[harwood]

The List:

IN PACK:

1x hiking Boots

1x Cowboy Boots

3x Underwear ( 1x thermal )

3x sunglasses ( in carry bag )

5x Socks ( good quality )

5x hankerchief

1x Thermals ( 2 piece )

1x Gore-tex jacket

1x Thongs

1x Board Shorts/speedo's

3x Singlet

2xt-shirt

1x Denim Shorts

1x denim Jeans

1x Hat

1x Bathroom Bag/Medkit:

-toothbrush/toothpaste

-hair product ( yes im serious )

-Malaria and bactrim and other travel sickness tablets

-hand scissors/tweesers etc

-electric shaver

-moisturiser

-aerogard ( roll on+can )

-panadaol

-telfast

-deoderant

-sunscreen

-basic med kit ( bandaids, bandages, disinfectant etc )

-hand wash

-toilet paper

1x Ear Plugs

1x Micro-fibre Towel

1x Travel Pillow

1x Pillow case

1x sleeping Bag

1x Bed sheet

1x Ipod with cable/headphones ( recharger? )

1x Camera with batteries/charger in soft case

1x Diary + stationary

1x book to read

1x Lonely planet guide India

1x torch

2x Garbage bags for wet clothes

1x emergency travelex card

1x tickets for flights, nepal tour USD$200 LOCAL PAYMENTetc(IN PLASTIC SEALABLE BAGGIES)

1x phone charger

1x small alarm clock

1x small currency converter calculater

1x compass

1x India power adaptor

Out of Pack:

1x Pacsafe mesh

5x Padlocks ( digit code )

1x money belt:

-passport

-visa debit

-travel ex card primary

1x Phone

1x wallet:

-Identification

-medicare

-petty cash

-ISIC card

[jyotirmoy]

It is very difficult to comment on some one's packing list specially clothes.
When are you planing to visit and if I remember correctly you had mentioned about travelling along the south east coast of India. The climate along the coast will be warm & humid.
Your mention of Nepal suggests some trekking, in that case you will need the boots and the warm clothings.
5 padlocks may not be required.

[harwood]

yeah mate, getting every season on my travels, landing in Mumbai, train all the way down to trivandrum, up to chennai, then to kolkata, then sikkim, then back to delhi, rajhastan etc, and kashmir if its safe enough. then across to nepal and going on a tour of everest base camp. jan 17th- april 15th ( India ) april 15th-may 19th ( nepal/tibet ) 2008

thanks heaps mate,

Max

[priya]

That's some journey you'll be undertaking, but I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time.  

Take care, stay safe, and please keep us posted with your adventures.

By the way, have you weighed all you'll be taking?

[iwanttogoback]

does the phone have an alarm? if so, ditch the alarm clock.

maybe photocopy the relevant pages of LP - it's bloody heavy to cart round india. luckily i was in a group of nine so we shared out the heavy stuff like LP and chargers.

cowboy boots? i ended up just wearing the same pair of walking shoes everyday, and thongs (i know what you mean ) in the shower.

how are you planning on washing your clothes? that might determine how many you need, especially socks and jocks.

[malkers]

Leave your sunglasses at home and buy fake raybans in cases for 100rs each on your way round, they'll get dusty, bent and broken in India so just throw them away and buy a new pair anywhere, they are virtually as good as the originals, never pay more than 100rs including case!

I'd say to do the same with tshirts too, they are so cheap you can just throw them when they get worn outor too dirty to bother washing.

[harwood]

all my sunglasses are fake $5 rip offs anyway, but thanks for the tip! will do! yeah I got these wicked leather boots recently, there fantastic to walk around in, and then ive got my big hiking boots for the everest base camp trek. thanks so much guys for all your tips and support!

cheers,

Max

[john.sw]

• -hand scissors/tweezers etc - I have a small Swiss Army Knife with all you need on it.  You can then ditch the scissors from your first aid kit
  
• -electric shaver - Ditch it! Buy a wet razor for a few rupees, or have a shave at the barber for Rs.10/-
  
• 1x small currency converter calculator - Your phone has a calculator built in.. but all you need is a piece of paper with a few conversions on it and you'll be thinking in Rupees before long.
  
