My Ecuador Trip

This didnt start out as a backpacking trip, hence all the Guayaquil questions I asked on the boards, but it became one right before I had to leave. I couldnt get a quality backpack before I left so I just went to Meijer (like Wal-Mart) and picked up a duffel bag, size large, with dimensions of aprrox. 30x15x13. This size was just below American Airlines 62 total inch baggage allowance, although I saw all manner of montrous bags being checked and at baggage claim. Im not sure if they paid the oversize fees as I didnt see any special stickers on any of the bags, or if AA just isnt that strict with their baggage limits. Anyway, I just wanted my airline experience to be hassle free. I also had an old Structure backpack from the days when it was still a store. Im the king of overpacking plus this was my first backpacking trip (which completely goes against overpacking.)

What I brought:

Baggage
-1 large duffel bag. Dimensions 30x15x13. It broke then I bought a 65L pack from the store Varoxi in Banos. Thanks Footprint! I dont even know what brand it is. Nothing comes up for it online. Its good so far.
-1 regular backpack
-1 foldable backpack. They fold up and take up little space. Needed for daytrips and as another bag to hold all of your souvenirs for the flight back home.

Footwear
-Hiking boots
-Skecher walking shoes for normal activities and going out.
-Rafter sport sandals that I got 1/2 off, $15 @ Sports Authority. Xmas clearance rocks!
-Flip flops for shared showers (I was using my sandals for awhile which made them eternally wet) and walking around the hostal rooms.

Toiletries
-A good toiletry bag with a hook. The hook is essential! When there’s no place to put bag other than disgusting surfaces.
-Travel shampoo
-Mach3 shaver
-Travel shaving gel
-Travel soap holder
-A couple of bars of Dove. The travel size is too small for me. I have dry skin. I have to use lotion bars.
-Toilet paper. I got cute lil travel sized ones. Very useful. Don’t expect all public places to have tp.
-Toilet seat covers. I found them useful. You can use tp but I felt that its always in short supply. Better to conserve.
-Hand sanitizer. I used it religiously.
-Wet wipes, travel size. Wipes off what sanitizer won’t. Multi-use: Face, any body part.
-Deodorant
-Q-tips
-Nail cutter
-Small bottle of lotion.
-Travel toothbrush
-Travel toothpaste
-Collapsible cup. I used it sometimes. You could live w/o it.
-Floss
-Small mirror
-Lip balm w/spf
-Cologne
-Sunblock. That sun will burn you, even if you’re brown. 45 spf was recommended by my doc and Im brown.
-100% DEET repellent. I only found it in small bottles but I’d get a few of them. I had a %40 DEET spray too but it didnt seem to work that well.

Meds
-Doxcycline for malaria
-Immodium AD for diarrhea. You’re gonna get at least a mild case.
-Tylenol
-Altitude sickness medicine. Its a pretty serious sickness. You go up and down on that mountainous continent. Especially travelling city to city on busses.

Misc.
-Large/small ziplock bags. Tons of uses from preventing leaking items from getting all over your other things in your bag to compressing and organizing things that you’re packing. I used them for rocks/shells that I picked up, etc. etc. I used the 1 gallon and 1 quart bags for my trip.
-Sewing kit. Very small. Useful.
-Travel size 1st aid kit. I wouldn’t skimp on this one.
-Potable aqua water purification tablets.
-Lint remover. Didnt use it
-Water bottle. Didnt use it. I just bought bottled water. I didnt hike much or camp at all though so keep that in mind.
-A hard plastic supposedly water proof case with neck strap. Would’ve been useful but it didnt work.
-A water proof wallet. It worked but not %100 reliable. I wouldn’t put things you cant afford to be wet in it (credit cards.) I used it alot though. Small and I didnt mind if my change or money got wet.
-Mason line/twine. I didnt use it but you might.
-A bought a package of little multi-use travel bottles. I found them very useful for lotion, sanitizer (I already had a huge bottle), hair gel. Many uses.
-Waterproof pouches. I bought a pack w/ 3 diff sizes. Didnt actually submerge them but I kept my books, documents, camera, etc. in there when I went to the beach, canoeing, etc.
-Small binoculars. I used them.
-Headlamp. Marisa said it was useful so I got one for my girlfriend.
-A travel door lock. Excellent invention. Im a safety-first person. It made me feel secure.
-Duct tape. Invaluable. For rips in your bags, holes in your hostal room door, peepholes, keeps a (cam, phone, etc.)charger in place in those loose wall outlets, which seemed to be nearly all of them. Countless uses.
-Travel iron. Didnt use it. Im backpacking, Im wrinkled. So what?
-Snorkel. I didnt see tours providing new one’s. It’s your call. Personally I wouldn’t touch a used one.
-Small flashlight. I used it alot to read on busses, when the power went out (frequent), etc.
-Candles. For power outtages. It was common in hostals.
-Extra batteries
-Earplugs. I found them useful on loud busses when I wanted to nap and its generally loud everywhere, especially at night when you’re trying to sleep. Everything is open there. Music plays all night, animals like dogs and roosters.
-Pen, sharpie, pencil
-journal or small notebook.
-Bed sheets & pillow cases. A good idea but I didnt use them.
-Inflatable travel pillow. Needed for sleeping on those uncomfortable, cramped, and long bus rides.
-Digicam. Pictures are worth 1000 words.
-Alarm clock. For getting up early for tours, busses, etc. I just used my cell phone for that.
-Baggage locks. I put them on my daypack when I was out and on my bag that I left in my room. Made me feel better. They have TSA locks that you can lock your checked bags with. TSA can open them if needed but not anyone else.
-And last but not least, A Footprint Guide. I used The 2006 South American Handbook. Its freaking great. I love that book. I was going to get the Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru guide but it didnt get good reviews. Read reviews. Footprint always comes out on top.

Clothing
(I found that I could wear things a few times before washing them. I didnt use alot of the clothes I brought.)
-6 underwear.I go commando sometimes though. I wore my swimming trunks alot. It seemed everyday we were doing something wet, even when we weren’t on the coast. Rainforest tours, canoeing, hot springs, etc.
-9 socks: 2 white anklets, 2 white crew, 2 black crew, 1 long hiking, 2 short hiking. I think I brought too many socks but I think it might depend on what kind of trip you’re taking. I hiked a few times. I wore sandals alot. This one’s your call.
-Bandana. Towels are in short supply. They have good use.
-Towels. My gf had a travel towel. I used a regular one. Ideally for me, one for shower, one for beach, a couple med to sml ones for anything else.
-10 Shirts: 2 sleeveless- 2-3 more wouldn’t have hurt. 2 long sleeve- It got cold in the mountainous areas like Banos. Id bring a few. 4 t-shirts- one was nicer to go out to dinner, club. 2 collared short sleeve for dressier occasions.
-3 pants. 2 jeans- 1 more would’ve been ok. 1 hiking pants. I should’ve brought more of these. I wouldn’t have worn anything else. They are lightweight, with many zippered pockets, and can be converted to shorts. Freaking great.
-3 shorts. Could’ve used them but I wore swimming trunks alot. I have nice trunks that double as shorts with many pockets and hooks, etc. Very technically useful.
-2 pullover/jacket-like tops. I just used my Adidas looking one.
-For sleeping I brought 2 tank tops and 2 light pants. I wish I brought a couple more shirts for sleeping. The pants help when the mosquitoes come out at night. I also slept commando or with just boxers on too though. The better hostals dont have mosquito problems.
-Plastic poncho. Takes up little space. Needed.