General Clothing

• One or two pairs of nice pants (lightweight material that dries quickly is helpful)
• Two to four pairs of work pants or jeans
• Four T-shirts or short-sleeve polo shirts
• Two or three blouses or dress shirts
• A two-week supply of underwear and socks
• One pair of long underwear
• One pair of wool socks
• One or two medium-weight sweaters/sweatshirts
• One medium-weight jacket or fleece
• One raincoat
• Belt
• Handkerchiefs
• Running or athletic gear (if you are into sports)
• Swimsuit
• Two hats (sun hats, visors, or caps with a bill)
• One cold-weather cap
• One pair of lightweight gloves
• Sunglasses

Additional Suggestions For Men

• A tie
• One or two nice dress shirts
• Sport coat for formal occasions (optional).

Additional Suggestions For Women

• One or two dresses
• One or two knee-length skirts
• Pajama pants or comfy sweats for the house
• Scarf

Shoes

• One or two pairs of sturdy walking, tennis, or cross-training shoes
• Hiking boots or waterproof shoes
• One pair of comfortable casual/dress shoes (closed-toe)
• One pair of shower flip-flops

Personal Hygiene and Toiletry Items

• Three-month supply of any medications and a copy of prescriptions
• If you wear glasses, bring two pairs with current prescription lenses.
• Bring extra pairs of contact lenses and contact solution.
• Your regular hygiene items (e.g., soap, shampoo, shaving cream, feminine hygiene products, etc.) to get you started. You can then purchase replacements here.
• Refillable travel-size shampoo/soap containers
• One quick-dry towel for traveling
• Over-the-counter medicines such as vitamins, analgesics, cold medicines, etc.

Electronics

• Laptop computer (if you can’t live without one in the U.S., then you probably won’t want to live without one here)
• Cellphone
• Digital camera
• Watch (fairly cheap and water-resistant/proof)

Miscellaneous

• Small gifts for host families and friends such as knick-knacks for the house, pictures, books, or calendars of American scenes, souvenirs from your area, hard candies that will not melt or spoil, and photos to give away
• Sturdy backpack/duffel bag for three- or four-day trips
• Day pack/small backpack
• Flashlight (headlamps are popular)
• Money belt or pouch that fits under your clothes for your passport, money, and/or a wallet or change purse to carry small amounts of money
• Waterproof cases for electronic devices
• Earplugs for sleeping