Clothing, Equipment & Resource List NEPAL Climate Nepal has a British summer time climate. You will become acclimatised though and will need some warm clothes. A good jumper and coat as well as layers of clothing are important. People will judge you on the way you dress, clothes must be smart, business like and conventional for work, however, you can be more casual out of work. The lists overleaf are only a guide. Items to take and not to take will be discussed more fully on training.
Females Essential Clothing Amount* Remarks Skirts 4 Smart for teaching knee length or longer. Dresses 2 Not a necessity, but an option. Jeans/Trousers 3 Leisure only. Shirts-long sleeved 5 Long sleeves are better for work and prevent insect bites. Shirts-short sleeved 2 Smart for teaching, but not too tight and no straps. T-Shirts 4 Leisure only. T-shirts can be bought cheaply in Nepal. Sweaters/Cardigan 2 Or lightweight sweatshirt/fleece. A smart one for teaching in. Raincoat or similar 1 Lightweight. Raincoat or similar 1 Cheap & lightweight. Pants 12 Take lots in dark colours, they wear out and look grubby very quickly. Waist slips may be needed if skirts can be seen through - IMPORTANT Bras 6 Dark colours are best. Cotton where possible. Socks 6 pairs Including Socks for travelling these wear out fast Nightclothes 1/2 Hanging out tracksuit bottoms are ideal. Swimsuit and towel 1/2 Swim in shorts and t-shirts. Sandals strong 1 Trekking ones are most useful. Respectable Shoes 2 For teaching. Other useful footwear Sports Equipment 1 Trainers. Good quality shoes as they deteriorate quickly. (people don t wear walking boots in the project as they are seen as a tourist thing- take them for the holidays only). Optional. * Guide only
Males Essential Clothing Amount* Remarks Smart Trousers 3 Lightweight, smart for teaching. Jeans 2 Jeans are very hot but everyone wears them. Shorts 4 Leisure only, ie after school. Shirts/long sleeved 5 Long sleeves are better for work and prevent insect bites. Shirts, short sleeved 2 Smart ones for teaching if it s a little hot. T-Shirts 4 Leisure only. T-shirts can be bought cheaply out in Nepal. Tie 1 A tie may be needed for formal occasions. Sweaters 2 Lightweight sweatshirt/fleece. A smart one for teaching in. Pants/boxers 10+ They wear out very quickly. Socks 8+ Including Socks for travelling/ trekking. Waterproof jacket 1 Lightweight. Pyjamas 1/2 Hanging out tracksuit bottoms are ideal. Swimming Trunks & towel 2 Shorts can double up. Sandals, strong 1 Hiking ones are most useful. Respectable Shoes 2 For teaching you can t teach in sandals or trainers. Other useful footwear Sports Equipment 1 Trainers. Good quality shoes as they deteriorate quickly. (people don t wear walking boots in the project as they are seen as a tourist thing- take them for the holidays only). Optional. * Guide only
Essential Equipment Amount* Remarks Large rucksack 1 (between 65-75 litres). This is much more appropriate than a suitcase. Small rucksack 1 (approx 15 litres). For day trips/general use. Money belt 1 This should fit under your clothes as a safety precaution. Sleeping bag and/or liner Toiletries 1 Comfort zone from 0-7 degrees Basic toiletries are available, good brands are expensive on your wage. Passport Photos 8 Washing equipment A pillow case or two & a flat bed sheet (double size fits all). Mosquito Net 1 A double bed, box shaped one is best, don t buy until training and we ll explain why. Mosquitoes are not the issue but they prevent other unwanted insects disturbing your evening sleep. Other points You will need to take a sleeping bag, one with a comfort zone from 0-7 degrees should be sufficient. You can get additional blankets out there. The nights are cold with the altitude and clear skies. A wooly hat is a good idea as it does get cold in the evenings Flip-flops and sun hats can be bought overseas but it s a good idea to take a baseball cap. A good pair of training shoes can be used for walking during the holidays. Clothes dry quickly from wet but constant hand-washing will wear clothes out. Patterned shirts, simple stripes, for teaching look smart and it s not so obvious how well ironed they are. White clothes get easily and permanently stained and should be avoided; however volunteers have in the past found white a good colour due to bleach being heavily used in the hand washing process. Brightly coloured and patterned clothes look nicer in hot climates. Strong, hard-wearing material is recommended as hand washing is hard on clothes. Turn coloured clothing inside out if drying outside - it helps to prevent fading. Hand washing jeans is a nightmare so take a nail brush or vegetable scrubbing brush to give you a fighting chance. Synthetic materials are not suitable for hot climates. As much as possible should be cotton or cotton/polyester mix - the latter means you may not need to iron your clothes. Clothes for teaching and similar work must be clean and respectable. Revealing clothing can be deemed unsuitable, assess the situation and take advice from local people and follow their lead
Important Note Airline baggage allowances may be as little as 20 kilos only. Confirmation of this will be given to you on your training course. You will have to walk to your project and this could be anywhere up to a one hour long journey, so make sure that you can carry your bag! More information on this will be given on training. Useful Equipment Airmail writing paper Remarks And envelopes. Alarm Clock Pen knife Camera Entertainment MP3 Player Sewing Kit Torch Swiss Army knives are particularly good. And spare memory card (better two small ones than one large one in case you lose it or it becomes corrupted). Remember a download lead if necessary. Books, playing cards, games- increasingly kindles or ebook readers have proved invaluable. They are better than tablets as they can be read in the sunlight and have long-lasting batteries. And are cheaper! And lots of music (in most projects you will not be able to download any new music so take plenty!), spare batteries/battery charger. Including good scissors, string, a few clothes pegs and coat hangers. Wind up torches are useful to avoid buying batteries. Towel Cookbook Stuff to put on your walls If you are going to cook for yourself. Blu tac, posters and postcards of where you come from are really useful as are photos of family and home-you can also use these for lessons.
Equipment that may be useful This depends on each project and should only be obtained after consultation with Desk Officer on training; General texts on your subjects for teachers An English grammar book and dictionary Books of instruction on games, arts and crafts, scouting and guiding (if you are keen) and music. Supplies of glue, drawing pins, Sellotape, blutak, scissors, rulers, pens (some coloured).