Peace Corps Packing List

In addition to learning Swahili from the Rosetta Stone CDs, reading all sorts of general and program-specific Peace Corps reference literature, I have spent a decent amount of time in the last month thinking about my packing list for Kenya. I decided to pack what Peace Corps requires (obviously), what I'd need to get me started (e.g., some clothes & basic toiletries to last a couple days) and then prioritize packing those things that will be most useful and give me some enjoyment. I am trying to pack light and not drag a ton-o-stuff around, and have managed to fit everything into the following three bags:

1. A 2450-cubic inch Deuter Futura Zero 39 backpack (checked)
2. A 2350-cubic inch Jansport Odyssey daypack (carry-on)
3. A 900-cubic inch Camelbak Octane 8+ pack (carry-on)

Things required by Peace Corps:
1. Peace Corps papers and volunteer manual
2. prescription glasses (2)
3. EpiPens (2) for an allergy
4. 12 passport photos for work visas, etc
5. tie
6. solar calculator
7. lighweight sleeping bag - could have substituted a blanket, but I am hoping to climb up Kilimanjaro at some point, and this packs down better
8. queen-sized sheets - supposed to bring two, but I decided one was plenty since I have never used a top sheet in my life and they take up a ton of space!
9. mud boots - again, I scaled back here and went for the $15 Grainger overshoes that fold down into nothingness

Things I'd personally not want to go without:
1. small gifts for my host family including hard candy, postcards I collected from all over the US during my cross-country road trip, and a couple matchbox cars
2. digital camera + charger + five 2-gig memory cards
3. prescription sunglasses
4. multitool
5. games/fun stuff including a mini-football (deflated), small pump for said football, aerobie, compact version of chess/checkers, deck of cards
6. Moleskine journals - 240-page variety (2)
7. Photo album with pics of family & friends, CA and PA homes, and places I've visited
8. rolled up USA and World maps to help (others) to associate locations with pictures and because I love looking at maps
9. Petzl headlamps (2)
10. watch + extra battery
11. waterbottles - 1 liter (2)
12. running shoes (2 pairs)
13. running shorts (2)
14. running shirts (2)
15. completely chewed up Go-Lite running hat
16. Buff bandana
17. Cal hat
18. Tossel cap - it does get cool in Kenya and I'm hoping to keep my head shaved
19. North Face technical pants (1 pair)
20. Kenya & Tanzania fold-up maps
21. compact shorwave radio

The usual basics:
1. short sleeve button-up work shirts (2)
2. short sleeve polo shirts (2)
3. long sleeve button-up shirts (2)
4. white undershirts (2)
5. khaki slacks (2 pairs)
6. pair of brown shoes for work
7. socks - very low cut, black (12 pairs)
8. boxers (10 pairs)
9. North Face fleece (2)
10. windbreaker jacket
11. North Face shorts (1)
12. belt
13. razor + 10 blades
14. small camp towel/chamoise
15. travel size toiletries - soap, shaving cream, toothpaste, toothbrush, ...
16. nailclippers

Other things I probably don't need or can get in Kenya, but decided to bring anyway:
1. sleeping bag liner - takes up zero space and can double as a blanket
2. solar battery charger (Sunlinq 12-watt)
3. rechargeable batteries (a few AA & AAA)
4. black Nike hat with the Peace Corps patch sewn on
5. mechanical pencils (2) + a few lead refills
6. pens - of the 10 for $1 Bic variety (10)
7. batteries (a few AA and AAA) in case the solar charger doesn't work and I have no electricity
8. USA to GBR/Kenya plug adapter
9. Ipod touch (for music and internet if I have access)
10. two pairs of contacts + two tiny bottles of solution
11. Swahili phrasebook
12. Lonely planet Kenya travel book
14. scissors
15. duct tape
16. foldable pocket knife
17. running gloves
18. hand towel & wash cloth

I know this sounds like a lot of stuff, but none of it really takes up that much space. In fact, the largest things I have are my running shoes and my photo album. In any case, I'm sure I could do without most if not all of the stuff on the above lists, but since I have the space...

Passport Photos Are A Total Ripoff

As part of my packing list for Peace Corps, I gotta bring 12 passport-sized photos. If you've gone to get a passport in the last 10 years, you'll know that "professional" photographers will swindle you for at least $10 - $15 for every two pictures. Considering that one can print digital pictures at WalMart or Target for 9 -15 cents per, this is the biggest scam since bottled water. For any future Peace Corps volunteers out there that happen upon this, I'm going to briefly describe what I did to avoid such banditry. I enlisted the help of my sister Emily as my professional photographer. Please note that you will have to find your own Emily. She found a white wall in her apartment, we cleared some stuff outta the way, moved a couple lights over to avoid any shadows, and then she took several pics at different distances. One has to make sure the measurements are all ok (i.e., distance from chin to top of hair... err, head in my case; distance from bottom of photo to eye level) and that your picture is taken straight on at eye level, but this is all laid out here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/guide/guide_2081.html





This is the result of our 3 minutes of hard work and $1.08:

Stunning, eh?




As a followup, you can also get the same result, even easier, by taking a decent pic and heading over to http://www.epassportphoto.com/ Thanks for the heads up, Shelly!