2025 Royal Enfield Tour Of Sikkim: How NOT To Pack Your Bag For The Cold

  • Published January 3, 2026
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If there was a trophy for misplaced confidence, I might’ve won it on this ride

RE Tour Of Sikkim 2025

I went into the Royal Enfield Sikkim expedition expecting that I can handle the cold well. I’m also a light traveller by nature, I don’t like carrying a lot of things and avoid unnecessary weight. While this combo would’ve worked if I had travelled to any other plains, here in the chilly north east, it created the perfect recipe for underpacking.

Having lived in Qatar, Nashik, and now Pune – where winter temperatures sit between 5-20°C, with Qatar throwing in relentless desert winds, I assumed my usual setup would work just fine. What I conveniently forgot was that when I lived in Qatar as a kid, I was also much…chubbier. Now I have far less 'natural insulation' helping me out.

2025 RE Tour Of Sikkim

So I packed thermal inners, my regular riding base layers, a thick sweater, and a warm hoodie as well. Minimal, familiar, efficient – or so I thought. While riding, everything felt fine. Because we rode only during the day (yes, very obviously), I never actually felt cold on the bike. Engine heat, movement, and daylight masked the gaps in my setup.

The problem revealed itself only after each riding leg ended: helmets off, the bikes parked, body heat gone. Our first night at Zuluk exposed my mistake brutally. At around 2°C, even five layers (no joke) weren’t enough. Minimalism has its limits, pack light? Yes, but never at the cost of warmth.

RE Tour Of Sikkim

What I should’ve packed is a proper insulated jacket, winter riding gloves, better neck protection (gaiter or scarf), inner winter liners for my riding jacket and pants. Also, we had a separate luggage van to carry our bags, but this safety net won’t exist 99% of the time, especially when riding solo.

So, realistically speaking, you’ll need to carry everything yourself – panniers, or a tail bag + tank bag combo should be more than enough. And pack smart, carry synthetic textiles because they dry fast – so you’ll be able to wash them easily. The Himalayas don’t reward underpacking. The cold doesn’t always hit at speed, it waits patiently for you to let your guard down once you park the bike. Speaking of bikes, here’s how this tour affected how I ride.

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