Packing time!

Start your global medical education
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
J

Jocks

Senior Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2005
Messages
153
Reaction score
0
Alright, so I'm starting a list of things I need to purchase here in Canada and a list of things that can wait till I make "the big move". If anyone has anything to add, please post it in the replies.

Buy in Canada
bike lock
contact solution
deodorant
soap
medication
toothpaste
gore-tex jacket
laptop

Buy in Ireland
Books
Members don't see this ad.
 
I'd do it like this.

Buy in Canada
medication
gore-tex jacket
laptop
Roots gear :)
Little Canadian flags for all your bags. :laugh:
Local or rare food items (spices, cans, mixes, etc. Anything you can't find in IRL. I don't know what you cannucks eat, but there's gotta be something. Maple syrup?)

Buy in Ireland
everything else

I don't think it's worth buying toiletries in Canada. You'll save an insignificant amount of money, and your weight allowance on your flight would be better spent bringing more clothes or things you can't buy in Ireland.
 
student.ie said:
Local or rare food items (spices, cans, mixes, etc. Anything you can't find in IRL. I don't know what you cannucks eat, but there's gotta be something. Maple syrup?)
Click to expand...

Tim Horton's?? :laugh:
 
Members don't see this ad :)
definitely bring tim horton's coffee. there aqre a couple of tim hortons outlets in dublin now, which is kinda strange. only the one sells coffee but it's brewed differnetly, grind to cup one cup at a time and doesn't taste the same.

at ucd we always have a thanksgiving potluck for cdn thanksgiving and if you like pumpkin pie bring canned pumpkin cuz you can't get it in dublin. ditto for peanut butter, KD, things like this. razor blades are also like gold, so bring your costco pack of mach 3 blades or whatever it is you like.
 
They don't have peanut butter in dublin? Hmm, maybe there should be a big list of things you can't get over there and/or should buy before you go. If there already is one, I apologize.
 
Billy Shears said:
They don't have peanut butter in dublin? Hmm, maybe there should be a big list of things you can't get over there and/or should buy before you go. If there already is one, I apologize.
Click to expand...

I say again, gum if you chew it. Gum here sucks!
Med2UCC
 
Ha. I don't chew gum, so that doesn't really affect me. Of course, I don't eat peanut butter either. Do they have cheez-its in Ireland? That's really the only thing that I can't live without.
 
Billy Shears said:
Do they have cheez-its in Ireland? That's really the only thing that I can't live without.
Click to expand...

i dunno about cheez-its, but you might forget all about them once you get hooked on some of the other goodies they have in ireland :laugh: my personal favorites include club orange (pop that's somewhere in between c-plus and orangina) and cheese & onion crisps (i've made it my mission to find chips that taste similar here in canada but nothing quite compares). they also have tons of different flavours of pringles!

on a totally random note, if you like chai tea (i'm obsessed at the moment) you should bring some with you because it's pretty hard to get in dublin. can't think of anything else right now...too bad you can't really bring booze cause it's expensive in ireland...i'm really going to miss the LCBO!
 
i've said this before, i always bring Ajax with me (random) although technically it's illegal... eek! (was banned cuz paramilitaries would make bombs out of it...) i just love the cleaning power of powdered bleach!

hmmm, chocolate chip cookies, i always bring a few packs of PC Decadence which my irish friends often eat and then do a double take "where did you get these???"

i probably sound like a broken record but i pretty much echo what everyone else has said... if you've got the weight allowance for it:

toiletries, cleaning supplies, "ethnic" food -- which is what they call anything anyway exotic in irish supermarkets including pasta (eg, that thai hot sauce that comes in the squeeze large bottle with the rooster on it), and definitely stock up on duty free (i know it's not much of a deal at pearson airport but the chance of them checking your bag at customs is probably close to 0, esp if you have a EU passport), perhaps a few selected undergrad books like biochem and physiology (those were the only two i think i used).

what NOT to bring: electrical stuff (esp clocks, they won't work even with an adapter, kind of funny tho!) -- just get it at Argos or something, bedding (Arnotts has nice stuff depending on ur budget), mobile phone (unless ur really attached to your TRI-BAND, UNLOCKED, GSM phone... cells are the only deal in ireland probably... Rogers pay as you go is such a rip off here)...

