Packing tips for Vietnam

You can buy almost everything you need down here, but there are several things that can be hard to find. A general tip is that it's very convenient to bring consumables or other items you know you can leave behind, as you'll then have extra space for things you've purchased here.

Here are some packing tips based on some things I'm glad I brought, some things I wish I had brought, and some things I wish I hadn't brought.

• Norwegian chocolate. I am very fond of Norwegian chocolate, but I recommend everyone to bring it regardless. It can be a very fun and pleasant gift for Vietnamese friends, the landlord, or others you get to know down here.
• Crispbread. I brought two packs plus a jar of jam, and that's been my breakfast almost the entire stay. You can get a very cheap and good breakfast here, but I've really appreciated having some whole grain crispbread for breakfast since all the bread, noodles, rice, etc. is very refined here.
• Tampons. These are really hard to come by. You can buy them at the pharmacy, but only one at a time, and the sizes are much smaller than the Norwegian ones.
• Waterproof bag. This is absolutely essential when going to school, training, and other activities, especially now in the fall when it's the rainy season.
• Good running shoes. It's very practical to have a pair that can be used both indoors at the gym and outdoors on hikes. Sunscreen and insect repellent. These are two essentials here, and it can be a bit difficult to find good quality ones.
• Powerbank. We are here during the rainy season, and there have therefore been some floods and also a strong typhoon. As a result, the power has gone out several times, and it has been very nice to have a powerbank.

• A larger backpack. It's very practical to have a backpack that fits within carry-on luggage size, but is still large enough for weekend trips.
• Padlock. This is a very small item, but if you're planning to work out at a gym, it can be nice to have to lock the lockers.
• Beach towel. Large, good quality towels have been hard to find around here. If you have an old one that you know you can leave behind after your stay, that would be perfect.
• Thin blanket. One of my friends brings this, and I am so envious. It's practical, both as decoration, for sitting outside on cooler evenings, and when going on field trips where you need to bring your own bedding. This is also something you can leave behind when you go home.
• Small flashlight. When the power is out, it would be nice to have a small flashlight. Here, people have only been able to buy very large ones. Additionally, it can be handy for the field trip.

Healthfit is a very good gym that many of us have been going to this semester.

• So many clothes. Generally, you can get by with very little clothing here. Before I left, I stressed a lot about buying clothes that were lightweight, but still within the dress code of the university (covering knees, shoulders, and chest). This was very unnecessary. Hoi An has a lot of skilled tailors where you can have almost anything you want made. I myself thought I wouldn't buy much there, but I've ended up ordering so much that I have more than enough clothes and struggle to fit everything in for the trip back home.
• Many books. I enjoy reading and therefore brought a lot of books to have enough reading material for these weeks. This adds a lot of weight, and is unnecessary since one can simply borrow books from each other. There are also several bookstores where it is possible to buy English books.
• Rain jacket. You're just going to use a rain poncho anyway since it's much more practical.
• Adapter. I have never come across an outlet here where one needs to use an adapter.

• Learn more about studies in Vietnam