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Travel
Tips
| Things
to do before you leave |
By this we mean the things you usually
have to fix before you go. The list contain preparations and things
you have to remember.
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| For
most trips |
Pay
the rent and other necessary bills
If you are lucky enough to have
a flat, you'd better be sure to still have it when you come back. It is
nice to have it all sorted out when you travel, so the best thing
is to give some money to a trusted friend, who can pay all necessary bills
when you are out of town.
Balance
your bank account
It's also important to let someone
take care of incoming salaries or outgoing expenses in the credit card.
Wash clothes
I like to have all my clothes shining
clean when I hit the road, and I also kind of prepare for my home-coming
by having a clean set of clothes at home to put on after the kind of orgiastic
shower you are craving when you return.
Wash the
dishes
If you forget this, you'll be sorry
when you come back.
Clean out
your flat
This is a good idea, especially
if you plan to let someone else live there while you're away.
Change the
message on your answering machine
It might be a bad idea to leave
the message "I'm away to Garhwal for 3 months" since it gives a thief plenty
of time to empty your apartment, but something that stops Mom from
calling 90 days in a row could be nice.
Make a lunch
By having a few sandwiches made
in advance you can save quite a lot of money by not having to buy such
stuff on trains or similar places where food is expensive or unhygienic.
Confirm
airline tickets
It seems like everyone is recommending
you confirm airline tickets a few days before the flight, but it has happened
several times that airline employees sound as if you are an idiot every
time you really do confirm these tickets.
Shave
It can be a very good idea to shave
before you leave (if you do shave), and thereafter letting your shaving
equipment stay at home. Unless, of course, you are unfortunate enough to
have work or upbringing that makes you shave every morning. Ouch!
Plant care
Have someone take care of your plants
while you're away or they will change colors.
Pet Care
Have someone take care of your pets
while you're away or they will change color, too.
Empty all
water containers
A filled water boiler can be rather
disgusting after a month. Not to mention in what condition a coffee pot
or coffee making machine filled with used coffee grounds can be after a
month! Absolutely disgusting!
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| To
do before a longer trip |
Empty your
fridge of perishables
Vegetables, for example, are pretty
disgusting if you have to deal with them 3 months after they should have
been eaten. If you empty and unplug your fridge remember to defrost it
first, then leave the door propped open.
Empty all
trash cans
Vegetables left in the trash can
for 3 months are even more disgusting than the ones left for the same time
in the fridge. Forgetting this might possibly even make your neighbours
call the police since they might think you've been lying dead in your flat
for 3 months.
Give copies
of your keys to someone else
It is a good idea to let someone
else have copies of your keys if you are out on a longer trip, in case
something must be done in your apartment. Maybe someone needs to
water your poor plants, or take care of your mail. Don't let them have
your own keys, since they might be out of town when you come back, leaving
you sitting outside your own door without any way of getting in.
Cut your
hair
One likes the feeling of being 110%
prepared when leaving home, so getting a hair cut is high on
the list when going for a long trip. In some situations, it will also help
when hitching rides. As long as you don't expect to get a perfect cut,
you can always do it on the road.
Visit the
dentist
A good idea if you go for more than
a couple of months.
Fill in
the tax return form
Do it if your trip coincides with
when it is supposed to be filled in.
Prepare/update
your will
It might be comforting to know that
your will is up-to-date in case you pass away during your travels.
Forward
newspapers and magazines
If you're away for some time, it
might be a good idea to forward your subscribed newspapers and magazines
to some other place or person . Some newspapers also allow you to
put your subscription on a hold until you come back.
Unplug electrical
stuff
This may reduce the risk of fire
if the house is struck by lightning, or if there is some kind of power
surge, while you're away. Some appliances consume electricity while plugged
in, even if they are turned off. Tele visions are a good example of this.
Switch off
the water to your apartment
In case a water pipe breaks while
you are away.
Get a manicure
A woman is recommended to have nails
cut as short as she can tolerate.
COA - Change
Of Address
Tell your friends where they can
contact you if it is necessary.
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| Clothing |
This list describes clothes most
of us are quite likely to bring with us, biased to male style of
clothes. Try to melt into the environment by using clothes that don't look
too odd. You can even throw or give away clothes
when you don't need them any more.
