The packing list below contains suggestions to assist with your tour preparation. Clothes pre-treated with permethrin or re-treated before departure are helpful in fending off insects, chiggers, and ticks. One treatment is good for about 5 washings. Pants and socks especially should be treated. Chiggers and ticks are more an issue in some countries than others. Treating clothes is strictly optional.

Do not bring bright-colored clothes as wearing such clothes in the field disturbs the birds. Also do not bring or wear white shoes in the field. Earth tones and muted colors are ideal. Do not wear sandals, open-toed shoes, short-sleeved shirts, or shorts in the field as they provide no protection against biting insects and the like.

If you are traveling with expensive camera equipment or binoculars, we suggest covering camera equipment and binoculars with a personal items rider to homeowners or renters insurance. The annual premium is nominal and well worth the cost. Camera equipment is often not covered by standard policies. A list of covered equipment with serial numbers is normally required. Check with your insurance provider for more information.

The packing list below is based on our experience and may not include all personal items you may need. Please use your discretion in adding to this list to suit your personal requirements. The main goal is to keep the amount of baggage to a reasonable level while still having what you need.

RECOMMENDED ITEMS

Suitcase. The ideal suitcase has outside pockets, built-in wheels, and pull-out handle. A suitcase with dimensions no more than 45 linear inches can be hand carried on many flights. Larger suitcases must be checked. Please avoid bringing large trunks or excessive luggage. Tours involving domestic flights in-country may have strict baggage limits. When in doubt, please call us for guidelines.

Small Daypack or Camera Bag. A daypack is great for carrying a sweater, field guides, camera etc. Those carrying significant camera equipment should refer to the Photo Tour section below.

Shirts. 2-5 long-sleeved, neutral-colored shirts suitable for the climate in the destination country at the time of your tour.

Pants. 2-5 pairs

pantssuitable for the climate in the destination country at the time of your tour.

We strongly recommend against bringing shorts to wear on boat trips or in your room.

Warmer Clothes. Bring 1-2 warm sweaters for layering, especially on tours visiting higher elevations. Evenings can cool down in the tropics. Boat trips can sometimes be chilly. On tours visiting higher elevations such as the Andes Mountains of South America, you should also bring a warm coat as temperatures can get down to freezing.

Underwear and Socks. 3-7 sets made of lightweight, fast drying synthetic fabric.

Shoes. Preferably one pair lightweight, water-resistant hiking shoes or boots plus one (optional) pair flip flops or sandals. Treat shoes or boots with water repelling sealer according to manufacturer's specifications.

Raincoat or Poncho. Lightweight, good quality, waterproof windbreaker with hood or rain poncho. We prefer a poncho, which will cover a day pack or camera and protect legs down to calves or ankles. Water-resistant fabrics may be inadequate should we encounter a heavy tropical rainstorm. If bringing water-resistant rain gear, treat with appropriate sealant before departure.

Hat. A breathable hat is indispensable in the tropics. You may want to soak their hats in water to help keep cool on hot days. You may want one with a skirt that shields your neck and ears from the sun. Some people take a warmer hat on tours visiting very high elevations.

Vest. Lightweight vest with many pockets is useful. A pocket large enough to carry birding field guide is good, though your binoculars case could also serve that purpose while in the field. A pocket in the back of the vest for carrying rain gear is desirable as you should always carry your rain gear with you while in the field, even on the sunniest days.

Money Pouch and Dummy Wallet. A money pouch that hangs under clothes from your neck is a great way to carry small amounts of expense money for the day, along with passport and credit card. A dummy wallet with a nominal amount of cash and expired credit cards is a good way to divert a petty thief from getting your money pouch and money belt.

Money. Bring enough cash for airport departure taxes (usually included in airfare), tips for guides and drivers, incidental expenses, souvenirs, personal items, and emergencies. Changing a nominal amount of currency at the airport may be necessary if you need to take a taxi to your hotel, but exchange rates are usually better at hotels or other agencies in country. Your guide can assist you with changing currency after arrival if necessary.

Credit Cards. Two credit cards kept in different places are recommended in case of loss or damage. Visa and Mastercard are most widely accepted. American Express cards are not widely accepted. If required by your credit card company, advise them of your travel plans before departure. Several years ago, this has generally become unnecessary. Placing credit cards near a cellular/satellite phone may damage the magnetic strip.

Documents and Photocopies. Bring your passport, international certificate of vaccinations (yellow card) or other proof of required vaccinations, airline ticket, driver's license etc. You may want to carry one or two photocopies of your passport in case of loss or theft. We usually keep our credit card numbers encrypted in an email account so they can be retrieved if cards are lost. We also keep phone numbers for credit card companies and other contacts there as well. Carrying 2 extra passport photos can aid in getting replacements quickly if your originals are lost. Some countries require visas for entry, which are not always obtainable upon arrival. Inquire well in advance in case you need to mail away for visas before departure.

