~ Sleeping bag liner/sleeping bag A sleeping bag liner is essential. You’ll use this all the
time either in dubious hotels and hostels or to keep your sleeping bag clean.
~ Torch Essential for those volunteer moments when the electricity packs it in or you’re
trying to read a book at night in the jungle. There are basically two types. The Maglite is the
toughest but the bulbs and batteries run out quickly. Check out LED (light-emitting diode)
torches, because the bulbs don’t blow and the batteries last much longer. You can get an
LED miner-style lamp that straps to your forehead and frees up both your hands.
~ Tealight candles During a power cut these are safer than regular candles.
Eating & Drinking
~ Water bottle Most water bottles are one litre, but two litres is what you’ll probably need
when you’re volunteering. Buy the collapsible bladder type of water bottle, as they take
up very little room in your luggage when not in use.
~ Water purification See the Health & Hygiene section on p68 for details of what to take.
~ Cup and spoon If you’re travelling at the weekends, your own cup and spoon will help
you avoid catching or spreading disease.
Hygiene
~ Bath plug A rare commodity in some parts of the world. Wide-brimmed universal
rubber or plastic plugs will fit most plugholes.
~ Contraception Condoms are sold in most countries but the quality can be variable
(always check the use-by date). It’s safer and easier to bring a supply with you. If you
use the pill, bring enough to cover your whole time overseas, as it is difficult to get in
many countries. However, you need to exercise extreme caution and restraint in sexual
matters when volunteering overseas. This is especially so in any relationship with a local
person in a culture that you don’t completely understand.
~ Tampons, sanitary napkins or menstrual cups Depending on your destination, these
might be hard to find.
~ Toilet paper It’s best to learn how to use your hand and water, because toilet paper
often blocks sewage systems in developing countries. Otherwise, take toilet paper but
think about how you’re going to dispose of it. Squash the roll down and put it in a plas-
tic bag for packing.
~ Toiletries Most items are widely available (and often cheaper than at home) but take
any speciality products with you. Shower gels travel much better than soap and will
often do hair and body. Decant large bottles into smaller ones if you’re volunteering
short-term. Plus, you can now get concentrated travel soaps which will keep both you
and your clothes clean. Make sure your travel soaps are biodegradable.
~ Towel There are two types of travel towels – ones made from chamois (which work
wet and pack down to the size of a small tin of beans) and ones made from microfibre
(which work dry and pack down to the size of a can of beans). Which sort you take
will depend on your bathing routine. If you love wrapping up in your towel after your
shower then the microfibre one is for you, but if you want pure towelling performance
and don’t mind something real weeny then take a chamois one.
~ Washing detergent See Toiletries, above.
~ Washing line A piece of string or even dental floss will do the job at a pinch, but there
are relatively cheap lines on the market that don’t need pegs and have suckers, hooks (or
both) on the ends, making them more versatile.
~ Wet wipes & no-water washes Both are handy where clean water is in short supply.
Health
~ Medical first-aid kit See the section on Health & Hygiene (p66) for details.Travel Essentials
~ Address book, travel journal and pens No explanation needed.
~ Batteries Bring spares for all your equipment and put new batteries in everything
before you depart. Be mindful how you dispose of your batteries.
~ Books^ and DVDs Important entertainment if you’re volunteering long-term overseas.
~ Camera Think^ about whether you’re going digital or print (digital cameras are not
necessarily good for long-term volunteering unless you can easily recharge and down-
load your photos, or have a very large memory card).
~ Earplugs You’ll never regret these if you’re volunteering in a city or need a break from
the blare of loud music on a 10-hour bus ride.
~ Eye wear Take your glasses (in a hard case) and contact lenses. If you wear prescription
glasses or contact lenses, take the prescription with you, along with extras such as a case
and contact-lens solution. Contact-lens wearers should also take a supply of ‘dailies’
(disposable contact lenses) – really useful in an emergency.
~ Family photos and postcards of home When you’re volunteering, the people you work
with will really appreciate seeing and learning more about your life back home.
~ Kitchen knife For all volunteers who want to do their own cooking.
~ Lighter or matches You’ll need something to light your campfire, mosquito coils or
candles (when the electricity blacks out yet again).
~ Short-wave radio/MP3 player You might be able to tune into the BBC World Service,
the Voice of America or Radio Australia and it will be good to listen to something
familiar on your MP3 player if you’re feeling down or homesick.
~ Pocketknife A Swiss Army knife (or good-quality equivalent) has loads of useful tools:
scissors; bottle-opener; tin-opener; straight blade and all those strange gadgets that you
don’t know the use of (remember not to keep the knife in your hand luggage, though, as
it’ll be confiscated).
~ Sewing kit Needle, thread, a few buttons and safety pins are enough to mend clothing,
mosquito nets, tents or sunglasses.
~ Gaffer tape As Maggie Wild, who has volunteered on lots of environmental projects,
says, ‘It fixes everything: torn tents; torn trousers; hanging-off vehicle parts and much,
much more.’Clothing
~ Keeping cool If you’re travelling in hot climates you’ll need a lightweight, loose-fitting
wardrobe. Cotton clothing will absorb sweat and help keep you cool. Synthetic clothing
doesn’t get so creased and dries out quickly but can sometimes make you feel clammy.
It’s your choice. Trousers that convert into shorts are good because you get two for the
price of one and you can also get trousers which convert into pedal pushers. Take a hat
but make sure it protects the back of your neck from sunburn.
~ Keeping warm Several layers topped by a good-quality jacket will give you the ver-
satility you need. For starters, pack some thermal underwear. Particularly good are
lightweight, cycling-style T-shirts or merino wool vests. Both will allow your body to
breathe while offering good insulation. Then you need a fleece or fibrepile jacket which
is lighter and less bulky than a thick jumper. Most fleeces and fibrepile jackets are not
fully waterproof or windproof so you’ll also need a lightweight, breathable, waterproof03: The Practicalities:What to Pack