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| Unisex
clothes |
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Underwear
Can be obtained very cheaply in
many towns, but if you prefer thewestern style, you'd better get a basic
set of these at home before you go. Definitely stay with cotton.
Shirts
There is always a season for a good
warm shirt in Garhwal. People usually bring one or two tough flannel shirts.
T-shirts
Pretty impossible to be without,
unless you just use thin shirts. You can buy them cheaply along the road.
Shorts
This is a must, particularly if
you are planning to go trekking. It is one of the most important pieces
of clothing you use. Buy one or two pairs of very good quality, and be
sure the pockets are tight enough to give pickpockets a hard time.
Socks
Good quality socks can be a blessing.
Wool is best. If you are hiking, be sure to bring a lot of socks in case
the weather is bad - walking in wet socks is horrible! Remember, if it
is summer in Garhwal, then you are unlikely to use any socks at all or
light ones, at best!
Pants/Trousers
Jeans are important, too, for the
hiking in rough terrain when slips can cause you to scrape against rocks,
or if you brush against thorny bushes.
Shoes
Very important. Only use good quality
shoes. For treks get the best possible boots you can afford. If planning
to visit during winter or if you are going skiing, waterproof shoes are
a must for walking in the snow.
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| Optional
clothes |
Well, pick the ones you like, and
leave the rest at home.
Belt
Useful for many purposes.
Track-suit
A light track-suit works in two
ways: both as something you can wear when you are washing your other clothes,
and as good clothes when it gets cold. They take up a lot of space in your
backpack though. Good quality ones, however, remain one of the things that
are easily tradeable in Garhwal, in case you want the shirt of some Garhwali’s
back.
Umbrella
Some love them, others hate them.
What kind of person are you? Can also be used as a sun shade. The word
"umbrella" actually means literally "a little shade". An absolute must
in Garhwal for the sun and the rain, as the weather here is moody at the
best of times. Can be acquired locally.
Swimming
trunks
Takes virtually no space in your
backpack, and can be very nice.
Beach pants
Thin cotton pants that are great
when shorts are too casual and it is too hot for regular trousers.
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| Clothes
for Cold weather |
| The title says it all. If you go
to hot climates you can just skip this list.
Sweater
A must! Bring a fleece jacket. It
can double as seat cushion, head cover on cold nights, and pillow.
Gloves/mittens
In the winters these are a must.
A thin pair of light wool mittens takes up virtually zero space.
The ones with grips on the palms and fingers are the best. Will
also keep your poor thumb warm when hiking, as well as
protecting your hands while scrambling up mountains.
Jacket
Highly optional. Only if you expect
to attend formal do’s.
Long underwear
Must during winter visits. Your track-suit bottoms can double as long underwear.
Hair-band
Keeps your ears warm and works as
a sleeping mask as well.
Scarf
Can save you from getting a cold.
Warm cap,
sun cap and shades
All three are a must in Garhwal.
Good quality ones can be acquired anywhere in Garhwal.
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| Money
and documents |
This list is about what kind of
documents and what kind of money you better not be without.
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| Basic
documents |
| Passport
Passport A must for those who are not Indians.
Visas
Insurance
certificate
Travel
cheques/cash
Everyone knows TC's
are safer than cash, but remember, it often takes two
hours or more to change a TC.
Receipt
for travellers' cheques
Carry it very much separate from
your Travel Cheques.
Cards (Visa,
Euro card/MasterCard, American Express etc)
In a group, have each person bring
a different "brand" card. Make sure to carry the phone numbers to call
to report if your card is stolen!
PIN code
to cards
So that you can use them with ATM
machines to get cash. Do NOT put these codes in the same
place as your cards, since all your money might be withdrawn
by someone stealing your cards. ATMs are becoming available in some towns
of Garhwal.
International
Driving license
Optional. If you are not resident
in India it is not very clever to try and drive straight away in the local
traffic conditions and certainly not in the mountains. If you must, make
sure you have insurance cover. Can often double as your ID card, though.
Address
list (with phone numbers and email addresses)
For writing letters, sending emails
from a cyber cafe, or for phoning home to Mum for more money.
