[jyotirmoy]

I carry my camera lenses in linen socks... a hip flask has saved many lives... a swiss knife... sun screen & if you are going to the beaches choose the ones that dont get washed out

[caribong]

......add to it
...pack an open mind, loads of patience, a face with a smile on it.....
Jus kidding.....
Bring the bare necessities...everything is available in the metro cities....just keep a day for shopping if you are traveling to remote places and buy things accordingly.....doesn't make sense to drag  big luggages around...and trying to keep track of them.....

[maharaj]

Hi larki,

Light is Right....

Those wheeled suitcases weigh 6 -10 lbs empty.  I opt for a very light bag with no wheels that is 6 lbs loaded.

I have never been in India during monsoons...hmmm.  I believe whatever you take, you will still get wet sometimes.  I am thinking umbrella bought in India.  Congratulations for taking only one suitcase.

Have Fun , I envy you.

Maha

[larki]

Maha,
I didn't think about the suitcase getting wet.  
I am trying to just bring a small one (one that is alowed in the overhead) but it does have wheels.  Maybe I should bring a plastic trash bag just to cover the suitcase.

deathbydalbhat:  combination lock sounds better I guess, eventhough it weights so...


jyotirmoy: can you bring a knife in your suitcase????  Does that mean it has to be check through and not in your carry on???


17 more days!!!!!!!!

[Seventies'Neil]

larki, on May 5 2006, 12:11 AM, said:

Are there any items that are a must besides clothes? .

One of these may be useful  

[attachment=108:attachment]

or these

Edited by Seventies'Neil, 29 May 2006 - 01:10 PM.

[fromusawithluv]

Larki, yes - if you're carrying a knife it has to be checked in..not as a carry on...you're not even allowed to carry a nail file (the last time I checked)!!


70sNeil!  isn't that the truth?!

seriously though.. toilet papers are widely available in India...it may not be "charmin" - well I have seen them very occassionally too in metro areas..

other thing IF you have room..is to get those disposable toilet seat covers..u know the plastic ones??

most things you can get in India, even those sanitary wipes, handwashes...
unless you're backpacking..I wouldn't worry so much about plastic cover for your suitcase...while you're in Delhi, you can even get your suitcase cover (stitched)...my friends did that while in India.  You just have to figure out whether your suitcase will be exposed to the extremeties or not...I have an american tourister (cloth)..never had a problem (knock on wood)..been through cold, monsoon, hot summers ...and worst yet those baggage handlers in the airports!
For clear identification..you could tie a colored ribbon on your suitcase..

a rope or (2) around the suitcase (if cloth) for added security...but these days..I don't think it really matters..they open up all of the suitcases, and you're supposed to leave them open...they give you those plastic ties to lock in place.

I did however find those small (snack sized) zip lock bags for storing rupees/dollars during the monsoon weather.. I would just bring a few of those..

so I would travel light.  I wish I knew all of this before I came in 2004.  will be travelling with oversized on my way back to the states though

I like reading & journaling...so I brought my reading light with me..u know those mini ones you could put in your pocket??

I also brought my mini cassette recorder (for audio journaling)..if you're into that...PLEASE get extra (90) min. tapes.  Those mini tapes are a rare find...in Kottakkal, Chennai, Bangalore, and Jabalpur..and when I do find them, I grab them even though they're little more than $1 PER ONE (60) MINUTE Tape!!  Very expensive in India..or better yet..go for the digital kind.

didn't read the earlier posts..but next time I travel to India..i'm buying an Ipod!  It beats carrying all these CDs!!  bring you cd walkman if you've already got it..but it gets too tempting to buy CDs!

that's all for now

[hfot2]

We used to travel carry-on only, until the TSA in the USA wouldn't let us take in a carry-on all the stuff we need that classifies as a weapon [walking staff, multi-tools for bike repair, anything metal and sharp].  

Someone said this above, you'll need to put the knife in a checked bag.  

Also, though, we haven't had this trouble, there are those ever-present airport signs about not having batteries in carry-ons.  On our first flight, we actually took the batteries out of everything - cameras, watches, CD player, PDA - and put them in checked luggage.   Now that we've switched to digital cameras, we don't take the batteries out and thus far still haven't had trouble.

