I figured that it would be a good idea to get a serious haircut before I left. Upon discussing it with my Dad, he said that I should "Have some fun with it, and shave my head for a charity." So, I raised $1,000 towards the International Children's Fund, an organization that works with countries across Africa including Ghana. Most impressively, only %2 of monetary donations go towards administrative costs. The support I received from my friends and family was awesome! With their help I was able to double my goal of $500. That should give me a little good karma to get things started.
Lastly, I want to post my packing list. I spent months researching everything that I would need for the next two years so I would like to show it off.
Clothing
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4 Button down short-sleeve dress shirts
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Polo shirt
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3 long sleeve UV 30 sun shirts
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Long sleeve bug-repellent shirt
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1 pair athletic shorts
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1 pair normal shorts
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Bathing suit
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2 pairs lightweight khakis
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1 pair work pants
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7 T-shirts (including one Patriots shirt. I have to support my team somehow)
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1 pair black dress pants
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Dressy black t-shirt (for funerals)
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1 pair pajama pants
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Bug-repellent baseball cap
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Wide brimmed hat
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3 bandannas (1 anti-bug treated)
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4 pairs long boot socks
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1 pair normal socks
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Eagle Creek money belt
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belt
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3 undershirts
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Fleece jacket
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Raincoat
Shoes
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Chacos Unaweep 2 sandals
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Merrel barefoot shoes
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Redhead hiking boots (They are indestructible)
o
Extra boot laces
o
Mink oil
Luggage
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Kelty Santa Fe 4000 Backpack
o
Rain cover
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Redhead Duffel bag
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Clik Elite Obscura 30 photography backpack
Electronics
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Black Diamond Icon headlamp
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Black Diamond Orbit lantern
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Ipod (Gamestop Refurbished)
o
2 charging cables
o
Bose in-ear headphones
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Goal Zero Nomad 7 solar panel (Pretty powerful
and takes all sorts of inputs)
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7 AA rechargeable batteries
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4 AAA rechargeable batteries
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Universal electric outlet adaptor
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500GB external hard drive
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Toshiba Laptop
o
Wireless mouse
o
Aqua Quest waterproof laptop sleeve
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Kaito KA 1101 shortwave AM/FM radio
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Mini-Max II portable speaker (Really loud and
really small)
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Kindle (thanks Mom and Dad)
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Electric beard trimmer
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3 2GB USB drives
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Transcend memory card reader (If I have files
larger than 2GB I can use it turn my memory cards into USB drives)
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Surge protector (it seems like some places can
unpredictable outlets)
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Watch
o
4 extra batteries
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Nikon D3100 DSLR
o
Storm Jacket rain cover
o
2 32GB memory cards
o
8GB memory card (back-up)
o
Extra battery
o
Various cleaning supplies (it’s really dusty)
Cooking Supplies
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MSR non-stick frying pan
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MSR 1.1 liter stowaway pot
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MSR Dragonfly cooking stove (I know I don’t need one but I would like to do some
camping)
o
Maintenance kit
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MSR folding spatula
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Italian Seasoning, Chili Powder, Red Pepper, and
Cumin
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Set of Orikaso folding plate, bowl and cup (Flat,
plastic dishes that you literally fold into shape)
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Tin cup (From Old Sturbridge Village)
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2 cooking knives
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Pot scraper
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Light My Fire Titanium spork
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Liqui Solutions plastic insulated water bottle
with built-in tea infuser
o
Various teas
Outdoor Accessories
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Gerber multitool
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Small sewing kit
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Tent repair kit
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Hennessey Hammock Ultralite Backpacker Zip with Poncho Rainfly
o
Small brush and dustpan for sweeping out hammock
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Emergency blanket
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Pack Towl Large personal towel
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Towel that stays wet and cool for hours
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Hard plastic water bottle
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Platypus Big Zip 3L drinking reservoir (my camera
backpack has a hydration sleeve)
o
Platypus cleaning kit
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Small bottle Ben’s insect repellent
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Avon insect repellent
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Mosquito head-net
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Sleeping bag
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Thermarest sleeping pad
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Sealine 20L dry bag (it rains a lot)
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2 pairs sunglasses
o
hard case for sunglasses
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Nite Ize light up Frisbee
o
4 extra batteries
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Pocketdisk (small Frisbee made of cloth)
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Various straps, cords, carabiners, and
tie-downs (I’m sure I will use them at some point)
Office Supplies
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7 pocket expanding file
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4 folders
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Day-timer
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4 legal pads
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Legal pad holder
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Composition notebook
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Large Moleskine journal
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Small Moleskine notebook
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250 busines cards (so that friends and business
contacts can get my information)
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Pencils and pencil holder
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Toiletries
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Concord safety razor
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100 razor blades (not sure how may I will go
through and they don’t take up much room or weight)
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Shaving kit (brush, soap and soap dish)
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Aftershave lotion
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Q-Tips
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Nail clippers
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Tweezers
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Allergy pills
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Migraine pills
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2 tubes Burt’s Bees lip balm
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Toothpicks
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Blister pads
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Antibiotic cream
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Anti-itch cream
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Gold Bond powder
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Hand sanitizer
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Comb
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Aloe Vera
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Tooth brush
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Anti frizz hair cream
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Deodorant salt stick
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Toothpaste
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Floss
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Shampoo bar
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Eagle Creek Wallaby toiletry bag
Other Sundries
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2 rolls duct-tape
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Roll of electrical tape
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2 bottles of sunscreen
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Settlers of Catan portable board game
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2 sets of cards
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Cribbage board
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Under the shoulder waterproof document case
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Bike multitool
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Star guidebook
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Harmonica
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Hemp cord and beads
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Set of earplugs
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2 TSA baggage locks
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Scissors
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Knife sharpener
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Bedsheets
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Laundry bag
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Host Family gifts
o
Nerf Football
o
Various candies
o
Locally produced coffee (Red Barn)
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Small Flathead screwdriver
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Small Phillips head screwdriver
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Photo album of friends and family
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Grateful Dead Tapestry (I may have no hair, but I'm still a bit of a hippie)
