Leh - the bare necessities

I could be accused of reinventing the wheel with this post. There are probably a million websites and blogs, telling you that you need to take sanitary napkins, 4 sets of undies, a tooth brush, shaving cream/foam, toothpaste and other mundane items on your visit to Leh and Ladakh. I won't repeat that same list here, I will however tell you about other Leh - exclusive ordinary little items and the rationale behind packing those little items. These little things came to our rescue at various points in time on our bike trip (Delhi-Manali-Leh) last year.

Chap stick / lip balm - Yes, sir. Chap sticks. The air is so dry up there at 14000+ feet, that your lips will start cracking as soon as you leave Manali and cross Keylong. Some people also like using
Borosil / Vico turmeric, but then I think I rather liked the taste of strawberry on my lips.

Cough drops - Dry throat can be an early symptom of Acute Mountain Sickness, and do not ignore it, at the same time you may want to relieve your discomfort by sucking on some cough drops.

Chocolates, and peppermints - Instant source of energy, consume on every break, and ration it well :)

Electral or Rehydrating Salts - May be mixed with water and consumed. At the higher altitudes, you tend to lose a lot of water, i.e. dehydrate faster. This happens usually via expiration (breathing out) , and for some people like me you just pee a lot more often. Electral or the rehydrating salts help reduce the frequency of your pee-stops, but they also contain some manganese salts which may increase the blood pressure, so kindly consult your doctor/physician on this one.

Toilet paper - If you feel like taking a crap, this is your best companion. The water is quite cold and your butt will thank your for not freezing it.

Baraclava - If you are going by bike, this fella is going to protect your neck from the piercing sun, your throat from the chilly winds and keep your ears warm inside the helmet.

Jerry Cans - To carry 10 liters of extra petrol, since the last petrol pump will be at Tandi on the route from Manali to Leh. A good 400 odd kms away from the next petrol pump, and the mileage can plummet at those altitudes.

Toothpowder - Haha caught ya. I told you I wouldn't mention toothpaste, so you have tooth powder, the reason being at these higher altitudes, the toothpaste tube will burst at its seems. so carry a 1/2 empty tube. The same holds for canisters of deo or whatever that you use. I resorted to deo sticks, not even roll-ons. Any thing that may be impacted by the low pressure.

Minimal Clothes - Carry only minimal clothes, in the 5 days that we took to go from Manali to Leh (yeah.. we really went slow, and enjoyed every bit of it) we never once took a bath, may be not even change of clothes, but what you wear must keep you warm. Recommend wearing three or four tee-shirts over a thermal. :)

Oxygen cans - Yeah, one of the fellow travellers we met, Amey, recommends carrying small O2 bottles. He said, you can get a 2L bottle for Rs2,000 in Mumbai. Not sure, but it is quite useful. We had to take Vatsa to the Military Hospital at Sarachu to inhale the magic gas.

Diesel - In case you want to camp out and cook on your own, then do not rely on petrol, use diesel, it is less explosive. Also you may not get dry wood every where, so think about it - a diesel stove or something like that. Do not attempt to boil eggs at these altitudes. It is futile and a definite waste of time. Also ensure that you have plenty of clean water before you start. Spoons and plates are best if they are paper ones.

Water - Bottled water is expensive on the mountain, but you'd rather drink that than get a tummy upset. We had an allocation of 2 liters per person per day. you have to have to drink that much, other wise it is an open invitation to dehydration and AMS. Drink more it you want to ;) Drinking water during riding can be a pain, so you may want to buy a rehydration pack, but i guess it is too expensive for one off biking trips.

Harddisk / HDD Handycams - Read the user manual / tech specs very carefully. Some models of HDD Handycams carry a warning that the Hard disk may not function at altitudes exceeding 11900 feet, and you will consistently be over 13000 feet, and if you visit Khardung La even reaching 18700 feet.

And yes! If you are planning on riding, then you'd do well to ensure that you cover yourself up, otherwise the dry air and the UV rays of the piercing sun, will give you a fair dose of sun burn and raw skin. The same goes for the eyes, get yourself a UV 400+ sunglasses, preferably ones which cover the entire eye, even from the sides. For this I prefer a riding jacket + gloves + baraclava + UV 400 sun glasses.

Bungee chords, tyre inflation unit, spare tubes are essential. Do not carry a clutch plate or what ever, since even if you break down there will be no mechanic to fix it for you. Figure out what spares you need, and only carry the essentials. Carry minimal luggage, so that the next friendly cab driver or bus driver does not think twice before inviting you on board.

Leh - the bare necessities