Would you take a three week trip to India with only one cabin approved backpack containing all your clothes and ‘essentials’ items (like a fold-up yoga mat); along with a small personal bag for wallet and phone?

That was the challenge I set myself on my recent trip to India for the Svastha Yoga Inner Strength Retreat (held in Mahabalipuram, South of Chennai).
It was an exercise in living and travelling with less… I made MANY mistakes and here’s a little about what I learned along the way.
Heads up... you might be suprised or aghast by the amount of 'extra stuff' that was in my bag by the end of the trip!
Please note... this was my first trip to India, AND it was my first Yoga Retreat... so I was pretty much clueless...
My two bags:
Osprey Fairview 40 Litre Women’s Backpack (£160.00, though bought for £119 in Black’s sale, that's the one on the right in the photo). Selected because this backpack meets the dimensions for carry-on with British Airways and I wanted to be able to walk on and walk off the plane with all my kit, without having to worry about waiting to collect a bag, or even if my stuff had actually arrived. It was an excellent choice of pack.
Key features I loved:
Spacious interior, with clam shell style of opening, for ease of access.
Inner straps: useful for holding gear in the bag (see photos below).
Hidden side compartment: used for ipad and notebooks.
Small top pocket: ideal for essential items needed quickly (snacks, or change, sunglasses, etc.)
Comfortable shoulder straps and hip harness (Osprey Fairview is designed for women's body shape).
2. ROKA roll top backpack/day bag borrowed from my sister. This bag was used every-day.
It held everything needed to get home… phone, money, bankcards, glasses and passport. I soon added my treasured Svastha Yoga notebook to this bag! (Definitely a nice to have!)
Key features I loved:
Interior pocket for ipad and notebook.
Interior pocket for glasses.
Interior pocket for passport and credit cards / wallet. (I took a Barclays Reward Credit Card... there is no overseas currency fee AND when you select to pay in local currency you get the best rate available!)
Interior pocket for toothbrush, nail file, pencil and tissues.
Exterior pocket for small purse and phone.
Could be carried as a backpack or hand held, like a shopping bag.
This is what my Osprey Fairview Backpack contained:
Printed copy of Travel Insurance and BA Ticket: Turns out you need this latter just to enter the airport at Chennai (on your return journey), so if you are travelling that way, make sure you have a printed copy of your ticket and look after it.
Printed copy of E-Visa: Essential for entry into India. Plus, they wanted to see my airline seat ticket... you know the one you usually fold up and stuff in a bag/pocket and forget about...
GAIAM folding yoga mat (cost £19.31). This mat weighed in at just 907g and folded neatly to fit in my backpack. The mat served well during the entire trip, being used daily. At only 2mm thick, more padding under the knees would have been appreciated!
At the same time, this was possibly an item I could have managed without, after all we don’t really need a mat to practice yoga. That said, I would take it with me again, as just setting out the mat supports the intention for practice. (This goes in my nice to have pile, though if you discover even lighter versions please let me know!).
Moleskin Classic Expanded Ruled Notebook with Soft Cover A5 with 400 pages (cost £15.19). This version of the Moleskin notebook was selected because of its extra pages, and it turned out that I needed them!
At the end of day 1 of the Svastha Inner Strength Retreat I was mildly concerned I would not have enough pages in my book. Mohanji and Indraji had so much to share about the philosophy and psychology of yoga, as well as multiple practices and mantras in Sanskrit.

Since there was a heavy theoretical element to the retreat notetaking was essential: typically we only recall 5% of what we hear.
By day 3 of the retreat, this book became a most treasured possession, after passport, glasses and credit card – ticket home. (The Moleskin Classic Expanded Ruled Notebook goes in my Very Nice to have pile).
Lone Wolf Vision Master Meditation Journal (cost £15.00, plus P&P). Have been using this journal since 1st December 2024. It's beautifully structured approach builds in opportunity for daily reflection and then longer reflection every 15 days, leading to helpful insight that you can look back on. There's many more useful features in this product, which was created by my friend Steve Jack (full disclosure) .
It was interesting to track the subtle changes in my practice during and after the retreat (more on this another time). Definitely goes on the very nice to have pile! If you'd like a copy click here. But then please come back and read / comment on my article...
Book: 'Krishnamacharya in his own words' (written by my teacher A.G. Mohan). Turns out there was no time to reread this book... so it travelled all the way to India and back... fortunately it's slim and not too heavy!
