Question: Do missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) wear fanny packs or backpacks when proselyting in Ghana?
Answer: The short answer is neither for daily proselyting.
Official Church missionary dress and grooming standards state: "Backpacks may be used for luggage but not for daily missionary activities". Standard fanny packs are also generally avoided because missionary guidelines require bags to look professional, conservative, and business-like.
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| LDS missionaries proselytizing in Ghana |
How bags actually work for missionaries serving in Ghana:
1. What They Actually Carry: Crossbody / Shoulder Bags
Instead of a backpack, missionaries carry a durable, dark-colored shoulder bag or crossbody messenger bag.
Why not backpacks?
Professionalism: Backpacks wrinkle white dress shirts and wear down suit coats/shoulders.
Security & Pickpocketing: In busy, crowded markets, bus terminals, or tro-tro stations in Accra or Kumasi, backpacks on your back are vulnerable to being unzipped or slashed without noticing. A shoulder/crossbody bag can easily be pulled under the arm or in front of the body where hands can rest on it.
Heat: A backpack creates a massive sweat patch on the back of a white shirt in Ghana's intense heat and humidity.
2. What About Fanny Packs / Waist Packs?
Visible fanny packs are not worn with proselyting clothes because they don't fit the standard missionary dress code.
Under-clothing money belts, however, are common: Many missionaries in West Africa wear a slim, flat travel money belt or neck pouch hidden underneath their clothing to keep emergency cash, a copy of their passport, and backup debit cards secure against theft or pickpocketing.
3. When Backpacks Are Used
Backpacks are permitted for:
Travel days / Transfers: Moving between apartments or traveling to and from the mission field (used strictly as carry-on luggage).
Preparation Day (P-Day): Running errands, doing laundry, or playing sports in casual clothes.
What to Pack
He should bring a high-quality, water-resistant messenger bag or briefcase-style shoulder bag (brands like Ogio, Timbuk2, or bags specifically designed for missionaries like Zion Bags or Missionary Mall bags) with heavy-duty zippers, a wide padded strap, and room for a water bottle, teaching materials, smartphone, and a compact umbrella.
Missionaries can ask questions of their instructors during their Mission Training Center (MTC) at home and in Provo to find out what they should bring to the mission field.
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