Partial Packing List

I know there are plenty of lists for those of you who are getting ready to come to Ukraine and this is a list I should have put up for group 31, but will be better for the Youth Development volunteers anyway. You will hear a lot about how Ukraine is more professional than what you may be used to in the States, that may or may not be true, I see younger teachers with nice jeans at my school, but know that would never happen at other schools. My typical outfit consists of cargo pants of either tan, blue or grey and a button up shirt. Although I know other volunteers who go to school in full suits. The other thing you need to remember is it is perfectly acceptable to wear they same items of clothing for several days at a time. In fact, wearing too much variety can make you stand out more than you do already.
Also remember you are dealing with a four season country and while you can buy clothes here sizes and styles can be a challenge for American tastes. Bring a small amount of clothing suited for all different weather conditions and functions. Know you will probably wear these clothes out and they will not see America again. But it might well be better than the alternative of buying a lot of clothing here. I have bought some but it is hard to find what you want and can be expensive depending on where you go and what you like. Women’s clothing my seem revealing while I have a hard time finding much of any men’s clothing I like. For YD people remember you will be involved in camps during the summer so possibly bring some things for that as well. I will make a category for that. But overall, remember that part of being in Peace Corps is learning to live with less and you find you can live with very little. Consider what is most essential to your survival, bring that and you will find out if you really need it or not.

PC Camping suggestions to bring:
- Leatherman, they are so multifunctional I wired a building for Internet with hardly more than a pair.
- I also have a second swiss army knife. Having the cork screw and bottle opener are important so many times over.
- Camping dishwear, spoon, fork, bowl, I’m sure outdoor stores would have some really light ones. I have some lexan stuff that is really tough, I use it for everyday use as well. It is common for a camp to expect you to bring your own. Be forewarned, I didn’t know this.
- Sandals, flipflops can be bought easily enough here, but bring tough ones, like Chacos or Teva.
- sleeping bag, I have a small synthetic one, but I have seen downright tiny down bags and have not seen the need yet for a synthetic over down bag, since synthetic works better in wet conditions. Look at getting one of the really tiny ones, they pack better for visiting volunteers.
- flashlight, a little twin AA maglight works great, I like my headlamp, but you will get funny looks, be forewarned.
- pack towel, or just a small regular towel that will dry quickly


Recommended things to bring:
- Bring casual clothes, shorts
- Music, better electronic
- A laptop is a great thing to have during the long winters for everything from work to watching movies, decide if you want to invest in one, bring an older one or forego it completely. Just be know PC gives you a lot of material on CD.
- External hard drive. More and more information is digital now, you'll fill up a hard drive real quickly with music, photos and movies, make it big. Some people have 500g ones. My 40g is almost always full.
- iPod is a nice addition too, or another music playing device, an iPod is not a status device here, rather just another MP3 player and most people haven’t seen one because they cost the same here as in the states, and people make $100-$200 a month.
- Forget cotton socks and especially white ones, go for synthetic or blend socks in darker colors.
- I think the PC recommendations included slippers, you can buy them here for cheap, save your space for all the other stuff you’ll bring over and then wonder why.
- Leave the light colored khakis home, better to go with darker colors unless you want to scrub the dirt out by hand, it’s hard.
- I love my wrinkle-free stain resistant shirts
- Some really nice stuff you’re willing to part with at the end of service, you’ll appreciate it for the formal events and will never want to see it again at the end of service anyway.
- Backpack, I have two, a larger backpacking one and a smaller one I use for most of my trips, I can get almost a weeks worth of stuff in mine now when I don’t take my sleeping bag. Mostly because I don’t back a different outfit for everyday. But you will see people carrying less stuff with them, Make due with less.