5 Travel Must-Haves for India

Reflecting on my recent 3 month trip to India, you might want to know what items were my travel gems and saviors. There certainly were things I thanked the heavens for either, having brought on my trip or having found in Indian stores, as they either made life easier or gave me much peace of mind.

 5 Travel Must-Haves for a long-term trip to India:

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1. Do you drink the water in India?

Does India have safe and drinkable H2O? No (Read my post: here). Having battled waterborne bugs for having brushed my teeth with the water, I’d list a backup water solution as a must-have. Here’s the low-down on some of the options out there:

Water pump and portable water purifiers that work:

These claim to catch 99.9% of the bacteria in bad water. Not bad. I bought a Sport Berkey Portable Water Purifier for $25. The only drawback is the pump and water bottles require labor. In short, you’re getting a workout for each mouthful of squirt you make! These filters work, but if you lack patience like me, you’ll easily find yourself running back to the stores to buy sketchy bottled water or worse– risk brushing your teeth with the tap!! They’re also pretty bulky and not very light-weight either.

Coffee/Water Heater

It’s a little travel size plug-in heating wand that you put in your water, bringing your water to a boil in seconds! It comes in several sizes (mine is about 5 inches) and you can also find them India household and appliance shops! As for cups to boil water in– India has a wealth of stainless steel cups for mere rupees.

Tea, anyone?

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My recommendation: Water sterilizers are light-weight & easier!

I haven’t used the SteriPEN Traveler Handheld UV Water Purifier yet, but if I had to do it all again, I would. I’ve only heard good reviews on this forefront. The electric water purifier, doesn’t need hand-pumping, is the size of a screw driver and runs on AA batteries. Supposedly it makes 1 liter in 90 seconds!

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2. The best way to get internet in India

USB Internet Stick

Say goodbye to internet cafes and hunting for free wi-fi; now connecting your laptop on the road is a breeze. When I met up with Nomadic Chick in Goa, she introduced me to my first USB Broadband stick. These wonder-babies offer convenience and flexibility for the flashpacker who wants to touch the net world from a mountain peak, beach or moving train.

India has a few USB broadband companies– Reliance, Photon, Idea and Airtel. The downside of purchasing from an Indian USB broadband company is that your USB stick will only work in India. For 1,500-2,800 rupees (approx $33-$63) for the stick and a 5 – 50 GB of data plan, it’s a decent option if you plan to use a lot of internet.

My recommendation: The Micromax 3G USB stick is universal-friendly.

These days, I’ve gradually noticed a variety of open SIM USB sticks hitting the market of SEA mobile or telecommunication shops which sell SIM cards. Generally, they’re quad-band devices, which takes SIM cards from most countries, letting you surf (within the country where you’ve bought your SIM ) for cheap. Due to the fact it’s open SIM, it should already be unlocked. Just purchase a country SIM with data plan, slip it into the USB’s SIM slot and you’re good to go!

When my Reliance USB stick connection went wonky and customer service sent me in circles with no success, it sent me seeking a more effective solution. The Micromax 3G USB stick is a dreamy net travel solution and so far, I’ve been able to use it in India, Thailand and Malaysia at hotels, tourist sights, beaches, on moving trains and buses on their way to border crossings.

Tip for iPod & iPhone Users:

Say goodbye to roaming charges when you use the internet via your mobile. You can skip the USB internet stick and just get a SIM with a data plan. Easy peasy.
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3. Coping with mosquitoes when you  travel

An electric plug-in mosquito repellent

So the mosquitoes are having an international feast on your skin. Sure, mosquito repellent spray works, but if your mosquitoes are anything like mine, they’ll find that one place between your toes that your spray missed!

When I found myself in the height of mosquito season and I didn’t want to continually shower in repellent before going to sleep, I bought an electric repellent. The electric plug-in device has a screw-in bottle of repellent liquid and when plugged into an electrical socket, it heats up and releases unscented vapors in the air, which keeps mosquitoes out of the room.

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4. Avoiding bed bugs in guesthouses, hostels and train beds

Hypo-allergenic mattress protector

Silk Liners are awesome, but a vinyl hypoallergenic mattress protector and/or bed bug proof pillow protector that protects me from bacteria, bed bugs and dust mites, gives me  peace of mind for sleep. It’s great for beds, sleeper trains/buses and you can even use it as a blanket for a picnic! Originally designed for folk with dust allergies this vinyl or plastic mattress cover locks out everything from bacteria to spilled water.

How to use it: I had an old cover which I was throwing out. I cut it in half and tucked it into a small pocket ziplock.
Related post: Where to lay your head in budget India?

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5. Staying clean and refreshed

Baby wipes

Baby wipes ROCK as one of the most versatile travel tools and these days, they’re found almost everywhere. From sanitizing your train beds, wiping down your hotel room’s surfaces and pampering yourself with a refreshing wipe post-trek to taking a swab bath when your accommodations are less than inviting… India, will test your creative use of wipes and you will be glad you have them!

Have you traveled India? What are some of your travel Must-haves?

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