PACKING

How do you pack for Peace Corps? Start three months in advance. Read blogs, the Peace Corps Wiki, advice from the Peace Corps themselves. Contact volunteers in the field. Get opinions from friends. Revise your packing list every week. Purchase items you need. Three weeks before you leave, start a pile of things in your room. Then, three days before you leave, spread your pile across the floor and get out everything else on your list. Add some things. Take some things away. Throw away your list. Run to the store and buy a few more things. Decide not to take them. Pack it all up, weigh the bags, then unpack them because you don't really know what's inside. Write down what you find:

Outerwear:

raincoat

waterproof pants

baseball cap (W&M logo!)

fleece hat which covers ears

wool sweater (for the mountains, you know)

Pants:

jeans (1)

khaki (2)

dress pants-dark (1)

camping pants (lightweight, quick-drying, bug resistant, zipoff - 1)

underwear (13)

swim trunks

light rayon/polyester golf shorts (1)

quick-dry boating shorts (1)

black leather belt

boy scout belt

long underwear (only because my sleeping bag might be too light for mountains - 1)

athletic shorts

Shirts:

t-shirts (3)

polo shirts (3)

dressy button down shirts (2 long-sleeve, 1 short sleeve)

Colombia Titanium awesome button-down long-sleeve shirts (bug and sun and boredom-repellent - 2)

white undershirt

red necktie

Footwear:

dress shoes

running shoes

oboz really good hiking boots (new)

chaco sandals

dress socks (2)

super quick dry etc. Teco ankle socks

wool socks (3)

cotton ankle socks (7)

Toys and Entertainment:

regulation frisbee

2 diatonic C harmonicas, book of harmonica songs

photo album

keychain electronic photo album

Grundig S350DL shortwave radio w/ power supply

1 pack cards

folding frisbee-like toy

1 set wooden chess pieces

Home/Miscellaneous:

2 camping towels--one small, one medium

laundry bag

handkerchief

10m duct tape

6 zip ties

5 keychain rings

combination padlock

knife sharpener

money belt

binoculars (for birds. CR has twice as many species as North America)

Electronics:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1

battery, charger, computer cable, brush, battery holder, canon powershot case

microfiber cloth (for cleaning lenses, screens)

webcam

headset (mic and headphones for skype)

headphones, folding

laptop and charger (IBM ThinkPad T42, 1.7GHz, 1.5GB Ram. 5 years old but works great).

laptop lock

phone cable (for modem--hopefully I'll have a LAN, but you never know!)

quad-band cell phone and charger (unlocked Motorola V190)

4x 2gb usb jump drives

usb cable

batteries - rechargeable NiCd: 14 AA, 4 AAA; non-rechargeable 5 AAA

digital watch - Timex Expedition

extra watch band

battery-powered alarm clock

6 outlet surge protector

Camping:

2 pepsi-can stoves (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverage-can_stove)

2 knives/pliers/multi-tools

one generic, one "Leatherman Wave" w/ extra wrench, screwdriver attachments

2 headlamps - 1 el cheapo, 1 Petzl Tikka Plus 2

Grand Trunk Ultralight Travel Hammock

1 book matches

2 nalgene bottles (600 and 750ml)

MSR Miniworks EX ceramic water filter

2 bungie cords, short

2 person tent - REI half-dome (light enough for backpacking--barely)

Thermarest self-inflating air mattress (for camping)

50 degree sleeping bag (wimpy but lightweight)

carabiners - 4 (one has compass)

lensatic compass

swiss army knife classic x2 (keychain size)

2 extra toothpicks, 1 extra tweezers

6 led keychain flashlights

lightweight fork and knife

pan w/ folding handle

20m rope (polyester?)

Biking:

mirror (mounts to helmet)

reflective vest (for biking on roads)

3 tire wrenches

rear light

front light - hand crank

crescent wrench

CruzTools OutbackR M14 (screwdrivers and allen wrenches)

patch kit

Office Supplies:

2 accordian files

7 folders

1 pad post-it notes

paper, envelopes

about $14.72 in US postage

address book

2 small notebooks - 1 graph, one college ruled

2 highlighters

1.5 wooden pencils

mechanical pencils - 15 - staples 0.5mm

about 30 extra leads

pens - 13 black, 2 red

micro sharpie - 3

eraser 4x

journal

2 small sketchooks

pocket notebook

HP 12C Platinum financial calculator

gluestick

tiny stapler, about 700 staples

solar calculator w/ notepad (freebie from the Department of Commerce from a job fair a few years ago)

rubber band

Art:

map of us, world

4x6" acrylic painting of potted plant by Devin Mawdsley (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmawd/)

1ft sq silk snow-leopard-avalanche print by Anna Wagner (http://axwagn.people.wm.edu/home.html)

2x3' (approx) "Bone Folder" print by Anna Wagner

2x3' poster "Boats Leaving Harbor" by Monet (a bit abused)

4x6" postcard of "Luncheon of the Boating Party"

Toiletries:

half-empty can shaving cream

2 sticks deoderant (old spice, both partially used)

2 soap-on-a rope containers, w/ soap

2 pairs eyeglasses

5 extra eyeglasses screws, 4 nose pads

1 clip-on sunglasses

1/2 oz hydrocortisone (anti-itch)

6 toothbrushes

6 oz toothpaste (equals about 1.5 large tubes)

16 disposable razors

about 100m dental floss, mostly unwaxed

1 albuterol inhaler (for asthma)

6g ibuprofin (in 200mg tablets)

Spices:

TJ's 21 seasoning salute

1 oz? rosemary in ziplock bag

.5 oz italian spices

.6 oz bruschetta seasoning

.35 oz oregano

3 servings antioxidant cranberry-pomegranate water flavoring

8 oz very dark chocolate

Money, etc.:

10 blank checks

debit card

credit card

wallet

driver's license

spare/decoy wallet

photocopies of passport and other documents

forms for Peace Corps

Bags:

backpacking

duffel

laptop

beat-up LL Bean "Turbo Transit" (2700 cubic inches, but school backpack style)

1 tsa-approved padlock

timbuk2 messenger bag

Books:

Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair, 2nd ed

Micro-Economics Demystified (a self-teaching guide)

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand - paperback, used

The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen (Harold McGee)

Donde No Hay Doctor ("Where there is no Doctor") - David Werner

a few poems by Thomas Dickens

WEIGHT: about 115 pounds

I leave in 12 hours. I'd prefer to travel light, but free baggage weight is hard to pass up.