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What to Bring to Country
This list has been compiled by Volunteers serving in Mauritania and is based on their experience. Use it as an informal guide in making your own list, bearing in mind that experience is individual. There is no perfect list! You can always have things sent to you later. You obviously can't bring everything we mention, so consider those items that make the most sense to you personally and professionally.The Peace Corps is a job and volunteers are considered to be professionals. You will be expected by Peace Corps staff and your host community to be dressed appropriately. As a general rule, Mauritanian professionals dress better than their American counterparts. Health, Education and Business PCV’s (particularly those posted in regional capitals) who do not dress appropriately can inadvertently undermine their own and the Peace Corps credibility.
General Clothing
There are lots of talented tailors and a wide variety of fabric in Mauritania. You will be able to have clothes made here. Bring things that you can have copied. Don’t worry about bringingenough for two years.
- 3-5 cotton T-shirts with sleeves
- 2-3 nice looking dress shirts (for men, that means with a collar)
- 1-2 pairs of shorts (to sleep in or to wear during organized sporting events, Please note that shorts are not worn by men or women in public.)
- 4-5 pairs of neat lightweight cotton pants (khakis, dockers, not jeans) Please note Mauritanian women rarely wear pants.
- 1 pair utility/work pants OR jeans
- 5-6 long full skirts and 1-2 cotton slips (full length skirts with pockets are the best. Do NOT bring skirts that are see-through if you hate wearing a slip. Also, test run the skirt: See if you can sit comfortably cross-legged on the floor while wearing it.)
- 1-2 full-length dresses with sleeves. Bring a style that you really like as tailors here can make duplicates. Again test run the dress to make sure you can sit comfortably on the floor cross-legged.
- 1-2 sweaters or sweatshirts/polar fleece for the cold season
- Bathing suit
- 1-2 sets of dress clothes and nice shoes for Swearing-in Ceremony, Embassy, other official functions and holidays; (e.g. good-looking dress or pair of pants, a collared shirt, (tie optional). Don't bring a sports coat or anything that needs dry cleaning.
- 1-2 hats/baseball caps (also a popular gift item for men!)
- 3-4 Cotton bandannas or other cotton scarves (very handy for all sorts of things)
- For women: sports bras, scarves (to keep your hair out of the dust)
- 1 belt
- Extra cotton underwear (boxer shorts, bras (not available here), etc)
- For women: 3 month-supply sanitary pads/tampons, beauty cosmetics that make you feel good such as moisturizer, make-up, hair conditioner, antiperspirant, jewlery (that you won’t mind losing or giving away)
Shoes
- Sturdy sandals like Tevas or Birkenstocks--Note: every time you enter a room, you must take off your shoes. This will probably happen 5-20 times a day, so we recommend that you bring sandals or slip-on/backless shoes (Rubber flip-flops can be bought here for about $1).
- 1 pair of quality work-shoes or cross-trainer shoes -- particularly for Health and Agriculture PCV’s
- 1 pair of athletic shoes (for recreational purposes); avoid sneakers with air bubble support systems; they will be punctured easily on this terrain
- 2-3 pair cotton socks (most time is spent in sandals)
Miscellaneous
- Internal frame backpack (for travel within country and after service)
- Summer sleeping bag (rated 20-25 degrees F; very compact - it does get cold at night during half the year, plus a sleeping bag is handy for travel)
- The Epco Tropic Screen II--a free-standing mosquito net/tent with a floor and zipper entry. It is available at Campmor, P.O. Box 700-J, Saddle River, NJ 10458-0700 or (800) 226-7667, or http://www.campmor.com/, and costs around $66.99.
- Crazy Creek-type camp chair
- 12-15 I.D. photos (Photo-booth quality is OK, as are personal photos cut to size). You will need to have 8 photos upon arrival in country.
- 1-2 pair dark sunglasses (sturdy and cheap), perscription if necessary
- Swiss army knife, a good sharp cooking knife and or Leatherman tool
- Day pack/small back pack/canvas daybag/sack -- Note: zippers can break quickly because of the sand.
- Money belt or other way of carrying valuables safely
- American stamps for mailing letters (they can be hand carried back to the U.S. by various travelers – much quicker than RIM post)
- Address book and backup copy (don't forget email addresses)
- 2 Nalgene water bottles (a one liter and another big model)
- Cross-stitch, knitting needles or some other kind of craft for down-time – (if this a hobby for you)
- Extra batteries (solar battery recharger and rechargeable batteries)
- Games: chess, checkers, othello, Frisbee, backgammon, hackeysack, jump rope, baseball/glove, Uno, LAX stick/ball (good sports equipment and hobby supplies are hard to come by)
- Photos of family, friends, baby pictures and scenery of America and home (check for cultural appropriateness: avoid bathing suits, PDA’s, alcohol, etc.)
- Calendar, Christmas cards, thank you notes, and nice stationery (air mail envelopes and graph paper are readily available, but air mail and lined paper are not)
- Journals and good writing pens, pencils, Sharpie permanent marker (Warning: pens bought in country rarely work for long.)
- Padded envelopes for sending stuff home, like film
- Good pair of scissors (small pair included in medical kit) hair-cutting scissors are a plus!
