What to Pack on a Mission Trip

Are you preparing to head off on a mission trip soon? Are you wondering just what to pack to best suit your needs? If so, here is a great guide on how to pack lightly and efficiently for however long your trip may last - from two weeks to two months. While no two mission trips are exactly alike (and therefore no two suitcases can be filled with the same necessities), this guide can serve as a great suggestion list from which to work when deciding on what you yourself should pack. Since over-packing or under-packing is often an issue struggled with by many, these suggestions should help you eliminate the unnecessary items and replace them with much-needed gear.

1. Work shirts: No matter what type of trip you are headed on, remember to pack a couple of old T-shirts that you can get sweaty/dirty. If your mission trip is primarily going to be involved with heavy labor, then you may want to pack up to four shirts of this type. Remember, you can always do a bit of laundry/wash your clothes yourself while in the field.

2. Appropriate pants/skirts: Know the culture dress code for the region where you are going to work. If long skirts are typically appropriate for women, then check out your local Goodwill or Salvation Army for some affordable options. You should only need about four such skirts, as they can be re-worn multiple times without washing. Pack one pair of jeans/long pants for such locations as well. Know whether or not it's appropriate to wear shorts at your work location. If so, still remember to pack at least one pair of long pants as well.

3. Versatile shirts: Plain colored, sweat-wicking T-shirts are great for serving multiple purposes on the mission's field. Perfect for combing with skirts or pants, such options can easily be dressed up or down to provide for a wide variety of outfits. Packing four of these shirts should work perfectly fine for a month-long trip. Shorter trips could use fewer shirts, but longer trips should find four shirts sufficient since laundry can usually be done a few times during a trip.

4. Powdered Detergent: Perfect for doing quick hand-washing of essentials during your trip, pack along an appropriate amount of powdered detergent which can usually be affordably bought at dollar stores. If you don't need an entire box for yourself, then pack however much you will need in Ziplock bags and leave the rest behind.

5. Freshening spray: Any air freshening spray will be the perfect solution to odorous clothing during your trip. Since plenteous water for the luxury of regularly washing clothing is often non-existent in many countries, your clothing will easily smell more often than you can wash it. A small bottle of a non-overpowering freshening spray should do the trick for keeping your garments from smelling putrid.

6. Granola bars/snacks: More often than not, your days of traveling will be filled with irregular meal times. To keep yourself from feeling positively famished while your body is adjusting to a new time schedule, bring along a few granola bars to snack on during the trip. You shouldn't need too many - just enough for an emergency snack supply to last for the duration of your trip.

7. Power converter: If you're traveling to a region of the world with a different voltage power than your own, you'll need to bring along a power converter to allow you the use of your own electronics. This will come in handy if you need to charge your camera batteries, cell phones, mp3 players, etc.

8. "Sunday" clothes: You'll want to pack along one nice outfit just in case you have the need to dress up for an unexpected occasion. For many regions outside of the United States, Sunday church services are still conducted in more formal attire. Bring along appropriate clothing so you will not feel out of place should an event arise where you need nicer garments.

9. Rain poncho: Especially appropriate if you are going to be journeying during the rainy season of a region, rain ponchos are the perfect way to stay dry while still staying comfortably cool.

Of course, you will need to bring along all other appropriate necessities such as undergarments, personal toiletries, medications, towels, etc. Just remember to try to pack as light as possible (many international air carriers ask for suitcases to weigh 40 pounds or less) and to pack a flexible wardrobe.