We're heading to Belize Jan 24 & will be there for 9 nights (2 on CC & 7 on AC). Prior to that we will be in Orlando for a week & after Belize we will be going on a cruise. Packing is a concern. Does the flight to CC limit you to 25 lbs?
Thanks for your help!
Idahospud

No, not unless it has changed recently. Check with the airlines. Weight is an issue, but it doesn't seem like things were nearly that stict.

Heyyy...I'd like to piggy-back off the above question about packing and baggage on a trip from Atlanta to Costa Rica. I won't be flying within the country of Costa Rica so how big of a suitcase should I take plus one carry on tote bag. Will be CR for 13 days.

Thanks,
Leigh

Go to your airline's website. It will give you the maximum weight for your checked bag. For me, a medium bag seemed enough for a couple weeks in Costa Rica. We know where a good laundry is so we each have a few of our favorite things washed about mid way through the trip. We also take a few old items and then if they don't make it back, no big loss. Makes room for gifts, etc.

I can pack everything I need for 3 or 4 weeks (though I go to Guatemala, Belize, or Honduras and not CR) in a loosely-filled carry-on sized conversion pack that weighs well under 20 pounds at the start of the trip. It's really unbelievably freeing to have a comfortable pack that's light enough to never be a nuisance. Let me know if you're interested in my packing list or good pack light websites. Happy trails!

I'm interested in a packing list for CR! 8-)

This is my generic CA packing list which I posted on the FAQ thread of the Thorntree forum. I now take a card reader so I can blog and have a trendy new uv light water purifier instead of my trusty pump. Let me know if you have questions about anything on the list. Happy trails!

My answer to the question: WHAT SHOULD I PACK???

I can pack everything I need for an extended trip into a carry-on sized bag by choosing clothes that layer. I have a carry-on sized conversion pack (straps tuck away as needed) that has an attached day pack. I pack valuables and some personal items in the day pack and most of the clothes (that I'm not wearing) in the main compartment. Here's what I took to Honduras to accommodate 2-3 weeks inland with high altitude mountain hikes included and 2-3 weeks of beach time:

3-4 wicking-type shirts
1 light weight long sleeved shirt
2 pairs of light weight convertible (zip off to become shorts) long pants
1 sarong (skirt, swim wrap, doubles as towel or sleeping sheet)
1 bandana and one silicon-neck-cooler bandana
1 sunhat with strap
1 light weight sleeveless nightgown
2 swimsuits
1 light weight fleece jacket (liner type that can be worn alone)
1 light weight goretex rain coat
uns and socks (incl. 1 neoprene pair I wear under Keens for hiking and under fins for diving/snorkel’g)
flip flops for beach and showers
Keen water shoes for everything else, including lots of light hiking (they have great support and a rubber toe protector); if you're planning hardcore hiking, take boots

Cash, ATM and VISA cards, passport, etc.
Flight and lodging reservations, emails, receipts, etc.
Small medical kit and sewing kit
Cheap watch with alarm
Toiletries and prescription meds
Sunglasses, spare glasses, disposable contacts for diving/rainforests
Sunblock and bug stuff (Cactus Juice and Sawyer's Time Release Deet Formula, baby oil for sand flies)
Water purification pump (I'm a budget traveller)
Collapsible drinking cup
LCD headlamp
Compass
Earplugs
Camera, etc. (and underwater bag or 1-2 underwater disposables)
Smallish waterproof binoculars
Guidebook and copied map pages
Laminated plant and animal i.d. cards
Journal/writing materials
Reading material and Spanish/English dictionary
Small gifts for kids and hosts
Small dice and yahtzee papers
A small, flexible disc (like a frisbee)
Various ziplocks, cable ties, small bungie cords
3-4’ of duct tape wrapped around a waterproof marker
String and a few clothespins or 3-4 feet of braided surgical tubing - great clothesline
Half a roll of t.p. removed from core and flattened

I buy water and reuse the bottle and usually pick up an inexpensive pocket knife when I get there. I like having my own snorkel and mask, but my husband joined me two weeks into the trip and brought them with him; he has to check luggage anyway because of his fishing poles.

Mucho gracias! That is a long packing list! 8-)

The problem with her packing is the cruise. Usually the standards for dress are a good bit higher. You didn't say where you board the boat. Can you leave the cruise clothes there in a hotel or someplace?