Packing Suggestions

Its that time of year again where the newest batch of health and education volunteers are frantically trying to decide what makes the cut for the two bag limit for the next two years of their life. It's a daunting task but I hope to offer some insights below to ease those worrying minds. There were a lot of things that many of us wish we had known while packing, so hopefully this will remove some of the mystery.

This post is lengthy and based upon my opinion and experiences but hopefully it will help. My ultimate advice is if you have little luxuries you don't want to live without, bring it.

For the sake of below I have rated things as:
*Highly Recommend*
*Recommend*
*Not Necessary*
*Save your space*

Gear:

• Tent- The prov houses sometimes have tents you can borrow but I have used mine extensively including setting it up on top of my mattress in place of a mosquito net during PST. *Recommend*
• Sleeping bag- I have used mine but Peace Corps gives you a decent blanket when you start training. *Not necessary*
• Sleeping mat- Many people who didn't have them during training spent some hard nights on the ground. A basic foam one can double as a yoga mat or sitting pad. *Recommend*
• Hiking backpack- If you don't bring a hiking bag at least bring something that you can travel with easily. *Highly Recommend*
• Leatherman- YES YES and YES. I've used my pliers, screwdrivers, mini saw, knives and just about every function of this tool. *Highly Recommend*
• Swiss Army Knife- I also use extensively all the time but you could pick between this or the leather-man. The Swiss army stays in my to go bag. *Highly Recommend*
• Caribeaners- these are great for hanging things off the ground, clipping things to a pack, and a million other uses. *Recommend*
• Paracord or rope- You can get rope here and probably won't need it until you get to your site. *Not necessary*
• Good knife sharpener- Definitely bring it. *Highly Recommend*
• Bicycle saddle bags- Nice when it's hot and you don't want to carry a backpack or long trips. Sometimes PCVs sell theirs when they leave. *Not necessary but super helpful*
• Bicycle seat cover- Don't regret that puppy for one minute! Some even brought comfortable bike seats. The trails are bumpy and the seats are hard. *PC gives you pretty much everything else you need for your bike. *Highly Recommend*
• Bungee cords- Great for tying things to your bike rack or securing your luggage. After training you can buy rubber straps here when they break so just a few will do. *Recommend*
• Headlamp- Definitely. Get a solar powered one and you'll never run out of juice or at least if you do it's free to recharge. *PC gives you a solar lamp when you start training and you can buy an additional one if desired. *Highly Recommend*
• Pack Towels- They are nice but a chitenge works just as well. Leave them at home if you are short on space. *Not Necessary*
• Water Bottles- I brought 2 Nalgenes and a hydro flask. Whatever you bring make sure it's durable and holds enough water. *Highly Recommend*
• Water Bladder- I really only use mine when I know I'm going to be away all day with no access to filtered water or on bike trips. *Save your space*
• Life straw water filter- I haven't used mine yet. You can buy clorine water treatment and iodine tablets. *PC gives you a carbon based water filter for home use. *Save your space*
• Backpack- I don't leave the house without mine, it's my daily carry all. Get a waterproof cover so you can use it in the rain. *Highly Recommend*
• Duct Tape- Invaluable and you can't find it here. Also bring a Sharpe since you will label everything during training. *Highly Recommend*
• Gorilla glue- I use mine to repair everything! *highly recommend*
• Hammock- I had one sent after living here a while and love it to lounge around my insaka but certainly something you can live without. *not necessary*
• Crazy creek chair- I use mine outside all the time, definitely a luxury but because they pack small it was worth it for me. *not necessary*

