The Suggested Packing List

This is what the Philippines Welcome Book recommends packing – for the people who are going to spend two years in a rural site, that is. The list contains so many comments that I’ll refrain from making my own for now (I’ll also leave out the suggested clothing for men and the suggested additional items to have ready in a box to be sent to those people who end up in cold mountain areas). As it gets closer, I’ll talk about my own packing. I did bring a lot of what the Morocco Welcome Book recommended!
For women:
- 5 casual pants and/or capris or skirts for work
- 2 pairs of jeans (no rips or shredding)
- 4 pairs of shorts that extend to mid-thigh or knee
- 6 work shirts/tops (like polos)
- 4 casual cotton t-shirts (nothing with a deep “v”) for non-work days
- one nice dress or skirt and top for official, more formal occasions such as swearing-in and courtesy calls to government officials
- 2 modest one-piece bathing suits (if one gets ruined it is hard to find a replacement locally), board shorts and a two-piece for vacation
- 20 pairs of underwear (anything larger than a size 8 is hard to find locally)
- 5 bras (anything larger than a size 36B is hard to find locally)
- 6 pairs of socks
- comfortable work shoes – flats or nice sandals
- flip flops
- Teva or Keen work sandals
- sneakers or running shoes
- cheap “don’t care if you lose them” earrings
Miscellaneous items:
- headlamp
- ipod with speakers or CDs and CD player
- 2 lightweight,, super-absorbent quick dry body towels
- USB/flash drive
- rechargeable batteries and charger (AA and AAA batteries)
- tampons (very hard to find locally)
- Swiss Army knife or Leatherman
- Ziploc bags in different sizes
- Durable backpack enough for a 5-day trip
- Recreational equipment – hacky sack, Frisbee, snorkel and mask
- Photos of your family, friends, pets to show your community
- Digital camera with airtight container to protect it when not in use
- Sunglasses
- 2 cotton sheets – flat sheet only, queen size with pillowcases
- money belt
- Nalgene water container with replacement lid as they tend to break
- small gifts for host families