Elder Missionary Packing List: Brazil Rio de Janeiro South Mission Guide
We recently sent out two missionaries and a lot of people have asked us what stuff we sent with our son and daughter.
Packing a missionary to serve a two year or eighteen-month mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can be a little overwhelming especially if you wait until right before they leave. Sometimes missionaries from our church are referred to as a Mormon missionary or a LDS missionary.
This packing list includes items our missionary took and used on his missions based on what he heard from other missionaries who served or are currently serving in his mission or other related missions. It was also influenced by some advice from his friends and acquaintances who recently returned home from serving missions. This item list is specific to an Elder missionary serving in the Brazil Rio de Janeiro South mission.
The list has the normal things found on the missionary packing list like clothing, shoes, white shirts, belts, luggage, bug spray, sunscreen, etc. It also has some other items like power adapters, small pillow, phone charger, MicroSD cards, water bottle w/ filter, itch sticks, hair clippers, home MTC banner, vacuum storage bags, waterproof spray, luggage tracking tiles, small blanket, etc. A few of the things on this packing list like power adapters, etc. will be specific to Brazil.
Also, for Sister missionaries I have this Sister Missionary Packing List for my daughter who is currently serving in the Argentina Tucumán mission.
This was the other kind of belt our son really liked. You can get them in all different colors and designs. It is also lighter than the mission belts and it closes with a magnet.
This was a fun Mission tshirt we found that our son liked to wear on his p-day.
One set of clothing for activities where regular missionary attire is not appropriate; pants must be full length
Clothing
Pajamas (1): Robe and slippers, as needed
Clothing
Clothing
Our son took 2 of these blue &COLLAR dress shirts but never used them because they were not allowed in his mission (even though they were on the packing list).
One carbon filter lasts up to 26 gallons (100 L) - about two months. When we got this 22 ounce, non-insulated one for our son they didn't have the insulated version. In hindsight, our son now says he would have prefered the insulated version because of how hot it gets in Brazil. Our son used these filtered water bottles his entire mission and had less stomach issues than many of the other American missionaries.
Our son took one of these and the Elders would cut each other's hair to save money. The quality of haircuts varied widely.
Personal supplies (shaving supplies, toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash, shampoo, deodorant, hand lotion, combs, shoe polishing supplies, and so forth) to last the duration of your MTC stay.
Toiletries & Personal Care
Prescription eyeglasses, if needed. Contact lenses are discouraged because of the risk of corneal injury or infection
We didn't know if AirPods or wired earbuds, but AirPods weren't allowed in his mission, so we were glad he didn't take any. Probably wired earbuds so he doesn't have to charge them.
Take 2-4 of these 512 GB cards in case a lot of photos/videos are being taken. It's nice for them to be different colors to make it easier to tell them apart.
Take the microfiber 60 x 30 inches. Lightweight and dries really fast even in the humidity.
Bedding: Sheets and pillowcase (1). Please be prepared to pay US$40-50 or its equivalent in local currency upon arrival in the mission field. The mission is responsible for all other bedding
31.1" x 20.95" x 13.78", 9.5 lbs. including wheels and handles. Each bag must not exceed 62 total dimensional inches or 157 total dimensional centimeters (total dimensional measurements = length + width + height). The maximum weight allowed for each checked bag is 50 pounds (22 kilograms).
We were trying to not take this carry-on and only take the backpack carry-on, but we had to buy this last minute to fit everything in. Best for transfers if you don't have to take this 3rd luggage piece.
Our son said the pillows that were in his apartments were really bad and were kind of like a thin bag full of cotton balls. He used the pillow he got on the flight to Rio his whole mission, so we sent this pillow with his sister on her mission, and she was glad she took it.
Apple AirTags can only be found by iPhones and you need an iPhone to register the AirTags. We didn't send any of these with our daughter to Argentina because there is a smaller percentage of iPhones in Argentina compared to the United States. A larger majority of people have Android devices in Argentina currently. The missionaries in Argentina also have Android devices (although I don't know if the missionary phones have the Google Find My Device capabilities turned on, but other people walking by will have it activated). Check to see if there are a lot of Android devices in your mission and if there are a lot then these would work well. If the person who will be tracking the luggage (parent or guardian) uses an iPhone but there aren't many iPhones in the missionary's mission, I would recommend using the above Tile trackers since they can be tracked by both Android devices and iPhones. These trackers have replaceable batteries. The batteries are supposed to last about 1 year so your missionary would need to replace the batteries at some point.
Tracker - Chipolo POPs to track luggage (Android & iPhone)
These trackers can be used by both iPhones and Android devices. They can be registered on either the Apple network or the Google Find My Device networks...but not both at the same time. The nice thing about these ones is for them to be tracked out in the mission field, it doesn't require an app to be installed on the phone of the person walking near the trackers...they just need to have either an iPhone or an Android device with the Apple or Google tracking capabilities turned on which is normally turned on by default. These trackers have replaceable batteries. The batteries are supposed to last about 1 year so your missionary would need to replace the batteries at some point.
