Top 10 things to carry to field

Just now, I thought of this post: to put down on paper things that can make life simpler in the field. Here it is, in no particular order. The post is based on an assumption that one has to cook one's own food using firewood and that whats on the menu is whats available. Here, I might have lost more than half my audience, the other half may read along!

• A sharp large knife/ Dao in Arunachali/ Kukhri in Nepali/ Katti in Telugu– This is very essential to chop firewood. I usually don't carry one, since even on the check-in baggage it doesn't look convincingly harmless. Here, I have borrowed someone else's dao.

Adi Dao is perfect company during field work

• Sambar powder – This one is a panacea for all kinds of hunger; an occassional sambar, potato fry, any curry, actually, it can add a 'home' flavour to any food. My mom makes this and packs it for me. MTR company makes a good one too.

• Pickle/ any podis/ chatnis – These are great to have with just rice too. Never tried rice and pickle as main course at home but here in field it is sumptous with fresh onions. I also feel that I am bringing a small part of home with me here! Pickles are good for my Andhra blood too!

Home-made mango pickle can mean the world in field!

• A small knife – Here, the Adis use a Yoxik (pronounced Yochik), in this particular village it is called Chigdo. This is very useful, for it is difficult, dangerous and funny too, to cut veggies with a big knife.

A khasi knife is super sharp and useful too

• A peeler/grater or a small pestle – This one's usefulness I can't describe enough. Ginger-garlic paste, dry fish chutney, peeling potatoes, these are only few uses of this contraption. Do carry one. When my parents visited Bomdo, they brought two dozens of these and distributed in the village and the folks find it very useful too.

A very useful item to take to field

Instant coffee powder – Its nice to wake up and smell firewood burning followed by the smell of coffee. Its also useful to make friends in a remote village. That way you always have something to offer. I've even got a friend here who is now addicted to it, he comes here every morning for a steaming cup of coffee. Protip would be to carry beans or powder in field and make filter coffee; that would be a true privilege.

• Radio – Very useful, works without electricity which may often be the case. But beware of Chinese channels!

• Umbrella and raincoat – Here in Upper Siang, it could rain anytime of the year, even while 'mine truly' is reading this.

• Inland letters – I've written several letters from field. Can't recieve any though, seems it may take even a year or more for a letter to get to Bomdo!

• Lastly, packets of 'Puliyogare, Bisibele bath, Sambar' pastes are very handy. They taste nothing like home food but are tangy enought to fill your belly.

I am not saying that these are the only things to carry or that these are the more important ones. There's also medicines, books to read, gum boots, several pairs of underwear and socks, woolen thermals, among other things. But these are the more obvious things one needs to take to field. Listed above are things I've learnt to carry since I miss them when I don't. If you think you also have such a list and most items don't match the ones mentioned here, please post them and drop a link.