Reflections on Vietnam - Part 2 - Packing

I know there are lots of people headed over to Vietnam soon - I hope this helps. I'm not going to post a packing list. I'd prefer to post what I didn't always see on most circulated lists that was helpful to me.

What I'm glad I brought with me:

* a husband who doesn't mind carrying heavy things, going shopping or carrying his baby in the Bjorn - even when the Vietnamese questioned his masculinity for holding a baby (he was told it was women's work)

Ok so you can't buy a husband like that so here's what you can BUY for your trip:

*** American made diapers for airplane travel and outings (pack at least 40)
* Diaper doublers - they function as diaper liners. It allows you to pull them out when they get wet and you still have a clean diaper underneath. Since there are absolutely NO changing tables in Vietnam, this makes it super easy to "change" a diaper in public (or you can always just use the sofa at the reception area of the mall management office to change a diaper while you are asking a random questions to distract them from what you are really doing- that's what Santosh did!)
* Pain relievers - we had prescription pain pills (didn't need them but others did)
* Immodium (didn't need it but others in the group needed it)
* Powdered Gatorade for dehydration (bought at REI)
* Powdered Pedialyte for Kieran
*** Infant Motrin with syringe (Tylenol is not very effective but I think you can only give babies older than 6 months Motrin so you may have to use Tylenol anyway)
*** Orajel teething gel (lifesaver for us since Kieran got FOUR teeth in the first week we were in Vietnam)
*** Teething tablets (Humphreys makes some - bought at Walgreens)
*** Cool Max clothes that we could wash ourselves (Cotton does not dry in the humidity there)
*** Bug repellent (also pack some of the bug repellent wipes - they are so easy to carry and you will need them at some point)
* Power bars (not always possible for us to eat when Kieran was sick or we were at the Sandy beach and food options were very limited.)
* Comfortable but dressier shoes such as ballet flats for the giving and receiving and going to dinner. It's hard to pack dressy shoes for a very casual trip like this. These were so light and easy to walk in.
* Dish rag and bottle brush (I was ALWAYS cleaning bottles and nipples.) We had 3 Playtex bottles and 140 liners plus 2 Dr. Brown's bottles and the mini bottle the orphanage gave us
* Purell and germ spray (I believe obsessive handwashing is the reason we never got sick. I rarely needed the Purell but if a sink wasn't nearby - I would have)
* Light rain jacket that folded into a small bag. It can rain frequently and when it does, the downpours are very heavy. These were easy to pack and, as you can see in one of our earlier posts, Santosh was able to wear the Bjorn and put his rain anorak over that so Kieran's face stuck out and his body stayed dry
* Immersion heater - All rooms have a kettle but if you need a rolling boil to sterilize - the kettle is not going to do that. Bottled water is not sterile water. Oops! We didn't realize that until we were home. Glad I didn't know this when I was in Vietnam - I avoided all the guilt since Kieran ended up surviving on bottled water.
* Backpack that Santosh and I alternated wearing the day
* Baby carrier - We had the new Baby Bjorn Air Carrier - it's much cooler than the regular Bjorn. However, Kieran was almost 18 pounds and we both felt this Bjorn was tough on our backs. I've seen the Ergo carrier and it seems like it would be better because of the strap around the hip to more evenly distribute the babies weight. For younger babies - the summer Bjorn might work out well.
*Sleep sack for Kieran (can get light cotton sleep saks at Baby's R Us. Don't take heavy fleece version even in cold weather since it might not dry if you need to wash it)
*Light baby blankets for the plane
*Baby sweater in a neutral color (you'll only need one if you go in the warmer months)
*Baby nail clippers and nail file
*Small teething toys (though Kieran much preferred electrical wires such as the computer cable!)
* 3 Cloth diapers and small cloths for spit up and small messes
* Bubble wrap for packing delicate items and a small scissor with Scotch tape

What I wish I had packed:

*** Dosage chart for baby meds like Benadryl and Tylenol - it's not on the package
*** More baby food - especially vegetables (Gerber has plastic containers that travel well.) I never saw veggie baby food - only fruit. Veggies are best as a first food so I was glad I had a few. Take some prunes too just in case (don't bother with banana baby food - you can always mash one there.)
* Eucerin calming cream (for eczema) Kieran didn't have eczema until we came home but other babies did
* Oatmeal - Rice cereal didn't fill Kieran up. Oatmeal would have cut down on how often we had to feed him and how many times he woke up at night
* one 4 oz baby bottle - especially if you have a younger baby. Kieran ate very little at one time and always needed a little bit of formula in order to go to sleep
* Larger sized deodorant and hair products (you can get shampoo there but not many other styling products like hair spray. I didn't realize we'd be showering several times a day so my sample size items didn't last very long)
* more ziploc bags. I packed a lot but it wasn't enough


What I didn't need:

* Feety pajamas - who knew Kieran would have Hobbit feet (Santosh thinks they are Hobbit feet. Personally, I think they are more like Flinstone feet - completely square and HUGE) There's not a pair of feety pjs anywhere that would fit him (or shoes for that matter.)
* Baby Banz - yeah - I bought expensive sunglasses for Kieran. As if he'd actually wear them. . .
* Video camera - its nice to have but you can use a digital camera for most of what you need. Unless you are really into video - just get a digital camera that takes video - it works well enough and is easier to carry than a video camera.
* Baby Shoes - we didn't pack any but you can easily buy them there if you need them
* Baby washcloths - I heard they didn't have face cloths but we did have them at every hotel
* Lots of toys - we brought small teething toys and a small mirror (Kieran loved that!) Don't pack too many though
* Sneakers - way too bulky and it was too hot (and then I wouldn't have needed socks either) * lots of the meds I packed were not used but I guess we were just lucky * baby shampoo, baby powder- easy/cheap to get there * scabies creams (I'd still recommend taking this though) * lice treatments * antibiotics (you probably should see a dr over there if you are sick enough to need them.)
* Books, magazines (never had a spare moment and when I did, I was too tired to read.)

Supplies we bought when we settled back in HCMC (after trip to Danang)

* pot to boil water (use with immersion heater)
* big plastic basin at Saigon Tax market for giving Kieran a bath and for washing clothes
* extra suitcase (Business Class tickets gave us extra baggage allowance so we packed the basin and pot to take with us from HCMC to Hanoi) We ditched the stuff in Hanoi before we left
* walker for Kieran. It was the only way to occupy him without carrying him. For a child who insists on constant motion - we had already worn out the carpet walking him back and forth. We bought it at the totally shady market behind the Horison hotel. These walkers are relatively unsafe and this didn't even attempt to meet any safety standards but we got it anyway. Since we had a bedroom and living room at the Horison Hotel, Kieran could use the walker in the living room and we didn't really have too many safety issues to worry about. Unless, of course, you count the electrical outlet holes that are round and the same size as the finger tip of a 7 month old. Maybe putting some tape over those outlets would help if you have a child who becomes fascinated with them.

Hope this helps some of you who are headed over to Vietnam soon. Have a wonderful trip and remember - you can get most things over in Vietnam if you happen to forget something.