How to Pack for the Galapagos –The Details!

This post deals with everything except clothing and electronic gear which have their own posts. There is a condensed list at the end. This is the list and information I wish I would have had when we were planning our trip. Enjoy!

Hauling your own gear can be a pain, but it also makes a lot of activities more comfortable and enjoyable!

Wetsuits/Snorkel Gear

In general I suggest going to LeisurePro and Amazon and seeing what is on sale. I have affiliate links below, but other than seeing what was on sale and looking at reviews, I don’t really have any strong recommendations for brands. This is what worked for us. Order everything that you think you might want in one go, including multiple sizes of things – wetsuits and booties in particular. I have not found the sizing charts, either on their website, or the manufacturer’s sites, to be very helpful. We have ordered and sent back so many times. It is much more time efficient to just do it all at once.

A word on bringing your own gear: Bringing your own gear adds a ton of weight and bulk. We brought about 125 lbs. of luggage for the four of us and 40 lbs. of that was wetsuit gear. Also, we had to find some way to store it while we were on mainland Ecuador because we wouldn’t need it then and it would have been a pain to drag along. It cost $144 to store it at the airport for the two weeks that we were on the mainland. Totally worth it in our opinion, since it was a pain to drag around. That being said – we are so glad that we brought it along. Yes, most of the time the wetsuit is included in the tour cost and they don’t give you a discount for having your own gear. However, we used it other times for snorkeling and swimming in public areas, when we would have otherwise had to rent equipment. Also, it was much less hassle to have things that fit us well and were comfortable. The wetsuits and other gear that they provide you with are of varying quality. Another thing to think about is comfort in the water. There were times that I know we were much more comfortable than the other people on our tour who went with the provided wetsuits because they were either thinner than ours or just shorty’s (not full wetsuits). The water in the Galapagos is not super warm. Last thing – using a snorkel that someone else has had in their mouth? – eeeww.

The girls did a Discovery Dive and it was made much more enjoyable by having wetsuits and snorkel gear that fit well.

Genesis Mojave Dry Snorkel – These are the snorkels that the girls have, and they worked really well. They have both a purge valve and an upper valve to keep water from coming up the top. They allow you to dive under the water, come back up to the surface and clear the snorkel without having to lift your head above the water – and believe me, you won’t want to miss a second of all the cool things happening under the surface! They are inexpensive and work for both snorkeling and diving. The only complaint I have is that the snorkel keeper clip for the mask is awkward; I prefer the quick release clip that we have in ours:

Blue Reef Tiara Flex Snorkel – Jake and I have had these for years and have used them for both diving and snorkeling. Like I mentioned above, I like the quick release mask attachment clip better on these. One of the things I don’t like though is that the clear flex portion has discolored over the years. It isn’t a big deal and they still work well, it is just a little unattractive. The purge valve works well and the semi-dry top shields the top from waves. Overall, we have been pretty happy with these.

Oceanic Shadow Mask – All four of us use these masks. We love them. They are real glass, so they don’t scratch easily and the silicone seal even seals around M’s thin face well. B. had a little trouble with it leaking when we were diving but didn’t have trouble after that. Update: the girls got their PADI Open Water Diver certification this summer and we ended up buying the ‘mini’ version of these – there was just too much leaking under pressure. Jake and I have had them for years, but the girls just got them this year. They have held up really well - you can’t even tell them apart. They are perfect for both snorkeling and diving. In earlier years we had just gotten sets for the girls: the Cressi Rocks Kid Set. These worked okay. It is definitely more affordable to buy a set for the kids. Be careful though. They were snorkeling in the ocean with these several years ago and the clip that holds the heel strap fell off of B’s fin. I tried to find a replacement and never did. What a pain.

Cressi Palau Long Adjustable Fins – These are the fins that the girls have. They feel like they have plenty of power and are comfortable. They aren’t too expensive and seem pretty durable. We all have adjustable fins because then we are able to use them both barefoot and with dive boots. You need dive boots for diving because it gets cold down there. We pretty much always used the boots anyway. The water in the Galapagos is not known for its warmth!

Snorkel, Mask, Dive Boots and Fins. All set for a day at a public swimming/snorkeling area. Several sea lions were in the area checking everyone out.

