clothes for darjeeling and nepal + laundry costs?

sugarhigh · Apr 19th, 2007, 22:40

Hello all

will be heading to kolkata, darjeeling, sikkim, then over to kathmandu and pokhara in may, presumably summer period for said areas. weather forecast however seems to suggest that all the places, save for kolkata, are gonna be having min. 0-5deg C and max. 15-20deg C type temperatures. anyone been to these places in may last year and can advice the type of clothing to bring?

off the top of my head, i'm thinking heat packs, long johns, one medium thickness wooly thing and layers from summer clothing (since there's kolkata, gorakphur and bangkok to consider) but that's really gonna add up the bulk for the backpack. i'll be in darjeeling-pokhara for about three weeks, and about a week in kolkata and bangkok.

so any advice as to minimising the bulk will be much appreciated

, also if anyone know if there are laundromats type services other than dhobi wallahs, i'd be glad to know too!

bijapuri · Apr 19th, 2007, 23:41

laundromats are yet to catch on.

The places in the mtns you are visiting offer a wide range of mountain clothing for sale. Yo should be able to find stuff to keep you warm. However, if you are an odd size (xxl or above) or have specific stuff you absolutely adore, take it with you.

Aishah · Apr 20th, 2007, 17:56

I also am keen to know what the temps in Kathmandu will be in mid May and what clothing to take? Because it is summer I am thinking much the same sort of thing for Mussoorie i.e. temps not much over 25'c during the day and a shawl for evening enough?
Does it get hotter than this?

ananda2193 · Apr 20th, 2007, 18:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by sugarhigh

off the top of my head, i'm thinking heat packs, long johns, one medium thickness wooly thing and layers from summer clothing

Though I don't know your tolerance for cold. I would say those things are excessive. It should be perfect weather then. Maybe a little fresh at night. Unless you plan to trek to higher elevations normal clothes and maybe a light sweater or jacket for nights should be enough. I was there in April-June years ago and wore t-shirts. The warmwst thing I had was a light jacket.
If I remember right Pokhara is less than 1000 meters high.

And Nepal has alot of great cheap clothes you can but if needed.

Don't know about Darjeeling though.

Aishah · Apr 21st, 2007, 09:19

Thank you Ananda - since I am only off to Kathmandu for one week prior to Mussoorie, I will go along with your advice. Sounds good to me! I have come to the stage I don't want excessive baggage - and as you say if I need a warmer layer can get it there.

sugarhigh · Apr 21st, 2007, 10:10

ah okay

cool. great, i'll cut down on the load then!

yoohoo, thanks for the help

will post about the weather when i get to darjeeling in may!

dkburnett · Apr 21st, 2007, 21:50

Hello Sugarhigh,

I used to do a lot of backpacking 15-20 years ago and found that a light woolen pullover would cover a multitude of sins in the evening. A fleece is perhaps more modern. As I have now passed 40 I opt for a wheeled case and pack a blazer and tie which would be appropriate for the likes of the Bengal Club, Calcutta, Royal Bombay Yacht Club or Madras Gymkhana Club.
I digress a little. I was in Mongolia in December 2006 and used heat packs when the outside temperature dropped to 34 degrees centigrade below. You will not need these in India in May. You will probably not need long johns either. Keep us all posted as I plan to be back in Calcutta and Darjeeling in July.

sugarhigh · Apr 21st, 2007, 22:10

hiya dkburnett,

thanks! your advice will come in very useful

i might scrap the long johns after all, but i'm only bringing a pair of cotton longs which is arguably more suitable for summer weather, so still undecided

. but yea i'll definitely bring a light woolen pullover then and maybe hide indoors when it gets too cold

. will definitely post when i'm there!

camelgirl · Apr 23rd, 2007, 04:42

Darjeeling will be very chilly at night, even in May. But there are so many choices nowadays that you don't have to carry heavy bulky clothes for layering.

I would suggest silk longjohns. They don't weigh anything, take up no space and can be used for sleeping and under clothes. Cotton takes a long time to dry and isn't so light.

