Trip preparation - what to pack!

We're home and I'm struggling mightily with jet lag.  I still have so much I want to write about our trip, but I'm worried my fuzzy brain will not allow me to express my words correctly.  So, I'll write a post on what worked for me.  This is especially geared towards anyone considering going on a trip like this.  And, I hope to refer back to this when I'm packing for next year's trip!

Our team leader sent us all matching ribbon for our checked and carry on bags. We've done this for family trips but it was a GREAT idea for team travel.  While waiting for our luggage, we could easily spot items belonging to team members.

Lots of tissue packs.  We were lucky and never ended up using a squatty potty in China but this was the first trip I didn't have to use one.  Toilet paper rolls in the hotel are skimpy so extra tissue all around is a nice thing to have.  I brought too much but will just put the extra aside for next year's trip.

A good carry on backpack.  My brother-in-law travels frequently and recommended this Swiss Gear model.  It has a padded area for laptop/ipad and lots of separate compartments.  The compartments made it nice to organize, especially for going through security.  I kept everything that needed to be pulled out in one compartment and it eliminated the need to dig around.

Pack your shoes in grocery bags (and I put these in an outer packet of my suitcase).  Floors are gross.  People spit everywhere and if you end up having to use a squatty potty, your shoes are sure to be gross by the end of your trip.  Another tip, every hotel will give you a pair of slippers.  WEAR THEM.  The floors in your hotel room are also gross.

Lots of separate containers for organizing.  These are my trusty Clinique freebie bags.  I grouped like items together (morning supplies, evening supplies, etc.)

Some form of vitamin C.  I used EmergenC but others in our group used Airborne.  I packed enough for 2 daily just to be safe.  I ended up using at least one a day, usually first thing in the morning, and I had enough to share with others in group who were not feeling well.  I swear by this stuff and load up on it whenever I feel under the weather.

A mailing tube that fits inside your suitcase.  I stuffed this full of gifts on the way there and used it to hold some artwork I bought.  Some artwork will come rolled and in a box already but the painting I bought did not.  This helped protect it on the journey home.  

Lots of organizing bags.  You can use plastic ziplok bags as well.  I bought these mesh travel cubes for our adoption trip and they work great!  You will be living out of your luggage and having a way to organize the contents will help eliminate some stress (at least it did for me).

In one bag, I put food items.  I brought granola bars (KIND bars), peanuts, some sweets (life savers), some flavor packs for water (didn't end up using many of these).  Other team members brought peanut butter and instant oatmeal.  We had heard the food was a bit rough where were going but it ended up not being a concern and I didn't eat much of what I brought.  But it was nice to have this as an option.

My other cube held medicine type items.  One tip I learned from our adoption trip was to cut out the front/back of the box of meds and put those, along with the meds, into a sandwich baggie.  That eliminates some of the bulk.  I took Z-quill, dayquil, anti-diarrhea, motion sickness, ibuprofen and acetaminophen.  I also took some band aids and antibacterial cream, hand sanitizer and an extra set of contacts.  I picked up a small bottle of fabreeze, just in case.  This turned out to be a huge help.  Smoking is allowed in the hotels and the smell will end up in your room.  I'm really sensitive to the smell and was able to spray down my room and found it helped.

Cords for everything you might need and a battery charger for your camera.  I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten my battery charger on vacations.

A luggage scale.  I didn't intend to carry this with me the whole trip but it did come in handy.  I'd recommend each team have at least one.  Luggage for international flights is limited to 50 pounds, I believe.  Luggage for domestic flights within China is limited to 44 pounds so that's the limit I tried to stay under.  Keep in mind you bring a ton of gifts for the orphanage staff so it's really hard to stay under that weight but you end up with lots of extra space for the return trip.

A TSA approved luggage lock.  A tip someone gave me was to lock up all my valuables in my suitcase and lock it whenever I left the room.  I've used this tip for laptops and other electronic devices that I've wanted to leave in the room and it worked well.

A cross body purse.  If you do an ACT trip, you will do some sightseeing at popular locations when you first arrive in the country.  This is to help acclimate you to the time zone and help form a bond with the team members.  Pick pocketing is a big problem at these locations having your valuables close to you (I often just rested my hand on my purse for additional safety) is important.

A money bag for your money and passport.  I carried money and my passport on me for the flight to China.  I ended up leaving my passport and money in my purse, which I stuck in my backpack and carried it all with me to the orphanage each day.  We did not have a room safe so I wanted it with me.  Other team members carried these bags on them at all times, but my backpack was never out of view and my money/passport was really buried in there.  Might not be the best course of action in every orphanage but it worked for me on this visit.

On the return flight home, I stuck my passport in an outer pocket of my backpack, which I placed right above my seat.  At one point during the flight home, I decided to fill out the US customs form and managed to drop my passport on the floor of a completely dark plane.  Not smart!  Fortunately someone saw me do it and helped me find it.  Not easily done without waking up everyone around me. :/  And, for US citizens, you complete the same information on a kiosk when you re-enter the US and there is no need to fill out the paper form.

Wet wipes.  Lots of them.  You don't always have an opportunity to wash your hands as often as you'd like, or before meals, so this will help you clean up a bit.

No Jet Lag.  I was soooo hopeful this would work but it does not appear to be doing anything.  Day 2 of being home and I seriously feel hit by a bus.  These have already been trashed and we won't bother bringing them next year.

Chinese yuan.  You can convert it at your hotel but it was nice having some money when we hit the ground in China.  My boss had spent 4 weeks in China right before our trip so I was able to buy some money from her.  I've also just put this leftover money aside for next year's trip. You can exchange US money to Chinese yuan at your local bank (call ahead).

I have some other suggestions but I'll save those for another post.