Sherwood Elite Fins – Jake and I have these fins. We all have pretty long fins because it really is worth it to have the power. Sure, short “travel fins” are much easier to travel with, but when you are in the water, you will have much more fun, see more and expend less effort if you bring long fins. Do it. These fins work equally well for diving and snorkeling and were decently longer than the fins that the tour operators provide. We have had them for years and they have held up really well. They are adjustable too for the same reasons mentioned above.

O’Neill Explore 3mm for Men – This is Jake’s wetsuit. He likes it and it has held up pretty well. He did opt for a thicker suit (included in the dive shop’s tour price) when he dove at Kicker Rock. Wetsuits all seem to fit differently, you may want to try different sizes/brands until you find one that fits really well. Keep in mind that you will need to move easily in it, but it also needs to be pretty fitted. If you have gaps in places, it will allow cold water to flow in and out instead of warming up and staying next to your skin. I highly recommend at least 3mm for the Galapagos. We were in January when the water is warmer, but still not warm. If you are there in the colder (water) season, you may want something even thicker.

Scubapro Steamer 3mm for Women – This is my wetsuit. I think all of the above comments apply. I wore this one the whole time and was plenty comfortable. The only dive I did though was with the girls and didn’t go down more than twenty feet. For snorkeling it was perfect. I loved the buoyancy it provided and also the sun protection. I either wore it over my rash guard so that I could have my hood up to protect my neck or kept my Half Buff on. B. wore it to Mexico at the end of February and was comfortable as well. I’ve been happy with it.

The waters around the Galapagos Islands are chilly. M. was glad of her wetsuit!

O’Neill Youth Reactor 3/2mm – This is M’s. We have had the most trouble fitting her with a wetsuit. It needs to be tight enough so that it actually functions as a wetsuit and keeps her warm, but anything that is tight enough looks slightly ridiculous because she has such long legs and arms and super-thin body. She is also so thin that we worried the most about her getting cold. So, we also got her:

Henderson 3mm Shorty Wetsuit for Juniors – She was able to wear this over her full wetsuit for added warmth. She could also wear just this on trips to the beach if she wanted a little extra warmth without hauling along the full wetsuit. The combination worked well, and she stayed warm.

The problem with having your own gear is drying it out. We wanted to make sure that it was very dry before we put it into storage for two weeks! We ended up buying some rice to put in the bag for extra insurance.

Cressi Dive Boots – All of us have these. We use them for water shoes as well. They make using fins for hours much more comfortable. None of us has ever gotten a blister from our fins while wearing these. Plus, they are durable and comfortable enough to wear on a walk to the beach. Slightly silly looking, but I don’t care a bit about that. They are necessary for diving too. I highly recommend getting some dive boots and ditching the water shoes.

We wore our dive boots when walking or biking to public snorkeling areas.

Sea Buff Anti-Fog Gel – So necessary. I mean it. The tour operators always have anti-fog stuff for the masks as well, but it doesn’t work nearly as well as this stuff. People we were with who used it ended up flooding their masks on a regular basis to try and get rid of the fog. Read the directions and follow them. You will be happy that you did.

Sea Buff Dive Mask Cleaner – This is only necessary for new masks, and if you are organized enough that the cleaning gets done before your trip, you can leave this at home (we weren’t). Follow the directions, it takes a bit of elbow grease, but the results are worth it.

Daypacks and Luggage

The dry bag wasn’t used as luggage until the end of the trip when we had acquired a wool blanket and ponchos. As a dry bag while snorkeling, it was great.

Doffey Lightweight Backpack – Hated it. Sorry, but it is true. We wanted a lightweight day pack that packed up into an integrated pocket, although now I am not sure why because it didn’t get packed up our entire trip. We used it all of the time, but we were constantly irritated by it. The zippers kept getting caught on the zipper flaps, it was flimsy, low quality and uncomfortable. Whatever treatment they had on the inside of the fabric started coming off after a week, and the water bottle pocket didn’t hold a 36-ounce Nalgene very well. I guess the one thing I can think of that is positive is that it looked so cheap that any prospective thieves probably dismissed it immediately. In the future we will get a better day pack. I’m kind of looking at the Osprey Daylite Day Pack, but I’ll research it more and post about it when I have a firm solution in mind. The amount of use that something like this gets demands something higher quality that will be more enjoyable to use.