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| Optional
documents |
| Well, some of the items on this
list might be very good to have with you, so you'd better read it.
Notepad
For writing letters.
This packing
list
Can be very handy if you have things
stolen. It can be darn hard toremember what you lost otherwise. Remember
to delete all items you didn't bring with you.
Photocopies
of important documents
Keep a set of these in case you
lose your passport or any other valuable document. Might be of help. Of
course, keep them separate from the important documents.
Photographs
for visas/passports etc
Carry at least a dozen in case you
need to get a new visa or passport.
Addresses
to embassies
Just in case you get into problems.
Calendar
Very nice as a souvenir
Envelopes
For keeping documents in, or for
letters.
Business
cards
They can sometimes give you an air
of respectability that your appearance might not warrant. Some people
bring small cards with just their name and address on.
Phone card
For making long distance- or local
phone calls.
Medical
history
It could be a very good idea to
write down your medical history on a piece of paper and put it into your
passport in case you're involved in a car accident or something.
Such a list of important information could include
blood type, prescription copies ( eye ), medical conditions, diabetes,
heart problems, etc.
Hotel and
car rental vouchers
For those that book in advance.
International
driving license
In many countries this is a must.
In some countries you might be refused car rental if you don't have this
kind of license. Make sure your insurance covers you to drive!
International
Student Identification Card (ISIC)
Can save you some
money in Youth Hostels, trains, museums,
planes, so get one if you qualify as a student. If you can, get
the brochure with addresses to student travel organizations and tear out
the pages you want.
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| For
carrying money and documents |
You might end up carrying a lot
of important documents, as well as money. This list gives some hints on
how to carry them. Remember to carry these things in 2 or more locations.
Unless everything gets stolen, this way you'll have some extra money and
papers that will make it easier to replace what was stolen, not to mention
that some extra money can make it possible for you to continue your travels
while waiting for new travelers cheques or documents. When making purchases,
be modest. Don't flash large amounts of cash.
Pouch for
valuable documents
With women the problem is that these
pouches are designed to hang on a flat chest. You can, however, wear them
horizontally below your breasts and above your waist. Some travelers have
found out that the ink used on airline tickets smears greatly after a couple
of months in the pouch. Putting them in a small plastic bag inside
the pouch keeps out the moisture.
Money belt
Also bad when it's hot. Less practical
for women. The kind you wear underyour clothes is inaccessible if you're
wearing a dress, and the kind that looks like a man's belt
looks like a man's belt. There are many different designs,
sizes and materials, so you may find one that suits
you perfectly.
Wallet
They have a distinct disadvantage
- pickpockets! Where pickpockets are a problem – which they are in large
pilgrimage centres, railway stations and bus stands, carry your wallet
in your front trousers pocket.
Coin Purse
A coin purse can protect your pockets
from premature wear, not to mention guarding against damage to parts of
your lower torso, should you decide to do any running! :-
Clothes
with hidden pockets
There are various ways in which
people carry money and important documents in hidden pickets in their clothes.
In India, we usually wear cotton baniaans (vests), which absorbs most of
the sweat in the tropical weather while traveling . So a few important
documents & cash can be stored in pockets in these vests. Since
a shirt is worn over the baniaan, there is no way a pickpocket can venture
so far. Another option is cotton underwear with pockets – to store the
buffer cash.
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| Tickets |
Maybe you'll be hitch-hiking. The
rest of us might need tickets.
Airline
tickets
Boat tickets
Train tickets
Bus tickets
Timetables
For buses, trains, boats and flights.
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| Maps |
Remember that good
maps can be pretty hard to find. Some
good maps are available in western countries that are not available in
Garhwal or most parts of India. It is always useful, however, to poll the
locals before setting off on a trek, wherever in the Himalayas you are,
no matter what your map may tell you. Make sure you know about inner line
areas and other prohibited areas before setting off, if you do not want
to spend a few nights in the cooler.
Small scale
map
For more detailed kind of traveling.
In cities you can often get them for free in
tourist information offices. Good souvenirs!
Small world
map
For showing people where YOU live.
You may have one in your diary.
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| Books |
Books are heavy but hard to be without.