Now, as far as DVDs go, that is the only piece of North American equip i use there... a cheap $40 dvd player from wal-mart to play region 1 dvds (ie, dvds from home)

i've said enuf. :p
 
dirtymac42 said:
mobile phone (unless ur really attached to your TRI-BAND, UNLOCKED, GSM phone... cells are the only deal in ireland probably... Rogers pay as you go is such a rip off here)...
Click to expand...
Actually, in 1 of the 2 bands we use here in Canada isn't used by the 3 bands they use in Ireland (if that makes sense). So while a tri-band phone from the states works there, you need a quad-band phone from Canada.

I think phones are cheaper in Ireland (maybe the only thing that is!) so buy one there. Also, even if you don't like peanut butter, bring some over with extra weight/room! There's like a black market for it so you'll be popular. =)
 
dirtymac42 said:
Now, as far as DVDs go, that is the only piece of North American equip i use there... a cheap $40 dvd player from wal-mart to play region 1 dvds (ie, dvds from home)
Click to expand...
Nah, don't bring a DVD player. They aren't as crazy with all the copywrite infringment over there so you can find tons of region-free DVD players that actually work. I paid 35 Euro for mine from a place called the sound store. Like a mini future shop over there. It plays DVD's from all over the world with no problems at all. Best 35 Euro I've ever spent!! Just make sure when you're buying one it clearly says "all-region" or "region free" on the box.
 
Sage880 said:
Actually, in 1 of the 2 bands we use here in Canada isn't used by the 3 bands they use in Ireland (if that makes sense). So while a tri-band phone from the states works there, you need a quad-band phone from Canada.

I think phones are cheaper in Ireland (maybe the only thing that is!) so buy one there. Also, even if you don't like peanut butter, bring some over with extra weight/room! There's like a black market for it so you'll be popular. =)
Click to expand...

I have a tri-band phone from hong kong...that should work in ireland right??
 
misspiggy28 said:
I have a tri-band phone from hong kong...that should work in ireland right??
Click to expand...
I don't know... Pre-med school days I used to work as a hardware designer for a cell-phone company so I'm familiar with how the North American/Europe systems work. If I had to guess I'd say it works for sure. Canada is pretty much in dead last place for cell phone technology in the world so it's the weird one. Asia and Europe are both leading the pack so I'm pretty sure they're compatable but don't know 100%!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Are you seroius??

THEY DON"t have peanut butter???? ONe of my favorite foods!
Bring over PB would take up a lot of room ....
I love gum so i guess i should take over a year supply....

What about xbox!!!!! No use for that I assume over in ireland....?? It's my dvd player/ gaming console......

if you don't mind me asking... how much are tv's in ireland?? like small ones??
 
My alarm clock won't work there? That sucks. I'm a heavy sleeper; I hope I can find one as loud as the one I have at home. I guess I'll be bringing cheez-its with me. I don't drink soda, and I don't like Pringles :p . Oh, well. I just hope I don't have to move into a room 5 floors up.
 
I read in another thread that dells work over there pretty well. Do I need to buy anything special?
 
Things to bring from Canada:

Peanut butter (the stuff in ireland tastes like crap)
Chocolate chips
Any type of cake mix
Teriyaki Sauce (I'm from the west coast and you just gotta have it)
Kraft salad dressing
Aunt Jemima's pancake mix and syrup (costs and arm and a leg at fallon&byrnes)
Mini Marshmallows (for making rice krispie squares!)
Swiffer wipes
Costco-sized bags of Craisins and dried Mangos, Granola/Energy Bars
Gum - dentyne ice or excel


Also suggested:
Chicken noodle soup (they don't have non-creamy soups or non-pureed soups)
Kraft Dinner (for those moments of nostalgia)
Hamburger Relish (the green kind if u like it)
Some of my friends bring cleaning products like Palmolive and Mr.Clean
Tide to go
Cetaphil cleanser

For kicks, you can bring back from ireland Roasted Chicken with Thyme flavoured potato chips. I've never quite undererstood how it evolved but they really DO taste like chicken.

