Packing for India – slow travel

Here you are, finally packing for your trip. You have been dreaming about it for so long and now is the time to let go of all your fears; to immerse yourself into a new culture and prepare for that culture shock.

To make things a little easier, I have listed all the necessary items to take on this adventure. India is a hard one to pack for and if there’s a trip to carefully prepare, it’s definitely this one!

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• Forclaz 50L Backpack

I got mine from Decathlon a while back and it’s the best 50L backpack I have ever owned. It comes with a waterproof cover, which I essentially use as a cover protector rather than for the rain; mostly to keep my bag clean from the dust.

I love that the zip sits against the back. It opens up like a suitcase and prevents the risk of pickpocketing.

The top of bag comes off which is great because it can be transformed into a detachable saddlebag which I find very useful when you only want to take a few valuable items.

• 10L rucksack

I mainly use this bag to fit in my daily essentials, especially water. All my valuables are kept in this little bag and I never part from it. I wear it on my front.

• Water filter bottle WaterToGo

A filter bottle should be on everyones backpacking list. Especially since plastic is a big problem in countries like India. If you want to be more environmentally friendly, I would definitely use a filter bottle, it eliminates over 99.9% of all Bacteria, Viruses, Chlorine, Fluoride and Heavy Metals such as Lead to give you safe, healthy, clean drinking water.

For those of you who are considering buying one, here is a 15% discount code to use at checkout: EGGSMILEY15

• GoTravel packing cubes

I have only just discovered these! I used to travel with those vacuum bags but after a while they would get ruined. GoTravel packing cubes are a great alternative. I think one of the best items to stay organised. Whoever thought of these, is a GENIUS. Makes my travels so much easier!

• Lifeventure Softfibre Towel

SoftFibre towels are super soft and lightweight. I love that they are compact and that they take such little time to dry! I actually have two of them, both from Lifeventure; the SoftFibre pineapple printed and this one below that is unfortunately out of stock.

• Liventure Silk liner

Silk liners are the best! They are also lightweight, and regulate your body temperature. I got a “contact germ guard” silk liner with a pillow sleeve from Lifeventure. I found this very comforting when I was backpacking in shabby guesthouses. A pillow sleeve meant that I had no contact whatsoever with the pillows given by the hotel.
A lot of Lifeventure products are also treated with Polygiene odour control technology which will keep your liner fresher for longer.
These liners also include a hidden passport pocket to store valuables which I only found out about at the end of my trip! Doh. Still, one of the best items on my travel list!

• LifeSystems Mosquito net

I never travel to a country without my mosquito net. Doesn’t matter if there are no mosquitoes, I still use it to prevent bugs, especially cockroaches, from walking on me in the middle of the night! Trust me, it’s happened to me before and I feel much safer with a fabric covering me!
This one I have is from LifeSystems and has a long life Anti-Mosquito impregnation. It’s also lightweight and very compact, perfect for us backpackers wanting to save space.

The mosquito net also includes hanging hooks and cords. It’s perfect.

• Lifeventure RFiD Waist Wallet

I keep my passport, my credit cards, visa photos, travel insurance and the photocopies in this Lifeventure waist wallet. It’s designed to hide under your clothes and it’s the perfect size. It has radio frequency identification (RFiD) which prevents the information being transmitted through the fabric.

• GoTravel Digital scales

One thing I missed was not knowing how much my bag weighed after my travels. Especially when the last days are usually “souvenir shopping”, I like to keep track and make sure my souvenirs dont break the scales before arriving at the airport. I got this little Digital Scale gadget from GoTravel.

• GoTravel Powerbank

Who doesn’t travel with a PowerBank nowadays? We don’t even have to use our phone much and the battery dies so fast. When you’re in India, a powerbank is crucial. You wouldn’t want your phone to die and not know the address or the name of your guesthouse. The GoTravel PowerBank 2500 is very slim and fits in the pocket.

• GoTravel Cable locks

I used these combination locks from GoTravel and I love them because the cables are flexible and feed through small zipper holes.

• Chain

I always travel with a chain, especially in India. That reason being; on long train journeys, if you are traveling in General Class (#DoNotRecommend.Lol!) or Sleeper Class you’ll need it to secure your luggage.

