Well, it’s t-minus three hours until we head to Vietnam for what I hope will be an amazing three weeks. As I was prepping for this trip, I googled a lot of “what to pack for Vietnam” blogs, but I had a really hard time finding one that covered the entire country. Vietnam’s three major metropolitan areas – Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon in the south, Danang in the central area, and Hanoi in the north – all have very different climates. And we’re going camping and hiking while we’re there. So I put together this helpful packing list for Vietnam, especially for backpackers.
Updates of our return from Vietnam: This list was perfect. I had everything I needed. I could have maybe used an extra T-shirt, but other than that, it was perfect. I also realized while there that you can buy plenty of “Northface” gear – I put that in quotations marks because I’m sure some of it is fake – if you find the weather a little chillier than expected.
Here’s the agenda for our trip, along with the expected weather:
- Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon:) Hot and humid, 90 degrees
- Hoi An/Hue: Monsoons, hot, heavy rain
- Phong Nha Ke Bang Park: Hot days, cold nights
- Hanoi: Cool, 60 – 70 degrees
- Sapa: Cool days and cold nights (40 degrees F or so at night)
- Halong Bay: Three nights on a boat swimming, kayaking, etc.
Further, I’m not going to Vietnam to look fashionable – I’m going to hike, kayak, and trek through parks. So I need a packing list that’s durable and focuses on being out in the elements, not looking good in Instagram pics.
So here’s the packing list for Vietnam:
Rather than trying to google lists that don’t exist, I made my own. So here you go. This packing list for Vietnam will get you from north to south, includes everything you need for (hiking, camping and exploring) and will keep you cool in hot weather and dry in the rain. I also included some modifications at the bottom, based on your trip. It’s based on practicality, adventure, and packing light, NOT trying to look like a fashion-plate. This should all fit in a normal sized backpacking bag, like this one (which is a great options for a quality, affordable bag, if you don’t have one yet:)
Your Packing List for Vietnam includes clothing:
- One swimsuit
- Two pants (one I can sleep in in a pinch, one that’s a pair of pants you can make into shorts by unzipping the legs)
- One VERY waterproof lightweight jacket with a hood
- Five Ts: one long sleeve, four short-sleeve
- One thermal/cold weather long-sleeve
- One long-sleeve button down
- Three tanks tops
- Four shorts (including one I can sleep in)
- Baseball cap (not pictured)
- Socks and underwear: I’m bringing enough for seven days and figure I can wash in the sink as needed
- Two hiking socks (again, wash in sink.)
- Hiking shoes with good grip
- Flip flops
- Closed-toe walking around shoes (the tan ones in the middle. I love these.) You could also skip these if you’re just planning on walking around in your hiking shoes.)
- Sunglasses (two, ’cause I know I’ll probably break one.)
- A scarf – VERY important as women have to have their shoulders and knees covered to go to temples, and a scarf is small enough that you can just smush it in your bag for the day
And travel and outdoor gear:
- One large drybag with backpack straps to be used for wet days and kayaking trips
- One small dry bag for my cell phone in case we get caught in a monsoon
- Quick-drying towel, for drying off outdoors (ie: swimming holes)
- Jungle blanket: folds up pretty small but is thick, warm, big, and anti-bacterial (Edit now that I’m back: this was a lifesaver on sleeper trains.)
- Full-size inflatable pillow that packs up very small (it’s the little green ball on the bottom right)
- Collapsable backpack – the little blue square on the bottom right. Unfolds to a full-size backpack but balls up into a small bag when not used
Your packing list for Vietnam also includes electronics:
- Nikon DSLR with lenses and charger (or whatever your camera of choice is)
- Go Pro Session (super small and waterproof without a case) with floating handle and selfie stick (yes, you look stupid AF taking pics, but you’ll get good pics)
- Kindle Paperwhite or some reading device
- Backup cell phone charger, or a solar charger
- International power converter – I use one that doesn’t have multiple pieces, ’cause I know I’ll lose them.
Health/Medical:
- It can be hard to get medication there, so bring anything you may need: tylenol, immodium, Tums, Allergy meds, etc.)
- Sunscreen and bug spray: it’s expensive and hard to find there.
- Oil-absorbing wipes: mostly for the plane
- Travel size shampoo and conditioner: If you bring small sizes you can just toss them as you use them up
- Face wash and body lotion
- Hair ties and bobby pins.
- Small “makeup” bag with things like toothbrush, razor, tinted moisturizer, chapstick)
Some modifications, if you like:
- If you’re spending more time in the south, ditch the button down shirt and a pair of pants, and bring an extra swimsuit and a sundress
- If you’re spending moe time in the north, you probably could get by with only one tank top and may want a pair of tights or yoga pants
- If you’re planning on “going out” to nice restaurants or clubs, you may want to ditch the hiking shoes and instead bring a strappy sandal. You could also ditch the thermal and zipper-converted pants (they’re not very sexy) and instead bring a pair of black pants you could dress up or down
- If you’re planning on camping, don’t sweat it – you can rent everything you need there, including sleeping bags, tents and rain gear
- If you’re staying in hostels, bring a lock, a full-size towel and some fabric softener sheets so your clothes don’t get too stinky.
Hope this is helpful to everyone! Let me know what I forgot in the comments below.
