So eventually someone is going to ask me for tips on what they should bring when they go into the Peace Corps.  Kyrgyzstan (or Kyrgyz Republic, as Peace Corps calls it), in particular, is a pretty unique Peace Corps country, because not only do we have 100+ degree summers, but we also have -40 degree winters depending on the site.  We don’t have to worry about ants invading our computers, we usually have pretty consistent electricity, and you can even buy Nutella in most grocery stores. But, getting to site for me meant fitting my bag into the overhead compartment of a regional jet.  In short, the standard Peace Corps packing list doesn’t quite cut it for this country, so I’ve put together my own!

The list below is, of course, just ideas and guidelines, but it can be used to help plan out what you might want to bring to Kyrgyzstan, or any of the other Eastern European Peace Corps programs where you face real winter, but still have access to Netflix.

In the Peace Corps packing list below, I’ve created a list of things that I brought and needed, things that I brought but didn’t need, things that I wish I had brought, and things that I brought but I could buy in country for less money.  If you have any questions for your own Peace Corps packing list, let me know in the comments!

My Luggage #Choices

Remember, since Kyrgyzstan has winter, your luggage allowance is 100lbs (two 50lb checked bags), and one carry-on bag.  Note that you will probably be forced to check any carry-on bag larger than a day pack when you switch to European regional flights (like FRA-IST, etc), so consider carrying a sturdy tote bag so you can take out your computer, camera, fragile things in case your bag gets force-checked.  Step one is picking out which bags you’ll bring.

 

Some important considerations: Super-size packing backpack, duffel bag, or wheeled luggage?  People will tell you not to bring wheeled luggage (just backpacks and duffels) and that is a LIE SERIOUSLY YOU WILL HATE YOUR LIFE.  Bring things that are easy to lift, but wheels are VERY useful, even on gravel roads where you will hate your life no matter what luggage you bring.  Just make sure that you can carry all your bags at once.  A backpack in back, front, and a pick up duffel without wheels makes kittens cry and may weigh more than you.  If you look at my photo up top of my bags, I had two wheeled duffels, a backpack, and a small shoulder bag.  That was totally manageable by myself in all the airports and travel (Seattle-DC, DC-Bishkek, Bishkek drive to village, Village fly to Osh).

BUT you don’t need to go spend a TON of money on new bags.  If you have a backpack already, great, build it into your strategy.  If you’ve got 50lb rollaboards, great, you can use those too!  The main point of the checked bags is to get your crap from home to Bishkek to site.

One last thing – one or more of your checked bags will get lost on your way here (this is what happens when Lufthansa attempts to move 6 tons of massive duffel bags from one plane to another in Frankfurt during a 1 hour connection).  I highly recommend packing in such a way that your clothes for staging in DC, orientation in Bishkek, and your first 2-3 days in the PST village are all in your carry-on bag.  That way, you don’t have to open any of your checked bags until you’ve had a chance to get over jet lag and settle into your village.

IMPORTANT UPDATE (SUMMER 2018): Turkish Airlines may have begun enforcing a carry-on baggage weight limit at some airports (this happened to me at Bishkek, but not at London Heathrow).  Some other European and Middle Eastern airlines officially have a similar weight limit for carry-on baggage, but enforced unevenly.   Peace Corps will send you your flight details from staging to Kyrgyzstan.  Before travel, check travel forums to see if anyone has noticed enforcement of that policy at your departure airport with the airline operating the first segment of your itinerary – it may be something that is only in Bishkek (I noticed it there for all airlines), but it’s best to be safe.

• Gregory Z40 Backpack – 40L is a great size for long but light trips.  This is about the largest backpack you can get away with as a carry-on bag in Kyrgyzstan and Europe (anything bigger either will get force-checked for size reasons or won’t fit in the overhead bin of the TezJet).  I did a monthlong trip around Kyrgyzstan  out of this bag, including a sleeping bag and my air mattress, and it was awesome, and I also used this bag for my Uzbekistan trip.  It’s a little too big for my day-to-day, though.  Be sure to get a bag that fits you well.  Osprey is by far the most popular brand, but they fit me very poorly.  Go to REI and ask the experts!  You can also look at listings on Amazon.

