Packing for China 2014 - what shall I take this time?

So when I returned home from China this year (June 2014) on Sri Lankan Airlines, I was lucky enough to have 30K of baggage weight.  But, the problem was I was coming back to China so I didn't need to take a lot of stuff with me. In the end I only took about 17K in my check in bag and most of that was taken up with presents for Matilda, my daughter.  In terms of my stuff I only took a couple of t shirts, a pair of jeans and underwear. As I knew I had clothes at home I could use.

Coming back to China though is a different matter.  On this flight I was only allowed 20K checked in baggage which can be pushed to 23k without any financial penalty for being over weight.

So as usual I needed to really think about what I was bringing back.  This means packing, weighing, repacking, re-thinking and stripping unwanted weight.

This is basically the final cut after a couple of weigh ins. 

The full list of what I bought back with me is this.

Main Bag

Buckaroo Game (for a friend)

Operation Game (for a friend)

8 x 35mm films (for a friend)

Ralph Lauren Polo  (for a friend)

Knee brace

CK1 (200ml) Gift

CK BE (200ml)

Hugo Boss 100ml Gift

240 Teabags

Suit - Jacket and Trousers

Hoody

5 x Shirts

1 Pair Jeans

Underwear x 5

5 x socks

5 x socks (short)

Running shorts

Marmite 600gms

T shirt x 1

Shaving oil 250ml

15 lemsips

4 toothbrush heads (Oral B)

9 x blister packs Anadin Extra (6 tabs in each)

2 x Lemsip Day time tabs blister packs

5 x Ibuprofen blister packs

13 razor blades

Face mask and filters

Mug

2 x Brut 200ml Gift

Body Creme 200ml Gift

2 x Decaffe Coffee 227gms - Gift

Mini Wifi Speaker (for friend)

3 canvas bags - Gifts

7 x bags of rock - Gifts for students

12 x Walnut Whips - Gift

2 x Simple moisturiser 125ml 

Small book - gift

6 x Sure Deodorants

400 ml cough medicine in 4 x small plastic bottles

Cod Liver oil Tabs 250 (for Snooky)

Aloe Vera Gel 200ml

Camera - Gift

Dog treats (for Snooky)

7 x ties

Beconase x 1

And that was pretty much pushing the full 23 kilos

So I had to depend on my backpack and computer bag which I was allowed to carry on board.

BackPack

Rain Jacket

Hat

Curry powder 400gms

Dog treat

Longsleeved t shirt

Soap

2 cameras Gifts

Sweets (gifts)

Segs x 4 (for a friend)

2 tee shirts

Shorts

2 shirts

Plugs and wires

Neck pillow

Water bottle

Denim Jacket

Computer Bag

Computer in bag

Google Tablet

Kindle

external hard drive

Camera Book

Cards/postcards/envelopes x 12

20x tourist maps of Plymouth (classroom materials)

headphones x 2

plugs

various paperwork

Plus I had a tube with a large artwork in it to string over my shoulder

Plus I was carrying a leather jacket

Plus I also had another bag in which I had three books and my various bit and pieces to have on board. 

It was a lot - and heavy.  But It all went on board the airplane. The hardest part of the journey was the London Underground which still doesn't have good access to the platforms so you have to bump and heave your luggage up and down stairs. By the time I got to Nanjing my Jeep bag was ruined - ripped and the metal frame bent.

If you want to know what to pack for a first time visit to China look here:

2013A    -  2013B