When I traveled from one extreme (Kolkata, Bangkok) to another (Darjeeling, etc.) I carried a lightweight down jacket (called a sweater--no hood) and used it in Darjeeling. It was perfect. When not in use, it flattens to nothing or can be used as a pillow! Also weighs less than a pound.

And fleece is great, instead of wool.

pkibbee · Apr 23rd, 2007, 05:15

You will find Kathmandu quite warm during May. Short sleeve tee shirts will be just fine in the daytime and maybe, maybe a light jacket in the evening. And lots of flies.

sugarhigh · Apr 23rd, 2007, 11:17

hm. i'll try finding a down jacket (for cheap)

and good to know about kathmandu, and the flies

camelgirl · Apr 23rd, 2007, 21:51

It should be very easy to find the kind of down jacket I'm talking about. Nylon inside & out filled with down. No bells or whistles, very stripped down. It used to be impossible to find them outside of camping stores in USA & I was asked often to sell mine during the trip I mentioned. Now they are everywhere in the world and not very expensive either!

I now have a newer one which I took to India last winter. I needed it on the trip out (cold at home) and used it at night & morning at Sariska park (So. of Delhi), then when I went home. It was so great to have because I also used it as a pillow a few times when the rock-like pillows were too awful!

NeeliAankhen · Sep 13th, 2007, 13:54

Probably everyone knows this but a thing like that - a down garment - is really effectively packed in a big-enough zipper-locking plastic bag with all the air pressed out of the bag so it takes up no space.

cheenee jeenee · Oct 24th, 2007, 05:02

Camel girl, I have just read your advice re clothes for Darjeeling. It will come in handy.

Will these suggestions surfice in December?

We will also be travelling to Kolkata first Darjeeling and back to Kolkata, then Bangalore, Kochi, Goa, Mumbai,Delhi, Agra, Amritsar, Delhi, then home to Australia.
Any other suggestions to reduce baggage?

camelgirl · Oct 24th, 2007, 08:03

Think "layers". Can be very cold in December, but my previous suggestion is definitely for December.

Apr 19th, 2007, 22:40	#1
sugarhigh Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Singapore Posts: 15	clothes for darjeeling and nepal + laundry costs? Hello all will be heading to kolkata, darjeeling, sikkim, then over to kathmandu and pokhara in may, presumably summer period for said areas. weather forecast however seems to suggest that all the places, save for kolkata, are gonna be having min. 0-5deg C and max. 15-20deg C type temperatures. anyone been to these places in may last year and can advice the type of clothing to bring? off the top of my head, i'm thinking heat packs, long johns, one medium thickness wooly thing and layers from summer clothing (since there's kolkata, gorakphur and bangkok to consider) but that's really gonna add up the bulk for the backpack. i'll be in darjeeling-pokhara for about three weeks, and about a week in kolkata and bangkok. so any advice as to minimising the bulk will be much appreciated , also if anyone know if there are laundromats type services other than dhobi wallahs, i'd be glad to know too!

Apr 19th, 2007, 23:41	#2
bijapuri laid traps for troubadours Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Priustan Posts: 2,598	laundromats are yet to catch on. The places in the mtns you are visiting offer a wide range of mountain clothing for sale. Yo should be able to find stuff to keep you warm. However, if you are an odd size (xxl or above) or have specific stuff you absolutely adore, take it with you. __________________ Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. Barack Obama lookit me!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bijapuri/ Utube fuzzy logic: http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bijapuri&p =r

Apr 21st, 2007, 21:50	#7
dkburnett Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK Posts: 3	Hello Sugarhigh, I used to do a lot of backpacking 15-20 years ago and found that a light woolen pullover would cover a multitude of sins in the evening. A fleece is perhaps more modern. As I have now passed 40 I opt for a wheeled case and pack a blazer and tie which would be appropriate for the likes of the Bengal Club, Calcutta, Royal Bombay Yacht Club or Madras Gymkhana Club. I digress a little. I was in Mongolia in December 2006 and used heat packs when the outside temperature dropped to 34 degrees centigrade below. You will not need these in India in May. You will probably not need long johns either. Keep us all posted as I plan to be back in Calcutta and Darjeeling in July. __________________ Duncan Burnett

Oct 24th, 2007, 05:02	#14
cheenee jeenee Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 10	clothes for Darjeeling in December Camel girl, I have just read your advice re clothes for Darjeeling. It will come in handy. Will these suggestions surfice in December? We will also be travelling to Kolkata first Darjeeling and back to Kolkata, then Bangalore, Kochi, Goa, Mumbai,Delhi, Agra, Amritsar, Delhi, then home to Australia. Any other suggestions to reduce baggage?

