Planning and Packing for an International Outdoor Adventure

Many people have questions regarding international travel but when you add in packing for outdoor adventures, travelling in small planes and boats with your luggage and staying in remote areas it gets even more confusing.
These tips are primarily for folks traveling to lesser developed regions like our Costa Rica and Panama trips but can also apply to first world adventures travelling for trips like our Italy kayaking trip.

​Many people have questions regarding international travel but when you add in packing for outdoor adventures, travelling in small planes and boats with your luggage and staying in remote areas it gets even more confusing.
These tips are primarily for folks traveling to lesser developed regions like our Costa Rica and Panama trips but can also apply to first world adventures travelling for trips like our Italy kayaking trip.

• Keep your passport on you at all times and have a copy in all pieces of luggage.
• Pack as light as possible and ideally in “duffel” style carry-on luggage.  Lost luggage is still pretty common in some parts of the world and if you’re traveling to a remote area your luggage can take days to find you (if it ever does).  You’ll want soft sided luggage because if you are travelling in small vehicles, boats or planes the ability to stuff your luggage into a small space is priceless.  Also, if travelling by small boat, luggage that is at least water resistant is handy.
• Clothing should be primarily synthetic with a few pieces of cotton for comfort.  Synthetic clothing can be washed in a sink and dries fast even in the most humid regions. Also, pack a small rubber sink stopper because many places, in remote regions, won’t have one in the sink.
• Repackage all of your personal toiletries into the smallest container (less than 3oz) that you can use in the time you are travelling.  You can carry everything you need for a two week trip and fit it in a quart sized Ziploc with some prior planning.  Always keep your medications with you and look into the laws of the country where you’re travelling.  You might find that one of your medications are illegal in your destination country.
• Bring an unlocked phone and purchase a SIM card at your destination or set up an international plan on your phone prior to leaving the US.  Also, download WhatsApp and get your family set up before leaving.  It is the most widely used app for communication worldwide.
• Inform your bank and credit cards about your travel plans.  This is easily done with most banks in your online account. It can be really frustrating when you arrive at a destination and your credit cards don’t work.
• Learn a few basic phrases of the local language. Even if it isn’t perfect, many locals will appreciate that you tried.
• Finally, learn about and respect the cultural and social norms in the country you are visiting.

This is by no means all inclusive list but should get you started on your journey.  If you want packing help, download the list that we use for our Costa Rica trip.

Planning and packing list for international trips
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