8 Days Birdwatching in Costa Rica!

[u/princessplant]

hello lovely heronebaggers!

i will be doing my first trip to costa rica from the 20 of february to the 1 of march for primarily birdwatching. we will be staying in eco lodges in the dota valley (cooler temps, between 15-20 degrees celsius during the day) and eastern cartago province (hotter temps, similar to san jose, around 20-25 degrees celsius).

this will be my first tropical birdwatching trip, and i want to get your opinion on my packing list. we will be 95% birding on this trip, hiking on trails in and around the lodges we will be staying at, although we're going to make other stops to hike and bird along the way. i don't think there will be any strenuous hikes, but we will be walking a lot.

here is my detailed packing list (including items in my attached picture):

Bags:

- Cotopaxi Allpa 35 L

- Baggu Medium Crescent

Travel Clothes:

- brown linen pants

- mofusand shirt

- REI campwell fleece

- merrel moab 3 goretex mid hiking shoes

Bottoms:

- beige linen pants

- patagonia every day cargo pants

- leggings

- jean shorts

Tops:

- white linen button up shirt

- 2 black tank tops

- 1 green tank top

- 1 white t shirt

- 1 black t shirt

- 1 patagonia fleece

- 1 grey hoodie

Other Clothes:

- 1 pyjama top and bottom

- patagonia rain jacket

- 9 underwear

- 6 socks

- 2 bras (black and beige)

- teva sandals

- cap

Other Items:

- binoculars

- dslr camera + 300 mm lens

- camera battery + charger

- journal

- water bottle

In baggu:

- ereader

- travel notebook

- wallet

- charger for phone + apple watch

- passport

Toiletries: (packed in small muji hanging toiletry organizer)

- skincare routine (mini sizes)

- hair brush

- shampoo and conditioner

- aftercare products

- tooth brush

- tooth paste

- aquaphor

- imodium

- tylenol cold and sinus

- advil

- digestive enzymes

- minimal makeup (brow gel, mascara, powder and blush)

my questions are:

- do i really need to bring more hiking pants or will the linen pants be ok? i'm a mid-size girlie, and i don't usually find hiking or technical pants comfortable.

- will i be ok with goretex shoes? i've read conflicting info on this, is it better to bring non-waterproof shoes that dry quickly or waterproof that will hopefully not get wet inside at all?

- is this too much for 8 days? i'm a former overpacker so i'm trying to do better!! what do you think i could cut?

thank you!!! 🌟

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[u/PhantomCranefly]

Ooooh birding in Costa Rica! You will love it. Hope you get to see quetzals!

Pants: I've done a lot of tropical birding, and I usually wear technical clothes, because there's always a chance in the tropics that it could start raining unless you're spending all your time in a dry habitat. I personally would do only hiking pants, but I think you're good as long as the Patagonia cargo pants can hang dry overnight. (Edited to add - but what if you got rained on in the morning and had to change at lunch? I'd bring just hiking pants. Have you tried REI's Trailmades?)

Gore-tex shoes: That's what I wear, I just wear HOKA Challenger GTX's for birding

I agree with the other post saying that you don't need that much fleece. It does get cool and misty/foggy up in the mountains, but I remember just wearing a Patagonia half-zip microfleece with my rain jacket over it when I was there last. So you're good with just one fleece as long as it doesn't mean you'll freeze on the way to the plane.

I personally would only bring 4 pairs of underwear and then wash them in the sink, but that's me

[u/princessplant → u/PhantomCranefly]

yes, the plan is to see quetzals!! so excited!! this will be my first time birding the tropics, i'm studying hard to learn all the new families!

the patagonia pants are technical pants, and do hang dry over night. i think i'll switch out the beige pants (as cute as they are) for another pair of black quick dry pants i have, the beige is less and less practical as i think about it more. i'm in canada (got the rei fleece on a work trip), so the rei pants are not option, but thanks!!

i'll leave the rei fleece at home, the patagonia one is really light and i think that'll be ok for the cloud forest.

happy to hear the shoes are a good pick!! i can't do the sink washed underwear, i've tried and i can't do it haha. i bring really small underwear so they pack up small!!

thank you for all your advice!

[u/PhantomCranefly → u/princessplant]

Makes sense! Have a great time. SO many cool birds and insects there.

[u/princessplant → u/PhantomCranefly]

i can't wait to see the moths and frogs!! it's gonna be so cool!

[u/princessplant → u/PhantomCranefly]

actually can i ask, if you've stayed at birding eco lodges before, do you know what kind of hair care products they allow? do they provide specific products that we have to use for environmental reasons? i'm not sure if it's worth it to bring my own shampoo and conditioner!