Phrase-book
Novels
Guidebook
There is such a thing as a Lonely
Planet guide, but they're approaching the weight of a brick, nowadays,
so try to reduce it by ripping out pages or leave it at home.
A too-complete guide-book is kind of boring, since it reduces the
thrill of finding your own hotels and magic places.
You can be pretty sure that if a place is in the guidebook,
it is more or less crowded with travelers.
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| Equipment |
Quite a few lists of general equipment
handy in different situations.
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Things
for packing
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| Items that enable you to bring along
the other items as effortlessly as possible.
Backpack
Backpack
rain cover
To wrap around your backpack if
the rain is too heavy.
Small extra
backpack (Knap sack)
Expandable
carry-on
The expandable bag will provide
more room for souvenirs when retur- ning home from a trip.
Rubber-bands
It's kind of amazing how much you
can put into a backpack if you do a good job.
Plastic
bags
Excellent to put stuff in, but unfortunately
not that durable.
Small box
Can be a good idea for small things
that easily get lost in the back- pack. Such a box is also a good
place to put fragile stuff in, such as a pair of extra glasses.
Suitcase
For trips of a more businesslike
character, or if you really hate to see all your clothes wrinkled up, it
might be worthwhile to bring all clothes in a large suitcase.
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| Sleeping
things |
| Things that might give you a better
sleep, or actually give you a chance to sleep at all.
Sleeping
mask
A black hair-band is said to work
as well, when for example trying to sleep on a intercontinental flight
or on a ferry.
Inflatable
neck supporter
Kind of wimpy, but has given me
some good nights sleep recently.
Earplugs
Packs very small and can save you
(or your fellow traveler) a night's sleep.
Sleeping
bag
Takes up a hell of a lot of space
in your backpack. Get one in a sack that makes it possible to compress
the sleeping bag as much as possible.
Pillowcase
A pillow is too large to fit in
a backpack, but you can make one by just stuffing clothes into a pillowcase.
Hammock
Bulky, but some people need it.
Mosquito
net
Necessary if you are travelling
to Africa, but easily available in India, where needed.
Sleeping
mattress
Very useful!
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| Eating
/ food equipment |
Read this if you are likely to cook
your own food every now or then. Remember that this kind of equipment weighs
quite a lot and takes up a lot of space in your backpack.
Stove
Well, try to find something so small
that it fits in your shirt pocket. Some reports say "multi-fuel" stoves
are excellent.
Folding
knife
A Swiss army knife is good for many
things, but the blade is usually too short for slicing bread or fruit.
Can opener
One of these things you are bound
to need sooner or later. Unnecessary if you have a good Swiss army knife.
Bottle opener
Bring a good Swiss army knife instead.
Water bottle
DO NOT use mineral water bottles.
Buy one of the metallic types.
Thermos
Nice for keeping liquid cold on
hot days, as well as keeping liquid warm in cold climates. A metallic indestructible
thermos can double as a water bottle. Heavy.
Tea spoon
Steal one from the first cafe along
the road! Great souvenirs!
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| Eating
utensils |
Drinking
cup
Buy a thermos or water bottle with
a decent screw on glass. Do not take plastic cups or glasses into the hills.
Plate
Perhaps the best kind is made of
heavy-duty plastic. Sometimes also works as a Frisbee. Take it home with
you.
Washing-up
liquid
Try to find a small bottle that
can hold just as much as you'll need on your hike. Every kind of soap or
detergent is available in every part of Garhwal, however.
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| Miscellaneous
equipment |
| Things that just didn't fit into
any other list.
Compass
Binoculars
An absolute must if you really want
to discover Garhwal.
Pens
You can buy them anywhere.
Candle
Nice in your hotel room late at
night when the electricity is gone.
Poker cards
Can be a hit when waiting for transport.
Frisbee
You'll need plenty of room to show
what it is to the customs officer.
Lighter/matches
Matches can be bought everywhere
but are sometimes of lousy quality. You should really bring a couple
of cheap gas lighters even if you don't smoke.
Rubber door-wedge
For use at night when a door has
no lock. "Essential for a lone woman".
Sunglasses/clip-ons
Small ones are cool but will leave
your eyes pretty unprotected.