Vivo Barefoot Tracker Sandals: worn daily throughout the trip. These sandals have a robust sole; are easily fastened with Velcro and are fine to wear with with trousers, leggings or a dress (in my opinion…).
However, in India (South of Chennai) most people seemed to be wearing slip on sandals or flipflops or be actually barefoot, so these Tracker Sandals felt a bit too fussy.
The benefits? They were very comfortable for walking in multi terrain – on track, road or pavement, over rock and sand. They are easily washed and spruced up, and weigh in at approximately 256g. (A definite nice to have, and if you'd like a 20% discount code for VivoBarefoot please use this link https://vivobarefoot.mention-me.com/m/ol/hn6rc-julie-geissler)... (disclosure, if you use the code I also get 20% off my next pair too, not that I need any more shoes...)

Vivo Barefoot Primus Lite III: My second pair of shoes also VivoBarefoot, worn only twice… on arrival and departure from India. I had expected to wear them more often. Thankfully they are light to carry, weighing in at approximately 268g. However, on the return journey, back in the UK I found myself waiting in a 'queue' for a bus for more than 2 hours and wishing for my much warmer thermo-soled shoes (also VivoBarefoot Tracker).
A Well Worn Tilley Hat: This hat has seen many adventures over the years and on this trip was worn most days, especially around midday when out and about. After the retreat I traveled onwards to Puducherry, where my Tilley Hat felt very at home (Another definite nice to have).
INOV jacket: This jacket was originally bought for my UK running sessions. It is lightweight, waterproof and breathable. On this trip I only wore it when leaving the UK… I thought I might need it more often in India. Turns out the rain wasn’t heavy enough to warrant. Might have needed it if I’d travelled into the highlands, so would definitely still include in my pack next time around.
Three pairs of trousers:
An old pair of NYDJ jeans: worn with a belt leaving and returning to the UK only! Both Jeans and belt could have stayed at home. On the other hand, my hubby wore his jeans daily, so this is personal preference.
Pair of indigo blue ROXY cotton trousers, with turn ups. Worn often! They were light and comfortable; ideal for strolling along the beach or walking through villages/towns. (Bought from Cotswold Outdoor).
Pair of karki cotton trousers by AND/OR. Bought in the John Lewis sale (£15.00). Not worn until the last week of the holidays. They felt slightly smarter and were perfect for a short stay in a plusher resort at Eden Beach.
Three pairs of leggings:
A very old pair of Nike running tights. Primarily used as night wear for sleeping.
Pair of UnderArmour running/yoga pants. Washed and worn every other day during the retreat.
Pair of Endurance running/yoga pants. Also washed and worn every other day during the retreat.
These were the lighter of the three pairs and also worked well under a kurta style dress.
(Definitely, nice to have. Three pairs were adequate for the trip).
Five cotton shirts / tops: This is where I got it all wrong. Four of the shirts I selected were too short and too thick for the climate…
Honestly would have been better off taking one or two longer cotton shirts and then buying kurtas locally in the market… which only cost from £5.00 upwards depending on quality / material.
T-shirts x3, plus one long-sleeved sports top. These were all made of synthetic materials so not ideal given the humid climate, though I did wear them all. I would probably take a similar quantity again.
Since only two of my ‘tops’ seemed suitable for the Yoga Retreat Practice, with my ‘wash one, wear one’ approach I alternated with 'orange day and purple day'!
Three vest tops: black/blue. Could have managed with just two of these, using my 'wash one, wear one' process. (Definitely nice to have, for comfort, though probably not necessary).
Undies x10 pairs! Seriously too many undies… x5 would have been enough (though again with my ongoing ‘wash one, wear one’ approach, possibly even less).
Sports Bras x3: The catch broke on one, so I ended up managing with two throughout the trip. Again with my ‘wash one, wear one’ approach, it was fine.

Swimsuit with shorts and t-shirt: All worn several times!
The coastline South of Chennai is not inviting to swimmers due to strong currents.
However, after the retreat, did get to swim every morning in the small pool of my hotel at Puducherry. If you plan a trip to Puducherry would recommend this small hotel (La Closerie), which is close to the Promenade and Ashram.
Definitely a nice to have. However, I discovered my costume a bit thread bare and shabby... so it could be time to replace…
Scarf/shawl: I took one of my cotton scarves from Jeddah and wore often. It was easy to wash and dried overnight. Could also have been bought locally, though as I have so many scarves I felt reluctant to buy more!
