What To Bring List

[MJFrost]

I'm a single 68 year old man moving to the Subic area in July. I know bringing the least amount of junk with me is wise, but that said, I see no reason not to ship some good stuff I might want and which might be hard to find here. So here's my possible balikbayan box list - what do you think?

Kitchen - 220 Volts

Knives, utensils

Blender

Few stainless pans

Coffee grinder & maker

Glasses

Clothes

Shirts

Hats

Shoes

Jackets

Shorts

Motorcycle boots

Books (not kindle available )

Household

Sheets, towels

Pens, office supplies

Pocket knives

Food (stuff I already have)

Canned treats

Teas

Honey, jam, treats

Tabasco

Spices

Instruments

Baby Taylor

Mandolins

Small Crate amp

Tools

Mechanic basics

Driver set

Tiny screwdrivers

1/4 Ratchet set

Luthier repair kit

Optics - Binocs, scopes

Electronics

Kindle

Laptop

Drives

Cameras

Flashlights

Meds & toilet

Electric razor

Deodorant

Razors

Vitamins

Diving - prescription mask

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[Tukaram (Tim)]

That looks like some good items.  Quality kitchenware and linens are very expensive here.  I am glad I sent my towels, and pans. I used the towels to wrap the pans ha ha.  Most of my kitchen is from 1983, when I worked at Williams-Sonoma.  Quality kitchenware lasts a lifetime.  I miss my Vita-Mix...

 

The main thing I wish I brought more of was tools.  I was an HVAC/R tech for 25 years and had tons of tools. I brought just some basic hand tools.  I should have brought my DeWalt cordless drill and sawzall.  110 volt charger, but I could use a x-former.  Most of the tools here are pretty low quality - hell they think "Stanley" is good stuff! 

 

I went ahead and shipped my 5 year old desktop PC, I figured it would die soon... but I been here 3 years and still using it.  I brought a laptop and netbook as carry on.   :tiphat:

[scott h]

Honey, jam, treats--available
Tabasco--available
Spices-available (for the most part)

Deodorant--available
Razors--available
Vitamins-available (unless you need something really specialized)

 

MJ, almost everything on your list is available in one form or another. All depends on how much stuff you have now, how much room you have and if you would rather sell and replace upon arrival or bring stuff and replace as it wears out.

 

Believe it or not the Philippines is not the outback of Sudan (just kidding). :hystery:

 

Good luck have fun :cheersty:

[chris49]

Tools Mechanic basics Driver set Tiny screwdrivers 1/4 Ratchet set Luthier repair kit

 

Good list.

 

Around Subic, with it's American/OFW presence you are likely to get most of the foodstuffs in the supermarkets, so don't overload those.

 

Don't buy tools if you don't have them currently. There's a big market in cheap but reasonable quality tools from China, and pretty much everywhere you go, they are sold. 

[Huggybearman]

I agree with Scott! Most things on your list are available here but generally quality is lower or prices sky high for the genuine article. For example, razors I find are generally the cheaper ones, but the ones I use, Gillete Proglide Fusion are ridiculous money here, thats if you can get them. Often you cant. So I always bring a load from the UK which are a quarter of the price and take up little weight or space. If you have anything that you are particularly used to using, then ship it, you probably won't find the exact same article here. I guess Subic doesn't have that many brownouts but if it does and you think you might be adversly affected by them I would suggest a good quality pure sine wave inverter and a three stage 'intelligent' charger. The inverters available here I have found to be poor quality (but expensive) Chinese rubbish and the chargers are basic ones. Deep cycle batteries can be obtained here. I wouldn't bother shipping glasses and the like as they are quite heavy and bulky. You can find equivelents here very cheaply. You would be better using the space/weight for more useful or quality items.

I am sure others will be along with other suggestions.

Ken

[OnMyWay]

Piggybacking on what the others said.  Toiletries aren't really an issue here but if you have favorites, you can stock up over there.  Don't put anything very valuable in your BB boxes.  Try to hand carry those items.  Also, fragile breakables are to be avoided.  See below.

 

I'm a single 68 year old man moving to the Subic area in July. I know bringing the least amount of junk with me is wise, but that said, I see no reason not to ship some good stuff I might want and which might be hard to find here. So here's my possible balikbayan box list - what do you think?

Kitchen - 220 Volts

Are you saying you have some 220 appliances already?

Knives, utensils
Blender
Few stainless pans
Coffee grinder & maker

I just shopped for a coffemaker here (my third here!) and the selection is poor.  On the high end you can get a Braun for about USD 100, but they don't seem worth it, so I settled for another cheap one, about 35 usd.
Glasses

I wouldn't bring drinking glasses.  Too easy to break.  I brought some breakable sentimental stuff and packed the hell out of it.  I think I had one thing break.

Clothes
If you are big, stock up!  The pants here, if you can find a big size, are cut for Filipinos and don't fit me well.  Shoes, finding anything over 11 is really hard.  I just bought 2 pairs of 13s in Auckland last month.
Shirts
Hats
Shoes
Jackets
Shorts
Motorcycle boots

Books (not kindle available )

Very heavy!

Household

Sheets, towels
Pens, office supplies
Pocket knives

Food (stuff I already have)

Canned treats
Teas
Honey, jam, treats
Tabasco
Spices

Instruments

Baby Taylor
Mandolins
Small Crate amp

Tools

Mechanic basics
Driver set
Tiny screwdrivers
1/4 Ratchet set
Luthier repair kit

Optics - Binocs, scopes

Electronics

Kindle
Laptop
Drives
Cameras
Flashlights

Meds & toilet

Electric razor
Deodorant
Razors
Vitamins

Diving - prescription mask

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[MJFrost]

Thanks all. I would buy thinks like deodorant, but if I already a stash, why not thrown them it. Glad for the confirmation about sheets and towels. I haven't seen any quality stuff in SBMA.

I don't know how shipping BB boxes is priced. I have a pretty good stash of just-in-case food back in Oregon. I can donate this to a food bank or find out what it would cost to send in the boxes.

I have a 38 inch waist, not exactly obese, but in 3 months I haven't found a single belt here I can get around my middle. Also surprised that it's almost impossible to find a decent pocket knife here that isn't of the Chinese Rambo switchblade variety. Happily I have a nice collection Gerber, Swiss Army, etcetera.

I already got rid of the big tools so will just bring the little stuff. The only real challenge is my 1952 Martin D-18.

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[Larry45]

OnMyWay,  it's interesting to hear that even near Subic it's not easy to find large clothes that fit.  That was going to be my advice to the OP, bring clothes that fit him.  I'm not huge at 6'3" 225, but I always end up doing my clothes shopping at the ukay-ukay second hand store.  2XL shirts and 34X34 pants are not in big demand here, evidently.  Quality tools are over-priced also.  Good luck to MJFrost...sure you are excited for your move! 

[OnMyWay]

but I always end up doing my clothes shopping at the ukay-ukay second hand store.

 

That is where we found them too.  They want to get rid of the big ones so she usually is able to get high quality almost new shorts for 50 pesos!  I don't know where they get them.  I think the lady said Hong Kong but they usually appear to be U.S. brands.

[Lordblacknail]

Yes, here is some must haves: Can openers. Can openers. Can openers. A pizza stone. Don't bring glasses. Also, I have more than 400K ebooks. So if you are a reader, PM me if you like.