I was recently going through the ridiculous amount of shoes I brought with me to Peace Corps China (I wear a size 10.5 narrow in women's, an impossible size to find in China) and it got me thinking. Would I have packed this way again if I knew then what I know now? The answer probably won't surprise anyone: no.
I would not have brought only one t-shirt and two tank tops. I would have stocked up on essential food items. I would have left my hiking boots, hammock, and sleeping bag liner at home. I would have brought more short dresses and one more pair of comfortable high heels. I would have left my water bottles at home (except a sport bottle for running. I would have brought one of those.) I wouldn't have brought quite so much underwear.
To begin to explain this list, I must address a few things. Peace Corps demands that we dress a certain way immediately after stepping off the plane. We must be professional. This means no shorts, tank tops, or short dresses. It includes covered shoulders at all times and appropriate footwear. I ignored the footwear issues (thank goodness) and brought multiple pairs of flip-flops, a sturdy pair of Merrel rain-resistant (attractive) boots, and my Chacos (the main reason I regret bringing hiking boots.)
The PC (Peace Corps) staff tell us that nobody wears shorts in China (not true) and to leave them at home. Where I would never wear shorts in my classroom, on hot Chengdu summer days, they are a lifesaver! I made sure to bring shorts that cover nearly to my knees, but I've seen women in shorts here that don't reach below their shirt hems. Shoulders and cleavage are taboo here, but butt cheek seems to be the norm. So I get a point for ignoring the shorts rule and bringing two pairs, one of which I can't wear as I've lost too much weight, but I have a second pair that have a drawstring and they are still wearable!
The t-shirt thing is tough. I brought one oversized flowing t-shirt and it is white. I wish now that I had brought more clothes for layering. I brought four sweaters and one sweatshirt. I wish I had tanks and t-shirts to go under them. I only brought two tanks. One is for sleeping, so I'm lacking in that department. Where I could have done with only two sweaters, because we sweat a lot here, more layering clothes is better. I would have brought at least three class-appropriate t-shirts and three layering tanks.
I brought two pairs of linen pants, one pair of dress pants, a suit, four maxi skirts, one maxi dress (a gift, thanks Martha!!!), and two professional dresses. Discounting weight loss (the dresses and pants and most of the skirts are now a little too big), this was simply too much. The suit I have worn one time. Once! The linen pants are my summer classroom staple. I wear them all the time. China summers are extremely hot and there is no air conditioning in most schools, so loose light clothing is a must. The maxi skirts have been great too, but I could have saved some room by only bringing two. If I could do it again, I would have brought a grey and black one instead of the grey, black, black and grey, and navy and white striped one that I did bring. The Chinese are very vain about clothing, but they aren't hoarders. Your students can't have too many clothes in their dorms, so they wear the same thing over and over. Just make sure to do laundry once a week and you should be fine!
I brought a few collared shirts. I like these because I can layer them. I can put them under sweaters or over t-shirts. I have a chambray shirt that I wear for nearly everything. I pop it over my maxi dress for a casual walk-around-campus look. I layer it under sweaters for class. I grab it and tie it around my waist just in case I get cold. It's my most versatile piece and I would have been lost without it. Bringing pieces that can be worn multiple ways is key here in China.
Really, that's the key. Bring as little clothing as possible that can be worn a multitude of ways. I can dress up or down my maxi skirts and linen pants. The dress pants are good for winter, so I'm glad I have them, but I should have left the suit at home along with the office-friendly dresses. The lining makes them too hot for summer teaching and in winter you need layers. A thin set of tights just doesn't do it.
Underwear: don't bring a ton of this. The Chinese don't believe in washing underwear in washing machines. For one, they don't use hot water, so they think it's a bacteria haven if you put socks and undies inside their washers. At site, you can do what you want, but you may find during your host family PST stay that the method of hand-washing is not so bad. I hand-wash then hang my undies. I also pop them in the washer once they are dry, but I brought over 30 pairs of undies and like 12 bras. What a waste of space! You could get away with 4 pairs of underwear and two bras if you time drying time right. I also found that I walk so much that I prefer wearing sports bras most of the time for support. I lament the amount of undergarments I brought on the daily.
Socks: I brought a lot of running socks and a few hiking socks. I'm happy I brought socks. They are a pain to dry and you need them! I also brought tights to go under dresses. I've worn my tights one time. If you don't wear them a ton in the States, don't bring tights. I wear actual pants under my dresses and skirts in the winter. Tights aren't warm enough.
