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Kit List The objective is to take the smallest amount of equipment needed to be comfortable and safe. You will need to carry your equipment and baggage on occasions and there are also maximum weight allowances which vary depending on the airline used. Always aim to buy equipment that is compact, light weight, durable, quick drying, versatile and in good repair. You may find that you have suitable gear already, so don’t feel you have to buy everything new. Shop around and price everything before purchasing anything. Some items you may be able to borrow from friends or relatives, pick up second hand, or get deals off the internet.
We have done some research and certain outlets will give you some excellent deals if you mention our name. In the UK our main contacts are: Nomad Travel (0207 833 4114), and Travel with Care (01980 626 361) for the terrestrial projects, Nomad offer discounts on both equipment and vaccinations at their clinics, for a voucher please email alison.darlington@opwall.com. Watersports Warehouse provide good deals on any marine equipment needed, you will receive a discount voucher for Watersports Warehouse with you PADI form but if you want to purchase anything before this arrives please email alison.curtis@opwall.com with Dive Voucher in the subject box and we will send you a copy. Please mention that you are joining an Operation Wallacea expedition when you contact them and you should be able to get a further discount on the published prices.
In North America Back Country Gear and US Outdoor Stores have a good selection of equipment for the forest for volunteers in the US, whilst Mountain Equipment Co-operative is the best for Canadian volunteers. Scuba Store has a good range of marine equipment with outlets in both the US and Canada.
Try out your kit in realistic circumstances if at all possible before your expedition, especially new boots which can often need time to fully mould to the shape of your feet, and even more specifically new Jungle boots which should be soaked and worn till they dry on your feet to prevent blisters whilst trekking. All baggage, clothes and kit should be clearly labelled to avoid confusion. There are many volunteers, and some may have the same or similar items to you. Valuables are very occasionally at risk. Please make sure you have insurance, record all serial numbers and keep all receipts. Remember to carry all personal documents and cash safely in a concealed money belt. The sections below relate to equipment for terrestrial projects, marine projects, and medical kits.
What to take for terrestrial based projects Hiking boots/Jungle boots. Make sure your boots have firm ankle support, a semi-flexible sole with good grips and dries relatively quickly. Jungle boots are ideal for very wet conditions, but are not comfortable for long or daily trekking. Light-weight Gore-tex (or a cheaper equivalent) boots are waterproof and dry quickly in the Honduran climate, and are a much more comfortable and sturdier alternative.
Wellingtons These are really useful for walking around camp and for doing short walks. The guides use them all the time even for the long treks but unless you are used to wearing Wellingtons you would be better sticking to the boots for long treks and wellingtons for more local walking (not required for Howler Monkey projects in Manacal).
Rucksack. Please bring a 50 litre minimum pack. Lowe Alpine and Karrimor are both good makes with adjustable back systems, though other makes also have this feature, providing a more comfortable fit. Many packs on the market today are not ‘rucksacks’ but ‘travelbags’ and there is a big difference. Rucksacks are built for wearing for a longer periods, whereas travelbags are designed for carrying between bus stations and airports, decide what you want not only for now but for the future.
Waterproof plastic bags. A combination of sizes and styles are necessary to keep water out of your kit and clothes. A large gravel sack or heavy duty bin liner will act as a rucksack liner (bring spares), and Ziploc (freezer) bags are brilliant for keeping your camera, and other bits of kit dry (bring plenty). There are some very heavy duty ‘dry bags’ on the market – the choice is yours.
Day bag/Small rucksack. Needed for your field work for carrying water, paper, pens, binoculars, cameras etc.
Roll mat or Thermarest. Necessary for both warmth and comfort in the forest. Roll mats can be purchased cheaply, whereas Thermarests are more of an investment (be sure to buy a repair kit).
Sleeping Bag. It can get surprisingly cold at night in the forest Camps, so we recommend a 2-3 season sleeping bag for these sites, plus thermal under-wear can be useful in some of the higher elevation camps.
