Kinshasa - Post Report Question and Answers
What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
We made good use of consumables shipment and sent a lot of liquids and things that can't be sent through DPO. USE YOUR CONSUMABLES SHIPMENT!!! Before arrival to post and whenever we would travel out of country we would bring back at least two suitcases full of meat and cheese. Freeze it a couple days before you travel and it'll make it just fine. - May 2024
Liquids, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, laundry products, spices you like, drinks you enjoy. Beef, people pack their bags with beef, seriously. - Aug 2022
It's challenging to find items to make Mexican food here. Consider shipping lots of black beans, salsa, tortillas. Bring preferred brands of bug spray and sunscreen, as some of the options here are less effective. I'd also recommend packing workout gear, if exercise is important in your life. There is very little outdoor space for running, and embassy and local gyms aren't great. You will not regret bringing a treadmill and any other gym equipment for personal use. - May 2022
Black beans, Mexican sauces, meat flavorings... and canned fruit. They have canned fruit, but it seems to often be a weird color and I throw it out. Also, MIO to make the filtered water go down better and favorite drinks like ginger beer and root beer. Vegetarians and gluten-free folks: they have lots of options for you, but until you find the right suppliers, be sure to send what you need ahead. - Aug 2019
Craft beer is the only thing I really missed. You can order nearly any dried goods and many household products from Amazon or Walmart through pouch or DPO. I was surprised by how much can be purchased locally, I definitely would have shipped less food and cleaning products in consumables if I'd known. - Apr 2019
To keep cost down, try to stick to getting perishables locally and shipping in other items in bulk. Plan to bring most of your liquids (cleaning products, shampoo/conditioner, baby products, etc) and all medications with you. Wish we brought: salsa, salad dressing, condiments, beer (lots of wine locally but not a great selection of beer). - Dec 2017
I had most things that I love shipped to post to me. It's the only way to survive in this place. - Dec 2017
Lysol cleaning liquid, laundry soap, lemon oil for wood, windex, pine nuts, nut milk bags and nuts to make nut milk, coffee beans, beans (black, and white are locally available, red and pinto are rarely found), peanut butter, mexican food makings, specialty flours, disinfectant wipes for home and travel, hand sanitizer, more bug spray, sunscreen (not available here!).
Hairspray, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, sunscreen, face wash, nail polish remover. More games/puzzles/crafts. Craft beer or cider. Weirdly, ice cube trays and bins; locally not readily available and ice is at a premium. More ziploc baggies, bug proof pantry storage bins, ant bait, roach killer, bug zapper lights for outside, tikki torches and citronella oil for the pool, the list could go on. Fortunately most things are available via Amazon or whatever. Focus your consumables (if you get them) on liquids you can't live without. This doesn't really go here but I will include it anyway: BRING A SPARE SET OF TIRES (4 or better 5) FOR YOUR CAR!!! - Mar 2017
Craft beer, soy sauce (only available in tiny bottles), bread flour, coffee beans. - Jan 2017
We shipped the standard stuff for a consumable post -- a lot of olive oil; bags of Costco dried fruits, nuts, quinoa. We ordered a lot on line -- the DPO was great. My pantry got infested by mealy moths, so I learned that if I couldn't store dry goods in the freezer, I had to use them or not buy them. - Sep 2016
More salsa, a UPS for power outages, that's pretty much it. - Apr 2016
Paper goods and bug repellent, primarily. With DPO, it is very easy to order necessities online and have them shipped if you can't find them locally or they are simply too expensive. - Jan 2014
I would have maxed out the consumables shipment on toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, and other paper products. Anything in the toiletry, hygiene, paper products category here is much more expensive and quality is weak. - Nov 2012
More consumables, things like olive oil and other staples. - Feb 2012
Skin-so-soft. - Nov 2011
Diapers, not because they are not available, but because they are so expensive. In fact, just about anything is more expensive here, so when on holidays leave with empty suitcases and return with full ones - Aug 2011
Get used to netgrocer.com, drugstore.com, walmart/target/sears/amazon.com. Things here are expensive, not always in stock, not the quality you may used to. If you have access to DPO, most of your stuff is bought on line and shipped. It is cheaper and easier than getting it locally. Good local produce, let the house staff purchase it. As the prices will go up quite a bit if you are not a Congo local. Stock up on the favorite things and ship in HHE. But, be forewarned, your HHE and/or UAB can be held in customs for several weeks or a few months. This is an on-going problem in DRC, people are working towards a solution. But, DRC is a cash country and everyone has their hand out for a little something. If I knew then, what I know now – I would have not brought so much stuff in advance, only to have it sit in Customs for a few months. I would have had the ‘favorites’ shipped to the DPO address and used the on-line shopping for everything else. Car parts, tires, favorite comfort food. - Jan 2011
i haven't missed anything in particular. - Oct 2010
Lots of mosquito repellant & sunscreen; more canned food than I shipped originally. - Jan 2009