So - if you are going to travel on a plane - you'll probably need to have a bag that you can put some items in to be checked.

Also - clothespins with hooks on them and a clothes line; zip lock bags in large size for wet bathing suits and small sizes for everything else; a bar of soap - my husband found that he got a rash from many of the soaps we got in India, except for Medimix  -that green Ayurvedic soap with 18 herbs like you're washing in salad dressing; elastic bands and scotch tape - when you need them you won't want to take the time to go looking for them.

Edited by hfot2, 01 June 2006 - 03:10 AM.

[pockets]

I am taking one of these http://www.salemcycl...i100906_ds.html  in addition to a padlock.

I was wondering if and where I could get a silk sleeping sack made when I get into Delhi?

Also if my mossie netting options will be cheaper or better there as well?

I will buy electrical converter there as well....where should I go to purchase?

[Bumblebee]

A few days ago I went to Fabindia after reading about it here and was rather disappointed. The women’s section is very very small and only 1/6 of the men’s section Moreover the few clothes for women were mostly western style So I went back to Paharganj and bought some cheap though nice and convenient tunic shirts with bit of Indian touch :-)

[john.sw]

FabIndia varies enormously from store to store.

In Cochin there are three FabIndia shops (2 in Ernakulam and the other in Fort Cochin) and they have completely different items for sale!  The shop in Fort Cochin is tiny and has fewer clothes than my wife packs in her suitcase!

Having said that, we always pop in when we have time because you will often find something special that, once you have seen it, you certainly can't live without!

[dzibead]

Bumblebee, on Aug 5 2007, 10:22 AM, said:

A few days ago I went to Fabindia after reading about it here and was rather disappointed. The women's section is very very small and only 1/6 of the men's section

In addition to what John said about different FabIndia branches carrying different stock, maybe the women's section was small because women often have their clothes custom-made.  It's so easy to buy fabric (either just yardage or the SK "sets" of matching  fabrics for the different components) and have the garments run up by a tailor in a short time for a very modest price.  Why worry about "ready made" when you can do that?

[Serena]

Bumblebee, the store in CP is small but if you go in GK2 it's bigger and has a lot of stuff!  

[reyra]

larki, on May 7 2006, 07:59 PM, said:

Yogagal:
Yes the lock and chain is heavy with that mossie net and sheets, I won't have to worry about taking clothes. I will have exceeded my weight and space!!     I will wait till I get there to get the adapters and anything else.  
Thanks
A month from Monday !!!!!!!   yeah!!!!!!!

it seems like you're taking lot of stuff, well good luck on your trip and have fun!

[hfot2]

We've avoided FabIndia, but now my curiosity is piqued.

Which branch stores are the best in Delhi and Mumbai and Shimla for both men's and women's items?  

Are the prices the same in all branches for the same/similar items or do the prices vary ?  I am so used to street bargaining that I don't know what to expect in a store.

How do the prices compare to the rupee prices on their website?  [mention here is made of dollar amounts on their website, but if you look at the rupee prices they are way cheaper and more in line with what I'd expect in a store]

And how does all of this compare with the stuff on the street in Karol Bagh or Palika Bazaar?

[dzibead]

hfot2, on Sep 8 2007, 02:23 PM, said:

How do the prices compare to the rupee prices on their website?  [mention here is made of dollar amounts on their website, but if you look at the rupee prices they are way cheaper and more in line with what I'd expect in a store]

The prices in the FabIndia stores I've been to (only in Delhi) are much cheaper than the dollar prices quoted on the website.

[jyotirmoy]

Try the Khadi store in CP next to Regal cinema. They offer big discounts in the month of October. For ethenic clothings & jwellery visit Dilli Haat.

[hfot2]

jyotirmoy, on Sep 9 2007, 12:56 AM, said:

Try the Khadi store in CP next to Regal cinema. They offer big discounts in the month of October...

What about in November?

[hotellolanyc02]

A little bed sheets that is relaxed to you. And be careful of some of those "travel pillows" because they are NOT all as relaxed as you would first think - some are too "springy" for my flavor. Try to analyze it first. But almost anything is better than the cushions in the types of locations I usually remain in Indian, which usually experience like sandbags to me!