“What to pack for Himachal trip in winters” would be a definite question if you are planning a trip to Himachal in winters.
Based on my travels in Himachal during the winters, I’ve curated this super handy list.
What To Pack For Himachal Trip In Winters – 31 Key Things
Clothes To Pack For Himachal in Winters |
Trousers, trek pants, Woolen Pants (Winters), Shorts (Monsoon)
Shirts, Tshirts, Dresses, Tops, Indian Wear ( For Women) |
Warm Clothes to Pack for Himachal in Winters |
Good winter Jacket
Thermals, Fleece layer, Hoodies, Light Sweater Woolen Socks, Woolen Cap, Woolen Gloves, |
Shoes To Pack for Himachal In Winters |
Flip-Flops, Sandals (For moving at the property)
Normal Shoes, Sportshoes, Sneakers (For normal sightseeing) Good Waterproof hiking shoes (For hiking and trekking) |
Toiletries To Pack for Himachal In Winters |
Sanitizer, Soap, Bodywash, Shampoo, Tooth Brush, Tooth Paste, Sunscreen, Moisturizer, Menstrual hygiene products |
Essentials To Pack for Himachal In Winters |
Government issued ID card, Cash, Water bottle, Day Pack, Power Bank, Camera, Poncho, Umbrella |
Medicines to Pack for Himachal In Winters |
Over the counter medicines for common ailments like Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Cetirizine etc,
Medications specific to you. Basic First Aid Kit, AMS Medications if venturing to high-altitude areas. |
Warm Clothes To Carry for Trip During Winters In Himachal
A good winter jacket
A decent winter jacket which can sustain negative temperature is a must.
Temperatures in Himachal are near sub-zero or several notches below zero depending on the altitude,
Therefore, it becomes really important to carry a good winter jacket of course with layering,
I personally have been using this quechua jackets during my trips to Himachal in winters.
Thermal Wear
Thermal is the first layer of protection against the cold.
So ensure you pack thermal wear if you’ve planned your trip during the winters.
But do remember layering is the key to protect oneself from cold during winters.
Fleece/Sweater/Sweatshirt
Ensure you carry an appropriate number of aforementioned layers depending on the altitude & cold.
You need at least 2-3 layers or more during the peak winters.
As mentioned earlier, just wearing a good winter jacket doesn’t guarantee protection from cold.
Therefore, it becomes essential to layer up.
I personally have been using this quechua fleece layer during my winter trips.
Woolen socks
Ensure you pack 2-3 pairs of good woolen socks for your winter Himachal trip.
Depending upon the cold and place increase or decrease the number of pairs.
Woolen Cap and Gloves
Now a good woolen cap is a certainly a must during winters. You need to protect your ears from cold winds so that you don’t get sick.
Gloves are kind of optional if you are in mid hills. But you will most likely need them in high altitude valleys like Spiti or Lahaul if you are making a trip during winters.
By the way here are 47 hidden places in Kullu valley. They are absolutely beautiful and even more so when there is fresh snow.
What Clothes to Pack for A Winter Trip To Himachal
Experiencing winter and snowfall is one of the 31 promising reasons why Himachal can be one your ideal vacation destinations.
Trousers
2-3 Trousers/ Trek pants/ Woolen pants will be enough for a 7-10 days trip.
Avoid Denims/Jeans as they are not very breathable.
Woolen pants or pants with a fleece layer are a really good option for winters.
Shirts/ Tshirts/ tops/ Dresses/ Indian wear
Men can wear Shirts or Tshirts depending on their liking and comfort.
While women can choose from Shirts, tshirts, tops. dresses, Indian wear depending on their liking, comfort & season.
Footwear You Need To Carry For Your Himachal Trip During Winters
Footwear becomes quite important during your trip to Himachal in winters. You need proper shoes if you are going to hike and be in snow for a long time.
