Packing List?

Question

I am making a packing list for Ecuador, what all should I bring?

Answer 1

Ecuador is a fairly small country. Depending on how long you are going to be there and how much you feel like traveling you can experience Mountains, rainforest and coastal areas all in a few days. Also, your activities and your inclination to do laundry will dictate how many of any particular type of clothing you take. Personaly I only pack enough for about three days with underwear for 5 and just do laundry once a week.

The best advice I got with regard to weather in ecuador was this (from a tour guide at Mitad del Mundo) "Where you are from you have seasons... fall and summer and spring... here we have only sometimes it rains and sometimes it does not."

The following is a set of prep/packing guidelines for traveling to ecuador I compiled for a trip I took this last summer: I packed strictly carry-on.

Underwear x5 sets
S/S tshirt x2
L/S shirt (long underwear type) x1
L/S shirt (tshirt or casual button up)
Shorts x1
Swimshorts x1
Long pants (everyday wear) x1
Nice outfit (including button up shirt/blouse, nice pants/skirt/dress you get the idea) x1
Socks x5
Sandals
Hiking boots
Warm fleece jacket
Rain Jacket
Warm hat (stocking/beanie type)
Sun hat
Lightweight gloves
Sunglasses
Standard toiletries (toilet paper! but remember DO NOT flush it...)

Digital camera with extra batteries/charging cable/docking station and extra memory card. The kids there love seeing themselves on the review option, instant gratification!

Flashlight/headlamp

pocket knife/multitool

US currency (cash is easiest fees are charged to change travelers checks and almost no vendors will take them.) The official currency is the US dollar.

Passport (photocopy this and carry the copy with you when you are out and about during the day if you have a secure place for your belongings during the day. Also, scan a copy of it and email it to a web-based account so you can access it from an internet cafe. Do this with any credit cards etc that you bring with.)

Money belt (I like the eagle creek ones)

Mosquito/spider net depending on where you are staying (not necessary in the mountain regions)

Travel sheets if you are staying in hostels etc. sleeping bag/sleeping pad if you are sleeping out

Back up water treatment such as chlorine dioxide tablets/drops or some such. A local outdoor outfitter can point you in the right direction, insist on LEVEL 1 Purification as the criteria (they will know what this means if they don't go somewhere else!). You can buy bottled water easily but don't leave that to chance.

A good travel pack. (Eagle Creek and Osprey packs make the best ones I have seen)

The following should be included in a personal first aid kit.

Antidiarrheal medication (loperamide)
Pepto tablets (bismuth subsalicylate) for nausea (*note that this can be used as an anticid, antigas,antidiarrheal but I prefer other more specificdrugs - see below)
Antibiotic for self-treatment of moderate to severe diarrhea (Cipro is a good broad spectrum choice but you should get good education on appropriate administration.)
Antihistamine (benadryl or the like)
Decongestant (pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine) alone or in combination with antihistamine.
Antimotion sickness medication (if you are prone) Acetaminophen and/or ibuprofen, or other medication for pain or fever
Mild laxative
Cough suppressant/expectorant
Throat lozenges
Antacid (ranitidine)
Antifungal and antibacterial ointments or creams
1% hydrocortisone cream (a must for coastal or tropical areas to treat insect bites)
Personal medications
Insect repellent containing DEET (the CDC recommends up to 50%) [but in my experience anything less than 99% isn't worth putting on]
Sunscreen (preferably SPF 15 or greater)
Aloe gel for sunburns
Digital thermometer
Oral rehydration solution packets
Basic first-aid items (adhesive bandages, gauze, ace wrap, antiseptic, tweezers, scissors, cotton-tipped applicators) Antibacterial hand wipes or alcohol-based hand sanitizer Moleskin and Molefoam for blisters
Lubricating eye drops (e.g., Natural Tears)

If you opt to carry specific medications rather than a catch-all like pepto (see above) be sure you understand which is best for what and clearly label them if you remove them from the original packaging. If you carry an antibiotic or other prescription medications be sure you get good instruction from the presribing physician.

There are no mandatory vaccinations or vaccination certificates required for travel to the Quito area. Four to Six weeks before travel is the recommended period to recieve most vaccines.

Hepatitis A is recommended. One dose initial provides approximately 80% of the immunity a second dose 6 months later to complete the series.

Hepatitis B is recommended. Three doses in the series. First dose, Second dose 1 - 2 months later, Third dose 4 - 6 months after 1st dose.

Yellow fever is not endemic to Quito and areas west are not at risk. A single dose of Yellow Fever vaccine is all that is required in the series and provides 10 years of immunity.