Toiletries

• Lush Shampoo bars- These things are awesome! They pack small and last a long time. *Highly Recommend*
• Shampoo and conditioner are expensive. You can find the basics like suave, dove, and Pantene but if you like something special plan to stock up or have it sent. *Highly Recommend*
• Deodorant- Its rare to find the normal stick deodorant here. Roll ons are common but expensive. Bring a good stash or plan to have it sent unless you don't mind the smell of BO *Highly Recommend*
• Lotion- You can get it here even at the small tuck shops. *Save your space*
• Soap- You can buy soap here but if you like something special bring it because you go through a lot of soap. *Not necessary*
• Solar Shower- I personally think a bucket bath is more efficient but those bent on a shower can have a bucket/faucet version made pretty easily *Save your space*
• Face cleanser- There are some here but bring your own if you have a brand you like. Also expensive *Recommend*
• Soap container- You can find them here but you'll use it before you have a chance to look for one and they are light. *Recommend*
• Razors- Bring some refills from home. *Recommend*
• Fem Items- You can buy them here but they are expensive. *Peace Corps does not supply them. Many like the diva cup. I got the mirena implant before coming and have not needed to use mine. *Highly Recommend*
• Medical Items- I brought a travel kit with the basics but PC gives you an extensive Medical Kit. *Do not bring benedryl to Zambia it is a controlled substance here. *Not Necessary*
• Nail polish- It can be found here but is super expensive in Lusaka. Everyone loves having their nails painted and it's a fun way to bond with women and children. *not necessary*
• Sunscreen- Peace corps provides spf30 generic sunblock but I like having the nice neutrogena stuff for my face. *recommend*
• Toothbrush and toothpaste- You can find ones here after you run out, no need to stockpile. *not necessary (to bring enough for all of service)*

Household Items

• Good kitchen knives- YES! Just a good chef knife and pairing knife would do. You can get decent knives in Lusaka but I still think mine are better quality. *Highly Recommend*
• Measuring Cups- I never baked back home but here I use these things all the time. You can find them in Lusaka but I brought some cool collapsible ones. *Not Necessary*

Clothing
*note: Zambia and especially the training centers do get cold during cold season. Additionally you can get clothes cheap and easy in country but you wont have a chance to get some new things until after training.

• This section will be slanted toward females and geared toward the teaching program.
• Jacket-you can leave your down filled gear at home but bring at least one semi-warm jacket like a fleece. *highly recommend*
• Leggings- I brought two long pairs and three knee length pairs. I literally wear leggings everyday under skirts, dresses, or chitenges. Pack lots! *Highly recommend*
• Tank Tops- You cannot wear them to teach but you can wear them around the village. I only brought 2 and I wish I had brought more. *Highly Recommend*
• Skirts and dresses- Make sure they are below the knee. For the RED program females you will have to wear a dress or skirt while teaching but you can also have them made from chitenge. *Recommend*
• Pants- Known as trousers here and you will want a couple nice pairs to wear around. You can't teach in them but I wish I had brought some capri length ones to wear when I'm not teaching. *Highly Recommend*
• Bras- Bring what is comfortable and versatile. I got some without under wires and they are much easier to wash. I haven't seen much I'd want to wear here so bring several. *Highly Recommended*
• Underwear- I spent money on the nice exificio travel underwear and don't regret a cent! They are comfortable, dry fast, and have withstood hand washing better than the cotton ones I brought. An idea to try is separating what you bring into two plastic bags and opening the second bag of new underwear a year into service. *Highly Recommend*
• Chacos- I personally brought two pairs and while they aren't the most fashionable shoe out there they are crazy durable and comfortable. *Highly Recommend*
• Dress shoes- Bring one pair they will be required from time to time. Bigger feet beware you will have a hard time finding shoes here. *Recommend*
• Tennis shoes/hiking boots- I brought a nice pair that promptly got stolen on public transport and have been fine with just sandals. Unless you want to do some serious hiking/running you can get by without. *save your space*
• Long sleeve shirts- Where I live it heats up during the day even in cold season. If you have a good jacket to throw over a short sleeve shirt you can leave the long ones at home. *save your space*
• Jewelry- It's nice on occasion to dress up especially since teachers do but I mostly wear the same thing everyday. Plus you can get some fun stuff at the market. *save your space*
• Hats/bandanas- A hat with a brim can be nice for the sun but you can't teach in them. Some really like buffs and headbands to tame their mane but I find them to be too hot. *not necessary*
• Socks- I brought a couple pairs that I hardly ever wear. *recommend 1-2 pairs only*