My 40L Gregory backpack as packed for my trip in the month of August. This was too thick to fit in the overhead of the BAe, but fit just fine in the Boeing and Airbus jets, and did not get force-checked by Lufthansa or Turkish Airlines.

• Eagle Creek Gear Warrior (many models) Rolling Duffel – get used to seeing Eagle Creek in my list, because their luggage is durable, affordable, and has a lifetime warranty.  Seriously, my dad had this Eagle Creek rolling suitcase he used every month for like 20 years, and it took that long for like one strap to break and they just gave him a new one.  I don’t know if they make mine anymore, but it’s a 32 inch size, which is a great size since it’s very difficult to go over 50lbs with it.  I’ve dragged it overpacked across Iran, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Argentina, and the US, and if it breaks they will fix it for free or give you a new one.
• Eagle Creek “No Matter What” Collapsible Duffel With Wheels (Extra Large Size) – This duffel is inexpensive, great, it’s got wheels, and it collapses.  A lot of volunteers in my group had variants on this bag.  However, the Extra Large size is really too big – unless you’re bringing bulky things, this bag EASILY will be overweight before you’ve gotten it filled.  Mine hit a whopping 65 lbs at one point.  Get the Large size instead to reduce overpacking urges.
• Collapsible Shopping Bag – I wish I’d brought something more substantial than this, but it wound up saving me when my bags were overweight at the airport in DC – I just stuffed some heavy stuff in it and hand carried it.
• Kenneth Cole Reporter Bag – I brought this after its successful stint in Tajikistan.  It’s the exact size of my 11″ laptop, and also fits an iPad or a full-size paper notebook perfectly.  This is my daily going to work, running around etc. bag.  You can also buy some really nice and more local looking bags here.  Other volunteers chose Timbuk2 brand, another great brand, for their day-to-day bags.  Man-purses are really popular here, so no shame.  I later switched to a tote bag.

Gizmos

Kyrgyzstan won’t chew up and destroy your electronics as badly as most Peace Corps countries.  Cell coverage is excellent, and if you have a smartphone, bring it.  A Kindle is a good investment, as is an external hard drive.  Seriously, watching us trading our external hard drives is like watching Requiem for a Dream on a loop.  I blame Shonda Rhimes and Peter Jackson.  Spare chargers are optional but have been found very useful, especially portable external batteries/USB chargers.