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Day Pack (22-liter) – This day pack was great. However, it isn’t an everyday type daypack. We used it a lot for snorkeling, beach, rafting, etc. trips. It kept our towels and extra clothes dry. Access isn’t super quick, but that is the nature of dry bags. I believe that this pack is also available in 20L, but we needed the extra bit of space for the four of us. It easily packed towels, a few extra clothes and snacks. The best thing is that it packed down to a bundle smaller than a fist. Loved it, it did the job it needed to.

All of our luggage. Mostly camera equipment and snorkel gear!

Frost River Explorer Duffel ESB Bags (CarryOn size) – Love these. We have four and we bought them because they fit in the back of the Tesla perfectly for camping trips. They are made in Duluth, MN and are super rugged. We plan to get a lot of use out of them. We only used two on the Ecuador trip. Jake and I shared one and so did the girls; they held our clothes and toiletries. They have integrated backpack straps that can be tucked away if you want to check your bag. Roller bags don’t work very well in Ecuador - they are heavier than they need to be and there are a lot of roads that aren’t paved. We wanted something that could travel anywhere and take constant abuse. They are also small enough that they can be a carry-on bag if necessary. The only complaint that I have is that there is a nice pocket on the side of the bag that doesn’t stay closed. It has a push fastener. At one point we had underwear in that pocket, and it was falling out. Thank goodness that one of us was walking behind and saw it. That was potentially hugely embarrassing. Otherwise, awesome bag.

Dive bag. Huge, but tough and worth bringing along.

Patagonia Black Hole Duffel – 90L and 120L – This is the bag we used for our snorkeling gear. I ordered both of these sizes, but I ended up sending the 90L one back. It almost fit all of our gear, but it was a struggle to fit it all in. The long fins make packing a little difficult. The 120L is huge. I love it. Jake convinced me that we weren’t going to want to spend time trying to jigsaw our gear in and out and I am glad that he did. Being able to throw stuff into the bag and head out was so easy. The 120L is the largest bag that the airlines allow without being charged oversize baggage fees. This bag is super sturdy and it has detachable backpack straps which come in really handy. The straps aren’t padded enough that I would want to carry it around like that for hours, but for airport transfers etc., they are perfect.

Master Lock Luggage Locks – We thought that we would use these more – like for locking up our stuff when we weren’t in our rooms, but we never stayed anywhere where we felt they were necessary. We did use them when traveling on buses, or anywhere we felt that our bags might be vulnerable. These were fine – worked well and seemed decently sturdy.

Toiletries

Sea to Summit Toiletry Containers – We brought three of these: Cell (Large), Cell (Small), Bag (Large). The cell (small) held our everyday supplies – toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving cream etc. The cell (large) held all of the medications – and yes, there are really that many that you should bring, you can’t count on medications being available everywhere. I am in the process of writing another post on immunizations and medications and I will link to it here when I am done. The bag (large) held everything else – sunscreen (bring a lot – more on that later!), insect repellant, etc. These aren’t cheap toiletry containers, but we really like the Sea to Summit brand, and have been impressed with the durability of their products before. They worked well; we never had anything leak, so it is hard to tell if they would have limited that mess given the chance, but given other Sea to Summit products’ performance, they probably would have preformed well.

It’s a 10 Haircare Miracle Leave-in – This is the product recommended by Practical Wanderlust. I’m going to give it an Eh. We have used this: Matrix Total Results Miracle Treat 12, for a number of years. It has worked beautifully on tangled matted hair after swimming lessons, but I don’t think that I have ever used it on ocean hair, so I went with their recommendation. I wasn’t super impressed. I don’t know if the Miracle Treat would work any better though. I plan to try it on our next ocean adventure and will update saying if it worked any better, but until then, I think that I would recommend the Miracle Treat over the Haircare Miracle. It certainly works well on chlorine hair! As always: YMMV.

Wet Brush – This is one of the best haircare purchases we have ever made. I cannot recommend this enough, especially if you have long hair. I was skeptical when someone first told me about it; I was wrong. It looks pretty much like any other brush, but it is magical. I cannot believe how much better it works than a normal brush. Tangles that would have taken forever with a regular brush slide right out with this brush. I was impressed.

I vacuum packed these before we left to try and prevent leaks.

Sawyer Products Picaridin Insect Repellent Lotion – This is another Practical Wanderlust recommendation. I can’t say that we gave it a through evaluation because we didn’t really have trouble with bugs, even in the Amazon basin. Seems to work well, but it is hard to say. Bugs in summer in Wisconsin can be awful though, so if summer ever arrives here, we can give it a thorough test then.

