Pre Arrival to USA
Image credit: GoogleWelcome 👋 Hey there folks 👋, I know packing for your international trip can be overwhelming, so here is a list of all the essential items you should pack
Packing for the trip
Items to Carry
Ensure to pack these essential items:
Things to avoid buying from home country and to be bought from US instead
- Overcoat
- Winter Jacket
- Comforter/Blanket
- Bedsheet
- Curtains
Clothes
- Thermal Wear
- Upper Body
- Lower Body
- Traditional Wear
- Formal Wear
- Blazer - 2 (One Black and Navy Blue)
- White Shirt
- Beige/Khaki Pant
- Black Pant
- Navy Blue Pant
- Undergarments (the more the better)
- Socks
- Jeans
- Shorts
These formals can be worn for career fairs or any formal events on campus and can be combined with other colors giving you a wider range of outfits.
Toiletries
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrush
- Soap/Body Wash
- Shampoo
- Hair Conditioner
- Moisturizer
- Shaving razor
- Shaving cream
- Deodorant
- Nail cutter
- Nail polish remover
- Lip Balm
- Coconut oil
Kitchen Items
(Divided into Must and Optional)
Must:
- Pressure cooker - bring extra whistles, gaskets
- Tawa
- Kadhai - bring the granite surface one, they last long
- Vegetable Chopper
- Knives
- Peeler
- Spoons, Forks and Butter Knives
- Spatulas - silicone, wood and steel bring two of all
- Tong/Pakad
- Plates/Thaali
- Microwavable Bowls
- Chakla/Rolling Board
- Belan/Rolling Pin
- Chopping Board
- Tupperwear/ Microwavable Tiffin box
Optional:
- Cheese Grater
- Roti Chimta/Chipya
- Whisk Beater/ Dal Ghotni
- Stainless Steel Strainer/ Chalni/Sieve
- Lemon Squeezer (Optional)
- Garlic Crusher
- Masher
- Toast Sandwich Mould - helps to make a quick evening snack
- Apple Cutter - for quick packing into a tiffin
- Silicone Coasters for utensils - keep hot utensils over these
- Silicone Chapati Board - avoid the wooden/stone one
- Idli Maker
- Appam Maker
Food Items
Please avoid any white colored spices or food items like sugar, salt, rice and flour they can be confused with something else
- Ready to eat Poha, Upma
- Ready to eat MTR mix
- Dehydrated Food
- Spices (Haldi, Mirchi, Dhaniya Powder, Jeera Powder)
- Ready to Eat Maggi, Maggi pasta and Oats
- Dry Fruits
Medicines
(Make sure to get these and more that you may need with a Prescription)
- For Period Cramps
- For Headaches/ Migraines
- For Fever
- For Body Pain
- For Nausea
- For Acidity
- For Allergies
- For Cough and Cold
- For Burns (Yes burns are more common than you’d think)
- Bandages
- Vicks
- Moov/Volini
Cosmetics
(Get Your Makeup and Skincare)
- Primer
- Foundation
- Compact
- Concealer
- Mascara
- Blusher
- Eye Liner
- Kajal
- Eye shadow
- Lipstick
- Lip Pencil
- Lip Gloss
- Makeup Brushes
- Makeup Blending Sponge
- Cleanser
- Face Wash
- Toner
- Face Serum
- Sheet Masks
Accessories
- Spectacles
- Sun Glasses
- Hair Straightener/ Curling Iron
- Hair Dryer
- Safety Pins
- Scrunchies
- Hair Pins
Miscellaneous Items
- Sewing Kit
- Travel Adapter - for charging phones in transit countries
- Flash Drive (Pen Drive)
- Hard disk
- Charging Cable
- Stationery
- Memory Card Reader
- Presentation Pointer
- A portable bidet (jetspray) YES, you get a portable jetspray on Amazon.
Do not buy new laptops or phones from India. USA has better deals for students.
Resources to order Groceries
These deliver Indian Groceries to you on the same day or within 1-2 days with a minimum delivery fee. The prices of items may be a little higher than Indian grocery stores located offline in the States.
Kesar Grocery - Online Indian Grocery Store in USA
Indian Marketplace for Authentic Groceries & Food | Quicklly