Are you looking for handy list of things to pack for a trip to Kinnaur trip, Well this blog is exactly what you need to embark on hassle free trip to Kinnaur.
Packing for Kinnaur or Himalayas can be overwhelming in general, but don’t worry based on my travels to Kinnaur and Himalayas in general, I’ve come with this super useful list of things to pack for Kinnaur trip.
Things to Pack For Kinnaur Trip – What To Pack While Traveling To Kinnaur
Packing for a trip to Kinnaur or Himalayas can be full of queries for travelers who are venturing for the first time in the Himalayas.
As Kinnaur experiences cold weather almost throughout the year, packing appropriate warm clothes is of utmost important and so is packing decent footwear.
Therefore, I this blog I’m going to list down all the essential thins that you should carry for your trip to carry to avoid any hassles.
Clothes to Pack For Kinnaur Trip
One of the key advise I would like to give is to pack light and carry a rucksack on your trip to mountains and not just Kinnaur. For this section let me mention what clothes to pack for a trip to Kinnaur.
Tshirts/Shirt/Tops/Dresses/Indian Wear
Men/women can pack normal tshirts/Shirts that they wear causally. Additionally women can pack dresses, tops etc, but again dresses might not be viable due to cold except for summers months so keep that in mind.
Women can also wear ethnic Indian wear like salwaar kameez or Saree. But again do note that Saree might not be a very viable option to move around, especially if you have to walk/hike which can be the case even in exploration trips.
Again reuse your clothes and don’t pack n clothes for n days worth of trip
Trek Pants/Hiking pants/Baggy Pants/Woolen Pants
When in mountains all avoid wearing denims/Jeans. Since I personally find those are not very comfortable and breathable especially if you are going to hike your trips.
So always ensure to pack something breather like treks pants or hiking pants or even baggy pants for that matter. Woolen pants or pants with fleece layer can definitely come in handy in case you are planning your trip in peak winters
Warms Clothes To Pack For Kinnaur Trip
As I mentioned earlier, packing warm clothes is of utmost important. Especially if you are going to embark on a trip to Kinnaur in Peak winters, late autumn, early spring. Layering is crucial to protect oneself from cold.
So here is what to pack as warm clothes for a trip to Kinnaur,
Thermals
Thermals are your first line of defense against cold. While they might not be needed during Summers, but there is harm in carrying them. But ensure to carry them if you are visiting from November to March.
Light woolen/Sweatshirt/Fleece/Sweater
No matter what season you are visiting you need to at least carry one or more of the above mentioned items. In case, you are visiting in peaks winters make sure you carry multiple layers.
.Layering is crucial in winter, early spring, late autumn. In summers, you can roam around wearing just one layer or even no warm layer for that matter depending upon the cold.
Good Winter Jacket
A decent winter jacket that can endure and help you feel comfortable in negative temperatures is essential for Kinnaur trip. Especially if you have planned between November to March.
In summers you don’t really need it. But I still carry just to be safe.
Again, additional layers will be required depending on the season and the place you are visiting in Kinnaur. I personally use a winter jacket from Quechua which can withstand up to -10 degrees with layers.
For instance, I visited Nesang perched at 3000m in Late Autumn, and the temperature were several notches below zero. To protect myself from cold, I had to use all layers that I was carrying.
Woolen socks/Gloves/ Woolen Cap
Hands, feet, ears, face are the most exposed part of our body. And owing to extreme temperatures carrying woolen socks, gloves, cap becomes quite essential especially during peak winters
You might just get away without them in summers, but what’s the harm in carrying them even if you don’t use them. Then won’t add much wait to the luggage.
Footwear to Carry for Trip To Kinnaur
In a mountainous region like Kinnaur, carrying proper footwear is absolutely essential. So here is what footwear to pack for Kinnaur trip.
Sandals/Flip Flops
Sandals and Flips Flops can come handy when you are inside the property where you are staying. They are not advisable for the outdoors like hiking or trekking.
Casual Shoes/ Sports Shoes
Casual shoes/ Sports shoes are perfect for sightseeing, day exploration and short hikes. They might not be really suitable for multi-day treks.
