PACKING LIST

 CLOTHES:
Pack about a week’s worth of clothes. Laundry machines are available at the M House. You can also hire a MITS student to wash/line dry your laundry for about a dollar per load.

• Enough t-shirts/comfortable tops for a week. (for women, modest tank tops are okay. Avoid spaghetti straps.)
• Jeans or comfortable trousers (Pack at least one pair of loose pants. Tight pants are inappropriate for visits to Eastleigh or Mathare Valley.)
• Skirts to the knee or below
• Shorts of any length aren’t appropriate for women. For sports or running, yoga pants or sweats are fine.
• Underwear for a week
• Socks for a week
• Shoes: 1 pair of sandals, 1 pair of closed-toed shoes (hiking boots are not necessary unless you are planning on climbing Kilimajaro)
• A jacket or warm sweater. It can get chilly in the evenings.
• A rain jacket with a hood for during the rainy season
• One church outfit (skirt or dress for girls)

TOILETRIES:

• Toothbrush/toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Shampoo/conditioner
• Shower soap
• Razor
• One towel and washcloth (plan on leaving these behind for visitor’s quarters)
• Any over the counter meds you like to have on hand: Pepto bismol, Cipro, Dramamine, diarrhea meds, allergy meds, melatonin or other sleep aid, Vitamin C, etc.
• Malaria meds 
• Feminine hygiene products
• Bug spray
• Hand sanitizer
• Sun screen (very expensive in Kenya and most malaria meds will increase your sun sensitivity)

ADDITIONAL:

• Flashlight and spare batteries (expect the power to go out at least once during your stay)
• Sunglasses
• Hat (if you’re a hat person)
• Spending money
• Water bottle – the tap water in Kamulu has been tested by American standards and is safe to drink. Please purchase bottled water everywhere outside of Kamulu.
• Drink mix powder
• Camera + battery charger + spare memory cards
• Reading materials, eReader or Kindle for travel days
• Headphones
• Plug adapter and/or power converter (Kenya is on a British plug pattern and 240 voltage). Read the fine print on your battery charger to see if you need a converter.
• Snacks (protein bars, crackers, dried fruit, chocolate might melt)
• Small travel bag, purse or day pack, preferably with a zipper compartment to deter pickpockets
• Bag for collecting dirty laundry 
• Journal, pen and Bible
• If you are visiting during the rainy season, you will want to consider bringing an umbrella and rain boots. Kamulu’s roads become very muddy when it rains.

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YOU DO NOT NEED TO BRING:

• Bedding/sleeping bag
• Water purifier/filter/or tablets
• Hiking boots
• Weapons, drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, etc.

THINGS FROM THE ABOVE LIST THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN KENYA:

• Flashlights, spare batteries
• Most toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste)
• Sunscreen, but it’s expensive
• For women, feminine hygiene products are limited and very expensive.
• Rain boots
• Snacks
• Towels and washcloths

EXTRA ITEMS IF YOU GO ON SAFARI:

• Swim suit (any type is fine. Your safari lodge is frequented by Westerners.)
• Dramamine (the 6-hour ride is largely on bumpy/windy roads)
• Malaria meds