Oct 24th, 2007, 08:03	#15
camelgirl 10 year Visa okee dokee Join Date: May 2005 Location: Swannanoa NC usa Posts: 1,025	Think "layers". Can be very cold in December, but my previous suggestion is definitely for December. __________________ My selected India photos http://www.indiamike.com/photopost/s...r/7030/cat/500

Apr 20th, 2007, 17:56	#3
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 5,036	I also am keen to know what the temps in Kathmandu will be in mid May and what clothing to take? Because it is summer I am thinking much the same sort of thing for Mussoorie i.e. temps not much over 25'c during the day and a shawl for evening enough? Does it get hotter than this?

Apr 21st, 2007, 09:19	#5
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 5,036	Thank you Ananda - since I am only off to Kathmandu for one week prior to Mussoorie, I will go along with your advice. Sounds good to me! I have come to the stage I don't want excessive baggage - and as you say if I need a warmer layer can get it there.

Apr 21st, 2007, 10:10	#6
sugarhigh Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Singapore Posts: 15	ah okay cool. great, i'll cut down on the load then! yoohoo, thanks for the help will post about the weather when i get to darjeeling in may!

Apr 21st, 2007, 22:10	#8
sugarhigh Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Singapore Posts: 15	hiya dkburnett, thanks! your advice will come in very useful i might scrap the long johns after all, but i'm only bringing a pair of cotton longs which is arguably more suitable for summer weather, so still undecided . but yea i'll definitely bring a light woolen pullover then and maybe hide indoors when it gets too cold . will definitely post when i'm there!

Apr 23rd, 2007, 04:42	#9
camelgirl 10 year Visa okee dokee Join Date: May 2005 Location: Swannanoa NC usa Posts: 1,025	Darjeeling will be very chilly at night, even in May. But there are so many choices nowadays that you don't have to carry heavy bulky clothes for layering. I would suggest silk longjohns. They don't weigh anything, take up no space and can be used for sleeping and under clothes. Cotton takes a long time to dry and isn't so light. When I traveled from one extreme (Kolkata, Bangkok) to another (Darjeeling, etc.) I carried a lightweight down jacket (called a sweater--no hood) and used it in Darjeeling. It was perfect. When not in use, it flattens to nothing or can be used as a pillow! Also weighs less than a pound. And fleece is great, instead of wool.

Apr 23rd, 2007, 05:15	#10
pkibbee Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: United States Posts: 58	You will find Kathmandu quite warm during May. Short sleeve tee shirts will be just fine in the daytime and maybe, maybe a light jacket in the evening. And lots of flies.

Apr 23rd, 2007, 11:17	#11
sugarhigh Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Singapore Posts: 15	hm. i'll try finding a down jacket (for cheap) and good to know about kathmandu, and the flies

Apr 23rd, 2007, 21:51	#12
camelgirl 10 year Visa okee dokee Join Date: May 2005 Location: Swannanoa NC usa Posts: 1,025	It should be very easy to find the kind of down jacket I'm talking about. Nylon inside & out filled with down. No bells or whistles, very stripped down. It used to be impossible to find them outside of camping stores in USA & I was asked often to sell mine during the trip I mentioned. Now they are everywhere in the world and not very expensive either! I now have a newer one which I took to India last winter. I needed it on the trip out (cold at home) and used it at night & morning at Sariska park (So. of Delhi), then when I went home. It was so great to have because I also used it as a pillow a few times when the rock-like pillows were too awful!

Sep 13th, 2007, 13:54	#13
NeeliAankhen Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New York, NY USA Posts: 268	Probably everyone knows this but a thing like that - a down garment - is really effectively packed in a big-enough zipper-locking plastic bag with all the air pressed out of the bag so it takes up no space.

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