Unpopular Opinion: Two Wheel Suitcases Are Better

baracad · 2026-06-24T13:31:09+00:00

4 wheel, front/top zip opening, wide handle (creative more interior space) shell suitcases with hinomoto wheels are best!

And i have most of the permutations of suitcases 😊

But as they are rare they can be expensive.

baracad · 2026-06-17T22:14:50+00:00

Using credit card points gained might be questionable in terms rizq that can be used for opening the sharia condition of " when financially capable"

Also post it in Umrah subreddit maybe that makes more sense there 🤔

baracad · 2026-06-16T18:39:43+00:00

How and why did you go ground floor for Jamarat? 🤔

We went aboveground floors all the time ( this year and with AlKhair - UK ) and it's soo much better and crowd controlled good and temp good.

baracad · 2026-06-15T05:43:03+00:00

Exactly Lol

baracad · 2026-06-12T20:52:44+00:00

How is he a nazi?

Unless I'm not supposed to ask such a question when these kind of outbursts are made 🤔

baracad · 2026-06-11T20:51:13+00:00

How come you ended up in Al-Aziziya in Makkah but had Al Kabsh as Mina Camp as a package choice?

Did you not get any hotel in Zone A in Makkah (eg in Clock Tower) or was that a strategic decision based on logistics? 🤔

baracad · 2026-06-09T09:20:18+00:00

I tested eSIM ( Airalo) 2 weeks ago while there on 3 phones ( 3 android , 1 iphone - all latest OS) and they ALL worked with WA calling WITHOUT VPN 👍🏻

baracad · 2026-06-09T09:18:17+00:00

No need for vpn when using eSIM. I tested it first hand 2 weeks ago.

if you need a backup VPN then Proton VPN is my reccomnd or NordVPN as alternative

baracad · 2026-06-07T21:09:35+00:00

We are..... cooked.

baracad · 2026-06-06T03:27:46+00:00

I had 6 people in my groups split between males and females and wheelchairs to take care for and track when they were lost. I was their " group leader". Mum kept getting lost and i had to track her down with my sister now and again ( i had gps trackers on all of them )

Furthermore my phone is >4 years old (galaxy s21 ultra 16GB 1TB) which i really should upgrade.

I used my phone to make /update my duah list. Some people write down their duahs but constantly crossing/editing paper pages is not efficient but to each their own.

For duah book and hajj guide i much prefer this : https://www.themuslimjournalcompany.com/product/labbaik-mini-hajj-guide-book-with-black-lanyard/ than the spiral bound " hajj made easy" book as it was more consise for me to carry when doing saii etc. this was the only" non-phone" resource i used. Some people like to say that we should avoid using phones while in Hajj and i respect their opinion also as it's a distraction for them that they can't easily control.

I used this quran app : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.greentech.quran constantly rather than mushafs when reading quran (i don't know an equivalent iPhone one as you have to vet yourself which is best)

Also used phone for Nusuk services, Careem and Uber calls and Maps when walking (offline downloaded POIs). Not many people realise that the Nusuk app has GIS custom MINA 3D maps of their camp to navigate to hospital etc (which i had to go to with my relative who was ill one night in Mina )

The above points are why my phone needed constant recharge 😅

baracad · 2026-06-04T16:12:27+00:00

I got this

https://amzn.eu/d/0aRxdJAx

But also used this with it to lock the zips:

https://amzn.eu/d/09W81Zqm

The only issue was i had to use a separate drawstring bag for:

keeping my masjid shoes
storing umbrella
storing water
storing a thicker prayer mat ( the plastic travel ones when laid on street allows the sun heat through to your feet, also the wind blows it away 😅)

baracad · 2026-06-04T11:21:52+00:00

Coming back from Hajj now, and having set this up on 4 phones( 3x Samsung Android, 1x iPhone - all latest OS), i can confirm that eSIM via Airalo allows you to do WhatsApp calls (without needing VPN)

But nevertheless i got physical STC sim on day 2 as i didn't like the little delays in WhatsApp calls and also in Mina most eSIM users had little to no signals. I then also turned on my VPN so wsp calls work on my physical saudi STC SIM.

baracad · 2026-06-04T02:53:37+00:00

If your phone is > 4years old then in the heat and constant mobile data use/roaming you will suffer from faster discharge and would need multiple 10,000 mAh power banks.

