After nine months on the field, many items sent to the drop table, and a couple trips to LC Waikiki, here’s what I have in Month Nine & for life in the ME. For size reference, I have the Deuter Aircontact Core 45 +10 SL – Women’s backpacking pack!
Clothing:
- One pair of jeans (bring a pair you feel good in!! I wish I had!)
- One Jean Jacket
- Two light button ups (for the ME)
- Two head scarves (for the ME)
- Two sweatshirts
- One pair of sweatpants
- One pair of shorts
- One pair of leggings
- Rain Jacket
- Lots of socks & undies (I brought 10 fresh pairs to open on our halfway date!)
- 5 T-Shirts (a little excessive, but in the ME neat clothes are important)
- Pajama outfit
- Earrings and necklaces
- Shower shoes (you MUST bring these.)
- Blundstones & Hokas
Toiletries:
- Toothbrush & Toothpaste
- Bar Shampoo (highly recommend bars for the race!)
- Retainer (don’t worry, mom!)
- Mini stick deodorant (so hard to find on the field)
- Perfume (from home, halfway used now!)
- Hair ties (I brought a 60 pack & still have plenty)
- Floss (uh oh, still on the og pack…)
- Tiny travel tissues
- Q tips
Most of this goes into my day pack on travel days! For accessibility & in case my pack is lost!
Office Supplies:
- Tape (way more useful than you’d think)
- Sharpies (bring 2! good for labeling lunches & writing notes)
- G2 Pens (you can never have too many)
- Sticky notes (don’t go crazy, they sell these in every country)
- Scissors
- Watercolor palette
- Mini origami paper
- Cards and envelopes (to leave notes for ministry hosts & airbnbs!)
- Laptop and charger (not necessary, but I use it all the time as an SQL)
Most of this goes into my day pack on travel days! It keeps me busy on the plane & takes weight out of my big pack!
Miscellaneous:
- A coffee/drink tumbler (okay feels bougie, but it was a bday gift and now I’d recommend everyone bring one!)
- Three filled journals (dead weight, but won’t drop them!)
- A collection of notes (you’ll collect a lot! I bought a binder sleeve in Romania to keep them safe)
- A book or two
- Baby wipes
- Lumi Lantern (oddly useful in every country)
- Extra phone charger
- Haircutting shears
- Extension cord & outlet converter (converter is a must!)
- Sleeping pad
- Sleeping bag & liner (I don’t use the liner…saving it for Thailand, maybe)
- Travel size Pillow
- An Airporter
- Life Straw water bottle (this is basically a non-negotiable. buy it. you’ll save a million dollars not buying water on the field).
On the Outside:
- 2-person tent
- Throw blanket