Socks!!! Took 7 pairs of socks, including the pair to travel in. Honestly, who wears socks in India!!! Sorry for the multiple exclamation marks, but really, what was I thinking. The socks filled my smallest packing cube and took up much needed space in my bag. Lesson learned. Though of course, different destination, socks could be an essential item!
Osprey Packing Cubes (set of 3). They were extremely useful and helped to keep my clothing in order. Items not worn were kept clean for later in the trip. (A definite nice to have!)
Other stuff…
Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones: I threw these into my bag at the last minute and was glad I had. I used them:
On the flight to Chennai... I did not hear that crying baby;
In the house we rented in Mahabalipuram: the first couple of nights sounded like bedlam outside with a melay of people, traffic and animals - it was New Year after all and;
During the Svastha Yoga Retreat: turns out my room was right next to the disco of the adjacent resort - meditate on that!
Nevertheless, this was perhaps not an essential item as my room mate Janet gave me a small pair of wax ear plugs that did the same job perfectly… Verdict? Ditch the bulky Sony noise cancelling headphones if you want to save space and lighten your load. Buy wax ear plugs (I think you can find them in Boots, UK).
Apple Ear Pods: Used daily for listening to podcasts and other tech stuff. (For me, nice to have).
Apple ipad: After the retreat, I used this daily to write up my notes. This was a very nice to have!
Apple iphone: One of life’s little luxuries and nice to have, since it doubles as a camera, and so much more.
Garmin Forerunner 735XT: A remnant from my running days. I’ve had this watch for a number of years and love it… though when it runs out of umph I may replace with an Apple watch (but only so that I can monitor my heart better).
Mini Tripod: I thought I would set up and make some short videos. Turns out it wasn’t a priority on this trip.
Sunglasses: mine cost 50 Saudi Riyals (£10) at Decathlon in Jeddah. Even though I was wearing sunglasses, the touts in Puducherry would invite me to buy their branded Ray-bans! I smiled a no thank you with Anjali mudra... they soon drifted off.
Small pouch with pencils, sharpener and eraser. All my study notes were gladly written in pencil, and since my Sanskrit spelling was so poor there was constant erasing and correction. Definite, nice to have on this trip.
An old Starbucks travel beaker… used initially, though honestly this item goes in the not needed next time pile! (On the outward journey I ordered a coffee from Starbucks at Heathrow Airport and was surprised by the disorderly service... somethings gone wrong with Starbucks' service process, they seem to have lost their sense of connection with their customer; the staff looked really flustered and unhappy... sorrow to say).
Personal health essentials… (For obvious reasons this list would be different for everyone based on personal medical needs). For me this included: Antihistamine (Allevia and Zertazine); paracetamol; zovirax; antibiotic cream; fisherman’s friends; Golden Eye / antibiotic; melatonin; elastoplasts. Janet (my room mate) kindly gave me a pack of Ibruprofen, which I used mid-retreat due to joint pain (possibly from the excessive sitting).
Hygiene essentials… toothbrush, mini tube of toothpaste, oral B satin floss, TePe interdental brushes… Lip balm, handcream, suncream (SPF100); oils for the skin; bar of soap (turns out India has plenty of soap in all forms… so I’d put this on the, really, you absolutely don’t need to take this list); shampoo and conditioner; jungle formula.
Beauty products… none, unless the hand-cream and oils for the skin count… (mentioned above).
Comfortable silk eye-mask… to block out any light and support sleep (always nice to have).
The secret to managing with less.
It’s not complicated…
It just requires…
The daily habit of…
Hand-washing…
First thanks to my room-mate, Janet, who kindly put up with my eccentricities during the Svastha Inner Strength Retreat. We didn’t know each other before we shared a room for 10 days. At the beginning of our stay, I mentioned to Janet that I was travelling light and planned to handwash my clothes every evening. I felt a bit embarrassed about this, given Janet had brought so many lovely things to wear…
That aside, washing my clothes in the evening turned out to be easier than expected, since most bathrooms in India provide a large bucket and have a tap in the shower for filling said bucket. It was easy to drop all clothes that needed washing into the bucket with whatever soap was available (shampoo soap, hand soap, 'lifeventure fabric wash leaves' (thanks Janet)), and leave to soak before rinsing, wringing and hanging overnight to dry.
