Packing List
Different lodges and/or cruises may require slightly different packing strategies; our list applies most directly to the Napo Wildlife Center experience. That said, it’s probably a good baseline to use for any trip into the Amazon.
Medications & Vaccinations
Check the CDC website; notably, you will want a Yellow Fever vaccine, a Typhoid vaccine, and a TDAP update if you haven’t had one recently. Your doctor is also likely to prescribe malaria pills (malarone).
Mosquito Protection
Permethrin treat all of your clothing at home before your trip. The spray needs a 4+ hours to dry, so don’t leave this for the ultimate last minute. You can buy permethrin spray at REI. Follow the instructions and do it outside; I recommend wearing a (K)N-95 mask (you’ve probably got one of those now, eh?). Permethrin is not toxic to you or your pets once it dries, but be careful until then.
100% Deet spray: pack this in about 15000 concentric plastic bags, as deet sprays often leak and ruin your other toiletries and even toiletry recepticles. Use only on your skin directly. Try to wash it off each day, as it is toxic.
Picaridin lotion: Any skin that was sort-of exposed (other than our faces) got slathered in picaridin each day.
Wristband: You can get these cheaply at REI - can’t hurt, right?
Mosquito-repellant soap:
Sleep in your mosquito net
Wear long sleeves and pants when possible, and certainly when recommended by your guide.
Backpack vs. Suitcase
A lot of blogs I read recommended bringing a trekking backpack and packing extremely light. I do recommend packing light - your lodge staff has to literally paddle-canoe your bags to the lodge for you. It has to fit in a small boat, along with everyone else’s stuff. Be nice. That said, you will never be trekking around with all your stuff; with Napo Wildlife Center, they took our bags from when we landed in Coca, and shepherded them all the way to our rooms for us! So, you could bring a small to medium suitcase if you prefer.
You do absolutely need a day pack - a small backpack that will fit your camera, granola bars, binoculars, rain coat, long sleeve shirt, bug spray, bug lotion, hand sanitizer, sun glasses, hat, and whatever else you need for the day.
Clothing
Permethrin treat all of your clothing prior to going to the Amazon! Mosquito-borne illness is a real problem, and I’m told it’s not very fun to get one.
Hiking Pants: 2 pair. You will want long pants to keep mosquito bites to a minimum. However, it’s 85+ F and 100% humidity every day in the Amazon, and you will need lightweight, breathable pants that are also ideally water resistant. I brought these zip-offs and a pair of these drawstring pants; both worked well, and it was nice to have the option of shorts for dinner some nights.
Linen Pants:
Shorts: Save space and just bring some hiking zip offs! You won’t need your shorts very much; even though it’s tempting to wear them due to the heat and humidity, you really do not want to get a mosquito-borne illness.
T-Shirts: 2. Think lightweight, breathable, loose, and unstinkable. Two great options are linen or an exercise shirt made with odor-proof technology. Men’s exercise shirts tend to be looser than women’s and therefore a better match for this trip. A tight-fitting shirt will not prevent mosquito bites, and that is arguably your shirt’s primary function. I was able to wear my linen t-shirt every single day, and it was not odorless, but didn’t make Ian jump out of the canoe, either.
Long Sleeve Loose Shirts: 2. Linen button down or ex-officio lightweight shirt is your best option here. You won’t have to wear long sleeves 100% of the time, since mosquitos are not terrible while in the canoe. But on jungle walks, you will absolutely need to wear long sleeves. I brought a 3/4 sleeve linen button down with me and didn’t wear it at all, because I always wanted my full arms covered when mosquito protection was critical.
Sports Bras: 3+. I brought 3 and wound up having to wash one via the lodge’s laundry service even so.
Hiking Boots: While many other blogs had insinuated that you could bring your own hiking boots as an alternative to the “clunky rubber boots” provided by the lodges, that’s not really the case; rubber wellies are MUCH better at the essential task of keeping out bullet ants and snakes. You should absolutely take your lodge up on wearing those rubber boots! Your hiking boots are actually for canoe rides, where it might rain at any moment, and you’ll want water-proof footwear. Waterproof sandals are not as great of an option for rain, because you need to wear socks with them in the Amazon (mosquitos), and your socks will get soaked.
Sandals: Bring ideally waterproof sandals that can be worn with socks (no thongs), for nights around the lodge when it’s not raining, or for canoe rides where you’re willing to risk it.
Pajamas: I brought a regular cotton/synthetic tee and couldn’t bear to wear it; I wound up sleeping in my second linen tee. Just bring one for sleeping. It’s too hot to wear anything else to bed. I would have loved to be able to wear light pants to bed, but it was too effing hot, and you are under a sheet and a mosquito net anyway. Lightweight shorts won out.
Sun Hat: I am highly resistant to wearing the Dorky Jungle Hat, but for this trip, I succumbed. You’re on the freaking equator. And, you can permethrin-treat your hat along with the rest of your clothes for extra bug protection.
Rain coat: Light weight! Your lodge will likely provide ponchos for most of the times you’d need this, but you’ll need it on the motorized canoe if it’s raining, and you’ll need it in Quito for sure.
Light sweater: Other sites say to bring a “wool sweater or fleece” - it was WAY too hot for that in November, and probably year round. A light sweater is nice to have, especially if you need to take the motorized canoe in a downpour. A puffer is also unnecessary.
Bathing suit: If you’re splurging for a jacuzzi hut, this one’s for you. No need otherwise.
Darn Toughs: Is my blog secretly just an elaborate ad for Darn Toughs? Maybe! But no, they really are not paying me. You will want the lighter weight micro crew wool socks for this trip. While I usually don’t recommend taking more than 1 pair of Darn Toughs, it’s SO humid that it’s helpful for this trip. Bring 3 pairs.
Fuzzy socks: A comfy but not too warm pair of socks to wear around your hut, or to dinner with your sandals.
Everything Else
While not strictly necessary, waterproof packing cubes are really helpful to keep your stuff from getting damp and for separating your items in your bag.
