more pants than shorts?
 

I was thinking I would be better off with double the amount of pants (khakis and cottons)as shorts for my January trip. My planned itinerary includes day trips from San Jose to Poas, Irazu, hiking, horsebackriding, biking, Monteverde, Arenal and Manuel Antonio. Will be in costa rica for 2.5 weeks. Any Input?

I agree as I experienced the biggest mosquitos I have even seen in Costa Rica and wore pants and long sleeve layers the whole time pretty much when out and about. Cool and breathable though as it is warm...Bring hardcore insect repellant and have an wonderful time ! the place and the people are wonderful !

I go for about 3-4 weeks every year and have bought 2 pairs of zip off pants. I bring those plus 1 pair of shorts and a couple of sun dresses, several tops, bathing suit, cover up, socks, light rain jacket for the volcano areas and Monteverde, and a light jacket/sweater for the cooler areas. It looks like you will be spending a good bit of time in the cooler areas so one or two long sleeve shirts might be a good idea. If you need a nice pair of slacks you can wear those on the plane and once you are there reserve them for nicer restaurants and the city. Honestly, I have stayed in $20 a night up to over $400 a night places and the above was always plenty. The zip off pants (columbia) rinse out easily and dry quickly so I can hand wash them when necessary or have them laundered. You will see people in them all over the place. Khaki and cotton does not dry quickly in some of the more humid areas like Manuel Antonio.
Bugs are variable and having bug spray handy is always recommended. I can go a week or more without any problem and then out of nowhere, they appear, so I always have it handy. A friend of ours did get Dengue this past spring when in the Flamingo area and it is no fun. There are lots of different types of bugs that can give you a good bite but again, they won't be constantly there.

katolb90, I used to struggle as you do with the short/pants dilemma. Zip-off convertible pants {they convert to shorts} in a quick-dry material,solved this problem for me. Makes packing and deciding what to wear each day so much easier - i love them!

Susie2, great minds do indeed think alike! Button-up convertible shirts work well also. Incidentally, I heard more than once that bright-colored clothing scares off animals, so you might want to keep this in mind. {What, no tie-dye}!

I already bought all of my pants and none of them are zipoff. Actually, this is the first time I've heard of zip-off pants. Yes, I've led a sheltered life. Where do you get them cheap? Suzie2, do I really need sundresses?

Cheap is probably not what you will find but, if you go to Campmor.com or Sierra Trading Post, you might find some less expensive sometimes.
Regarding the sun dresses. No, you don't really need them but I like to have at least one. Most of my days consist of getting up early, hiking around in the rainforest, swimming in the ocean, horseback riding, and other grubby but fun activites so come late afternoon I like to take a shower and put something other than what I have been hiking in on. They are mostly for the warmer areas. In the cooler areas I do just put my cleaner long (zip off) pants on. For the city it is nice to have a pair of slacks. Shorts are not worn much in San Jose. Slacks are fine for the city but you will notice that most Costa Rican women wear skirts or dresses most of the time. I guess after 12 years of traveling down there something is rubbing off. It doesn't seem to be spanish unfortunately.
Hey Molly, yeah, I have a couple of those button sleeve shirts also and they come in very handy. No tie dye??? Those jungle colors do get boring. Will have to reserve my hippy stuff for the wildlife at night LOL!
Pura Vida

Ladies, is it my imagination or does it seem to you that the "dress code" in CR undergone a bit of change over the years to the point now where shorts and casual clothes are more acceptable? I never noticed the "Ticas" wearing shorts before our last trip a couple of years ago....
With TV and the internet more common and tourism now the biggest source of foreign revenue I guess a shift in attitude is easy to understand.

My experience is all in Mexico not Costa Rica but I'll chime in on the sundress question. If you wear skirts or dresses at home then sure pack a sundress. I never do (wear dresses) so my 'nice outfit' for evenings (agree about getting cleaned up and into something fresh!) are loose print rayon pants, sandals, tank top, sometimes print vest over. That's just me.

Those zippered pants seem to be much more common lately (though I haven't shopped for them). Here in Seattle they're popular with the teen-set as street-wear. So you might even check an Old Navy type place. I'm sure the travel catalogs have them but they wouldn't be cheap.

Hi Suze,
I don't wear dresses at home much but got hooked on the sun dresses in CR because quite a few people wear them where I go. I used to bring my dressier rayon pants. After doing several home stays I realized that most Costa Rican women don't wear pants much. The younger ones do but it just feels good to me and I feel like I fit in better in the areas I go. Some of those areas are american owned by the way.
Regarding the zip off pants. The ones the teens are wearing aren't very good for the tropics. Travelers in CR have been wearing them for quite a few years now but they are a much lighter weight than the all cotton ones the kids are wearing. I use mine in the states also to go hiking. We go on 10 mile hikes frequently so start early when it is cooler. It is nice to be able to take the bottoms off as the temp warms up.
The zips are for everywhere and I just got back from Argentina where they really would have looked funny. Haven't seen much of them in my travels to Mexico either. CR is just a jungle kind of place I guess.

suzie2, thanks for clarifications (re zips etc.). i just can't resist jumping into fashion threads! i'd type up my pack list from a recent quick trip to Honolulu if someone really cared ~ LOL. happy traveling!!

p.s. take comfortable shoes!!!!!

Next time I go to a resort type place like in Honolulu I'll know who to ask what to bring LOL. For now I am into jungle/nature mode.

I should keep my 'fashion advice' for more citified destinations! It's true my travels, even in Mexico are urban, not jungle. So I do appreciate the functionality advice of styles and fabrics for hiking vs simply packing light and versatile (my goals).