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Packing Tips
PACKING CUBES
Packing cubes are a great way to
keep your clothes organized and
avoid a laundry explosion all over your
host location! You can keep shorts/
pants in one cube, shirts in another,
undergarments in a small cube, and
miscellaneous items in another small
cube. You can find packing cubes on
Amazon or at any department store,
or you can create your own packing
cubes using gallon-size Ziploc, mesh,
or drawstring nylon bags.
HYDRATION STATION
Bringing a reusable water bottle with
a wide-mouthed opening is vital to
your trip. In many locations, you’ll
be using five-gallon jugs to fill up
on drinking water. Be sure to fill up
often: you’ll use your water bottle to
brush your teeth and stay hydrated
throughout the day. We recommend
a well-insulated bottle so if you have
access to cold water or ice, it’ll stay
cooler longer. We have the perfect
water bottle at pelicanstore.org!
PILLOWCASE TRICK
For those who don’t have to worry
about a sore neck upon waking,
consider leaving your travel pillow
at home. Instead, wear a sweatshirt
while at the airport, fold it up at your
destination, and put it in a pillowcase
to use as a pillow during your trip.
At the end of the trip, stuff all your
dirty clothes into the pillowcase as a
laundry bag for your travel home.
TRAVEL BLANKET
This can be used for a variety of
things: a pillow for sleeping, a cape for
VBS skits, a light-canceling window
cover, or even a blanket for when it’s
chilly on the plane or at your
lodging site.
SHARING IS CARING
If you’re sleeping at a church or
community center, you’ll be sharing
bathrooms with your buddies. So as
long as you’re already in the sharing
mood, why not share shampoo,
conditioner, and body wash? If the
team brings a few big bottles and
leaves them in the shower, you
won’t have to worry about anyone
forgetting their supplies.
AIR MATTRESS TIP
Everyone bringing air mattresses on
the trip? Nominate a few people to
bring air pumps. That way, you don’t
all have that extra weight in your
luggage. Don’t forget extra batteries
in your checked bag if your lodging
location won’t have reliable electricity
to plug in!
SIMPLIFY
Make packing easy on yourself. Wear
shorts two days in a row. Bring only
what you NEED, not what you WANT.
Lay out all the clothes you are going
to pack on your bed, then cut them
down by 25%. It’ll make traveling a
breeze, and it will be easier to decide
what to wear every day! You can
reference our Packing List to make
sure you bring the right things.
WET WIPES
Need a shower, but don’t have
time? Grab a few wet wipes and
give yourself a wipe down. You’ll be
fresh(er) and ready in no time! This
works well halfway through the day if
you don’t have time to shower
but feel sticky or dirty from the
morning’s activities.
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT
If you feel led, consider donating your
clothes and other supplies to your
host partner at the end of the week.
Your trip leader will confirm with the
host partner if they desire to receive
donations, if so, we can leave them
with them or ministry leader and
you’ll create space in your luggage
for souvenirs and other items to bring
home! Air mattresses can also be
left behind and will be used either
by the host partner or by the PPM
local staff. Just be sure that what you
are donating is of good quality and
doesn’t have any holes, rips, or stains!
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