How to Pack for a Month of Epic Adventure in the Galapagos & Ecuador

I’m exhausted. I am not a shopping person, and I just got done with what I think was the most marathon shopping experience of my life. (I wrote this in December 2018 but didn’t post it for months!). I thought that we were outfitted for travel, after all, we spend several weeks traveling every year and I feel like we’ve been pretty prepared. However, when I started reading about the Galapagos and Ecuador, I realized that we had some work to do.

Layers and more layers! The weather conditions in Ecuador are constantly changing.

First, we have never spent a month away from home before as a family. Second, we only managed to get ourselves out of the US for the first time this year. To Canada. I felt like a loser every time I went in to give blood and they asked if I had been out of the US in the past five years. Uh. Nope. Sigh. Basically, we have been used to all of the amenities the US offers, and we know how to navigate well here. Plus, we always had a vehicle. Ecuador is a whole different ball-game. We will not have a vehicle the entire time we’re there, and who knows when we will have access to laundry facilities. I am planning to do most of our laundry by washing things in the sink and hanging them to dry overnight, so I need things that will dry relatively quickly. Also, since we will be in Ecuador during the wet season, cotton is not advisable.

Rain jackets are essential - especially when you choose to go during the rainy season!

In other words, our normal camping uniform of t-shirts and jeans, or whatever travel pants happened to be on sale when we looked, won’t work. And carrying all of our gear to and from piers or bus stops starts to make you think about lighter gear. This is something that we have been working toward for a while in our camping gear, but our clothing has been a bit “whatever". We have growing girls, so investing in travel wear for them has not been a priority, nor very necessary. So, off to find travel wear for all of us that is light, easily washable, cool when it is hot, warm when it is cool, dries easily, tough, comfortable, socially responsible (didn’t always happen) and affordable. No problem. I thought I would easily be done in a week (seriously, I thought that, hello naivety).

Carting our gear around was a pain, but I can’t imagine if we would have had more - all of our clothes are in the two brown bags!

Below is a list of what we ended up with for clothing along with updates on how well it performed for us. I will make separate packing lists for the remainder of our gear. My kids are hard on clothes to begin with, so a durability test should be an easy task for them. I started out with help from a list compiled by some excellent bloggers - Practical Wanderlust. However, I ended up deviating from it quite a bit. Mostly because we ordered things, tried them on, compared them and sent them back again. I took the general gist of the list and shopped at some of my favorite outdoor sites (REI, Backcountry, Sierra Trading Post and Amazon). I am buying for four people, so price is definitely an object. I have affiliate links below, but I also recommend comparing between the sites for the same things, or Google it. There may be significant price differences. Also - this is what works (hopefully) for us. Everyone is different - YMMV.

A note on wool gear - I have always loved wool. It is so versatile, and it has come so far as a clothing. No longer itchy and bulky, modern wool gear is lightweight, cool in the heat, warm in the cold, anti-odor and comfortable. Not to mention that it stays warm when wet and is easily washed in the sink and hung or laid flat to dry overnight. Perfect. I have never really had wool travel wear before though. Wool base layers have been a staple in our house for years, but they have been chosen for function not form. I didn’t even know that they made wool tank tops and t-shirts now. Brilliant.

Travel Pants

Prana Zioneer Pants for Men – Practical Wanderlust recommended the Prana Zion Stretch Pants. I ordered those, the Prana Brion Pants and the Prana Zioneer Pants. (Could they make their names more confusing?) On Amazon they have a comparison chart that highlights some of the differences between the pants and shorts. Jake thought the Brion was roomier than the Zion, even though the chart shows the opposite. Again - YMMV. He had already tried several other brands of pants throughout the years that are probably considered travel-friendly: Kuhl Radikal pants, Fjall Raven pants, REI pants. After trying everything on, he opted to go with the Zioneer pants. He likes the fit and the fact that they have a cargo pocket on the side for his phone. We will see if that holds true after a month of wearing just these. Another pant that was just slightly edged out by the Zioneer pants was the Toad and Co Barrow Pants (no longer available). He really likes these, but just felt a little more comfortable in the Zioneer pants. Update: Overall, after a month with only two pairs of these he is still a fan. One of the features that he really likes is the built-in belt; it works well and avoids the need to bring a belt (one less thing!). The fabric is lightweight, stretchy and dirt-resistant and very comfortable to wear even when sitting for long periods on planes or buses. A downside is that the thinner fabric does telegraph that you have money or credit cards in your pocket. Also, the back pockets don’t fit a phone (iPhone XS) very well which is a little annoying. The cargo pocket with zipper fit phone but doesn’t allow for quick access. All in all, he was happy with them.

