What to pack for China trip? Help please
Apr 2nd, 2006, 07:03 AM
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What to pack for China trip? Help please
We're going on an 18 day tour of China, including Bejing, Xian, Shanghai, a 3 nite Yangtze cruise and Hong Kong. We are only allowed 44 lbs so need to pack judiciously. Would appreciate some advice on what to bring. I've been told China is very casual, and that blue jeans, t-shirts and good walking shoes are all we'll need most of the time. I'm figuring on one pair of black pants for dinners, with some nicer tops, a fleece and a raincoat? Any advice would be appreciated. The itinerary says we'll be eating most dinners in our hotel or local restaurants. We're traveling April 20th through May 7th. Thanks for any suggestions.
Apr 2nd, 2006, 07:22 AM
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I'd suggest a waterproof windbreaker. It may still be a little cool in Beijing, and it will be windy on the Yangtze cruise. But you're right that you don't need anything that fancy. And you should back significantly less than 44lb so that you can bring back souvenirs, if desired.
Apr 2nd, 2006, 07:32 AM
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I was thinking about that. I need to bring lots of reading material ( I can't fall asleep at night without reading for at least half an hour, and we have several long airplane flights) and figured I'd just bring paperbacks and leave them in hotels when I'm finished with them. That should free up some souveneir space! Also, can I wear gym shoes everywhere? Do I need nicer shoes? What about sandals?
Apr 2nd, 2006, 08:01 AM
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While I wear TEVA sandals all the time here in the US, I don't in Hong Kong or China. I feel that one needs more protection - from the dirt, from the puddles, from the crowds. It'll be okay during the Yangtze Cruise, but that's extra weight that's not particularly useful, in my opinion.
Even though you're on a tour, you'll probably still be walking more than you usually do. So, comfortable walking shoes are a must - whatever kind that you're used to.
Even though you're on a tour, you'll probably still be walking more than you usually do. So, comfortable walking shoes are a must - whatever kind that you're used to.
Apr 2nd, 2006, 03:48 PM
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We're not fanatically light packers, but we've never had a problem staying within the 20 kg limit, including a 3-week trip to China (and 7 weeks in the US). Light drip-dry clothes that can be washed and hung out to dry in a hotel room in case of necessity are useful. Don't count on being able to buy western books readily in China unless your tour schedule allows time to search out English-language bookstores in Beijing and Shanghai.
Apr 2nd, 2006, 04:28 PM
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You've gotten good advice so far from two very knowledgeable Fodorites!
I'd only add that you can cut down on weight by doing the following:
1) Wear the heaviest items. e.g, if you wanted to have your hiking boots along, wear those on the plane. Ditto for layering on several layers of the heaviest clothes., like your favorite heavy sweater.
2) Double up on supplies. e.g., Listerine can be both a mouthwash and as antiseptic (some of the other blue-colored stuff isn't good enough). Bring a small bottle for emergencies.
Ditto for things like toothpaste. Bring only a small tube.
Once in China, you can buy bigger bottles, tubes, etc., especially at places like Watson's.
3) Try to bring things that are mix and match and interchangeable. Black and white are great because they can go with almost any other color.
4) One week before you leave, lay everything out on your bed and cut down the amount by half. Your arm really doesn't need to be hauling all that stuff around!
5) Get a bottle of biodegradable detergent from a sports store. I use the REI one and it's a tiny bottle, taking up very little room. You can wash your delicates every night/every other night and everything else can be worn twice or three times, thus, you probably can go with doing main laundry only once, midtrip.
6) Bring Purell, several small bottles. You will find that you want to wash your hands and can't find a facility. Those small bottles can easily fit in a purse, backpack, or jacket pocket.
7) Get a lightweight daypack. My favorite is the Rick Steves one that is extremely sturdy and weighs next to nothing. You can carry this as a purse and it shouldn't affect the total weight of "allowable luggage", yet you could carry enough things in there to last a week! Put the heavier stuff in there: camera, guidebooks, small umbrella (although I like hooded jackets, which make umbrellas unnecessary), your medicines, glasses, a change of underclothes, your toiletries - and you should still have enough room to fit in your jacket!
8) Get bottled water over there. Their bottled water is perfectly safe to drink. Just remember not to order ice or open your mouth in the shower, etc.
Have fun! Great trip - 18 days, Wow!
I'd only add that you can cut down on weight by doing the following:
1) Wear the heaviest items. e.g, if you wanted to have your hiking boots along, wear those on the plane. Ditto for layering on several layers of the heaviest clothes., like your favorite heavy sweater.