There was one small step in this process that I learned from Light Watkins (Meditation Teacher and Author). Light advises to roll said washed items in a towel and then twist the towel. The towel absorbs excess water from the clothes, cutting down the drying time. With this added trick, I found that most of the time, clothes washed in the evening were dry by the morning.
Of course, you don't have to handwash. Another option would be to pay the hotel for the service...
What I would do differently next time…
It’s simple. I would take even less clothing (especially tops). And buy locally (if and when needed).
Items purchased to wear during my trip:
I bought three locally produced items during my stay in Puducherry:
1. A lovely three quarter length light cotton shirt (produced by Auroknits, cost £15.00 approx) - perfect day wear.
2. An elegant hand block printed silk kurta / dress (cost £31.00) worn with my black leggings and vivobarefoot sandals - perfect evening wear.
3. Three quarter length cotton kaftan (Aroul Textiles, Puducherry, cost about £20.00); worn with my Indigo and Karki trousers - perfect beach wear or pool wear.
They all felt more comfortable for the climate, than the thicker cotton tops I’d taken!
What was picked up along the way…
Turns out I’m a bit of a magpie and if I’m given something in a hotel, I carry it with me because who knows I just might need it… (this is an embarrassingly long list...)
Hmm…
1. Pair of socks (BA) really, more socks, why why why did I hold onto these?
2. Eye-mask (BA) – not used
3. Lip balm (BA) - used
4. Mini toothpaste (BA) - used
5. Pen (BA) - used
6. Three toothbrushes!!! It could have been four!!! Hotels like to give these to their travelling customers – not used (but kept... great when you have guests staying over who don't havea toothbrush).
7. Wooden comb (hotel) – not used
8. Razor (hotel) - used
9. Small 100ml bottle of cypress orange moisturiser with pure essential oils (hotel) – not used
10. Two citrus cleansing bar with pure essential oils (hotel) – not used
11. Two mini colgate toothpastes (hotel) - used
12. Clay-herb Ayurveda toothpaste (hotel) – not used
13. A pencil (hotel) – used (great pencil!)
14. Two Hot Chocolate sachets - used one at London Heathrow hotel due to delayed flight, it was a great comfort.
15. Various teabags and coffee - used along the way, randomly.
16. Pair slippers (hotel) - used
17. Hat (hotel)… which I carried all the way home in a paper bag - used
And...
18. Course notes: we received 2 A4 handouts in a folder (Theory and Mantras)... essential to hold onto!
19. A book, gifted to me by a friend on the course: Rosarita by Anita Desai. A haunting novel, set in San Miguel, Mexico... I feel as if Mexico is calling me...
20. Five shells from the beach…
19. Four necklaces: three were gifted, & one purchased from street vendor for £1.50 (he was happy).

20. Treasured gifts from my yoga teachers (a tile and a small metal box with a peacock on top - each has significance related to the theme of the retreat).
21. Small gifts items produced locally, for family (kurtas, bookmarks, towels, pencil case…)
22. A travel towel made from Indian cotton. We used similar towels in the first house we rented and they were great... during the trip we also rewatch the Ghandi film and were reminded of the significance of home spun cotton in the journey towards Indian's Independence... will definitely be carrying this towel with me on my next trip.
Final thoughts?
My bag weighed in around 18 kg, so this was well within the BA limits and I was surprised by how much I could carry. It's perfectly possible to pack enough clothing and other items for a 24 day trip in a 40 litre backpack... as long as you are prepared to do a little washing along the way...
(Mock up of my packed bag - packing cubes not shown - these were the actual clothes taken & bought).
I successfully managed with less, though my three clothing purchases added to my comfort in the somewhat warmer humid climate, especially the three-quarter length shirt. Lesson learned!
On the downside, I’m a ‘stuff magnet’ and seem to successfully collect lots of small items, mostly for personal care… these kept adding to the weight of my bag... perhaps something I need to reflect on.

So, would you take up the challenge to travel to India or anywhere else in the world with just a small cabin bag? Perhaps you've already done so and have useful tips for me? I'd love to hear your thoughts, or about your experience.
p.s. Don't ask me how I came to be carrying a brolley on such a sunny day in Puducherry!
Final words: This trip was from 31st December 2024 to 24th January 2025. If you plan a similar trip to this destination, please check weather, as conditions can vary... and you may need that brolley!
Comments