Even at 16,000 ft - we were comfortable.

Prana Halle Pants for Women – These were recommended by Practical Wanderlust, and I really like them so far. They seem really comfortable and like I could wear them for hours on a plane or boat ride. I bought a pair for B. too, and she likes them as well. The only thing about them that I don’t like is that they come in really weird lengths. The regular inseam is 32” and the tall is 36”. That’s a huge difference! B. and I are fairly tall, and the regular inseam didn’t work for us, so we had to order tall ones and have them altered. Not a biggie, but something to keep in mind, especially if you have time constraints. Update: I still like them. Some of the complaints are the same as for the Zioneer pants: the back pockets don’t fit my phone well, the lightweight fabric shows I have something in my pocket, and for me the cargo pocket barely fit my phone (iPhone XS), so it was hard to get in and out. B. broke the draw strap at the waist soon into the trip, so she needed a belt (which we kept forgetting to get for her). Overall really comfy to wear, even for long periods. Easy to keep clean and comfortable in both the heat and cold.

B. trying out the lounging aspects of travel clothes. She approved!

Toad and Co. Cassi Pants for Women – I think I am going to absolutely love these. When I tried them on, I sat down and couldn’t even feel them tighten up by the knee. I love the placement of the stash pocket too – perfect for my phone (iPhone XS). Update: These were my favorite pants. I am really sad though, because it looks like they don’t make them anymore. They were super comfortable, easy to keep clean, stretchy and the cargo pocket fit my phone really well. Some of the complaints are still there too: lightweight fabric shows pocket contents and back pockets don’t fit phone. They’re still an awesome pant. I just wish they still made them. The Prana Halle pant is a good choice too.

Reima Stilta Pant for Girls. These are a zip-off pant for M. I only found one pair of shorts for her, so these will double as her other pair. They have the adjustable waist (a must for her), and she has to cinch them up quite a bit, but they are long enough. They are also lightweight enough to dry easily. She’s not crazy about how bunched up they are at the waist, but I think it’s her best option. She has an older pair of zip-off REI pants, but they’re a little short. We’re going to bring them though, so we’ll see how they compare. Update: She liked them. They were comfortable to travel in and she felt like they worked out well. She said they are a little baggy, which she wasn’t crazy about, but pretty much everything that is long enough for her is too baggy. It’s just how she is built. Unfortunately, these are no longer available either and I don’t see anything equivalent that Reima makes. The REI Sahara pants are a good choice too though.

Shorts

Zion Stretch Shorts for Men – After trying these and the Prana Brion shorts, Jake chose these. I think that this was just a matter of personal preference. We are going to bring two pairs. Again, we will see if he still likes them by the middle of February, and how they hold up. Update: Pretty much the same thoughts as for the Zioneer pants, except that the he loved the cargo pocket on these. The pocket has both a top zipper and a hidden side zipper. This allows him to access the pocket easily both when he is standing or sitting.

Prana Hallena Shorts for Women– I decided to mix it up with my allotted two pairs of shorts and got a pair of these and the Aria pair reviewed below. I like that these have zippered pockets in the front, mainly for security when traveling. They’re stretchy, lightweight and comfortable. Update: My phone didn’t fit in these at all. I did like them slightly better than the Aria, mainly because they were a little roomier which was nice for long travel days. They dried quickly and were overall comfortable and durable.

Biking out to the Wall of Tears on Isabela Island. We sweated a lot that day, but still didn’t stink!

