Packing for two years of service can be nerve-racking. How do you decide what to bring for the next 27 months of your life? How do you pack everything you need to live halfway around the world into two 50-pound bags, a carry-on, and a personal item?

When preparing for the Peace Corps, I found several packing lists from Peace Corps Headquarters, on Reddit, and personal blogs. Many of the lists and recommendations I found were good, but they all fell short on the level of detail I wanted. This packing list aims to fix that.

Before we get to the actual packing list, I want to cover a few Peace Corps packing tips.

Five Peace Corps Packing Tips

1. Peace Corps Provides

You’re not going to parachute into a remote location and live unassisted for two years. Peace Corps supports you along the way, both financially and with basic supplies to ensure your health and safety.

There is no need to pack a year supply of pepto. Peace Corps provides you with a fully stocked medical kit containing essential medications and first aid supplies. During your service, Peace Corps will resupply you with medications at your request, either when you make trips to the main office or by sending them to your site or a regional office. You need to, however, pack a three-month supply of any prescription medications, which Peace Corps will refill during your service.

In addition to medications, Peace Corps provides other in-country essentials such as water filters, mosquito nets, bug spray, and sunscreen. Depending on the climate and conditions of your country of service, the items Peace Corps provides will differ.

Ladies, while the Peace Corps may supply tampons or other feminine hygiene products, they may not always be the size you want and there is no guarantee. There are a few options to consider for feminine hygiene products, which are detailed below and informed by female volunteers.

The last way that the Peace Corps provides is through a move-in allowance. Depending on your living situation and if you are replacing a current volunteer, Peace Corps will give you a small allowance to buy what you need to turn your house into a home. I used my money to buy a cot, pots and cooking utensils, buckets for bathing and washing my clothes, and a wooden table that a local carpenter made.

You don’t need to pack a house into your bags. I have some recommendations below on household items that are either difficult to find or likely of poor quality, but you’ll be able to find most of what you need in your local market or in the city.

Disclaimer/Recommendation: What Peace Corps provides varies by country, availability, and is subject to change. Try to ask a current volunteer about the status of availability of what Peace Corps in your country of service actually provides.

2. You’re not living in the remote wilderness for two years

Preparing for your service can be stressful. I get it. I was once where you are.

But, remember that people live where you’re going—it’s not camping in the remote wilderness. Your host country likely won’t have your favorite kind of toothpaste or favorite snack food, but they have all the important things.

I recommend that you pack essentials and what you need for the first three months of training. There isn’t a need to pack a bunch of clothing. Your day to day life will be simple and a complete American wardrobe will be excessive.

You’re going to be living in your host country for two years and over those two years your clothing will wear out, which will be expedited by the abrasive nature of hand washing clothes. This gives you the perfect opportunity to shop for “new” clothes and to better integrate into your community!

“I wasted my space in my luggage with too many clothes – I ended up getting so many made in Mali.” – J...