My Packing List

1066

Packing list

Ok, I see so many posts about what to pack, what to wear and what not to bring (check out the Most Useless Item thread!), how much can I carry etc. And I’ve come across various packing lists on the web, which to be honest are usually male orientated and often not really practical or overly techy and geeky. So I thought I’d try and put together a list, and in doing so it made me think about what I take and why.

Some background - I’ve travelled a fair bit over the last 20 or so years, from back packing to standard 2 week holidays and have visited India a few times (6 to 12 week trips each time that include beaches, cities, nature reserves, temples, palaces and hill stations). I’ve also travelled solo, with friends and with Mr 1066, and done the budget end - 50 R’s a night up to the 75$ posh hotel. So I guess I’m reasonably experienced and I’d also say I’m fairly good at the travelling light thing, not totally minimalist but not excessive either. Although, I think the older I have got the more my packing has got refined but also I feel the need for a bit of pampering (a nice face cream or scrub, comfier hotel beds etc!) so some things have changed over time, but not fundamentally.

A lot of what you take depends on where you will be going, when you’ll be going and what you’re going to do when you get there. Let alone where you’ll be staying, how you will be travelling, climate, and time constraints. And it’s an amazingly personal subject, everyone has their own preferences and experiences, but I guess there are some common items that I always travel with, as others on this forum will. It also depends hugely on what you are comfortable with – if you wear skirts all the time at home then knocking about in baggy trousers might seem odd for you. Conversely if you’re the clubbing type and wear strappy tops and hot pants then you need to consider where you about to go to – another culture with a whole heap of different views on what is and isn’t decent to wear – I’m not going to start that debate it’s been thoroughly discussed elsewhere on IM!

Just remember India has shops too! And to carry around stuff that you might need at some stage doesn’t make sense to me, I tend to buy things as and when I need them, but then I'm not usually constrained by time. Part of the fun is the day after landing, getting acclimatised and wandering around and going to the hardware store to buy a padlock and chain for the train journey, or the bedding shop for a sheet, for me it’s all part of the fun of visiting another country. Whereas friends I know take everything with them and hate to feel unprepared.

I always end up getting at least 1 item of clothing made for me –a total treat! I also realise that none of the clothes I carry on holiday go unused at home, so nothing special is purchased and everything gets used. Maybe that’s just me and my life…..

I’m sure others on this forum could add their thoughts and experiences too. This list is just my take on what I usually do and don’t bother with and it does get varied according to time of year and location and what I’m planning on doing with my time.

