What to Pack and How to Pack It

WHAT TO PACK & HOW TO PACK IT

IN GENERAL: While Phnom Penh, the capital, is an international city with tourists from around the world, the citizens are relatively conservative in dress. They "tolerate" the liberal dress of visitors, but I always hope that we GV folks are more than "tolerated" - I would hope that we could be embraced and accepted and dress accordingly. In the more rural areas where we will be working, “conservative” is definitely the word to heed when packing. You will need mostly work clothes. Your other activities are casual, but, again, conservative. You may want something a little nicer than work clothes for “R&R” activities. The beach area accepts the attire of whatever their international visitors wear.

Be prepared for cool to warm temps, and dry. Average weather has been shown anywhere from 20 to 32 degrees Celsius (low 70's to high 90's F - try to get use to Celsius and other metric measures!) during the Habitat building and recreation time. To change Celsius to Fahrenheit just multiply the Celsius temperature times 2 (precisely it is 1.8) and add 32. To change Fahrenheit to Celsius just subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit temperature and divide by one half (precisely it is .56).

HOW MUCH CAN I TAKE? Depends on your airline. It is changing all the time as to weights and costs. It also makes a difference if you are flying straight to Cambodia or coming from another country within Asia, such as Vietnam or Thailand. Often times it is then limited to 20 kilos (44#). Also, if you are doing any extra travel by van or bus, you will want to limit your bags as well. The buses aren’t equipped to carry the amount of luggage that is allowed on international flights. If you are flying straight home, you may be allowed more weight and therefore you can bring along a roll-up duffle in your one bag and use it as your second bag for your souvenirs!

WHAT KIND OF LUGGAGE SHOULD I USE? We find there is less wear and tear on soft duffels or backpacks, instead of hard suitcases or packs with rigid frames. I know we all like our “wheels” on luggage, but it is possible to have wheels on soft duffels, even some backpacks. Check out your Salvation Army or Goodwill for used luggage if you don’t want to buy something new just for this trip. Also, Joe’s (formerly GI Joe’s) and other sports/outdoor stores have heavy-duty cloth duffels for under $25. We find that the kind of international travel we’ll be doing is kind of hard on luggage, so leave your really nice luggage at home for this trip.

HOW SAFE WILL MY LUGGAGE BE?

Anyplace where poverty is a big issue there is more likely to be a baggage pilferage problem, particularly affecting travelers changing airlines and those flying on smaller airlines. We suggest securing your luggage with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approved locks, and/or use an airport plastic wrapping service, and avoid placing electronics, jewelry, cameras or other valuables in checked luggage. Also, avoid using the outside pockets on your duffles unless you intend to put a lock on all of those zippers as well. Make an inventory of items in checked baggage to aid in claims processing if theft does occur.

KEEP IN MIND TO:

KEEP IT APPROPRIATE! We are told to dress “conservatively”. At the worksite, females should wear pants so that knees aren't showing. Males can wear long shorts. Males and females should not have bare or slightly covered shoulders (like tank tops). The same goes for when we are in town and on tours. Women should wear a skirt, or bring along a sarong to wrap around your shorts for special situations, such as entering a temple.

KEEP IT LIGHT! You may find jeans and t-shirts to be hot and uncomfortable. Consider wearing lightweight pants and short-sleeved cotton shirts and blouses for work during the day. If you don’t have any, consider “scrubs”, those lightweight cotton pants/tops worn by your dental hygienists, nurses, doctors. They are looser than you may usually like, but that helps keep you cool. They usually have an elastic waist, which you may find more comfortable also. You can buy them at uniform stores, but they are also often available at Salvation Army or Goodwill or Value Village. If possible, get them with pockets. If you want to spend more money there is lightweight clothing available in travel stores and magazines.

KEEP IT SAFE! We will be in a malarial area (have you talked to your doc about meds and other immunizations yet?). Malaria is caused by mosquitoes that bite between dusk and dawn. Therefore you are going to want to wear long sleeved pants and long-sleeved shirts if mosquitos are present and we are out and about. Tough call when it's warm! So bring something that is also lightweight. If you are wearing sandals in the evenings, wear a lightweight sock with them too.

Dengue fever is also a possibility, which is caused by a mosquito that bites during the day. (Insects have us covered 24/7!!) Wearing long sleeves and long pants during the day are probably not going to work for you in the heat, so you will want to wear some kind of repellent. There is no medication that can be taken to prevent Dengue Fever. But trust me, you don't want to get it. It's also called "break bone fever" because it feels like every bone in your body is broken!

As well as protecting against mosquitoes, wear what is necessary to protect yourself from the sun: hat, bandana, etc.

KEEP IT MINIMAL! You only need 2-3 changes of work clothes for the whole time you are in the village. There is laundry service at the hotel for NO cost!! Of, if you prefer, you can rinse out your own at night. That’s a good reason to keep things lightweight - they dry faster to turn around and wear the next day. Don’t count on laundry opportunities while you are traveling or during “R&R” - wash out at night, or bring enough to change - or just don’t change!

