Comments for the article "What not to take on your trip"

Hi Captaindom, Do you know where I can buy Bounce dryer sheets in India? Thanks.

Decent pair of tweezers, sharp small pair of scissors and duck tape. Everything else expendable.

Whatever you do, the most important thing to ensure is your luggage. Especially if you are traveling to a place with stuffs in your bag which are fragile or if you are headed to a crowded place. Always ensure that you pick the right kind of luggage for the harsh ones. Also, make sure that your bag is not too heavy. For this, your suitcase or bag must not have its own weight. Thats the most common problem. The sturdy suitcases are mostly heavy. But at the end of the day its your own choice. I always prefer taking my Samsonite along for the last 8 years. It has been dropped, fallen from the car, stairs, dragged and what not. Its really world class.

sunscreen... CHECK
sleeping bag... CHECK
inflatable pillow...
beach ball...

Seriously now, who isn't two crumpets short of tea time would bring a beach ball? I would pay to see one as I am sure there are people who would. That would make for a great flight. Imagine getting on a plane for Kolkata with the girl sitting next to you turning blue blowing air into a beach ball while the guy on your right is inflating a pillow. Priceless!

Or the guy in Kerala a couple of years ago, who had a 200 kg. weight set, he had dragged it around India for three weeks.

Scary, Sad but true.

I was glad I'd brought sheets, but I also knew I'd need them where I was going. Note: I ended up rotating which one I used as the under-sheet so I could wash/dry the other, as a sarong I brought was much nicer (far lighter/cooler) as a cover when I really wanted one (more often to keep bugs off than to stay warm).

The mosquito net I brought was also nice--although I only used it about half of the 5 months I was there. If you bring one, just make sure you bring some light cord you can use to suspend it.

My "two cents" for what NOT to bring (at least to the South):

*Envelopes--I brought note cards and envelopes with me from the US. The envelopes were rendered mostly useless in a few weeks because of the glue-strip. They sealed themselves shut in the humidity. Envelopes, glue sticks, and other supplies are readily available at stationery shops and larger stores like "Five Star" or "Spencers" there.

*Chewing gum that is not candy-coated. Again, humidity.

I wanted to travel as light as possible and took a backpack and a purse. I only had two outfits and would wash and wear. I did meet up with a friend who dressed very nice, and the pictures of the two of us are priceless. He is in slacks and dress shoes and I'm in cargo pants, t-shirt, and flip flops. The most useless thing I packed was a travel iron. I didn't use it once, and it took up precious room.

Haha, well written article and very true. I am from India and i myself tend to over pack. Will keep this checklist in mind

Nice article and good advice. I must admit I did laugh at the photo with the amount of luggage. From my two trips to India (and will be going back in January!) I have found the following:

1. Regarding mosquito nets: I would not take a full-size hanging mosquito net. It is a waste of space and weight in your luggage. Each trip I have taken a small light-weight mosquito-proof head covering. It only goes around your head and your clothes/sheets cover the rest of your body. In most places, mosquitoes were not a problem with the exception of a hotel in Nagpur, where a massive amount of mosquitoes were in my room and I could not sleep.

2. Regarding sheets, I would not take a full set of sheets. They are heavy and take away from the precious flight luggage weight limit Instead, both times I have taken a "sleeping bag liner" like a very thin cotton sheet sleeping bag. It is extremely light-weight, packs well (a bit larger than my wallet) and can easily be washed. It is all I used on hot nights. I would really recommend taking one of these. They're great.

As for a sink and bath plug, I wouldn't even think of it. Mini-size bottles of shampoo (I think 50mL or 75mL) have been sufficient and don't weight much. If you run out, you can easily get more. It is always good to pack as light as you can when going to India and if you are going in hotter months, don't pack a heap of warm clothes you'll never wear - because you want the free weight in your luggage for things you might want to bring back.

are in my opinion very important... Not talking about more than one sheet though. It came in very handy on many a grimy bed, train etc...

I'd rather sleep on MY sheet than a blood stained sheet from the previous scabby occupent.

Other than that I agree with the rest

Edit...

oops already replied to this one... O'well

I wouldnt want to miss my moskito net, it takes up some space, but weight next to nothing, so it doesnt bother me (size is never the isue) and with a little creativity i can hang it up everywhere. Also, i sleep more relaxed if i'm not worrying about moskitop transmitted illnesses (strangely, that only happens at night, i dont care during the daytime).
Really usefull , i found out, are little fastening strips (like the big ones you find on trucks to secure the load, dont know if they have a name in english). You can use them for everything from hanging up you net, using them as a clotheline for drying you stuff (if you loop and twist them, you can even fix the stuff without clothepegs) or securing your luggage on top of a bus/car without relying on the worn ropes they usualy have.
As for the small packs of toothpaste/soap/shampoo you get everywhere, i just dont want to use them because of the waste they create.
Sunscreen was available everywhere on the beaches, but after meeting people who bought it there and got really dispointed (meaning sunburnt) by the stuff not having the advertised protection strenght, i was quite happy to have brought my own.
And a swiss pocket knife or similar is really usefull for a lot of stuff. You just dont know untill you need it

It seems to me that it must be a girl who wrote this, a sink plug makes shaving a lot easier, and the glib comment about water conservation is not very cmmendable.

Oh yes sir ,a commendable comment .

A Sink plug is handy for washing some clothing like underwear.

Makes sense overall, but my inflatable pillow was very useful and buses are definitely a good travel option. Also the author seems really focused on beaches, what with beach balls and all. I wouldn't go to India to play on the beach and would have never thought to bring that up.

The one thing that surprised me was never having to use my credit card in three months of travel. I'd still bring it, but I never had to use it.

I would put on this list - nylon zipper pants, hiking boots, photo vests, fanny packs, and floppy hats. It's a good idea to at least try to fit in.