• Rucksack – I have l medium, which has a side zip and side strap and 1 small standard backpack; and which gets used depends on where I’m going and for how long (for holidays I always use a rucksack but for work I have a wheelie bag – again totally personal preference and also a subject much dealt with elsewhere on IM !)
• Day bag – small rucksack or shoulder bag big enough to carry your camera, guide book, pack of tissues, headache / painkiller tablets, hand-wipes / wet wipes, loo roll, purse and general junk! Preferably with at least 1 zip pocket in for keys etc
• 1 pair of cotton or micro-fibre trousers – with pockets, I don’t bother with jeans in India but wear them all the time at home. I just find cotton / micro-fibre trousers easy to pack (light weight) and easy to get washed and dried, plus more comfortable) And find travelling on trains and buses more comfortable in trousers than a skirt, particularly for overnight journeys, that way I’m covered up and they are better for keeping those pesky mossies off me!
• 1 skirt – long (could be over the knee / mid calf) it feels nice sometimes to dress up / smarten up a bit (also makes a change from the trousers!
• 1 pair of shorts – over the knee / mid calf & preferably with pockets for change, tissues etc
• 2 /3 T Shirts – (1) long sleeved cos I feel the cold! & short sleeved for beaches and hanging around. Maybe now the IM shop has opened up it could be an IM T shirt!!!
• 2 long sleeved cotton shirts or lose tops (could be salwar kameez style), really comfortable to travel in and to cover up from the sun or mossies
• Shawl or scarf – silk / wool – I tend to treat myself to a new one each trip . Really useful for keeping warm – admittedly I do feel the cold but those air conditioned buses are a nightmare and some of the overnight trains can be very draughty (I’ve even resorted to buying a woolly hat – some enterprising person at a bus station pitches up and for 10R’s I‘m much warmer!) or they can be used as a pillow on a train or bus etc
• Small scarf – light and small, great for tying hair back or covering your head in temples, and for covering / protecting your face from dust etc.
• Cotton sarong or Turkish cotton bath towel – most guest houses and hotels supply you with a towel, so there really is no need to lug a great big white fluffy towel around with you! Plus a cotton sarong or towel will wash and dry really quickly, and takes hardly any room in your bag. I never really got along with those micro fibre super wizzy small travel towels, and yet others swear by them….
• Sandals – I have the action sandal type light weight trekking sort, very practical and have lots of support around the ankle and are totally fine for cities, beaches, hill stations etc. Admittedly not very smart but can’t say that really bothers me (and if I did want something nicer / smarter I’d just buy some..) And very easy to get on and off (remember most temples etc will require you to take your shoes off before you go inside)
• Flip-flops or thongs – buy them when I need them, can be useful for shared showers and bathrooms
• Cotton type sun hat / baseball hat – you need protection from the sun!
• Lightweight fleece or cotton jumper – the hill stations can be much cooler and they can always double up as a pillow on journeys etc
• Underwear – 3 cotton / sport bras (it depends what you are comfortable with, personally I prefer the sports kind, bit more support if you know what I mean… ) and 3 pairs of cotton pants (1 to wear, 1 to wash and 1 clean)
• Sheet or light weight blanket – can buy when there or bring your own. Great for train journeys to wrap yourself up in or for beds that need extra bedding (most guesthouses provide only 1 sheet for the base), bigger / posher hotels will provide everything. Some people swear by the cotton / silk sleeping bag-sheets but I always feel too trussed up
• Swimming costume – all depends if you’re going to the beach, staying in hotels with a pool or not As to the million $ question – bikini or all-in-one, then it is totally personal and depends on how comfortable you think you will be. Again the modesty issue is dealt with elsewhere on IM (thong style bikini’s are just not big and not clever!!… save them for a Greek island or a Brazilian beach!). Mostly just go with what you are comfortable with and be aware that no matter what you wear on the beach you will be looked / stared at anyway!
• Socks – I don’t bother bringing any I just take the flight freebies with me, along with the eye-mask thingy
• Washbag –
o Shampoo & Conditioner (small travel size decanted into plastic bottles) which I then pack into separate plastic bags inside the washbag
The Himalaya Ayurvedic range (shampoo’s soap etc I think I’ve got the brand name right???) is sold all over India and is fabulous! Plus all the big brand names are sold so you can always get replacement stuff, and treat yourself to some new….
o Soap (in a plastic bag)
o Nail Brush & / or Pumice stone – the dirt from streets and travelling should never be underestimated!
o Nail scissors and tweezers (I guess you can use the things on a swiss army knife instead)
o Face scrub / mask – to get rid of the grime of travelling (and for a bit of pampering back in your hotel room)
The beauty salons can be really good in India so you can always get cleaned, tweaked, polished, buffed and pampered there!
o Toothbrush & paste
o A razor – I tend to buy 1 when / if I need 1
o Nail polish – ok I think this is my luxury item! I just have to have my toe nails painted and I can’t justify why and also can’t begin to be bothered to!
o Tube of moisturiser – Aqueous cream (multi purpose stuff – E45 is the UK brand I can think of)
o Sun cream – buy it on arrival / when needed, all the major brands are sold, just check the use by date
o Mosquito repellent / coils etc – buy them as and when needed
o Washing powder – if you’re not sending all you’re washing out then buy sachets as and when you need them.
I tend to wash my own underwear and send the rest to be washed. Just remember that not everywhere has washing machines so your stuff will get thoroughly bashed, so I don’t take anything too precious or flimsy. Also remember that some of the clothes you buy in India the colours can run like crazy – so separate stuff out before hand, unless of course you want all your clothes to be pink or blue!!
o tampons, towels etc – all depends on how long you are away for. If it’s under a month take your own supplies, any longer take some with you and you can buy the rest when you get there – I’ve never had a problem in towns or cities and any touristy places. They might not be on display so just ask the pharmacist and they also might not be the brand you know / prefer.
o Medications and tablets – I usually carry some emergency Imodium (it has to be a true emergency for me to use that evil stuff), buy some Ibroprufen / Aspirin / Paracetamol there (very cheap) and if I need to re-hydrate I don’t bother with those sachet things (they are revolting to me) I buy a bottle of cola and water it down heavily and just sip on that (apparently it has loads of sugar and salt so helps re-hydrate). (these last items are a totally personal take)
I also don’t bother with make-up or a hair dryer, life’s just too short and my bag too small for that kind of thing! Again, the posh hotels tend to have hairdryers and there are plenty of salons

