Watching your son or daughter open their mission call is one of the most rewarding moments for a parent. But, as soon as you take a moment to read the paperwork you realize you have so much to prepare. And probably a lot of questions too. When I started gathering the clothes and supplies my son would need for the next two years I wanted to make sure when he left I knew he was well prepared. I quickly realized I needed the help of an experienced missionary mom or two. Their experience and knowledge proved invaluable to me. Since my son has left I have many friends reach out to me asking for advice. It’s a daunting task! And, so I want to share what I learned with you, one missionary mom to another. Click the links below to add them to your cart!
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LUGGAGE AND PACKING ESSENTIALS
luggage
This is quality luggage. It has in-line wheels instead of swivel which is great for preventing broken wheels. It has nice TSA locks. And the fold-out suiter is amazing for missionary suits! My husband travels every week for work and after we received this luggage we bought another for my husband because it’s so nice. We bought the 26 inch and the 19 inch sizes.
SATCHEL
We ordered two satchels to compare them. This is the satchel my son took. He loves it and it is holding up well. It fits so much and he doesn’t think its too heavy. It looks really good with his suits as well.
SATCHEL #2
This is the second satchel we purchased. And honestly this was my favorite. I love how it slings to your back instead of under your arm (if you have ever owned an over the shoulder purse you know). I have recommended this satchel to several missionary moms who are happy with it.
PACKING CUBES
This is my favorite thing to recommend. I LOVE these packing cubes. They are perfect to keep your items organized. I used one for ties, garments, temple clothing, medicine/bathroom extras, and random accessories (flash lights, power converters, etc.) They are the best! And hopefully they help my Elder stay organized.
SHOE BAGS
Maybe something you wouldn’t think of until it’s too late. But, shoe bags are so nice. Especially because your Elder will be moving every few months. Nobody wants a dirty shoe resting on their dry clean only suit.
TRAVEL BACKPACK
My son loves this backpack. Because his area is so big he often spends a night away from his apartment. This backpack is perfect to pack up a day or two of items. And because it’s backpack style it’s easy to take on buses and bikes. He used this as his carryon and it fit all the heavy books and a couple days clothes.
TOILETRIES AND BATHROOM ESSENTIALS
MICROFIBER TOWEL SET
Size and weight are two of the most important things to think of when you are packing. So, this microfiber towel set works perfectly. I was pleasantly surprised at how small it is. It comes with a large (beach towel) medium and small (hand towel). It’s microfiber so it dries quickly and is super absorbent. And we love the mesh bag the towels come in for ease during transfers and exchanges.
SHOWER SANDALS
We have all heard horror stories about the cleanliness of Elders apartments. And, of Elders who get foot fungus. Make sure you send your Elder with some shower sandals. These ones were great. Light weight, quick drying, slip resistant and inexpensive. He can even wear them around the apartment if he wants.
THERMOMETER
My Elder left right in the middle of the pandemic. And so, I figured a good thermometer was a must. This one measures temperature on the forehead so he could even share it with his companion.
TOILETRY BAG
Everyone needs a toiletry bag when traveling. This one was good quality and perfect size to throw in his travel bag for companion exchanges.
CLOTHING
CHINO PANT
My sons mission packet instructed him to bring two suits and a total of 5 pants. I know all missions are different. So, you will have to decide what is best for your Elders mission. These pants looked so good on and were just a little bit more casual than my Elders suit pants. He like that. They were not thin, like golf pants (I’ll give you my recommendation for those next!) so they will be nice in the cooler months. There are so many colors and sizes and the price was amazing!
golf pant
When I was researching what pants would be best for my Elder to take we kept hearing that Golf Pants were amazing. We tried several pair, and to be honest they are not my Elders favorite because they are so thin. But, we sent a couple pair thinking they might be appreciated during the hot Chile summers. If your Elder is going to a warmer climate you might consider these. This style was one of my Elders favorite for golf pants.
SOCKS
We love Gold Toe socks. They are moisture wicking and have a reinforced toe so they last longer.
THERMAL UNDERWEAR
Obviously this depends on the weather where your missionary is heading. But, we liked that these are white and slim enough to wear under his clothes.
SCARF
This scarf is SO soft and warm!
ELECTRONICS
MP3 PLAYER
I wanted to be able to send approved music with my missionary and this player was perfect. I just loaded all the music from the LDS.org music section. It was super fast and the player works perfectly.
BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
Small, lightweight and a great price.
CAMERA
This camera is lightweight, and small. It takes great photos and videos. And it has built in wi-fi for easy sharing of photos. I knew I needed to add it to my list of missionary packing suggestions!
camera case
This Camera Case was super inexpensive and the perfect size for the small Canon Camera.
SD CARD READER
This Card Reader is so nice to transfer photos from your SD card to a computer.
MISSIONARY PACKING SUGGESTIONS – ACCESSORIES
INEXPENSIVE WATCH
Looks nice, works well but we won’t be sad if it’s stolen. And it’s not flashy enough to be mugged for.
led flashlight
This flashlight was inexpensive, but good enough for any occasional power outages. It wasn’t too big so it didn’t take up much room in his suitcase.
SEWING KIT
Luckily my Elders girlfriend taught him a few sewing skills. Because I totally failed in that area. But, I still felt like he needed a small sewing kit in case of a popped off button! This one was small and had everything he could need all enclosed in a zip up case.
BACKPACK LAUNDRY BAG
I loved this laundry bag. Big enough for his whole week of laundry, has backpack straps for easy carrying and a nice mesh bag for laundry soap and supplies. Also, it had over 8000 great reviews.
HANGERS
This fell into the category of “Should I send them” for us. I just didn’t know if my Elder would need them. And honestly he hasn’t. When he arrived to his first area there was a huge box of abandoned hangers for the taking. But, you never know if another apartment won’t have hangers. These ones were slim and barely took any room in his bag.
TRAVEL BELT WALLET
If your missionary is traveling with a passport you will definitely want a travel wallet. This one is light weight and attaches to the belt and hangs down inside of their pants. It’s not too uncomfortable – my Elder even forgot he had it on when he went through airport security!
DON’T FORGET TO PACK HIM A FUN MISSIONARY COUNTDOWN CALENDAR. AND PRINT ONE FOR YOURSELF AS WELL! (CLICK PHOTO FOR LINK)
IF YOU LIKED THIS GIFT GUIDE BE SURE TO CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR OTHER FAVORITE GIFT GUIDES!
