Minimum Essentials to Pack

I am going to India for the first time in two weeks. From what I have read here most things that a traveler may need will be available to them in India, and so one is well advised to travel light. This is particularly attractive as I will be carrying everything on a bicycle from time to time.

I will be arriving in Delhi and going by train to Rishikesh, then by taxi to Uttarkashi. Depending on how everything goes I may head farther up towards Harsil, possibly by bicycle. Then I will head back to Delhi for the last few days of my 3 weeks in India.

With that it mind, what is the list of the minimum essential things to be brought into the country?

I will have: a bicycle, tools, tubes, a helmet. As far as basics I assume we need:

Passport
ATM card, money
copies of passport/visa
A few changes of clothes
backpack/suitcase
water filter

If I were to get off of the plane at night in Delhi on a somewhat blind trip to Rishikesh, what would I be missing? For example should I carry bug spray and sunscreen with me or buy it when I get there?

Also, how far up into the mountains will packaged foods like snack bars, ect. be available? In Uttarkashi? Harsil?

Thank you all for all of the info!

You can buy all of it atleast in Delhi. Can't say about rishikesh about the snackbars
Buy Lotus SPF 50 sunscreen SPRAY for 200 rs ($4). Odomos has a nice cream for mosquitoes (you may bring yours if u have a sensitive skin).

Global Specialized snack bars - no way. Some indian brands (Horlicks etc) yes and chocolates most global big brands

You may get stuff because in rishikesh in march i saw enough shops with exotic snack bars/chocolates/juices etc but can't say myself for sure!

Man, I packed 50 pounds TO India last Feb., a mistake I won't make again! Yeeeesh! Everyone gave me things they thought I'd need, from bathroom tissue to soap to wet wipes to bug dope to matches and emergency candles and oh my God, I can't even make myself recall the list right now LMAO!

Travel light, you have the idea. Anything you might need will be there -- if you don't see it, don't be too shy to ask the folks manning the counter!

I go again the first of Jan. I am paring it down bigtime You know, it built great muscle carting all my crap around, but I sure don't want to do it again!

I have to admit, my friends in Bangalore laughed their asses off about my bringing toilet paper to India They were laughing again, when at their house and heading to the bathroom, they offered me tissues each and every time

Funny! :P

You should be able to stock up nicely in Rishikesh. However, things like snack bars aren't terribly common in India (although any half-decent grocer will probably have a box or two on hand) and are often imported, which usually means they are stale and expensive. There are a couple of Indian brands now, but they are hard to find outside of major centres. The best strategy would be to talk to other travellers in Rishikesh (especially those who have been higher up in the mountains) and see what they were able to find/not find/live without, etc. That being said, bring a few of your favourite snack bars along just in case. They are easy enough to carry and something familiar like that can be a great pick-me-up when you need it.

Travelling light, to me, means a large torch.

"Minimum" and "Packing" do not belong in the same sentence --- or, at least, I've never been able to make them

There's some sense to the advice, "Pack light," but for a first-timer, getting your hands on the necessities can be like an uphill climb. Goods are available and cheap, but getting them is not as simple as heading to your local Rite Aid and grabbing a shopping basket. You'll be in a strange country, probably feeling the culture shock, overwhelmed by the new sights and sounds. Hotel staff will help you, but you may feel exhausted from constantly having to go to them with requests: "I need to find out where to buy toothpaste. I need to know how to reach the train station. I need to know where I can get aspirin." Getting things in India can be kind of a quest, and it's exhausting to have too many needs as soon as you arrive. Compounding this, most flights arrive very late at night, and travel takes a long time, so it's possible that by the time you check in at Rishikesh, it will be 48 hours since the last time you brushed your teeth.

And maybe you won't mind that; maybe you'll have more fun the more you have to quest for items. But if you're like me, you'll want to pack somewhat light, but still have about as much stuff as you'd take on a weekend trip at home.

Look at things in the positive way, not all that big a hassle to find bits and bobs in the shops anywhere.
After the first trip to India with my bag - 18 Kg plus wifes bag, learnt my lesson and now my bag is around 7 Kg and and if put on a bit of nagging have got wifes bag down to 4.5 - 5 Kg but no more than 7 Kg, and still come back home with stuff that havent worn.I have a list which if want can email you.

