Trip info > Preparing your trip

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Preparing For Your Trip

Necessary Documents

• Photocopy of your passport
• Photocopy of your insurance card as well as emergency telophone numbers

Luggage 

We ask you to limit your personal luggage as much as posible: 15 kg maximum if possible. We suggest bringing the following items:

• A sturdy big bag
• A small backpack to carry your daily essentials
• A warm sleeping bag (2 or 3 season)
• A one liter flask
• A flashlight
• A Swiss-army type knife with camping tools
• Necessary personal toiletries 

Nighttime

A warm sleeping bag (2 or 3 season) is a necessity from November to March.  To protect against the cold, it is possible to use 2 lighter sleeping bags, one placed in the other, in the place of one heavier sleeping bag.

Clothing

• A pair of hiking boots (light) or sports sandals or sneakers
• A pair of sandals for the evenings
• A light jacket or wind breaker for the daytime
• A very warm sweater and a fleece for the evening and a very warm jacket or winter coat for winter
• A hat or head scarf (It's possible to buy one in Egypt.)
• 2 pairs of pants, shorts are only worn in uninhabited areas
• For summer dresses, choose a lightweight one with a full skirt that reaches below the knee
• Some t-shirts and long sleeved shirts (for protection against the sun).  Cotton rather than synthetic material is always better.
• Some pairs of socks
• A bathing suit and a towel

Please note: From November to March, the nights can be very cold, particularly in Sinai.  It is advised to invest in good quality, warm clothing (a down jacket would be a very good idea during these months).

Toiletries and First Aid

The group first aid kit is well stocked to assure good first aid and to treat common complaints on these kinds of trips. Depending on your needs, you might bring: 

• A mosquito repellent, spray or cream
• Sun block with a high UV protection and a good pair of sunglasses
• Lip balm
• Saline eye drops
• Aspirin or the equivalent 
• Anti-diarrhea medication like Immodium
• Toilet paper and matches to burn it
• Moist towelettes for personal cleansing

Please note:  The group first aid kit includes a wide variety of antibiotics, but if you are allergic to penicillin, you should bring your own medication.   

Climate

There are very large variations in climate between the Libyan Desert and Sinai, which are exaggerated by altitude.  The temperatures given below are the average. 

- White Desert : It has a dry climate with large flucuations in temperature between day and night.  While hiking, the temperature is generally pleasant during the day and the nights are cool. 

Average temperatures (in C) in the Libyan Desert:

 

 

- Sinaï : From November to March, temperatures are very pleasant during the day, but it can be freezing at night, especially in the mountains and the high plateaus in central Sinai. 

Average temperatures (in C) in Sinai: 

 

 

- Nile Valley : The climate is very mild from November to April.  At night it is sometimes cold on the banks of the Nile.

Average temperatures (in C) on the Nile:

 

 

Don't forget, "The desert is a hot country where it's cold."  Théodore Monod