ACV and Glass Spray Bottle – Another Practical Wanderlust recommendation, and I am sorry to say that I (again) didn’t find it helpful. They claimed that spraying raw apple cider vinegar (ACV) on sunburn or swimsuit rashes would create miracle cures overnight. We never really had swimsuit rashes, but we did get sunburned, and the ACV didn’t help. Maybe our sunburn was too severe, but I didn’t find it worth bringing. Bring some kind of after sun lotion instead. We had to wander around forever trying to find something like that on the islands (hint: Farmacia!).

Toilet paper, travel pillows and salt. We didn’t use the salt much, but it is so small, it was definitely worth having along!

Coleman Camper’s Toilet Paper – This was a Practical Wanderlust recommendation that I was very thankful for! Ecuador bathrooms are varied. There are very nice ones, clean and with toilet paper in the stalls, there are those that have the toilet paper outside the stalls (be aware of this before it’s too late!) and those without any toilet paper. No one wants you to flush toilet paper either. There is a waste basket in the stall for you to deposit your used toilet paper in – you get used to it. Anyway – this can be a lifesaver for those situations where the toilet paper is nonexistent. Get used to carrying it in your daypack. You’ll be glad you did!

Ethique Soap – We really tried to limit the liquids we brought. We didn’t want a mess all over our bags, and given how much we moved around, something leaking was a distinct possibility. So, for all of our normally liquid toiletries, we brought solid bars. Ethique seems like a fairly decent brand, and they don’t use palm oil in their products, so that was a big plus. We ordered some of their sampler packs before we left to try and pick out what we liked. Keep in mind that some places will provide you with soap, shampoo, etc., and others won’t. Even when they do, conditioner is likely to be absent, and when there are three people with long hair in your family, lack of conditioner is a big deal.

Ethique Face Soap – M. wants to be sure that I tell people that the pink bar face soap is awful (at least for her- it made her face sting). For face soap, I never really found one I loved. They all worked pretty well. I suggest trying the sampler pack with the caution that your face is sensitive and may react differently to different soaps.

Ethique Heali Kiwi Solid Shampoo Bar & Ethique Guardian Conditioner Bar - I actually found the shampoo and conditioner bars to be awesome. I remember trying Burt’s Bees shampoo bars many years ago and they made my hair a tangled mess. Hated them. All of these were great though. We tried the sampler pack first and ended up with the Heali Kiwi Shampoo Bar and the Guardian Conditioner Bar. Again, you might want to try the sampler pack first to see what works for you. Loved them – we even continued to use them when we got home!

Ethique Body Soap – I have pretty much the same comments for this as for the face soap. We ordered the sampler pack and didn’t really have a favorite. They were all fine. Jake didn’t like the ones with “grit” in them (exfoliating bars).

Ethique Soap Storage Container – I bought this because it fits both a shampoo and conditioner bar and it drains. It worked fine. I would say that it would have worked better if we would have been able to leave it uncovered more, and also if it wasn’t so humid. The soap never really dried out and would get kind of soft. Also, we needed to store it in a plastic bag between moves so it wouldn’t drip soapy water on everything else. There might be a better solution for traveling with these soaps. If I find it, I will post about it!

Tropical Sands Reef Safe Sunscreen – Oh my gosh! Bring sunscreen! Reef safe sunscreen is really important for the Galapagos. It’s a pain – the first time I applied it Jake laughed at me and said I looked like a White Walker. The trick is to rub it in really well, and right away. Apply it in very small doses and rub it in. You will still look two shades paler, but you’re in the Galapagos to see all the neat stuff and looking slightly silly in the name of preserving it for future generations is a small sacrifice! We bought two bottles, but it actually goes quite a bit farther than regular sunscreen, so we only ended up using about ½ a bottle.

200 ml for $28!!! Bring your own and bring plenty!

Coppertone Sport 30 SPF Sunscreen – I cannot emphasize enough how important sunscreen is!! Any time we weren’t going to be in the ocean, this is what we wore. I don’t think that it makes much difference, if you have a particular sunscreen you like, go for it. Just make sure that it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. SPF only indicates how well it protects against UVB rays and the scale isn’t linear. Anything over SPF 30 is giving you hardly any more protection against UVB rays and may even give you less protection from UVA, so pay attention. Also, water resistance is important in Ecuador. It is humid and can be hot – it’s easy to sweat off your sunscreen. Apply often! We even burned the back of our hands one day when we were out just walking around. The sun is super strong. I don’t think that we met a single person who hadn’t gotten burned at some point because they didn’t reapply often enough. We only brought one bottle of this and really wished we had two. Sunscreen in the Galapagos is super expensive, and you need a lot of it, so bring lots with you.

