Trip to Rajasthan - Packing light (or meeting the 7kg limit)

With just about twenty-four hours to go before the start of our trip, it is now time to get done with my packing. However, the challenge is not just with respect to the time in hand. The bigger task is to fit everything I will need for those 11 days into my backpack. And stay within the 7kgs that Indigo will allow me to bring as carry-on luggage.

Truth be told, I have been planning the packing bit for some time now and have a fair idea of what I will be carrying. In fact a lot of stuff that I will travel with was specifically bought for this trip and any future tour where I plan to travel light.

Apart from the limit to the size of the bag you can carry and the weight that you can put inside it, there are a whole set of other restrictions which airlines would impose on cabin baggage. It is a good idea to go through the airline website to find out the exact details. However, the one restriction that is pretty much consistently followed is the limit on liquids/gels one may carry. It is generally up to a litre with no individual container having more than 100ml of liquid/gel in it.

The first thing that I had to get was a proper backpack. I ordered one through Amazon. It was from Skybags. The limited online reviews were good, and I was quite impressed once I received it. However, there was one issue. My wife was also quite impressed with the bag.

So I had to do what I had to do. I ordered a different bag for me. Another Skybags product, again through Amazon. This one looks good too, but I will only vouch for it once the trip gets over. I also got us some packing cubes, supposedly great for keeping your stuff organised and allowing you to pack more in limited space.

The other important thing was to get one of those hanging digital scales to know exactly how much weight I am carrying. This one I got from ebay.

To travel light you will of course have to be judicious with the clothes you are carrying. They have to be light, quick drying and complementary to each other so that you can make multiple outfits combining the same set of clothes. You will also have to be prepared to get some laundry done. You either do it yourself, or you may use the hotel's services. Most hotels will get it done for a fee.

Let's now get down to the details. Apart from what I'll be wearing to the airport, I'll be carrying the following.

Clothes
  • 6 polyester T-shirts (very light and quick drying)
  • 2 button-up half sleeve shirts (one cotton, one mix material)
  • 2 pairs of khaki pants
  • 6 pairs of innerwear
  • 3 socks
  • 3 polyester shorts (again light and quick drying)
  • 2 pairs of track pants 
Shoes
  • 1 slipper
Electronics
  • Action cam SJ-400
  • Gorillapod
  • Camera charger
  • SD cards
  • Mobile charger
  • Headphones
  • Powerbank
  • Pendrive (will carry some movies)
Toiletries
  • 2 tubes of toothpaste (21 gm each)
  • 100 ml shower gel
  • 100 ml shampoo
  • 18ml deo
  • 30 ml cream
  • Small lip balm
  • Toothbrush
  • Comb
Medicines
  • 1 strip Calpol
  • 1 strip Norflox TZ
  • 1 strip Digene
  • 1 strip Unienzyme
  • Few Disprin tablets (only to be used in an emergency)
Miscellaneous items
  • Umbrella (will work both under the sun and in rain, hence a better option than a raincoat)
  • Microfibre towel (light and quick drying)
  • Notebook
  • Pen
  • Couple of guidebooks on Rajasthan
  • Daypack bag (10 litres)
  • Tickets, hotel bookings, itinerary, ID
Here are some pictures of the stuff I will be carrying.

Gathered

Arranged

Packed

And now the big reveal. The total weight of my bag is coming to 7.53kg.



So I am still beyond the permissible 7kgs, but I'll try my luck.

Here are a couple of things one may try if they are carrying slightly more weight than the permissible limit. Do a web check-in and bypass the airline's boarding counter where your luggage might be checked for its weight. Also, you can put heavier but relatively portable items in your pockets if you have to get your stuff weighed.  I will be doing so for my power brick and action camera plus a guide book I am carrying.Will give me those additional 500 grams.

All our bags are now packed and we are ready to go. See you in Jaipur!


Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 31, 2017 at 11:05 PM

    Way to go....Keep it up, thanks for the exclusive travel tips!!

    ReplyDelete

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