A practical gift

May 30, 2009 12:52 PM

What are some useful items I can give to my friend as a gift for when she leaves to study abroad in Zambia?

My dearest friend will be leaving in about a month for Zambia and I want to give her a gift of things that would really come in handy when she's there, only, I'm not sure what to get. I thought about a travel guide to the area, but what else would she find useful?

Thanks everyone!

posted by blithecatpie to travel & transportation (10 comments total)

A sleeping bag liner. It's good for all of those hotels where you'd rather not lie directly on the sheets.
posted by Think_Long at 1:41 PM on May 30

I used this portable water filter when in Kenya and Tanzania some years ago.
posted by lungtaworld at 1:50 PM on May 30

Clip-on mosquito repellent? That's what I'd want, anyway!
posted by aquafortis at 3:01 PM on May 30

From Ms. Vegetable:

These might be a bit personal, but bar shampoo (as in J.R. Liggett or Lush) or a Diva Cup (or moon cup) would be handy.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 3:39 PM on May 30

Once you know which provider she's using for cell phone service in Zambia, buy her a bunch of pre-paid cards/unites on that network. Either that or a Skype account/minutes. If she's studying somewhere official (or even volunteering with any sort of recognized agency, e.g., Peace Corps, VSO, etc.) she'll be provided with a water filter, mosquito net, anti-malarials, etc. Even in the most remote areas it's possible to find much of what one needs: I just spent the last five years living in the rainforest in Cameroon and Kinshasa DRC and found everything I needed in both places (including tampons)...although luxuries are certainly welcome. I took a bottle of Kiehl's musk shower gel and it made me happy every time I used it even though/especially while I was bathing every day from a cold bucket of water.
posted by hapax_legomenon at 6:49 PM on May 30

On the practical side of things: a Swiss Army knife. Especially one with a corkscrew, scissors, tweezers...the works. I used that thing all the time and in the most unexpected of circumstances. (The bottle opener and corkscrew, I must admit, came in handy quite often.)
posted by hapax_legomenon at 7:38 PM on May 30

Suitcase space is really limited! In your shoes, I'd note all these suggestions, and start sending care packages instead of presenting yet another thing to pack.
posted by aint broke at 9:20 PM on May 30

...although luxuries are certainly welcome.

Ding ding ding. You can get all the basics here in Africa, what you can't get is all your favorite name-brand stuff that you're used to in your country of origin. Last time I was in the US, I went to target, bought one of those big rubber-maid storage containers, a roll of duct tape, and filled the container with stacks of my favorite things (mainly stuff like deodorant, hair gel, soap, lip balm, vitamins, non-perishable foods, etc.). DVDs are nice to have as well. Then just seal the thing shut with the duct tape and you're good to go - airlines will ship it as is.

If you go with a travel guide, stick to Lonely Planet. If she'll get time to go on safari, you might look into a small pair of good binoculars, or maybe some camera equipment to supplement what she hopefully already has. And hapax nailed it on the bottle opener / cork-screw - especially the former, as sodas still come in bottles over here. A nice key chain bottle-opener will be used more than you can imagine.
posted by allkindsoftime at 11:02 AM on May 31

One thing I've used a LOT while traveling is a small LED light (can go on a keychain). It's really bright, hasn't worn out yet after almost a year, and is great for reading in bed while sharing a hostel room, or finding your way around in the dark in a new place, and lots of other situations.
posted by Flying Squirrel at 3:38 AM on June 1

permethrin

steripen; the one that takes regular AAs

depending on where she'll be sleeping, a mosquito net.

soap leaves

a towel

toilet paper

spices (the local cuisine is really bland)
posted by reddot at 10:53 AM on June 4