Laptop bag or backpack: You'll need something to carry all your gadgetalia. let you zoom through airport security without having to remove your laptop--just open the bag, place it on the conveyor belt, and let the do the rest. I'm a fan of light, easy-to-carry backpacks, like the one shown here from .

Laptop: Weight and size are typically a traveler's most pressing concerns. A solid netbook addresses both issues, giving you all the computer you need without hurting your back. Compact components also mean that the machine has less room for parts to wiggle around, which means there's less to break while you're trekking around India. Based on durability, price, and weight/size, I'm partial to and .

Ethernet cable: Many hotels have ethernet jacks that allow you to bypass all of the potential flakiness of so many wireless connections. Many airports (hint, hint: JFK) don't advertise that they too have their fair share of jacks hiding around certain terminals, opening up the possibility of free Internet via wire. A handy little could be just what you need.

Portable battery: Need to use a backup battery during the day? Have to recharge your phone when it's out of juice? The can charge up to five USB devices at one time, even when you have no access to a plug.

USB drive: Keep all of your important digital documents and files in a separate USB drive (16GB should cover you) in case your laptop's hard drive dies on the road. You should encrypt passport scans, client documents, and the like to protect yourself even further. On USB drives you can also carry around portable operating systems, which give you a safe virtual environment in many Internet cafés.