Sarah Burrows and team took some time to edit the packing list according to what they have experienced so far. This is good advice but also remember they have only visited one region so far. Things that may not have been useful yet might come in useful later on (such as long skirts, dress pants, and a sweater). Be sure to thank these guys if you meet up with them!!! They have taken the AIM packing list and put their comments in red…
The following clothes are recommendations from years of experience. The
amount of clothing is a recommendation. The amount can vary as long as it fits
in your luggage and you can carry it all.
PACKING TIPS & THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
• It is generally a good idea to pack a change of clothes in your carry on bag.
• Pocketknives must be packed in your checked bag.
• Packing your clothes in Ziploc bags is a good space saver and helps with spills.
• A lot of supplies are available overseas so you don’t have to bring everything you need
for the whole time.
• Check Project Profile for Climate Info. You may also want to check www.countryreports.org
CLOTHING EVERYONE NEEDS:
_ 1 sweater or a sweatshirt is a must- Some of us just have a lightweight fleece jacket to double as a sweater…it’s been fine so far (note from laura: they haven’t yet been in a cold country, though you should plan to buy clothes just for the short time you will be in cold climates)
_ 1 raincoat and rain pants for bad weather – go for quality – lightweight and
breathable. NO RAIN PANTS UNLESS THIS IS SOMETHING YOU USUALLY WEAR AT HOME IN THE RAIN… like with your galoshes
_ 1 hat or head covering for sun or bad weather.
_ 1 pair of shoes for hiking or sports (some people bring hiking shoes, others, tennis
shoes).– bring tennis shoes you will be comfortable in… if you are a runner buy new ones right before… they go quick… don’t bring boots… they are heavy and awkward to pack
_ 1 pair of flip-flops or sandals (Chacos or Tevas are well worth the money!)
_ Enough underwear for 10 days and socks for 5 days
_ Toiletries: deodorant they only have roll-on in other countries (note from laura – again they’ve only been to SE Asia where deoderant isn’t so popular), toothbrush, toothpaste, powder, hairbrush, soap, shampooshave gel, razor (just bring one of everything; you can repurchase in other countries). Get toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner and bodywash with your team… travel with travel sizes and buy enough for the month when you get there… seriously, don’t each bring shampoo… and go for 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner (note from laura – reducing toiletries will save you the most weight)
FOR MEN:
A dress shirt and dress pants are required for church as well as a tie if you are preaching or leading an aspect of the service. You can get away with wearing T-shirts a lot of the time, but you may want to wear collared shirts regularly. Please Jdo not wear sleeveless shirts. Shorts aren’t worn much so plan on wearing pants most of the time. Shoes will need to be worn out in the community; it is not wise to wear sandals around for sanitation reasons.
_ 1 nice outfit (dress pants, shirt, tie) Bring a collared button down and a polo or two… and khakis have been fine so far for the boys… but we haven’t been to Africa yet
_ 2-3 pair of pants to wear on a regular basis. The zip off camp ones are good, cargo shorts, and something you can work in
_ 7-10 shirts
_ 1 modest bathing trunks – no Speedos
FOR WOMEN:
REV 8/8/07
Dresses and shirts must cover your shoulders and skirts and dresses must be below the
knee. Dresses are worn for most ministry settings and even out in public. This is the norm in the area where we will be traveling, so prepare to wear dresses at least 50% of the time. There will be opportunities to wear pants & capris, and off days and around the
house will be the most common time to wear shorts. Bring a nice outfit you feel pretty in for debrief/ nights out… it’s just good to feel like yourself once in awhile J Dress modestly but DO NOT go and buy clothes a little bigger for this purpose. You will be line drying them and they will get bagged out… our team is going shopping this month for clothes that fit! Also, bring clothes that can be layered and mixed and matched… it will be longer till you are sick of your clothes if you can mix up outfits.
_ 2-4 skirts or dresses Bring 2 skirts… you can get more if you need them, but bring two that hit at or below the knee
_ 7-10 tops 2 work shirts, 2 or 3 nicer t shirts, 2 or 3 tops to wear to ministry, two longsleeve shirts… maybe things that can be layered
_ 4 casual pants or capris – Bring a light pair of jeans if you like them, lightweight Khakis, and capris…bring at least one pair of knee length shorts or pants to do work in
_ 1 modest one piece bathing suit or modest tankini (should cover the stomach)- some places require shorts as well Bring a pair of shorts you can swim in- most places it’s common (and some places require a tshirt over as well)
_ Sanitary products – these are very hard to find in developing countries
_ Make-up (if you normally wear it) bring some…powder, eye shadow and mascara is probably good… but you know what you wear normally, bring a little
_ Light, non-expensive jewelry (you can often find nice jewelry in the countries you
will be visiting).