SPECIFIC ITEMS FOR THE WORKSITE

• Sturdy closed-toe shoes (tennis shoes are OK)
• Shorts, pants as described above
• Blouses, shirts as described above
• Work gloves - you could be working with cement as well as wood
• Hat or bandanna - sunburn is a reality and a danger. Some people prefer a broad-rimmed hat, such as a straw hat, to protect the neck.
• Water bottle (bottled water will be available, but you may find it easier to keep track of yours if you pour it into your own unique bottle)
• Day pack/small bag - It will be very helpful if you have a small, simple day pack or bag to put your valuables - camera, documents, etc. - when you are at the worksite.
• We cannot guarantee security for these items if they are left at the hotel, even in their safe. We won’t know for sure until we get there, so just count on keeping these items with you at all times. You may want to wear a passport carrier around your waist or neck for documents, cash, etc, but put them in a zip-lock bag to keep them from soaking up your sweat!

OTHER STUFF YOU WILL NEED when not at the worksite:

• Comfortable/casual walking shoes for travel & R&R - tennis shoes or sandals
• Shower shoes, if you are squeamish about hotel showers - flip flops are OK, but you can also wear your sandals if they are waterproof and that would cut down on an extra shoe to pack.
• Pants/shorts as described above
• Shirts/blouses as described above
• Light-weight jacket or sweater for evenings
• Skirt/dress/sarong - for females when touring certain places (but remember, not for evening because of exposed legs and arms) and no shoulders or knees showing
• Socks - lightweight - enough to wear between washings
• Underwear
• Sleepwear - it gets cool at night and/or there may be air conditioning

OTHER ITEMS YOU WILL NEED:

• Flexibility, patience, and a sense of humor
• Passport, visa photo, e-visa (if you applied online)
• Spending money - for whatever you need for traveling. It is recommended to have $100 cash while in Cambodia for souvenirs, gifts, etc. You can change US dollars to Cambodian Riel at the airport or once you get to town. Credit cards and traveler's cheques are accepted in some places (we find that American Express credit card is the least accepted), but the every day common vendor is going to need cash. We have even found that traveler's cheques are often times not even accepted at the banks to exchange money.
• Insect repellent - DEET level of 30 or higher is suggested
• Sunscreen or lotion
• More patience
• TP Kit (zip-lock bag with hand sanitizer & toilet paper for a couple of trips to the latrine)
• Toiletries
• Laundry bag (mesh, or old pillowcase) - please put your name on the outside of the bag/pillowcase
• Alarm clock
• Throw in an extra dose of “sense of humor”
• Prescription medication, contact lens supplies (could be very dusty) and any other personal needs, including feminine hygiene supplies
• An extra dose of “flexibility”
• More and more patience
• Flashlight, extra batteries
• LED headlamp - a lot handier than a flashlight - in case the electricity goes out at night when you are still wanting to read. These lamps come on a strap for around your head, or there is the kind that snaps onto the bill of a baseball cap
• Waterless antibacterial wash when water is not available (towlettes not recommended because of disposal problem)
• Personal first aid supplies for cuts, blisters, diarrhea ( we will also have a Team First Aid kit, but it helps for you to have your own available in your pocket at the worksite
• Electrical adapters and converters, depending on what you are bringing (see note at bottom for more info)
• What the heck - a little more won’t hurt - add even more flexibility, patience, sense of humor
• Snack foods - This is something you don’t need to pack ahead of time, but may want to consider buying once you arrive. it may happen that you don’t care for all the local foods, and find yourself hungry. It wouldn’t be acceptable to bring your own food to a meal prepared by our hosts, but you could have something back at your own room. You have to keep in mind bugs and heat. Bring some extra zip-lock bags to store the food you purchase.

TOOLS to bring and donate if you can:

• trowels
• hammers (no wooden handles)
• metric tape measures
• levels - 2 foot
• speed squares
• gloves (for handling cement)
• dust mask (for sifting sand, handling cement)

Keep in mind weight and that they have to be in checked baggage. Tools left with the Habitat affiliate will be greatly appreciated, but you can bring along your own to take back with you if you would prefer.

ORPHANAGE/SCHOOL SUPPLIES

We will be visiting an orphanage and/or a local school. Teams in the past have found that these facilities are usually greatly lacking in supplies and wished they had brought some with them. If you care to do this, the items that have been suggested are:

• crayons
• pencils
• pencil sharpeners
• erasers
• pens
• plain paper tablets
• lined paper tablets
• game balls

Remember to keep in mind cultural differences and perspectives which is why it is best to not bring western-style coloring books, or have pencils decorated with western characters.

Some team members that are associated with schools or teacher friends have been able to involve classrooms in the donations - children love to help other children. Then the team member has gone back to those classrooms to show them pictures of the children they helped.

I have not been given any information about clothing needs at the orphanage, or the ages of the children. If/when I do, I will let you know.

