Am I taking the right clothes??

heyhay

Hi all
Am off to Mumbai/Goa/Kerala for just over 3 weeks in August- am well used to packing for Med type holidays (I'm not very female in that respect- I only take what I need ) but haven't been to India before and what with it being Monsoon suspect I need a bit of guidance so I'm not going to be too hot/cold/wet/embarrassed all the time! We are kind of backpacking in terms of carrying stuff so need to be careful, I know it will be difficult to get stuff to air dry in the monsoon as well...

Am planning on:
5 short sleeve cotton t shirts
1 pair combat type material trousers
1 pair linen 3/4 length trousers
1 pair cotton trousers
possibly one pair of knee length shorts (bit dubious here)
1 very thin cardigan for night time
1 strappy dress to wear with cardigan (maybe?)
1 light knee length skirt (for day/night)
the hoody I'm wearing on the flights
couple of sarongs etc to use as towels etc as well
swimming cossie (mumbai hotel has a pool)
undies (would wearing a bikini as underwear be better fro drying out easily?)
couple of pairs of cashmere socks to travel in
Pair of closed pumps (canvassy material) for wet times
Pair of pretty flipflops for dry times, nice enough to eat out in etc

Will I need more/less of any particular item do you think?

OceanTragic

I'm a chap so my list doesn't really count too much.

But I think you've got it right although I'd go lighter on the trousers and t-shirts. I also wear hoodies in the UK (but I haven't got an ASBO ) but I don't think they're too practical for holidays. So I took a lightweight wool jumper with me for the flight and just in case I got cold - which I didn't - at night. It was also a relatively smart jumper so I could have worn it out if needed.

I wore one pair of trousers on the flight and took another really lightweight pair; once in India I only wore the light pair at night.

During the day my wife (and kids) either wore long cotton skirts or three-quarter length shorts, again lightweight ones.

In Kerala during August many years ago we were lucky with the weather so dring stuff out wasn't a problem at all.

Don't underestimate the cheapness of getting stuff washed by the hotels you stay in. In my opinion it's worth going with this in mind as it means you can take far less stuff.

Buying clothes over there is really cheap too so again you need take less with you, and you get to bring back a nice souvenir.

__________________
.

Wildhorse

Up to you but I wouldn't do it. It's not really hygienic in any case and even less so in hot/humid weather; could lead to health problems in certain regions if you know what I mean.

federica

You will hardly need the socks (just my opinion)
For wet times closed pumps are not that great. Just use flipflops, they dry fast. Remember, even if it's wet it will still be hot.
Don't wear bikini as underwear, as Wildhorse mentioned before. Light cotton materials are still the best choice.

In general I think you are taking a lot of clothes, you can still wash them and they'll dry overnight even in monsoon in your room, especially when the fan is switched on.

heyhay

Thanks guys, that's exactly the kind of advice I need.
Will prob ditch the dress and one of the tshirts and the shorts (think they'll be hotter than the trousers as they're a bit tightre fitting).

Good thinking bout the bikini, hadn't occurred to me (am a bit thick at times!)
Will prob rethink the hoody too- it's just soo snuggly and comforting for the flight but can see how a thin jumper will be easier to cart round afterwards!

Indizen

Monsoons may be over in Mumbai and Goa by August.

camelgirl

Good to bring cotton undies.

Pretty flip flips won't be pretty after a day out & about. Better would be a Teva or Keen type sandal, more rugged. You can buy some cheap flip flips when you are there for showering & bathrooms in general.

Don't think you'll wear any socks. Just wear a pair on the plane in case the A/C is strong.

You probably won't wear the thin cardigan either. But you might use your sarong as a shawl or better yet, buy a nice salwar kameez outfit with a dupatta (shawl) & you can go anywhere and feel like you look nice!