I personally use quechua shoes, those aren’t exactly hiking shoe, but they have a great grip. Perfect for day hikes.
Hiking/Trekking Shoes
If you are looking to hike for multiple days on difficult terrain, then carrying a trekking shoes makes sense, otherwise normal shoes work just fine.
Toiletries to Pack For Kinnaur
Unless you are staying at luxury hotels or resorts, there are chances that you won’t get any toiletries on your stay. Therefore, ensure to pack these toiletries on your trip to Kinnaur
Soap/Sanitizer/Bodywash/Shampoo
As I mentioned earlier, unless you stay at fancy hotels, don’t expect these to be made available to you. Ensure you carry the above mentioned items as per your choice
Although you might get these items at shops in main villages like Reckong Peo or Sangla. But in some remote villages of Kinnaur there might not even be a shop to buy them.
Tooth Paste/Tooth Brush
This is a no-brainer. Ensure you carry tooth paste and tooth brush of your choice before hand for the trip to Kinnaur.
Moisturizers/Sunscreen
Due to cold climate and harsh sunlight carrying moisturizers and sunscreen is advisable. Else you might have dry skin and will get tanned beyond recognition.
Menstrual Hygiene
Fellow female travelers, ensure that you carry basic menstrual hygiene products on your trip to Kinnaur. As I said you will get them in major villages and towns of Kinnaur, but if you are staying remote villages it can be very difficult.
You don’t want to find yourself in such emergency or uncomfortable situation.
Medicines To Pack For Kinnaur
Again owing to remoteness of some of the places in Kinnaur, It is highly advisable that you carry certain medicines for basic illnesses and your own medicines to avoid any emergencies. I’ve detailed blog linked below, but here I’ll talk about it briefly.
Must Read – Medicines to pack for Himachal
First Aid Kit
Basic first aid kit items like Antiseptic cream, Antiseptic liquid, bandages for dressing etc will come in handy in case of small wounds.
Medicines for common Ailments
You can carry paracetamol and ibuprofen in case of Fever, Headache, Body Ache. Dolo 650 is one such Indian over the counter medicine.
For allergies you can take Citrizine which is an anti-histamine again an over the counter medicine. Avomine can be taken in case of motion sickness.
Medicines for AMS
Diamox is usually taken to prevent AMS while Dexamethasone is taken when AMS has hit you. But again, please consult your doctor before taking any of these medicines.
Also the best way to prevent AMS is acclimatization. By the way, here is all you need to know on how to tackle AMS.
Your personal medicines for Ailments specific to you
Please make sure that you carry medicines for ailments specific to avoid any medical emergency. You might fail to find certain medicines in Kinnaur owing to the remoteness of the region.
Other Essential Things To Carry When Traveling To Kinnaur
Here are some items, that need to be on your things to pack for Kinnaur trip list.
Cash
Due to the advent of UPI and online payments applications, people hardly carry any cash these days.
Even though there are ATM’s in Kinnaur, they can run out of cash of occasionally. Plus there could be an instance where your internet could not be working. So ensure you carry cash.
Government ID Card
Carrying a government is mandatory these days. Every hotel, hostel, homestay you stay in usually ask for a valid Government ID as a proof. So please ensure you carry any one like Aadhar card, Driving License or Passport.
Power Bank
Electricity can be quite erratic in Spiti owing to the remoteness and altitude of the region. Especially during the winters and spring when there are snow spells.
So please ensure you carry a decent power bank so as to charge you devices in case of long disruption in power supply..
Day Pack
Day comes in handy when going for exploration of pretty places and villages in Spiti valley. A 10-litre day pack from Quechua is what I personally love and have been using for a couple of years now.
Water Bottle
Water bottle is again and absolute must when on a trip to Spiti. Instead of buying bottled water you can always refill your own bottle as and when you need it.
I personally carry a normal stainless steel bottle and refill it every time as and when I need it. In the mountains there are multiple sources of clean water. So water is never a problem.
To conclude now, I hope now you have fair idea on things to pack for Kinnaur trip. In case you have further questions on things to pack for Kinnaur do drop them in the comments.