Sea to Summit Wilderness Wash – This has been a staple of our camping trips for years and I am happy to report that it worked equally well in Ecuador. We used it for washing clothes, but it can also be used for washing dishes, or even people! The bottle is super tough, and we have never had a problem with leaking. Plus, it is biodegradable, and you don’t need much – we brought the 100ml size and only used half of it.

Sea-Bands – These are available in adult and child sizes. We only used these on the ferry between Santa Cruz and Isabela Islands. None of us get seasick easily, but those ferries are brutal. Ferry is really a misnomer – they’re a large speedboat. Anyway, we wore these, and didn’t get sick, but I’m not sure if that is due to the sea-bands or not. The jury is out on this one. It certainly didn’t hurt to bring them and wear them.

Dramamine – Available in Adult and Kids formulations. We never used this. I think, given how awful the ferry rides are, that we would have taken it beforehand if we would have known. We didn’t get sick, but we definitely kept our eyes fixed on the horizon and wore the sea-bands. Many people did get sick, and it’s also pretty miserable sitting next to someone who is seasick. I offered the guy next to me some of our Dramamine, and he took it, but it was too late. I think that it is worth bringing.

Imodium – This did get used. We never had too much trouble, but this was definitely worth having. Traveler’s diarrhea is a serious problem, and it’s pretty common too. Bring it.

Don’t forget the regulars: Ibuprofen (or your painkiller of choice), Band Aids, tweezers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razor, shaving cream, nail clippers, dental floss, etc. J The CDC has a pretty good checklist too.

Miscellaneous

The headlamps were good to have along, but skip the money belts.

Eagle Creek Silk Undercover Money Belt – We brought two, one for each adult, but never used them. We had read that silk is more comfortable next to the skin, but we were never even in a situation that we wished we had worn them. So, I can’t comment on how well they work. Maybe if we would have spent more time in the bigger cities like Quito, we may have used them, but we never did.

Eagle Creek Silk Undercover Bra Stash – Same comments as above. I can see where it would be useful, but I never needed it.

Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow – These have been part of our camping gear for years and we love them. We brought them in case we felt like the any of the provided pillows were too icky, but never ended up needing them. They are nice on planes, but we kept forgetting to put them in our carryon luggage. B. used hers on the plane on her trip to Mexico a few weeks later and was really glad that she had it. We have always found them to be super comfortable, plus they pack up so tiny (about the size of my fist!); I’m not sorry that we brought them. We have the large size. They are also available in smaller, more lightweight sizes/models, but I feel like the small amount of extra weight and bulk is completely worth it for the increase in comfort.

Sea to Summit Drylite MicroTowels – We have had these for years and absolutely love them. They have been all over from canoeing the Boundary Waters to the beaches of the Galapagos and have performed excellently everywhere. They’re lightweight, pack down extremely well, dry quickly (super important in the Galapagos) and are super durable. A lot of tour guides in the Galapagos provide towels – bring your own. The towels that they provide are usually small, thin and leave a lot of lint behind when you’re drying off – a lot. I recommend getting the XL, they’re about as big as a beach towel which is really nice. When the girls were little, we only used two XL towels for the four of us, and that worked perfectly well. Now that they are bigger, they have their own towels:

REI Co-op Multi Towel Light – These are good microfiber towels too. They aren’t quite as nice as the Sea to Summit towels, but we needed towels for a camping trip and had planned on buying them at REI, however REI had stopped carrying them. Bummer. These are fine. They are just not quite as absorbent or comfortable as the Sea to Summit ones. The REI XL is slightly smaller than the S2S one (54x25 vs 30x60) and weighs a little less (6.4 vs 8.1 ounces), so that might figure into your decision as well.

