Captain Kitty's Insatiable Wunderlust I have been suffering from Wunderlust since 1998. This disease is non-curable, and I will die from it. The only treatment is a psychiological temporary displacement, and as the disease increases in strength my displacement must become stronger as well. Destinations keep getting further and further, longer and longer. If I don't treat it, I will fall into a chemical depression and put myself at risk from malnutrition, fatigue, anxiety attacks, and clinical depression. This blog will be my records living life with Wunderlust.

Packing List for the Amazon

CANADA | Friday, 2 February 2007 | Views [1502] | Comments [1]

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Packing for The Amazon

a strong liquid detergent for washing the sweat from your hiking clothes.
hiking boots or shoes, preferably waterproof, and snake-proof!
3-5 hiking outfits. Long pants a MUST! Long sleeves would be good too. NO BLACK! Short sleeves can pass for daytime, but make sure you wear lots and lots of sunscreen. Avoid short sleeves for night excursions or walks in the woods or swamps, where there are lots of bugs.
Several casual outfits for lounging in the heat! Light dresses, sarongs, shorts/tee's. You won't need lots of this if you keep busy in the rainforest!
Clothespins (sometimes) depending on if they are supplied - but they're good to have.
Maleria pills and diarrhea medicine
Books to read for the long flight
Journal or notebook to track animals, itinerary etc. or write things down!
First Aid Kit - Antiseptic, Ointment, Anti-itch, band-aids, Water purify tablets, alcohol pads.
Floss!!! And toothbrush/paste.
Water bottle of your own is also nice (I got blue dye all over my arms from the bottles we were given, because of the DEET melting the dye)
Sandals (not for walking but OK for boats)
Hats! Cover your head, the equator WILL fry your brain! Ball caps are ok, but it's good to cover Face AND Neck.
iPod is very nice to have.
Soap/Shampoo/Etc. that can dissolve in COLD WATER. Biodegradable please!
Ziploc bags, garbage bags, anything to protect your camera, film, and other things. (Your passport will likely melt in the humidity)
Luggage lock.
Socks! Your feet will sweat on the hikes, and if you don't bring socks, you will suffer.
Earplugs. I'm scared of bugs at night crawling in my ears!
Bugspray with AT LEAST 30% DEET. Off backwoods is good.
SUNSCREEN. The sun is MUCH stronger near the equator, and it only takes 1 hour to get a suntan, or sunburn depending on your skin. ALSO a nasty side effect of Malarone is that you TURN RED in any amount of sun, so you'll look like you are sunburnt. I had a bright red nose for days, but I didn't burn!
DO NOT KEEP FOOD ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR BELONGINGS. Just a wise piece of advice...
Sunglasses. This is something I drastically regret having forgotten.
Bring a little bit of money too! You can buy handicrafts from the occassional villagers! Usually 10-30 Reais.

Comments

1

Hi! I'm planning on going to Ecuador (Galapagos, Andes, Amazon) for a month this summer and I was wondering if you encounter a lot of bugs down there. I have a bit of spider-phobia - should i treat that before going? Thanks so much for your input!

helena Mar 13, 2008 3:37 PM