Electronics

• Orange Joos Solar Charger- Mine has held up great and charges my phones and tablet. This one is water resistant so I leave it out when I think it might rain. *recommend*
• Goal Zero Nomad 7 Panel and Goal 10 Power Pack.- I like my goal zero because the power pack is comprised of AA batteries. I bought spare rechargeable batteries that I use in my battery powered things. *highly recommend*
• Spare power pack- Super useful to have double the power and I can charge both in a single day of sunshine. *highly recommended*
• Rechargeable batteries- great for use with battery powered items like flashlights, hand fans, radios, etc. But if you don't have any battery devices skip them. Batteries can be purchased in country but they are poor quality and don't last long. *recommended*
• Battery powered hand fan- When one was sent to me via care package my life was changed! Laying in bed at night with a fan cooling my sweat glazed body was the only thing that got me through hot season. *HIGHLY RECOMMEND*
• MP3 Player- Just make sure whatever you bring is loaded with tunes and compatible with your other devices. *recommend*
• Portable speaker- I love mine. I just bought a cheap $20 one and it's held up great. The sound quality of the bigger and heavier ones is better but mine is light and loud enough for my hut. *Highly recommend*
• External hard drive-bring one loaded with new music, movies, shows, and e-books and you are sure to be everyone's best friend when you arrive in province! Format it for both mac and pc for the most convenience. *highly recommend*
• Laptop- The provincial houses are supposed to have computers for use but ours has been broken for months. My mac-book died in country and I'm struggling to get work done without a computer. Favorites seem to be the small net books or macs. *recommend*
• Unlocked smartphone- Some people like their i phones but you can purchase a decent smart phone or a fairly basic internet phone here for $100-200. Dual Sims are nice since there are multiple networks and service can go in and out. Also both of the major networks offer special data bundles for much cheaper on blackberry phones such as the blackberry curve and bold. Newer all touchscreen models don't qualify for the special blackberry rates. Personally I would wait and just splurge for a smartphone here. *not necessary (bring cash to buy in country)*
• E-reader- Love mine. I wasn't a big reader back home but here I read all the time and traveling with an e-reader is so much easier than stacks of books. Plus you can load some of the peace corps PDFs and have resource manuals at your fingertips. *Highly recommend*
• Bluetooth keyboard- I sync mine with a smartphone or tablet for easy use. If you plan to blog from your hut it makes life way easier. *recommend*
• Voltage converter- I suspect my laptop might have been friend from regular power inconsistencies so I'd highly recommend a converter not just an adapter. *highly recommend*
• Plug adapters- can be purchased easily in country for cheap (shoprite). *Save your space*
• Extra cords/headphones/etc- Zambia is where everything electronic comes to die, have some backup cables and such. They don't take up much room and can be hard to find specific ones. *highly recommend*

Misc and Teaching supplies
*I packed some things in plastic containers. This helped to keep things from getting crushed in my luggage and provided some rat/water proof storage when I got to site.

• Playing cards- you can buy them here but they are a fun thing to have for peers and playing with kids. *recommend*
• Stickers-great to use for rewards and hard to find here. *recommend*
• Poster markers-you will likely make lots of teaching aids and good permanent markers are expensive on a PC salary so bring a stash of different colors. *highly recommend*
• Misc office supplies- I brought a baggie of paperclips, rubber bands, a small stapler, brads, binder clips, etc. I use them often for various things. *recommend*
• Ziploc bags- I personally don't think you can have enough of these out here. Bring some assorted sizes. *highly recommend*
• Colored Pencils- They don't melt like crayons and I use them in my classroom a lot.*recommend*
• Scissors- Many uses. *highly recommend*

Food
*You really can find a lot of foods here and daily village staples usually include rice, bread, nshima, pasta, potatoes, soya pieces, peanut butter & ground nuts, beans & lentils,eggs, and fresh vegetables available in your village.

• Spices- You can get most of the basics in Lusaka but I brought some special blends from home that were well worth the space to me. *not necessary*
• Tea/Coffee- Powdered instant coffee and basic tea is available. If you like something specific bring your own. *recommend*
• Beef Jerky- My go to protein snack. *highly recommend*
• Snack food in general- Anything easy to grab and go is great. *highly recommend*
• Nutella- You can get small jars in Lusaka, do not bring PB there is plenty of it here. *save your space*
• Hard Cheese or Kraft grated Parmesan cheese- you can find cheese in Lusaka and the bigger cities but hard cheeses will keep longer and those varieties you can't find here. *not necessary*
• Dried fruit- some is available in Lusaka but it's crazy expensive. *highly recommend*
• Drink mixes- Gatorade, emergen-c, hot apple cider, and lemonade are great for re hydrating or just something that tastes like home. *highly recommend*
• Gummy Vitamins- Great for "sweeties" to reward kids in the village and they secretly get some vitamins. *not necessary*