June in the Middle East - What to Wear?

by **roscoe2009** » July 14th, 2009

Hi everyone,

I will be doing an overland tour from Cairo to Istanbul in June 2010 and was wondering what type of clothing I should packing? I understand that it gets fairly cold in the desert at night but I'm not sure if that applies to any time of the year or just certain months? The tour consists of 70-80% camping (camping gear provided by the tour company) and I'm wondering if I need a sleeping bag or if something lighter would suffice? How cold does it get at night in the desert?

by **2wanderers** » July 14th, 2009

It gets coldish all the time. The desert does not retain heat into the night at all. Bring a sleeping bag, but I don't think anything more than a decent mid-weight fleece is needed for warm clothing. Not that cold.

by **quarterlifecrisis** » July 16th, 2009

It'll get chilly at nights, but it'll be hot during the day (so remember layers, especially for modesty if you're in areas that would suggest it). A light sleeping bag might suit if you're camping, but my experience of Egypt last year (Cairo & Dahab) was that it was very humid and uncomfortable at nights. I'd agree with 2wanderers, anything more than a light fleece will be rarely worn and take up space.

by **roscoe2009** » July 16th, 2009

Thanks for the advice! I guess the next question is where should I pick up a sleeping bag? I will be travelling around Europe for 3 months prior to this tour and I hadn't planned on bringing a sleeping bag with me. I will most likely be flying from Rome or Athens to Cairo. Would I be better off buying one in one of these cities or would it be cheaper to pick one up once I get to Cairo?

by **quarterlifecrisis** » July 17th, 2009

If you don't want to lug the sleeping bag around for 3 weeks, I'd say you could pick one up in Cairo. I've asked some Egyptian friends for a recommendation - this is what i got so far:

Try the Alpha Market on Ismail Mohammad street in Zamalek - they used to sell that sort of stuff! x

Off topic, but where are you going in Europe?

by **roscoe2009** » July 18th, 2009

Thanks quarterlife, any info you can provide would be appreciated. I'll actually be in Europe for 3 months before going to Cairo. I posted my preliminary itinerary a few weeks back but haven't made any final decisions as to exactly where I'll be going or for how long.

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