This is a question that has been asked by practically every new Peace Corps trainee to Kazakhstan. It's a smart question. While Kazakhstan is the coldest Peace Corps country, it can get to over 100F in the summer and dip to below -40F for days at a time. And that's just the beginning. There's snow, sleet, hail, rain, ice, dust storms, sand storms, wind storms, and practically anything else that Mother Nature could throw down from the heavens. How does a person pack for weather like that?
Very carefully.
Many volunteers have found success with clothing that is durable, lightweight and versatile. If it's fragile in the states, it probably won't survive here. There is a packing list that is given to all trainees, and while it's not bad, it's not a perfect list, and will never be because everyone is slightly different. Some people will need 5 pairs of socks. Others will need 7. It's just how it is.
Clothes aren't the only thing to consider when packing. The best packing advice I received came from a Kaz 19 who told me this during my training to "pack what keeps you sane."
This is why this post won't say exactly what to bring, or what not to bring. There is no "miracle perfect list" packing for Kazakhstan. The point of this post is to state that I'd recommend for anyone coming to Kazakhstan to bring things that are versatile, tough, multi purpose, and will keep you from ripping your hair out during the 6-8 month Siberian winter when isolation, cold, and extended periods indoors becomes a factor for all. If one brings these types of things while using the Peace Corps packing list as a guide (but not the bible), they will have not gone wrong in their packing.
So when it comes to material stuff, what has kept me sane?
5 things that I'm thankful that I have in Kazakhstan
- Oblivion, Homeworld, Harvest Moon, and Pokemon (video games) – I'm a nerd. I'll admit it. However, when I thought of packing for Peace Corps, the words "video games" were the last thing on my mind. I actually brought the computer game Oblivion with me on accident; I left it in my CD drive because I was playing it the night before I left Davenport. I'm glad I did. While I spend my fair share of time learning language, visiting friends, working, and having cultural adventures, I've learned that you shouldn't do this 24/7. I needed time to myself; time to hang out and do nothing. Add in some brutal winters where you can't spend too much time outside because it's too cold stuck in an apartment by yourself over a 5 day holiday weekend, and I found myself quickly racking up some time playing Pokemon. I even "caught them all", although if you ask me about it in person, I'll deny it.
- Thermal underwear. I'm happy that I didn't skimp on these. I bought a pair that was used by mountain climbers: lightweight, good until -50, doesn't smell after multiple uses. Go ahead, laugh it up, but some places in Kazakhstan are so cold that smelling is the last thing on your mind; staying warm is the main priority.
- Ranch Dressing and Taco seasoning – My cooking skills have improved drastically since I've come to Kazakhstan, and not exactly by choice. Moving out on my own meant I had to cook for myself, and not in the "lets go to the corner store and buy something to reheat in the microwave" sense. If I want something special, I must make it from scratch (or pay a ton of money for it in Almaty). And while I can make my own taco seasoning, there's something about the prepackaged stuff and Ranch dressing that reminds me of better times.
- Swiss Army knife – my little brother is the Boy Scout of the family, but that doesn't mean that I didn't learn a thing or two about being prepared. I've found that my Swiss Army Knife has made life easier for me in Kazakhstan, and it was a late addition to my final packing list. I'm happy I brought it, because it comes in handy in many sort of situations. From chopping some cheese and tomatoes for lunch while hiking in Kyrgyzstan to cutting rope to play the teambuilding game "the electric fence" I find myself using that knife quite often.
- Hoodies – As much as I hate the Patriots, Bill Belichick got one thing right: Hoodies are comfortable. There is nothing better than coming back to my apartment after a long trip, unpacking #4, using #5 to open a bottle of wine, using #3 to make dinner, sit around in #2 under my pajama bottoms with #6, and play #1 until the wee hours of the morning. Sad? Perhaps. But that's the stuff that keeps me sane. I think. J
4 things that I regret bringing to Kazakhstan
- Anti Diarrhea tablets – Oh, I used them a lot in the beginning. But I didn't need to bring them. As soon as I hit the ground in Kazakhstan, the Peace Corps doctors gave me an awesome medical kit that had every basic OTC drug I could think of. And a couple that I couldn't. If I knew this before I could have saved the weight and brought something more important. Like jellybeans.
- 8 ties, 5 dress shirts, and 3 dress pants – It's not that I regret bringing ties and dress shirts. I use them in my work, as I interact with local, national, and international NGOs and donor organizations on a daily basis. I just regret bringing so many. In Kazakhstan it is ok to wear clothing multiple days in a row provided it doesn't smell and is in good repair. Knowing that, I could have brought 3 dress shirts, 2 dress pants, and 2 ties, and saved the extra weight for something better like polo shirts.
- Books – This one hurts, as I used to work in a children's library. I love books, and will read practically anything. However, Peace Corps has a library with material that isn't great, but not bad either. And with new technology like Kindle, the Gutenburg Project, and plain old PDF files, reading books electronically has never been easier. The books that I brought were used for fuel to light my host family's banya during a very cold winter.
- Khaki or tan dress pants – I have a pair, but I haven't worn them since training. This is just my experience, but I have yet to see a man in a business setting with these. When I go hiking in the mountains above Almaty, I see many people with cargo pants, an old favorite of mine, but when it comes to business, navy blue and black are kings.
The 3 most important things that I bought in Kazakhstan
- Hiking backpack – I didn't have this initially when I first came to Kazakhstan, but got extremely lucky and found one in Taldykorgan's bazaar for 5000 KzT. The reason why I bought a hiking backpack was that my entire original luggage that I brought back in 2008 was destroyed. Completely. Like the first humans, I learned that it is easier to roll things than to carry them, and brought two rolling suitcases with me to Kazakhstan. Within 3 months, my luggage was annihilated: beaten to death on rocks and stones stuck in snow banks, and bogged down in mud. When I leave Kazakhstan, It'll be with a hiking backpack and a medium sized duffle bag. The phrase, "pack what you can carry" is one to be taken seriously.
- Winter coat – Smart, because it worked out in my favor. I brought a light coat and a dress coat with me to Kazakhstan, as something to get me through early fall. I did this because I wasn't sure what type of coat I'd need in Kazakhstan. Trainees don't learn initially where they will be placed until about halfway through training, and since Kazakhstan is such a big place, I decided to save my money to buy my winter coat there. I didn't want to be sent to the south, and have a heavy coat that I wouldn't use. On the other side, I didn't want to end up in the north and be unequipped. So I waited until after the "great site announcement," took a Sunday afternoon with a fellow trainee, went to Almaty, and bought a winter coat that was appropriate for my site.
- Winter boots – Same story as the winter coat. However, I must say that the boots I have here are the warmest things I have ever bought. Winter footwear has been a cultural battle between me and all of Kazakhstan. I hate boots and never wear them in the states. They are big and clunky and loud. But boots are needed for Kazakhstan winters, and I learned this quickly after stepping into cold puddles, falling on my butt, and generally being miserable.
