11 Unexpectedly Useful Items for Your Mission Trip Packing List

Packing for a mission trip can be fairly straightforward but there’s always something you wish you would have added to your mission trip packing list. To help you come up with some of those things ahead of time, we had some of our Facebook and Instagram friends share their unexpected packing list for mission trip items. Out of 46 answers, we think the following might be the most useful.

1. Old School Camera… because relying on your phone’s camera can put a whole lot of other distractions in front of you when all you really need is a quality picture.
2. Fanny Pack… because having a place for all of your odds and ends right in front of you is incredibly useful.
3. Box Fan… because you need good sleep, and it can get hot and rooms can get stuffy, not to mention the white noise a good fan provides to drown out the snorers!
4. Headlamp… because you never know when you’re going to need to look for something at night after lights out.
5. Extra Toothbrush… because someone ALWAYS forgets theirs.
6. Duct Tape… because… well… it’s duct tape! Enough said.
7. Power Strip… because you want to make sure you have enough outlets for phones, fans and alarms.
8. Extension Cord… because you might not be lucky enough to get your bed by an outlet.
9. Extra Air Mattress… because a deflated mattress on your team will leave you (or a teammate) feeling the same if you don’t have a backup to keep your back up off the ground.
10. Extra Meds… because headaches and stomachaches happen, and when you’re traveling with a team there’s no such thing as being over-prepared.
11. Baby Wipes… because you’ll need a solution for spills, sticky hands and those times you just don’t get a shower.

What else did people recommend added to a mission trip packing list? Here’s 36 more unexpected mission trip items you might need (and some you probably won’t) on your next mission trip.

Hawaiian shirt (for every day of the week)
Megaphone
Deck of cards
Anti-diarrhea pills
Good coffee creamer
Twizzlers
Benadryl (to sleep at night!)
Febreze
Toys to leave
Pitted prunes
Chaffing stick
Laxative
Zip Ties
Lice prevention shampoo
Polaroid camera
Items for friendly pranks
Blessings bags
Rocket balloons
Facial masks
Neon colored socks
WD-40
Hammocks
Cheese sticks
Extra socks!
Bandanas
Gold bond
Candy canes
Spoons
Tutu
Extra bedding
Life size scrabble
Handmade award medals for achievements throughout the week
Candle
Red vines
Bobble head Jesus for the van
Jesus cards for staff members on site
What would you add to the list?

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