Weather in India: what to pack?

What is the weather in the north like in Nov-Dec

Have seen Amritsar goes between 4-27

Varanasi 11-22

Darjeeling 3-14

worth packing warm clothes? or does it just get really cold at nights and pretty nice during the day?

Cheers

It does get cold at night, mornings and sometimes in the evening. Cant generalize pan north India but more so on the hills. North gets fog and that adds to the need for warm clothes during the days that we see any fog. Wunderground is fairly accurate for India.

Where all will you be traveling?

It's worth packing a micro fleece sweater or jacket that will fit into your day pack. It can be pretty cold in the mornings until the fog burns off.

Yeah, agree with all of the above: fleece, maybe something wind-proof/something light. In my own experience of five winters in Varanasi, fog began to sit on the river in December/lifted in mid-January; until then days were cool/cold (depending on your point of reference), same with mornings. That being said, that time of year is also my favorite in the north.

With 5 degrees here in the Netherlands, I'm wearing a sweater, a jacket, a thick shawl and gloves. Is it correct that I just need a light fleece jacket over there?

All set for ice-skating on the Frisian canals!

And don't forget the woollen muffler wrapped around your head and a woollen shawl draped across your shoulders. "When in Rome*..."

*or the other "eternal city" mentioned in the post just before yours.

Yes - you're talking about 5 degrees during the day; in these cases it is 5 degrees at night; and 14 / 22 / 27 during the day.

For the OP, I would find Darjeeling daytime cold by my reference point, however you will presumably be quite active and warm up that way.

How long is the 5-degree night? I think it starts soon after the sun sets (6 or 7pm), and it ends only when the sun comes out again. That can be VERY late in the morning, especially if there is fog. Budget hotel rooms don't usually have heating, so it's cold there, too.

I need a proper winter coat (the same I wear in England) during the day in Uttar Pradesh from about early December until the end of February or so. At night, I need a very warm sleeping bag and warm clothes, socks etc. I think it is worth bringing warm clothes with you from England, because it can be difficult to find good quality warm clothes in India (and if you do find some, it is likely to cost the same as in England.)

Having said that, I always hear people saying that Westerners only wear T-shirts in North India in the winter (during the day) and they are fine. I have never seen these legendary Westerners only wearing T-shirts, but so many people mentioned them to me (when I complained about the cold), they must exist.

Where is "over there?" If you're talking North, as in the original post, then yes indeed. However, come South, and you'll find our "winter" days are equivalent to a Northern-European heat wave

Glad I read this! I thought I wouldn't need the same kind of coat used in Europe when we're in UP in early Dec. Was hoping we wouldn't need to take anything, buy cheaply there and donate as we'll travel south after and prefer not to have a lot on us...but if you say it's the same price as in Europe, it doesn't make sense to use that first plan!

My experience is that the same quality is the same price - in fact, more expensive, because in the UK I buy many things in the sales and / or second hand, but I cannot do this in India when I am only there for a limited time and really need a good coat / warm jumper etc. They have the same shops in Delhi as in London (Marks and Spencer etc.) where you can buy warm clothes, but prices are the same as in London (they also sell Western winter clothes in Paharganj, but when I was there last December, the choice was limited and prices almost the same as in London).

You can, of course, buy cheap socks, jumpers etc. locally but the cheap ones are usually very bad quality and not really warm. Most local people wear pashmina shawls (if they can afford it), these can be cheaper than in Europe, but I personally prefer a coat when it is really cold.

If you are going to the South later, perhaps you can take an old coat and jumpers with you that you can wear in UP; then you can donate them before leaving. Somebody will be very grateful for them, as a lot of poor people cannot afford winter clothes and sadly, some even freeze to death in the winter, or have accidents when they try to keep themselves warm by building a fire for the night and then fall asleep. See http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-...e1-497222.aspx

Thank you for the info, Mirjam2 When you say winter coat, do you mean one of the puffy jacket-type ones with e.g. feathers/down/etc inside? Or a wool-type button-up coat (not puffy)? (I would think the second option in UP!? Unless I'm underestimating the cold there!)

Do you think layering with fleece, hoodies and jumpers would be fine, instead of having a coat? I am taking thick merino wool thermal leggings too as they're lightweight enough to carry back, which should help a lot as well.

Warning: I am very sensitive to cold weather; this is the main reason I started coming to India many years ago (by the time I discovered how cold it was in UP in the winter, I was too inolved and now there is no escape ).

I personally wear the wool-type coat, not puffy, in UP. Layering would probably work just as well; and leggings sounds like a great idea. A hot water bottle can help a lot at night (I have never seen hot water bottles being sold in India so it might be an idea to bring one with you; if someone knows where to buy them in Delhi, please let me know, as now all my friends want one and I only brought one...).

It is, of course, not very cold by European standards (it rarely goes below 0 degrees), but the winds can be quite chilly, and it feels colder because of the fact that houses are not insulated and have stone floors etc. If you are lucky enough to stay somewhere with heating, that will not be so bad, but if - like most Indians - you will have no heating inside, it can really get to you because you just never get a break from the cold, unlike in Europe where you spend most of the day in insulated buildings with heating.

Do you people think I (or other people with a 'normal' UK-like resistance to cold - no offense at all) need to bring a sleeping bag? or would a liner (or two) or a lighter, thinner version sleeping bag do? Or would lots of clothing (thermal underwear for instance) with the provided sheets do?

Does it also depend on the kind of accomodation you're visiting? It sounds reasonable if budget accomodation means bringing a sleeping bag in the winter...

Thank you very much