So here I am suggesting you footwear you need to carry on your trip to Himachal during winters. By the way here is detailed blog on how safe Is it safe to explore remote villages in Himachal all alone. This will be quite useful who love to tread on off the beaten path all alone.
Flip Flops or Sandals
Flip Flops or Sandals come in handy to move around the place you are staying.
Normal shoes
Normal shoes will suffice if you are roaming around sightseeing places.
You might feel a bit uncomfortable with these on slopes if there is snow.
Hiking/trekking shoes
If you are going to spend your time outdoors hiking, then ensure to pack good hiking shoes.
Especially as there is snow in winter, trails can be really slippery.
Therefore, good waterproof hiking shoes are needed.
Essential Items to Carry On Trip to Himachal During Winters
Government ID proof
Please ensure you carry government issued Identity cards like Aadhar or driver license.
You’ll be asked to show the same at the checking-in to your place of stay.
Cash
Ensure that you carry cash on your trip to Himachal.
There is wide acceptance of digital payments in Himachal, but still not everyone accepts them.
Power Bank
Power Bank comes in very handy, especially outdoors while hiking or on exploration.
Even though long powercuts are a thing of past now in Himachal, but still not completely gone.
Therefore, it is always better to pack power banks for your trips to Himachal.
Day Pack
Whenever outdoors like hiking or exploring in and around Manali, a daypack comes in handy.
I personally use a 10 litre quechua daypack to carry fruits, water bottle, or packed food.
Sunglasses
If you are visiting snowbound areas in and around Manali, carrying sunglasses is always advisable.
Poncho
Make sure you carry a Poncho if you are traveling to Manali no matter what the season.
If you plan to venture outdoors during rainy days, they will surely come in really handy.
Toiletries To Pack For Himachal Trip In Winters
By the way here is a detailed blog on which mobile network works best in Himachal. I am sure this will be quite useful to you.
Soap/Shampoo/Sanitizer
Unless you’ve booked semi-luxury or luxury properties, you won’t be given any toiletries.
So ensure that you pack necessary items like soaps, shampoo’s, sanitizer, bodywash of your choice.
Moisturizer/Sunscreen/Conditioners
Tanning and dry skin can be common effects of altitude and cold-dry weather of Himachal.
Therefore, ensure to pack sunscreen and moisturizer, to avoid or mitigate its effect.
Menstrual hygiene products
Fellow female travelers, I’m sure you know better but please ensure you carry your menstrual hygiene products.
You never know when it may come handy, especially if you are visiting remote areas of Himachal.
Medicines and First Aid Kit To Pack For A Winter Trip To Himachal
First aid
Basic first aid like antiseptic liquid, medical bandage come in handy for minor wounds. So, ensure you carry them.
Medicines for Common Ailments
Make sure you carry basic over the counter medicines for cold, fever, headache, bodyache, allergy etc.
Dolo 650 is one such over the counter medicine for fever, body ache etc.
Over the counter medicines for cold and sore throat include Wikoryl and other brands.
You can also carry basic over the counter medicines like Avomine for motion sickness.
Medicines like Cetirizine or Atarax can be helpful in case of itching, allergies and other ailments.
But make sure you consult your doctor first before taking any of these medicines.
Medicines Specific to you
If you are suffering from any chronic or long-term illness, Ensure you carry your specific medicines.
Sometimes you might not find specific medicines or brands even in the main towns of Himachal for that matter.
Medicines for AMS
Although Manali itself is not high-altitude, there are places of interest around Manali that are.
Acclimatization is the key to avoid AMS, but medicines could help you acclimatize faster in case you have less time.
Acetazolamide is the medicine to help you acclimatize faster. While dexamethasone is to treat AMS.
For more details, please check out this blog “how tackle AMS in the high altitude valleys”
To conclude, I am sure now you have a clear idea on what to pack for Himachal trip in winters.
In case you have any queries regarding what to pack for Himachal in winter drop them in the comments.