Packing List for the Western Ghats: What to Carry in Every Season

A packing list for the Western Ghats has to deal with rain, leeches and cold nights up on a ridge. Agumbe, a village in these hills, gets about 7,620 millimetres of rain in a year, and the first rain gauge there was put up by the British in 1882. Pack for wet feet, covered legs and one warm layer, and the rest is easy.

The hills run through six states and the bag is much the same in all of them. What changes from month to month is how long you stay wet. A short guide to getting ready for a trip in India covers the bookings, papers and offline maps you need first.

What should a packing list for the Western Ghats include?

Light clothes for the day, one warm layer for the night, and shoes that grip. The ground here stays slippery long after the rain stops.

a fleece or light jacket, because mornings on a ridge are cold
long trousers and long sleeves, which keep off sun, scrub and insects
closed shoes with good grip, not sandals
a hat and sunscreen for the open grass slopes
a torch, because power cuts are common in hill villages
a water bottle you can refill, since there are no shops on the trails
a thin pair of gloves if you plan an early start, because ridge mornings are cold

How do you keep leeches off your legs?

Cover your legs and tuck your trousers in. Leeches live in these forests all year, and there are many more of them in the rains and just after, through October and November.

leech socks, worn over your trousers
trousers tucked into the socks, not left loose
a small packet of salt in your pocket
antiseptic and a few plasters, because the bites bleed for a while
a spare pair of socks in a bag

A leech bite is not dangerous. It is just messy, and it is the reason nobody walks here in sandals.

Pull a leech off gently or touch it with salt. Do not burn it off, because that makes the bite worse.

What do you pack for the monsoon in the Western Ghats?

Things that dry fast and bags that keep water out. June to September is heavy rain, day after day.

a rain jacket with a hood, not an umbrella
shoes you do not mind being wet for days
clothes that dry fast, because cotton never dries in that air
dry bags for the phone, the camera and your papers
a power bank, since the power goes off in heavy rain
a second set of clothes kept in a sealed bag for the night

What do you carry on a Kudremukh trek?

Your permit, two litres of water and your own food. There is no shop, no tap and no camping inside the park.

the permit and a photo ID, checked at the gate
a cap and sunglasses, since the grass ridges have no shade at all
two litres of water each, because there is nowhere to refill
food you can carry back out again
an offline map, as the phone signal stops inside the forest
no tent, because you must be out of the park the same day

Our seven day journey through coastal Karnataka and the Western Ghats handles the permits and the timing for you. Journeys Just for You does the same on your own dates.

What should you leave at home?

An umbrella. The wind on these slopes turns it inside out, and a hood leaves both your hands free.

Heavy leather boots are the other thing to leave. They soak up water, they take days to dry in this air, and a lighter shoe with grip is better on wet rock.

A big suitcase is no use either. Hill roads are narrow and most stays are a walk from where the car stops, so a soft bag is easier to carry.

Plastic bottles and packet snacks are checked at some forest gates in Karnataka. Carry as little packaging as you can, and carry it back out.

Drones are the other thing to leave behind. Flying one over a national park or a sanctuary needs written permission, and nobody at the gate can give it to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need leech socks in the Western Ghats?

In the rains and through October and November, yes. Leeches live in these forests all year and there are far more of them in wet months. Leech socks worn over your trousers work better than anything else.

Do you need warm clothes in the Western Ghats?

One light layer is usually enough. The peaks go past 1,900 metres in Karnataka and higher in Kerala. Nights at that height are cold even when the coast below is warm.

What shoes are best for the Western Ghats?

A light shoe with good grip. Wet rock is the problem here, not rough ground, and heavy boots take days to dry. Carry a second pair and keep them in a separate bag.

Can you trek in the Western Ghats during the monsoon?

Usually not. Kudremukh shuts from about mid June to the end of September, and Pushpagiri is shut from June to September. Permits stop in heavy rain, so check that the gate is open before you travel.

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