Itinerary, Field Guide, Checklists, Small Notebook, and Pen. Notebook should fit in a vest pocket and is useful for taking notes while in the field. We provide bird checklists for every tour.

Binoculars. The best binoculars are light-weight with high light-gathering capacity. Binoculars sealed against moisture are essential in the tropics. Binoculars should be at least 7x35 but higher magnification (e.g. 10x42) is preferred by many birders as long as they are lightweight. Note that higher magnification results in narrower field of vision, making it harder to get the birds into view. Note also that higher quality (more expensive) binoculars usually gather more light and are often better at capturing color in poor lighting conditions.

Cell Phone and charger,

Flashlight or Headlamp. Bring one for night walks or walking about in poorly lighted areas after dark. Also, bring spare batteries.

Toiletries. Put squeeze bottles in zip-lock bags. Pack small bars of soap, shampoo, and liquid laundry soap as needed. If you use an electic toothbrush, you may want to bring a small manual toothbrush as backup. Bring chargers for electric toothbrushes and razors. Be aware of restrictions regarding liquids in carry-on luggage on international flights.

Sunglasses and Prescription Glasses (if needed). Use sunglasses with 100% UV coating. If you wear prescription glasses, bring a copy of your vision prescription. A glasses repair kit is very handy if a screw comes loose or falls out.

Sunscreen. Use UVA/UVB 30 or above in the tropics. Make sure you bring some and carry it with you while in the field.

Medications and Vitamins. Keep in original containers if possible to go through airport security and customs.

First-Aid Kit. Bring band-aids, moleskin, antiseptic wipes, Neosporin, Caladryl or Calamine lotion, Benedryl, eye drops/wash, tweezers, surgical tape, scissors, thermometer, pain reliever (Tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofin, etc), anti-motion sickness medication, anti-fungal cream, cold medication, anti-diarrheal medication, and sunburn remedies.

Insect Repellent. Over 30% Deet. Do not use stronger than 80%. Note that sunscreen greatly reduces the effectiveness of Deet, so don't use them together. If you spray clothes with Deet, they should be washed before next usage to avoid skin irritations. Do not apply Deet on skin that will be covered with clothing. Make sure you bring some and carry it with you while in the field.

Snack Foods. We provide water while in the field but not snacks. You may want to bring snacks, preferably something that won't melt in the heat.

Luggage Tags. It's a good idea to use your business address, not your home address, on luggage tags. We've heard reports of individuals obtaining addresses from luggage tags and then breaking into those homes. Also, affix a label to the inside of your suitcase and in garments and carry-on bags with your name, flight itinerary, and contact phone numbers.

OPTIONAL ITEMS

Portable Hair Dryer. Very useful for drying clothes if not hair. Be careful not to burn out heating element if used for drying clothes.

Map of the Country. Most people want to know where they are while traveling. To that end, it's very helpful to bring a map of the country, which can normally be purchased at a good bookstore prior to departure. You won't have an opportunity to buy one after arrival in country and we do not provide maps to participants.

Money Belt. If you want to separate your cash in case something happens to your money pouch, you might want to bring a money belt with some spare money and an extra credit card. NEVER access your money belt in public.

Altitude Sickness Pills. When traveling to high altitude areas, taking pills for altitude sickness the day before and for several days thereafter is advisable. These are especially important on Peru tours, as Cusco is at 10,000ft, Abra Malaga is close to 14,000ft, and Santa Eulalia area reaches 16,000ft.

Scarf/Bandana. A lightweight scarf (women) and/or cotton bandana you can dip in water to cool yourself.

Zip-Lock Bags. Bring different sizes. Jumbo size is handy for various items.

Ear Plugs or Electronic Sound-neutralizing Headphones. If you're a light sleeper, you may want to bring some. Rooms in the tropics are often not sound-proof.

Leech Socks. Essential in places with lots of leeches, such as Southeast Asia and some lowlands in South America.

Premethrin. It's helpful though not essential to treat socks and pants with premethrin before departing for the tropics. Premethrin is effective for 5-6 washings in fending off chiggers. Use especially on socks, lower pants legs, and around waist-band. Chiggers are more likely to be encountered on some tours than on others. Premethrin is banned in Canada, so if you're Canadian you won't be able to treat your clothes with it. Not to worry. You'll be fine without.

