Peace Corps Packing List 🇱🇸 !!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a foolproof packing list when it comes to Peace Corps service.

Every country of service is different, and therefore needs will vary as well. This is simply what has worked best for me as an Education Volunteer in Lesotho.

✨Clothing

🤍Casual Clothing

- 5 t-shirts

- 5 casual shirts

- 3 pairs of jeans

- 3 pairs of casual shorts

- 4 casual bottoms

- 4 skirts

- 3 dresses

🤍Work Clothing

- 5 work pants

- 6 professional tops

- 3 pairs of work shoes

🤍Athletic Clothing

- 4 pairs of workout shorts

- 3 pairs of athletic tights

- 3 pairs of leggings

- 1 pair of workout sneakers

🤍Shoes

- 2 pairs of tennis shoes

- Hiking boots

- Athletic sandals

- 2 pairs of slides

- 2 pairs of cute sandals

🤍Cold Weather

- 2 beanies for winter

- Warm socks

- Fluffy socks

- Scarves

- Sweaters

- Jackets/fleece

- Rain jacket

▪️Toiletries & Personal Care

- A couple months’ worth of basics (toothpaste, lotion, deodorant, etc.)

- 5 chapsticks WITH sunscreen

- 3 bottles of your favorite face sunscreen

- Bare minimum makeup… or a full beat. Up to you !

- Hair products for your texture

- Nail clipper set/tweezers

- Razor & replacement heads

- Feminine hygiene products/menstrual cup (if preferred)

▪️Medicine & Health

- Vitamins

- Any supplements you prefer

- BC Powder

- Non-drowsy allergy medicine

- Pain reliever

- Cold/flu medicine

- Prescription medications (if applicable)

- Bandaids/blister patches

Disclaimer: Peace Corps gives you a HUGE first aid kit full of medicines and other helpful items. However, they do not provide supplements or vitamins other than a daily multivitamin, which must be requested.

Also… the cold/flu medicine personally did NOT work well for me. I went through basically the entire bag for one cold and ended up calling the doctors for the stronger medicine. So bringing medications that you already know work for your body is not a bad idea at all. Just make sure you tell the medical office what you are taking when you do.

📍Electronics

- Your tablet!!

- Speaker

- Laptop

- Camera

- 2 voltage converters

- 2 charging adapters

- 2 of every charging cord type (USB-C, Micro USB, Lightning, etc.)

- Power bank

- Wired AND wireless headphones

- Solar lamps

- Headlamp/flashlight

Disclaimer: Think carefully about what electronics you bring because theft can be a problem at some sites. However, having these things has brought me a lot of comfort, and you genuinely use them more than you think you will.

🕺🏽Comfort & Home

- Blanket

- Sleeping bag

- Coloring book & colored pencils

- Photos from home

- Small comfort items/decor

- Pillowcases/sheets (better quality than what you may find locally)

🕺🏽Kitchen & Food

- Water flavor packets

- Ramen noodles

- Favorite seasonings/spices

- Reusable utensils

- Water bottle with filter

- To-go drink bottle/thermos

- Comfort food items from home (I brought gumbo mixes )

🕺🏽Bags & Travel

- Backpack

- Travel duffle bag

- Running bag

- Your suitcases of course 😭

- Travel door lock (great for vacations/traveling)

- Packing cubes

- Small crossbody bag/fanny pack

🕺🏽Random but Helpful

- 3 belts

- MANY pairs of socks (ankle, long, fluffy, warm, all of them )

- Notebook/journal

- Printed copies of important documents

- Ziplock bags

- Clothesline & clips

- Small sewing kit

- Extra passport photos

- Hand sanitizer

- Wet wipes

- Pens

- Sight words/teaching materials if you are in education

A huge thing I would recommend: pack for comfort and functionality, not aesthetics alone.

You are building a temporary life, not going on vacation. You will thank yourself later for bringing practical things that make your day-to-day life easier 🤍