What NOT to Pack for Your Vietnam Trip

By Caroline Foty

Overwhelmed by suggestions of what to pack on the trip to Vietnam, I was attracted by a passing remark in a posting on Adoptiven Parents of Vietnam discussion group requesting suggestions on what NOT to pack.  When I didn't see too many replies I asked again.  The list below is a collation of what people said they wished they had left at
home, or brought less of.  It should be noted that for some of these items, other people said they did bring them and were glad: for example, stroller, books and tapes, PC.  I plan to use this list as a 'corrective' to the packing frenzy, when my turn comes!

o Too many clothes, for both parents and babies. (Hotels have inexpensive laundry service, and many inexpensive and interesting items of clothing can be bought.)

o Too many bottle nipples (Hotels will give you thermoses of boiled water for cleaning nipples.)

o An umbrella or raincoat (Rains are short and lightweight rain ponchos are inexpensive.)

o Cans of formula (The kinds the kids are already used to will be available there.)

o Inflatable baby bathtub (Some hotels had them, and they could be bought cheaply.)

o Too many batteries (They could be gotten there.)

o Some people did not use their voltage converters. (This might depend on whether you bring a camcorder.)

o Nylons.

o Too much reading material (too many other things to do).

o Cologne (attracts insects).

o Makeup (The weather makes a mess of it).

o CDs or tapes and a portable player (No 'down time' for listening.)

o Pot for boiling water.

o A hot water thermos (Many of the hotels had them).

o Too much packaged snack food.

o Toilet paper.

o Too large a volume of supplies like Q-tips and Desitin.

o Stroller (Light ones can be bought there and left.)

o Robes and slippers (Better hotels often had nice robes.)

o Laptop PC.

o Blow dryers (Many hotels had them.)