Water bottle/platypus, etc. A combination of leak-proof plastic bottles (total capacity 3 litres) is imperative. There are many styles to choose from – it is not necessary to get anything fancy, though if you do want to invest in one of the ‘hydration systems’ on the market (Platypus, camelback, Ortileb) they do have the advantage of packing flat when not in use. Nalgene do a heavy-duty wide mouthed bottle with a measuring gauge.
Whistle. Even if you never use it, it’s important to have a whistle with you at all times to attract attention in an emergency.
Strong Head Torch. Night-time opportunistic walks require the stronger Petzl headlamps. Please note that the ‘mini Petzl’ models are no good for spotlighting nocturnal wildlife such as snakes and amphibians, etc, but are excellent back-up torches. Don’t forget spare batteries!
Waterproofs. Rainfall is unpredictable in this part of the world, so a plastic poncho or lightweight rainjacket is invaluable. Expensive heavyweight Gore-Tex raincoats are not recommended – they are hot and may get snagged and torn.
Watch with alarm. It doesn’t have to be anything technical. A travel alarm clock will also do.
Biodegradable soap/shampoo/washing liquid. To minimise impact on the environment we ask all volunteers to bring ‘green’ detergents. Please bring personal soap such as lifestyles or mountain suds and 1 bottle of Ecover (or similar) clothes washing liquid. The latter will be donated to the village or Base camp for general use. Unfortunately, biodegradable soap is not available in Honduras.
Insect repellent. Mosiguard is quite effective, though you may want to increase your cover with a DEET based product. Avon “Skin so Soft” Dry Oil Body Spray also works and brewer’s yeast tablets taken regularly also seem a good repellent.
Sunblock. An essential part of any tropical expedition kit – Factor 25, minimum, is recommended.
Talcum powder/Anti Fungal Powder. Due to the humid nature of the tropics, it is imperative to take extra special care of feet and crotch areas. Regular application of talcum powder can aid drying, and anti fungal powder can help prevent and combat athletes foot/other fungal infections.
Sanitary pads/Tampons. Please bring a supply even if you do not expect to use them.
Hat or bandana. Dehydration and heat exhaustion are two potential debilitators, especially in the first few days before you have fully acclimatised. The wearing of a hat or bandanna in conjunction with regular fluid intake can make all the difference.
Small towel/sarong. Don’t bring a big thick towel as it is heavy and won’t dry quickly enough . Excellent travelpac towels (eg Lifeventure) are available, but can be pricey—a tea towel will do the job. Sarongs can double up as sheets and skirts.
Latin American/Spanish phrase book or dictionary. This is a recommendation stressed by previous volunteers. Those who brought them found them invaluable and those who didn’t sorely wished they had.
Clothing essentials: Dark colours don’t show the dirt, but they do retain more heat than light colours, so we recommend light colours, but not white. Also, a combination of natural and synthetic fibres are advisable – whereas nylon has the advantage of drying quickly it can also cause you to sweat more thus causing chaffing and heat rash. Cotton on the other hand is kind to your skin, but can take a while to dry. Both have their strengths and weaknesses – seek advice when purchasing. Clothes washing is done locally in Honduras so there may be some delays in getting your washing back and you are not able to hand wash clothes at our sites. Please adjust your clothing quantities accordingly. So if you are with us for 8 weeks you might want to take a little more underwear than recommended below.
Binoculars. These are really essential to see much of the wildlife in the forest. 8 X 40 are the best to bring
Camera. You will have lots of opportunities to take pictures but please bring a waterproof carrying case for the camera
Project specific equipment Please email your project supervisor to see if they have any specific kit or equipment they wish you to bring. For example if you are doing a social science dissertation then a dictaphone or recording mini disc players can come in useful, especially if you want to get more involved with a particular project. If you are doing a dissertation and have a laptop check if it has an available network socket - if not, you may want to consider bringing along a PCMCIA card to the network at the Base Camp. Competition for computer time can be fierce. Waterproof paper is very useful if you are a dissertation student.
