Clothing:

 Work gloves

 Underwear, socks

 Fleece sweater (it can be surprisingly cold at altitude or at night in the rainy season)

 Bathing suit and towel

 Raincoat

 Women: Knee‐Length or longer dress (with short sleeves), cotton blouses and skirts

 Men: Cotton shirts, shorts, zip‐off work pants, long dress pant and dress shirt

 Brimmed hat: Tilley’s are great if you can afford one.

 Cooling bandana is helpful (cloth tube filled with jelly that absorbs water and when worn around neck will keep you cool as fluid evaporates)

 Good shoes for on construction or drilling sites

 Sandals for casual wear/church (and during travel)

 Flip flops for beach or the shower; never walk barefoot inside or out -- you can pick up some unpleasant tropical diseases

 

Toiletries:

 Toothbrush, floss and toothpaste

 Contact lens solution

 Spare eyeglasses

 Insect repellent

 Sun cream or sun block

 Lip balm, moisturizers, and after-sun lotion

 Feminine hygiene products

 Soap, shampoo, and conditioner

 Toilet paper (for emergencies)

 Vitamin pills

 Shaving kit

 Anti‐perspirant

 Face cloth and quick-dry, anti‐mold towel

 Nail clippers and comb

 Safety pins (double as clothing pegs in an emergency)

 

Comfort Items

 Inflatable neck pillow and lumbar support pillow

 Sleep mask

 Wax earplugs and/or “Noise Reduction” headphones

 Allergy pillow covers (for over pillows that have received much use and been fermenting in

tropical heat for prolonged periods)

 

Food and Related Items

 Thermal lunch bag marked with your name on it

 Water bottles (2)

 Handy wipes (5 for each day you are in-country).

 Snacks, trail mix, and/or M&Ms

 ½ tin of powdered Gatorade for each workday (All types are good but people tend to

tire of “Fruit Punch” flavour quickly and most appreciate “Arctic Blue”)

 1 energy bar or power bar per day

 1‐2 hard, low-cost granola bars per day to share with African friends

 Water treatment pills or drops

 

Medical Items

The following are items to consider bringing with you for your personal use:

 Tension bandage

 Pain killers

 Antihistamine / Hydrocortisone / Sterilizing ointment (for cuts and insect bites)

 Rehydration solution, electrolyte blocks

 Topical Lidocaine (local freezing agent)

 Athlete's foot powder

 Strip bandages (cloth)

 Prescription pills to treat bacterial diarrhea

 Imodium

 Cold remedy/antihistamines (Neo-Citran)

 Pepto‐Bismol

 Pocket pill container

 Oatmeal or Aveeno products for heat rash

 Sleeping aids such as melatonin, valerian, liquid magnesium, Nytol, or a sleeping pill

 Anti-malarial drugs as prescribed by your travel clinic or doctor

 The prescription medicines you take every day. Bring enough to last for your entire trip. Keep them in their original prescription bottles and always in your carry‐on luggage. Follow security guidelines if the medicines are liquids.

Note: Some drugs available by prescription in North America are illegal in other countries. If

your medication is not allowed in the country you will be visiting, ask your health‐care provider

to write a letter on office stationery stating the medication has been prescribed for you.

 

Miscellaneous Items

 Back‐up pair of prescription glasses

 Small but bright flashlight (wind‐up type avoids the need for batteries)

 Spare batteries

 Sunglasses (and case to keep them from being damaged)

 Travel plug / international adapter. Plug types for each country are listed at

https://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/

 Leatherman or Swiss army knife (pack it in your checked luggage or it will be confiscated)

 2 extra passport photos (for in‐country visa paperwork etc.)

 Duct tape (repair luggage, plug bathtub, seal window screen)

 Nil Odour (for bathrooms and boots that smell!)

 Day pack

 Cheap waterproof watch (leave expensive looking ones at home)

 Travel alarm clock

 Camera and spare batteries with USB cable to connect camera to computer

 Window screen (folds flat in bottom of suitcase and, with a little duct tape, can make an open window bug‐proof, leading to hours of pleasurable relaxation)

 Playing cards

 Books to read

 iPod or similar device

 Writing paper and pencils, pens and notebook, diary

 Bible, devotionals, sermon

 Laundry soap

 Sewing kit

 Clothes drying line

 Small collapsible umbrella (not needed in November)

 Mosquito net

 Insect repellent

 Dictionary for local language

 Padlocks (to lock suitcases in your room)

 Ziploc bags

 Waterproofing for boots

 Water purification drops

 List of contact addresses