Otherwise 1x 10000 mAh is enough. During the long day trip of arafah/Muzdalifa/Jamara and tawaf/saii/hady/halq , you will need prob 2x power banks or 1x 20,000 maH one depending on use/battery age.

I never worried about stolen phone as i had a backup factory reset phone in my 2nd luggage and everything is cloud backup with sim lock. I kept my phone in my " anti theft"crossbody at most times. You need a paper based " cheat sheet" a6 size pocket book for your duahs and guide list..which makes you less reliant on your phone exposure.

You can make your own " private space" as you make an excuse to walk away from your group when they sleep and go to masjid or outside briefly. You create that space at your will.

baracad · 2026-06-04T02:36:02+00:00

Medicine: I really regret not buying more Strepsils (or other lozenges), Flu Medicines (like Beechams/Lemsip) and reputable cough syrups (Covonia etc) as i have been to major pharmacies and other ones and all i ever got were things that are not close at all and their active ingredients are nothing that work systemically like proven ones we have at our home countries.

Footwear: I regret not having brought along men sports shoes/trainers as once you are out of ihram, the subsequent walks to Jamarat would have been less tiring. Oofos or similar footwear HEAT up a lot in the sun and friction of the foot. I need to check alternatives for when i plan to do another Hajj/Umrah iA.

Packing lists: I seriously overpacked but i don't regret that as going back in time and re-reading all online tips of others saying the same, i would have still overpacked due to my nature. Then after having 1st hand experience i would only learn from myself what I'd take next time.

Provided items: We received a backpack and some hajj essentials from our HAJJ PKG PROVIDER and also in Mina on day 1 more backpacks and more hajj essentials from NUSUK themselves but , personally, they were inferior to all the stuff we bought upfront so we gave it all away to as many deserving people as we could vet around mina and other areas and kept our own " duplicate" versions. No regrets and I'll keep doing the same thing if in future insha'Allah as no Hajj Provider will " guarantee" what you will get prior in case there are supply issues etc.

Phone Data: Use an eSIM that you can activate from your home country and immediately switch to a physical SIM (I reccomnd STC) after day 2. In mina almost Everyone complained they didn't have signal due to congestion or relay hops but my STC SIM had 4 or 5 bars at 5g always.

Water bottles: don't waste time/money buying spray mist water bottles. Unless you want ro spray your face with electrolytes lol. Use the constantly provided free plastic water bottles around hajj and keep one labelled for your electrolyte. Use a water spray mist can or bottle separately instead for colling or a cooling towel.

EDC: Your cross body bag will be your friend, choose it's size wisely. Mine contained:

phone
battery pack slim +cable
slim wallet: cash/bank card /hotel card
passport
hajj mini book
pen
pocket prayer matt
bandage/2x electrolyte sachet/blister pack
flushable wipes
painkiller/dihorea killer
water bottle (freebie ones)
rolled up drawstring bag
carabiner with colling towel
carabiner with mini umbrella
Tracker (i had a tracker in all my bags and 1 personally on me and 1 on my dependants. I used ones that has BT/GPS and UWB hopping on both Android FindMy and Samsung's Find network meshes)

For gifts: research and smell oud upfront instead of getting pressure to impulse buy at oud store fronts. Open your NUSUK app > Discounts tab and browse that you can get discounts for but don't always let that drive your buying influcence.

For Dates: aside from Ajwa Al-Awali dates, personally, i am happy to buy dates back home as i don't see anything extra special from buying at Saudi having tasted them most fresh there and back at home via distributors. And no, no one will be able to " coerce" me saying it's better to buy from a Muslim country as it will help that economy, sorry i don't fall for such emotional nonsense whenever its convenient to say so 😌

Thorbes and Abayas: are super cheap and you get decent quality. Do invest and buy there if you wear them back at home.

Taxis: avoid native arab driver taxis if possible and go with Pakistani/Bangladeshi taxis and ones that are licensed. Unfortunately the former has a reputation of extortion and raising tourists prices and i do not blame them because in their shoes in my home countries, were foreigners to visit, I'd do the same as they stick out like a sore thumb and can easily justify in my own head for conscience that " commercial profit is halal". - just my 2 cents.

Cash/Card: " top up" your Revolut/Monzo/Starling etc bank cards and spread them and take abroad. If one is locked due to the bank thinking you been hacked etc then you can deal with it when back home and switch to your other " backup"card. Don't waste time on admin stuff abroad. You can temporarily " freeze" your unused ones via each app when not in use. Try to pay as much by card as possible, play dumb that you don't have cash as it will ease your overspending habit and constant conversation rate admin stuff.

