4explore

Ok, I admit it upfront, I'm a complete newbie when it comes to CR! I'm excited by all the repeat visitors on this forum, it has to be a very special place.

Our 1st trip is June 05. We will be day hiking and already own hiking boots, heavy buggers. Visiting Arenal, Dominical and OSA. For the flight to OSA need to pack light. (Not so easy with a 15yr girl in tow!) I am intrigued by the newest footwear- a cross between a Teva and a hike shoe. It does have the important closed toe and rugged sole. But fast dry and lite weight. Sneakers, though adequate, will never dry, right?
These Keen shoes have open sections so what about those nasty ants I heard about? Could we just wear sox to deter them or will they bit right thru? Sorry to be so helpless but I hate packing/hauling what I don't need.

shillmac

We got a long well on the Osa with regular tennis shoes (that we wore on the plane) and socks. True, getting the socks to dry is a real pain. We would rinse them in the shower (they do get a little muddy), roll them in towels to remove excess moisture, and find a sunny spot outside our cabin to lay them. On the days with a little sun, they dried pretty well. Inside the cabin, nothing dried.

Ants didn't bite through! But you do need to be very careful that you don't stop for conversation or to listen to a guide explain something without checking out exactly where you are standing. I got a few ant bites on a night hike when I stopped on a trail to listen to the guide. They didn't bother me for long, but if they had been those bullet ants. . . .oooh!

dfarmer

I know what you mean, about hauling what you don't need.

We have never been in June when it is rainy, but it does seem to rain some nights when we have been in CR, which makes for slippery mucky trails.

The shoes you have found sound perfect. Don't forget ziplock bags to haul your wet socks, in the event you don't get them dried.

Throughout our trips, I have taken different footwear everytime from boots, walking tennis shoes, sandals, flip flops, water shoes, etc.

Boots - if you tend to have weak ankles, I can see where these have come in handy. If you choose to take your boots, just wear them on the plane to the Osa.

However, this trip I wore my walking shoes, and packed comfy lightweight waterproof gripping sandals (I wear Columbia) and one pair of black flip flops (which go with everything and double as bedroom slippers!)

As for the 15 year old, I feel your pain! I have a 15 and 17, no way could I convince them to pack light!

Have fun!

KNJ

I took my hiking boots last November to Osa. I felt that I needed them for the hikes in the park. Just wear them on the plane as the other poster mentioned. I was really worried about the weight limitations too but, 25 lbs is a lot. We ended up leaving one bag in San Jose and taking just one for the two of us. When we got to the airport we saw people with way more luggage than us get on the plane with no problem.

ojoy

REI has hiking shoes that really are glorified Tennis shoes, but waterproof. They were well worth the expense for our trip to Panama and whenever we took small planes with weight restrictions, we just wore them on the plane. That way we were prepared for any kind of hiking. There were hikes to beaches where I would have either spent much of my time sloshing in muck up to my knees or on my butt had I not had those shoes. They rinse off nicely if your careful not to the inside wet, and they're ready for your next hike without worrying about drying them out. I took 2 pair of good thick hiking sox and only used them for that and never washed them (ick--but it worked).

Actually, my favorite purchase that I used almost every day was a glorified fanny pack that could carry almost anything I needed for a day trip, plus I could clip my water bottle onto it, and wearing it around my waist kept me much cooler than the rest of my group who were all sweating profusely under their backpacks.

Bluesmoke2

Go lightweight! I've got a pair of New Balance trail runners with an aggresive tread and they were great.Salomon Amphibian is one that people have recommended highly, as for the Tevas-the dog has a new chew toy! They just don't cut it with me, after getting battered and bruised with them on I'm considering a pair of those Keens myself.

blackmons

I have the same question. I bought a pair of Keen Newports, but I'm worried about the ants. Can I just spray insect repellant on my feet to keep the ants away, or would I be better off wearing hiking shoes (sort of like gym shoes.)
Thanks,
Laurie

Jessie_

Don't worry so much about the ants. They are really obvious most of the time. Both the leaf cutters and the army ants travel in large groups so you will definitely know they are around. They stick to pretty tight columns so avoiding them is pretty easy. As far as the bullet ants, they aren't out to get you and you won't really run into them that often. They travel solo also so there won't be a bunch that you might step on. Most of the time, when I have seen them they have been walking along on logs or trees.

Jessie_

A lot has been said about shoes and we all have our own reasons for choosing what we do. In my case, I have to have something with a good sole that grips so I don't slip and put my back out. I also know I will be walking through streams and climbing around on mountains-not necessarily on the paths.

On the other hand, my husband walks through the same streams but he does wear heavy Vasque hiking boots because he needs the support for weak ankles and severe arthritis in his feet. He has gotten them wet and had a terrible time drying them though.

I personally like closed toes because we are birders and are looking up and not down a good bit of the time. We admittedly are klutzes at times and bump into things. I also like to be looking around so I don't miss a great monkey sighting or other neat thing.

Our choices of what shoes to wear are based on years of personal experience and fill our needs. Not necessarily yours. We can only give you an idea of what trails are like so that you can choose for yourself. I loved my Solomons and am glad someone told me about them on another board. Keens might be the ones for you. I have a friend on another board who thought they were perfect for her.

If this is your first trip down, I wouldn't go out and buy shoes based on others needs unless you really think you might use them again. If you have hiking boots you have obviously been hiking and know what is comfortable for you.

The only shoe that I can say for sure would not be good for hiking are flip flops. They do fill a need though when you are on the beach and have to walk across that hot dark sand. They are also great for lounging around or you need a quick shoe for a midnight trip out of bed.

We just wear our heaviest shoes on the planes and have never had any problem with weight.

Iza

We found the hiking trails on Osa way too muddy even for hiking boots - we visited in August a few years ago and had some rainstorms at night. We ended up using rubber boots supplied by the lodge where we stayed (Lapa Rios). For such an eventuality, you would do well to take a couple of pairs of long socks to prevent the boots from chafing your calves.
As to drying anything on Osa - we found that nothing would ever dry there ;-). The humidity was oppressive.

Jessie_

Thanks for mentioning the long socks Iza. I automatically throw at least one pair in just in case those rubber boots are needed and don't always think to mention them.