I learn more and more about the clothing in my suitcase every time we go on a trip. Here are some comments from our trip to India and Bhutan.
I took 2 pair of pants – one linen and one convertible technical. I still maintain linen is much cooler, so those pants were worn almost exclusively in Kolkata and the Andamans where it was very hot. The technical pants were quick dry and that came in handy for when we washed clothing and when we got caught in the rain. I wore these the whole time we were in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Bhutan. I did find them hot. I did not use them as shorts, but it was good to have that option. If the weather in Bhutan had been rainy and cold, we would have been in trouble with only two pair of pants, especially if they both got wet and did not dry. I would have worn the technical pants during the day (they would have gotten wet) and then worn the linen pants in the evening for supper and hopefully the technical pants would have dried overnight. Fortunately, it only rained once and only for a short period of time.
I took 1 cotton T-shirt, 2 short sleeved wool shirts, 1 long sleeved wool shirt (long underwear actually), 1 long sleeved collared linen shirt and 1 fuzzie. I wore the cotton shirt to travel in initially and in Kolkata and the Andamans. It handled the heat well. It got very dirty in Kolkata and I should have thrown it out, but I didn’t. In Bhutan, every morning, I started the day in a short sleeved wool shirt, the long sleeved wool shirt and my fuzzie ( it was cool in the hotels and outside). As the day warmed up, I shed layers down to the short sleeved shirt. By about 5 pm, it was getting cooler again, so I started putting the layers on again. I wore one short sleeved wool shirt until it started to smell and then I changed shirts and washed the dirty one. This system worked extremely well for me. I felt that the long sleeved linen shirt was too heavy and hot. I wished that I had brought one of my other lighter weight linen shirts which would have been better for Kolkata. Plus a shirt like this would have supplied abit more coverage/modesty that the cotton T-shirt. Next time.
I only wore my long underwear bottoms twice and it was to warm me up before I went to sleep at night. If it had been colder in Bhutan, though, I would have been wearing them all the time during the day, so I am glad I had them.
I wore my gortex jacket a handful of times in Bhutan when it was cold, and once when it rained. Again, if it had been rainy and cold, I would have been wearing it all the time, so it was good to have it along.
I took a toque and a lightweight pair of gloves. I wore both once, when we got up at 6 am to see the Himalayas. Again, good to have if the weather was cold.
Two bras, four pair of underwear, two pair of light socks and one pair of heavy socks worked well. I rotated the bras, underwear and light socks as they got dirty and got washed and I do not think I would want to go with any less. The heavy socks came in handy a couple of times for cold feet. I took a very lightweight cotton T-shirt as a sleep shirt and that worked well – it got worn when I was cold and not worn where it was hot. I had a one piece swimsuit which got used in the Andamans. I had a long decorative scarf to wear to hide the bulge my neck safe created under my shirt. I also wore it Indian style to hide the strap of my purse lying across my chest between my boobs. The scarf came in very handy and was versatile – only comment would be to take silk, or a fabric that is not hot.
Pretty much every clothing item in my suitcase got used. Some were there for insurance against cold and rainy weather and I am glad I had them along. My choices of clothing worked very well and they only item I would change is the long sleeved linen shirt. My learning is complete and logged for our next sojourn.