Tracker - Tiles to track luggage (Android & iPhone)
We put tiles in our missionary's luggage to keep track of their luggage. Get ones to last more than 2 years and don't require your missionary to change the battery. The Tile Mate 3 lasts 3 years. Others have had success using Apple AirTags and the new Android Find My Device trackers would probably work as well. One downside to these Tile trackers is it requires other people near the trackers to have the Tile app installed on their iPhone or Android device. We have noticed that in the smaller cities of Argentina not many people have the app installed while the larger cities with more people track the devices more frequently.
These were helpful to fit everything into the suitcases. We didn't send the vacuum piece with our missionary because you can still get the air out of the bags without it, and we didn't have room for it plus it wouldn't work anyway in Brazil because of the voltage.
First-aid kit: Supply of current prescription medications, multi-vitamins, cold and allergy medication, decongestant, thermometer, fever reducer, pain reliever, anti-diarrhea medication, antibiotic ointment, anti-itch cream, anti-fungal cream or spray, band-aids, 25-35% DEET mosquito repellent, and a medical ID bracelet, if needed. Pack your insect repellent in your checked luggage or it will be confiscated by airport officials
If you have any required medications, please bring enough for your training at the MTC and for the first three months of your mission. Not all medications are available in your mission. If you have questions as to whether your medications are available, please contact the mission office well before you enter the MTC
Medical
Need to get allergy pills, fish oil, vitamins, pro-biotic, ibuprofen, DayQuil, NyQuil, pepto-bismol pills, Tums, cough drops
Our son learned some other missionaries were using these, so he asked us to start sending some to him. He mixed them with sparkling water he buys at the local store.
This banner was fun to have at our house when our son was doing home MTC.
Missionary Countdown Tracker Poster+C3:C24
Miscellaneous
I found an image for this on Etsy and printed it out on a poster with a sticky back on it at Walgreens
Shoulder bags should be in conservative colors with no apparent logos or insignias. (Note: Backpacks are no longer allowed.) Shoulder bags should be waterproof or sprayed with a product to make them water-proof.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many suitcases can a missionary take to Brazil?
Missionaries are typically allowed two 50-pound checked bags plus one carry-on and a personal item. However, it is recommended to check with your mission president or mission office for specific guidelines for your mission, as airline restrictions may vary. Keep in mind, missionaries need to haul all their suitcases around with them every transfer so the recommendation from our son and daughter is to try to limit the amount of stuff you take with you because when you get transferred you will need to take this luggage on busses, on Ubers, etc. Two pieces of luggage and a large backpack is ideal because you can drag the luggage with both your hands with your backpack on your back.
What type of clothing is appropriate for elders serving in Brazil?
First review these guidelines from the church. Elders should pack clothing suitable for the Brazil climate. The clothing should be professional and be in conservative colors. Our son's missionary portal said to take one short sleeve blue button-down dress shirt but when he got to his mission he found out they didn't allow blue dress shirts, so he gave that one away to a member. Also consider the seasonal changes - summers can be ridiculously hot while winters can cool down depending on what part of Brazil your mission is in. For our son's mission in Rio de Janeiro, it was REALLY hot during the summer months and stayed pretty warm during the winter months, but every so often it would cool down where he needed some warmer clothing. His body also adjusted to the heat and when it got down to 80 degrees, he was really cold.
Do I need to bring my own bedding to the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission?
This may vary widely depending on your mission, so make sure to check your missionary portal and other resources provided by your mission. Apartments in the Rio de Janeiro Mission provided basic bedding, but it is recommended to bring your own twin-size sheets, pillowcase, and a light blanket. The "light blanket" our son used was the blanket he got on the airplane on the way to Brazil. One thing he wished he would have taken was a small pillow because most of his apartments had terrible pillows. See the above packing list for a pillow recommendation that worked great for our daughter on her mission.
What electrical adapters do I need for Brazil?
Brazil uses Type C and Type N electrical outlets with either 127V or 220V voltage depending on the region. Some cities even have both voltages in different neighborhoods and buildings. You will need a universal adapter that can handle Type C and Type N. I do not recommend taking a voltage converter. Instead of taking a voltage converter, just make sure your electronics are dual voltage (110V/220V) so they will work in Brazil without being damaged or catching on fire. I have a variety of adapters listed above that worked for our son in Brazil. He took a small one with him in his bag to charge his phone, and had a bigger one for his apartment with a surge protector built in.
Do you have a similar packing list for Sisters?
Yes, we have this Sister Missionary Packing List that we put together for our daughter who is currently serving an 18-month in the Argentina Tucumán Mission.
Elder Missionary Packing List: Brazil Rio de Janeiro South Mission Guide 
