Packing for Ethiopia

This is my third time packing for 27 months as a Peace Corps volunteer. Each country is different as is my packing list. I approach packing knowing that I don’t really need much and I could get what I NEED in country.

Site bag

As the backpack I’m using for my site stuff has a lot of external straps that could get caught on airport conveyor belts, I got a duffle to cover it. This will also give me an extra bag for storage or something in country.

Inside this bag is my large backpack, too many straps for airport machines that each them

I’m not expecting to need about half of my stuff until I get to site so that is all going in one backpack. I have stuff for the kitchen including a set of knives from Theresa’s cousins in Canada and cutting boards and such. Most of this stuff has already been to Africa once and to the Eastern Caribbean and I didn’t see a need to buy new in Ethiopia since I have the space and weight.


Knives, sharpeners, and of course a pepper mill.  The yellow thing helps carry eggs.

Cutting boards
If I’m in the proper climate I might have a secondary mushroom project. I expect to be able to get spawn in country. However, I’m bringing most of what I would need to clone mushrooms if that is my only option. I’ve read about oyster, shiitake, and button production in Ethiopia, particularly around the capital Addis Ababa. I also understand that picking wild mushrooms is practiced in rural Ethiopia. I know some people don’t like mushrooms. However, they are a good source of nutrition and some, like oyster, can grow on otherwise waste products.

Some stuff including stuff to help with mushrooms, along with other agriculture projects.
(spray bottles are empty, and the garlic bottle has okra seeds from my garden in Missouri)
I’m also bringing some exercise bands, a singing bowl that my wife bought, and a few other things for exercise. A Dad mug my daughter gave me is returning to Peace Corps service. Every volunteer should definitively bring is stuff that reminds them of home, family, and friends.

Coffee, there will be coffee.  The water bottle, 50 cents at a thrift store was less than a trip to wine country

Training bag


My training bag will have my cloths and stuff I'll need for training
The other checked bag has the clothes that I’m bringing. This includes many of the West African shirts, a couple of pairs of slacks, work jeans, work gloves, and a few pairs of shoes. I’m expecting to get clothes in country. They wear a lot of white and so it will likely be a test of my hand washing abilities.

The shoes I'm bringing.  I'll likely get sandals in country once I see what my counterpart and the farmers wear.

OK, the pink bag was Theresa's beach bag, it still works great.
Even if Ethiopia wasn't trying to reduce plastic I’ll have reusable bags that I normally use. The big ones are about as old as most of the volunteers I’ll be serving with, but I did buy some smaller for market vegetables and storing things.

I’m not sure I’ll have electricity, but just in case I’m again bringing a long extension cord. I’d need to get a voltage regulator and transformer before I’d plug in my electronics. I got a new solar panel and battery pack to replace the ones I left in Dominica. I’ll use solar if I don’t have lights or when the lights are out.

Testing the solar panel

Some of the electronics I'm bringing.  Digital recorder to help with the language classes.

I could get extension cords in country, but these have worked in the past two posting

Lights and an external speaker
I’m bringing a headlamp and a solar flashlight/lamp. The headlamp was great when riding a bicycle on dark dirt roads in Ghana. I have an extra headlamp as backup or a gift. I might have to get some lamps in country if I don’t have lights. I also have a small external speaker.

I’ve been told that I’ll need to boil water before filtering. Peace Corps will supply a home use filter. I typically bring a personal filter for emergency, so the life straw. I’m also bringing an UV light because sometimes I need really clean water.

PC will provide a large filter, but I'll also have some for personal use

Since I have a set of sheets here and the space and weight, I’m bringing those rather than buy something new right away. I also have a sleeping bag. Peace Corps volunteers travel a lot and if I need to sleep on the floor or something, having a small sleeping bag is helpful.

A set of sheets and a small sleeping bag

Carry on


My carry-on bags

I have a number of devices that require batteries. So I’m bringing extra rechargeable batteries that will be in my carry on. My computer, battery pack, meds and clothes for a week are also going as carry on. I have extra cables for most everything except the power cable for my computer. I almost bought an extra, but it seemed a bit excessive as in Africa the computer might fail before the power cable.

I’ve never used luggage locks but several people recommended them, so I got some. I travel with backpacks and duffles so hopefully locks will keep out curious kids around homestay and site without being a flashing sign to thieves with knives while traveling. I’ll also get insurance again, although I didn’t use it in Ghana.

Some of these batteries as likely near the end of their effective life

So that is a rough packing list. Two bags each under 50 lbs and two carry on bags.


Love always,
John

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