• 11-inch MacBook Air – I got a new computer before I came here.  If you can, bring a Mac.  Viruses here are EVERYWHERE but they don’t hit Macs.  Computers break, but Macs less often.  The 11″ inch size is really awesome and super portable, but sometimes the screen is a bit too small.  If I were doing it over, I might get a 13″ instead or a Pro.  You can see a bunch of good deals on Macs here.  But, if you already have a computer, just bring that.
• iPhone 5S – I love my iPhone.  It’s a little old, but it’s nice to have.  Be sure your phone is unlocked.  If it’s not an iPhone, also be sure it works with the networks here (LTE Band 7 is used by one carrier here, but American iPhone 5S and SE will not pick it up except Sprint models bizarrely).  However, know that iPhones batteries here HATE Kyrgyz mobile networks – you’ll want to carry a charger everywhere.  If I were to do it over again, and were buying a new phone for this, I would purchase a dual-sim Android phone (Dual-sim is extremely useful here). But, you can buy a new good dual-sim Android here that will work for sure on these networks for less than 10,000 som from reputable brands including Samsung and Xiaomi (both operate company stores in Bishkek).  Unlimited data costs 50 cents a day or less (600-900 som per month, and Peace Corps gives you money to cover this cost).  Also know: if you have AT&T, they treat Peace Corps Volunteers horribly, so don’t sign a new contract with them if you can prior to service.  One final note: Peace Corps does give you a cheap Nokia, but if you can, you should try and bring something with 3G voice capability that has very clear sound – you’ll need to be able to understand Kyrgyz and Russian spoken to you by phone, which is hard on the 2G network, and is why I keep my official contact through my 3G-capable smartphone.
• Kindle – I read books. Lots.  This is probably the single best gizmo to bring.  Download Calibre and learn how to put books on it yourself, too. You can also download the Kindle app to use on your computer or tablet.
• 2TB Seagate Backup Plus External Hard Drive – Seriously, bring at least 2TB (they now make them in 4TB and beyond).  We trade all manners of movies and TV shows here.  I lied, this is definitely the single most important gizmo to bring.  Just make sure its formatted for both PC and Mac.  I actually have two external hard drives with me – one for movies and one for computer backups. There are some other decent brands available too.
• iPad 2 – Maybe leave this at home. I’ve had this thing for 4 years, so I just said hey, what’s another 1.5 lbs?  I found its dictionary functionality extremely useful in Tajikistan and here.  Several volunteers whose computers have died while here have been SAVED by their iPads, but a tablet really isn’t necessary here, especially if you brought a Kindle.  But, it’s fun!
• Spare Mac Charger – I had one lying around, so I brought it.  You CAN find these at exactly one store in Bishkek, but they cost as much as the adapter plus shipping from the US.  I’ve been able to lend it to people in pinches, so I’m glad I brought it. Be sure you get the right kind for your computer (MagSafe 2 for newer models, MagSafe for older, or USB-C for the newest models)
• Spare Lightning/Charger Cables – Whatever charger your devices use, bring a spare cable or 3.  The lightning cables that Apple makes are pretty bad quality and most wear out after a year.  And you’ll be here for two.  You can find these here, but lightning is sometimes hard to find.  MicroUSB is ubiquitous, though so don’t worry about extras of those.
• Power Bank – There are all kinds of these on the market for cheap, and they keep enough charge to fill an iPhone 1-5 times.  As I mentioned earlier, iPhones go through about two full charges a day here, so this has been one of my most valuable investments here.  If you can get your hands on one of the European iPhone chargers (the super thin one), those are really easy to carry. I also for a time used a Mophie battery case which was also a wonderful thing to have.  Power banks are increasingly available in Kyrgyzstan, but their reliability varies.
• Spare Headphones – Nothing ruins a 14 hour taxi ride like a broken pair of headphones.  Don’t plan to use AirPods (Apple’s Bluetooth earbuds) in public – they draw a lot of attention.
• Camera – Literally the night before I left, I decided I would bring my dad’s Sony point-and-shoot camera in addition to my phone and instead of my DSLR.  I shoot most of my photos with my phone (the best camera is the one that’s with you), but having a point-and-shoot that takes even better pictures has been very valuable.  Some of my best photos on this blog came from the standalone camera.  If you’re into photography, it’s worth the investment.  Since winning Blog It Home, I’ve strongly regretted not bringing my DSLR.
• Anker Bluetooth Speaker – this is a totally optional thing, but this lets me play music and podcasts at a nice quality and nice volume in my room.  It’s small enough that it’s easy to take to a party as well and it was super cheap.
• GPS Running Watch – Another case of “I had it so I brought it.”  If you run a lot, this is a fun way to map out your city/town/hills/abandoned factory as you run around it. I train for and run marathons, so this was a good way to keep track of my progress. I suggest not bringing an Apple Watch or other day-to-day smartwatch as it will attract a lot of attention.

