Looking back on a packing lists for long stays in Mexico I’d blogged eight years ago, my, have things changed. Why? Amazon.com.mx

While the availability of goods on Amazon.com.mx isn’t near what you find on amazon.com, every year their service gets better. I recently received a $150 dollar pickleball net and a five foot tall lamp, no problem. An item I used to recommend for long term stay, high thread count sheets, are also on amazon.com.mx

That being said, you still need to remember three things. One, amazon.com.mx doesn’t take American credit cards. You will need to fund a Wise debit card, and the card has to be activated in the US. Later, you can add funds from Mexico. 

Second, inventory isn’t nearly as vast. To know what you won’t be able to find on amazon.com.mx is as easy as checking the site before you pack.

Third. Uh. They speak Spanish over at Amazon.com.mx. It’s easy enough to ferret out the product information online in Spanish, but if there’s a glitch in the delivery, customer service folks will be resolving it just as effectively as they do in at home, but in that language. The way a chat will cut off in less than a minute if you don’t respond makes it hard to use Google Translate.

Mexican homes and longer term vacation rentals in Mexico have more security, often barred doors and entryways and lack intercom systems. There are certainly no rooms filled with all the tenants’ Amazon purchases (like at my place in Denver)  You need to figure out a way for Amazon to get the item to you before you rent and confirm it with your landlord if you plan on ordering from Amazon. 

I have, however, found Amazon.com.mx delivery personnel pretty damn enterprising. At times I marvel at their ingenuity (Like NYT newspaper delivery. When I asked the NYT how they’d get a paper to me in my high-security apartment building one year, the representative simply responded, ‘Ma’am, we’re The New York Times.”)

Items you may still want to consider bringing are:

Kitchen items

Once that first flush of enthusiasm over Mexican cuisine is over, you’ll crave some home foods. Some spices, such as fennel, dill, cayenne pepper, and rosemary available at will only be available in open air markets if at all , not in average grocery stores. 

EReader

Hauling books is not practical and the availability of English language materials is sporadic, even in popular expat areas. Don’t forget your library card to your own U.S. city library. Libraries will send them directly to your Kindle or e-reader. Certain cities have libraries that don’t require you be a resident to use their services

Noise cancelling earphones

Good ear cancelling earphones are a big investment and one I decided to make after a few seasons of banda music, construction noise and party buses cruising the malecon. Mexico is a very noisy place. These from Sony, recommended to me by a friend in Mexico City, can save your sanity when the mariachi bands strike up outside your window. Don’t skimp.

Extra credit cards

When you are arrive to a foreign country, your balance will be off at first.  People who have never lost a credit card in their lives have told me about lost cards the first few weeks of a stay.  So much sensory overload, smells, different currency and even the new energy of a place bombards you. Accidents happen when you’re distracted.

Debit cards from two separate banks has saved the neck of many an expat. Three times ATM’s have “swallowed” my card. Access problems with pin numbers or a lost debit card can be terrifying, and debit cards are inconvenient to replace in a foreign country.

It can take weeks to get new card and you may not yet have people you trust in Mexico to receive your mail. Banks no longer will allow you to use them for receiving new cards like they used to.  Rather than sweat it out, have two.

A money belt can carry a key to where you’re staying, $500 pesos, a copy of your I.D, and a debit card. Look for those designed for sports rather than those designed for travel.  The choices in any clothing item, including money belts will be much more limited on Amazon.com.mx

An extra “wallet’

This brings us to the idea of a whole separate wallet with a copy of your passport and an alternate photo I.D. and birth certificate, along with international bank customer service numbers. These need to be kept separate from your primary wallet.  Make sure you know your credit card PIN, which is different from your debit card PIN. The code will be required if you need to draw emergency cash from a credit card. Your face and passport will not do it at a bank. You have to have that PIN.

Sound speakers 

Sound speakers are so compact now that I can't imagine not carrying them.  If your surroundings don't quite meet your expectations, quality sound will transcend those conditions.  With your music with you, you will be home no matter where you are.  Before you leave, take the time to pour yourself a glass of wine some evening and download new music. You won't regret it.

Two laptops 

If you have an old laptop, take it, unless you want to buy a much more costly laptop with a Spanish keyboard if yours gets damaged, develops a problem or stolen. It took this happening to me my first year in Mexico to learn that lesson. Two laptops may sound over the top but trust me, replacing a laptop in Mexico is an expensive hassle you won’t like.

Be careful to lock your technology in a safe where you stay if the place is new to you until you get a real feel for the security. Don’t be the least bit embarrassed to demand as safe in which to lock up valuables, even if your lodging appears secure. If you can't lock them up, hide anything very valuable to the greatest extent possible no matter how upscale the place appears to be. 