2) Double up on supplies. e.g., Listerine can be both a mouthwash and as antiseptic (some of the other blue-colored stuff isn't good enough). Bring a small bottle for emergencies.
Ditto for things like toothpaste. Bring only a small tube.
Once in China, you can buy bigger bottles, tubes, etc., especially at places like Watson's.
3) Try to bring things that are mix and match and interchangeable. Black and white are great because they can go with almost any other color.
4) One week before you leave, lay everything out on your bed and cut down the amount by half. Your arm really doesn't need to be hauling all that stuff around!
5) Get a bottle of biodegradable detergent from a sports store. I use the REI one and it's a tiny bottle, taking up very little room. You can wash your delicates every night/every other night and everything else can be worn twice or three times, thus, you probably can go with doing main laundry only once, midtrip.
6) Bring Purell, several small bottles. You will find that you want to wash your hands and can't find a facility. Those small bottles can easily fit in a purse, backpack, or jacket pocket.
7) Get a lightweight daypack. My favorite is the Rick Steves one that is extremely sturdy and weighs next to nothing. You can carry this as a purse and it shouldn't affect the total weight of "allowable luggage", yet you could carry enough things in there to last a week! Put the heavier stuff in there: camera, guidebooks, small umbrella (although I like hooded jackets, which make umbrellas unnecessary), your medicines, glasses, a change of underclothes, your toiletries - and you should still have enough room to fit in your jacket!
8) Get bottled water over there. Their bottled water is perfectly safe to drink. Just remember not to order ice or open your mouth in the shower, etc.
Have fun! Great trip - 18 days, Wow!
Apr 3rd, 2006, 08:32 AM
#8
Absolutely take good walking shoes. Forget the jeans - they're heavy and take too long to dry. Also, finding English language books is really hard, unless you want to read the classics they keep for schoolkids (Black Beauty and Wind in the Willows next to D.H. Lawrence!) I just started a 3-month Europe trip with about 10 kg in my backpack, another 4 kg in my daypack, and my packing would be much the same for China - see my list at www.wilhelmswords.com/faq. Almost anything you forget/run out of you can buy in China. You probably don't need anti-malarials, but consider taking Immodium & Cipro.
Apr 3rd, 2006, 06:35 PM
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We just returned from a 12 day 10 night tour of Shanghai, 4 nite Yangtze cruise, Xian and Beijing followed by a 3 nite extension to HongKong. Dates: Mar 10-24. The cruise was definitely chilly (there was snow flurries which we're told was unusually cold for mid March), Shanghai was sl. drizzly, Beijing was comfortably cool and HongKong was quite humid/definitely warm.
I packed very light. All my shirts and pants were drip dry, wicking type which could dry overnight. Bring clothes which you can layer, with 1 warmer fleece, and 1 windbreaker (which can double as rainprotector). Hiking boots are not necessary (take too much room and heavy) but 1 pair of walking shoes are a must. For cruise, there will be at least 1 night when you are supposed to be less casually dressed and also for last night if they have special Peking duck meal. Just remember pack LITE as you will be most likely be buying lots there. HongKong was already quite warm and getting moderately humid.
All internal China flts stick to 1 checked in bag (but the tour group will check in all their bags as a group) but 1 (even 2) carried on bags are allowed for foreigners (and these are not weighed). The Beijing-HK flt is considered an international flt, so you can check in 2 bags!
If I were you pack lite as you will be buying throughout China if you are a shopper!!! Also, as you are going later in spring, the weather will be warming up (unlike my earlier tour which coverd end of winter).
If you need more info, [email protected]
I packed very light. All my shirts and pants were drip dry, wicking type which could dry overnight. Bring clothes which you can layer, with 1 warmer fleece, and 1 windbreaker (which can double as rainprotector). Hiking boots are not necessary (take too much room and heavy) but 1 pair of walking shoes are a must. For cruise, there will be at least 1 night when you are supposed to be less casually dressed and also for last night if they have special Peking duck meal. Just remember pack LITE as you will be most likely be buying lots there. HongKong was already quite warm and getting moderately humid.
All internal China flts stick to 1 checked in bag (but the tour group will check in all their bags as a group) but 1 (even 2) carried on bags are allowed for foreigners (and these are not weighed). The Beijing-HK flt is considered an international flt, so you can check in 2 bags!
If I were you pack lite as you will be buying throughout China if you are a shopper!!! Also, as you are going later in spring, the weather will be warming up (unlike my earlier tour which coverd end of winter).
If you need more info, [email protected]
