Clothes
- 1-2 nice or sun dresses
- Dancing dress—(for going out)
- Short-sleeved sports shirts (but still nice)
- Tank tops
- 2-3 long sleeved or turtleneck shirts
- Cotton shirts (readily available in Ecuador)
- 6 short-sleeved, button down or polo type collared shirts
- 2-3 sweater (can buy locally)
- 3 sweatshirts
- 2 swimsuits
- 2 sweatpants
- 2 casual jeans
- 1-4 heavy work pants/jeans
- Casual lounge pants
- 1-2 pairs of nice pants
- 5 shorts (but not too short)
- 1 heavy jacket
- 2 Hats
- 5 bandanas
- 6-8 Bras —sports and regular
- 12 socks, good quality
- 2-3 wool socks
- 2 dress up outfits
- 3 nice outfits appropriate for teaching, conferences, and meetings
- 14-20 cotton underwear
- 1-2 long underwear or clothes to layer
- 1 Rain coat or waterproof windbreaker
- Blanket
- Belt
- Leggings
- 1 heavy work gloves
- 1 bath robe/long t-shirt
Shoes
- 2 pairs of nice shoes for dressing up
- 1 good quality work boots
- 1 hiking boot-waterproof
- 1 rain/mud boots (avail in Ecuador)
- 2 running/walking shoes
- 1 Chaco
- Note: PCV receive a 50% discount from Chacos
- 1 pair of flip flops (comfortable)
Hygiene
- 2-4 toothbrushes
- Tooth brush holder
- 2 tubes of tooth paste
- Mouthwash with fluoride
- Vitamins
- Face wash
- Lotions
- Shampoo, conditioner, and soap (enough for the first 3 months)
- Brush, comb
- Razors
- Makeup
- Nail polish and remover
- Tweezers
- Sunscreen
- Soap holders
- Nail clippers
- Nail file
- Pumice stone
- Travel towel
- Tampons (VERY Expensive in Ecuador)
- Hand sanitizers
- Hair clips
- Bobby pins
- Pony tail holders
- 2 Nalgene bottles
- Deodorant
- Baby wipes
- Hair scissors
Kitchen
- Spatula
- Good can opener
- 1-2 good kitchen knives (pairing, chef, serrated knives)
- Garlic press
- Vegetable peeler
- LOTS of Ziploc bags (large and small)
- Tupperware
- small steamer basket
- nonstick frying pan (if you require the best quality)
- cookbook
Food
- Snack bars—cereal, nutrition, energy
- Trail mix
- Sugary snacks—gum, candy, chocolate that won’t melt
- Powdered drink mixes (lemonade, Gatorade)
- Protein—tuna, beef jerky, tofu
- Tea
- Macaroni and cheese
- Sauce packets
- Spices (many are avail in Ecuador)
- Seeds for planting garden
Bike
- Helmet—will be reimbursed up to $30 if you have a receipt
- Pump
- Gloves
- Multitools
- water bottle
- bike seat
Miscellaneous
- 2 pairs of sheets (full size)
- Pillow cases
- pillow
- Towels
- Bug spray
- Umbrella (available in Ecuador)
- Bungy cords
- Screwdriver
- Leatherman/swiss army knife
- Frisbee, volleyball, football, nerf ball
- Cards
- PHOTOS—family, friends, myself
- CDs
- 1-2 good books
- Tape—duct and scotch
- Tent, sleeping bag
- HAMMOCK
- Travel mosquito net
- Sunglasses with UV protection
- Sewing kit
- Earplugs
- Small padded envelopes
- Inflatable globe
- Calendar/planner
- Simple calculator
- USA picture book
- Cleaning gloves
- Map of USA or Missouri
- Spanish/English Dictionary
- Decorations for room/apartment
- STAMPS
- Credit cards/extra money—for vacation and travel
- $500 in $100 bills for traveling
- Things that will make me feel happy or luxurious (ex: foot/face scrubs)
Art Supplies
- Fat markers
- Crayons
- Stickers
- Glue
- Colored pencils
- Tape
- Glitter
- Construction paper
- Sketch book
- Coloring books
- Post-its
- Pens/pencils
- Looseleaf
- Stationary paper
- journals
Packing it All
- Hard suitcase/large duffel bag
- Duffel medium-sized for weekend travel
- School/day backpack
- Good size purse
- Money belt
- combination locks
- luggage locks
DO NOT Bring
- Basic medications
- Lots of toiletries
- Lots of books
Electronics
- Laptop
- Laptop charger
- LED headlamp
- Solar charger
- LED flashlight
- watch
- SW radio
- Tape player
- iPod
- iHome
- tape recorder
- BATTERIES (rechargeable)
- Camera
- Camera battery charger
- 2 LARGE memory cards
- Travel alarm clock
- Flash drives
- External hard drive and connector
Notes!
- Check all electronics you plan to bring and be sure to bring spare batteries
- PC libraries are pretty good, you don’t need to bring a ton of books
- Bring enough toiletries for 3 months
- Limit clothes. REALLY.
- Photos are sensitive to the elements, so choose ones you bring carefully, make copies or don’t bring any you don’t want to have ruined or lost. Leave your most precious valuables at home
- Don’t buy too much. Only items you really like. What you don’t wear in US you won’t wear in Ecuador
- Finally, don’t stress! Have fun! You’ll probably pack some crazy stuff you won’t use while you are here, but that’s OK—everyone does!
Well, there you have it folks! My complete packing list. Now, the only thing is... all this has to weigh less than 80lbs... haha. That's going to be a challenge. The only good thing is, if I can't get this all to be under 80lbs, it just means more packages for me to receive in Ecuador :-) I think I am handle that!
Heather