Fitness clothing: okay, full disclosure: I am now the editor of the Health Corps (shout out!!!) Newsletter, so I have to talk about health and fitness. The majority of my non-classroom clothing is fitness related. Yoga pants, tanks with built-in sports bras with flowing fabric, running tanks, running tights, etc. I found that I brought waaaaaay too much of this stuff that is technically inappropriate. Where I wear it to do yoga in my home and that's fine, I can't run outside in it. My fitness regime usually includes a lot of running, long walks, indoor calisthenics, and yoga followed by meditation a few days a week. While here, I purchased a balance ball, a yoga mat (to go under my travel Manduka mat), dumbbells, resistance bands, and weighted balls I use as mini-medicine balls. I've yet to find a kettle-ball, but I digress. There is no reason to bring workout equipment. You can find it all here. As for those fancy yoga tops: don't bring them. Open backs and uncovered shoulders are taboo here. Bring something that can do double-duty. I ended up buying an ill-fitting workout tee here and just making due.
What I'm super glad I brought on the fitness front: running tights and thick yoga pants. I'm also 5'9" with a long torso and that means finding pants and tops is nearly impossible for me in China. Running tights that transition after washing as layering garments and thick yoga pants that do the same (especially skinny yoga pants) have been a lifesaver for me. The winter can be really cold and there is no heat or AC in my classrooms, so layering is key, especially in winter. My running tights have gone from the track to under maxi skirts multiple times this year!
I brought two metal water bottles (I abhor plastic) and a metal travel tea mug (I don't drink coffee). This was stupid. Where I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find BPA-free plastic bottles (this is still iffy) the Chinese are OBSESSED with water bottles. You can find glass bottles everywhere and I've even found metal ones. You do not have to bring your own. It's a waste of space.
Towels. Bring them. Textiles are expensive here and most are low quality. You can find towels, but I am so insanely glad I brought my own! I have a towel wrap and hair towel as well as micro-fiber towels to put on my yoga mat or bring with me to the gym and I could not be patting myself on the back more right now. Towels are essential.
So what do I really regret bringing? As I said before: my hiking/camping gear. People don't really camp here. It's starting to be more of a thing, but there aren't camping grounds and it's seen as strange to sleep outdoors. I can hike in my Chacos, which take up far less space than my boots and make more sense. I didn't hike at all during the winter. To be honest, I've gone hiking once since I got here. I just haven't had time to allot to taking a three hour bus ride out of the city for hiking. I miss the mountains and I would love to go hiking and camping, but it isn't an easy drive or a quick overnight. Part of traveling here is checking in with the local police, letting Peace Corps know where you are and where you are staying (hard to do while camping and when I spoke to Safety & Security they admitted that they prefer us not camp at all during service) and accounting travel time on unreliable transportation into the trip. Also, Peace Corps service is a 24/7 job. You are expected to be reachable at all times. Maybe it's a weird fear, but I'm unwilling to jeopardize my service for a few hours of hiking.
That being said, there are gorgeous places in China for hiking and camping. I've just not met anyone that has been able to go more than once or twice during service. It is a sacrifice, but I wouldn't trade the experience I am having for a few hikes. If I had known all this, I would have left these items at home. My hammock and sleeping bag liner take up very little space, but my boots are bulky. There was no reason for me to bring those AND hiking sandals. I recommend leaving the bulky hiking/camping gear at home.
Other things to leave at home: ill fitting shoes of any kind. I have some flats that kill my feet. I never wear them. Large shampoo or conditioner, body wash, etc. soap and the like can all be purchased here.
What to definitely bring: razor blades, deodorant, mouthwash, toothpaste, and food items. The Chinese have sugar-filled toothpaste, a lack of any type of solid deodorant, salt flavored mouthwash, and razors are either expensive or useless. I went to Costco before I came and got razor blades. Everyone I know wishes they had brought two years worth of deodorant.
Food: spices can be found here, but if there is anything you know you will miss, bring it. I am from the MD/DC area and I have a can of Old Bay Hot on me at all times. I was born in CT and brought a maple sugar block for my host family as a gift. Things I miss here include olives (completely unavailable except through taobao, and they only have cans of black olives), nut butters (you can make these if you get a food processor but nuts are expensive), and cacao powder (you can get this on taobao, but it's also expensive).
Basically, pack lighter than you think you need to. I would have been fine bringing half the amount of everything I did bring. I was so caught up in the "two years," part that I didn't really realize that two years isn't that long when you only need to get dressed seven times a week and rotating or wearing the same thing here is totally acceptable. I hope this helps any future Peace Corps China Volunteers while packing! Oh! Also! Most of us ordered traditional Chinese dresses and jackets/tops for swearing-in, so even that wasn't really an issue! Good luck packing!
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