Prana Aria Shorts for Women– These are a little more fitted than the Hallena shorts. All of the pockets are zippered, which is kind of nice. They’re stretchy, lightweight and comfortable too. Update: My phone didn’t fit in these either. Like I mentioned above, the fitted style wasn’t quite as comfortable on long travel days, but I still liked them. The zippered pockets were great for security and they were dirt resistant. I wore them over my swimsuit quite a bit and sometimes swam in them. They dried quickly afterwards and were still comfortable.

Prana Danica 7” Inseam Shorts for Women- B. went with two different kinds of shorts too. These and the Scrambler reviewed below. She likes a longer short, so these fit the bill.

The trail to the Tortoise Breeding Center on Isabela was a hot hike as well. More sweating.

Mountain Hardware Right Bank Scrambler for Women – B’s other short choice. Elastic waist, stretchy fabric and loose fit for hiking and scrambling. Her kind of short. Update: She wore this one the most. She swam in it, wore it under dresses and on boat rides. It held up well: dried quickly, was comfortable and durable.

Marmot Ginny Shorts for Girls– I didn’t find much for travel shorts in M’s size. These are lightweight and supposedly quick drying. Update: She ended up really liking these. She says that they were comfortable, and she felt like they fit her waist well (which doesn’t often happen). They dried quickly too.

Travel Shirts

Tank tops were nice on the islands, but didn’t get used much on the mainland. My advice would be to go with something more versatile.

ExOfficio Give and Go Tank Tops for Women. I bought a few of these for the girls and for me. They should work with layers nicely, and if the girls grow out of them soon, it isn’t nearly as big of an investment as wool layers are. Update: these worked out pretty well, they did layer nicely, but I do kind of wish that we would have stuck with wool t-shirts all the way around. The sun in Ecuador is super strong, and it was more comfortable to have our shoulders covered. Also, when we got to the highlands in mainland Ecuador it would have been nice to have the warmth. It warmed up during the day but could be pretty chilly at night. Another reason why I might not bring these again is that one of the strap sliders broke right away. We were able to kind of fix it, but it was a bit of a pain and not something I wanted to deal with. They did dry very nicely when washed – even in the super humidity – so that was a plus. They were also really airy and comfortable in the heat.

Arc’teryx shirts were versatile, but not as soft as the Smartwool ones.

Arc’teryx – Lana short sleeve shirt for Women. I bought two of these – one for me and one for B. – in different colors so we could share. B. complained when she tried it on that it was scratchy. I washed it right away and that seemed to help. Update: We probably wore these shirts the most. Having our shoulders protected from the sun while in the Galapagos was a factor, as was the drying time. Even in the humidity these dried pretty quickly – not exactly overnight, but close enough that we could wear them, and the heat of our bodies would finish off the drying process quickly. They never really lost that bit of scratchiness though, and they were kind of thin. They worked well but weren’t spectacular.

Arc’teryx – A2B Tank for Women. I bought one of these. I’m thrilled that they have tank tops in wool. I think this will be awesome for the islands and should be great for layering in the mainland as well. Update: Yup. This worked out well. For some reason, the merino wool blend that Arc’teryx uses isn’t as soft as what Smartwool uses. I was happy with it overall, but like I mentioned before, having our shoulders exposed to the sun was a bigger deal than I thought it would be.

Smartwool Short Sleeve 150 Base Layer for Women- I bought one of these in XS for M. I want at least one shirt that will protect her shoulders. It seems really soft and comfortable – a little big, but nearly everything is on her super-slim body. I see almost no difference other than the size from the shirts that I bought for Jake (see below), so it may be worth looking at switching back and forth between women’s and men’s, if there is a significant price difference. Update: This shirt worked out really well. I wish I would have bought more. It was soft and comfortable, and versatile. Like I mentioned earlier, having our shoulders protected from the sun turned out to be a bigger deal than I originally anticipated.

The Smartwool shirts were perfect - versatile, comfortable and odor-resistant.

