Tajikistan has an extremely varied climate. From the dry, hot, dusty lowlands of southern Tajikistan in summer to the inhospitable freezing blizzards of the Pamirs in winter. Depending on where you’re going and when, you’ll have very different packing needs.
Dressing for the weather
Generally, in the middle of summer you can survive with one warm coat. Even in the middle of July the Pamirs can still get quite chilly at night, but it’s not going to drop to freezing levels. For the western half of Tajikistan, in summer you just need t-shirts and shorts. Practical clothes that are easy to clean and are lightweight are the best for summer travel.
No matter what time of year it is in Tajikistan you can get rain so it’s also always best to be prepared for wet conditions.
Footwear
There is a lot of rough terrain in Tajikistan. Even in its cities you will have wished you’d worn sturdier footwear. That is of course unless you did wear very sturdy footwear in which case you’ll be pleased with your decision.
The roads and tracks have a lot of rocks, stones and pebbles and can also be very dusty.
In winter you’re going to have the problem of icy surfaces.
Luggage
If you’re hiking in Tajikistan, travelling around via hitchhiking, cycling or public transport, then pack light. It’s already tough enough travelling around independently without heavy luggage. On the other side of the equation when you’re travelling through some of the world’s most rugged and isolated regions, you’re unlikely to be invited to a black-tie event, so you really don’t need much. Most transport is 4WDs and small minivans owing to the road conditions, so try not to have too much baggage.
Cameras and Drones
Both cameras and drones are fine. You will need to be careful of drones near border areas, especially the Afghanistan border. Like every country you need to be careful of military bases and other government installations.
Medicine
Like most former Soviet countries, medicine with codeine is not allowed, however pretty much everything else that is standardly legal is fine here. There are lots of pharmacies in main cities and towns, so you’ll be able to stock up for your adventure.
Torch
Very useful for those nights in yurts, tents or mountain huts of course, but what you might not have thought of is that it can also be useful in the dark streets of Dushanbe at night. Not for safety, just for the point of being able to see where you are. Like lots of cities in Central Asia, many parts of it are not well lit at night and with bumpy pavements and potholed roads you’ll want to see where you’re going.
Entertainment
There are a lot of narrow, windy, and pretty bumpy roads throughout Tajikistan, so most people struggle to read or watch anything whilst driving. There are quite a few long drives though, so if you like to listen to things, bring that along.
Powerbanks
In this modern day and age, with all of our gadgets, a powerbank will be extremely helpful in Tajikistan, as more likely than not you’ll be staying in homestays and basic hotels with limited powerpoints. Unless you’re actually camping, there probably will be power in all of your accommodation, but there might be one outlet in your room, nowhere near your bed, and needing to be shared between multiple people. Or it might be broken. Powerbanks are very handy.
