Mission Trip Packing List

The Youth Worker's "Don't Forget" List

By Doug Franklin June 18, 2019

A Mission Trip Packing List is a must-have. At LeaderTreks we LOVE mission trips. We’ve been leading LeaderTreks Trips since 1994, and we’ve learned a couple of things along the way. We’ve learned to avoid these mission trip mistakes. We’ve learned the value of Pre-Trip Training. And we’ve learned that when packing for a mission trip there are certain things we’d rather not forget. So in hopes that you’ll avoid our past failures, here’s our Mission Trip Packing List for youth workers. While comfort is never the goal, we think that with these key items you’ll be more focused on leading a transformational trip and better prepared for the unexpected.

Mission Trip Packing List

Clothing

• 2 pairs of jeans or work pants
• 3 pairs of shorts
• 7 t-shirts
• 10 pairs of underwear
• 10 socks
• 2 sets of pajamas
• 1 bathing suit
• 1 light sweatshirt or fleece
• 1 rain jacket
• 1 set of church clothes
• 1 pair of sandals
• 2 pairs of shoes
• 1 pair of shower shoes
• 1 hat

Bedding

• 1 sleeping bag
• 1 sleeping pad or air mattress
• 1 small pillow

Personal Care

• 1 towel
• 2 Water bottles
• 1 Thermos
• 1 pair of work gloves
• Glasses or Contact Solution
• Sunglasses
• Toiletries
• Lotion
• Feminine products
• Sunscreen
• Bugspray
• Baby Wipes
• Chapstick
• Ibuprofen

Miscellaneous

• Bible
• Pens
• First Aid Kit
• Small Notepad
• Journal
• Cell phone charger
• Head phones
• Auxiliary cord
• Duct Tape
• Multi-tool
• Plastic shopping bags
• Dryer sheets

Need more than a Mission Trip Packing List to get ready for this year’s trip? LeaderTreks also provides the following free resources to help you prepare to lead a transformational trip for your students.

 If you’re just beginning the trip planning process, you know that choosing mission trips for teens can be a daunting task. With so many great and unique organizations to research and choose from, finding the right trip can easily become an overwhelming, high-pressure experience. It’s not enough to pick mission trips for teens based on the price tag or the destination; you’ve got to assess potential ministry partners based on what they value and how well they avoid causing harm to the local community. Use the Find the Right Trip Assessment to help you find the right trip for your group.

If you plan to create your mission trip from scratch rather than go with an outside organization, check out the Mission Trip Builder. The Mission Trip Builder is a How-To Guide for Mission Trips designed specifically for youth workers. You have an opportunity to craft a short-term mission trip experience to be a greenhouse for student development, but you need to be intentional in the building process. This tool will help you build an intentional mission trip experience for your students, one that will give them the best chance for growing into strong and healthy Christ-followers.

Before he returned to his Father in heaven, Jesus gave his followers one last command: to spread the good news of his death and resurrection to the whole world. If we truly understand the joy of following Jesus, we are quick to set aside our own desires in favor of our mission to care for the least. This Pre-Trip Devotional is a great resource for pre-trip training for your mission team. The goal of this lesson is to help students understand the difference between living out their own preferences and living out of God’s purposes.

If you’re heading out on your trip and you’re looking for ways to keep parents connected, try using Helping Parents Connect. This resource is designed to enrich the journey that parents experience while their student is part of a mission trip. Helping Parents Connect asks questions to get parents thinking about how they can best connect with their student before the trip, during the trip, and after the trip. It is a tool designed to get them involved from the beginning and to help them grow with their kids through this experience. Download Helping Parents Connect in the Mission Trip Prep Kit.