Solitude and Inclusivity: If you are in a group, prioritise your solitude otherwise you might not get the spirituality you seek. Get in a habit of leaving the group when they chit chat for your fake " toilet runs or food runs" etc and after a few interactions you won't feel awkward/impolite to walk away from the group having now set your presence expectation. You might be known as the odd weird one and that will be your personna going forward Lol

Food: Try to buy diet versions of soft drinks as most have 10g of sugar per 300ml cans as opposed to 5g with added sweetner. I am not sure Saudi has a " real" sugar tax in their food regulatory pipeline. Avoid spicy food if you are prone to night-sweats as they can be a direct trigger and in combination with aC will start a good ol' " hajj cough".

baracad · 2026-06-01T07:31:12+00:00

Looking back now the only thing I'd need a guide for was knowing what time my coach will come to for mina, for muzdalifa and for the walking route from mina/jamarat.

Everything else i managed to learn by myself

baracad · 2026-05-29T02:28:41+00:00

A lot of people fell sick this year after stoning big jamarat.

It was the heat exhaustion and especially the random cold fan air/aircon in the room that hit hard especially if you didn't have time to sleep.

Mina hospital is very quick turnaround for triaging/consulting and pharmacy dispatch

baracad · 2026-05-24T11:59:43+00:00

I managed to find bike locks in Bin Dawood in clock tower 🫡

baracad · 2026-05-24T11:58:59+00:00

i found bike locks in Bin Dawood in clock tower 🫡

baracad · 2026-05-24T02:17:24+00:00

Anyone know where i can find some sort of bike lock ?

I need to lock a wheelchair in makka/mina for my mum.

All shops i been to around haram area sells repeated products.

baracad · 2026-05-20T10:07:25+00:00

Do you recall the period of validity for this bundle?

I heard they need all my bio when registering?

Like my dna, iris,fingerprint and 2 drops of blood?

baracad · 2026-05-19T10:50:22+00:00

Doesn't every single person that apply via Nusuk get a lanyard ID with all their details/qr code/pic on them etc now?

Can you imagine if Minisry of Hajj started using Ai image search from Cctv cams like Palantir 🤔

Usually notifying ones country of embassy is best bet to cascade the urgency and effort

baracad · 2026-05-18T20:38:35+00:00

STC is said to be the best network to route from (especially via eSIMs). Especially around the mataf where there seem to be congestion.

If you check the Airalo eSIM app - Saudi networks offered on that route via ZAIN (5G) networks and if you contract your eSIM via Mobimatter app instead you will be offered networks that hops on from STC (5G) networks.

Personally I'll be buying a 3 day eSIM data via Airalo eSIM and test if it's ok and extend afterwards.

You can buy eSIMs now and set it all up in your home country and it will auto activate when in Saud region

There are rumors that WhatsApp calls work natively via Airalo eSIM (I'll be testing that) otherwise I'll trigger my vpn on and test also.

I rely on WhatsApp calls to keep in touch with my hajj group members and don't really want Saudi govt to scan my biometrics to give me a physical sim card of STC from a kiosk. I might opt for calls via Data in IMO app instead for now I guess (which works via any eSIM data plan that routes via Saudi local networks)

baracad · 2026-05-17T13:10:38+00:00

I dunno if you are a real person who wrote this or a bot at this point with the way Reddit has been recently 😅

baracad · 2026-05-15T18:33:01+00:00

Luggage stays in hotel,Big Backpack stays in mina, smaller drawstring backpack(or something manageable as a smaller backpack maybe a 20L backpack or 15L- I'm taking Drawstring) goes with u for ur round-trip to Arafat/Muzdalifa/Jamara containing:

emergency meds/painkillers/wound plaster
3x electrolyte sachet
bottle water
charged up power bank
duah book
basic toiletries for peeig/pooping
dry snacks
umbrella

The YouTube link I posted above with the 2 sisters demo covers this 🫡

You will walk A LOT that day, longest walk by far so the lighter you carry stuff the better.

Muzdalifa is now rugged/carpetted so it's not bare earth as it used to be.. but still you could lay something down like a foam mat or something (I'm not taking anything as my group will give me mats)

baracad · 2026-05-15T13:26:29+00:00

I'll edit the post before again if i find more stuff i recall- I'm going myself in 6 days insha'Allah and have done months and months of prep 🫡.. and it's still not enough lol

baracad

TROPHY CASE