What to bring - when to go

What to bring

Navigation:
Buy topo maps in UB of the area you will ride in. They have a scale of 1 : 500,000.
Compass.

Clothing:
Wet weather gear.
Gloves.
Riding boots.
Alternative footwear (i.e. tennis shoes, sandals)
Helmet (You probably won't find one in Mongolia. I did, but I was lucky).
Change of clothes.
Warm jacket. (the weather can change suddenly).
Knit cap and muffler
Sunglasses.
Sleeping bag. (You don't need a mat, you can sleep on your saddle pads).
Large tarp, as tent substitute


Tack:
Russian saddle (Mongolian saddles look nice, but are wooden and uncomfortable). Russian saddles have a padded seat and metal frame. Be sure you have ties on your saddle, front and rear, to carry items such as sleeping bag and jacket.
Bridle, harness and lead rope.
Mongolian horses are not shod. No one brushes their horses.
Leather whip. (Lead rope does not work as a whip).
Stake (iron is preferable - it is easier than wood to hammer into the ground).
Stake tether (20 meters)
Extra rope to secure saddle bags
Tie two daypacks together to use as saddle bags. You cancarry a third on your back if necessary, but it is more comfortable without one).

Personal items:
Toiletries, medicines, bandages for sprains
Water purification tablets
Sewing kit
Camera and storage cards (Gers have car batteries for electricity, but no outlets. I don't know if you can hook up your camera battery directly to the car battery to recharge it. Any ideas?)
Journal and pen
Cell phone (but there is not always a signal)
Swiss army knife, hunting knife
Headlamp
Matches and lighter.
Mongolian phrasebook.

Carry enough food with you for a day or two. Aaryyl, the local cheese, is good for this purpose; it lasts a long time. Peanuts and raisins you can sometimes buy in countryside towns.

When to go:
Mongolia has three fine-weather months: June, July and August.
September is fickle. The first snow hits UB at the end of September.