Hello there!
My name is Ankit and this is my first post on local guides connect. As we are gearing up for The Himalayan meet-up being hosted by @Explore_Keshav , I thought it might just be a great idea to share my tips and tricks about how to pack for this short trip into the hills. You could read a detailed FAQ about this unique meet-up here.
I have been an avid traveler all my life and I have this thing for the mountains that keeps driving me back to them.
So much so more that I designed a bag of my own – a travel backpack to make my travel better. I’m sharing a few of the things you need to keep in mind whenever you’re packing for the mountains, feel free to add your suggestions :
- For Footwear : First time travelers often sideline including a strong pair of footwear while travelling to the hills. Since you will be walking a lot make sure to wear ankle length hard base shoes. Not just these ankle length shoes help you cover the bottom of your legs with wild bushes but also act as a great accelerator while small treks or uphill walks. You could also use sports shoes or training shoes but skip the shoes made with cloth or the ones that doesn’t make you feel comfortable when put for long.
Don’t also forget to include atleast 2 pairs of Cotton socks or the ones that could absorb sweat steadily.
- For Bottoms / Lowers : I have seen a lot of fellow travelers regretting wearing jeans during their travel to the hills. Try picking up Cargo pants, shorts and lowers instead. Loose clothes help you move with ease and make you faster than others
- Other clothes : As a rule of thumb - the lighter the better. Since it’s a short two day one night 2 t-shirts, 1 shirt and 1 windcheater would be more than sufficient. The camps are usually smaller in size and you certainly don’t want your luggage to take most space.
- Warmers ? : Certainly you should. You must always check the weather forecasts for a better idea if it would be cold for you or not. We would be staying at a place which is midly warm in the afternoons and chilling at night. Carry a jacket or a warm inner with yourself as temperature woudnt got too low. However everyone has their comfort levels with the mountain chill and keeping an extra piece of cloth is only going to make sure you stay warm.
- CAP or HAT- A must if you want to protect your beautiful skin from the sun during the daytime sunshine. You can consider keeping a warm woolen cap too in case your skin in sensitive to cold breeze.
- A 30-40L backpack- Should have compartments to organize and access the above items without messing up the bag. A bag larger than that for a two day one night trip would be harder to carry.
Bonus tip : Smaller the bag, lesser you have to carry 
- Other items checklist : I could go on and on sharing what all needs to be packed. In the end its only about packing light and packing relevant. Sharing a few more items that could easily be sweeped into your bag’s corners and would be very helpful when needed :
- Toiletry kit- 20ml toothpaste, toothbrush, faceash, wet tissues , sunscreen etc
- Dry towel- the ones which are light and dry up easily
- Sunglasses- Last but not the least. Be stylish and at the same time protect your eyes from the bright sunlight outside.
- Neck pillow- In case you are travelling by bus then it is must to help you keep your neck straight
- Protein bars- incase you feel hungry at the most unexpected area in between
- Hand sanitizer- In the jungle there are no washroom
- Power banks- earphones -swiss knife
- Water bottle- Avoid buying plastic bottle and refill your own bottle. Be a responsible traveler
- Extra cash- Jungles don’t have ATM machines
- Medical kit- For unknown situations
Think I have skipped something essential? Do leave your comment below and let me know! Look forward for a great trip with fellow local guides at The Himalayas!
