Recently my family and I went to Libya for the first time. My husband is from Tajura but has not been home since 1981. So even though I spent months online asking and researching I found that regardless of how well I had prepared I was not always.

So I would like to use this blog as a way of letting people know what items we found were helpful. Yes, you may be able to find items in a larger city. But these things will help you out till you do locate them. Also I will try to put the arabic name for some of the items as possible. This list will be added to or modified as we think of things or as they become more generally available. Also some items are for long term stays or you can leave them behind or take them as gifts, your relatives will appreciate them.

So here goes-

1. Patients- your going to need the largest amount of this one. With differences in ideals and living styles. And language barriers are just the beginning.
2. English/Arabic dictionary- Make sure you get a good one, very helpful for the words you just cannot explain no matter how hard you try, you could also use kids picture books for foods. You can get dictionaries at a middle east bookstore or if you have Amazon Books or a simular store they can order one.
3. Medical books- of any type if you know you are going to be in remote locations. Look in Goodwill or ARC stores for older books you can save money.
4. A good first-aid kit- with real sissors and a large box of band-aids.
5. A sewing kit- bring a few your sister-in-laws will love them they would also benefit from seam rippers and needle threaders. Also a bag of assorted buttons.
6. Power converters- if you take any electronics you will need them. Fuses too, the ones I had, had fuses inside and we blew two in one day. Like car fuses.
7. A good power strip- so you can charge more than one thing at a time.
8. A toolbox- most stores like Walmart sell a toolkit that can handle most things you would encounter. Buy a reliable one. If you plan on a car a car toolkit as well if your into fixing it yourself. There are many shops locally for the mechanically handicapped.
9. Gel Ice bags- I used them for transporting my daughters insulin. The planes could not refridgerate them for me. And think if you forgot it. Later they can be used as booboo pads.
10. Mosquito repellent- Skin So Soft lotion by Avon would be great. It is not as noticable when you are putting it on your kids. Most stores carry a mosquito coil and a electric pad unit that worked great but until you can get to a store, plan ahead. We counted over 100 bites each on 3 of my kids.
11. Lice Shampoo- it can and will happen and although the pharmacy carried some shampoos they did not have the nit comb. And they were not as strong as our brands.
12.Tylenol/Motrin/Advil/Mydol/allergy- any pain/allergy reliever your family uses. This will help again until you know what is what there. Panadol was the equal to pain reliever there, and rhinostop was an allergy. Hint, look at the medications you have and read the medical name for the main ingrediant, that name is on most meds there. Thankfully most packaging was in english as well as dosage information.
13. Safety pins- all sizes. Can be used for many things.
14. Femine products-you can find brand name pads and tampons but if you are in need of condoms or yeast infection creams or contraceptive creams take some. I saw condoms but not contraceptive although I was told you can get it. Myconozole is mostly used for yeast infections and the brand I found was Micoter, without toilet paper my youngest was not handy with water so she got a mild rash.
15. Spices- I suggest this only if you use things for more ethnic meals. There is salt, peppers, cumin, tumeric, paprika, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, yeasts, vanilla and baking soda widely available. Vanilla and baking powder is sold in dry packets. baking soda is bicarbonate sulfate in the pharmacies. Baker's Ammonia is used instead of baking powder but a caution, don't eat the uncooked doughs. It is fatal until cooked. Keep this out of harms way if you have little ones. Vinegar is also a hard one to recognize in the store. It is usually in a white bottle. I had to use a picture of oil and vinegar salad dressing to show them what I meant.
16. Tape and a marker pen- helps you mark above items as most are kept in jars that you cannot recognize what it is. Salt and sugar for instance!
17. Ziploc bags- yes they have them but they are new. Go to a dollar store and get them if you are someone who uses them for freezing. Also aluminum foil was there but the quality was poor and it was expensive.
18. Canned Air- ask about it as I did not see it while there. I worry about pressurization and it may explode on the baggage. But if you have things like a computer or other sensitive electronics I would plan ahead, sand has a way of working into everything. Or get a set of those covers made of plastic that protect your stuff.
19. Game systems- most American kids have game systems. We took or X-Box and a Playstation and some Nintendo SP's with us. Our biggest problem was converters. These all need power to recharge or use. And I had many fights when we were down to one converter. Warning my son plugged his X-box into the TV only and it blew the system. Plug it into a converter first! But I still got mild shocks from my camera when I put my cord in to the tv to view pictures. Local electronics stores can fix X-Boxes and it doesn't cost nearly as much as it does here. Have a man put in a switch to alternate between the 110/220 voltage. It cost me 10 dollars to do it.
20. Gas lighters- get a sparker they are 1 dinar. If you hate lighting gas you will have a hard time with stoves over there. They are all gas and do not have a pilot lite system. Again watch the kids! I did see a electric burner though and bought one for 10 dinar.
21. Storage Containers- everything is best in bulk and most stores have stuff but it is pricey.
22. Garden hoses and O-ring clamps- keeps the hoses in place.
23. Electrical/telephone/cable strippers and crimping tools.
24. Bed linens and towels. Queen and twins.
25. Escape ladders- one reason I recommend them is we got accidentaly locked out of our apartment. Second story and no outside way to reach the balcony. We had to climb a wall, scale the narrow fence, walk on the roof and then step to the balcony and then got through a bedroom patio door. They make a great way to get out too! I would get the longest one you can find.
26. Decorating idea books or home repair/idea books.
27. Drill bits for motar or cement and wood hole cutting bits.