went in November, this year in September, i.e. it should be warmer.

So, this time I plan to take:
• hiking pants
• slim sweatpants
• shorts
• t-shirt
• shirt
• fleece
• windbreaker jacket
• warm vest
• thin fleece gloves
• warm hat
• cap or sun hat
• thin socks and warm socks

Raincoat.

Rain protection for you and your backpack is a must. This issue can be solved in different ways - take a poncho (covering a person with a backpack) or a membrane jacket and a cover for the backpack. Decide for yourself. Personally, I will take a poncho and a compact umbrella (it’s more convenient in the city).

Dishes and food.

You should definitely go to China with your own spoon :) Half of the places where we will eat only serve chopsticks. You can also take a fork and knife, but this is not so critical. In general, the cuisine there is VERY specific (it’s better to study the dishes in advance). So if you are on a diet, or are afraid of exotic foods, then perhaps you should take a large metal mug and a set of instant cereals (as an NZ). You can get boiling water in local cafes or using a small boiler. On the route you can easily buy fresh fruit (pomelo!), instant noodles in cups (like Mivina or Doshirak) and Chinese cookies and Snickers. We will not come across large supermarkets with the usual assortment :(

Walkie-talkie.

If you have such an opportunity, be sure to take a portable radio on your trip (LPD or PMR standard, the manufacturer does not matter). Ideally, each participant should have a walkie-talkie. Then we will be able to completely fearlessly run around the back streets of Chinese cities in search of souvenirs and brilliant photographs. Without a walkie-talkie, you can get lost even in museums - huge crowds of Chinese tourists constantly rush towards the group, trying to carry someone away. I myself take 4 Quansheng TG-UV2 radios on a trip and distribute them among the group, but of course this is not enough.

Personal hygiene.

Everything here is as usual: a quick-drying microfiber sports towel, toothpaste, brush, soap, a couple of bags of shampoo. It is not necessary to take sunblock. There are no mosquitoes in sight either.

Mini first aid kit.

The instructor will have the group's basic first aid kit. Participants must take care of specific personal medications and supplies of bandages for calluses and abrasions. Also take Pancreatin (mezim, etc.) to combat unfamiliar and very spicy foods :)

Electronics and electricity.

Almost every day we will have access to an outlet (standard outlet, no adapters needed). Those. We definitely take chargers for cameras and other electronics. In addition to the chargers themselves, it wouldn’t hurt to take a small tee or a tiny extension cord - usually in hostels there are fewer sockets than we would like.

Be sure to take a headlamp. On long journeys, a player with your favorite music or books will not be superfluous. By the way, cards will also come in handy.

If you have a smartphone, be sure to install a Russian-Chinese dictionary on it IN ADVANCE (Google Play and App Store may not work for you in China). I installed Hanping Chinese Classic (for Android) with the ability to recognize hieroglyphs. Few people in China understand English, and you can bargain simply by showing the hieroglyphs on your mobile phone screen.

An important point: on domestic flights of Chinese airlines there is a ban on the carriage of lithium batteries in BAGGAGE. Therefore, all equipment containing such batteries (mobile phones, tablets, cameras, walkie-talkies) must be carried in HAND LUGGAGE only.

Internet and mobile communications.

There is mobile coverage along the entire route. It is more profitable not to pay for roaming, but to buy a SIM card from a local operator and, in addition to conversations, get access to the mobile Internet. About half of the hostels will have Wi-Fi. Please note that many Western websites and social networks are blocked in China.

Other little things.

Don't forget to take your passport and money :) You can bring money in dollars or on bank cards. You need to change a lot at once, since the exchange process is VERY long. For money, you can take a concealed carry wallet (on your belt or over your shoulder). The main supply of money and your passport should always and everywhere be with you (on you). You cannot leave them in your backpack or in the hostel.

Just in case, take 3-4 passport-visa size photographs with you. Make and take a photocopy of the first page of your passport and Chinese visa.