• 1x India power adaptor - Get one in India. They cost Rs.15/- and are available everywhere.

You can get all your moisturiser, hair gel, toothpaste, etc. in India, and the great thing is that you can buy very small amounts.  For instance, shampoo comes in sachets (enough for one hair wash) so you don't have to carry around a large, heavy bottle that's going to leak all over your clothes anyway!


1x Thongs?  Sounds a bit kinky, but I guess it means something else in Australia!  

That's a lot of padlocks.  Can't you just take one padlock and a steel wire to thread through all your kit?

There's no Mosquito net or DEET on your list.  DEET is the best mosquito repellent.  If you're taking a net, you may think about taking a length of nylon string (also doubles up as a washing line) and a couple of screw-in cup hooks.

[iwanttogoback]

aerogard = deet (but make sure it's tropical strength, if it is it will be on the front in large-ish letters).

for the padlocks, you can buy thin, strong chain at any hardward by the metre, i just had a length that i kept in one of the pack pockets for padlocking to the train seats.

[harwood]

haha thongs arent what your thinking mate   ill leave you to stew on that one. im gunna invest on one of those pac safe wire mesh's for trains and general piece of mind, is this over the top? john.sw, thanks so much dude, all your helps muchos appreciated  this forum is the mum I never had!


max

[gerry]

Dump the toilet paper and learn to do what the Indians do! I've just got back from 1 month in India and didn't use my toilet paper once. Besides, it takes up a lot of room. If you are really desperate you can buy small quantities in most places in India.

Footwear - most Indians just wear sandals - so dump the cowboy boots as well.

Washing clothes? - no problem in India - most hotels will do it for you and get it back to you the same day much cleaner than you can do it yourself AND pressed as well AND very cheap. If you are camping or in a remote area you might need to do it yourself - all you need is soap and water!

I would echo the comments of other posters - you can buy most things you need when you get there - and cheaper. I took far too much clutter with me - next time it will three kurtas and three lungis/dhotis plus a basic medical kit and not much else.

[kullukid]

gerry, on Dec 10 2007, 04:31 PM, said:

I would echo the comments of other posters - you can buy most things you need when you get there - and cheaper. I took far too much clutter with me - next time it will three kurtas and three lungis/dhotis plus a basic medical kit and not much else.

Less is more!  ?????? KK

[cyberhippie]

My mantra is always pack what you're prepared to carry.

[dzibead]

I'd lose the cowboy boots, unless what you're talking about are really Blunnies, which really are comfortable to walk in (IMHO).  But even then, they seem unnecessary since you are already planning to take hiking boots for when you need heavy duty footwear.  I think you'd be better served in most circumstances with a pair of decent sandals  or a pair of Keen's.  And by decent sandals I mean something like Tevas or Chacos or something similar, not "thongs" (aka flip-flops), which are OK for wearing in the shower but are kind of flimsy and unstable for walking on rough or slippery ground or badly maintained paving.

[dzibead]

You mentioned the Pac-Safe mesh thing. I have one, which I took to India once, when I was traveling with a backpack that couldn't be otherwise locked or secured for the flight (unless I wanted to have it shrink-wrapped in plastic).   Other than the flight to and from India, I never used it, although I might have found it useful for securing the pack if I'd been doing a lot of travel by bus.  Since then, I don't use a backpack (have graduated to a wheeled duffle with lockable zippers) and never felt the need for the mesh.  Yes, I suppose someone could slash my bag when it's stowed under a train seat, but that never seems to be a real risk factor.  As I said, though, it might be more useful for bus travel when your bag might be out of your sight a lot of the time.