Ditto for the anything ethnic! If you're going to RCSI, you'll get a free ibook with your tuition when you register sometime usually within the first week, so there is no real need to bring a notebook. An external harddrive may be more useful.
 
For kicks, you can bring back from ireland Roasted Chicken with Thyme flavoured potato chips. I've never quite undererstood how it evolved but they really DO taste like chicken.
My person favorite crisps to bring back are the lamb and mint sauce Walker's, not because I love them but because they are just sooooo weird. Chocolate chips are definitely a must if you bake, also vanilla extract because it comes in tiny little bottles and costs a fortune over here (go figure). You can get peanut butter but I have been told it is not as good - I wouldn't know as I am allergic. Anyone considering bringing pancake mix, PM me and I will give you a recipe for a pancake mix that you can make yourself and that I guarantee will blow Aunt Jemima away. Cheers,Med2UCC
 
Lamb chips? Guess i'll go find those when i get back in the fall....I do have a bag of McCoy's peppered rib eye steak chips from Ireland though which i haven't yet opened.....:p

A few more thing to add to the list of things to bring

ZIP LOCK BAGS - sandwich and freezer bags! They sell some inferior imitation in Ireland, so I always just go to costco and buy a huge box to bring back
SHAKE AND BAKE - for when you get really lazy :)
JELLO - they sell flavoured gelatin but it just ain't the same as J-E-L-L-O!
MEDICATION: NeoCitron, Vicks Dayquil/Nyquil, Reactine or Aerius, Extra Strength Tylenol, Advil, Robitussin, Sudafed, Gravol, Eye drops (Visine for those hangover days/late study nights), Polysporin, Favourite Lozengers and Band-aids :)
 
groupbstrep said:
Lamb chips? Guess i'll go find those when i get back in the fall....I do have a bag of McCoy's peppered rib eye steak chips from Ireland though which i haven't yet opened.....:p

A few more thing to add to the list of things to bring

ZIP LOCK BAGS - sandwich and freezer bags! They sell some inferior imitation in Ireland, so I always just go to costco and buy a huge box to bring back
SHAKE AND BAKE - for when you get really lazy :)
JELLO - they sell flavoured gelatin but it just ain't the same as J-E-L-L-O!
MEDICATION: NeoCitron, Vicks Dayquil/Nyquil, Reactine or Aerius, Extra Strength Tylenol, Advil, Robitussin, Sudafed, Gravol, Eye drops (Visine for those hangover days/late study nights), Polysporin, Favourite Lozengers and Band-aids :)
Click to expand...


Also good to bring would be any prescription meds you take regularly, as these are cheaper in Canada than Ireland, especially things like puffers for asthmatics, and antihistamines.
 
I wonder if the drugs are cheaper in Ireland than in America. Drugs are pretty expensive in America, but I'm not sure about Ireland. This is a great thread. I'm going to use this when I pack.
 
Actually I disagree with you on the cheaper meds. Over the counter drugs I think might be more expensive, but prescription ones are not. While i would definitely suggest bringing your prescription meds with you the first time you go, I actually found that certain prescriptions medications were MUCH cheaper in Ireland than in Canada. That would probably hold true for the US as well. I believe the irish government subsidizes some of the cost of drugs. Ireland also has this plan (which i've never used but you should research if you're interested) where they limit (about 70 euro) how much you can be charged per month for drugs (like if your drugs is 130 euro/month , you will only have to pay 70 euro/month). Unlike Canada, depending on where you go in Ireland, you will have to pay for GP visits and other procedures.

If you go to RCSI and you go to Mercer medical clinic, GP visits are free, but you'll have to pay for your Hep B antigen titres (which they make you retake) and your TB test.
 
this
Is the info for the drugs payment scheme you pay the first €85 each month definately worth applying for if you take regular meds.
 