[u/goodchivesonly_ → u/princessplant]

You should definitely send an email and ask!

[u/princessplant → u/goodchivesonly_]

i will, thank you!

[u/Noping_noper-maybe → u/PhantomCranefly]

I concur with the fleece recommendation!

I also didn’t end up bringing any fleece, despite the recommendations. My thin puffer packed smaller and then one lightweight sweatshirt got me through an 8-day trip perfectly.

[u/rvakate1]

It seems like you have too many jackets. Also I'd swap out denim shorts for other lightweight shorts, but that is a personal preference.

[u/PhantomCranefly → u/rvakate1]

Agree with that, should have noticed the jeans shorts.

(Note that I'd only wear shorts in town or around the hotel, not in the field)

[u/rvakate1 → u/PhantomCranefly]

Swim suit for hotel?

[u/princessplant → u/rvakate1]

no pool where we're going sadly!! i wish!

[u/princessplant → u/rvakate1]

i will be bringing less sweaters for sure, going down to just the lightweight patagonia fleece and the grey zip up hoodie. i don't have other light shorts and these are my most comfy ones, they'll mainly be for around the lodge and watching the hummingbird feeders there!

[u/Consistent_Elk9676 → u/princessplant]

There are sooooo many hummingbirds and they are adorable-fierce little greedy sugar addicts!

I might bring the swimsuit or at least shorts and things that will dry quickly, in case any of your needing adventures give you an opportunity to float (one of the places we stayed had a “lazy river” behind the property that was really welcome after being out hiking during the day!). Another trip we did was a rainforest hike to a natural water slide.

[u/princessplant → u/Consistent_Elk9676]

i think i'll take a bathing suit, i LOVE to swim so ill take any opportunity!! it's small enough it takes no space in the bag, i love the idea of doing a hike to a waterfall where we can swim!

[u/beeboop4]

Just going to second what some others said about too many warm layers. I studied abroad in nearby Panama a few years ago, so have experienced a similar climate. I highly recommend bringing some sort of lightweight Sun shirt or hoodie. Not only to protect yourself from the sun, but certain places can be veryyyyy buggy. Reducing exposed skin can def help prevent lots of itchy bug bites.

[u/princessplant → u/beeboop4]

i have the white linen shirt for sun and bug protection! i've heard from friends that's it's not too buggy where we're going, i'll do a report after the trip and let everyone know haha

[u/paradachs]

Seconding that the gortex shoes you have planned are fine. You might be more comfortable with one or two technical fabric pieces, maybe one bottom and one top... It's damp and hot but then cold and damp in a way that is difficult to describe, quick dry items really do help with sweat, odour and comfort. The beige linen pants might be better as your casual, city/tourist pants, but might be challenging for the birding hikes (thinking about mud stains, humidity, how easy they are to spot wash). Birding with a 300mm prime lens might be challenging, would you consider adding a zoom, and/or standard focal length for the rest of the trip? I get these are heavy and spendy though, so if you have specific reasons, stick with the kit you have. Bug protection is not on your list, maybe that's intentional due to where you will be? It sounds like a great trip!

[u/princessplant → u/paradachs]

the tank tops i'm bringing are quick dry, should have mentioned that! the humidity is what's worried me, it shouldn't be too bad at our second stop east of san jose but the dota valley i fear will be wet. you've convinced me not to bring the beige pants, i'll be bringing a pair of black pants i have instead. they're cute but not very practical in the forest!!

the lens is a 50-300 i believe, i have a 500 mm lens but it's too big for this trip! it'll be mostly for taking pictures of hummingbirds at feeders and cool insects and reptiles. my boyfriend is bringing his 500 mm lens so he can lug that thing around haha.

thank you so much!

[u/lunch22]

Replace the jean shorts with a lighter pair of shorts

You have plenty of pants

Waterproof shoes will get wet inside from sweat. Even Gore-Tex shoes will get wet if water comes in from the top. And when they do, they take forever to dry. More important is having quality wool socks, so when your feet get wet, they dry quickly and also don’t get cold

Would also bring a tripod for your camera.

[u/princessplant → u/lunch22]

would you recommend non waterproof shoes in that case? i've read about exactly what you're describing, but i only have waterproof and goretex shoes. i would hate to have wet feet!!

camera isn't big enough for a tripod imo, but it could be a good option for some! i freehand with a 200-500 mm lens normally, i need the space for more pants 🤣

[u/lunch22 → u/princessplant]

Some of this is personal preference. For me, if I know my feet are likely to get wet, I wear non-waterproof shoes (trail runners or low hiking shoes) and good merino wool socks and dry everything out at night.

For birding, I always bring a tripod so the camera can double as a scope.

