Packing List

Here's what I am bringing with me to Nepal. At some point mid-service or after service I'll be modifying this list of what I wish I had or hadn't brought, since there will be some of that.* For the most part I've tried to keep things to the practical.

*I have since arrived in Nepal (it has been over a year) and have notated what I would have changed in my packing list. I have also since bought additional clothes and items; lots of things are available in country.

struckout are items that I would not bring with me knowing what I know now

bolded are items I am very happy to have

My bags at the penultimate stages of packing (minus one).

CLOTHING
I went light on clothes because I expect to wear host country clothing before too long and because I should be able to find other clothes for purchase if I need them. I love my hot weather/work clothes, so I packed pairs of those (long-sleeve shirts, hiking pants, hats...) Underwear I also brought a lot of to make sure I will be covered for the duration of my service - it seems handwashing can be tough on them and I have read that good quality underwear can be hard to come by.

• Rainjacket x2 (one very old and breaking down; and a bare-bones backup)
• Basic fleece midlayer
• Packable 50/50 down/synthetic jacket

• T-shirt x5 (1 for pajamas)
• Cotton pants (jeans equivalent)
• Basketball shorts
• Activewear leggings
• Oversized comfort hoodie

• Merino wool longsleeve shirt
• Merino wool baselayer sweater
• Merino wool leggings
• Knitted acrylic hat *Not a cold weather hat wearer, plus there are tons in country

• Wool socks x6
• Sports bra x4
• Underwear x20 (cotton and synthetic)
• Boxers x2

• Packable wide-brim hat x2
• Cotton long-sleeve shirt x2
• Hiking pants x2
• Bandana x2
• Gaiter *not in the habit of wearing

• Dress shirt
• Slacks
• Dress

I decided not to take a photo of my clothes piles and now regret it.

SHOES
I brought a lot of shoes because I wanted to make sure my bases were covered (literally)! PC recommended waterproof boots so I opted to bring a pair of rain boots even though they are bulky, since I expect to be in the fields often.

• Well-worn flats
• Columbia slip-on sneakers
• Danner Vitals hunting boots *I get around great in sneakers, no need for hiking boots. Even on trekking trails I do not find them all that necessary... they add a lot of bulk, I prefer to travel light.
  
• Rain boots  *cheap/flimsy ones available in-country-- though I do enjoy these as bookshelf paperweights and Huntsman spider catchers
• Keen sandals *prefer my Columbia slip-ons mostly because of leeches and sunburn

   

 

I ended up switching out my Columbia hiking shoes in the middle for a new pair of Danner hiking boots (not pictured).

HEALTH/BODY
Health is my biggest concern going into service so I brought along supplies that I would not normally take while traveling. For example, the manuka honey and bottles of probiotics - many of you know I've had issues with my stomach, so I'm taking those for preventative and therapeutic measures. I also recently had a dental implant crown pop off while I was traveling in Europe. After that experience I decided to add a tiny container of dental cement that I can use for a temporary fix if it happens again...

• Sunglasses (prescription)
• Replacement glasses *PC will provide you up to 2 pairs during service
• Glasses fixing kit
• Reusable menstrual pad pack *have since had a menstrual disc sent to me and it is so much better. Also ended up buying reusable pads in country that I prefer much more
• Manuka honey
• Probiotics bottle x6
• Vitamin D
• Fiber supplements *My body needs a lot of fiber but also available in country
  
• Packtowels (Beach & Body sizes)
• Wrist brace
• Tissue massage tool
• Deodorant *don't use much but hard to find
  
• Hair shears *wasn't brave enough to cut my own hair
• Sunscreen Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 55 x4
• Sunscreen Neutrogena Clear Face SPF 30/50 x2
• Reusable high-fidelity ear plugs *for monsoon rains on my roof and going out in the city
  
• Ear plugs
• Toothbrush x3 *available in country
• Toothpaste
  
• Floss x6 *I am picky about my floss
• Implant flossers
• Dental cement
• Tweezers
• Nail clippers
• Pocket mirror

 

A selection of health and body supplies.

ELECTRONICS
I packed plenty to keep me occupied. The voltage converter is rather large but gives me peace of mind with its included surge protection and power plug adapters (8 months in and someone in our cohort has lost a laptop to an unexpected surge -- others have been fine though). I loaded my SSDs with photos, digital book files, music, and low-grade video games since I decided to leave my Nintendo Switch at home (debated this for days and don't regret it). The glowstick and the solar powered lights are 100% indulgent buys for fun and I'm looking forward to having them with me.

