Georgia Packing List
Clothing
Summers tend to be hot, while winters are cold in Georgia. This means that you’ll need a variety of clothing, suited to all seasons. Also, the clothing style in Georgia tends to be on the conservative side, and most people wear darker colors. Furthermore, since our volunteers don’t know where they’re going until they’ve completed orientation week is completed in Tbilisi, a common complaint that we hear from our teachers is that they didn’t pack adequately for all contingencies.
Here are some articles of clothing that you should consider bringing with you to Georgia. We’ve highlighted essential articles in bold.
- A few pairs of dress slacks, and/or dress skirts
- Button-down shirts, of varying thickness for different seasons
- Casual pants, such as jeans or darker colored khakis
- A few sweaters or pull-overs
- Dress shoes—make sure they are comfortable and sturdy, as you will likely be doing a lot of walking!
- Sturdy, comfortable walking/hiking shoes—expect to be walking a lot. If you travel, you will likely be on rough terrain
- Socks of varying thickness and warmth. You’ll want light, thin socks for summer, and a few pairs of warm, wool socks for the cold winter months.
- Tights/leggings—if you wear skirts, good quality tights can be difficult to find, and expensive.
- Good gloves
- A scarf and hat
- A warm winter jacket. Wool or down is recommended.
- Warm, waterproof boots suitable for walking on rough terrain
- A good poncho/raincoat, or an umbrella
- A few nice dresses or one nice suit, in case you find yourself going out in the evenings
- Swimwear
Travel accessories
- Flashlights and spare batteries.
- Small, battery-powered alarm clock
- Digital camera, with a battery and charger—you might want to bring an extra battery, in case you are traveling to somewhere where there is no power outlet to recharge your first battery.
- Plug converter and voltage converter—Georgia uses European outlets, at 220 to 240 volts AC. If you are from North America, your electronic devises will be designed for 110-120 volts, so you will need to use a voltage converter.
- Sun block
- Insect Repellent
- A small backpack or daypack
- A waterbottle
- A simple first aid kit—should contain basic medical supplies, such as bandaids, non-prescription pain killers, Neosporin, and motion sickness medicine.
- Toiletries—although you can find many toiletries in Georgia, you can save a lot of money by bringing your own. Bring a supply of razors, toothpaste and toothbrushes, deodorant, nail-clippers, make-up, and feminine hygiene products. (For women, tampons can be hard to find in Georgia, so pack accordingly!)
- Plastic zip-lock bags of varying sizes
- Hand sanitizer
- A travel journal or notebook—good for keeping track of where/when you traveled, as well as your thoughts and experiences.
Miscellaneous
- If you wear glasses, bring an extra/back-up pair
- Gifts for your host family and Georgia friends
- Georgia Guidebook
- Teaching materials—your classrooms will supply you with everything you need, but bringing some extra art supplies, maps, or interesting things from your home country can go a long way.
- Snacks and some favorite foods from home—make sure that they all meet the airlines and customs requirements, though!
- Sticky tac for putting up posters or papers on your classroom walls
- Books and other reading material—you can find used English books in Georgia’s cities, and you will also probably trade some books with other teachers in Georgia, but bring a few of your own.
- Your favorite movies and TV shows—you can bring an external hard drive loaded with all of your favorites.
- Speakers for your laptop/iPod—Whether you plan to use it as part of your lessons, or just listen to some good tunes at home, you don’t want to listen to your music through tinny laptop speakers!
- Currency from you home country. It’s good to have as a back-up for when you are traveling home, and it’s also good to have some bills to show to your students and other Georgians.
- Hardcopies of all your documents
Packing Tips
- Keep in mind the baggage limits on your flight. Weigh your bags before you go to the airport to make sure they are not too heavy!
- When you fly, carry hardcopies of all of your documents in your carry-on luggage