__________________
My selected India photos http://www.indiamike.com/photopost/s...r/7030/cat/500

Haylo

I'd take one long sleeved very thin cotton top, instead of one of the tshirts, in case you need to protect yourself against mosquitoes, or in case you get sunburned.

If you're travelling round, forget the hoody and even the cardigan, but if you're based in one place, I'd bring something warm and comfortable for the flights, and when you get home. After a time in India I always feel cold when going back to England.

__________________
The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful - E.E. Cummings, poet (1894-1962)

federica

In general, long sleeves/long trousers made of thin materials are better than anything short:

Not only against stares, but more important as protection against the sun and mosquitoes. I know, it's sometimes impossible to find these light cotton clothes here in Europe, but you'll get something in India.

heyhay

Thanks again for all the advice folks- really is appreciated.

Had a 'mock pack' today, not into the backpack as I'm borrowing it but still- put aside the stuff I'm travelling in and managed to get skirt, cardie (am gonna stick with it as it is incredibly thin so will extend the usefulness of the tshirts against mozzies), 3 t shirts, a sunhat, my undies and swim stuff ALL in a 10L stuffsack, which just left the combats and the linen trousers out.
I packed the pretty fipflops (£2 from primark so no worries about using and abusing them!) and a travel towel, together with the stuff sack, into a normal Sainsburys plastic carrier bag.

I then put all my toiletries, medicines and sundry extras into a SMALL boots carrier bag and tied the handles.

I have a messenger bag which will be my day bag- this is my hand luggage and I also packed a couple of books which I will have finished by the time we land.

Was quite pleased with my 1.5 carrier bags and my day bag! Didn't pack my camera etc but daybag felt suspiciously light anyway.

I think I MIGHT have made it to a manageable solution thanks to your help. Will test out the rucksack next week and see how much souvenir room there is- am quite happy to give stuff away on the return part fo the trip to make room!

Can you tell I'm a little bit excited about my Indian adventure?

heyhay

Forgot to say I'll also be hunting down a couple of long sleeve tops in Mumbai as well.

Sefton

We're going at the end of July, and thanks for the advise above We just can't wait
Good luck
J and S

Nick-H

Cashmere socks?

Now there's posh!

If you must wear socks, bring very light cotton only. Some people are more comfortable wearing socks with sandals, even in hot weather, and it is very important to keep the feet happy!

Ahhh... bring a slightly thicker pair or two for temple visits. I made this mistake only a couple of months ago (and I live here ) --- the stone is hot enough to burn your feet.

Bear in mind that sandals and bare feet dry out very quickly; socks and closed shoes do not. Many years ago, I was a 12-month-sandal wearer in UK; when it rained, I used to take my socks off. (socks and sandals, yes, yes, I know. And yes, even with a suit )

So far as anything warm is concerned, you are very unlikely to need it at any time of the day or night, but whatever you brought to be warm on the plane will be there is you need it.

Undies... bring twice as many as you think you need. You'll sweat --- and may want to change a couple of times a day.

heyhay

Not so posh really- they were £2 in a debenhams sale. WELL worth it but perhaps not the thing to be wandering round india in!
They're only for the plane- I'm quite happy barefoot and sandals so I can just let them air dry (nothing to do with being fervently anit-socka dnsandal...honest! :-) ).

I weighed my luggage the other day (without the bag as it's not at my house) and it came to 5kg so hopefully I'll be able to squeeze some more undies in... hadn't thought about needing to pack for humidity as well!

palerider

And remember, you will REALLY need to cover up, for modesty as well as practical reasons. Both my parents were British, I have really pale skin. I can fry in India in a matter of minutes. Light cotton is the way to go. Sulwar Kameez, give it a try. Feels exotic at first, and then you realise how protective and loose fitting it is.
Perfect for Indian weather.
Maybe have a look at the threads about clothing.
5 kgs is pretty good, my first time , mine weighed about 25kgs., and I'm a bloke.

__________________
I always wanted to be someone when I grew up, I realise now that I should have been more specific.