Cross-Cultural Program: Ireland and Northern Ireland 2001 -
What to Bring Along

[General] [Clothing]

General

Required

    1. Passport. When you receive your passport, sign it right away. Keep the passport number in a safe place separate from your passport while traveling. Take a photocopy of the first two pages of your passport (keep separate from passport).

    2. A copy of your birth certificate. Your passport number and your birth certificate will be essential if you lose your passport (keep separate from passport). Also, bring along several extra passport pictures.

    3. International Student Identity Card (ISIC).

    4. One sturdy backpack (or suitcase) and a light daypack (for overnight trips, taking lunch and camera on day trips, carrying books to classes, and for sightseeing and shopping). There are airline restrictions on luggage size. The sum of the height, width, and length of the backpack (or suitcase) cannot exceed 62 inches.

    The height plus width plus length of your carry-on (presumably your day pack) cannot exceed 45 inches (and it must fit under the seat). Pack one change of clothes in your carry-on. You can have your daypack and a purse, or fanny pack, or camera bag.

    Whatever you decide to take, you must be able to handle it yourself! You will not have assistance, carts, porters, or other people to help you tote your luggage. You should also be sure to pack lightly so that you have room to bring back souvenirs. Take about half of what you originally pack. You'll be able to purchase necessities if you leave something behind. You might want to consider buying your sweater(s), sweatshirt, hat, gloves, or scarf in Ireland.

    After you pack your luggage, pick it up (all of it!) and carry or pull it for at least a mile. Seriously! This will help you decide about the weight of any unnecessary items.

    5. Money pouch (neck) or belt (waist) to hold your money, passport, and articles you need with you at all times. Include your passport, several extra passport photos, a credit or debit card, some American cash, traveler's checks, plane tickets and flight info. These are the things you could absolutely not live without if everything else was stolen.

    The most theft-resistant are neck pouches that slip under your shirt. Leave anything truly valuable at home (such as jewelry, including engagement rings). Don't wear wallets in hip pockets or put valuables in exposed pockets of luggage or handbags. Lost or stolen items are not our responsibility - take precautions. You may want to bring a small wallet for your Irish currency then keep your American money in your pouch.

    6. Spending money. We recommend that you have approximately $400 available to you. You should take some cash in dollars ($30-50) and the remaining in traveler's checks. Or, may want to take a Visa debit card and keep most of your money in your bank account at home. Alternatively, you could rely on a credit card for occasional cash withdrawals. As you travel, save stubs and receipts. Later when you get home, you can figure out what to throw away. In Ireland, you may be able to recover any sales tax paid on souvenirs and gifts, but you must keep all receipts.

    7. Prescription Medication. Take any prescription medication (enough for the whole semester). Put all subscriptions (in original bottles) in a clear Ziploc bag.

    8. Required Textbooks.

    9. Journal

Highly Recommended

    10. Travel alarm and your watch.

    11. Camera, film and batteries - film and batteries are expensive. Take what you think you will want.

    12. Collapsible umbrella (essential!) and/or large rain poncho (to fit over backpack)

    13. Towel, washcloth, bathing shoes like flip flops

    14. Toiletry items (toothpaste, razors, shampoo, lotion, soap, feminine hygiene products etc.) enough to get you by for at least 2-3 weeks until you learn to know your neighborhood, prices, and can get to a store.

    15. Voltage converter, adapter plugs, phone line adapters, standard British

    16. Personal items (make up, simple jewelry, hair care products etc.)

    17. Photo album - take a small album with pictures of your family, home, school, church, work, state, hobbies etc. These are fun to share with host families. They are often curious about what your life is like in the states.

    18. Small gifts from the U.S. for host families. Remember that Ireland is first world. Items like baseball caps, T-shirts, homemade items, crafts, something special to your hometown or area, or other items made in the USA. Christmas ornaments are popular!

