What To Pack?

Doc

I’m going over to study and live in London in September and will be flying over when I go. I’m going to probably stay in halls of residence which will be furnished but that’s all. I was wondering what people would pack for the flight over baring in mind the weight restrictions (I’m more then likely going to be flying Ryan Air) and the fact that I may not get to fly back for a couple of weeks to bring over more things.

I hate packing I always forget things that Ill need and bring things I won't need.

hedgetrimmer

Well, the thing I missed most (coming to an end of a year in Brussels) were Tayto (no other crisp does it), chef brown sauce and rashers. You could probably get decent bacon in London though.

If you have not TV/PC, bring books.

Other than that, just clothes - you can pick up other stuff/ get it posted to you from home.

My new laptopn came in useful as a music centre, games machine and DVD player as well as its usual function

Dr. Loon

Originally posted by hedgetrimmer
Well, the thing I missed most (coming to an end of a year in Brussels) were Tayto (no other crisp does it), chef brown sauce and rashers. You could probably get decent bacon in London though.

There's Irish shops in London, where you can get Tayto, Denny, Fanta etc..etc..etc.. so don't worry about that.

Music I would say, unless you're not a big music fan.
Books.

ChipZilla

Plenty of ID to open a bank account with... And wait til HSBC and the rest offer you a 2 grand overdraft during fresher's week.:D

maxheadroom

You could get the bus over and not worry about ryanair's measly baggage allowance... but it would take 8 hours or so...

ToxicPaddy

A lot depends on what your budget is going to be like when you get there.. will
you be scraping by and living on Pot Noodle for the year with one decent meal
a week or will you have a few quid to spend?

If you have a decent enough weekly spend, then just bring the clothes that you
normally wear at that time of year.. there is no need for big bulky coats etc if you are
going to be come back a few weeks after you go over.. as these can be brought over
in stages.. and then you can buy bits and pieces when you get there

Bring all the clothes you would normally wear and pack them well as its better
bringing one heavy rucksack rather than a few bulky suitcases.. buy things like
duvets and pillows etc over there..

Food and all that can be bought over there.. except for maybe the odd treat.

Might be an idea to make copies of CD's and carry them on a cd wallet rather than
bringing CD's in boxes which will take up unnecessary room.. or even better if you
are planning on buying a PC over there, convert them to MP3's and burn them onto
CD's.. that way you can bring a lot more on only a few CD's/DVD's...

One thing I would keep in mind..

If you are planning on spending the summers back in Ireland or travelling, then
you will have to move out from your place of residence at the end of every college
year so just think of that when bringing stuff over.. because you will have to bring it
back every summer!!!!

Tox

Doc

No I got the bus from London to Dublin before and I’m not doing that again it took forever (closer to 18 hours then 8) and I had to sit next to a weirdo.
Besides it would be awkward as hell to get too much stuff from the bus station to my new place which is likely to be in Greenwich. I don’t mind making a lot of little trips as Ryan Air is cheap enough but I won’t be able to make the second trip until I’ve got everything set up in London.

If you could only take one thing away with you besides your clothes what would you take?

fragile

Originally posted by Dr. Loon
There's Irish shops in London, where you can get ... Fanta

I think you mean Club

Dr. Loon

Originally posted by fragile
I think you mean Club

I think you're right...

therecklessone

Originally posted by Doc


If you could only take one thing away with you besides your clothes what would you take?

My laptop.

Kobie

For open ended trips I tend to pack 2 weeks worth of clothes whcih is more than enough. Plan to do a wash once a week - that way even if you forget, you'll still have enough clothes for a few days.

As a luxury item, bring plenty of music - get an mp3 player & convert all your CD's to mp3 CD's & pack them.

Other than that, I tend not to pack anything else. I hear the English are quite civilised these days so you should be able to buy anything else you need.

funky penguin

Always bring toilet paper.

Sarky

A nailclipper.

SirLemonhead

A closed plastic bag full of Irish air

Kobie

Yeah, I forgot about the nail clippers - put together a little bag with nail clippers, scissors, plasters, spare razor blades and any other little bits and pieces that don't take up much room, but are a pain in the arse to have to go shopping for.

As for bringing Tayto and all that crap, I say forget it - just make a clean break for it & go native. Walkers aren't bad after all.

Tommy Vercetti

rosary beads and a picture of padre pio, and also a small bottle of holy water from Knock

I would make hardcore pr0n my first purchase in London though.

Civilian_Target

Originally posted by Doc

If you could only take one thing away with you besides your clothes what would you take?

0) MONEY!
1) My Violin
2) My Rio Karma or my PC (depending on whether i have to carry it)

Dr. Loon

Originally posted by Kobie
As for bringing Tayto and all that crap, I say forget it - just make a clean break for it & go native. Walkers aren't bad after all.

When I lived in London I used to chomp through a rake load of crisps, mainly walkers... but upon returning to Ireland I realised the quality and taste of Walkers is shíte. They taste amazingly fake, and unhealthy. Not that Tayto or King are healthy, but at least they taste kinda natural.

Quavers however, are meant to taste fake, and they're lovely.

leeroybrown

Books. I never go anywhere without enough good litrature to keep me going. You could bring a few on as hand luggage too.

A good towel.

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (which incedentally would be on my list of books)
A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value - you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine soredly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or to avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mindboggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you - daft as a brush, but very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.

More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitchhiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitchhiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitchhiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with.

Ronan|Raven

p.c., monitor, ups and a generator.

gibbie

When I moved over to Ireland from Canada, people laughed at me for bringing with me a set of sheets, towels and a thin blanket...apart from my clothes and laptop, these were the best things I could have brought over.

Check to see if your residence will be supplying bed linen. If not, bring them with you. I find that there are a lot of expenses when you first move to another place and bed linen and towels aren't cheap but you'll want them right away.

Other things:
laptop
CDs
books
pictures of friends and family - though London is close enough for spontaneous visits home

leeroybrown

This may sound funny, but your return tickets for trips home. Booking flights far in advance can save you a nice few quid.

endanagle

i'd bring a pen knife for sure... you got everything you need there... and prob sheets. just think, you got a knife, screwdriver, bottle opener, a corkscrew and the all-important tin-opener!

main thing is that usually in places like that you don't get the linen and its dear in london... even if you go to ikea or some place like that.

and you get on of the new swiss army knives... you can have usb storage in it as well... so no need for all those cds or anything like that - just put all the MP3s on it!

get yourself a credit card as well with a Eur 400 ro so limit, and lodge some moeny to it before you go... you never know what you'll need it for.

funky penguin

Originally posted by leeroybrown

A good towel.

"when your goin some place new, you should always bring a towel".

raster

Is Fanta not sold in Ireland anymore? Did it go the way of Tanora?

Capt'n Midnight

As an aside - Fanta tastes very different in Italy. Coke took over a company making orange fizz and well its a different colour too.

Bring photocopies of all documents, and your address book. some people bring their favorite pillow - could be important if you are a light sleeper - them yokes for covering your eyes ..

Selik

Bring a 40gig Mp3 player for you tunes and few boxes of Barry's Red label tea...

Sorted!