Packing List for China Travel
Much has been written on the Internet about what to take and what not to take to China when you travel. We read all that stuff, and there were still a few things that we wish we had known. Naturally, everyone’s experience is going to be different, and our first trip to China was all the way back in 2002. So, this information may be a bit dated. Still, we hope it is helpful.
Bottles Playtex Drop-Ins® bottles with disposable liners make preparing formula on the go very convenient. We recommend these highly, as they worked for us very well. Whatever kind of bottle you end up using, try to take a variety of nipples. The babies on our trips were used to traditional-shaped silicone nipples. We were able to switch our daughters to the latex Natural ActionTM nipples with no problems, but some parents reported problems. Nipples pack small, so toss in a variety.
Formula We had two very different experiences with regard to formula. On our first trip, the milk-based formula that the orphanage used could only be found in Chongqing. While we had no trouble transitioning Elizabeth over to the soy-based Isomil formula, other parents reported serious trouble with this, especially when we left Chongqing and could no longer find that particular formula in any of the stores. (It is worth noting that though finding baby supplies in China is pretty easy, finding the exact product you’re looking for may be difficult.) With this in mind, we took a lot less formula with us on our second trip, assuming that we would buy there most everything we needed. We only took about four or five days worth of formula. The formula we took was Similac Isomil powder singles. Each packet makes four ounces of formula, and they pack neatly and compactly, so you can leave your hotel with a minimum of stuff and effort. (More on this in the next section.)
Bottle Cooler/Warmer We took one of these on our first trip, but quickly found that we wished we had a thermos instead. We took a small steel-insulated thermos on the second trip and that worked out much better. You can carry enough hot water to mix several bottles of formula without having to worry about them going bad. Combined with disposable bottle liners and it’s no muss, no fuss. Finally, you don’t have to worry about the thermos getting broken or taking up too much space.
Diapers Ditto for diapers. Especially since you don’t really know what size you’ll need. Have a few days’ worth just in case, but buy everything else over there.
Disposable Changing Pads Because you just never know where you’ll have to change a diaper. You think it’s hard to find changing stations in bathrooms here? You have no idea.
Bathroom tissue Don’t take big rolls of bathroom tissue with you to China. (Why would you do that?) However, you can get miniature rolls of Charmin that fit easily into a diaper bag or purse. Please take a few rolls of these! You will thank us. Many public restrooms do not have any toilet paper! (Many public restrooms do not have western-style toilets, either, but that is another story.) Yes, I know it is surprising, but there you are in a public restroom and no toilet paper! You do not want to be on the wrong end of this experience, I can tell you. You can buy the mini rolls at Target and other retailers.
Duct Tape Yes, duct tape. Campmor, a camping supply store, sells tiny rolls of duct tape that are flat. (It’s called “Flat-Pack Duct Tape” or “Pocket Duct Tape”.) Throw in a couple of these. We actually used ours on one leg of the trip, when our luggage was damaged and we needed to do some emergency surgery at the airport.
Blow Dryers Don’t bother. Every hotel we stayed in provided these in the room. They weren’t the best blow dryers ever, but they did the job with zero luggage space.
Blankets Take one or two thin blankets. Everyone in China expects babies to be covered head to toe, even when it’s hot as hades out.
Clothing Take some lightweight/warm-weather outfits for yourselves and your baby to wear while in Guangzhou. We were there in November (twice) and it got downright hot some days. We can only imagine what it’s like in the summer.
Hand sanitizer We took several trial size bottles of this to have around because you just never know.
Antibiotics This is an absolute must. If you pediatrician won’t prescribe them for you before you travel, please find a new pediatrician. When you get the prescription filled, inform the pharmacist that you will be traveling overseas and that you do not want the antibiotics to be mixed. He or she will provide you instead with the unmixed medication (powder) and instructions for mixing it when you need it. Antibiotics go bad, and you don’t want to waste them, or waste time administering useless drugs.
Other medications We also took lice treatment (didn’t use), Tylenol infant drops, and Benadryl.
Baby carrier Having a Snugli or Baby Bjorn in China was extremely convenient. We did a lot of walking and shopping with our girls, and there’s no way we would have held up without a carrier. However, we never used it again upon returning to the states. Our advice is borrow this item from a friend or family member if at all possible.
Coffee The last time we checked, there were 120 Starbucks stores in China. On our most recent trip (October 2004) we noticed a lot more coffee shops than in 2002. Still, if you are a coffee snob (you know who you are, people) you’ll want to pack your own coffee making supplies. (Particularly in Guangzhou, where the water had a sort of musty odor to it, making the local coffee taste funny.) Every hotel room you’ll visit has a hot pot for boiling water. You’ll be using these a lot for making bottles for baby, so why not put it to use for making coffee for yourself? The only other equipment you’ll need are either a travel mug/coffee press or a portable mesh filter coupled with an ordinary mug or travel mug. We took Millstone single-pot coffee packs, which are vacuum-sealed and packed very neatly. While we prefer half and half in our coffee, we found that the powdered stuff worked quite well under the circumstances. Finally, if you have a favorite artificial sweetener, take those with you too.
Book Light If you like to read and your baby has an aversion to sleeping with the lights on, then you’ll want to have a book light with you.
Workout clothes Most of the hotels have some kind of fitness facilities, and Shamian Island (Guangzhou) is a very inviting place to run.
Digital camera memory
If you’re a digital photographer, be sure that you plan to take plenty of memory cards or some way to transfer the photos to another device, such as a laptop computer or iPod. On our first trip, we took many more photos than we expected and we filled all of our memory cards.
iPod or other portable music device.
Laptop computer Useful for transferring digital photographs off of your camera or memory cards. Also nice to have if you have in-room Internet access and want to send e-mail to your friends and family back home.
Traveler’s Checks Don’t bother. You can’t cash them except at a bank. And banks are notoriously slow and painful places to do business. Take cash or use credit cards.
Power adapters/converters We took them but never used them. We had 110VAC outlets in every hotel we visited.
More packing list recommendations can be found at the Families with Children from China web site.
July 10th, 2006