A bike trip to North India is always full of adventures and stories. So many things about North India are beyond perfect. The beauty that North India offers cannot be explained in words. Places like Kashmir, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Kullu Manali, Ladakh and many such places in North India are a treat to the eyes. Make sure you visit every place to experience the pure beauty of North India. There are many ways to reach this beauty. One of which is a bike trip to North India.
You can plan your trip nicely when you know what to take along and what is essential for your trip. Let’s help you plan one!
Attires
T-shirts
Comfortable t-shirts for a comfortable bike trip to North India will be your secret to a happy journey. Since you will be on a bike, minimal packing is the key to a successful trip. 2-4 comfortable breathable fabric t-shirts should be enough for you to take along. You can always reuse them and mix and match them so that they look like new attires every day.
Jeans
Honestly, if you have a party plan then one dark coloured jeans will be enough. Travelling in jeans is not advisable. You will be driving, so you need to make sure that you’ll be comfortable in what you are wearing.
Shorts
Shorts are the best when it comes to travelling. But that depends on which weather are you travelling in. A bike trip to North India can be fun when you are ready for the weather. Shorts in North India winters will be a bad choice.
Shoes
You must wear comfortable shoes when you hit the road. You have a lot of footwork. Uncomfortable shoes can hamper the journey. But comfortable does not mean slippers. Complete no for that. Proper and comfortable shoes are a must.
Track pants
No jeans, no shorts, but track pants are most comfortable for a road trip. Even if you are in a car, track pants are comfortable for your journey. Here you will be driving, your comfort is very important and non-negotiable.
Undergarments
Well, I don’t think I need to tell you what all to carry in this category but make sure the fabric is breathable. For girls, synthetic will not be your friend throughout your journey. Cotton is more than enough.
Helmet
You can forget everything you want, anything can be managed. But this one thing should be worn the moment you get out of your house. Before you take the keys, take your helmet. It is also important for the pillion rider.
Thermals
There are a few places in North India that stay cool throughout the year. Maybe when you are in one place you won’t feel that cold, but when you are on a bike and travelling you need to make sure you don’t catch a cold. The only way to stay light and still warm is wearing thermals inside and a jacket outside and done! You are cool and hot at the same time… literally.
Beanie
Beanie is important when you reach the destination. For a bike trip to North India, a helmet is what should be constant throughout your journey. But when you settle, take them off and wear a beanie to stay warm. Have a coffee and relax!
Gloves
Stay warm and look cool!
Gloves help you achieve that degree. Warm because obviously, some parts of North India are cold in summers and chilly in winters. So… gloves come to rescue.
Scarf
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about winters is a scarf.
Winters = Scarf
Seriously, it looks good when you wear it and keeps you warm. What else do you want!
Miscellaneous
Thermos cup
Warm Tea can help you go through anything. But to keep that tea warm, you would want to carry a thermos. Take a break and have a cup of coffee/tea, anything that makes you feel better.
Laundry leaves
You are on a road trip, doesn’t mean you will not eat and also doesn’t mean you will get a restaurant everywhere. You might have to carry your own utensils with you. But will you sit and wash them? Will you carry a detergent with you everywhere? Are you going to make your life that tough? Ever heard of laundry leaves? A little packet that is full of little slips of paper soaked in laundry detergent. They don’t take much space in your bag and are very helpful when it comes to washing.
Insect repellant
Not the ones that need plugins. The ones that you apply on your skin. It can be cream and it is important because you don’t know where will you be staying. It is better you carry protection from mosquitoes with you.
Sunscreen
You will be on the road and that means a lot of sun exposure. This means you can easily get sunburn and inflammation. You should use heavy sunscreen to avoid that.
Sunglasses
Your eyes can get harmed with these many harmful rays. Sunglasses are very important to keep your eyes safe from those rays.
Toiletries
Toiletries are important. You might have a plan of camping and there you won’t find all the necessary items.
Medical kit
I hope you don’t have the necessity to use it. But taking a precaution is not bad. Keep bandages, band-aids, antiseptic wipes and cream, antibiotic, pain-killers in the kit and keep it handy so that in case of emergencies, you can use them quickly.
Hand Sanitisers and wet wipes
Stay clean! You can catch many infections when you are on the road. Try to avoid them as much as possible by using wet wipes and hand sanitisers.
Chargers and power banks
Chargers and power banks are important if you are carrying your gadgets with you like camera, phone etc. Powerbanks need to be fully charged because you won’t be able to charge your phone everywhere.
Snacks
Small snacks that are fillers and help you fill your stomach temporarily, till you find a good restaurant to eat.
Raincoat
If you are heading out in monsoons, you would want to carry a raincoat with you, also waterproof shoes.
Spare key
Just in case you misplace your keys, you don’t want to get stuck there and wait for a miracle to happen. Get spare keys with you and keep that in your bag somewhere that you will never misplace.
Documents:
Bike papers
Every document that proves your bike is healthy to run. License, pollution certificates, registration certificate, insurance etc should be with you when you head out for your bike trip to North India.
Roadmap
Know where you are heading. GPS or a roadmap will help you do that.
This list will help you plan your bike trip to North India. Let us know in the comments section if you think there is something else that you think you need for the trip. Also, if this article helped you plan one.
You might also want to read: Essentials for a road trip!