Travelling light is a great idea, but why wait until you get to India before shopping for things?

1/ You will still get the same airline allowance of ?70lbs? so there is no point travelling light on the plane.

2/ You can spend time in the States carefully selecting what you need, and save the time in India for sight-seeing: that's why you are going, isn't it?

3/ As mentioned above, finding things in India can be tiring and taxing. Despite what everyone assures you, many items won't be available, and almost certainly not the brands you are familiar with.

4/ One way to travel light is use use modern high-tech equipment. This is MUCH more likely to be found in the US than in India, even in Delhi.

5/ Standard Americans are bigger than Indians. The sizes you require may not be available in India - especially shoes.

So, take your time before you go, carefully shopping for what you need. Use a good packing list, like the one on my website:

http://www.mapability.com/blogs/pack.html

but don't be tempted to buy a lot of the 'extras' you will see in the travel store: battery fan, lockable toothbrush holder, inflatable pillow, etc. etc.

You don't need a water filter for this trip, and you certainly don't need a suitcase on a bicycle, although you could leave it, and any extra items at a hotel whilst you are cycling. MAKE SURE THE CASE CAN BE LOCKED. Do buy bug repellant, and sun screen before you go. One pair of shoes will do, and buy flip-flops when you arrive. The kind of snacks bars you will be used to won't be available in Rishikesh or anywhere else, so bring 20 with you for snacks, comfort food, and energy emergency. The rest of the time, eat local, which is available everywhere.

i think u don't need the water filter, buy filtered water there.

take good quality sunscreen and mosquito spray, stuff there not so good.

campmor has a very thin and light mosq. net, ones there are not as good.

take micrfibre pants

I've travelled to India with only carryon, you don't need much. My "travelling light" packlist has been whittled down over the years by removing everything I didn't use on the last trip. Everyone's will be different and it does depend on where you're going, but mine also includes:

Sunglasses
Pen and paper
Several packets of tissues
Camera
Memory stick with scans of passport / visa / travel insurance / flight ticket/ other documents, also useful for backing up photos from camera
Mobile phone / Indian SIM card / charger
Lightweight LED head torch
Swiss army knife
Flannel to use instead of a towel (wipe, wring it out, wipe)
Toothbrush with most of handle sawn off
Small tube of toothpaste
Sunblock in a 50ml travel bottle
3/4 finished rollon deodorant (no point in carrying new one and taking home most of it)
Individually wrapped DEET impregnated wipes
Several ziploc bags to keep important things dry
Small slice cut from the end of a bar of soap
Mini first aid kit, including antiseptic, rehydration sachets, dressing & plasters, plus several doses of ibuprofen, loperamide, travel sickness remedy.
Several feet of duct tape wrapped around something else (use a layer of clingfilm first if you don't want to leave it sticky)
Several meters of string
"Emergency rations" for last resort eg long life pouches of tuna (lightweight), packets of unsweetened rough oatmeal biscuits, peanuts, 500ml bottle of water

It sounds a lot, but when iti's laid out, it doesn't take up much room.

Thanks Haylo, we are "borrowing" some of this list.

I'll second bringing ziploc bags (both large and small). Not only do ziploc bags keep things dry, they also can act as an easy way to organize a pack. The ones they sell here in India aren't the same quality as the ones you can get in the west and aren't terribly useful, to be honest.

It's funny you mention this as an essential, as it is one of the items listed in in the IM article "What not to take on your India trip"! I'm inclined to agree with you, however, especially if the OP is planning to head for the hills.

What you need depends, in part, on how long you'll be there.

I usually go to Target and get travel sizes of deodorant and shampoo; my dentist gives me small tubes of Crest regularly. Hotel soaps and shampoos are just about the right size to start with, or for a very short trip.

Handy things to have are wooden chopsticks (I like the short Japanese variety), a Chinese paper fan, a deck of cards and a tiny sewing kit that includes small scissors or an Exact-o knife!

Dont forget your ruby red slippers

bring suncream from home, and a couple of 15+ chap-sticks, dental floss is an ultra handy addition too..sewing on buttons, tying things up etc. would BYO snack/protein bars from home also. I have some Pac-safe locks, and though they were about $20 each, they have been one of the best things out. waterproof cover for your bag whilst biking, or garbage bag. head torch