• BESTEK voltage converter/adapter
• Power bank large (27000 mAh)
• Power bank small (9000 mAh)
• Basic HP Laptop, power adapter and wired mouse
• Kindle Paperwhite
• iPhone 12 mini w/ Otterbox Defender case
• USB Stick x3 (one formatted as a Windows OS boot drive)
• Samsung T7 SSD 2TB
• SeaGate SSD 1TB
• JLab Air Sport Wireless Earbuds *My OEM wired iPhone earbud audio quality is way, way better.
• JBL Go 3 portable speaker
• Inflatable solar lantern x2 *could have done without, though nice to have occasionally - gifted one away
• Moji R+ lamp
• Tikka Actik Core headlamp, rechargeable *if I did not have an outdoor light for nighttime toilet visits I would be using my headlamp much more
  
• Rechargeable glowstick
• MPOWERD solar powered hanging lights *for soft, ambient lighting... makes me feel like a gamer again
• USB-C cable x3
• Lightning cable x2
• Micro-USB cable

 

The basic necessities (minus the glow stick and colored lights).

ENTERTAINMENT

My kalimba is first on the list, as a way to practice music.(As I type this, I realize I forgot to download music theory books... I guess I'll get to that when I have some decent WiFi). I planned to find a guitar to learn how to play in country, but I'm not sure that will end up happening. I journal a lot when I travel, so I brought plenty of supplies for that; then I brought some exercise supplies along with a bunch of digital books with exercise programs; and finally, a Kindle for leisure reading.

• Chromatic tuner
• "Playing the Hugh Tracey Karimba" booklet
• Kalimba (+ tuning mallet)
• Bound journals x3
• Traveler journal (+ inserts x9)
• Space pens & inserts
• Dog brush & comb
• Undersun resistance band kit
• "You Are Your Own Gym" by Mark Lauren
• Yoga mat *available in country and could have left this behind but I do really like mine

 

The first time I saw the cover of "You Are Your Own Gym", I laughed. Then I laughed again.

TOOLS/SUPPLIES

• Inflatable pillow
• 40oz (?) Nalgene water bottle
• Thermal water bottle *but available in country
• Loupe
• Leatherman multitool *never was a multitool person and am still not one
• Compact foldable umbrella *available in country; it was too small, I gave it away to a neighbor kid

BACKPACKS/BAGS/CONTAINERS
I went hard on backpacks and containers for some reason - this list doesn't include the cases and covers I got for my electronics. I wasn't planning on doing any hardcore mountaineering but I would like to do some trekking; hopefully one of my hiking backpacks are large enough for that. If not I'll see about buying one when I'm there.

• REI Co-op 40L hiking backpack
• Secondary hiking backpack (50L?) *using this as an emergency bag. It is 20+ years old and isn't the best fit
  
• Osprey 20L Daylite-ish backpack
• Packable backpack (small)
• Packable handheld bag
• Drawstring mesh bag (small) x2
• Reusable bag set (small)
• Dry bag x2
• Ziploc bag box (gallon)
• Ziploc bag box (quart)

 

I don't think I really need all of these, but my brain really wanted me to bring all the bags, so I obliged.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Pillowcase
• Statue of liberty (host family gift)
• WSU garden flag (host family gift)

TRAVEL

• TSA luggage locks x2
• Air tags x2 *not necessary but I had them already
• Luggage tags x2
• COVID Vaccination Card/WHO Health Card
• COVID Kit supplied by Peace Corps

USEFUL SUPPLIES I HAD SENT TO ME IN COUNTRY

(Things I wish I had brought with me)

• Small rechargeable flashlight *I use this way more than my headlamp. Comes down to preference I think
• Menstrual disc *Learned about these from another PCV
• Loop reusable earplugs *for 5:30am talkers, roosters, monsoon rains on the roof, and going out in the cities!
• "Fancy" shoes *Not necessary but I have decided that I like to dress up sometimes on city trips... if you are 8.5/9 wide womens' size like me you may have a hard time finding dress shoes that fit. Asia things
  

Everything I took with me! 40L backpack on my back in this photo. Bye, America!

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

My father, for gifting me my large power bank and Kindle Paperwhite

Tory, for gifting me a basic laptop for leisure and work

My aunt, for gifting me a journal, space pens, and ink refills

My uncle, for gifting me a copy of "You Are Your Own Gym"

My friend Noah, for sending me game and music files to download

My friend Minty, for recommending my chromatic tuner

and my parents, for putting up with endless piles of boxes, packing materials, and supplies for a week and a half as I was figuring things out.