Kuuliza si ujinga

Congrats on your assignment!
I came across your blog while looking for that of a friend - I was a PCV in TZ from 2004-2006.
It was an amazing experience, and if I could I would do it all over again - I'm jealous!

Brian
 

Thanks!
I've been reading your blog from Tanzania--it's a great read and keeps me from pacing nervously around the house in the two weeks before I leave. Do you have any suggestions of things I should pack?
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

(oops, that was me deleting above)
Here we go. . . It is beginning to sink in that all their blogs and photos are real. We're at the bottom of the roller coaster and already I can tell this is going to be total culture shock. What an adventure. I can at least confidently say that I love the food.

I'm not used to getting this much stuff together for a trip,
 

meh, blogger comments and I do not get along evidently.


...I'm not used to getting this much stuff together for a trip,I hope that I can fit everything.

I'd also like to pass on my thanks Brian! Your pictures were invaluable. I gotta say though that I don't think I could manage a pure health ed position. Think classroom teaching will be more for me. Can't wait to have a garden of my own with passion fruit, mangos and papaya!
 

Stuff I'm packing so far:
Nalgene, hydration bag
light sleeping bag
leatherman knife, maybe sharpener tool
1 american-quality cooking knife (maybe italian spices, pepper-grinder). Various TZ PCVs told me these are lacking and you miss them.
headlamp
pedometer, cheap body thermometer
thin cutable climbing rope, carabiner
backpacking backpack I had (luggage)
messenger bag for bike use
two pairs of glasses (~$35 on zennioptical.com though it might be too late)
cheap 900/1800 GSM cellphone from friend.
old laptop (I am working with IT stuff), USB thumb drives. ipod, digicam.
tape, lonely planet TZ,
cheap, possibly too cheap, handheld shortwave radio.
favorite fleece jacket, umbrella
chaco sandals, boots, soccer shoes.
a good journal to start me out.

I have no idea if I will have to cut back, I have to clear off some floorspace and lay it all out yet.
Please shoot back if you have any other good items to include.

I haven't decided if a water filter is a good idea, going to call my friend just sworn into PC Lesotho tomorrow. I wanted to bring a large pro-ish camera but apprehensively decided it wasn't worth the risk of burglary in TZ (welcome book and PCVs).

Happy packing, see you next sunday!
 

That looks a lot like my list. I also have a backpacking backpack as my main piece of luggage. If it gets too full I might also bring a small duffel bag.

From what I've heard, it's not strictly necessary to bring a water filter; I think we get one for our sites. But, the ones they give us aren't portable, so if you want to travel it's nice to have a portable filter.

So far, I also have:

-a warm hat in case I go hiking in the mountains
-needle and thread
-some stuff for science teaching (a few basic textbooks, a calculator, a periodic table)
-rechargeable AA batteries and solar charger
-extra AAA batteries
-copy of Teach Yourself Swahili
-lots of ziploc bags
-waist belt for money
-tiny screwdriver for fixing glasses
-lots of sunscreen
-pictures of family, friends, and my hometown to show people
-gifts for my host family (actually I still have to buy these, I was thinking maybe a baseball cap that says Boston or a watch or some maple syrup. I also have a bunch of small toys like bouncy balls and jacks I figured I could give to kids in my village)
-frisbee
-water filter and some chlorine dioxide tablets

plus I think I'm the only person in the country without an iPod. I do have a shortwave radio on its way from Amazon.

I was debating on whether to bring my four-year-old iBook, but as it's battery is broken I'll probably leave it behind.

I have no idea if all this will all fit in my bag. I want to be able to carry everything easily, and I will probably leave some things behind if my bags get too heavy.
 

"Peace Corps will provide you with a ceramic candle filter for water if you want and they also have PUR tablets which are basically chlorine (they clean the water and are not a bad idea when traveling, but the water smells like bleach and you need to treat 10 litres at a time). Most volunteers simply boiled their water and kept it in an indoor drinking water bucket. When you're traveling there will be lots of places selling bottled water that is cheap and clean. That is probably a much easier and more convenient option than finding a public water source and then treating your own. The bottles also come in a variety of sizes so if you are going to stay in one place for a few days you can cheaply get a five or ten litre bottle and keep it in your room and then fill up smaller bottles or a Nalgene when you are on the go. " Tom, returned TZ PCV I met in Cleveland on Water Filterage. He said he did have a filter but only used it when camping.