Typhoid is recommended as it is contracted via the oral/fecal route usually via contaminated water. One dose provides protection - administered at least 2 weeks before potential contact. Boosters are required every two years for people at risk. Protection is not 100% so precautions should still be taken. Oral vaccine is also available with a 5 year span of protection.

Meningococcal has been reported in the area, but is not recommended unless traveling in large groups of indigent populations such as pilgrimages etc.

Tetanus, Diptheria, Protusis boosters should be current. One dose is required every ten years.

Polio booster should be current.

MMR booster should be current.

Rabies is only recommended if there is an anticipated exposure in rural areas.

Malaria is present in all areas of ecuador below 1500 meters (approx 4600 feet) There is no risk in the city of Quito but outlying areas including the coast are at risk. The malaria in the coastal area is confirmed chloroquin resistant. The recommended prophylaxis is atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine. Doxycycline (cheap but you have take it for close to a month at least) or Malarone (expensive and not covered by as many insurance prescription benefits - but depending on time spent in malarial areas you only have to take it for approximately two weeks)

Vaccinations can be done at your local physicians office, or the local Health Dept.

I think that's a god summary... Good luck and have fun. Make sure you get to Otavalo! feel free to contact me if you need clarification.

Answer 2

Hi the basic packing list to visit all the Ecuador regions are:

1 Sunblock cream over 50
2. Really confortable trekking shoes it will work in Ecuador Andes, Coast, Quito, and Galapagos Islands
3. For Amazon Rainforest, Galapagos Islands Cruises and tours a couple of sandals and sport shoes are ok
4. A lot of pants and t shirts, the morning in almost all the country is dry, except if you are in the coast, galapagos, and amazon rainforest, but in the afternoon the rain falls with intesity or the cold in the andes could make you feel really cold, bring a couple of rain jackets like columbia jackets thats works fine in cold and rain days, for the warm weather bring shorts until the knee
5. Baseball jockeys are a must if you can get a nice hat with long wings it be more useful because as the country is in the Ecuador line the sun really burns
6. Back pack and wheel bagm the first for the short tours near cities and the second with the big things like camera and all the stuff
7. Digital camera, please bring it with more than 512 mb of memory to take a huge amount of pictures, here you can download your photos into cds in internet coffees and photo stores by just 1 or 3 usd per CD burned
8. Passport, and credit cards, all the major credit cards are accepted but the most commons are Visa, Amex, MC and Diners Club
9. Money in cash, it depends but bring your dollars or you debit card for ATM machines is better if you budget at least 10 usd per day for bus, food, international calls os anything else, for accommodation it starts in a minimun of 15 usd for a decent ans SECURE hostal in Quito, Cuenca or Guayaquil for Galapagos Islands Cruises it has an average price per day of 150 usd minimun. It not includes galapagos national park entrance fee (100 usd for non ecuadorians)
10. Maps, Maps and Maps you need a really good map of the main cities you will visit, I recommend the printed versions by lonely planet
11. Underwear and socks these are the main clothes you will change and guarantee yourself a nice and comfortable trip around ecuador
12. If you will stay for more than 15 days is a good idea to buy a mobile phone to call your family, it works with precharged air time and have no expensive fees to call to the states and europe
13 Finally and a MUST please take the yellow fever vaccination because if you don't you can travel to amazon rainforest, ecuador coast and galapagos islands.

Well I guess all the topics are the basics medicines and other stuff goes by your own requirements

Answer 3

If you are going to visit the Andes I would suggest bringing some warm clothes, as well as lighter weight clothes. Think layers. I usually pack tshirts and jeans, but I bring a water proof jacket and a wool sweater. If you are hiking its a good idea to have water proof boots as a lot of the trails can be muddy.

If you are going to be in the Amazon basin or on the coast wear light weight long sleeves if you are in mosquito areas. Malaria isnt a big problem, but it does occur. Sun screen and bug repellent are good to have.

If you are going to the cities I found that casual dress is fine. The electrical system is the same, so your hair dryer ect will work fine. They use the US dollar for currency, so no problems with exchanging money. I love Ecuador. I have been there twice just this year and plan on returning next year. Its a beautiful country with wonderful people. Good luck!

Answer 4

depend where are you going to visit? if you are goingo to vist la sierra de ecuador, bring swethers, if you are going to visit the beaches bring sunblock

Answer 5

u need to check the weather! It is cold!
on yahoo! I checked for you now (6:50) in Quito it is 54 degrees and there is light rain.
It really depends on where you go. lucky.