Recommended Packing List

Hey Y'all!
Here is a packing list. It is mainly for female volunteers. 

Clothes
o  One or two pairs of loose, lightweight, casual long pants (cotton or linen) – Great for wearing in your room or for airplane travel
o  One or two long-sleeved shirts – Good for when you travel and those cold rainy nights
o  One or two pairs of long loose shorts- these are great for exercise
o  Four loose skirts that cover your knees –  You will likely be given quite a few during service but for those first few weeks it is nice to have a variety of options
o  A couple of sleeveless tops that are not form fitting – great for PJ’s
o  Several T-shirts – cotton or quick dry are great
o  One or two casual, conservative dresses- you will likely build up a collection of mumus and dresses during your service – I think I currently have about 10 mumus
o  Bike shorts- I would highly recommend these as they give you mobility and help to make sure that you are being culturally appropriate
o  Several bras, both regular and sports bras
o  Underwear – I would recommend bringing a second set of undies that you don’t touch until the beginning of your second year of service.
o  Long-sleeved, lightweight, waterproof jacket and/or umbrella
o  Hoddie or sweater for plane rides / air conditioned rooms
o  Baseball cap
o  Yoga capris or longer (females) – These are great to wear under skirts when you are biking or exercising
o  Rashguard Board shorts
o  Running socks
o  A one-piece or bikini for diving or to wear underneath a rashguard and shorts

Shoes
o  Flip-flops – If possible I would try to get some with arch support
o  Sandals like Chacos or Tivas 
o  Reef walkers
o  Running Shoes

Hygiene:
o  Shampoo and Conditioner
o  Deodorant
o  Hand sanitizer
o  Face wash
o  Comb/brush
o  Diva Cup or tampons- I would Highly recommend a Diva Cup as Tampons and Pads are expensive and often hard to find
o  Nail polish –This is optional but at least in Kosrae the kids love wearing it
o  Hair ties

Other
o  Good pair of sunglasses – If you are a fellow speckie I would highly recommend a pair of prescription sunglasses.
o  Waterproof backpack or Dry bag – I have a summit to sea waterproof backpack and it is one of my favorite things
o  High-quality water bottle- Hydration is really important in this hot weather
o  Mini dry bags for electronics – Especially important if you are on an outer island where you have to take a boat to get to your site
o  Goggles/snorkel/flippers – Optional This really depends on where you are placed and how often you want to go snorkeling
o  Good small knife or multitool – optional but can be useful for small projects or if you are a crafter 
o  Ziplock bags and tupperware 
o  Duffel/overnight bag
o  Very basic set of school supplies  
o  Sewing kit – great for repairing broken clothes
o  Yoga mat –Optional but great for exercise and to pad out your bed if your mattress is not great. 
o  Quick-dry towel
o  Spare flat sheet / sheet set (may come in handy when some families can’t spare an extra)
o  Letter writing stationary – DON’T BRING STAMPS – Even though we use the USPS the FSM has their own stamps
o  Watch
o  Pictures of your family – Great to show to your host family and for decoration
o  Playing cards and games- These are great to play with your host family or to start an English Game Club at your school – Banangrams and Uno are some of my kids’ favorite games

Electronics
o  Laptop- OPTIONAL -I would Highly recommend bringing a laptop to watch Movies with your host family and to fill out the Peace Corps Biannual reports
o  External Hardrive- Optional- Great for sharing movies with other volunteers
o  Kindle – Optional
o  Waterproof camera - optional
o  Headlamp / Waterproof flashlight – Most main islands have the ocational power outages and most outer islands don’t have power
o  Portable speakers - Optional
o  Good surge protector Optional
o  Spare batteries


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