Things I Brought and Needed/Don’t Regret Bringing

• Down Winter Jacket – It gets cold here.  It’s October and I’m desperately trying to put off wearing it but I’m going to definitely need it next month.  Mine is a Mountain Hard Wear poofy black warm bundle of joy.  Girls might like the North Face “sleeping bag” coats.  Get something you’re OK wearing inside – you’ll be lucky if your classroom is warmer than 55 degrees. EDIT: I now wear this in my room.  Bring one.
• Rain Jacket – Desert schmezert, it rains here for days on end sometimes.  Don’t skimp on this one.  I brought two, one super lightweight to stash in my bag for camping, and one that’s heavier weight that I can layer when it’s too warm for my down coat.  I also brought a good quality umbrella by Totes.
• Sleeping Bag – Having a sleeping bag is great for camping and sleeping over at other volunteers’ houses.  It’s also very convenient when your yurt has no heater and is leaking rainwater and it’s cold (that definitely didn’t happen to me).
• Sleeping Bag Super Compact Stuff Sack – this is super useful for making my 30 degree mummy bag super small for snapping onto my backpack (see the photo above).  When I flew here, I used this and another stuff sack to shrink my sleeping bag and my down jacket to save space.  Don’t leave your down in stuff sacks for more than a week, though, if you can help it – it’s bad for the down.
• Silk Sleep Sack / Sleeping Bag Liner – Too hot for sleeping bag?  Sleeping in a sketchy hostel?  This is a good go-to for that.  It’s TINY.
• Air Mattress/Sleep Pad – This is optional, but I brought a super compact Thermarest air mattress that collapses to about the size of a Nalgene bottle, and it makes sleeping while camping absolutely glorious.  It will make itself further useful, I’m sure.  Some people here use locally-purchased yoga mats instead, but those have nowhere near the padding and insulation potential.
• Wool Sweater – I brought one Eddie Bauer wool sweater and one wool cardigan, and I wish I had brought more, because wool sweaters are warm, comfy, and breathe well across a wide range of temperatures.  My mom is bringing me more at Christmas because these are so essential.  They’re also part of getting the local winter look.  Make sure the sweater is wool, not cotton or acrylic!  You can probably find these here too, I just haven’t tried hard because I already had a bunch.  Eddie Bauer is a great place for sweaters, down jackets, vests, everything.
• Wool / Down Vest – Vests are like the most Kyrgyz-Chic thing, and I have a wool vest and a down vest that I wear a lot to keep warm.
• Scarves – Self-explanatory. I brought two and wish I had brought more.  Girls should definitely bring a few shawl-y pashmina-type scarves, because they’re fabulous and they can be used as a light wrap in the evenings (the day-night temperature difference can be HUGE here).
• Gloves, Hats, Wool Gloves, Hats – I think I’ve made my point that it’s cold. I brought several pairs of gloves, a wool toque, a synthetic running toque, and a synthetic baseball hat for running and hiking.
• Long Underwear – don’t be stupid like me and only bring one pair.  My running tights double as a second pair when I need them.
• Jeans, T-Shirts, Socks, Underwear – I brought enough underwear to go a month without doing laundry. That was DEFINITELY overkill.  I brought enough socks to do the same, but I knew half would die within a year, so I don’t regret that.  I brought some lightweight smart wool short-sleeve t-shirts, and some smart wool long-sleeve t-shirts.  These have been by far my favorite articles of clothing.  I also brought a bunch of cotton t-shirts, probably too many in my opinion.
• Undershirts – In the summer, these will save your dress shirts from the destructive force that is human sweat.  And before you say anything, yes I think you should be wearing business clothes to work even in the summer.
• Wool Things – you’ve noticed I’ve said a lot about wool and smart wool.  Wool is warm, breathes well so it’s also cool for the summer (See what I did there?).   It also doesn’t get stinky.  I have 3 smart wool shirts that I wore all the time this summer since they were cool, and I could rinse them out in the sink at night to keep them fresh, and they’d be dry in a few hours.  I have two smart wool pullovers to layer with, one of my vests is smart wool, my hat is wool, a pair of gloves is wool.  Bring some sort of moth-killer for your closet though, too.
• BUT DON’T FORGET IT GETS HOT TOO – Remember to bring some summer-weight clothes for the days when it’s in the 90’s!  A lot of people underestimated the summer heat here, particularly for pre-service training.
• Linen Pants – I brought a pair of nice linen pants for the summer.  People here sometimes look at you funny if you wear shorts in public, and it’s definitely verboten at work (especially in the South).  Linen pants are just as cool as shorts, but they keep you covered up.  There’s some good styles at REI.
• Suit – I brought a bunch of dress clothes, including a full suit.  I have worn the suit several times for important occasions (including my visit to the White House), but because of how formal people here dress on occasion, I’m very glad to have it with me.
• Dress Clothes – I brought some white button-downs and two or three pairs of black slacks.  It may have been overkill.  Consider bringing dark patterned dress shirts, or just bringing one to wear with your suit and that’s it.
• Quick-dry button-downs – you look like a total tourist in these, but lightweight synthetic quick dry dress shirts are a godsend here in the summer.
• Active/Running Clothing – I’m a runner, so I brought two pairs of running shorts, a pair of running tights (to double as long underwear), two pairs of running shoes, and two athletic quick-dry shirts.  I also brought lightweight smartwool t-shirts, which can double for this.  I brought a pair of hiking pants, which was definitely a good decision as well – there are nettles here.  There are two spring marathons here, one in Almaty and one in Issyk-Kul, and a few other halves in spring and fall.
• Bandanas/Buffs – these are really nice to have for hiking.  I brought cotton bandanas and one of those buff thingies they have on Survivor, and so far the buff has been more useful since it is also a great neck warmer.
• SHOES – If your feet are larger than men’s size 10 like me (I’m size 12), bring as many shoes as you can fit. I brought a pair of Toms that I wear most days, a pair of flip flops (A MUST), two pairs of slip-on dress shoes/loafers (ONLY BRING SLIP ONS, SERIOUSLY), two pairs of running shoes, a pair of hiking shoes, and I wish I had brought warm boots from the US too.  Kyrgyzstan eats shoes, but you can buy them here if your feet are small enough.  There is at least one Clarks store in Bishkek, among a few other brands.
• Belt – boys should bring one belt that has several notches smaller than normal and their generally tightest clothes, both because Fashion and because boys tend to lose weight here.  Girls tend to stay the same weight or gain a bit.  Keep that in mind.
• Swimming Costume – OK wow that sounded really 1940, but we have pools in Osh. Lots of them.  And there’s also Issyk-Kul.  You’ll want swimming clothes.  Lap pools are expensive, so you probably can pass on bringing goggles (although I did bring some anyway).
• Collapsible Day Pack – Eagle Creek makes a whole line of day packs that collapse into themselves and take up no more space than a Kindle.  The one I brought has been endlessly useful, since my 40L backpack is too big to carry every day without looking really dumb (also because it’s neon red).
• 3 Alaskan Flags – These are really fun to take photos with on hikes, with families, and as a decoration in my room.  I also brought mini US, Kyrgyz, and Alaskan flags and a stand that I have on my desk.  It’s frivolous but it makes my room feel like home.
• Stuffed Animals – I brought two of my favorite stuffed animals to give my room more of a sense of home.  It sounds hokey, but SWOOP AND I HAVE BEEN EVERYWHERE TOGETHER, OKAY?
• Other Room Decorations – it’s nice to have a few pieces of home to decorate my room and make it my own.  I brought some travel posters that I’ve put up in every room I’ve lived in since I was 18.