What to take for Marine based projects Dive Training Courses
All
those learning to dive will need to bring a PADI Open Water Crew
Pack and PIC card (registration) with them. For UK and European
volunteers the best deal is direct from us. You
can purchase this
here. Note this includes the PIC cards which you need
for certification and if you buy a PADI Open Water Crew Pack from
most dive shops or internet sites they do NOT contain PIC Cards.
For US based volunteers you need to email
diveUS@opwall.com
and the costs will be $77 delivered to you. For Canadian volunteers
you should e-mail
diveCanada@opwall.com. Remember if are dive
training and arrive without an Open Water Manual and PIC card then
you won't be able to complete the dive training course.
If you are already a qualified diver, we will require proof of your dive qualifications on site. You will also need to bring with you your completed log books, and PADI forms.
PADI Forms Please bring your completed, original PADI forms with you and send a copy to Alison Darlington in the UK Opwall office. Without these PADI forms you may not be permitted to dive.
Logbook You will also need a Log Book—a simple A5 sized hard-back notebook will suffice although you can also buy specially designed PADI logbooks on site.
Dive equipment All the equipment listed below is essential for diving projects. Some is available to hire on site, except for wetsuits and dive watches. If you decide to hire, budget around ($14) per day for a full set of equipment. If you plan to continue diving in the future, it might be well worth investing in your own kit.
Wetsuit. We strongly recommend that you bring a wetsuit. On most days you may not need it, but on some days it can be cold, and you will be much more comfortable if you have a wetsuit. The purpose of a wetsuit is twofold, to keep you warm whilst underwater, and to protect you from marine life that may sting you. We recommend a 2-3mm thickness shortie, or full length if you are prone to the cold. On days when it is too warm for a wetsuit, a 'rash vest' makes a very good alternative.
Dive watch or computer. This is a requirement under PADI regulations for qualified divers. However, PADI allows Open Water divers to go off diving in buddy pairs on their own without a Dive Master whereas Opwall regulations require that all divers are accompanied by a Dive Master who times their dives. Under these circumstances we don't consider it necessary but if you have a waterproof watch or dive computer please take it.
Mask and Snorkel. Limited supply available for hire.
Fins and Booties. Fins come in two varieties, full foot fins (booties not necessary), and fins with straps that require neoprene booties. It is completely down to personal preference. Limited supply of full foot fins available for hire on site.
Swimsuit.
Sunblock. Please bring plenty of waterproof sunblock SPF 25 minimum.
Sunglasses. A good pair are important to protect your eyes from the glare reflected from the water.
Torch.
Sandals or flipflops.
Hat or bandana. An important barrier against heat stroke.
Lightweight waterproof jacket. Unfortunately, it’s not always sunny, and a lightweight windcheater/waterproof jacket is invaluable for keeping you warm on boats.
Insect repellent and Skin So Soft.
Sanitary pads/Tampons.
Small Padlock for safe box.
Notebooks and pencils. A requirement for all projects – if you want to splash out, waterproof books are definitely an advantage.
Sleeping bag or sheet. If you are not going to the forest site, then a 1-2 season sleeping bag or sheet will suffice.
Clothing.
Camera.
Additional items Dive torches. If you are an advanced diver or are planning to take your advanced training please bring two dive torches, one main torch and a smaller back up torch.
Dive knife. This is a recommended but not essential item.
Medical Kit Although every expedition will have its own medical supplies, and medical teams on site, you MUST carry your own personal medical kit. This way you will be as self sufficient as possible, and able to treat minor scrapes and injuries yourself, which is vital when, for example, you are involved in a jungle training exercise. The following are essential items:
You may also wish to consider taking the following:
Important If you need to take prescribed medicines whilst on expedition, please bring sufficient supplies to cover your stay. For example if you are asthmatic you MUST bring you own inhalers, or if you have a history or recognized risk of going into anaphylactic shock due to an allergy, you must supply your own Epipen. Always waterproof and clearly label drugs (with generic, rather than trade names). Occasionally there are restrictions on travelling with certain medicines. If you think this may be relevant to you, please contact your Home Office Drugs Branch (in the UK: 0207 273 3806). |
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