So my 45 day expedition begins in 28 days and I had a request to post my trip details. I've been creating a blog which hasn't been published yet, but it will provide everything from planning, gear list and review, to the actual trip and provide pictures. So here goes a basic list of what I've planned and chosen for gear.
I met a kid on travbuddy from Nova Scotia to join me on this adventure. We arrive on the 30th in Alajuela, Costa Rica. Most people don't realize that your not landing in San Jose, but 20km or 12.4m north west. We will stay in a hostel and take a bus the following day to Puerto Viejo, then we will make our way down to Panama to Bocas Del Toro. We will spend 7 days getting padi certified scuba diving. Side note: It is cheaper for me to fly from Boston to San Jose and travel to Bocas and get Open Water padi certified then to get certified in Maine! I would probably save 300 bucks by doing this.
So After we get certified we will make our way back to Puerto Viejo and stay a few days working on a organic farm. Then we will make our way to Corcovado National Park and trek into the jungle. We will stay here for 2 weeks exploring the rainforests and wildlife. After we will head up to Manuel Antonio and spend week there. We will explore the jungle as well as take some surfing lessons. Providing we have time left we will head up to La Fortuna and hike up to see the volcanoes. We will mostly sleep in our hammocks and rarely stay in hostels as we will be on a budget.
The gear I will be using is as follows:
Backpack: Arcteryx Altra 75 with pacsafe 85 protector, Rei pack duffle for check to put my pack in and locked for check-in.
Cookware: GSI Pinnacle 2L pot and frypan
Footwear: Asolo Fugitive GTX, Chaco z/2
Hammock: Clark NX250 with AH suspension
Raingear: LL Bean waterproof storm jacket, and rain pants
Gaiters: Outdoor Research Crocodiles
Socks:6 pair - LL Bean and Smartwool. Lite trekkers
Dry bags: Sea to Summit eVent and eVent compression
Sleeping bag: Sea to Summit coolmax liner, and rei 55+ travel sack (in case)
Watch: G-Shock Riseman GW9200MS-8
Pants: 2 pair - LL Bean timberledge pants
Shirts:5 - LL Bean carefree t-shirt
Water Purifier: Sawyer 4L complete .02 micron
Toiletry: Biodegradable wipes, Dr. Bonner soap, Tom's toothpaste, toothbrush, LL Bean Aquis Adventure towel
Sunscreen: Blue Lizard sport
Bug Spray: Repel Lemon Eucalyptus
Electronics: Solio H1000 solar charger, Ipod, rechargeable batteries, Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 with gorilla pod.
Extras: Nat Geo map, 300ft 550 cord, KA-Bar, 6 bungee, 8 micro-carabiner, waterproof matches, extra tarp, nite ize glow frisbee.
That is about it. I usually order my gear from REI, Backcountry, and LL Bean. I feel comfortable buying from companies that guarantee the products they sell. Feel free to comment and make suggestions.
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