• Pack Towel – A quick-dry towel is very useful here.  I brought two, but you only really need one.  Get a big one – mine is too small.
• Regular Towel – But you want to have a real towel for your daily trip to the shower weekly trip to the banya (sorry, my city volunteer was showing there for a second).
• Washcloth – You can get these here, but I brought one anyway.
• Sewing Kit – I haven’t needed this yet, but I will be very glad to have it when I do.
• Eye Care – Spare glasses are a good idea.  I bought two pairs from Warby Parker before I came.  They’re durable, fashionable, and most importantly, cheap.  You’re technically not supposed to wear contacts here, so if you decide to flaunt the rules (I…definitely…don’t…do…that…), bring a large supply of solution (although more and more brands of solution are becoming available).  And seriously be smart – there really is a lot of dust that blows around here in the summer, so don’t wear them on windy days and stuff.
• Hygiene – The “bring enough to last you 90 days” is a good guideline, although I brought enough hair gel, deodorant, razors and cologne to last me at least a year (I use certain products that I can’t find here and sweat like a bad metaphor).  Peace Corps gives you floss, but it’s painfully unwaxed, so I brought my own.  Those Clearasil face wipes are a convenient way to wash your face when you don’t have running water (or when there’s 3 feet of snow between your room and the sink – this has happened more than once).  Chapstick is your friend, and it’s as valuable as gold small unmarked bills to PCV’s.  You can get baby wipes here, but I really appreciated having them before we had a chance to go buy them ourselves.  They were great for a quick shower in the Istanbul airport (the PC flight itineraries can be up to 36 hours each way even though the fastest available are 16h).  Bring good nail care supplies, as people comment on unkept nails here.