Smartwool Short Sleeve 150 Base Layer for Men – These look exactly like the one I bought for M, except bigger. I bought three of these for Jake, just in different colors, since these will be what he wears the majority of the time. I couldn’t find anything else in wool that was on sale. I think I wasted a lot of time trying to find things that were on sale. Yes, I saved money, but as a business owner, that time could probably have been more profitably spent on my business. Oh well. What’s done is done and I did save money. Update: Jake really liked these. They didn’t smell even after days spent sweating in the hot sun. He said that he tried really hard to get them stinky but didn’t succeed. They were comfortable and dried quickly when washed. Overall, a winner. They went the distance, and still look fairly new even after a lot of use and abuse.

Cotton isn’t the best choice for Ecuador.

Toad and Co. DeBug Swifty Long Sleeve for Women. We’re going to be in the Amazon Jungle, so bugs are a serious concern. Apparently, the shirt is treated with Permethrin and the repellant will last through 70 washings. It is also cotton though, so I am slightly nervous about that, but I think it should be okay, and I can always wear a wool layer under it if it is too damp. Update: This worked pretty well. It was damp everywhere though, so I did wear a wool layer under it. In the Amazon the bugs were pretty mild – at least around Puyo, which is as far as we went in. I think cotton is still not a great choice. In the future I will just spray a lightweight long sleeve wool shirt with a clothing safe repellant before we go.

The Lumen Hoodies got used a lot, they were wonderful for airy sun protection.

ExOfficio BugsAway Lumen Hoodie (Long Sleeve) for Women – I bought two of these. One for each of the girls. My rationale is pretty much the same as above – bugs, layering, etc. Also, the hoods will provide sun protection, and the fabric is lightweight enough to wear even on a hot day. At least that is the plan… Update: These worked out pretty well. They were kind of baggy, and they didn’t resist dirt very well, but they were cool and comfortable. The bugs were never bad at all, so I don’t know how well they repelled them, but the girls did like them, and they layered well.

Icebreaker 200 Oasis LS Crew Top for Men– This is a merino long sleeve top for Jake. Nice for layering, especially on the mainland. Nice, soft and comfortable. Jake isn’t shy about saying he doesn’t like something, and this shirt gets his seal of approval. Update: soft, great for travel, adds a great layer, versatile, good all around. Perfect.

Smartwool hoodies were the best. After a long day of travel B. would refer to it as her “germ shield”

Smartwool Merino 250 Base Layer ½ Zip Hoody for Women– B. and I each got one of these and I think we’re really going to like them. They are super soft and lightweight and are warm too. I confess that I am rather partial to hoodies. I love the look and I get cold easily, so having a hood works well for me. Update: I wore this pretty much daily. Even in the Galapagos, the nights were sometimes cool enough that I was very grateful for it. B. loved hers too. They didn’t get stinky, in spite of getting wet and sweaty a decent amount, and they were so comfortable. They are pretty stain resistant as well, which for me is a definite bonus. Best of all, they still look practically new even after a month of heavy use. Winner!

Travel can involve a lot of waiting - we played a lot of cards. Get clothes that you can move and sit in for long periods of time.

Smartwool Hidden Trail Donegal Hooded Sweater for Men – This is for Jake. Merino wool and super soft. He likes that it is slightly dressy with some texture on shoulders – it has some style to it. Update: This worked very well. It was warm, soft and comfortable. As with all the wool gear that we bought, it didn’t get stinky and held up well to a lot of abuse.

Dresses and Leggings

B. stole my Smartwool dress on a regular basis.

Smartwool Everyday Explorer Hooded Dress. I’m super excited about this dress. It has a hood to keep the sun off my neck – if needed, and it’s wool and sleeveless. I want something that will allow me to dress up sometimes, but that is very easy care as well. I love to wear trail dresses when we are camping – it just makes me feel a bit less grubby - and having a wool travel dress is perfect! I’m going to bring some leggings too, so that I can even wear it on cool days as a skirt. Fun! Update: I loved this dress. It was perfect. Dressy enough to go out to eat at nice places and casual enough to wear to the beach over a swimsuit. B. liked it too and even stole it from me a few times!