Keys
I once forgot the keys on a short
trip to our summer house. Very very annoying!
Laundry
brush
In case you do your own laundry.
Juggling
balls
Always make good impressions on
the other sex (if you know how to NOT drop them). And it's fun too.
Small tear
spray gas can
Definitely the smallest, cheapest
and easiest-to-use protection weapon available. Not necessary in the mountains
unless you have the nerve to use it on the bear you might blunder into.
Trekking
poles
They look very much like ski poles,
except that you can adjust their length, and minimize it when strapping
them to your backpack. Locally available.
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| Extra
things / repair supplies |
If any of your equipment breaks
or you lose something.
Extra shoe
laces
Extra glasses
Straps for
glasses
The sporty type that makes your
(sun) glasses stay on your nose. Bodysurfing can be expensive:
Safety pins
You are wrong if you think you don't
need them.
Paper clips
Sewing Kit
Sturdy nylon
cord
Can be used for just about anything,
including a clothesline string. Remember that drying clothes overnight
indoors only works in hot and dry climates. It can take several days if
it is damp and/or cold.
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| Hygiene |
This is a list of the kind of hygienic
things all of us are very likely to bring with us. It is a good idea to
put most of these things in a separate pouch so that you can easily heave
it out of your backpack every time you go to the bathroom.
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| Hygiene
(basic) |
Necessaries/Toilet
bag
A handy bag where you put all your
hygiene items.
Shaving
equipment
Well, a must if you are a guy. Leave
the can of shaving gel/foam at home.
Electric
shaver
If you are just going for a shorter
trip and don't mind the weight. But then again, if it is a short trip,
why not just leave it and shave when you get home?
Extra blades
for Shaving equipment
This only applies to those who prefer
to avoid electric shavers. They are heavy, and electrical standards are
not standard.
Mirror
A handbag mirror if it looks sturdy
enough. Glass may not be a good idea for some journeys. Highly polished
stainless steel mirrors are available. Also very reflective are the undersides
of CDs.
Toothbrush
Bring one if you have a favourite
brand. You can buy one anywhere but it would be interesting to try out
the many alternatives that exist in India from the twigs of medicinal trees
to the powders that are available.
Toothpaste
Can also be bought almost everywhere.
Soap
The ones you find along the road
may not smell the way you are used to, but at least they are available
everywhere.
Soap dish
The box where you keep your wet
soap.
Liquid soap
Liquid soap in little containers
is said to be more convenient to carry than bar soap. A sample size bottle
can be refilled from normal size bottles.
Shampoo
If you are really hard-core, you
can use soap, but, real shampoo is a necessity.
Toilet paper
NOT available everywhere, but nevertheless
kind of indispensable.
Towel
Alternatively, there are very absorbent
cloths which act like a sponge to soak up water. They dry very quickly
and are much smaller than towels.
Sun protection
Available at all chemists. If you
are specially sensitive, bring some heavy duty stuff! It is a must.
Contact
lenses
It might be a good idea to bring
some extra lenses in case you lose one, for example if you take a
toss from your raft or your kayak flips over..
Lens cleaning
liquid
Take a small bottle of multi-purpose
liquid. You usually don't need a big bottle.
Lip balm
The wind can be chilly and the sun
is outrageously strong.
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| Hygiene
(optional) |
Some optional hygiene items.
Comb
You might be pretty unhappy without
it. Packs very small.
Hair brush
Can double as a washcloth. An absolute
must.
Handkerchief
Can double as a washcloth.
Detergent
Available almost everywhere, but
you can use soap with satisfying results.
Laundry
brush
If you want to sprinkle on some
detergent and scrub your clothes clean.
Deodorant
Some say this is a must. Some even
say "lots of deodorant, PLEASE!!!"
Fingernail
clippers
If you can travel without biting
your nails.
Moisturiser
Can also be used on hair if sun
makes it impenetrable for your comb.
Qtips
Cotton on a stick to clean the ears
after dusty bus trips.
Tweezers
The metal tongs women use to pluck
hairs from their eyebrows!
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| Health |
Many things can be sorted out given
time and care - be prepared to forget your schedule and stay put for a
week or so.
