Gear for Road Trips in the (Himalayan) Mountains

So you’ve got your mind set on a little mountain road trip? In the Himalayas! And you’re wondering, “is there anything special I’ll be needing for those Himalayas?”. You’ve come to the right place, I’ll tell you about my mountain road trip experiences here. You can also read about my drive across the Indian Himalayas here, or a tour of the Tibetan Plateau here.

Perhaps you’ve already done mountain road trips in the Rockies or the Alps, know what car camping is about, but never been to the Himalayas? Well, let me tell you straight away, driving on “The Roof of the World” isn’t the same as driving on a US mountain highway, going a bit off-road or zooming through the Swiss/Austrian Alps Formula-1 style. There’s the difference of the altitude and the road conditions. The Himalayas have the highest motorable roads in the world, with many high-passes well over 5,000 meters (16,500 ft). That’s higher than anywhere (road or no road) in the US Rockies or European Alps! And the Himalayan roads can be really bumpy, somewhere even hard to distinguish as a road! Landslides and rockslides regularly sweep the road away.

So why go on a road trip in the Himalayas?

The views, the landscape. Words can’t describe it. It’s like driving on the moon! With some of the highest peaks in the world surrounding you. Passing lakes and rivers. Driving up against amazing cliff walls, well above the tree line. Going through nomadic camps of yak herders once in a while.

Road trips can be great, and you don’t really need to bring that much gear. But the good thing about road trips, compared to trekking, is that you don’t have to carry everything on your back! So if you want to bring something to make your trip more enjoyable, just do it!

I should mention that what we’re talking about here is going in a 4WD Jeep or LandCruiser, something like that. But it’s also possible to drive the Himalayan roads on your bike – motorbike or bicycle! But that’s another story, here we’re talking about car road trips, right!

PS: Sorry for the little rant, let’s get to what I promised you: The Road Trip Gear List:


(scroll down the page a bit)

1. Mountain Road Trip Gear, The Essentials If you’re going on an individual road trip, there are some essentials you need to bring:
First aid kit Always have a first aid kit with you in your car anyway. But check it's there and fully equipped before you go. And don't forget to bring simple medication such as painkillers and antibiotics (food can be dubious in the Himalayas, don’t want to have an upset stomach, do we?).
Flashlight / Lantern light Self-explanatory. It get’s pretty dark out in the bushes, up on the ridges and down in the valleys.
Cell phone / Satellite phone depending on how remote you go. Cell phone coverage can be pretty thin in most great road trip places. Feel free to turn off your phone until/unless you really need it. But it’s good to have in case of emergency. If your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, this can potentially save you life! There’s several systems to choose from, but the Iridium system phones are the only truly global phones. Here in the Himalayas, that’s what you want!
Maps + GPS GPS (Global Positioning System) devices have become standard fare over the last few years. Good to help you find your way or give your exact position in case a speedy rescue is needed. Especially for off-road adventures, where it can be difficult to find back to the main road again. Try to get one with a map display and a track logging system, like this one:
Food and water (for emergency) again you should at least carry enough emergency rations. You can probably count on eating at road side food stalls – even here in the Himalayas. But just in case you have a car breakdown, food and water to last you a day or more could come in handy. At least pick up some dried fruits, canned food, biscuits or the likes. Or consider getting dedicated emergency rations! Water purification tablets are handy to bring as well!
And don’t forget a spare tire, some tools, gasoline, cooler liquid etc for your car!
2. Mountain Road Trip Gear, Non-essentials, but... For organized road trip tours in the Himalayas, you can expect your driver/guide/crew to supply the essentials mentioned above. You might want to check to make sure though. There are some non-essential items that you don’t strictly need to increase your “chances of survival”, but they can make your road trip more enjoyable. Here are some suggestions:
A GOOD camera / lens I’m pretty sure you already have a camera – who doesn’t these days. But being a bit of a photo aficionado myself, I can’t help encourage you to get a GOOD camera. The great thing about traveling in a car is that you don’t have to worry about weight. When I head for the mountains I always have at least 2 kg of camera gear. And often it’s more like 4 kg! When I trek, I carry it on my shoulder the whole tour. Tough, but worth it! When you’re in a car, 4 kg is no worries. And remember, the high-altitude climate can make your battery life-span a lot shorter. Check here for camera tips in the Himalayas (link coming soon).
Music What’s a great road trip without great music? But driving around on the edge of civilization, there's usually no radio reception. Even if there were, there's a slim chance that they'd be playing your favorites. But here's a solution for you: Bring your iPod and get the Griffin iTrip device. It's a simple little thing that you plug into your iPod and it transmits the music over to the car radio on the FM band - and the music then comes out of the car's powerful loudspeakers! It even charges your iPod through the car cigarette lighter!! Blast through the mountains with your favorite tunes, awesome!!
Daypack One of the things I really like is stopping the car and hiking a bit away from the road or the car for a couple of hours. Explore! If you have the chance, don’t just sit in the car the whole day. Find an interesting spot, and do a quick hike away from your car. Here's a selection of backpacks /daypacks to carry food, water etc.
Lip balm and sunscreen In high altitude, the UV light is stronger and can burn your skin and lips quickly during daytime. The lip balm is also great to use while driving in dry and dusty conditions. Trust me. You don't want to leave this behind!
Sunglasses The mountain light can be harsh. Especially the strong UV lights can make your eyes tired. But besides being useful, they also makes you look really trendy for all those photos of you on the road!
3. Mountain Road Trip Gear - Getting more comfortable now Now this is stuff that’s more in the “luxury” category of Himalayan mountain road trips. Of course “luxury” is a strong word here. The roads are usually pretty bad and the lodging down-to-scraps. But nevertheless, if you like to enjoy a bit of “luxury” then why not!
Travel Pillow Days involve a lot of driving. I’ve done up to 19 hours driving in a day in the Himalayas. Ok, 6 hours were waiting time in front of an accident scene, but anyway… A pillow for snoozing in the car can make the difference between getting sleep and not. In turn making the difference between being happy or cranky. Get the simple one, or perhaps the one with all the bells and whistles.
MSR Stove / Road Trip Grill If you like good food as much as me, there’s nothing better than cooking up a tasty meal quickly out in the bush. The simple solution is a MSR stove (you might want to get a fuel bottle as well). And for a bit of luxury and gourmet in the bush, there's the Coleman Road Trip Grill as well. Bon appétit!
Backpack chairs, camping tables The chairs are easy to bring on a little hike away from the vehicle. While dinner is cooking, the tea is brewing or just the clouds drifting by, take the weight off your legs and have a comfortable seat! And for a road side lunch, the camping table fits the bill. When finished, it collapses to a thin little square to throw back in the trunk.

I hope you found something you like on this mountain road trip gear list! If you still haven't decided where to go on your road trip in the Himalayan mountains, try reading about my drive across the Indian Himalayas here, or a tour of the Tibetan Plateau here.

Enjoy your road trip!