What to pack for Egypt in January

Wear one, dry one. Cotton stays wet all week here.

UV index of 4.9 reflects hard off sand even in January.

Mosquitoes breed in irrigation channels near inhabited areas year-round.

Check ankles and, if there's a dog, paws and ears every night.

Tap water isn't safe here. A filter bottle beats buying plastic twice a day.

This country runs on Type C or F. Get one with USB-C so you're not fighting over the single outlet.

One outlet per room means charging happens in sequence, not parallel.

Set it up before you land. Signal drops for long stretches outside cities.

Dark by 6:15pm. Every campsite chore after that is a two-hands job.

National parks charge entrance fees that add up without a pass.

Day trips into desert require water and supplies you carry yourself.

Fits the overhead on every airline that matters. Skip the checked-bag line entirely.

Wind hits 18 km/h across open desert and pulls moisture from skin.

For temples, mosques, and churches that check at the door.

Treat the clothes once and it lasts weeks.

Tap water causes diarrhea in most visitors within the first week.

Intestinal trouble from contaminated water can derail an entire trip.

One brick charges the laptop, phone, and camera.

Hotel and cafe wifi is shared with everyone else in the building. A VPN keeps your banking and email to yourself.

Crowded souks and transport hubs attract pickpockets routinely.

Luggage moves through multiple hands at airports and between hotels.

Two weeks of clothes fit carry-on only when organized tightly.

Call to prayer broadcasts five times daily from every mosque.

Ten hours of daylight means ten hours of direct sun exposure.

A few phrases go a long way. Ten minutes a day before you leave is plenty.

Checkpoints and border procedures require your passport constantly.

Shared hostel lockers and hotel safes need extra security.

Long flights and early desert starts mean sleep debt accumulates fast.