Lostinasia's packing report after one month in India

lostinasia

Just got back from a month and will make a few posting around the forum... here's one for packing.

Do NOT go to India expecting to buy your travel supplies. Shopping will involve lots of trips to different locations and god help you finding those stores. I didn’t see anywhere that provided decent supplies. I’m sure they’re around somewhere, but it’ll take a lot of time out of your trip.

Didn’t take and wish I had: (1) blank CDs. Places to burn CDs (for digital photos) were indeed everywhere, but the CD quality wasn’t the best. A couple of my burnt CDs have had unreadable photos, so I’m really glad I made two copies of all of them. (2) A hard covered CD book to hold those CDs. Idiotic of me to overlook that, really.

Didn’t take and didn’t miss: (1) mosquito net. I believe I got bit exactly never (seriously—zero), perhaps because of the cold. None of the guesthouses had nets; guesthouses in Jodhpur and Agra had mosquitoes in the bathroom but perhaps they were vegetarian. (2) Sleeping bag. The night train (in 2 tier AC) and night bus were warm enough, although on the bus I was wearing a couple of layers. (3) Phrasebook—everyone in the tourism business speaks some English; my guidebook back pages had enough of the “please/ thank you” words, although I almost never used those either.

Took and was really glad I had: (1) tensor bandage for wrapping around hurt joints, for example around ankles idiotically twisted while carelessly stepping down from a high sidewalk outside Agra’s Red Fort. Hypothetically speaking, of course. I’ve carried the thing in a little first aid kit for years and was SO GLAD I had it. Not one of the knee- or ankle- specific ones; a long strip with little clips to secure it when you’ve finished wrapping. I also learned that all that talk of ankle support DOES mean something and I’m going to wear shoes a little more often and sandals a little less often in the future. (2) Combination lock and long looped cable thing. Used on the trains of course, but also for slightly silly things like locking my pack to the seat on a bus when parked in a terminal. I also often put my combination lock on guesthouse doors, and then I didn’t need to worry about losing keys. (3) balaclava/ neck warmer made of a thin material (some kind of hi tech hiking fiber): TINY in the pack and added tons of warmth when out at night (I usually wore it as a neck wamer). (4) Mini-tripod for my camera—got some good night shots of Jaisalmer and Bundi forts with this.

Wasted weight: Nalgene water bottle. It was great for a few days and then I realized I had no good way to clean it—someone later suggested recently boiled water. I wound up just carrying the local water bottles anyway. Towel… even the cheapest guesthouses provided towels, so my towel was kind of a waste, but there was one place where I needed it and it just doesn’t feel right leaving home without a towel (perhaps this comes of reading about Ford Prefect at too young an age). Wore glasses more often and contact lenses less often because of dust, so I guess I could have taken a smaller bottle of contact lens solution.

This was my first trip where taking only one pair of trousers was kind of a problem. In Rajasthan there weren’t really any days when it was warm enough to wear shorts, so I walked around freezing and looking mildly ridiculous on days when my trousers had desperately-needed cleanings. I still wouldn’t have carried another pair.

I met one couple who were traveling with a water filter (for bigger gunk) and purification drops (for smaller gunk) and using those together for drinking water—they’d been doing that for a month or two with no problems and no plastic trail behind them. Good for them and hopefully one day I’ll start doing the same thing.

I used the 2004 India Footprint book. Good enough—sometimes I had more info then other people who had Lonely Planet, sometimes I had less. Lots of people looked at my guidebook and raved about how wonderful it seemed, but I think that was just a grass is greener thing. I certainly seemed to learn more about the places, but I think that’s just because I read more.

I wish I’d had a decent Rajasthan map, but I’m not sure if they exist. The ones in the Rajasthan bookstores certainly didn’t seem all that good.

Lostinasia's Gizmo report after one month in India.

Lostinasia's "discomforting stuff" report.

Reporting after a month in India (transport).

Edited by steven_ber to add links to other threads.

Frooty

Great review Lostinasia.... very useful stuff for soon to be newBS to India like myself.

One queston what time of the year were you in India? Just so I know for clothing and stuff. Thanks.

lostinasia

I got back a week ago, so from mid January to early February. It warmed up considerably in the last week I was there, and apparently it was unseasonably cold before that. In Rajasthan/ New Delhi you probably won't have to worry about temperatures that low again until next December or January. The people I'd met who'd gone to Mt Abu or the mountains had been freezing--subzero with snow in the mountains. But that's probably over now.

It's important to remember that the buildings are not designed for cold! In Canada when it's -5 it's cold outside but 20 (Celsius) or so in the house/ restaurant/ whatever. In India when it's 8 outside it's 8 inside too, and that makes a heck of a difference!

ploma

i should say that most of the guesthouses i've been in India (and i've been 4 times in India) didn't provide me any towel. But maybe that's because i didn't ask for as i've mine's.

vistet

Lots of useful info , esp the burn-CD section , thanx.

Some thoughts : I`ve bought and used CD-mailers , which is a very slim and light cover-with-label to send home back-up CDs. I`ll bring a small stack of these , loaded with fresh CD`s next time.

Round - not square - PET bottles are a lot sturdier than they look and they have the advantage that you can lose them without any heart/wallet ache. I`ve happpily reused these without any problems.Nalgene is also quite heavy.
Cleaning : I`ve satisfied myself with pouring some boiling water and swirling it around for a minute. The classic solution - which I´ve never tried - is using baking powder.

...as Ford Prefect would love to point out : a good-sized towel also works as a lungi

machadinha

Hmm yes and a lungi can work as a towel and is quick to dry. (It's also quickly saturated I have to add and won't work indoors in winter in Delhi or similar. Besides walking around in a lungi in Delhi or Rjasthan would be like walking around stark naked in your hometown probably. You'd still have a dry butt though.)

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Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links