OPTIONAL STUFF (consider value, weight, and security):

• Binoculars
• Back support - the work is all manual
• Extra prescription glasses
• Journal, paper, pencil or pen
• Book(s)
• Bible/meditation material
• Games, cards to use at night with just team members (some may not be appropriate to be used with community members)
• Games to play with children at the worksite - frisbees, jump ropes, finger puppets (do not give these to children directly - even simple gifts are not allowed. The kids can use them with you, but they must give them back when you are done playing with the kids each time. Then we will give them to the school to use for all the children when we leave)
• Laundry soap- in case you want to wash something out at night on your own - but we suggest just using your shampoo or other multi-purpose soap (such as Bonner's or Campsuds) to cut down on number of different products you need
• Bathing suit
• A few photos of family and home to share with team and host (remember, pictures of who we are, not what we have - like boats, houses, cars, etc)
• Camera, batteries, extra memory
• Battery charger (dual voltage)
• Sunglasses
• Pocketknife (not in your hand-carry!)
• Small musical instrument - recorder, harmonica
• Ear plugs (you could have a snorer in your room)
  

STUFF NOT ALLOWED

• llegal drugs
• Firearms, firecrackers
• Bad sense of humor
• Inflexibility
• Short tempers or intolerance

TIPS ON HOW TO PACK IT

• Read again the info at the top as to the kind of luggage to use.
• Your carry-on should have a little of everything, to get you through a few days of waiting for your luggage to catch up with you. You wouldn’t be the first team member that this has happened to.
• For those of you having a tough time with the baggage limit, remember that they don’t weigh YOU! Wear as much weight as you can on the airplane to keep your bags lighter - wear your heaviest shoes, and possibly several layers of clothes. You can take some of those layers off and cram them in your carry-on after you go through the inspection of your carry-on.
• Make sure you can padlock your bag to help insure against theft enroute. Do not put items in unlocked outside pockets.
• Use a combination padlock instead of a key. Read the note at the beginning again about the safety of your luggage - there isn’t any. So really, leave the expensive stuff you don’t need (like jewelry) at home - there will be little to no opportunity to wear it anyway.
• Other valuables (cameras, binocs, etc) should be in your hand-carry.
• Pack leaky items (shampoo, lotions) in zip lock bags - and tighten the cap right before you put them in. Pack most of that in your checked baggage. Read up on the current allowances for liquids in your carry-on.
• Be sure your bag(s) are well labeled with your name and contact info (maybe a friend or family) - it doesn’t do any good for them to try and contact you at home about a found bag since you won’t be at home!
• Simplify your toiletries - if shampoo will work as your body soap, and even laundering your clothes, that will cut down on number of bottles.
• Dr Bonner’s soap - you can wash EVERYTHING, including your teeth, body, hair, laundry, dishes, your roommate …whatever! It’s biodegradable, “green”, plus the bottle is fun to read! Get it in “trial size” and there will be enough for you and a friend. One team member recommends “mint” as it leaves behind a nice tingle, and is best flavor for tooth-brushing. I think it tastes pretty bad no matter what, so I go for “lavender”. REI (outdoor equipment store) and natural food stores carry it.
• A former team member recommended adding some mouth wash (she likes mint for this too) to a spray bottle of water, and using that to “spritz yourself” - it feels tingly, makes you smell better, doesn’t attract mosquitoes like perfumed sprays do, and actually kills some germs!
• Roll-up style space bags are great for compacting clothing items….no vacuum necessary. Hair dryers can be cumbersome. If you can share with others while on R&R, that will help cut down on your weight and space (us girls can chat about that on our own).
  

Electrical adapters and converters:

Adapters - Cambodia uses two different kind of adapters. One has three FLAT pins; two pins are horizontal, the third pin is vertical. It may be labeled WA-7. Another kind has only two round pins (no ground), and may be labeled WA-9. By the way, the same are used in Vietnam.

Converters - A converter is not the same thing as an adapter. The adapter just makes it so that your plug can fit into their socket. The converter changes the voltage. Often times your appliance, such as a hair dryer, is dual voltage (it's able to change voltage from 120 to 240 and therefore doesn't need a converter). If your appliance doesn’t have that kind of switch right on it, then you need a converter as well to accommodate the wattage of your appliance. Those who try to use an appliance without the converter will be providing exciting entertainment for the rest of us at the cost of your blown-up appliance.

Special note on using a charger and a converter together. Don't. Our experience, as well as others', has been that those two together tend to burn up and melt!!! It's a lot safer to get a battery charger that has dual voltage. Bob got his at REI. You can get it online if you don't have an REI store. If you take lots of pictures you are likely to have a camera that uses rechargeable batteries and you're going to want to have a dual voltage charger.

Converters come in different capacities (wattage). A hair dryer usually takes a pretty big converter so check that out. Converters and adapters can be purchased at a travel store or online (Amazon.com). Target, Joe’s (formerly GI Joe’s) and REI carry them. I have been told that Lowe’s does as well. Check department stores that carry luggage. For the most part, it's just a lot easier to have dual voltage appliances and skip the converter all together.

Adapters and converters are often NOT available in the country you are visiting.