Fjallraven High Coast Strap Dress – I have had this dress for years and it has been my go-to camping/trail dress. I have worn it swimming, wakeboarding, camping, hiking, as well as to more dressy events. Perhaps it shouldn’t have surprised me that it is getting worn out. I brought it to Ecuador and hardly wore it at all because the fabric on the back of the shoulder straps is getting thin. It probably wasn’t the most practical dress to bring anyway. It is cotton and cotton is just not a great fabric for Ecuador. It has put up with constant abuse for a number of years though, so overall, I recommend it as a great travel dress – just not for super wet humid places. I wish I would have brought another wool dress instead, especially since B. kept taking mine!

Elietian Leggings – I love leggings. I wear them with so many things. They work fabulously under dresses for a warmer layer, and under pants as a light base layer. I have tried a lot of leggings over the years and these are my favorites – soft, super comfortable and without a big elastic waistband that can show under thin dresses or shirts, or bunch up uncomfortably under pants. They worked on the Galapagos as well as on the mainland. Love them.

Socks & Underwear

Jake’s pile of clothes. Not bad for 1 month of travel in varying conditions!

Smartwool Socks – Women’s, Men’s and Kid’s– Smartwool socks have been our standard for years and we love them. They make them for so many different activities and we use their warranty program quite a bit too since we are fairly hard on socks. All of us brought at least one pair of Smartwool socks. Merino wool socks are perfect for anytime, but especially for travel. They don’t get stinky very easily, dry quickly and stay warm even when wet – something very important to consider when going to Ecuador.

RedHead – This is our other favorite sock brand. They are made in the USA, they’re wool and they have a lifetime guarantee (only some of them – pay attention when buying). I have sent back several pairs that we have worn holes in, and they have replaced them no problem. These are my favorite all around sock. Jake likes the thicker ones and wears them all of the time.

ExOfficio and Smartwool Underwear - We’ve been a fan of Tim Ferris for years now and Jake remembered a post where he had talked about his ultralight packing, so we looked it up: ExOfficio Give-and-Go for Men and Women. We have three pairs each, except for M. who has Smartwool PhD. I was able to find a deal on these just in her size, so she will be our test subject. I am a little nervous about this, but other people have had really good experiences, so we’ll hope for the best! If it doesn’t work - EEK! Update: It actually worked out fine. It was so humid that in general things didn’t dry out very well, but all of these dried just fine. I think both the Smartwool and the ExOfficio are good choices. All of us were comfortable and they all cleaned and dried well. No complaints!

Swimsuits & Rash Guards

We wear our swimsuits constantly in the summer, and are very hard on them, so I knew we needed a refresh – especially since Ecuador has so many water-based activities!

Rash guards are essential. Shorts that can get wet are super useful too.

RBX Sublimation Strappy Tankini Set– This one was for me. I actually really loved it. It is nice to have a two piece for bathroom reasons, and this one was nice and fitted so I didn’t feel like such a mom. It held up well and was comfortable under a wetsuit too.

Carve Designs Beacon Full One-Piece Swimsuit – B’s choice – many of the Carve Designs swimsuits are made in the US, which was definitely a factor for us. We try and buy as much as we can from companies with strong ethical and sustainability policies. She loved it and it held up to constant salt water, sand, sun and boat rides very well.

Patagonia Stretch Wavefarer 21” Board Short – Jake’s choice. I had to research the difference between swim trunks (elastic waist, mesh lining), board shorts (drawstring waist, typically longer) and hybrid shorts (able to be used as a normal short or for swimming). He has always had swim trunks before. His thoughts: Comfortable to wear even when moving around and sitting a lot, which is key. Worked well.

Get rash guards that fit well. M. felt weighed down by hers when she wasn’t wearing a wetsuit.

Dolfin Uglies String Back One-Piece Swimsuit – M’s choice. I had to order and return a bunch of these. I don’t think that their sizing chart is accurate. She ended up with one that was just slightly too small because the next size up didn’t come in time. It did work out fine though, she was comfortable, and it held up well. I think they are a good choice for a not-too-expensive suit for a growing kid.

