Packing Bag For An Epic Ladakh Trip

Part 1: Packing for an epic Leh and, Ladakh trip (opens in a new tab)
Part 2: Manali to Leh Roadtrip (opens in a new tab)
Part 3: Exploring Leh, the touristy way (opens in a new tab)
Part 4: Land of Baltic People, Turtuk (opens in a new tab)
Part 5: Nubra – The Cold Desert of India (opens in a new tab)
Part 6: Coming soon

Ladakh is known for its beautiful landscape, Buddhism, monasteries, lamas, wildlife, culture, and extreme weather. The temperature varies from -20 to 22 degrees Celsius. It offers direct sunlight, and harsh cold and arid air. In order to enjoy the beauty of this place, one has to be comfortable in terms of clothing, skincare, and booking a stay.

Skincare for Ladakh Trip

I started my journey towards minimal skincare routine 5 months back. I like using coconut oil for the face, body, and hair. For this trip, I have packed coconut oil and boroline cream for extreme dryness. You can also add sunscreen to protect your skin from direct sunlight.

• Hair – Coconut Oil and Scarf.
• Lips – Ghee
• Face – Coconut oil and Boroline.
• Body – Coconut oil, Borololine, and Olive oil as backup (when there is no sunlight to melt the coconut oil)
• Makeup – Kajal, eyeliner (not used though), and lipstick.

You can also add body butter instead of the usual lotions for this trip.

Let’s pack clothes!

For this trip, you will need a mix of breathable cotton dresses and woolens.

Mind your Head, Face, and Neck

• Beanie/ Woolen cap
• Cotton Scarf
• Woolen Scarf/ Multipurpose Woolen Bandana

Upper Body

• 2-3 cotton T-shirts
• Cotton short kurta
• Cotton long kurta
• Light weight Saari
• You can also pack pretty maxi dresses
• Down jacket
• Woolen sweater/ Sweatshirt/ Warm long sleeve
• 1 pair of thermals for extremely cold nights

Lower Body

• Comfortable breathable pants
• Leggings
• Jeans
• Pajamas
• Warm bottom wear by Decathlon

Protect your Hands

• Woolen Gloves

Protect your Legs

• 4-5 pairs of socks
• Running/walking Shoes, slippers/ chappals, trekking shoes/ fancy boots.

What networks/sims work in Ladakh?

Try to carry a postpaid BSNL/Airtel sim along with you. Also, you can get a postpaid sim from the Leh market, prepaid sim cards don’t work in Ladakh. In Nubra and Pangong, you will not get a strong network everywhere so be prepared and inform your family in advance.

How to eat healthy on a Ladakh trip?

You can carry some roasted peanuts, jaggery, chivda, etc. for snacks. There are vegetables and fruits shops in Leh and Nubra valley, you can buy bananas/ fruits of your choice. You can also buy dried berries, apricots, etc. from Leh market and enjoy them throughout the trip.

Don’t ignore the thirst, keep sipping water and stay hydrated while traveling.

Take proper rest and Acclimatize

When you will reach Ladakh, you might face problems such as headache, lethargy, dizziness, etc., make sure that you take one day of proper rest.(especially if you are traveling by Air). Your body needs some time to adjust to high altitude and it can happen to anyone despite high or low fitness levels.
If you are traveling via Manali-Leh or Srinagar-Leh route then you can skip it.

Shubh Yatra 🙂