Bible & Presentation Notes
I take a small paperback New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs which I can easily access as I travel and then I pack a personal Study Bible for use while in Uganda. At the end of my teaching at the final venue of the trip, I give this study Bible to a Ugandan. Your presentation notes should be packed in some type of folder or binder to protect them in traveling. Take a few extra sheets of paper so you can write out additional presentation materials as the circumstances dictate.

Deet - Mosquito Repllent

As noted in the section on health issues, the greatest protection from insect repellents is to use 100% deet. You should avoid putting it on your bare skin for prolonged periods of time. Some examples and independent test results can be found in the malaria section. If you have an Army/Navy surplus store in your area, you can probably get 100% deet at a reasonable price. Most camping supply catalogs have 100% deet as well. A one onuce bottle has been sufficient for a three week trip. If your trip is going to involve a lot of outdoor evening activities, you might need to take two ounces.

Insect Spray - Room fogger
On earlier trips, I took a couple of cans of insect spray to use in the rooms in which our team members sleep and in outhouse toilets. With the change in security ruls following September 11, 2001, such items are prohibited.

Now, upon arrival, I purchase a couple of cans Doom^® Insect Spray, which contains permethrin and pyrethrum. This is just one more tool in the line of defense against bugs in general but malaria carrying mosquitos specifically.

Pillow
At all the guest houses where our teams have been housed there have been clean sheets and a blanket. Some have had pillows and some have not. Even here in the states at a hotel/motel, a pillow can be anything from a couple of inches of down, all the way to eight inches of stiff foam rubber. So I take my own pillow just to be sure I have one that is comfortable. Nothing special, just an ordinary bed pillow and case.

Duct Tape
The best all-purpose emergency repair kit I know of is duct tape. I always carry a small roll in my carry-on bag. It can be used to bind up torn luggage, or repair the cover on your Bible. I have used it to cover a hole in my mosquito netting and as a patch on a tin roof to stop a rain leak.

Rubber Examination Gloves
I always take a few pair, even carry one pair in my fanny pack so that I will have them should a need arise. I have not used these very much but still always take them. In a couple of public toilets I have used one glove and a sanitary wipe to clean things up a bit. It is better to have a few pairs and not use them than to need them and not have them.

Sewing Kit
A small sewing kit with several short strands of thread in various colors, a couple of sewing needles, a couple of buttons and several assorted safety pins should be taken in case of need. You can buy such an emergency sewing kit at most variety stores and some motels give them away.

Personal Toilet Kit
The contents of your toilet kit depends entirely on your preferences. The key idea is to pack the small quantity/size of whatever it is you take. While it may be cheaper to purchase the "family size" for home use, it doesn't make much sense to take a half-gallon of shampoo when an eight ounce bottle meets your need on a trip to Uganda. In addition to the normal personal hygiene products you prefer, you should also consider including a small camping (metal) mirror, and nail trimmers. With each passing month more and more consumer items are available in Uganda, but I still think it is a mistake to travel there with the idea that they will have whatever you need.

Toilet Paper
I always take a couple of rolls of toilet paper in my checked baggage (sealed in Ziplock® bags) and about half a roll in my carry-on luggage. I also carry a part of a roll of Bounty® towels. All of this is in case of need as the supply in Uganda and in public toilets in general is not always certain.

Shower Kit
You will need your own soap, (I keep mine in a Ziplock® bag), shampoo, bath cloth, towel, and shower shoes (flip flops). See also the section on showering under health issues which includes information about showering at major airports on the way to and from Uganda.

Pocket Size Rain Pouch
In all my trips to Uganda, I have only opened and used my rain pouch one time and that was when I was traveling on a bus in which the window would not go up. However, I still take a couple of the cheap, single use pocket pouch rain covers, available at most variety stores. Some companies even give them away as promotional gifts.

Writing Tablet
It is essential to keep a written record of your trip to Uganda. Our teams operate at such a pace that after only a few days, you realize that people, places, and events begin to run together in your mind. The best way to prevent this is a convenient writing tablet and I have found the traditional spiral bound 6x9 Steno Pad (Gregg ruled) to be just right. I keep it with me at all times. This allows continual note taking. From the front I keep a daily journal updated all through the day. From the rear I keep notes of names, addresses, places, events, Scriptural insights, applications, illustrations, etc. I keep a rubber band around the bottom to keep the pad closed when not in use and I have found this help protect the pages inside. Be sure and write your name and address on the cover and title it "Uganda Trip 200?" (this way it will not become confused with the tablets I am sure you will make on future trips to Uganda)

Hot-Water Bottle
Usually at least one of our team members takes an old fashioned hot-water bottle that can be used on a pulled muscle, etc. This is not a high priority item, but could be of use and it is another thing that can be left behind and be of use to the Ugandans. You might find the story of a hot-water bottle and a little girls prayer interesting.

Leisure Reading Materials
There is a good deal of time spent on a trip to Uganda waiting in airports, waiting on the plane, waiting to speak, waiting to eat, waiting to go to sleep (no TV), and even a few hours scheduled just to relax. Two activities that help use these times wisely are keeping your "journal" up-to-date (see above) and reading you take with you. What you take is up to you. I usually put one book in my carry-on and others in my checked bags. You may even want to select titles you can read and then give the books away before you leave Uganda.