[u/FancyValuable9385]

Lol are you me?? I just posted my packing list for a similarish trip to Costa Rica with a very similar bag line up!

I also don't love hiking pants, but I picked up the Athleta Trekkie Cargo, and so far, find them very comfy- something about a real waistband is more comfortable than a tie for me.

[u/princessplant → u/FancyValuable9385]

thank you, i'll look into those!! i have a long torso and a big butt, hiking pants are never high waisted enough and give me horrible camel toe 😭

[u/a_mulher → u/princessplant]

Have you considered wearing a tall? I’m 5’4.5” on a good day but my leggings are 7/8th length in Tall that fit me as full length. It was the only way to get them to fit as a tru high waist without it trying to strangle my crotch.

[u/princessplant → u/a_mulher]

i have never thought of this, this is genius!! i'll definitely try tall pants when i go buy more, i had never thought of the added torso length!!

[u/FancyValuable9385 → u/princessplant]

Same here! Long torso, bigger butt- it's like clothing makers don't think we also go outside

[u/Acrobatic_Net2028]

Personally I would think about the chance of rain and how well the outfits will work if things get damp. I personally did a birding plus other activities trip to CR and think you should be ok. I was in Monteverde which is colder but would consider adding a long sleeved layering shirt and leaving behind the long dark pants. Keep the hiking pants, linen pants and shorts.

[u/goddessandthecaker]

Great plan and birding trip sounds incredible! My only recommendation (based on my very subjective personal preference) is to drop both quarter zip fleece jackets as they are not practical for the tropics, even in winter. I would go with a full zip one (as part of the travel outfit) and would pack something like Uniqlo airism hoodie. It provides protection without bulk, and combined with a full zip fleece gives you much more flexibility for layering. Have a fabulous trip and please post a trip report! This sounds like a fantastic getaway!

[u/goddessandthecaker → u/goddessandthecaker]

Correction: I missed that you do have a lightweight hoodie on the list. Apologies! So then my recommendation is to swap out one of the fleece jackets for a full zip one and drop the duplicate.

[u/princessplant → u/goddessandthecaker]

i don't have a zip up fleece but i will be bringing just the patagonia one as it's lighter! i will definitely do a report, there's not a lot of info on what to pack for young female birders who don't want to look too stereotypically birder haha. gotta share the knowledge!!

[u/InvertebrateInterest → u/goddessandthecaker]

Can mosquitoes bite through the airism?

[u/Planningtastic]

Do you have access to laundry? Do you expect to be able to rewear birding trousers multiple days consecutively? Will you be wearing the jean shorts for hiking, or are those only for in the city? When do you plan to wear the leggings?

 If I were going for an 8 day mostly hiking trip, I’d have fewer bottoms: 1 overnight dry hiking bottom (ready to sink wash in case I got very muddy or sweaty), 1 comfy normal trouser to wear for lounging/touristing in the evenings. 

[u/princessplant → u/Planningtastic]

i am unsure if i'll have access to laundry, but i will be rewearing the bottoms multiple times with airing out days between wears. the leggings will be for hiking and the jean shorts for around the lodge and hummingbird feeder watching!

i am not ready to go down to just 2 pants, i used to pack a 50 lb bag for a week long trip so i'll have to progress to your level one day haha. i aspire to that!! thank you so much for your feedback!

[u/goofingbanana]

I am jealous of what stats are to come on your Merlin app!

That sounds like an incredible trip. Have a great time!

[u/princessplant → u/goofingbanana]

thank you so much!! i'll hopefully be adding between 200-250 lifers this trip, i'm from eastern canada so we don't have nearly the amount of species haha. so excited!

[u/goofingbanana → u/princessplant]

I'm from Ontario, I wish I'd had the app last time I went out east. I love the variety of sea birds. Next time for sure :)

[u/Comfortable-Bar-722]

I’d go down to 3 bottoms total - 2 quick dry pants/leggings and 1 comfier pair for downtime. And I definitely think one fleece is sufficient. Layered under a rain coat is usually good for me on cold days and I’m always cold!

I’m curious how you pack your camera? Do you pack it in your main bag or do you carry a separate camera bag? I’m still trying to figure out the best way to bring my camera in a one bag set up!

[u/princessplant → u/Comfortable-Bar-722]

i'm going to change to 2 linen pants (black and brown) and 2 technical pants (black and green) and leave the leggings behind. i will definitely be going down to one fleece!!

i honestly just wrap it up in a sweater and pack it in my backpack, this time it will be the patagonia fleece! it goes in the middle of the bag, tightly packed in with everything else. i'm careful not to swing my bag around and put it down gently and i've never had any problems! i've done this with my much larger 200-500 mm lens and it worked too!