[Shiver me Timbers]

For India all you'll need is sandals, so stick with them and the boots for trekking in Nepal. Forget any other footwear, you don't need it.

No need for the electric razor, just get a shave at any barbers for a few rupees (10-15? I think).

Also, I wouldn't go with denim jeans, but that's just a personal preference....

Pacsafe strikes me as  bit unecessary (although your own padlock is good idea) - you can buy chains at stations and on trains no problem...

All in all, it seems a bit much (for me), but like CH says, if you're willing to carry it all....

[dzibead]

I'm with Conor on the jeans issue.  Too dense, heavy, and "unbreathable" in hot weather (and they sort of drag on your legs) and they don't really keep you warm in cold weather, either.  Plus they take forever to dry.  

And the one pair of jeans is the only pair of long pants you plan to take?  Ew!  Don't want to be downwind of you after a few weeks (or even days).  I'd suggest at least two pairs of something in a lighter weight fabric.  You can have simple cotton pants made up quickly in India, or buy something ready made there.

[jyotirmoy]

Bring as little thing as possible. You can always buy what you need as you go. That includes all toilet stuff like deodrants, sun screen creams etc.

[gautam]

This is just my personal take: I find walking in sandals uncomfortable, unless a sandy beach defeats shoes and socks. For me, the most comfortable footwear for walking includes thick cotton sports socks, of which I buy a cheap 10-pair (calf or ankle length bundle in the US [i don't know the availability in India] along with basket ball shoes/sneakers with good ankle support and good cushioning. A brand like New Balance is very good and may not attract undue attention/theft in India as it is not "trendy" [I hope], like Nike or Reebok.  An older, used pair that can be worn on the flight down, and be one's everyday shoe.

Sandals sometimes do not protect feet from odd bits of sharp object and other things: stray cuts, bruises and contact with foreign material is something I try to avoid, and soil-borne parasites in certain areas should not be taken lightly these days [ disturbed patterns of peri-urban in-migration, absence of waste disposal].

I carry some very tough HEFTY  outdoor trash bags [33-40 gallon], because I am neurotic. One useful thing they become is a  laundry bag cum washing machine, water detergent, splash around, rinse, let clothes dry. A collapsible bucket. These bags have other, novel, uses that become apparent from time to time, on the spur of the moment. A few bags take very little space and weigh little.

DEET, 50% minimum.

Singlets, shorts, underclothing, T-shirts, of cotton, of various styles, all available in India. Clothing generally available here. You can have very fine raw silk and wool suits made in some ancient shops in Calcutta in high Edwardian fashion, with satin linings, hand-stitching, as well as hand-stitched dress-shirts. These are some of the biggest bargains.

Thermarest mattress: if you are going to be stayng in bargain places and camping frequently, something to consider.

Swimming trunks??

Re: shaving and barbers: remember that  India has one of the highest HIV/AIDS transmission rates in the world. HIV virus moves through body fluids, primarily blood, even microscopic quantities. Shaving with razors in a barbershop involves minute, imperceptible nicks and cuts. There is no flame sterilization in between customers. So why take the risk? Same reason to avoid razors when taking haircuts and request implements be sterilized in front of you by being flamed in alcohol. Carry a razor stem and case of refill cartridges.

Here is one more reason to NOT receive injections in India from pharmacists called compounders or from hospitals where syringes/needles are boiled/reused. The reason is that prolonged autoclaving is required to destroy the AIDS virus. That is not done in most places. At best, syringes etc. are brought to boil in open containers, insufficient to destroy viruses, and often many bacteria. Always insist on disposal, safety-packed material from reputable firms. Same with IV saline and glucose.

Sewing kit.

[jyotirmoy]

Bhai Gautam these days all barbers use disposable blades, that classical razor has practically disappeared.
Same is the case with injecting syringes. Disposable ones are used now.
So nothing much to worry.