ITEMS EVERYONE NEEDS TO PACK:
DOCUMENTS:
_ Passport
_ Extra passport pictures for visas
_ Visa information
_ Domestic Airplane Tickets
_ Personal Identification
_ Check card or Visa (optional)
_ Health Information
_ Copies of ID
_ Passport/Money Holder
_ Proof of Yellow Fever inoculation
STUDY MATERIALS:
_ Bible (Study Bible or a compact version of the following 3 items)
_ Cross Reference
_ Concordance
_ Bible Dictionary- just get a study bible with a few of these things in it… good luck packing separate books J
_ Journal
_ Notebook
_ Pens/ Pencils
_ Books – get together with your team and designate each person to bring a different
book. This keeps weight down in your pack. Book swap is seriously awesome…try to bring a variety across your squad
PERSONAL ITEMS:
Flip flops you can wear in the “shower”
_ Sunglasses
_ Sunscreen
_ Prescription glasses (don’t rely on contacts)
REV 8/8/07
6
_ Contact solution – it’s hard to find when traveling
_ A roll of toilet paper (more if you can fit it)
_ Hand sanitizer – 1 large bottle and 1 small bottle to refill
_ Small towel
_ Sarongs are recommended for girls (doubles as a towel).
_ Pocket multi-tool or knife
_ Headlamp
_ Stationary for letters home/Thank you notes
_ Addresses for back home
_ Alarm clock
_ Small flashlight/ batteries
_ Spending money
_ Medication
_ IF you take supplements at home, bring them IF you will take them. We suggest a
good pro-biotic and garlic extract (natural anti-microbial) at the least – pack 3-4
months worth. You can buy more at major cities. Multivitamin-and put someone on your team in charge of making sure everybody takes them…
_ Insect repellent
_ Watch
_ A money belt that can be worn under clothes
_ ID badges for everything
MISCELLANEOUS:
Stickers for Childrens ministry… and some little things to give people… like friendship bracelets or bookmarks for thank you gifts.
_ Camera/ film
_ Small calculator- ESPECIALLY finance people
_ Pictures of your family – you can show others and it helps with homesickness
_ Big Duffle bag or pack cover to put your pack in for travel and airports
_ Outlet converter/voltage converter
_ Jump drive/Flash drive
_ Travel locks – combination lock is better than keyed lock
_ Baby wipes/Face wipes
_ Water bottle (one that doesn’t leak!) plus a splash guard and carabineer to clip it
_ Earplugs (roosters crow very early and your roommate may snore)
_ Duct tape
_ Small first aid kit (Neosporin, After Bite, Insect repellent, Band Aids, Imodium AD,
pain killers-Advil/Tylenol, Pepto-Bismol, antiseptic wipes, Dramamine, Benadryl,
etc.)
_ Gallon size Zip-Lock Bags as well as quart size – when you pack take everything out of boxes and bottles to save space
_ Packing cubes for packing organization (Eagle Creek makes some great packing
cubes)
_ Laundry soap- bring like 2 tiny packets of handwash soap and buy the rest in country
_ Clothes pins and line
_ Tents – most racers bring their own individual one. Remember, the tent must be able to fit you and your bag.
_ Cook stove (1-2 per team) – make sure it can use multiple types of fuel
_ Eating utensils including silverware, mug, plate, and bowl
BEDDING:
_ Small Pillow- try sleeping on your travel pillow a few times… for some it is worth the space to pack a full size pillow… others are fine with none…but try it before you go
_ Sleeping bag
_ Blanket & Sheet
_ Sleeping Pad
_ Sleeping bag liner- this can also be your sheet… fold a full size sheet in half… sew along the bottom and halfway up the sides… or buy one… just bring something.
A few final notes:
Runners and exercisers: buy new shoes right before you come. Get shoes you can run comfortably in… I got “all terrain runners” from new balance… they are a little hard on my legs on roads but overall are fine… whatever you usually run in is good. Also, pack an outfit especially for working out… I have an underarmour shirt and some dry release shorts… they smell by the end of the week but I put them on to run and change right after… and I love having them.
Coffee drinkers- find a travel French press to bring… our whole team uses it
Don’t bring white tshirts…they go very quickly
Bring some DVDs from home or get them loaded on an external hard drive
Bring a few card games or a set of scrabble tiles for your team (we’ll teach you speed scabble, it’s fun)
DON”T STRESS- we have all picked up a few things along the way and dropped a few from our packs… people in other countries wash their hair and get cold and need to buy a sweater… God’s got you covered!