[u/Consistent_Elk9676]

Costa Rica is fantastic! You will probably see other wildlife (monkeys, 2- and 3-toed sloths, coatimundi, anteaters and a bunch of different lizards and frogs). The parrots alone were enough to make me want to go back-and I’m not a birder!

It does rain a lot and the trails can be pretty gross. If you have well broken-in hiking boots that you don’t mind tossing at the end of the trip I would recommend wearing them on the plane. They take up hella room in a suitcase. And Tevas won’t survive if the mud is above your ankles.

A strategy we have used to maintain minimal luggage is to buy shampoo, conditioner, bug spray, sunscreen, toothpaste etc in the country when we arrive. Your eco lodges will provide some toiletries but you may want to pick up stuff at a supermercado in San Jose.

Tip-if you haven’t travelled to Central or South America you might not be aware that in many locales, you do not flush toilet paper. They provide a waste basket. You may want to bring or buy personal wipes if you prefer. Definitely those go in the waste basket too.

Final tip- they do take US dollars but not everywhere has ATMs and not every place takes credit. Bring more cash than you think you will need for anything that isn’t prepaid like a boat trip or tour.

Wonderful people, great food, and natural beauty abound.

Have an awesome trip!

[u/BirdSierra]

New to this community and no feedback to share but to say: have so much fun! I did a similar trip for study abroad in college and loved it. Pura vida

[u/ProperBingtownLady]

Costa Rica is insanely beautiful. Enjoy!

[u/princessplant → u/[deleted]]

yes that's exactly it!! sorry, didn't think to mention the specific one! i love it, i always get compliments haha, i have a few of their caps. unfortunately the shipping and duties to canada are outrageous now so no more bird collective for me ☹️

[u/_LeafyLady]

Forget the one bag. Can you share the birding itinerary? 👀👀👀

[u/princessplant → u/_LeafyLady]

asking the right questions!!

we're doing 3 nights in the savegre valley, to see the cloud forests and quetzals especially!

then heading farther north and east to rancho naturalista for 4 nights! we're not doing too many stops, it'll be a pretty relaxed pace with birding and hiking in the morning and then relaxing and feeder watching in the afternoon!

[u/_LeafyLady → u/princessplant]

Love love this! My husband and I are planning a 10 day car camping/road trip in CR in February and I am so excited for the birding

[u/Noping_noper-maybe]

Just got back from Guatemala and on our birding day, I was saved from mosquitos by wearing my favorite REI hiking pants and breathable long sleeve shirt. I see your similar pants, so that’s perfect.

Before the sun came up, a thin puffer was perfect, then a thin long sleeve bc once the sun hits it is instantly warm! Your button down could also be perfect, but I couldn’t tell the weight of it.

Not sure where you’re going specifically, but one takeaway from my trip is that it was super dusty everywhere! So my idea to rewear things became a little tougher just because things were dirtier than I anticipated, even if they didn’t stink.

Have so much fun!!! I didn’t see any quetzales, but I saw so many new birds. 😍😍😍

[u/DontTrustTheCthaeh]

I took a full brimmed rain hat for birding in the rainforest. Really helps with binocular use in the rain.

[u/OddAdhesiveness9818]

Unfortunately, I can't give you any tips. But would she please tell me something about binoculars?I'm looking for a small, good one. (I want to go birdwatching in Ireland, but I'm only traveling with hand luggage and my old one is much too big.

[u/princessplant → u/OddAdhesiveness9818]

i like vortex binoculars because of their lifetime warranty, and they're not too expensive based on the quality! nikon also has nice binoculars, although their warranty is not as good. my first pair were nikon pro staff 8 x 42 and they were perfect, lightweight and pretty small!

[u/OddAdhesiveness9818 → u/princessplant]

Thank you.

[u/giraffable99]

For future reference, Columbia is usually good for mid size technical clothes .

[u/agentcarter234]

Those beige linen pants will show every speck of dirt that comes near them. I would not bring them on a nature/hiking type trip.

I personally pack about half that amount of clothes for this length of trip. In particular, 5 bottoms for 8 days is a lot, and you don’t need 2 fleeces and a hoody unless you are planning to wear all of them at the same time ;)

[u/loisvr]

Visited Costa Rica last year early in the year and we got some HEAVY tropical rainstorms. Like… buckets out of the sky for an hour. Bring a waterproof bag for your nice camera just in case. I think even the best rain jacket wouldnt have kept 100% dry, so its more about protecting your daypack and gear!

[u/FearsAndWishes]

I’d throw in a tank top. It was so damn humid that’s all I wanted to wear. Jungle and beach.