Before starting to pack, keep in mind:
- You won’t be doing any laundry during the trip.
- You’re going to want to change clothes between activities. (Ex: After hiking, beach, rafting, water trails, pool, etc. for dinner, nights out, heading back to your hotel, Shabbat)
- You’ll need to be prepared with clothes for every kind of weather. Israel has a wide range of climates from hot deserts to snowcapped mountain peaks! You will be exploring it all.
- You will be carrying your luggage from place to place at times (includes loading onto the bus, carrying up stairs, etc) and definitely won’t want it to be any heavier than necessary.
- The recommended clothing amounts here are based on past participants. We encourage you to check the current weather and your itinerary and decide what suits you best.
Clothing:
- Shirts
- Long sleeves recommended for chilly nights in the desert and winter trips
- Short sleeves recommended for hiking and summer trips
- Pants
- Shorts
- Extra hiking clothes (including for a water hike in the summer)
- 2-3 ‘going out at night’ outfits
- Nice outfit for Shabbat (check boys/girls sections for details)
- Socks (for changing after hikes, the beach, etc.)
- Undergarments
- Pajamas
- Sweater/Sweatshirt #bonfireunderthestars
- 4-5 for winter trips, 1-2 for summer trips
- Coat (for winter trips)
- Bathing Suits
- 1 for winter trips, 2 for summer trips
Footwear:
- Comfortable walking sneakers (super important!)
- Sandals (for the beach & pool)
- Athletic water shoes (1 pair- necessary for water hike and recommended for Dead Sea. For water hike you cannot use sandals and you don’t want wet sneakers)
Miscellaneous:
- Hat
- Beach towel
- Backpack (Necessary for daily activities)
- Overnight backpack (for Bedouin camping)
- Water bottle
- First aid kit
- Prescription meds (extra prescription is a good idea)
- Epipen (For those with allergic reactions)
- Journal & pen
- Passport + a passport photocopy in a different bag for safekeeping
Toiletries:(Tip: Make sure you pack your toiletries over 3 oz. in your luggage and not your carry-on so they don’t get thrown out on the way!)
- Shampoo+Conditioner (if you prefer your own)
- Body soap
- Toothbrush+Toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Hairbrush
- Sunscreen
- Razor
- Facewash
- Tissues
For Boys:
- 2 button down dress shirts for Shabbat
- 2 nice khakis/slacks/jeans for Shabbat
- Cologne
- After shave
- Razors
- Electric buzzer
For Girls:
- 2 long dresses/skirts for Shabbat and religious sights
- Scarves/cardigans for religious sights
- Feminine products (even if you’re not expecting, bring just in case!)
- Hair Ties
- Lotion
- Perfume
- Razor
Electronics:
- Camera + Memory Card
- Chargers
- Headphones
- Power Adapters/Power Converters (220 volts)- See example here
- Small Flashlight
Airplane Backpack (Carry-on Bag):
- Passport
- Copy of Passport
- Snacks
- Headphones
- Magazines/books
- Change of clothes
- Camera
- Journal
- Airplane Pillow
- Sweatshirt
- Gum
- Prescription Meds
- (It’s a great idea to bring these on the plane with you in case any luggage gets lost, you will have these with you)
Important Information:
- Make Sure to Bring Enough Clothing: You will not be able to do any laundry on the trip so make sure you bring enough clothing, especially undergarments and socks. Keep in mind that you will want to change clothing after hikes and water activities. Some days you will change up to three times, so make sure that you bring plenty.
- Weigh Your Luggage Before You Depart: Check the luggage size and weight restrictions with the airline and weigh your luggage before you depart! This way you ensure you didn’t overpack and won’t be stuck with issues or extra charges!
- Do Not Bring Anything Valuable: We suggest you do not bring any valuables on the trip with you. The trip is constantly on the move throughout Israel so it is easy for items to get lost or forgotten.
- Have a Safe Spot for your Passport: It is important you know where your passport is at all times. Make sure you put your passport in a safe spot within your luggage and do not move it. This will ensure you do not lose it on the trip.
- Power Adapters: Don’t forget power adapters otherwise you won’t be able to use anything you bring that’s electronic. Israel has different outlets than America so it’s important to get the adapters so your electronics work!
- Power Converters: If you have things such as blow dryers, hair straighteners, electric buzzers, etc. a power converter will be necessary in order to use these items! The electrical current in Israel differs from America, you will want a converter that will change the electric current from 110 volts to 220 volts.
Extra Ideas:
- Plastic Bags: Plastic bags may come in handy to put wet clothes in after the pool, ocean, or water hikes! Avoid getting your backpack wet by bringing a plastic bag with you to all of the water activities!
- Plane Pillow: The flight is around 12 hours so make sure you’re super comfortable! A plane pillow may help you be more comfortable on this long trip and facilitate sleeping, which is something you might lack on the trip.
- Snacks for the Plane: The flight is 12 hours and they do feed you twice! So no immediate need to go out and buy so many snacks, but it might be nice to have some of your favorite snacks with you on the long flight.
- Journal: A fun way to remember the trip forever is to keep a journal! Any time you have on the bus or at night before bed you can write a few lines in your journal about what you did that day! This is a quick fun way to make sure the trips memories never fade!
- Music Speakers: There’s many times where you are getting ready or hanging out in each other’s rooms. You may want to add an element of fun with bringing music speakers to play your favorite songs on.
- Change Purse: Using the shekel you will be getting A LOT of change when you buy things. A change purse may be a great idea to bring to hold spare change!
- Advil (Ibuprofen): In case of not feeling well you may want to bring Advil
- Benadryl: In case of any allergic reaction incident, it may be a smart idea to bring something like Benadryl along to avoid any potential serious reactions!
- Extra Copy of Passport: A good idea is to bring a copy of your passport and photo ID to Israel with you in case of emergency. A copy of these important documents can only be helpful!
- Healthy Snacks: It’s useful to bring healthy snacks that you like because the days are so jam packed and you need to stay energized!
- Energy/Protein Bars: Birthright Israel days can be exhausting because you are having so much fun and using all of your energy! It might be a good idea to bring energy/protein bars as snacks to eat when you’re hungry!
- Mini-First Aid Kit: Although there will be a first aid kit on the trip, it may be smart to bring things like neosporin, band aids, and anything else you may want to have if you get minor injuries such as a scrape on a hike.
- Suitcase Lock: Some may want to get a lock for your suitcase so that nothing gets taken either on the flight there, or in the hotels.
- Anti-Bacterial Hand Lotion: Sometimes your hands get dirty and you aren’t able to get to somewhere you can wash them. Anti-bacterial hand lotion may be extremely useful on this trip!