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| General
health stuff |
Condoms
A natural accessory for a travel.
But do bring a companion along. Has other uses, of course.
Sore tape
If you need to protect and/or cover
these blisters you got from cheap shoes. Plasters/ bandages work alright
for this; however, there are excellent products available which are made
specially for walking blisters/sores.
Insect repellent
Very good to have in Malaria areas.
Plasters
("Band-Aids")
These are available in a wide variety
of shapes and sizes. Take a good selection as well as some tape rolls.
First aid
kit
Carry one, just in case.
Iodine
Iodine drops can purify water,
and are great on cuts.
Water purifying
filter
If you know you have to purify large
amounts of water for a long time, then this gadget might be an option.
Quite expensive and quality varies. Many water filters have appeared
on the camping market in recent years.
Ear drops
Very nice if you get an infection
in your ear from exposure to water.
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| Pills
and tablets |
| There's a lot on this list.
Remember that with a backpack full of strange pills, you can get into border
problems. Keep the pills in their original containers, and stuff them all
in a box so that they don't end up being ground to dust by the pressure
in your backpack.
Water purifying
tablets
Vitamin
pills
When traveling, your diet leaves
a lot to be desired.
Motion sickness
tablets
Also available are "patches" which
attach to your skin (behind the ear) and slowly release the required
medication. There are devices, wrist bands, which are reported to provide
relief by applying pressure to wrist
Fever tablets
Paracetamol/acetaminophen is recommended.
Pain relievers
There are many different brands,
so make sure you bring a type that works for you.
Allergy
pills (anti-histamines)
Malaria
tablets
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| Electrical
stuff |
General electrical or electro-mechanical
stuff sometimes worth bringing with you.
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| General
electrical stuff |
Alarm clock
Essential if you have a flight very
early in the morning. Most watches have alarms, nowadays.
Cellular
Telephone
Remember that you may need a wall
socket adapter if you wish to recharge the batteries in the telephone.
Computer
There are many choices from Laptop,
Notebook, Sub notebook to PDA.
Watch
Torch/flashlight
Wall socket
adapter
Hair dryer
Some people cannot live without
it...
Iron
The travel (small) size that can
be used with 110 and 220 V. "The iron is a must if you don't want to wear
wrinkled clothes straight from the suite cases.
Batteries
For your camera, flash, torch, watch
and Walkman.
Solar battery-rechargers
Some of them are small enough to
carry around. They recharge A batteries in a few hours in bright tropical
sunshine, and of course avoid the pollution of with nasty batteries.
Short-wave
radio
An absolute must to catch the news,
so that developments – minor and major- do not catch you napping. Remember
to listen into the weather bulletin regularly, particularly if you are
up in the mountains.
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| Photo
equipment |
Camera
Be sure the batteries are fresh,
or choose a camera which needs no batteries at all!
Video camera
Some video cameras are now so small
that they're actually an option for travelers.
Film
Bring lots of it, and, if you have
an old camera that does not automatically sense the film speed,
Video tapes
Flash
Camera bag
Extra lenses
Tripod
A few people have recommended a
thing called "Ultra pod". It is a 50 gram, 10cm long plastic tripod available
at camera stores. It comes with a Velcro strap to attach to chair backs
etc.
Extra battery
Just like film; always cheaper at
home.
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| Music
stuff |
A Walkman can be heaven and hell.
It can be stolen, and it can also giveyou some of the best highlights of
a trip.
Walkman/CD
player
A Walkman with a radio tuner can
be very handy.
Headphones
Music cassettes/CDs
If you bring too many, they take
up a lot of place in your backpack. If you bring too few, you get sick
and tired of them in a flash.
Microphone
Tapes with sounds from trains or
cities can be marvelous to have to remember how the trip was like. Packs
very small.
Walkman
headphone 'doubler' plug
It plugs into your Walkman headphone
'out' socket but has two sockets on the other end to plug two sets of headphones
into. That way two of you can listen to the same tape.
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| Diving
equipment |
Absolutely
essential for the diver
Diving
certificate
If you are a certified diver you'd
better take this card with you.
Diving log
This log might be required so that
your dive master can see that you have dived recently. If not, you may
be required to make a tune-up dive before they will let you go on your
own.