- Pillow (especially the small, camping-type pillow). Good quality cotton bed sheets or towel (if these are important to you; they are available (and you get some from PC) but are expensive and not good quality)
- Combination lock (key locks are available in country) at least two for better security
- Duct tape or clear strong tape
- Big Ziploc bags--useful for keeping out dust and sand, not available here
- Sewing kit
- Cheap toys for kids--balloons, crayons, coloring books, stickers, yo-yo's, bubbles (But Beware: giving too many gifts may cause problems)
- Maps -- U.S., North/West Africa (Michelin), World, Star Chart
- Posters for room décor
- Paperbacks -- but don't overload; there's an extensive library here
- Musical instruments (Highly encouraged, but WILL take a beating from sand)
- Small Tupperware containers to store food (can be bought here), measuring spoons, spatula, good vegetable peeler, coffee press or gold filter
- Checkbook--can be helpful if you want to mail order things from the States
- Travelers' checks for traveling (Note: When traveling in West Africa, cash is easiest. It is not always possible to change travelers checks.)
- Datebook/Planner
- Small, inexpensive personal items that make you feel at home (photos, picture frames etc.)
- Catalogue of American clothes (e.g. J Crew, J. Hill, LLBean to show tailors for clothing designs)
- Lightweight, water-resistant windbreaker
- Seeds for your personal garden
- West Africa Travel Guide – older copies of Lonely Planet are available here, but if you want your own personal guide to travel with – bring it!
- Scented candles/incense
Personal Hygiene and Toiletry Items
- Women are often glad they brought makeup, perfume, nail polish and special beauty stuff for special occasions and time spent in Nouakchott
- Nail clippers, tweezers, and/or nail file
- Good razor and a supply of blades (available but very expensive)
- Iron tablets/protein supplement/any special needs like textured vegetable protein (TVP) Note: multi-vitamins Calcium, and Vitamin C are supplied by PC
Electronic Gadgets
- Your favorite music (West African music is available, but the quality is questionable. You can't pack too much of your own.)
- Cassette recorder and/or Walkman (waterproof is good)
- Short-wave radio (for listening to BBC and Voice of America)
- 1-2 Flashlights (Maglights are great but you must bring replacement bulbs. Note: C batteries are hard to find, A and D are available)
- 1-2 sturdy but inexpensive watches (water-proof, leather or nylon bands last longer than plastic)
- Camera--with a dust proof case (it WILL take a beating!) & back-up batteries
- Film (only 100 speed is available in-country, though expensive)
Kitchen
- Instant drink mixes (Kool-Aid, Crystal Lite, Gatorade - sugar is cheap and readily available everywhere) – (if so desired).
- Spices (cinnamon, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, bouillon cubes, and curry are easy to find here; combination Indian, Mexican or Chinease spices and things like lemon pepper, Old Bay and Seasoned salts, or cilantro, dill, and rosemary are not available) and powdered sauce packets for pasta, salad dressings etc., soup mixes, cake/jello/pudding, hot cocoa mix (in short, anything that only requires added water/milk/oil, or other condiments)
Agroforestry /Environmental Education Volunteers may consider bringing:
- Lots of vegetable seeds: carrot, tomato, onion, beets, turnip, eggplant, and cabbage seeds are available in country but are very expensive and often in short supply. Be creative and help diversify the local diet with foods such as sunflower, zucchini, etc.
- Good quality work gloves
- Durable but lightweight cloth pants for working in dirt (duck cloth)
Community Health/Water and Sanitation Volunteers may consider bringing:
- Sturdy boots for work (leather is advisable, not canvas)
- Leather gloves for working with mud
- Work trousers (jeans or duck cloth)
Small Enterprise Development and Education Volunteers should note:
- As it's highly unlikely that you'll be working in the fields or on a well, you should be prepared to look professional. You will be working with Mauritanian educators and businessmen and women either in a small city or the capital. At some point, you will also be meeting with local officials, and since everything is unpredictable here, it's best to start the day looking professional. This means nice pants (for men), long – ankle length full dress or skirt (for women) and shirts with collars and sleeves. Women: You will be wearing long skirts and dresses for work (teachers, try this: stand in front of a window and make sure the outline of your legs can not be seen through your skirt. This can be a disaster for classroom management. Then regardless of outcome, bring a cotton slip anyway.) Remember that short sleeves (as long as your shoulders are covered) are acceptable but tank tops are not. Also, you will be happy to have a few nicer pairs of sandals (that are easy to take on and off). A cotton blazer or very light weight big shirt that you could wear over a nice shell or tank top will also get a lot of use.
- Men: a suit is never necessary and only takes up room in your luggage. Khaki-type pants that are lightweight but nice-looking. You should also have a tie and at least one belt and a few short sleeved button-down cotton shirts with collars. Rubber or plastic shower-type shoes are not appropriate at work. Bring a nicer pair of sandals.
- Office supplies--calculator, scotch tape, etc. (But don't overdo it; most supplies are available here, although expensive).
Note: Most items (or a reasonable substitute) are available in Nouakchott, but your site may be days away from there and you may only come into the capital every few months. Also imported items can be prohibitively expensive.