SteriPen Ultra USB UV Purifier – A lifesaver – highly recommended. We went back and forth on purchasing one of these. We weren’t sure that it would be necessary, and most places in Ecuador, it isn’t. Most of the places that we stayed provided plenty of purified water for drinking. However, not everywhere has clean water available. One of the first places that we encountered it was, surprisingly, the airport in Guayaquil. To be fair, there was water for sale, but no drinking fountains. The airport in Quito does have drinking water fountains. The next place was a little scarier, and completely my own fault: I had gotten used to everyone providing us with purified water, so when we didn’t have any in our hostel in Quilotoa, I asked for some. She took my water bottle, went into the back, and then returned it full. We hiked down to the lake, drank all of our water and came back. Jake went to ask for some more water and followed her. She was just filling it up from the sink! Oops. I was sick that night, but I was the only one, thank goodness. Get a Steripen, it is totally worth it. Especially for the amount of water you should be drinking.

Nalgenes – 48oz and 32oz – We brought one of each size. The 48oz fits in the ultra-deep water bottle pocket of Jake’s camera bag well, and the Steripen can only purify 32oz of water max at a time. We were so glad we had these. Nalgenes have been part of our gear for years with good reason. They’re pretty much indestructible, and large. With four of us we can drain even the 48oz pretty quickly. There were definitely times that I wished we would have had two of the 48oz ones. If you really need convincing to bring large water bottles (you shouldn’t!!) keep in mind that they are trying to phase out plastics on the Galapagos which includes plastic water bottles. One more: most restaurants do not serve water, unless it is bottled water. Save a ton of money and bring your own. After paying eight dollars for water for the four of us (8oz each!) a couple of times, we just used our water bottles. Saves plastic and money. No one ever minded.

Sea to Summit Lite Line Clothesline – We only ended up using this a couple of times. It is hard to find places sturdy enough to support it. We certainly didn’t want to tear curtain rods off the walls! It’s so tiny that it was worth bringing, even though we didn’t use it much.

First Aid Kit: We usually bring a big Adventure Medical Kit with us when we go camping. It is rather large, but great for peace of mind, especially since we go to some pretty remote places. I sent it with B. when she went to Mexico with my parents a couple weeks ago because they were going to camp on some remote beaches and islands. We bring a smaller one (Adventure Medical Kit Ultralight) with us when we day hike. This is the one that I meant to take with us to Ecuador. I couldn’t find it before we left, so we went without one. I don’t recommend that. We were fine – never needed it but given how difficult it was to find even after-sun lotion on the islands, I was glad that we didn’t run into anything more serious. Bring a med kit even a small one - if you need it, it’s priceless.

Cards – Bring playing cards. They are lightweight and fun, and a great way to make new friends. When we were at the Secret Garden Hostel on the mainland, M. decided that she wanted to play cards. She approached a group of twenty-somethings and asked. Boom - instant friends. They played late into the night, and the group and conversation kept changing. It was awesome. Keep the cards in your daypack. It is another restaurant essential. Service in Ecuador is slow. It just is. Our super cool unicorn cards got a lot of use!

Paperwhite Kindle – I can’t go anywhere without my Kindle. I have hundreds of books loaded up on it and there is no easier way to bring them than electronically! Of course, I could read them on my phone, but the Paperwhite has been my favorite for years for a few reasons (I’ve tried a few): the battery lasts for several days if you put it in airplane mode. We have a lot of equipment that needs charging, and sometimes, there were very few outlets available. The Kindle did not have priority over camera equipment in Jake’s opinion. It is also sturdy, this is an important feature for a person who may sometimes (often!) fall asleep while reading and drop it. My phone doesn’t survive that quite as well. It is also easy to hold in one hand. I don’t like the ones that are bigger. Anyway, if you like to read at all, I recommend the Paperwhite – just don’t leave it under your pillow when you check out of a hotel (twice – got it back both times).

iPad – Jake and the girls (Mini and Regular) have these – I am happy with my Kindle (mostly because of the aforementioned dropping issue). These are handy for any number of travel related things – viewing and editing pictures, reading books, airport and travel apps, and the girls’ all-time favorite, those digital miracles known as audiobooks. My girls are great travelers, really fantastic, but I have to say that a good deal of that patience has to do with audiobooks. They are happy to wait in airports patiently with their earbuds in, totally immersed in their audiobooks. Audible is probably their favorite, it has a sleep timer too, which is handy at night. Anyway, iPads have numerous uses and weren’t sorry that we brought them. Travel in Ecuador can be super slow, even when the distances are not that great, and iPads can help with the constant waiting.