• Jewelry – don’t bring anything expensive, just some stuff that you don’t mind losing but that makes you feel good.  I brought a necklace I like, a bunch of cheap rings, and two cheap watches (one of which promptly died the day I landed).  Technically the only allowed piercings are girls’ earlobes, but tons of people have nose, helix, and even industrial piercings without any problems.  I have a helix and nobody says anything.  It actually prompted a cool conversation about American culture and self-expression with my host family.  Second goal win!  EDIT: post has begun enforcing the no-earrings policy, but very unevenly (no earlobes for boys, but girls can have piercings in everything?). Some people get away with it, others don’t.  Just be prepared that you may be asked to take them out.
• Headlamp – I don’t use it much, but it’s handy when I need it.
• Emergency Heat Blanket – I haven’t needed it, but when I do I’ll be glad I brought it.  It’s one of those shiny marathon heat capes that takes up almost no space.
• Corkscrew – You’ll learn to love Moldovan and Georgian wine.  When it’s good, it’s actually very good.  French, Italian, and Chilean wine can be had at many stores for under $10.  And there’s always Sovietskoye Champagne.
• Good Pens – Pens from the stores here are very inconsistent, so I brought my own pens and ink from the US.  My colleagues want to borrow them all the time.  Definitely bring a pack.
• Duct Tape – I used this to repair fraying cords, damaged luggage, and to duct-tape together an electrical outlet that melted and attempted to set fire to my house several times.  Definitely worth bringing.
• Photo Album With Printed Photos – Curate a set of 50-100 photos into an album to show to friends and host family members.  It’s great language practice, people LOVE looking at photos here, and it keeps them from swiping through every last photo on your phone (they seriously will – keep your camera roll clear of anything embarrassing or compromising).  It also makes a great memory book for yourself when you’re feeling a bit down.
• Air Pillow – I’ve used this once, for the flights to come here, and I’m glad I had it.  You’ll be expected to spend a full day in DC, then fly a double-red-eye to Bishkek, then work a full day before you can sleep, so you’d best try and sleep on the plane.
• Plug Adapter – you can buy these here, but you’ll want at least one to tide you over in the hotel until you have time and the language ability to buy one yourself.  Plugs here are standard European, 220V.
• Water Bottle – you’ll want to bring a Nalgene or Camelback sippy-lid water bottle of some kind.  It’s useful for hiking and sitting around.  You can consider a filter, but it’s not necessary unless you’ll be trekking a LOT.  Remember, Peace Corps gives you a stationary filter for your daily use at home.

Things I Brought But Didn’t Need

• Too Many Dress Clothes – Peace Corps tries to tell you that you’ll be wearing a suit every day to work.  Nope.  I actually was told that I dressed far to formally for my workplace, so now I wear jeans and a t-shirt.  Bring maybe two summer button-downs and two winter button-downs, but no more (TEFLs should err toward bringing more, as the expectation of professionalism for them is much stricter).  Remember, you can buy cheap and nicely tailored button-down shirts here at the bazaar. Still bring a few nice things for special occasions, though – I have worn my suit on several occasions and was very glad to have it.
• Inflatable Globe – This was my “unique thing I brought,” and I brought it because in Tajikistan, my host family had trouble with the concept of the ocean and basic geography. It’s been really fun to use the globe to show where I’m from in relation to Kyrgyzstan, but you can also just buy a really nice world map at the bazaar instead (and use it to learn the Russian names for countries).
• Money Belt – A lot of people will disagree with me, but I’ve worn my money belt exactly one time here.  Don’t get me wrong, pickpocketing is still a major risk in marshrutkas and in Bishkek in general.  I just carry my money in a wallet at the bottom of my man-bag instead.  It’s more comfortable and requires less cleaning. Also, the ink in the money here sometimes will bleed into the money belt if you sweat a lot.  That was an entertaining fact to learn.
• Bug Spray – The bugs here will eat you, but not that badly if you get your window-open-and-close timing down (open after sunrise, close before sunset).  I found I haven’t needed this.  And Peace Corps gives you a tube of DEET cream.
• Padlocks – I’m sure these are useful in some countries, but they are very heavy and I haven’t used them at all.
• Soap, Shampoo, Face Wash – You can buy good stuff here, including the full line of Garnier Fructis, Head and Shoulders, Neutrogena, Clean and Clear, and other familiar brands, at most major grocery stores in regional capitals.  Do consider bringing enough to get you through the first few weeks of training.
• Russian Dictionary – Between dictionary apps and Google Translate’s being able to do simultaneous voice interpretation in Russian, this brick almost never gets touched.  You will be issued a Kyrgyz-English dictionary on landing, along with a TON of language-learning books, so don’t worry about bringing any with you.
• Guidebooks – They’re nice, but they’re heavy, and honestly don’t go into much depth at all.  In Osh, only one of the restaurants listed is still open. They’re nice for planning a trip, but let yourself find your way. The most common ones are Lonely Planet Central Asia
  and Bradt Kyrgyzstan.

