The Packing List

The goal is to pack as much stuff to give away as possible and pack as little as possible stuff that you want to bring home.

Each team member will take one carry-on (usually a back pack) and two check-in suitcases. IMPORTANT Please only bring suitcases that you can leave in Jamaica. If at all possible bring soft sided suitcases. Don’t pack in large duffle or military bags. Large oversized bags only draw unwanted attention to yourself and the team when going through Jamaican customs. This extra attention causes customs agents to thoroughly search everyone bags. Soft sided suitcases can be found at thrift stores, garage sales or in grandma’s attic. Be sure the suitcases are large enough to pack 50 lbs in them. We encourage that everything, except for work clothes and work shoes, that each team member will be taking to Jamaica and bringing home with them be packed only in one’s carry-on. It is also a good idea to line your suitcase in Wal-Mart or Grocery store size plastic bags that we can use in the Store. The two check-in suitcases need to weigh as close to 50 lbs (without going over) as possible and will be full of items to be given away. Be sure to only bring suitcases that are large enough to actually hold 50 lbs.

Pack the following personal items in your carry-on (back pack):
one normal outfit for the North Coast
swim suit (modest one-piece or tankini)
sleep wear
socks and u-nderclothes for 7 days
Bible & pen (journal if you keep one)
flashlight
work gloves
sunscreen (only every 3rd or 4th person needs to bring this)
snacks for yourself (granola bars, fruit snacks)
shower sandals or flip flops
any personal medicine you might need (Dramamine, etc)

Pack the following personal items in one check-in suitcase:
Important: These items should be rolled and the bundled together very tightly in one or two Wal-Mart size bags and labeled with duct tape such as “Sally K’s work clothes”. This is so anyone can unpack any checked suitcase and one’s work clothes are easily marked.
- 5 days worth of work clothes (t-shirts and shorts to be worn at the work-site)
- work shoes
- one towel for showering

These items should also be packed in the one check-in suitcase:
- ½ gallon water bottle with your name on it (or, attach it to the outside of your back pack)
- your assigned food items
- box of your favorite cereal or other personal breakfast food (ie. pop tarts, granola bars)
- 1 can of green beans & 1 can of corn
- 1 roll of toilet paper

Teams of 4 can share personal items such as shampoo, toothpaste, shower soap, snacks, etc that will be used in Jamaica. Remember not to pack liquids in your carry-on. Also the food items that team members are assigned/picked are VITAL. These food items are used to help feed the team while you are in Harmons so it is important that each member bring and pack their assigned items.

What NOT to Bring:

Please do not pack short shorts or tank tops. After a long, sweaty day of work, even the sturdiest tank tops end up pretty risqué. Please do not cut sleeves off your T-shirts, this will ruin a shirt that can be given away at the end of the week. T-shirt sleeves can be rolled up to help with that oh so important tan. Also there is no need to waste valuable space with hairdryers. Your hair will be dry within minutes anyway. Also, do NOT bring any cell phones, iPods, or colds.

Last few important packing tips:
Put anything with a lid in a Zip-Lock bags or Duct tape the top. The last thing you want is to open a nicely packed suitcase in Jamaica only to find that your large plastic jar of mayonnaise exploded inside. To prevent this catastrophe from happening, duct tape the lid and put any item that could get squeezed and explode in a gallon size zip-lock bag. Do not pack items that could puncture or explode near the edge of the suitcase. Protect these types of items with clothes. Be carefully packing sharp items or tools near breakables. Do not duct tape cans of vegetable. As well as food items, toiletries items like shampoo should be protected with duct tape and zip-lock bags.

It is a good idea to weigh your suitcases with an accurate scale. There are expensive airport penalties if a suitcase weighs more that 50 lbs. Try to put heavier items (i.e. cans of spaghetti sauce) in smaller suitcases to help them reach 50 lbs. Make sure all suitcases have name and addresses on them. Don’t put the same color yarn or some other “group marker” on the suitcases. This will only draw attention to the large number of bags your group is bringing into the country.

Other items to fill your check-in suitcases:
The #1 requested and needed item are children’s clothes.
Underlined items are also greatly needed.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Backpacks, composition books, pencils, notebooks, pens, markers, construction paper, school glue, rulers, scissors, tape.

MEDICINES
Anti-fungus cream, adult and children's cold medicine, Tylenol or any brand, pin worm medicine, vitamins, antibiotics, gauze, Band-Aids, antibiotic creams, bandages, ointments, cough syrup, first aid kits.

SHOES
Any shoes, work boots, adult soccer shoes, black/brown heavy school shoes, children’s shoes.

TOILETRIES
Baby powder, shampoo, lotions, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap.

TOOLS
Any masonry tools, paint brushes, paint rollers, hammers, handsaws, tape measures, heavy electrical cords, power tools, drill bits, screw bits.

HOUSEWARES
Any size sheets, pillowcases, towels and small washcloths, sewing machines in good working order, material, hard plastic plates & bowls, silverware, pots & pans, sharp knives, dish towels.

CLOTHES
Any clean mended clothes, children clothes, new underwear & socks, infant clothes, adult clothes (Jamaica is a tropical climate, so do not pack winter clothes).

MISCELLANEOUS
AA, C & D size batteries, watches, radios of any kind, toys, padlocks, hats, jewelry (necklaces, earrings, etc.), soccer balls, ball pumps & needles, extra flashlights & batteries.

Note: All this information can be found in more detail on Won by One's website.