Laptop – This was the first trip ever that Jake didn’t bring his laptop. I did bring mine; I needed it for work. We were glad to have one laptop and were rarely sorry we didn’t have two. For most people, one is enough, or you could even get by with an iPad. We were working on pictures, blog posts, and work stuff, so it was necessary for us.

Moon Guide – This guide came out just before our trip. We used it, but I wasn’t super impressed. It was difficult to find good, well-organized information about the Galapagos and while this helped, it wasn’t awesome. We bought the Kindle version – this was nice because there are a lot of links, and we could look up something quick using the Kindle phone app without having to drag a book along with us.

Lonely Planet Guide – This is a bit older guide, but the same comments as above apply. Kindle version. Disappointing. Useful, but just okay in terms of information.

National Geographic Galapagos Islands Adventure Set – A cool set that includes a detailed map of Ecuador (the Galapagos could have been more detailed in my opinion) and a laminated wildlife guide for the Galapagos. We all love maps, and National Geographic has some of the best. Cell service can be very spotty in Ecuador, and data even more so; it was very useful to have a physical map at times. While this map was not very useful in the Galapagos, it was extremely useful on the mainland. We accidentally forgot the Wildlife Guide at home, but I really wished that we would have had it and came close to buying it again a couple times, but I’m too cheap. J

Pre-trip Supplies

Nikwax Spray-on – We have used this a few times to waterproof jackets and tents. It works well. We didn’t use it before we left because our rain jackets were new, but we did when we got back. There was a lot of rain, so if you have had your rain jacket for even a year, I recommend using this to re-waterproof it before you go. It is pretty easy to use, and it’s effective.

Sawyer Permethrin Spray – Spray on bug repellent for your clothes. Malaria and such are serious disease to be avoided if possible. I’m not a huge fan of bug repellent in general, but there are times when it is absolutely necessary, and when the consequences are so high, it is definitely necessary. We sprayed one outfit for each of us before we left – make sure that you mark the tags, so you know which one – it is easy to forget. Those are the outfits that we wore to the Amazon basin. Seemed to work well, but again, it is hard to say since the bug pressure was very low while we were there. I think that it is worth doing.

Ultimate Flora Probiotic – We didn’t bring this along with us, although we maybe should have. About a month before we left, we started taking these to get our gut flora ready. Jake and I once spent a month in India, and we were sick for the whole first week while our bodies adjusted; then when we got back, we were sick for another week while our bodies readjusted to American food. We didn’t want to go through that again, hence the probiotics. Maybe it was the probiotics, and maybe not, but none of us had any problems. Yay!

Condensed Packing List

Snorkels – 1 each

Fins – 1 each

Masks – 1 each

Wetsuits – 1 each (plus a shorty for Maya since hers was thin)

Dive boots – 1 each

Anti-fog Gel – 1 total

Mask Cleaner – 1 total – Do this before you leave if you can, so you can leave it home

Day Pack – 1 total

Dry Day Pack – 1 total

Small Duffels – 2 total

Large Duffel – 1 total

Luggage locks – 6 total

Toiletry containers – 3 total – varying sizes

Leave in conditioner – 1 total

Insect repellent - 1 total

ACV & Spray bottle – 1 total – not worth bringing

Camper’s toilet paper – 3 rolls – only needed 1

Shampoo Bar – 2 total – only needed 1

Conditioner Bar – 1 total

Body Bar – 1 total

Face Bar – 1 total

Soap Storage Container – 1 total

Reef Safe Sunscreen – 2 total – only needed 1

Regular Sunscreen – 1 total – Would have liked 2

Sea Bands – 1 pair each

Dramamine – 1 adults, 1 kids

Imodium – 1 total

Regular Stuff - what you would normally pack for toiletries

Money belt/bra stash – 1 per adults/1 total - not sure we would bring again – didn’t use

Inflatable pillows – 1 each

Microfiber Towels – 1 each

SteriPen – 1 total

Nalgenes – 1 48oz, 1 36 oz – maybe would have brought one more?

Clothesline – 1 total

First aid kit – didn’t bring, but would recommend 1 trail size

Playing cards – 1 total

Kindle – 1 total

iPads – 3 total

Guides – 2 total

Before you go –

Waterproofing Spray

Insect Repellent Spray

Probiotics – possibly bring these too

I hope this was useful – I know it took us hours and hours to figure out what we needed! Good luck and happy packing!