Take camping gear to India?
 

I'm heading to India for an extended DIY moto tour and want to be up in the Himalayas this summer. Should I take camping gear or will cheap places to stay be plentiful?
Also, what can you tell me about riding there in the summer? Monsoons all day? Afternoon only?

Any info or advice is welcome.
Thanks,
IBL

I would not bother with camping gear you will probably never use it but do take a lightweight sleeping bag for those cheap hotel rooms where the sheets have not been changed in a while.
I found the OYO app to be pretty good for good deals on hotels, better than booking or hotels.com.

https://www.oyorooms.com/gb/

I take camping gear almost everywhere, but I'd skip it for India and Nepal unless you've got a specific objective in mind. Anyplace you're likely to end up will have cheap lodging available, and there are few spots where you can camp without attracting lots of curious onlookers. I carried my tent for months in India and Nepal, and I used it a couple of times--once in the cirque surrounding Annapurna Basecamp, out of pure stubbornness and a generally antisocial nature, and then on a guided trek in Helambu (where it was basically entirely unnecessary, but after hauling it around for weeks on end, why not?).

Rather than a light sleeping bag, I'd suggest a double-sized sleep sack of silk or light cotton with a zipper opening. You won't lack for warm covers, but there will be times you don't want them in direct contact.

I've never been in South Asia during the monsoons. My impressions of what it might be like include excessive heat and humidity, roads washing out, floods and landslides wiping out whole areas, and large numbers of leaches in trekking areas. This suggests careful consideration of, at least, goals and route choices.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Thanks for the input!
 

I appreciate it.