Other stuff -
• Notebook & pens – usually buy these when I get there
• Highlighter pen and / or page markers – for your guidebook (tend to buy these from a stationery shop when I land)
• Torch, battery and spare bulb – buy spare batteries when you are there, although I now tend to travel with re-chargeables as I hate the idea of all that waste.
• A book / novel – India has great bookshops and the tourist places and guesthouses usually have exchange places
• Guide book and maps (personally I can’t travel without a map I love them). You can always buy guidebooks and maps when you get there, I have done this but sometimes a trip to Stanfords in London is just too irresistible!
• Playing cards / travel backgammon set – helps while away long waits at airports and stations
• USB key – to download photo’s onto
• SLR Camera, spare battery and camera bag – I still prefer the old and dare I say it proper cameras! (I usually double up the day bag with the camera bag, so less bags and effort)
o BW & colour film
o Lens cleaning materials
o 2 lenses – wide angle & zoom (300)
• Small digital camera, charger & spare / extra memory card (I have this for those travel shots or when I don’t want to carry around the big camera, useful for street scenes or going out at night. Small enough to slip into a pocket.
• Mobile phone and battery charger – also doubles up as an alarm clock and I find text messages (SMS) a fab way of quickly and cheaply keeping in touch. Mr 1066 and I usually carry 1 of our own phones with a UK sim card and 1 sim free phone and buy an Indian sim card
• Money belt – over the shoulder ones can get in the way (fine for blokes but women may feel less comfortable with these), but the waist ones can be sweaty – the decision is yours! I’ve read stories of sowing pockets into bras, waistbands etc, but I don’t really think this level of security is needed in India
• Small purse – for small notes and change, I keep the large denomination notes in a money belt or tucked away out of sight
• 1 credit card, 1 debit card and maybe some travellers cheques (but not always the latter), and some sterling / dollar notes (for emergencies or landing back at home)
• Water filter system – think of all those plastic bottles
• Copies of passport / travel documents / insurance / immunisations. I keep scanned copies of these on my hotmail account. I don’t bother taking extra photo’s with me and if I need some then I get them done in India (much cheaper!)
• Sunglasses and reading glasses (I don’t bother carrying a spare set but I do take my prescription with me as I always get new ones on each visit)
• International / Multi plug thingy (can’t remember the term for the life of me!!)
• Padlocks (I take or use 3 , 1 large and 2 small so I can lock pockets up on rucksacks for the airport end of things, and for leaving them in guestrooms and on trains, or locking your beach hut up. I know they can be broken into but it’s just a matter of deterrence for me.
• Metal chain – to secure your bag for train journeys, can always be bought in India
• Swiss Army style knife thingy (bottle opener, knife etc)


Things I sometimes travel with but not always –
• String & pegs – not always necessary and you can buy these when you get there, it all depends on where you are staying etc
• Mosquito net – buy it there if needed. If they are provided then buy some heavy duty sticky / packing tape so you can patch any holes
• Small laptop, laptop cover, battery, surge protector
• Music – I don’t usually bother except if I’m travelling alone or will be in the same place for a while. That’s also the same for a radio – I’m not a great fan of TV, and not many hotels seem to provide a radio so I sometimes take 1 with me
• If travelling in the wet season then I buy an umbrella when I land and some flip-flops or plastic shoes. I’ve tried cagoules but find them too sweaty, yuech. I once slept in 1 cos I was in a tent and there was a major storm – long story and I guess you just had to be there!
• If trekking then I take a lightweight wind-proof or shower proof jacket (but depends on the time of year and climate, the down filled ones also look great)
• Trainers / Boots – don’t usually bother with these and would only do so if it was going to be cold when I was there or if I was doing any serious trekking, for light or day walks I just wouldn’t bother. Again this is a totally personal subject, some people won’t travel anywhere without them, others, well I leave it there.

To be honest now I’ve written this list my mantra of “passport, ticket, money” as I leave the house to catch a flight seems a bit at odds!

Phew! I also didn’t realise what an epic this would turn out to be. Nothing is ever totally right or wrong (except perhaps for the thong style bikini - LOL), and I just don’t believe that you can pack for every eventuality, just aim to be comfortable with yourself. Hope this is helpful or sparks some other suggestions.1066

noflylist

wow!

cyberhippie

Bloody hell you call that packing light when I travel I take a pair of shorts, a waistcoat, string vest, one flip flop and me tooth brush.
It all fits comfortably into an Asda bag which I sit on during the day and inflate as a pillow in the evening. I buy one sarong when I'm there which serves as a sleeping bag, towel, curtains and beach mat.
I also wear it for special occasions where shorts just wont do!
Other than that All I have is my sunglasses.