    19. Sink stopper - flat rubber one works best. This if pretty important if you plan to wash clothes in the sink or if you need to wash your contacts over a sink.

    20. Ziploc bags - 1 quart and 1 gallon. Never underestimate these as travel essentials! It works well to put messy things in these for traveling over (shampoo, lotion etc), then they are indispensable for wet washcloths, gum, candy, and all those little things like matchbooks, and playing cards which get lost in the bottom of your backpack and shouldn't get wet (and a thousand other things).

    21. Sewing kit - this can be small, but don't leave it out. I keep several needles, a pair of small fold-up scissors, various safety pins, straight pins, and black and white thread (on small spools) in a small plastic box and one spare white button.

    22. First-aid kit - a few Band-Aids, Rolaids, painkiller, Chapstick, sunscreen, lotion, Imodium, insect repellant, and vitamins -- we'll have some basic first aid supplies, but you should take the things you depend on.

    23. Guidebook, address book, contacts list, and Bible (other books important to you)

    24. Tissues and a small pack of "wet ones." Helpful when public facilities are not well stocked.

    25. An extra collapsible bag or two (i.e. several strong plastic shopping bags, a tote bag or duffel for things like laundry, shoes, dirty/wet clothes and a second bag on the return flight.) These can be purchased in Ireland.

    26. A small water bottle (one liter soda bottle is perfect)

    27. Games - playing cards and other small games - Frisbee?

    28. Laundry detergent - a small amount of dry detergent in a double Ziploc works well.

    29. Food - Peanut butter, granola bars, nuts, or other non-melting "high-energy food" if you're the type of person who needs to eat when you are hungry. Mealtimes and access to food can be unpredictable on a trip like this.

Clothing

Travel light! You will want to take warm and comfortable clothing, the more perma-press and drip-dry the better. Take clothing you can layer. Take clothing that you like and enjoy wearing. Remember that Irish buildings are not heated to the extent to which Americans are accustomed, and it can get very cold and damp. Remember that woolen clothing keeps you reasonably warm even when wet (and can be purchased in Ireland - but is expensive). Choose dark clothes that won't show the hard wear you'll be giving them. It's wise to dress on the neat and conservative side. The following items are recommended:

  • Comfortable, supportive walking shoes and one additional comfortable pair of shoes. Waterproof is good. SAS Shoemakers leather walking shoes (from Jack Collins Shoes in downtown Harrisonburg, or some of the larger outlet malls) are especially durable and comfortable, and are worth the $100 to $120.

  • Lined shoes or boots (something in which you're comfortable walking in wet weather -- LL. Bean has good options). Can be hiking boots.

  • Informal but neat casual wear that can be mixed and matched in approximately the following proportions. Keep in mind that the Irish tend to dress up more when they go out than we do.
    • 5 pairs of jeans/pants/slacks
    • 6 shirts/turtlenecks/blouses
    • 5 sweaters/sweatshirts/jackets

  • Underclothes
    • 7 pairs of underwear/panties
    • 7 pairs of socks
    • Other (as needed)

  • 1 dressy outfit - a sports jacket or nice sweater and slacks for men - a nice skirt/dress slacks and blouse or dress for women

  • Rain repellent coat with zip-in liner or winter coat and lightweight rain jacket (must have collapsible umbrella)

  • Gloves, scarf, cap/hat (could be purchased in Ireland)

  • 1 pair of shorts (it will be too cold to wear these most of the time)

  • Pajamas/nightgown/robe (or sweats or shorts and T-shirts) and slippers!

Useful Items but not essential

  • 20 ft. of nylon rope (not too thick)
  • pocket knife - make sure it has a can opener, or take one along
  • strong spoon, fork and knife (not plastic)
  • matches
  • masking tape - you'd be surprised what a few rubber bands, rope and masking tape can do!
  • 2-3 plastic clothes hangers - for drying shirts etc.
  • sunglasses
  • small flashlight
  • swimsuit (?) and towel