Food and water during hiking in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan is rich in small lakes, rivers, springs, and small streams in the mountains. It means there is always water for drinking in the mountains. Especially there is a lot of water around Issyk Kul lake, in regions of Kel-Suu, Naryn and Son-Kol but it is all the matter of water filtration. Not all water streams, rivers and lakes can be safe and clean for drinking. You cannot take water from any stream and consider for drinking. Water is drinkable in springs or streams that are located higher and away from livestock.
Drinking the water during hiking in the mountains
For a start we recommend you to buy one liter of water, later the bottle can be used for refilling it in the streams in the mountains. Of course, you can buy more water and take with you but it is not very smart as during hiking your water will be finished quickly.
The safest option is to fill your bottle with water from the origins of the springs, as there is less probability that water has been exposed to contamination. For example, use the springs that are located higher from habitation and away from livestock.
To prevent you from drinking the contaminated water, we recommend you to use three ways of water purification:
- Get the special filter for water purification. Such filter is small, light, and cheap. You can buy a filter in sport stores, or in any other stores that sell tableware.
- Use water-purifying tablets that contain a very small percentage of chlorine. It is important to keep the dose and let stay still the tablet in your water. To find water-purifying tablets in Kyrgyzstan is challenging though.
- Boil However, boiling water takes some time. If you are hiking with a guide, he/she can help you to boil your water. During hiking with us, we prefer boiling water. So it is very helpful if you bring thermo-bottle too.
Drinking water is easy to find in all trekking routes of Tian Shan.
Food during hiking in the mountains
If you have chosen and booked one of our hiking tours, our cook will prepare tasty food from local cuisine three times a day. And it eases a lot your hiking experience when you have your food prepared.
If you are going for an independent hiking then it is crucial to get prepared thoroughly. One of the important aspects of your preparation is surely food and choosing relevant products. Choosing food for your hiking should be based on the following:
- Nutritious products rich in fat, proteins, and carbs. During long day hiking in the mountains, you lose a lot of energy therefore, you need food that will fill you with this energy and restore your body.
- Light in weight. It is necessary to pick products that do not add weight for your backpack.
- Long-lasting. Food can get spoiled easily from heat and frost therefore it is good to get fresh food and pack them well to prevent from quick spoiling.
Choosing food also depends on the difficulty, distance, and duration of your trekking.
It is easy to get your food ready. You just need to take water and snacks.
Take with you a camping gas and burner, as it will help you to cook a hot meal even if it is just instant noodles and boil water for tea or coffee. During our 2-day hiking treks, we take with us:
- Tea/coffee
- Bread, cheese, sausage and canned food
- Packs of porridge or instant noodles
- Nuts, and dry fruits
- Some veggies, fruits, and sweets.
For 3-day hiking tours and more, you should definitely plan well. The more days there are in your hiking, the more difficult it is, as you should carry all of your food for all these days with you. The must list of food that should be in your long-lasting hiking treks are nuts and dry fruits. They are rich in calories and energy to help you to restore during hiking. Nuts and dry fruits are very easy to get in Kyrgyzstan. It is best to buy more than less.