ed

Hi, <BR> <BR>My wife,7 yr old son and I are traveling to Costa Rica (7/3 - 7/11) from Louisiana. Our travel is going to include some hiking tours thru forest, swamps, and other wet areas. I'd really appreciate very much and am interested in hearing from people who have been to "CR" or other similar destinations who can offer some smart tips/advice on the kinds of clothes, footwear, and other gear we should pack and have with us. Thanks very much.

David Cook

Hi, I think you will all have a great time! Travelling as a family is a good idea as I believe you are treated better than average. I think my choice of footwear would be sneakers/cross-trainers and Teva-type sandals. Other with more experience in rain forest may have other ideas. Be sure to give your sone plenty of time to goof off and relax by the pool or beach in between hikes and take plenty of sunscreen. The sun's rays at that latitude are unbelieveable!! Expect some warm rain, especially in the afternoon; the only place it ever felt cool to me was higher in the mtns. after sunset. <BR>Good luck, DC

ed

Fri., 6/1 <BR>David, <BR> <BR>Thanks very much for your helpful reply...I really appreciate it. Nice to know that this site exists and that people can really benefit from other's experiences. <BR> <BR>Ed Flynn

solenidae

I travelled to Belize in February of this year and learned my lesson. Next time I go or travel to CR I will bring hiking boots. I walked and hiked through the jungle and rain forest, climbed wet, muddy hills and jumped in wet caves all with teva's. My feet were bruised and coated with mud. Take hiking boots, especially in the green season!

Elle Martini

Ed: <BR>Costa Rica is a beautiful place, and I'm sure your family will fall in love with its thick green forests, sandy beaches, and the friendliest communities in the Americas! As for your clothes, you will not need to bring much. I suggest long pants, with a good light cotton thread for jungle hikes...your legs are sure to get muddy and a bit scratched up in the forest, so avoid shorts, even if it's humid/hot. Nonetheless, in beach towns, you will want a bathing suit, sandals, sunscreen and nothing else really. As for the actual packing of your clothing and goods, I would suggest enclosing them in large gallon Ziploc bags! It sounds strange, but it kept all of our things really dry when we went. Plus, it keeps different things like shorts and t-shirts separated and organized per bag, so they are easy to find after you stuff them in your packs. If you are going to be in sawmpy areas, and considering it is technically wet season in July, it's good to keep your stuff enclosed in plastic! Anyway, have a wonderful time, and if you stop in Manuel Antonio, pet my favorite dog Maria (she's small, white, adorable and lives at Lobster's , a great restaurant there)...enjoy CR! <BR>Elle

Iza

Ed, <BR>all of the advice given by previous posters is right on the money. I would just add that you may want to bring waterproof (gore-tex) hiking boots instead of sneakers. Also, a lot of people recommend using rubber boots because of all the mud in the rainforest(some lodges have them for rent or free for use by their guests). Bring knee socks so that your legs are protected in those. Long pants (lighweight cotton or nylon) are also useful for protection from sunburn and insect bites. Jeans may be too hot and take forever to dry if you get them wet. In beach towns everybody wears shorts, t-shirts and sandals. If you go hiking bring a change of clothes in a ziplock bag with you. This way if you get soaked in a sudden storm (very likely during the rainy season) you'll have something dry to change into. <BR>Other gear: plenty of sunblock, a hat, binoculars, sunglasses, lightweight windbreaker with a hood that can do double duty as a rain jacket. It doesn't really get cold there except for higher elevations (top of Volcan Poas when we were there was both cold and wet), so you'll need only one or two long sleeve shirts that you can layer over your t-shirt. <BR>Have a great time in CR. We were there last year with our 7 year old daughter, fell in love with the country and are going again this year in August.

Kathy

Hi there <BR>You are going to love CR, I own a home in Cahuita CR which is about an hour from the panama border. Make sure that you photocopy your passports or ID's and carry them with you. It is also a good idea to take hats, sunglasses, and a very large water bottle with you. A light rain poncho probably wouldn't hurt either. Take light clothes as you will find that in that humidity some materials do not "dry" well. Well have a great time and if you get to Cahuita look up "Linda's secret garden". She has brand new rooms and is about 100 yards from the caribbean. The national park there is fantastic, you can feed the white face monkeys so take some fruit with you. Kathy