• Blanket

I would only pack this if you’re heading up to the mountains. Something not too bulky, but the blankets already put on the beds in guesthouses are not usually washed (watch out for those bed bugs!), so if you have your blanket, best to use your own.

• Medical Bag

I got food poisoning in India and electrolytes saved my life. When you have Dysentery or diarrhea you get very dehydrated. It is important to keep hydrated, especially in hot weather.
Hand sanitizer and wet wipes are important to bring along too. Water isn’t easily accessible if you want to wash your hands. I know wet wipes aren’t AT ALL environment friendly, but I haven’t really found a substitute to those unfortunately.
First aid kit with plasters; necessary if you have shoes that rub, or if you need to cover up a wound to prevent infections.

• Lonely Planet book

I always get a Lonely Planet guide book before every long-term travel.

• Tissues

Believe it or not, toilet paper is still mostly unused in India. Only the more expensive hotels carry it. When you’re out it will be hard to find a place that has any at all! I wouldn’t recommend bringing toilet rolls with you as they are bulky to carry around, but I do advise you bring some tissues.

• Earplugs

India is extremely noisy. The first thing you’ll notice once arriving is the honks. It’s actually a rule; on the back of every truck it says “horn please” because they use sound to help know when vehicles are coming through. India is also the country with the most stray dogs. An estimated 35 million of them! You’ll hear dogs bark all night and day. If you want a “peaceful” night sleep, don’t forget to bring these crucial items.

• Mosquito spray with 50% DEET

India is known to have cases of malaria and dengue but the problem is the medication has horrible side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. I personally prefer to take all the precautions to not get bitten by mosquitoes in the first place. I have always travelled with the Jungle formula mosquito repellent spray which contains 50% DEET. I got them in Boots at the airport just before leaving. They usually do great offers and they are under the 100ml limit.
In addition to using insect repellent, always wear long trousers around sunset time when most of the mosquitoes are out!

• Blow-up pillow

Did I use it? The answer was no. Is it important to write it in the packing list? Maybe. I always bring the pillow on trips with me but I never use it. I guess it’s good to have just in case. It doesn’t take up any space as it’s a blow-up one. It’s one of those items where: if you didn’t bring with you, you’d want it, and if you did bring it with you, you never used it. Thats why it’s at the end of the list. I’ll let you decide wherever you’d need it or not ha!

• Clothing

Always bring with you a bikini, raincoat, saarong for the temples which also can be used to hide away from the heat, loose-fitting clothes, at least one warm fleece/down jacket (also depending on where you’re traveling).
One pair of trainers and one pair of open sandals were enough for me. Don’t forget you have to carry them if not.

• Passport & travel insurance photocopies + visa photos

Photos and copies of your passport are necessary if you travel to certain places requiring permits. Also, it’s good to carry extras copies of your passport just in case you lose it! It’s also very important to have travel insurance!

• CAXTON or REVOLUT pre-paid card

Every traveller should get one of these prepaid currency cards. They look just like a credit or debit card. Basically, you preload money from your bank account on to this card (Caxton card or Revolut card), fixed at that day’s exchange rate. There are no fees for making purchases or for ATM cash withdrawals overseas. It has saved me lots of BUCKS.

• Extras

Suncream SPF30: the sun is scorching hot in India. Definitely don’t got without.
Torch: I always used my Iphone flashlight, but in case you don’t have a phone that has that option, a torch is good to have.
Worldplug: not necessary if you’re coming from France as they have the same power outlets.
Diary and pen to keep trace of your crazy moments. I always write in my journal my day-to-day activities. I love to read back on them after a few years. I wrote my first travel diary in 2014, “my first trip to India” and I’m glad I did, because I wouldn’t have remembered all the things we did if I hadn’t written them down!

Hope you enjoyed reading. If I have missed any items on this backpacking list that you find inevitable, do tell me comments. I’m curious to know what else you would bring 🙂

Disclaimer: Products from Lifeventure UK, LifeSystems UK, GoTravel UK, Water-To-Go are all sponsored. Reviews are my own.