Road Meals and Supply Guide
How to handle sections of three to four hours without resupply: county town shopping list, in-car thermal equipment, drinking water schedule. Road meals and resupply guide are part of the Xinjiang travel pre-trip preparation series: covering practical issues such as season and number of days, documents and border permits, car rental and transportation, payment and internet access, food and accommodation, all explained clearly at once, so you can check them off before departure.
County Town Shopping
Before departure, stock up at the county town supermarket: nang bread (long-lasting and filling), raisins and nuts, beef jerky, energy bars, and bottled water 2–3 liters per person per day. Urban supermarkets have a complete range of products, while town supermarkets mainly focus on snacks and drinks. Don’t count on buying and making food along the way.
In-Car Equipment
A thermos of hot tea is the soul of the Xinjiang journey; use a car refrigerator or insulated bag for yogurt and fruit; in summer, the car cabin can get very hot, chocolate melts easily, so choose packaged nuts.
Eating on the Road
For picnics at scenic spots, choose a wind-sheltered area and take all trash with you; in grassland grazing areas, do not pick plants or enter pastures at will. When buying fruit, prioritize roadside legitimate stalls. Watermelons and Hami melons are best bought individually—they are both sweet and cheap.
Special Routes
On desert roads, the northern section of Duku Highway, and the Pamir detour, supply points are very scarce. Bring meals according to the "double redundancy" principle; diabetics and children should carry extra sugar.