by Alyssa Ramos

It’s hard to know what to pack for a place you’ve never been to before, especially somewhere a lot different than your home. Sure, you can look up a generic packing list, but it’s a lot more useful to ask someone who has been there! Before my IVHQ South Africa trip, I contacted other bloggers in Cape Town (see Blogger Guides) to ask them for local tips on what to do and see, but also on what to wear, giving me an insight on how to pack.

I had somewhat of an idea, but it’s a lot different when you’re volunteering with little kids at school and living in a volunteer house! So here is my general list for what I would bring for one week (you can adjust the amount of stuff depending on your program length), and some packing tips! (Note: I went in the winter/rainy season)

The Luggage

I only went for one week (but I went to Thailand and Australia after) so tried to only use one carry-on rolling luggage, and brought a duffel bag (that I filled up with school supplies to bring over) in case I bought souvenirs….I ended up using both the whole time, so am pretty sure one big bag would have worked, especially if you’re staying for longer. Some people like to use those massive backpacks that backpackers used, but I much preferred “Glampacking” with a rolling, lockable suitcase. Bring a backpack if you plan on doing weekend excursions since you won’t be needing all of your stuff and can leave most of it at the volunteer house (make sure to lock your bags just in case).

Luggage Packing Tips

– Pack light – I seriously wore the same outfit every day in different combinations and didn’t even touch the “cute outfits” I packed. Don’t worry about running out of things to wear, there’s a laundry place a few blocks away that will do all of your laundry for about $5, and if you forget anything, there’s a cheap clothing store in the same plaza as the Checkers (grocery store) a few blocks away.

– Check the weather – Everyone will tell you that South Africa is capable of going through three different seasons in one day. They aren’t lying. It can be scortching hot during the day and beyond freezing at night. The solution to this is:

– LAYER! LAYER LAYER LAYER LAYER!!! – There were times where I could just wear one long-sleeved shirt, and there were times when I wore ALL of my shirts, jackets, scarfs, and whatever else I could find (one guy even ended up GIVING me his jacket). Bring a weather-proof jacket if possible and warm socks for nighttime.

– Pack like you’re going camping – You’ll be staying in a volunteer house, not a hotel. While there is clean bedding, it is not very warm or comfortable (according to the girl who lives in LA 😉 ). I brought a cheap microfiber blanket that I got from Ross (a cheap clothing and goods store)  that was literally my best friend. I used it on the plane, in my volunteer room, and a few nights when I ended up snuggling on the couch ;). You’ll also need a towel, and I would suggest getting a light one because no matter what, your towel will never completely dry and always be cold. (Tip: hang it in the shower when you’re showering to heat it up). These items are obviously bulky so the solution to that is:

– Use Travel Spacebags – I’m obsessed with these. They’re like the vacuum-seal storage bags except you can squeeze the air out just by rolling them and then unrolling them. I shrank my blanket, jackets, towels, as well as clothes and had SO MUCH more space. They’re also great for storing dirty laundry instead of piling it up in a ball. If you can’t find them, or forget to get them for some weird reason…I guess the next best thing would be rolling all of your stuff instead of folding it. (Get the spacebags.)

– Use travel and sample sized toiletries – Unless you’re staying for more than a month, you probably won’t need any full-sized toiletries. Save space (and money) by using travel sized items or if applicable, trial-sized items (I collected a ton from my Birchboxes and hotel stays). Otherwise you can get pretty much anything at Checkers but it may not be as quality as what you can get at home.

– Secure your passport and some cash – Although I kept these in my travel bag while flying, when I wasn’t I made sure to lock them inside of my suitcase along with any valuables that I wasn’t using like my laptop or GoPro.

The Travel Bag

Don’t bring any nice-looking purses or bags, they are easy targets for theft. A lot of people wore backpacks but they look funny on me and feel unsafe on my back, so I used an amazing, magical tote bag/purse by Harvey’s that’s made out of seatbelts and zippers shut. Not only did it somehow fit everything I could possibly need inside of it, but it was also slashproof and capable of being used as a defensive weapon (according to me).

Travel Bag Packing Tips

– Pack only what you’d need to survive – I could typically find anything anyone could possibly need at all times inside of my bag. I organized each of the three pockets for (light) makeup and hygiene wipes, electronic-related items, and the zipper-pocket for my wallet and copy of my passport. It was also just big enough to fit my travel wallet, a scarf and sometimes my jacket, my laptop (Macbook Air) and it’s charger, GoPro and accessories, granola bars, water bottle, etc.

– Bring portable chargers – These are LIFE SAVERS because there’s a good chance you either won’t have the right adapter (African adapters are different than any others but generally require an international adapter as well anyway), someone will be borrowing it, or you won’t be able to get home to charge it for long periods of time. These are little chargeable batteries that give you a battery boost that you can charge overnight.

– Bring nourishment – If you’re like me, and have a fast metabolism (and picky appetite) you should consider bringing protein or granola bars. Althought the volunteer house always has food available, they’re great on the go or if you’re late waking up (which you will be). I also brought Resqwater which is meant to be an anti-hangover drink (which I needed for those purposes sometimes anyway), but it’s also packed with electrolytes which helps to recharge your body and energy in the morning.

-Use Protection –  Get your mind out of the gutter, I meant sun protection! (Although you should always use other protection anyway.) The sun is wicked bright and strong so keep a pair of sunnies that are designated for UV protection like my super cool Local Supply ones below. Also bring small bottles of sunscreen and bug repellent (there weren’t many bugs but just in case), and chapstick, and did I already mention hand sanitizer? Lots of hand sanitizer.

– Your itinerary and local info – Chances are you’re going to have a lot of itinerary information to keep track of, so try to organize it all onto one piece of paper and keep it in your bag. It’s also a good idea to take a picture with it to store on your phone, and to store the local taxi driver’s numbers as well (you’ll get this from the volunteers and it’ll be posted in the living room).

Other Tips

– Don’t Stress – if you forget anything, youll most likely be able to get it there. I ended up having to buy a sweet pair of boots from the local clothing store because I was so cold but they were literally 250 Rand ($25US) and are going to be an awesome fashion statement in LA this winter.

– Be smart – Don’t bring things that are going to attract attention or you’ll miss if it gets lost or dirty. Ladies dress conservatively, even though we all want to look cute, we’re way cuter when we’re not kidnapped or frowned upon by locals. Also, you’re going to be like a human jungle gym at school, so bring clothes that can get tugged on.

-Packing Hacks – a few little genius things I brought that were actually super helpful:

– Dryer sheets – I put them everywhere in my suitcase so it wouldn’t smell and you can also rub them on your clothes and hair. Sounds gross, but it works.

– Baby powder and dry shampoo – girls (or guys if you want) you’re not always going to have time, or want to wash your hair, so this stuff is great.

– Double wallets – I used a decoy wallet along with my travel wallet (because I’m paranoid), just in case someone tried to pick pocket me.

– Travel Size Awesomeness – I brought travel size bottles of Febreeze, Lysol (mostly for the plane), and Wrinkle Release (in case you hate wrinkles, I didn’t really use it) to keep my outfits somewhat tidy.

*****As mentioned before, most airlines give you TWO FREE CHECKED BAGS – get a thin duffel bag that is easy to roll up and store and fill it with school supplies or kids T-shirts from home! (Feel free to say I suggested it 😉 ) *******

If you have any other questions feel free to ask me on here, IVHQ South Africa group page! The next post will be local things to do, and must see/do’s in South Africa!