Himalayas: the wrap

Remember this photo? What was useful? What should I not have
bothered with?

Six months after coming back from the Himalayas - time for a quick review of how that huge pile of packing worked over a long trip.

Most useful item?

I'd like to say it was the Vegemite. The tube lasted me the whole trip and when times were tough, a smear of brown salty yeast by-product on toast hit the spot. But I could have got by without it.

Without doubt, I couldn't have got by without the Exped inflatable extra-light mattress. I only spent one night in a tent - but right from the first night in a Lhasa hotel, through the whole of Ladakh, and into Dharamsala - the guest house mattresses are solid boards. The only way I (and my mate Glenys later on) got a decent night's sleep was to put the Exped on top of the mattress. 
My Kathmandu thermos mug gets an honourable mention.

Most useless item?

I used every single item I took with me, except...
Look away now, boys: the only thing I couldn't use and I never bothered with was the GoGirl weeing funnel. It leaked, it blew back. And when it came to tricky moments (on the walk to work in Dhasa after 2 mugs of coffee, on the bus along the mountain death road from Leh to Manali), I just ducked down behind a bush or a truck, braving the rain and the monkeys.

Things I wish I'd taken?

I spent 5 months trying to track down emery boards - who would have thought it? Eventually I just had to invest in an extra nail file - and I couldn't find one of those even until I got to Dhasa.
And (again, boys, you don't need to know this) panty liners were totally unavailable - I really wished I had taken 5 months supply.

Didn't need to take one at all?

Whatever possessed me to take two spare toothbrushes? India is full of toothbrushes! Even the smallest thatched hut village store boasts a range and choice of toothbrushes and dental hygiene implements that puts Terry White and Chemart to shame. 
Remember that when you pack for the subcontinent - bring back toothbrushes as souvenirs for your friends instead of crappy miniature Taj Mahals.

Lost and found

Found: an everyday courage based on nothing more than a sense of entitlement as an elderly white woman in a country of polite helpful and hospitable people

Lost: my black bamboo leggings in a laundry mix-up, and my husband ... but that's another story.