What to pack for Costa Rica?

Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 05:31 AM
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What to pack for Costa Rica?

You guys have all been so helpful with what to do and which driver to hire and just general tips for Costa Rica, so I thought I'd ask once again for your expertise.

My fiance and I are planning on packing light and only taking backpacks (not the really huge ones, but a good size) and my camera bag on our 10-day trip. We're trying to make sure we don't forget anything. Here's our packing list so far... what have we forgotten? Anything we don't need to bring? Any suggestions for a good bug spray? Any suggestions on good backpacks?

Tennis shoes for hiking (probably old running shoes)
Anorak for wet/cold weather
Athletic shorts & pants
T-shirts (short & long sleeve)
One pair of jeans for going out at night
Couple nicer shirts for going out
Hat
Swimsuit
Water-tight bags for our river rafting trip
Bug spray
Sunscreen (I burn really easily)

And of course my camera, charger, etc.

Do we need any converters for battery chargers? Flashlights?

Thanks in advance! It's getting close - just under two months!
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 06:30 AM
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I'm not sure where you're going, but I would definitely suggest that each of you have a flashlight. They really do come in handy pretty much everywhere. It's dark there!

We take the small, LED flashlights that weigh almost nothing -- but they're bright.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 06:50 AM
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Where we're going probably would have been helpful info... sorry!

We're doing Arenal, Monteverde and Manual Antonio.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 07:17 AM
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Do you have a pair of those quick drying hiking pants (the ones that zip off to make shorts)? Those are perfect for trips to CR.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 07:19 AM
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I would bring some kind of water shoes like Keen's that will dry quickly in addition to the running shoes. When we were in Monteverde, our shoes got soaked and never dried. I also bring a couple of plastic bags to carry wet things in just in case. Also works for muddy shoes. We bring headlamps which are nice because they can be hands free or you can carry them like a flashlight. We like the weekender convertible bags from www.ebags.com. I don't know what an anorak is, but we usually bring a rain poncho and a sweatshirt, so perhaps that takes the place of those two things. Monteverde was very cold and rainy when we were there; MA was extremely hot. Arenal was temperate. Sounds like a great trip!
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 07:54 AM
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Don't have any quick-dry hiking pants yet, but they're now on the list!

For people who wear Keen's, which ones do you like for hiking in?

A poncho is a smart idea! An anorak is basically a waterproof jacket with a warm, sweatshirt-like interior.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 08:16 AM
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Ditch the jeans and "going out" shirts. Too heavy, not comfortable, and completely unnecessary.

I'd substitute in lightweight nylon or nylon/cotton blend outdoors pants, preferably the zip-off kind.

Your rafting guides should have wetbags. I'm not sure what you'd bring with on the raft that you'd need to keep in the bag to begin with.

I'd recommend something with better traction and ankle support for hiking than old running shoes. Waterproof hiking boots would be better.

I'd go for a lightweight windbreaker instead of a heavier Anorak.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 08:16 AM
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shutter, we got some nice ponchos online at Target for about 10 bucks; they fold up into a small pouch so easy to pack. Personally, I wouldn't bother bringing jeans - impossible to get dry in a wet climate.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 09:51 AM
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If your goal is to pack super light, I'd also recommend just bringing a pair of Salomon Tech Amphibian shoes (or something like that -- as someone said above, these have a bit more support) and a pair of flip flops for around your hotel room, etc. And that's it.

Wear the Salomons on the plane, pack the flip flops. Wear the Salomons when you go out, etc -- if you get black or dark ones, they'll go with everything -- and they dry really fast. They're sort of like athletic shoes but they're made of mesh -- so they dry really fast, but they provide more ankle support.

Most people would say go sockless with these, but if you plan on doing a lot of hiking and you haven't broken them in, maybe pick up a pair or two of ankle length athletic socks -- the kind that wick away moisture. Made mostly of synthetics so they dry quickly and are also super light.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 10:05 AM
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For Keens I replaced my Venice style with Whisper last trip and LOVED them. Lightweight and gripping. Salomon Tech's are good too for more of a tennis shoe style. Admittedly, I run kind of hot, but in 2 months I think you will need cooler clothes more than long sleeves and jackets, so just make sure you take enough shorts and tanks. Agree, no jeans. ;-) For bug spray I used at least 30% DEET, otherwise I'm a bug magnet. I found a lotion form last year I really liked as it stayed on well and didn't smell so bad, but the spray is easier.

Good sites for sales - travelcountry, campmoor, sierratradingpost, zappos, reioutlet, altrec
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 10:48 AM
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I wouldn't recommend shoes for rainforest hiking if they have holes big enough for army ants to crawl through. Or big enough for bullet ants to bite you through.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 10:49 AM
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I got my Keen's at REI; I wish I could remember the descriptor, but I don't. My husband has the Solomon Techs. I'd pack shorts and tank tops for MA. Most everywhere else I just wear capri pants. If you're going to zipline at all, wear something long so your shorts don't give you a Britney moment. I think you'd be fine to bring one long-sleeved top and one long pair of pants. Agree that you don't need anything fancy for going out - CR is very casual so if you want to pack light, it's okay to drop those. We bought our mosquito repellent at REI too; they had little travel size spray bottles that were very handy. Agree with hip, DEET works best for us.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 10:50 AM
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Er, make that "big enough for bullet ants to sting you through." Some places won't let you hike on their property without closed top shoes.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 11:54 AM
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RAC - True, but even more important don't stop in their path! They can quickly crawl to your ankles and start biting, ouch! I've hiked all over in Keen's and the only time I was bitten was when stopping to take a picture was more important than looking where I was standing. Doh! tully knows. ;-)
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 12:02 PM
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Hip:

It doesn't hurt to be doubly cautious. It's rarely the ones you see that get you.

There's also the whole issue of snakes. The guidebooks tell people that they won't see a venomous snake in the wild.

Which is kind of true. I didn't see this little guy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31267353@N03/3312367178/

until I almost stepped on him.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3126735...7614425822344/

Yep, that's a fer-de-lance. So, my advice is going to bend strongly towards the cautious side.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 12:25 PM
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This issue of venomous snakes seems to be coming up a lot lately. I think I'm going to start opting for the knee-high rubber boots!
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 12:41 PM
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We wear our running shoes for hiking and Keen's for the beach and or wet environments.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 01:11 PM
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Scary, RAC - even after I knew there was a snake in the first pictures, it still took me a while to spot it!
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 01:46 PM
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It seems different things work for different people as far as footwear goes: Running shoes, Keen-type shoes, or hiking boots are the popular options. I'd rather not get bit by any snakes (yikes, RAC!), so I guess we'll have to figure that one out.

Alright, so no jeans. No point if they're just going to be wet the whole time! What did you guys wear out to dinner at night?
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Old Oct 22nd, 2009, 01:47 PM
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shutterbug - No need to bring converters for battery chargers as CR uses the same voltage as the US.

For mozzie repellent, I prefer picaridin over DEET especially against no-see-ums.
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