* USE YOUR 100 POUNDS! You're going to hate me when you're dragging all your crap halfway across the world (yes, you have to move it all yourself), but you'll be glad once you do get here (you can easily have people from home mail you stuff -- but sometimes the contents of packages are...'liberated' before they reach you...so if you really really want something, pack it.)
* For luggage, I'd say bring a big backpacking backpack and something with wheels. You might even want to practice to see if you can carry it all at once. And you'll want some sort of day bag to bring your books to language lessons during training and work once you're a real PCV. Girls will probably want a purse, too.
* Computer -- good for watching movies and TV (at site you sometimes have an abundance of free time), writing/reading emails (saved to a flash drive to cut down on internet cafe time), writing lesson plans and grants, etc etc. And since the power here can be kinda shotty (killed my iPod and computer chargers), it would be good to bring an external hard drive as well to back everything up. I probably wouldn't go out and buy a laptop if you haven't already got one (things get broken here pretty easily, although there are tech support places in the cities), but if you've got one, I'd definitely recommend bringing it along. FYI -- You can get power strips/surge protectors and computer speakers in Bishkek, so don't bother bringing them with you. But don't forget power adapters and converters!
* Clothes -- PC's gonna tell you to bring mostly business casual clothing for teaching/working at NGOs/PC meetings and training sessions. For guys this means khakis and a button-down...girls can get by with black pants/khakis or skirts and nice tops. You'll probably want one nicer outfit for official stuff (maybe a suit or nice jacket). It's freaking hot in the summer, so you'll probably find yourself relaxing the dress code a bit during training. You'll definitely be hanging out a lot with other PCVs, so you'll want casual stuff (this is especially true once you get to site). Girls have to be more conservative (e.g. no shorts that come up past your knees in public, no super low-cut tops, easy on the sleeveless stuff -- this is particularly true in the villages, less so in the city)...but don't think that you have to be covered from head to toe all the time. In general, I'd bring clothes that you are comfortable wearing. It's going to be hot when you arrive, so don't worry about bringing lots of sweaters with you (just have some shipped), although it would be good to a warm cardigan, sweatshirt, or pullover on hand. Come wintertime, you will definitely want some good-quality long johns. Think about layering strategies to get the most out of your packing space. Oh, and don't bring anything you can't hand wash! Or anything that you are worried about ruining (because, after 2 years, most things are a little worse for wear).
*Shoes -- bring some sandals like Rainbows, Tevas, or Reefs; you'll live in them during the summer. You'll want some practical shoes for work, naturally, and some running shoes, too. FYI: You aren't allowed to go hiking during training, so I'd probably have hiking boots mailed.
* Bring sunglasses -- maybe it's me, but the sun seems harsher here.
* Sleeping bag -- you'll want this 1. for warmth in the winter and 2. for weekend sleepovers at other PCVs' sites.
* Towel -- I totally forgot this item and was forced to use a dish towel for a month until my host family took pity on me and gave me 2 full-size towels for my birthday.
* Bring a few books to read and share...but don't go overboard. There's lots of sources for reading material (other PCVs, American Centers at universities). Use your packing weight for other stuff. Oh, and for the TEFLers, PC gives you tons of ESL teaching materials, so don't worry about bringing lots of that kind of stuff.
* Camera -- you'll want to document and share your experiences
*If you have a cell phone that can work with a SIMCard, bring it along if you like. If you don't have one, you can just pick one up when you get here (your language teacher will probably take you for a shopping trip to Bishkek within your first few weeks in country).
* Bring a couple of small presents for your host family -- maybe some American candy or stuff from your home state/university/city. Nothing too fancy or anything -- just a little something that, if nothing else, will give you something to do that first night when your language skills are exhausted after about 15 seconds and you have to resort to gesturing....at least you can dash away to your room at some point and return with shiny American stuff for your family to investigate. Along the same lines, bring photos of your family, friends, and hometown to share -- Kyrgyz people love love love looking at pictures. Showing pictures to my family that first night really helped me introduce myself, especially since I was jet-lagged, anxious/excited, and completely helpless in my language skills.
*Nalgene. You might also want to bring some Crystal Light or similar beverage powder to liven up your water.
* I wear contacts and have not found any kind of solution for sale here -- so if you wear contacts (and lots of PCVs do), bring lots of solution!
* I'd probably bring a couple of travel-sized shampoo/conditioner bottles to refill, plus enough soap/shampoo/conditioner/face wash to get you through your first couple of months here (you probably won't want or have time to do lots of shopping during training). You can then either buy more in K-stan or have more shipped from home. Just don't go crazy with packing lots of toiletries. You can buy all kinds of stuff here -- soccer balls, socks, hats, scarves, earrings, shoes, toothpaste (Crest, Colgate are here), shampoo (Panteen and Dove are everywhere), soap, Q-tips, Kleenex, deodorant etc etc. Plus PC will give you things like dental floss, sunscreen, tampons/pads, any medicine you could ever want, vitamins, a water purifier. You will want to bring some baby wipes, though -- showers can be few and far between...
*Flashlight (great for late-night trips to the outhouse). The kind that don't require batteries are especially nice.
* Granola bars are nice to have on hand...especially as your stomach is getting used to the Kyrgyz diet.
* Playing cards or games like UNO are nice to have.
* Just so you know, you're going to receive a nice wad of cash when you get to Staging which you can either save and spend in K-stan or use for last-minute purchases.