Night Light. Can be useful in hotel rooms or lodges. Just remember to take it with you when checking out.

Gloves. Some tours visit quite high elevations (11-14,000 ft) and may be cold, especially in early mornings. Finger-less or other light gloves may be desirable.

Computer. A lightweight laptop or tablet computer may be essential if you're a photographer.

Rubber Boots or Pullovers. Rubber boots may be necessary in very muddy areas such as some parts of the Darien in Panama, in the Amazon, and at Plataforma in Peru.

Spotting Scope. We do not recommend bringing a spotting scope, as one is typically provided by the guide on tour and can be shared by all. Nevertheless, some people like to bring a scope so they don't have to wait for access to the guide's scope.

Powerstrip. A powerstrip with voltage suitable for your destination country is desirable for charging batteries.

Outlet Adaptor. Electrical outlets vary by country. Please check here for outlet adaptors needed during your tour.

Clothesline and/or Clothes Pins. Clothesline that is lightweight can be handy. Clotheslines that rely on suction cups don't work well. Clothespins aren't needed if hanging a clothesline in your room, though clothes pins with hooks are useful in lieu of a clothesline. We always manage without any of this.

Umbrella. A compact umbrella may be desirable if we encounter rain. These are not especially practical in heavy rain while birding but can be useful.

Walking Stick. Telescoping walking stick may be useful for rough terrain. Walking sticks with pointed ends may be confiscated by airport security, so it's best to put them in checked baggage.

Extra Pair of Prescription Glasses or Contact Lenses.

Sewing Kit. Needle and thread, selection of different sized safety pins, and spare buttons can come in handy.

Pocket Knife. A small one can come in handy, but don't bring one unless you're checking baggage! Same is true for some types of nail clippers.

Flat Sink Stopper. May come in handy when washing out clothes in hotel rooms that lack drain plugs in the sink. An alternative is to use a dirty sock to plug drain while washing remaining clothes.

Wash Cloth and Towel. We've never had a use for either on our tours.

SUGGESTED CAMERA EQUIPMENT

Camera Bag or Hardcase. A sturdy camera bag or hardcase for carrying your camera gear is essential. Something waterproof is preferable in the unlikely event that your gear gets wet.

Camera Body. A good 35mm camera body suitable for mounting telephoto lenses is best for capturing high quality images. The better the equipment, the better your results.

Telephoto Lens. A good quality telephoto lens is essential for getting good photos of birds. Zoom lens are convenient for getting photos at near and far distances. Lightweight 500mm lens work great for distant shots and can be fine at closer distances, even at bird feeders.

Tele-extender (Optional). A good quality 1.7-2.0X tele-extender is useful if your lens is less than 400mm. Bring one if you have it.

Extra Camera Body (Optional). There is nothing worse than being in the field with a camera body that stops working. Condensation in tropical climates can sometimes render a camera temporarily inoperable, so it's nice to have an extra in the event something happens to your primary camera body. Nikon equipment is more prone to stop working when jarred than Canon equipment.

Memory Cards. One or two extra memory cards is a good idea in case of malfunction or you shoot a lot of photos in a day. High capacity cards are best and can last several days but uploading photos to a computer right away may not be convenient.

Memory Card Safe (Optional). It's a good idea to carry a small, waterproof carrying-case for your memory cards. We generally flip cards upside down in the case when filled up to keep them separate from unused cards.

External Storage. We recommend carrying external disk storage for your computer. To be on the safe side, uploading photos to both the internal disk on your laptop and an external drive provides backup just in case something gets damaged or lost.

USB Cables. Bring cables needed to transfer images from your camera to your external storage device.

External Flash. An external flash may be useful in low light situations and for fill-flash but is disturbing to birds. Modern cameras can shoot at very high ISO settings in low light situations with good results, so we strongly recommend not using flash attachments.

Flash Extender (Optional). If you do use flash, a extender such as a Better Beamer is extremely useful as it extends the effective distance of a flash attachment. An extra Fresnel lens is recommended in case the one on the flash extender falls off and is lost.

External Battery Pack (Optional). If you do use flash, a good external battery pack for powering your flash is very handy. It allows the flash to recycle faster and you won't need to carry a large supply of replacement batteries for the flash.

Spare Batteries and Charger.

Tripod (Optional). Some people find a good tripod very useful but we don't recommend using one. It just doesn't work for birds moving around in a forest, and modern cameras have vibration stabilization and auto-focusing that works fine without use of a tripod.

Lens Tissue. You definitely want to bring something for safely cleaning your lenses.

Manuals (Optional). You may want to bring your equipment manuals for reference. If something goes wrong with your equipment, it helps to have some technical reference available.