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| Toys
for hard-core divers |
Most of the high priced resorts
offer rentals of these types of things. It is often best to go this route
so that you are not burdened with getting the equipment to where you are
going. And you also do not have to worry about servicing it. Most places
that offer rentals also offer classes in the operation of the various toys.
Spear gun
This one is a bit harder to get
past customs.
Photo stuff
This is a whole list into itself.
You can fill a whole pack with the different cameras, lenses, flashes and
films one uses in underwater photography. Be sure to pack it very well
and bring lots of batteries.
Video camera
Again a nice toy to have but the
lights which are associated with it are quite bulky.
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| Climbing
equipment |
Hiking
equipment
Remember that it can be really COLD
at high altitudes, so the "Clothes for Cold weather" list may very well
be worth a second look.
Hiking trousers
You can walk in a pair of jeans,
but they should not be too tight. Choose a pair with big pockets.
Hiking Boots
Takes up a lot of place in your
backpack, but necessary if you like rough
Tent
You can very often rent tents whenever
you are in a place where they are useful, such as close to the highest
mountains. But it would be wise to pick one up at Dehradun.
Woolen socks
Great to have in the tent. Also
perfect in your sleeping bag so that your poor feet will stay warm all
night.
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| Basic
(rock) climbing equipment |
Insurance
Make sure your ordinary insurance
covers climbing! Not all of them do!
Rope
Must be of very good quality and
specifically made for climbing.
Wedges,
hexes and spring-loaded camming devices (SLCD)
Wedged into cracks in the rock for
safety. You need quite a few of them, in quite a few sizes.
Carabiner
At least three of them, but possibly
ten or more for difficult climbing.
Locking
carabiner
At least one is usually needed.
Tubular
webbing
Used to attach the rope to the wedges,
hexes and SLCD's.
Harness
Should be of good quality to distribute
the load over your body in case you fall.
Helmet
Many climbers have died after being
hit by falling rocks!
Climbing
shoes
They should be tight.
Prusik
Quite thin ropes with a special
sliding knot used in case you have to climb on the rope itself after a
fall. You usually need at least four of them.
Belay devices/Descender
Works as a break to stop a climber
when he falls. Also used when descending down a rope.
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| Equipment
for glaciers |
This list contains stuff you need
in addition to the list of ordinary climbing equipment mentioned above.
Please note that this list is not necessarily complete.
Ice axe
Shorter ones are best for ice climbing,
while longer ones are best for walking on glaciers.
Crampons/Climbing
irons
They are so essential for walking
safely on glaciers that it might be wise to bring an extra crampon in case
one of them breaks.
Rope
It is not necessary to use ordinary
climbing ropes for glacier walks. A much cheaper rope might do even better.
Harness
Should be full body (supporting
both your seat and shoulders). Otherwise your heavy backpack might put
you hanging upside down in a crevasse, or break your back!
Ice screw
Looks like a large bolt that can
be screwed in hard ice.
Snow anchor
Used to secure yourself if you don't
have any solid ice at hand, only snow.
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Clothes for glaciers |
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Walking and climbing on glaciers can
be extremely demanding on your body. Dressing for such activity is difficult.
One hour you might be sweating heavily, climbing up a steep slope with
a heavy backpack, while an hour later you can be sitting in a freezing
bivouac in a snowstorm. Not being prepared for both situations can cost
your life! Do NOT use this list as if it listed all clothes you need! There
might very well be things I have forgotten. Also check the list of hiking
equipment, as well as the list of clothes for cold weather!
Shoes
Must be very sturdy and allow for
crampons to be attached.
Heavy duty
underwear
Do NOT use cotton! Wet cotton underwear
can in extreme situations kill you!
Wind jacket
and pants
Gore-Tex or other similar stuff
is recommended, since it is wind and water proof while
still breathable.
Sweater
To put on when you stop climbing.
Wool or fleece.
Gaiters
Stops ice and snow from entering
into your shoes.
Mittens
Winter gloves
Goggles/Sunglasses
These are a must even on overcast
days. Even diffuse light reflected off snow can cause temporary snow blindness.
Ensure your goggles/glasses are designed specifically for this.
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