Billy Shears said:
They don't have peanut butter in dublin? Hmm, maybe there should be a big list of things you can't get over there and/or should buy before you go. If there already is one, I apologize.
Click to expand...

A friend found this:

http://www.chivers.ie/brands/sunpat.asp

So I'm guessing you can get peanut butter in Ireland. It just might be a little bit harder to find.
 
Who M.D. said:
A friend found this:

http://www.chivers.ie/brands/sunpat.asp

So I'm guessing you can get peanut butter in Ireland. It just might be a little bit harder to find.
Click to expand...
It's easy to find peanut butter in ireland. the brands are different though and might not taste the same. also no reduced fat peanut butter as far as i know. i guess if you're crazy about peanut butter then you might want to bring your favorite one.
same for coffee. i brought coffee with me because the quality/price ratio was more favorable at home i thought. i didn't bring tea because ireland has the best tea.
 
student.ie said:
It's easy to find peanut butter in ireland. the brands are different though and might not taste the same. also no reduced fat peanut butter as far as i know. i guess if you're crazy about peanut butter then you might want to bring your favorite one.
same for coffee. i brought coffee with me because the quality/price ratio was more favorable at home i thought. i didn't bring tea because ireland has the best tea.
Click to expand...

the peanut butter in ireland is disgusting so bring your own if you really like it!
i also bring gum, razors, favorite drug brands (tylenol neocitran etc) twizzlers/nibs, granola bars from costco and maple syrup :) mmmm
 
if we're in the process of talking about things to bring, i'd recommend (depending on your status and mood) bringing a costco size box of condoms. for whatever reason, they are extremely expensive in dublin and the varieties are limited.
 
student.ie said:
same for coffee. i brought coffee with me because the quality/price ratio was more favorable at home i thought. i didn't bring tea because ireland has the best tea.
Click to expand...

I'm in the US right now and I'm finding cans of ground and whole bean Italian coffee such as Illy, Lavazza and Segafredo horrendously expensive compared to Ireland. Guess there's not the same market for Italian coffee here, especially with the ever ubiquitous Starbucks! :rolleyes:
 
Badkarma25 said:
if we're in the process of talking about things to bring, i'd recommend (depending on your status and mood) bringing a costco size box of condoms. for whatever reason, they are extremely expensive in dublin and the varieties are limited.
Click to expand...

I'm not having sex in the US, so I doubt I'll be having sex in Ireland. :laugh:
 
leorl said:
Oh yeah. And JELLO!!! Especially cherry flavored, or the pudding (butterscotch) if you like it. And Mac N Cheese!
Click to expand...
Better yet, bring a big block of velveta and buy your mac there. It'll take less space in your bag and go a lot further. Plus it doesn't have to be refrigerated until after you open it.
 
Everything sounds so exciting!!! And eccentric too I guess :laugh: Makes me wish I wasn't going to college and living at home!! Such worries about these minor things!! Don't forget to pack the important stuff!

PB = :love:
 
Pigface said:
Everything sounds so exciting!!! And eccentric too I guess :laugh: Makes me wish I wasn't going to college and living at home!! Such worries about these minor things!! Don't forget to pack the important stuff!

PB = :love:
Click to expand...

i just like to say that you have a very interseting name... "pigface" does this reflect your looks in reality or something u wish to aspire to have?
 
Ha of course not! I just picked it randonly when registering - i was sitting here looking around the room and was inspired by the piggybank....feeling self-conscious now...maybe i'll re-register :(
 
OK, one more nod to the peanut butter thing. In Cork i was able to find big tubs (2kg) of totally natural PB (the kind you have to stir to mix the oil in) at a health food coop for about 8 euro. It's the same type/quality as PB from home and at a similar price. So it is doable and most certainly in Dublin if in Cork.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

I
Filling in time in clinical years?
Replies
8
Views
2K
IMG69
I
P
best time to take Step 2 for irish grads?
Replies
2
Views
2K
Purepwnage
P
Unch
Must pack for Ireland??
Replies
12
Views
2K
porkchop
P
Top