Things I Wish I Had Brought

• European Voltage Surge Protector – I brought a surge protector from America, which is a great idea, right?  Except that I forgot that surge protectors are voltage-specific (which is kind of really stupid of me as someone who has lived for two years in Europe).  So this one time some flames and smoke happened and I may have almost burned my family’s house down?  Be sure your surge protectors are 220V certified!  You probably/definitely can find these here, though, if you look hard enough.
• French Press/Coffee Mug – Bring a nice high-quality tumbler with you.  If you drink coffee, you can find good French presses and pourover kits in Bishkek, but you might want to bring your own.  Coffee is expensive, but worth it if you love it like me.
• Swiss Army Knife – Call me stupid, but I’ve had to borrow these surprisingly often.
• Spare Jeans – I split two pairs last week irreparably and don’t want to talk about it.
• More Dress Shoes – Seriously, if you have big feet, bring lots of comfortable slip-on shoes that are durable.  You’ll be taking them on and off every time you go in and out of a building or house.
• My Peacoat – I LOVE peacoats, and it pains me that my three peacoats are in storage in the US and not on me making me look suave and fashionable.  But that’s one of the more frivolous of my wants.
• Tent – if you camp a lot, and plan to here, you might be wise to bring a tent that fits 2-4 people.  But, we have a few that are floating around PC Kyrgyzstan, so if you don’t bring one, you should be able to borrow one.  In your FB group coordinate so that maybe one tent comes per ten people or less.
• More Host Family Gifts – I didn’t have a lot of gifts for my host family when I came, and sometimes I wish I had brought more. I brought several calendars to give to them, and some picture frames to make framed pictures of us.  Photos are very cherished memories here, so consider bringing extras to give away.
• Clif Bars – I didn’t need these nor want them, but many volunteers needed a few weeks to adjust to the food, or wanted a familiar, filling, nutritious snack for when they couldn’t stomach sheep intestines.  Until you adjust to the food here, snack bars can be very comforting.  Instant oatmeal is also a potential candidate, but a local dish called “kasha” (grain porridge) that is filling and very easy on the stomach can serve the same purpose.
• Dietary fiber – a lot of volunteers experienced diarrhea.  I experienced constipation, and PC medical refused to give me anything to help with it.  They will give you Immodium, but you may want to bring something else to assist with establishing regularity.
• More lightweight summer clothing – I found my summer clothing rotation was very limited-feeling.  I wore the same pants every day.  Just make sure that you bring warm stuff for winter, but don’t forget the summer clothing too.  Summer during PST will be in the 90’s every day, and then winters will go down below 0 in most sites.
• More of my favorite clothes – The more of your favorite clothes you bring, the more like yourself you will feel.  Scarves are, like, my thing, and I feel a lot more like myself now that I can wear them since it’s freezing outside.
• Hot Sauce – the one foodstuff that everyone wishes they had is hot sauce.  I’m fine without it, but I gladly consume all of it when offered.

