I packed/unpacked/repacked my suitcase probably 20 times in the week before my flights. My goal was to pack light and not need to check any bags on the plane. UGA Costa Rica Avian Biology maymester has a packing list, I used a couple of hiking/backpacking bloggers lists, and asked friends that had traveled to central american countries as well. As you can probably tell, preparing for this trip was a big deal for me! Just so anyone else wondering what to pack if you’ve never traveled for a 3 week hiking trip in CR, this is my tally, and my other carry-on was a large backpack with my camera stuff and other equipment.
Anything quick-dry is king, if you attract mosquitoes at home you need to be in long shirts and pants the whole time in CR (unless you have access to a bug suit-bring it!), and if you bring old stuff you don’t care about you can then leave it and save room!
- Carry on size suitcase, super light and soft for easier loading on the bus
- (Adorable dog who did not fit in my bag)
- 1 large sling bag
- 1 towel (I left this in CR)
Merrel hiking sneakers(Brought my waterproof hiking boots instead)- Chacos
- Sports underclothes
- 4 long hiking socks, 2 short hiking socks,
regular socks(bring the longest and leave regular socks) - 2 longsleeve shirts
- 5 t-shirts
- 2 tank tops (wish I’d brought 3-4)
- 1 dressy outfit (don’t really need this)
- 1 pair of long yoga pants
- 3 yoga capris (with I’d brought 4+)
- 3 hiking shorts
- 2 bathing suits
- 3 capri pants (I left two in CR)
- 3 shorts
1 sweater(didn’t need this)- 1 rainjacket (if nothing else, bring a rain jacket and hiking boots)
And on the plane I wore my hiking boots, jeans (wonderful for the horseback riding), a t-shirt, longsleeve pullover, and thick jacket-all my heaviest items to keep my suitcase under the 50 lb limit. Actually was 29 lbs so I didn’t need to worry!
There were also toiletries and all of the hiking equipment but this was my basic list. Most everyone brought a bag to wear while hiking, binoculars or a camera, and a water bottle. I had a CamelBac and lugged my large camera around the whole time. Used my binoculars for the first hike and never touched them again, but if you’re a real birdwatcher bring them!
Everything fit in a 22″ x 14″ x 9″ suitcase easily. I ended up stacking my clothes and then rolling them up with rubber bands to maximize on space but the smartest packer on our trip had large spacebags she used to push out air and keep everything dry.
Be sure to test out your bugspray so you know if DEET will be a problem for your skin, especially your face. I brought a 40% and a 98%. My sunscreen was 70 SPF but I burn walking outside for a minute. Bring a hat to protect your face and a bandanna for your neck.
Other things I suggest are to bring the nicest camera you can-I took quite a few photos, cash to last you through souvenirs, snacks, and laundry, a tiny febreeze to go bottle (saved my clothes!), and medications. The most common ailments were: bugbites, scrapes/abrasions/blisters, sunburn, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle aches, and headaches. Break in your hiking boots before you get to CR. You have 2 choices: either buy a cheap pair to throw away at the end or a nice pair to bring home. I used a pair of Merrells that I bought 3 years ago and never had a problem with blisters or water leaking through.
Do not bring full size bottles of toiletries-you won’t need them and it’ll be easier to lug around everything. You’ll sweat in everything, so don’t bring nice new clothes. I wouldn’t bring both a nice camera and binoculars, choose one-either way you’ll see tons of amazing sights and there’ll be other people taking photos. Don’t bring a knife or anything that might get you in trouble with US or CR security on the flights (although we had someone who made it through with a railroad spike and a pocketknife).
Most things if you forget you can always buy in CR, just remember your passport!
Try to focus more on the experiences to come than worry about anything here-it’s an amazing experience and I would have stayed forever 🙂
