La Ceiba (above) is a North Coast Honduran town

Peace Corps Honduras Trainee Presentations

• Safety In Honduras
• Health Unit in Honduras

PCV Ryan C. describing what life is like in her site near Choluteca, Honduras

What to Bring (think light)

This part is very difficult to be accurate about. Once showing up in Honduras, a trainee does not know if they will be in La Tigra (down to 40F at night) or in Nacaome (80F at night, 100F+ in the day). So you must plan for everything. Training in Santa Lucia can be chilly (1400m elevation) so don't hesitate to bring at least a few long sleeve items.

Peace Corps Honduras gives Volunteers a Medical Kit and money to get "settled in" once they arrive to their site. Everything else for two years must be brought with the Volunteers from the United States or bought once in country. Baggage is limited to 80 pounds. Some projects recommend bringing a laptop. This is fully optional, however, and Volunteers are strongly encouraged to obtain insurance. Below is a suggested packing list:

General Clothing

• About 20 tops, including button-down shirts or nice
  blouses and casual shirts (polo shirts, tank tops, Tshirts),
  a few of them long sleeved
• One or two sweaters or sweatshirts
• Appropriate socks for all your shoes, at least 10 pairs
• Two-week supply of underwear
• One or two swimsuits
• Rain gear (poncho or raincoat)
• Light jacket or windbreaker
• Caps and hats (for both sun protection and warmth)
• Bandanas
• Belts or suspenders
• Clothes for running, if you run

For Men

• Five to eight pairs of pants for work (nice jeans or
  khakis), two or three pairs of dressy pants (nice khakis
  are suitable), and two or three pairs of casual pants
• One or two pairs of fairly long shorts
• One or two ties and a sport coat for formal occasions such as swear in (can be worn with nice khakis)

For Women

• Three to six pairs of pants for work (e.g., khakis)
• Two or three pairs of casual pants (e.g., jeans)
• One to four pairs of long shorts
• One to three skirts or dresses
• Two dressy outfits for formal occasions
  Note: Pants are just as acceptable as dresses or skirts with
  blouses

Shoes

• One or two pairs of sturdy, comfortable shoes for work,
  depending on your project
• One pair of hiking boots or Vibram-soled shoes
  (Honduras is wet and muddy in the rainy season)
• One pair of running shoes, if you run
• One pair of comfortable casual shoes
• One pair of dress shoes
• Flip-flops (can easily be bought in Honduras)
   

Personal Hygiene and Toiletry Items

Most items can be purchased in Honduras, but you might
want to bring a start-up supply of soap, shampoo, shaving
cream, etc. If you have particular needs with regard to
cosmetics or soaps because of allergies, bring a supply of
those items. Women who prefer a brand of tampon other than
the Tampax or Kotex provided by the Peace Corps should bring their
own supply.
 

Kitchen

A wide variety of kitchen supplies, foods, and spices are
available in Honduras but if you like Italian, Indian, Chinese or Japanese food you might bring your own. Spices can be a bit pricey here.
 

Miscellaneous

• Camera, replacement batteries, and film (consider
  insuring the camera)
• Day pack or small backpack
• Fairly cheap, water-resistant and shockproof watch
• Small flashlight and extra batteries (size AA is easy to
  find in Honduras)
• Money belt or fanny pack
• Pillowcase(s)
• Multiple-utility pocketknife (Swiss Army type)
• Two flat sheets or a set for a double bed
• Small travel alarm clock and extra batteries
• Sturdy backpack or duffel bag for three-to-four-day
  trips
• Pocket-size Spanish-English dictionary
• Fast-drying towels (two bath towels, one beach towel,
  one hand towel, and two washcloths)
• A few U.S. dollars ($5-$20) for your first weeks in-country
• Travel games
• Good scissors
• Nail clippers
• Inexpensive jewelry
• Small iron
• Journal
• Light, stuffable (preferably waterproof) sleeping bag
  with a pad
• Photos of family and friends
• Radio (including shortwave) or cassette player with
  electrical cord and extra batteries or rechargeable
  batteries - SW doesn't always work, however, and cheap radios are not too hard to find in Honduras.
• Simple tool set
• Small sewing kit
• Start-up supply of stationery, pens, etc.
• World map or lightweight atlas
• Plastic food storage bags
• Luggage locks
• Good-quality water bottle
• Binoculars
• Project-specific books (e.g., for identification of trees,
  medicinal plants, birds)

It is also recommended to bring small gifts from the United States to give to your host family, friends in Honduras and anyone else who you think might appreciate it.

information adapted from Honduras Welcome Book, Peace Corps

Other sample packing lists

Volunteer Lauren Mohlie's packing list can be found here.

Michigan Tech's PC Master's International packing list suggestions from many countries, including Honduras, can be found here.

Amelia Cook's Blog plus packing list suggestions can be found here.