I'm going to Uganda for about 3 months. What should I pack?

Pack some courage and a big heart. You will need that more than anything else.
Also, bug repellent and a mosquito net.

A lockable case for any food you bring, buy.

Out of curiousity, how did this opportunity come to you?

Vagisil!!!! You never know when the next yeast infection is coming!!! I had a difficult/hilarious time trying to communicate my symptoms at a pharmacy in Portugal, and I have no idea if the creme I ended up purchasing was actually for the use I used it for.

A first aid kit. Make sure you know what’s in it and how and when to use what’s in it.

@holden Sounds like a church trip to me Enjoy your trip @rangerr!

It’s a combination of church/ being involved with Invisible Children. There’s two of us going.
@proXXi I didn’t think about that. Great idea!

Merino wool t-shirts from say Icebreaker or Smartwool. They dry quicker than cotton when you need to wash them, you can’t wear them for days and they don’t smell as bad as cotton or man made fibers.

A decent first aid kit.

A way of filtering water, (there are a load of small filters for hikers) and it will come in handy whenever you travel abroad.

An ipod (something with a large capacity) and a solar powered charger.

your life insurance policy

AK-47

@nisse….and by that you’re trying to say…what?

@nisse that was appropriate.~

not clothes, just go naked

On top of all the other suggestions like first aid kid I would bring something that is unique to you and where you come from so that you can share a part of yourself with the children (example- I’m from new england. I bet no kid in uganda has seen a lobster so I would bring a keychain or something to show them about myself)

@sevenfourteen I’m bringing a photo album with me. It’s gonna be a long show-and-tell day.

I think this is so awesome.. wow! I really, really want to do something like this some day when I have the money for airfare. There’s just something about Africa and the people there that draws me. I certainly admire the boundless joy and friendliness in the face of having so little. I also think it’s our duty as people living in such a wealthy nation to help those who don’t.

Obviously, get all your shots before you go. Mosquito net for your bed while you sleep, first aid kit (with stuff like hand sanitizer, Immodium, Lamisil, anything you think you might need and not be able to get), something for purifying your water, pretty much the stuff everyone’s said so far. I love the idea of bringing something unique to where you live to show people.

I probably would bring some sort of foodstuff that can be easily transported and handed out as gifts. Actually, knowing myself, I’d end up wanting to give away as much of my stuff as I could spare, so if it were me, I’d have to think and plan accordingly. Chocolate is always a huge hit, but I’m not sure how well that’d do if you’re faced with hot temperatures.

Wow, you are going to Gulu? I know that there is a big problem there with the LRA. that is probably why you are going with invisible children. Anyway, can you give some more details about what kind of lodgings you will have and what you will do? I know that when I went to Uganda, my group stayed in a very nice hotel in Mbale, so we did not need to bring our own mosquito nets. However, that may not be the case for you. Also, I recommend bringing socks that go up past your ankle. I was picking coffee on a farm when I was swarmed by ants. I was luckily wearing socks that I could tuck my pants into, so I didn’t have too many ants in my pants. Again, this is just my experience. I don’t know if you plan on visiting any farms, but, if you do, wear high socks just in case. Also, this may seem obvious, but do take a lot of meds in case you get sick. Especially the malaria pills. Also, just bring other medications, because, a lot of people end up getting bad stomach viruses, even if they are drinking purified water and eating things that they think are safe. My father had a bad time with a stomach virus when we there there. I won’t go into detail here, but I’ll just say that he lost about ten pounds in less than a week. Once I know more about where you’ll be staying and such, I might have more suggestions.

@ekans We aren’t sure where we are staying yet. We get the details about the camp on Christmas Eve. They made it sound like it’s going to be cabins. It’s not directly with the IC, but they are the ones who directed our pastor in the right direction and got us hooked up with the people running the camp. We had an incident with fire ants a few summers ago, so I’m not even bringing open toed shoes. High socks sound like a great idea though.

@MissAnthrope I’m bringing a ton of candy with me. Those kids deserve it.

@rangerr – Yay! :) I don’t know if it’s feasible, but could you bring some balls with you (deflated and maybe carry a small pump with a few needles)? I saw some program about a soldier stationed in Iraq who created a kind of charity where people donated soccer balls and the like, and the kids absolutely went nuts over them.

My friend who is going with me is bringing a few of those. He’s all about sports.
I’m just having a hard time figuring how to get all of this is a 75 pound limit bag, and a carry on.

@rangerr – Ugh, good point. At least you get 75 pounds, though.. most airlines limit bags to 50 pounds these days.

@MissAnthrope I think that’s the REAL limit, but because we are going to be there for 3 months, we got an exception. I can barely pack for a week in under 50 pounds.

I recently spent 3 months in Africa. I packed the wrong stuff altogether. I recommend bringing clothes you can layer up. Be wise about that aspect. Mosquito repellant of course. Decent footwear – runners/sandals, etc.
Bring a really warm jumper/hoodie for night. I’ll get back when I think of other ‘essentials’

You should pack 5 changes of clothes 7 day suppily of food and some music to jam out to at the house!!!!!!

ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!