At times, I don’t like carrying my iphone in Mexico. Hear me out. Sure, all the Mexicans around you are carrying their phones, but they won't have anything like the hassles you will have if they leave theirs in an Uber. 

If you don’t speak Spanish, you likely will underestimate the psychic/emotional toll of solving a problem without speaking the language. Far better to carry the extra phone, laptop, chargers and credit cards.

A high quality protective cell phone case

You see a lot cracked phone screens in Mexico. Once when my phone skittered across the tile (always tile) floor of the doctor's office waiting room, everyone in the room broke into an applause when I held my phone up in its Otterbox-ensconced case.

Make-up or toiletries

Unless they’re high-end luxury brands that can be purchased at Liverpool, your favorite brands likely won't be available. You might be far more attached to a brand than you realize. Same goes for your suntan lotions.  Think about all the kinds we use; SPF 30, 50, 100 for face, spray or body or sunless, or zinc oxide. Endless choices. Even in resort towns, the selection is not going to be vast, and they’re more expensive (people will actually steal fancy sun-screens from towels at the beach).

Walmarts are a better source for toiletries but you may not recognize them if your Spanish isn’t great.  I once used Pond’s “Crema C” as body lotion (vitamin C cream, right?) for a week until I finally looked up the Spanish word “limpiadora” in English, which translates to "cleansing." 

Yoga Mats (available on Amazon.com.mx)

If you practice yoga regularly, you will find beautiful places that inspire your practice. Moreover, yoga mats have many functions. You can stretch on a yoga mat after a day of walking.  You can do floor exercises in small quarters. You can fold them into a sitting cushion.  You may even run into a real yoga class - a great  way to mingle with the locals. Travel mats are thinner and can be packed.

Extra meds

Carefully calculate what you will need and see your doctor about the re-fills you'll need a few months before you go. Doctors can surprise you about how many months of prescriptions they are willing to give you. They might even decide that this of all times is the time to change a medication. They can get ornery about it so plan ahead. {See blog on getting meds in Mexico}

Extra chargers

It can be difficult to find high quality, brand name chargers for your electronics. Even phone chargers sold in Walmart or larger stores are second market.  If you use an Apple iPhone, the chargers will not be “ Apple certified” and frequently will not work reliably after a few days regardless of what the packages say about compatibility. Spend the extra money and buy extra chargers before you leave, and a portable battery.

Clothing

I used to advise taking as little clothing as possible and picking up a few items in the local stalls or stores rather than taking multiple sets of dresses, shoes and jackets. I take that all back. I was wrong. Forgive me.

Unless you’re visiting a major city, shopping for clothing is far more limited in Mexico. Big retail stores exist but inventory is thin. If my Mexican friends ever visited the Macy’s I go to in Virginia, they’d probably faint when they walked in the door.

I’m a big fan of soft, organic cotton and have found it’s hard to find in Mexico. 99% of the clothing seems to be rayon, nylon or a type of linen. Every trip back my suitcase carries 10 or more thin long sleeved pima cotton shirts. They work when it’s hot and when the air conditioning is blowing on you.

Sadly, many American/Canadian Mexico tend to dress like they’re visiting a campground. Men lean toward Tommy Bahama. Neither is a great look. Here's my post on how to dress in Mexico.)

You don't catch well-dressed Mexicans in khakis and Crocks. Mexican women dress in a very feminine style. Once you are here awhile, you notice some very attractive characteristics about the way both Mexican women and men dress (the men’s departments in upscale retail stores is almost as large as the women’s). You may become interested in fitting in a little. 

Why not?  Didn’t you leave the States to try another side of you? Part of the fun of living a “double life” and spending extended time every year in another country is exploring your edges.

Shopping around in Mexico for a piece of art, jewelry, or Mexican clothing is fun.  Running around frantically trying to find a particular type of sunblock or a phone charger is not. Do a little research, take the right things with you and spend your time enjoying the more interesting shopping experiences every Mexican town has to offer.

About the author:

Kerry Baker is the author of books for people considering life in Mexico, whether full time or a “mini life”.

If Only I Had a Place is the absolute guide to renting in Mexico - far different than you’d think. Don’t be fooled by realtors. The Mexico Solution: Saving you money, sanity, and quality of life through part-time life in Mexico, tells you how to set up for part-time life and the cultural surprises you will encounter along the way. Her most recent work, The Lazy Expat: Healthy Recipes That Translate in Mexico is a cookbook for travelers, snowbirds and expats. In Mexico, you must cook to maintain a healthy diet. This book shows you how.