Patagonia LS RO Hoody for Men – We had read about how strong the sun is in Ecuador and also how the beach can be so much more enjoyable if you have some protection from sand and surf. Those people were right. We were so glad that we had rash guards! We all got white ones to try and bounce as much heat off as possible, even though I especially trash white clothing within a week (too accident-prone). They were great when surfing, diving, snorkeling etc. All of them had hoods because we wanted to protect the backs of our necks when snorkeling. That worked out really well too. I read a bunch of reviews and the Patagonia RO Hoody was at the top of the list. It worked out well, but Jake wished that it wasn’t quite so tight, especially the hood. To be fair, it is designed so that the hood won’t come down, even when surfing, and it didn’t. He just felt slightly silly.

Where else do you get to comfortably swim with penguins??

O’Neill Print Hoodie for Women – B. and I each had one of these. They worked well and were comfortable. The hoods didn’t stay up very well in the surf, and they were slightly loose, but we generally liked them. They kept the sun off. These weren’t very stain resistant, but for the amount of use we got out of them, I was satisfied.

Roxy New Waves Hooded Rash Guard – M. used this one, and pretty much all of the comments above apply equally, with one exception: even though it was an XS, it was too loose on her for general swimming. She felt like it was weighing her down. She had no trouble when she was wearing it over her shorty wetsuit, since that provided buoyancy, but otherwise wished that she had something more fitted.

Happiness is being able to enjoy moments like these. The right gear helps enormously.

Outerwear – Rain and Puffy Jackets

The combination of rain jackets and puffy down jackets worked out exceptionally well for the diverse weather conditions that we encountered throughout our trip. The rain jackets doubled as windbreakers and the puffy jackets provided a decent amount of warmth.

Patagonia Torrentshell Jacket – Available in Men’s and Women’s sizes. Jake and I each have one. Loved them. Fit well and worked well. Mine was white and I did manage to stain it, but I also was able to get the stains out when we got home. They pack up nicely into an integrated pocket, which was wonderful as well.

Sisters. At least they’re comfortable - even when they aren’t getting along!

REI Co-op Girls Rainwall Jacket – This was the jacket that M. used, and it also worked well. Kept the rain off and the wind out, so she was happy. In general, we have been really happy with the REI Co-op brand. It performs well, and it is pretty affordable. Also, from what I have read, they have pretty good supply chain accountability.

Columbia Rain Jacket for Youth– B. has had this jacket for several years and it has put up with a lot of abuse. I don’t think that they make this particular version anymore, but she has a couple of complaints that you should watch out for when purchasing a jacket. She says that the mesh on the inside is a bit annoying and that it doesn’t improve the jacket. She also doesn’t like that it doesn’t pack down into an integrated packet like the other jackets. I couldn’t find the exact one that she has, but this one is pretty similar.

Early morning in the HIghlands of mainland Ecuador. By noon we had traveled down into the valley and shed a lot of layers.

Patagonia Nano Puff for Women and Men – These are the jackets Jake and I used. Warm, comfortable and extremely packable into a small integrated pocket. The pocket also has a loop, so you can attach your packed jacket to a backpack or belt easily. Really nice jackets. Even though it was really cold on our Cotopaxi hike, I was warm enough in this jacket. My fingers were freezing, but my core was warm.

REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket – Kids and Women – M. has the kid’s version and B. the women’s. They say that they are cozy, warm, easy to maneuver in and they love that they pack down into a pocket.

Making friends with llamas. The sun is super strong even when it is cold out. Keep a hat on, and wear sunscreen!

Footwear

These shoes have seen a lot of country, from beaches to mountaintops, and everything in between.

Keen Arroyo II Shoes – Men’s, Women’s – I have had a pair of these for years and have put a lot of miles on them. I absolutely love them. For this trip, Jake and B. each got a pair too. Jake has had a lot of different Keens over the years, but I think that these worked out the best for him. They have a closed toe and heel and the leather makes them very durable. They also dry fairly easily. These were pretty much the only shoes that we wore. We have found that you can hike in them easily and wear them with or without socks, so the versatility is perfect for the different environments we found ourselves in. Keens have been our go-to hiking and camping shoes for a number of years now, and they worked equally well in the tropics and hiking up Cotopaxi.

Keen Newport H2 – Kids – These are a less durable kids’ version of the Keens mentioned above, but still have the closed toe and heel. They work for M. and when she finally stops growing, we’ll get her the more expensive, more durable ones.

