Landing well
Posted on August 17, 2025 by Phoebe Chan
What we always pack in our hand carry for missions
Lost or delayed luggage is always a hassle — especially when you arrive somewhere new with no shops and you’re trying to make the transition as smooth as possible for yourself and your children. So, here’s our hand-carry checklist to make sure we have the essentials when we land after a long journey:
Travel Documents
- E-tickets
- Passport
- Yellow fever vaccination card (or other required health documents)
- International Driver’s Permit (if you need one to drive)
- Invitation letter
- Letter certifying transport of medicine and supplies for ministry
- Arrival information (e.g. host address, contact number)
- Insurance details and emergency contacts
- Non-smudging pen
Health & Safety
- Anti-malarials and personal medications
- Glasses and contact lenses (remember they may not have the contact lens solution you need. You can consider daily disposable ones)
- Hand sanitiser (in Ziplock bag for liquids)
- Spare face masks (if needed)
Money & Electronics
- Money (preferably clean, newer notes)
- Laptop / iPad / unlocked phone (with auto-updates off as internet may be limited and may eat up data)
- Chargers, cables, adapters, and voltage transformers if needed
- Portable batteries / power bank (must be hand-carried)
Clothing & Personal Items (in case of lost / delayed luggage)
- 2 sets of underwear
- 1–2 sets of spare clothes for kids. Our son once spilled hot chocolate all over his sister on the plane! We’ve found that suitable, right-sized underwear can be surprisingly hard to buy on arrival
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Anything you cannot afford to lose or to have it arrived late
Kid-Friendly Additions
- “Busy bag” with colouring books, small toys, snacks for the journey and when you first land
- A few “surprises” wrapped in newspaper or gift wrap. They can be anything from a Kinder chocolate egg with a toy inside or a new sticker book (hours of fun that don’t fall off in bumpy rides)
- Wet wipes and tissues
- Small blanket or comfort item
Packing Tips
- Keep liquids and electronics easily accessible — for example, in a laptop bag — for quick inspection at airport security
- Opt for backpacks over cabin suitcases to avoid forced checking-in luggage at gate
We hope this list helps you land well, wherever you’re headed!