I get by easily, Whenever I need something I just borrow it from my fellow travelers. You know those totally unnecessary things like soap, razor blades, a fleece when I need to go out at night. There's always someone with a few extra clothes pegs and a bit of string, Anyway I've found people are completely fine with you using their clothes line.
Get some mates and your never short of music or Books. Leave the restaurant when someone else with a torch does and your sailing.
A quick walk around will track down the tourist with the shortwave for Saturday's footie. Even mirrors and the like can be found in most toilets and there's usually somebodies shampoo in the shower help yourself, they don't mind!!

I just laugh when I see all these over burdend tourist as I fling my Asda bag into the rickshaw and beat the driver down to 3 rupees!!
Travel's all about what you MAKE of it, ya know what I mean!

noflylist

... a tale of two extremes...

machadinha

Ah were you the one...

__________________
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

cyberhippie

Hey man, I only used four of you razor blades and a BIT of shampoo, what gives?

noflylist

I must follow cyberhippie to a hotel room, buggers are always out of toilet papers

machadinha

And the torn lungi, and the disappeared cassettes, and half my tobacco stash, and the washed-away slippers, and the bus money... Hey, 'twas great while it lasted, wasn't it? But what happened to that postcard?



But, um, yeh, travelling light is nice. Never quite succeed for some reason Chucking things out as you go helps. Don't bring your favorite pants.

camelgirl

Do you bring one shoe also to wear with your one flip flop

me thinks you shouldn't laugh at us overburdened travelers or else you'd be up a creek without any soap or shampoo

happymangotraveller

Hello,

I´m in huge doubt if I should bring my notebook with me. My backpack weights 21kg more a small one (dayly use) with 9kg, what ends up 30kgs!!!! Actually I even feel ashemed of saying how heavy it is. But what can I do for a year trip?! My clothes are not even the half of the weight... And I´m love with my computer, and all possibilities it permits´so I would´t like to be far from it. It weights 2 kgs but there is the surge protector, the silica gel, the power supply and half dozen cds/dvd (including the original in case I need to intialize it again), all that is making it heavy... Is it how it should be or am I doing something wrong?
I saw the list and found interesting, I´m not carrying much more things than she (1066) wrote. Surely something else(for the surprise of cyberhippie ) as I´m staiyng a year long. Many of the things she said is going to buy there I already packed, but anyway it will be in the bag soon after arriving. But I´m not planning to stay in huge cities for long time (also not really of the beaten track) and in a months time the weather will get from too hot to too hot and wet, so I think it makes sense to carry clothes for summer, monsoon, and light winter as I´ll be in mountain region ... Also I have two guidebooks (India and Nepal- I already had them so it does not make sense to buy it again, I think), amd more 2 thin books-I´m by myself and it good to have books to read). Sleeping bags for ashram staying... well, it´s not totally different from her list. But why is it that heavy? Is there something wrong? I´m planning to try to stay a month long in places, and if I like even more, so it´s not really travelling a lot but maybe changing hotels, or close villages.
Finally a querie: how many kgs do you usually carry?

Cheers

LunavadaLad

For me if it doesn't fit in a 25 liter rucksack I dont take it.

__________________
If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home. ~James Michener

wonderwomanusa

My bag usually weighs around 7-8kg when I leave the US. Anytime it gets to being more than 5kg heavier, I send a parcel back to my home.

I don't take more than one change of clothing, because I have things made when I get to India -- much more appropriate for the climate there. When they wear out, I get more made.

I do take undies, hairbrush, camera & battery charger (and two extra sets of batteries), cards, books, glue, scissors...

TulsaisntFar

AH!!!!



So much stuff~!!

happymangotraveller

OK, I surrender! I think I´ll have to leave some clothes...
I´m really not confortable with carrying such weight all aloong with me. I think this huge hucksack is because a little because of fear and attachement..., I´ll try to make it more "yogue". Thanks for making me realize,
cheers,
Dani

gregornot

Namaste,
The answer is 4 meters or about 12 feet(US)long. Follow Sheryl (sic)Crow's recommendation of one sheet per sitting time and all is well. But the average US use is well over this amount due to the diet they eat and diet change.

You can never have too much TP is my motto. But of course I only use 2 sheets per use

Small bottles of waterless hand cleaner is good to have also, but if you use it too much(ie months at a time)you hands loses natural ability to repel germs

Peace, gregor

eat a good diet and paper use is diminished greatly

__________________

"If the roots remain untouched and firm in the ground,
a felled tree still puts forth new shoots.
If the underlying habit of craving and aversion is not
uprooted, suffering arises anew over and over again."