Packing List

General Clothing

  • Lightweight all-weather jacket
  • 2nd pair prescription glasses 
  • Baseball cap
  • Lightweight raincoat
  • 3–5 dresses/skirts (past the knee or longer)
  • 2-3 nice shirts
  • 3 pairs of jeans
  • 1 pair of khakis or cargo pants
  • 8 T-shirts
  • 3 modest tank tops
  • 1 pair of tights for women (to wear under shorter or tighter clothes for modesty)
  • Loose scarf to cover head, shoulders, or hips for modesty (lasso)
  • Workout/biking-appropriate clothing
  • 3 Leggings
  • 2 pairs Harem pants 
  • 1 Sweatpant
  • 2 sweatshirts
  • Pajamas
  • Plenty of underwear, bras (including  sports bras), and socks
  • Belt
  • Swimsuit (long sleeve surf shirts recommended)
  • Loose tunic shirts (come to knees and wear with leggings)

Shoes

  • 2 pairs  sturdy sandals (Tevas AND Birkenstocks)
  • 1 pair quality sneakers
  • Professional shoes for teachers (with closed toes and comfortable for standing)
  • 1 pair dress shoes for special occasions
  • 1 pair flip-flops 
  • Hiking shoes

Hygiene/Toiletry

  • Three-month supply of any medications, to last through pre-service training; copy of prescriptions
  • Glasses
  • Daily contacts
  • Enough deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, etc., to last you through training
    • 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner
    • Leave-in conditioner
    • Lotion
    • Facial moisturizer
    • Deodorant
    • Neutrogena face wash
    • Aquaphor
  • A few toothbrushes/toothpaste
  • Small amount of makeup, nail polish, and perfume, for special occasions
    • Body spray
    • Concealer
    • Mascara
    • Naked pallet
  • Tampons and/or feminine pads (some female Volunteers recommend a Diva Cup)
  • Razor and extra blades
  • Tweezers
  • Hairbrush, hair elastics/bobby pins
  • Baby powder
  • Hand wipes/hand sanitizer
  • Regular towel
  • Sunscreen
  • Hand mirror
  • Laundry bag

Electronics

  • Laptop – sleeve
  • Kindle or other e-reader (iPad)
  • 2 pairs small headphones, Beats
  • Small portable external hard drive (500GB–1TB) for storing media
  • 3–4 USB thumb drives, for transferring and sharing documents
  • 2–3 plug adapters for Comoros – EA9C, EA9, BP1650 https://www.adaptelec.com/Travel-Plug-Adapters
  • Unlocked smartphone with Lifeproof case
  • Solar charger for iPhone
  • Ipad case
  • Fitbit + charger

Kitchen

  • Some favorite American snacks to help you get through the first few weeks of local food
  • Spices (expensive and not a large variety available here)
  • Vegetable peeler, spatula, measuring cups, quality knife, and bottle opener
  • Plastic food-storage containers
  • Water filtration straw

Miscellaneous/Comforts

  • Planner (with contact information for friends and family)
  • Wallet – few hundred cash
  • Gift for your host family
  • Passport photos
  • 1 sturdy liter-sized water bottle
  • Leatherman, Swiss Army, or other folding utility knife
  • Compact sleeping bag (nights can be chilly in some seasons)
  • Quick-dry travel towel
  • Headlamp, a few flashlights, and appropriate batteries
  • Duct tape
  • Scissors
  • Ballpoint pens
  • Set of colored permanent markers
  • Journal and 1–2 notebooks
  • U.S. stamps for sending letters with travelers (and for student loan deferments, taxes, etc.)
  • Your favorite pillow
  • 2 pairs of sunglasses
  • Voided check or deposit slip from your U.S. bank account
  • Hobby materials, such as:
    • Yoga mat (can be purchased here)
    • Frisbee
    • Favorite book
  • Day pack, purse, and/or messenger bag
  • Good quality, small packable umbrella
  • Dry bag for electronics
  • Small photo album with pictures of family and friends (great for showing your host family)
  • Photos and wall decorations for your house
  • 2–3 high-quality locks (key or combination)
  • If you plan to travel to other countries for vacation, you may want to bring extra money to suit your travel plans; credit cards or traveler’s checks are preferable to cash. There are ATMs in larger cities, and most towns so you may want to bring an ATM card to access a bank account in the U.S.