B’s stack of clothes for the month. She’s the only one who liked her water shoes.

Vibram FiveFingers – Men’s, Women’s, Kid’s– We thought that we would use these for water shoes and on the beach since the Galapagos has sandy beaches, but a lot of lava rock too. We didn’t. They were kind of a waste of space and weight. The beaches do have some lava rock, but it is fairly easy to avoid, and we usually didn’t want to bother with extra shoes. These are good shoes, but we wish we wouldn’t have brought them. This may not be true for everyone though because we also brought neoprene dive boots to wear with our fins. These pretty much replaced water shoes as they have durable enough soles to walk on trails to the beaches. If you don’t bring dive boots to wear with fins (I recommend that you do – see more info here), you may want water shoes.

Barefoot Quick Dry Water Shoes – These were the water shoes that B. brought. The same comments as above apply. She did go to the Baja Peninsula in Mexico with my parents shortly after this trip and actually used them there. In fact, she wished that she would have been better about wearing them because she got some cuts on her feet while wading that could have been prevented.

Miscellaneous

Sun Hats – So necessary in Ecuador. The sun is super strong! Everyone except M. had a baseball cap; she had more of a sun hat. Both worked, but it was necessary to wear a Buff (see below) with the baseball hats to protect our necks. Bring hats!

Buffs are essential for protecting your neck from the sun. We were glad that we went to the Wall of Tears, but it was hot. — Buffs are essential for protecting your neck from the sun. We were glad that we went to the Wall of Tears, but it was *hot*.

Buff UV Multifunctional Headband – Also known as Half Buffs, these were perfect. They are made of a very lightweight fabric and we wore them a lot. We even wore them when snorkeling to protect our necks. They would dry out really quickly after being in the water and didn’t get stiff from salt. They would start to smell funny sometimes but are easily washable. Everyone that we talked to on our trip had gotten burned at least once, even with sunscreen, so it is important to protect yourself from the sun as much as possible. Many of the islanders wear full Buffs to protect themselves from the sun. We found these to be extremely useful!

Yes, the water is really that blue. It’s insane. Sunglasses are absolutely necessary everywhere you go.

Unsinkable Karma Sunglasses – Sunglasses are incredibly important in Ecuador and especially in the Galapagos. Between the strong sun and the glare off the water, they are essential equipment for protecting your eyes. We all brought sunglasses, but these were the only ones that we bought specifically for the trip. Jake needs prescription and M. and I already had sunglasses that we were content with. B. needed some though, and these have a few features that I love and that are super important for a place like the Galapagos. They float! I could just imagine B. leaning over the side of a boat and plop, bye-bye sunglasses. They are polarized (another very important feature for being able to see into the water – that is why you’re there!), and they have a one-time replacement warranty – lose once and they will replace them. I have a teenager – losing things is what they do.

Clothing Packing List - Summarized:

Travel Pants – 2 each

Shorts – 2 each

Tank tops – 2 each, except for Jake – Would have done wool t-shirts or sleeveless shirts instead

All in all we the travel clothes worked out pretty well.

Wool T-shirts – 1 each (Jake 3 each)

Long Sleeve Shirts – 1 each – Worked out but would have done wool for all of these

Sweatshirt/Sweater (wool, hooded) – 1 each

Dresses – 2 total – Would have done both wool instead, or just one total

Leggings – 1 total

Socks – 3 pairs

Underwear – 3 pairs

Swimsuits – 1 each

Rash Guards – 1 each

Rain Jackets – 1 each

Puffy Jackets – 1 each

Keen Sandals – 1 each

Water Shoes – 1 each – Wouldn’t have bothered – didn’t really use (used our neoprene dive boots instead)

Sun Hats – 1 each

Half Buff – 1 each

Well, there you have it. Our packing list for clothes, including what we would bring, or not, again. I am in the process of more posts detailing the rest of our equipment. If you are heading out to Ecuador – or some other similar location, I hope this helps! I am also jealous. The snow outside is at least two feet deep with 6-8 inches more forecast for tonight ( I wrote this part in February and still waited months to publish!). I wish we would have stayed in Ecuador for longer…