Packing List

Lisa

Clothes
-linen pants
-nylon/polyester “quick dry” travel pants
-ankle-length exercise pants (not tight)
-running shorts (good under kangas)
-sleepwear
-2 t-shirts
-fleece (necessary for some parts of the country where the temperature dips below freezing)
-rain jacket
-3 skirts which go below the knee
-Slips are necessary (bring two because you'll need to wear one while the other is being washed)
-3 blouses (no bare shoulders)
-2 button shirts (short sleeve)
-sunglasses (prescription)
-2 pairs regular glasses (required by PC if you wear glasses at home)
-21 pairs of underwear (a good amount as you never know when you'll be able to do laundry next)
-3 regular bras (3 not necessary - 2 is a good amount)
-3 sports bras (3 not necessary - 2 is a good amount)
-3 bandanas (2 of them "buzz off" - thanks Matt & Deb!)
-10 pairs socks
-2 pairs nice black socks (never used)
-nice and comfortable dress sandals for teaching or giving seminars in
-hiking shoes
-Chacos (A Peace Corps Volunteer necessity)
-running/sports shoes

Toiletries (you can get most all of these things in country)
-large two compartment bag for toiletry items
-toothbrush and 1 spare
-large toothpaste
-floss
-travel deodorant
-soap in container
-wash cloth
-small towel
-travel shampoo & conditioner
-hairbrush
-razor & replacement blades (I did not shave for two years due to laziness and fear of infections so these went unused)
-moisturizing sunscreen SPF 15
-small mirror
-tweezers
-anti-itch cream & dramamine
-4 mini packs of tissue
-roll of tp in plastic bag
-small bottle of liquid hand sanitizer
-feminine hygiene products (including the highly recommended keeper)
-fingernail/toenail clippers (very necessary)
-hair accessories
-2 chap sticks
-6-month supply of prescription meds
-everyday meds (PC will give you a big medical kit with all of the regular over-the-counter meds you will ever need...so just bring whatever you need for the plane ride and a week or so afterwards)


Russ

Clothes
-nylon/polyester “quick dry” travel pants
-running shorts
-sleepwear
-2 board shorts
-2 cotton or synthetic dress or casual pants
-belt
-5 button-down shirts (mix of short & long sleeved)
-tie
-sports jacket(it was sent back home with Russ's dad as it was never used)
-gray slacks
-5 t-shirts
-fleece
-rain jacket
-sunglasses
-2 pairs regular glasses (required by PC if you wear glasses at home)
-7 pairs of underwear (a good amount as you never know when you'll be able to do laundry next)
-10 pairs socks
-2 pairs nice black socks (never used)
-brown dress shoes
-hiking shoes
-running/sports shoes

Toiletries (you can get most all of these things in country)
-large two compartment bag for toiletry items
-toothbrush and 1 spare
-large toothpaste
-floss
-travel deodorant
-soap in container
-wash cloth
-small towel
-travel shampoo & conditioner
-hairbrush
-razors and shaving cream
-small mirror
-tweezers
-4 mini packs of tissue
-roll of tp in plastic bag
-small bottle of liquid hand sanitizer
-fingernail and toenail clippers (very necessary)
-6-month supply of prescription meds
-everyday meds (PC will give you a big medical kit with all of the regular over-the-counter meds you will ever need...so just bring whatever you need for the plane ride)


Russ & Lisa shared items

Gear
-recipes & cookbooks ask your PC country for PC cookbooks from past PCVs...those are awesome and appropriate to what you will be able to buy in country
-1 knife sharpener
-3 Swiss Army knives
-1 Leatherman tool (very important)
-2 LED headlamps with 3 AAA batteries
-rechargeable AA and AAA batteries and charger (the adapter blew so these went unused)
-combination lock (unnecessary)
-plastic bags (unnecessary)
-sewing kit with safety pins
-photos of family and friends (a hit with everyone)
-4 nalgene water bottles
-2 money belts
-2 small wallets
-cash (be warned: when I left Tanzania, PCVs were no longer allowed to store cash or travelers cheques in the PC office safe)
-credit cards (not sure if you can store these in the pc safe any longer...)
-watches (Timex Expedition with alarm and new battery)
-packing tape
-2 pairs small scissors (one is good enough, otherwise they are available here)
-journal
-notebook (available in country)
-small notebook for writing grocery/market items (available in country)
-plastic document/file folder
-tiny address book
-2005, 2006, & 2007 monthly planners
-a dozen black ball-point pens, a few color ball-point pens (available in country), -permanent markers
-North Face Jester daypack
-duffel bag
-Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude 3800 Frame Backpack
-duffel bag for transporting the Nimbus
-hard case luggage piece
-4 carabiners
-ziplock bags
-35 mm point and shoot camera with film (recommended along with a digital as you will want to take pictures of your friends and give them copies - just bring an older junky one and give it away when you leave)
-5900 Nikon digital camera with accessories, two rechargeable li-ion batteries, and one 1 GB memory card (this camera worked great the whole time abroad)
-iPod 512 MB shuffle, headphones and armband (stolen, but I got a replacement – flash drives are a necessity here) +R
-Cards, apples to apples card game, hacky sack, 2 jump ropes (these ended up going to the kids of our host family), juggling balls (these too), and Russ's tin whistle
-1 ball inflating needle
-Globetrotter map of Tanzania
-Globetrotter map of Kenya
-World Map
-Map of USA
-Lonely Planet guide to Tanzania by Mary Fitzpatrick (3rd. ed. 2005)
-Swahili phrase book (good to get a head start on the vocab)
-PC paperwork, Volunteer Handbook, personal stuff, etc. Be warned: you will receive TONS of paperwork from PC after you arrive in country so leave lots of space in your bags!
-small sleeping bag
-10 clif (energy) bars
-Book: Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

Gifts for host families
-2 pencil cases with pencils, eraser, and sharpener
-2 Minnesota oven mits/pot holders
-a few calendars
-Kentucky crafts
-Hawaiian fabric
-toys for children


Items we regret not bringing with us
-small short wave radio and/or speakers for ipods (my parents sent these to me - and they actually got here!)
-calculator (I was going to teach math and forgot a calculator! My parents sent me a bunch of solar calculators once I got to country, though.)
-a hat (but got one in country)
-a larger (wall size) map of the world
-a larger (wall size) map of the USA (people will want to know where exactly you are from!
-a laptop would have been nice for writing grants, blog entries, and watching movies, but we lived without the fear of it being stolen - which does happen

Really, you can get almost anything here in Tanzania...people have regretted bringing so much! My suggestion: pack light. You will love all the beautiful TZ material here and will want to have clothes made and leave room for all the books, paperwork, and other gear that PC will give you!