What to pack for Spiti in June
A tested kit list for a ten-day loop from Chandigarh via Kinnaur and back over Kunzum and Rohtang.
How a helmet should fit
Snug, even pressure and no gaps: a simple test you can do in the store or at home.
Most riders buy a helmet one size too big, because a correct fit feels tight in the shop. A helmet that moves on your head in a fall does far less to protect you, so fit matters more than any feature.
Start by measuring. Wrap a tape around your head just above the eyebrows and the tops of the ears, at the widest point. That number is your starting size, but head shape matters as much. Some heads are long front to back, some are round. A helmet that suits a long head will press on the sides of a round one.
Put it on and fasten the strap. The cheek pads should press firmly against your cheeks, so that you look a little like a squirrel. Hold the chin bar and try to turn the helmet left and right. Your skin should move with it, not slide under it. Then try to roll it forward off your head. It should not come off.
Now wear it for fifteen minutes in the store. A red spot or headache on the forehead means the wrong shape, not the wrong size. A helmet that is right will feel tight at first and settle a little in the first week as the padding beds in, but it should never hurt. If it hurts in the store, it will hurt by Manali.
