The Traveler's Life: Costa Rica
The Packing List

All the following stuff fit quite easily into a medium-sized duffle bag and a small backpack. Both bags are appropriate as carry-on baggage.

Clothes

6 pairs of socks	they got dirty and wet, but I could have managed with 4.
4 pairs of underwear	3 comfortable boxer briefs, good for walking, and some boxers, good for sleeping.
4 t-shirts	1 more would have been good. They get really smelly really quickly.
3 long-sleeve cotton shirts	Good for dealing with bugs. I wish I'd brought a black one for the beach at night; instead, I had to use one of my darker t-shirts. One of the shirts was never worn in Tortuguero so I'd have something clean to wear home.
1 pair of jeans	Worn to/from Costa Rica.
1 pair regular walking shorts
2 convertible shorts/pants	One khaki, one black. Dry quickly, and oh-so-convenient. Black for the beach at night.
1 goretex jacket	Good for dealing with rain, but make sure you've got plenty of ventilation options, because it's very humid. Most people used ponchos.
1 light fleece sweater	I never wore it, but I always pack it.
1 pair Teva sandals	Good for walking just about everywhere.
1 pair Meindl low-cut grey suede goretex walking/hiking shoes	The most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. After 50 miles of walking through mud, sand, rain, and salt water, a simple rinse under the tap left them looking like new.
1 Tilley hat	Great for sun and rain, but white colour not so good on the beach at night. I think I forgot it at the Britannia Hotel.

Accessories

Sunglasses
Sunscreen	Used only once. It wasn't that sunny, and when it was it was so hot that I stayed in the shade. I didn't get a sunburn.
29% deet bug spray	... and lo, there was much scratching and itching because I didn't use it the first few nights.
Toiletries	The usual.
Rechargeable electric razor	Fully charged, it can last me through a month's worth of shaving.
Pen and small pad of paper	The pen was useful; the paper, not so much.
Passport, USA work visa, etc.	Makes getting into countries easier.
Plane ticket, etc.	Makes getting onto planes easier.
About US$200 cash	Pretty much the exact right amount of cash to bring for this trip
Small maglite flashlight	Never used, but I'd still bring it.
Swiss Army knife	Used once, and I'd still bring it.

Diversions

1 laptop computer, extra battery, power cord	I write better on my computer, but I found myself compelled to create polished prose instead of just recording my impressions. Next time, I'll just bring writing paper.
1 SLR camera with 1 medium-sized 28-105 lens, polarizer filter, cable release and 1 small tripod	I usually travel with several lenses, but I wanted to try travelling a bit lighter this time around.
13 rolls of film -- mostly Kodak Royal Gold 100 & 400, plus some Fuji Velvia, Kodak 1000, and Kodak B&W 400	I shot 5 rolls of film -- three 100-speed rolls and two 400-speed rolls -- which is about half my usual travelling film consumption rate.
book: Moon's Costa Rica Guidebook	Inaccurate and hard to use.
book: "Costa Rica: A Traveler's Literary Companion", edited by Barbara Ras	Short stories by Costa Rican authors to get you in that Tico frame of mind.
book: "Are You Experienced?" by William Sutcliffe	Good book, but a very quick read. Next time, I'll bring something with smaller type. I wish I'd brought one more book.

Karma

3 pairs of used soccer cleats

To donate to the local community