Winter Spiti packing list: what actually keeps you warm at −20°C
Layers, socks, the one item everyone forgets, and what to leave at home. Tested on the road to Kaza.
Layer, don't bulk up
Three thin layers beat one thick jacket: a thermal base, a fleece or sweater, then a down jacket rated to −20°C. You can add or remove layers as the sun moves, which matters on a day that swings from +5°C at noon to −20°C at night.
Feet and hands decide your mood
Pack five pairs of woollen socks, waterproof shoes with grip, and two sets of gloves: thin inners for photos and thick outers for everything else. A balaclava or monkey cap and a muffler finish the job.
The most underrated item: a hot water bottle
Some hotels charge extra for a room heater, and nights drop to −20°C. A hot water bottle at your feet is what gets you to sleep. Fill it at dinner.
Sun protection in the snow
UV sunglasses are non-negotiable; snow blindness is real. Add SPF 50, lip balm, cold cream and Vaseline. The air is dry enough to crack skin in two days.
Bags and batteries
Bring a soft duffel or rucksack, not a hard trolley; bags ride on the vehicle roof. Keep your power bank and phone inside your jacket during the day and in your quilt at night, because cold drains batteries fast.
Leave at home
Cotton jeans, more than one pair of fancy shoes, and anything you would be sad to see covered in dust. Spiti is a road trip first.