Stuff You Can Just Get Here

• Laundry bag – I brought a bag for laundry, which is nice, but I could just buy one here instead.
• Bathrobe – The walk to my shower is about 50 feet from the front door.  The toilet is 50 feet in the opposite direction across the courtyard.  I have trudged through snow to get to both in flip flops on many occasions.
• Sweatpants – Sweats are definitely something you’ll want to buy, but buy them here and they’ll be cut in the local fashion, which helps you stand out less.  By that, I mean that they have cuffs around the ankles to keep the cold air from freezing your calves off.
• Blankets – I think almost all of us…somehow acquired a blanket during the flights over to KG.  You can definitely buy more here.
• Levi’s Jeans – they sell for MSRP (about 60-70 dollars) at the Levi’s store in Bishkek.  If you know your style number and size, shopping is a breeze. Surprisingly, in Kazakhstan they are twice as expensive.
• White Dress Shirts – they’re cheap and ubiquitous, and they cut them very slim so no blouse problems that we get from American-made dress shirts.
• Foodstuffs – Now I don’t blame the volunteer who brought a full ten pounds of peanut butter for doing what he did, but you can get a lot of good stuff here as well.  Snickers bars cost about 50 cents, Lay’s brand chips are the same as in America in slightly different, better flavors, the ice cream here is actually very good, and you can find local knockoffs of many of your favorite cheeses, peanut butter, and pasta.  I even found Philadelphia cream cheese the other day.  I didn’t bring any food and I don’t regret it at all.

• Most all office supplies – I brought post-its, pens, markers, and a bunch of stuff.  With the exception of recommending that you bring your own pens, everything else can be found here.
• Water Filter – Peace Corps gives you a massive water filter, so don’t bother bringing one.  They also give you water treatment tablets, which I use when trekking.  Some people prefer the taste of filtered water, though, so there are some very compact portable filters that you may consider bringing if you plan to do a lot of overnight trekking.
• Mosquito Net – Peace Corps will give you one, and you’ll leave it in the bottom of your closet for two years since malaria was wiped out by the Soviets decades ago.
• First Aid Kit – Peace Corps will give you a massive bag of medical supplies, everything from cough drops to sunscreen, ibuprofen, Pepto, Immodium, and Cipro (#pleaseplease – you will understand this hashtag when you get here).
• Some Warm Clothes – it’s cold here, so it’s not too hard to find warm clothes like jackets, vests, and the omnipresent tracksuits.
• Some Cool Summer Clothes – girls have had great success finding super comfy lightweight breathable summer pants in fun bright prints.

Summary

I definitely brought too much stuff.  I probably could have brought fewer toiletries, fewer room decorations, fewer shirts, fewer clothes, stripped my packing down more to essentials, etc. But, I’ve found that this Peace Corps packing list above has been pretty darn great.  I have very few “I wish I had brought” moments.  People might tell you to bring weeks of clothing, but you don’t need to.  On the other hand, bring enough clothes to replace pieces that wear out quickly – I’ve destroyed two pairs of jeans and a few pairs of socks so far.  And I personally like varying what clothes I wear every day.

My biggest advice is to streamline your choice of bags, and practice packing several days ahead of your departure.  Have your two duffels, backpack, and small personal item laid out with all your things, and then try packing.  Weigh things, then redistribute and prune.  Remember, mom can always send you a package with more stuff.  And as attractive as the idea sounds, don’t bring a third bag – the international baggage overage is STEEP and you really don’t need the space.  At the other extreme, one person in our group brought only one checked bag, and he’s doing AWESOME.

As you pack, make a packing list of what items when into each bag, like an inventory.  It may sound OCD, but it’s good for helping you find what you need when you first arrive.

One last tip – pack like items in a bunch of small Ziploc bags.  They keep you organized and are very useful once you’re here.

Packing for Peace Corps is hard, and a Peace Corps packing list has yet to be made for every country.  But once you get over not bringing your entire peacoat collection, and get settled in with your family, just how little you bring makes you that much more grateful for the things that matter around you.  And, if you forget something, or decide you want it later, there’s always the bazaar, the shops in Bishkek, or mom and a post office.

BUT, wait to get your medical clearance before taking the big leap on new gear!

If you have specific questions, feel free to send me an email or ask in the comments below!