The views expressed here do not represent those of my employer, the institutions of higher learning I studied at, and the couple that gave birth to me. These words are mine, and mine only.
Greetings from Jaipur!
It’s been so long since the last issue of The Windmill (yes, this newsletter has a name, in case you forgot). Life happened — quite a lot since the last issue. However, that is a subject of a future essay. Speaking of essays, you can read the latest here.
So, what is the deadline mindset? It is a mindset that you develop over time. It is “the elite mindset where you put off packing your luggage for as long as possible until you realize you start packing now, or you’ll miss your train/flight and get the packing done in 30 minutes.” Sounds too good to be true? Read on.
I could have easily given the issue a fancy title such as “A beginner’s guide to packing for solo travel” or something fancier. However, I am the author, am I not? So, I’m calling this The deadline mindset.
This approach worked for me so far, with varying degrees of success. I hope it helps you in your solo trips or trips in general. The following words would probably be most helpful to someone like me — a boy with some free time, a lot of dreams, and a desire to learn from people from other cultures and wander around random streets around the world. Let’s start. This guide would work best if you take trips within India.
The basics. You’d need two things (or at least one) to pack for your trip — a suitcase/backpack and a schoolbag-type thingy. Well, that’s where you’ll stuff your things. I use this colorful suitcase that I bought from Amazon. And this school bag that I bought years ago. Now that we have bags to stuff our stuff in, here are the essentials you should pack in <30 minutes.
Towel. This is an essential item. And towels aren’t that huge, either. It’ll come in handy on multiple occasions — showers, changing your outfits, and generally staying a bit dry. So, pack a nice clean towel.
Slippers. I don’t know about you, but taking a shower and walking out barefoot feels weird. And by the time you get to your bed from the shower, your feet will be very dirty, and if you put on socks on top of that, you’ll stink. Plus, it comes in handy when it is raining outside. You can just put on your slippers and walk around. This is also an essential.
Shirt. Although I never needed to wear it, carry a nice shirt in case you decide to go to a place that requires you to be in something else other than a t-shirt and jeans. You can even wear it for no reason one day and look good in photos. But I haven’t tried that bit yet, so I can’t say for sure. It is not essential by any means. I had an ironed shirt, so I just tossed it in.
Jeans. This is another essential. I have 3-5 identical pairs of jeans. I found the Levi’s 511 and Wrogn’s solid black jeans to be quite useful. The 511’s are very durable, need minimal washing, and look great. Yeah, so pack two pairs of jeans if you’re one of those who spills coffee (or anything else) on themselves.
Jacket. Carry a jacket according to where you’re going. A light parka is always a good bet. It’ll come in handy when they blast the AC in-flight, at the airports, or if the weather is generally cold. Of course, carry a warmer jacket is you’re going to a cold place. This isn’t an essential, but I carry a jacket everywhere I go because falling sick due to temperature fluctuations is the last thing I want on a trip.
Shorts. Carry a pair of shorts. This is an essential. Sleeping in shorts is much more comfortable and relaxing than sleeping in jeans. I pack one of my badminton shorts, because who cares?
T-shirts. Absolutely essential. I usually pack 4-5 t-shirts, depending on a trip’s length. Again, I pack badminton t-shirts because they are easy to wash, dry quickly, and help in managing odor quite well. You could carry better t-shirts if you’d like but frankly, I don’t think anyone cares that much about you.
Trouser. Probably not needed. I also do not carry this usually.
Socks. Socks are absolutely essential. A usual rule of thumb is to carry as many pairs of socks as your trip’s length. So, pack seven pairs of socks for a 7-day trip. Of course, I’m not exactly saying pack thirty pairs for a month-long trip. If that’s how you’re interpreting this, then maybe a solo trip isn’t for you. If you have 5-7 pairs, I think you can wash and expect them to dry on time so that your feet don’t stink.
Underwear. This is also an essential. A similar principle as in the case of socks applies here. Carrying 5-7 underwear would be a safe bet. What if you get tired and forget to wash them on time?
Undershirt. Not an essential, but if you are planning on wearing a shirt or something like a kurta, I think you should carry an undershirt. Again, none would care much, but have you seen a sweaty shirt? It looks unsettling.
Toiletries. Shaving kit, shampoo, conditioner, face wash, hair cream, body wash, sunscreen etc. You can carry them from home or buy them when you reach your destination. I usually refill sample-sized bottles at home and carry them (they are much lighter and do the job). This is an essential.
Padlock. A padlock is useful in case the place you’re staying at does not have automated lockers. This is essential for most places, not because people are going to take your things but because it gives you unparalleled peace of mind. Do a bit of research, or you can call the place and ask if they have lockers.
Sneakers/shoes. Sneakers look good but are not the best in terms of comfort, especially if you are someone like me — walks a lot, everywhere. In fact, you might get sore feet if you walk around a lot in sneakers. So, it is not an essential. But you can carry a pair if you think you might need to use them for an occasion. Running/walking shoes, on the other hand, are absolutely essential. Is it even a solo trip if you don’t walk around a place for kilometers on end? I love my running shoes. I love it so much that I recently fixed the sole using glue — I shall only abandon it once there is a hole in the soles or something.
Identity card. An ID card is required to check into a hotel or hostel. Many places, such as museums, will ask you to produce an ID card when you go to buy a ticket. Make sure you scan the ID card and have a digital copy too, in case your worst fears come true. This is an essential.
Cash. Carrying some cash is recommended because even though UPI (United Payments Interface) is almost everywhere now there are places that still accept only cash. You’d not want to be turned away after walking up the hill etc, so yeah just carry some cash. A lot of public buses still accept only cash, so cash is useful to have.
Adapters. Needless to say, these are absolutely essential unless you live off the grid. I have a box when I pack all the wires, chargers, thumbdrives, powerbank, batteries etc. You can use something similar. Just search of “electronics bag” on Amazon or wherever you shop online.
That is it, more or less. Let me know if I should add more details or/and product recommendations. I can write an essay if needed.
I hope you have a great week. Until next issue, bye! 👋