You are welcome to bring extras of the items marked with a plus (+) sign. Where a range of quantities is indicated, e.g., “1-2” bring the smaller quantity if you are on a one-week course, and the larger quantity if your course is 10 days or longer. There are multiple brand name options available at varying prices. The clothing and equipment on this list is widely available in many places. Specialty outdoor stores like L.L.Bean, REI, Campmorand Eastern Mountain Sportswill have a range of appropriate items to choose from. Discount retailers, like Sierra Trading Postand the REI Garage often have good prices on name-brand gear and clothing. You may also locate many first- quality clothing and equipment items at military surplus stores and area consignment stores and thrift stores, such as Goodwilland The Salvation Army.
The HIOBS website has some great items. A complete collection of HIOBS-recommended-for-course items can be found HERE. Please contact your course advisor for suggestions.
Packing several light layers rather than fewer heavier layers allows you more flexibility as the weather and workloads change. Inner layers should fit closely, middle layers should fit loosely and outer layers should be just a little bit baggy. When shopping or packing, it is a good idea to try on your layers together.
Before your expedition, your instructors will check your gear; they will assess your clothing with the actual route and the anticipated weather in mind. Items you don’t take on expedition will be stored safely at base. We suggest leaving the tags on any items you purchase in case you don’t actually pack them for expedition, but please note that you should check with each store to see what their return policies are. If there are items that you would like to bring but which are not mentioned on this list, feel free to call and ask your course advisor at 855-802-0307.
Tick- and mosquito-borne diseases are an increasing risk of traveling in the wild regions of the Americas, including our course areas in Maine, New Hampshire, Florida, the Bahamas, and Costa Rica. Fortunately, there are prevention steps that are very effective and, in most cases, treatment is relatively simple and recovery complete, so long as the diagnosis is made early. Students and their families should educate themselves on the risks, prevention measures, and signs and symptoms of tick-borne illnesses.
Since prevention is always better than treatment, we STRONGLY recommend pre-treating your footwear, long pants, long-sleeve shirts, jackets and hats with a chemical barrier containing permethrin, at least two days before traveling to your course. Applied correctly and allowed to dry before wearing, the treatment remains effective for up to a month. For even longer-lasting protection, you can either purchase clothing with permethrin embedded within it, or send your clothes to Insect Shield®, who will treat them and ship them back to you, ready for your course. Use the Coupon Code “HIOBS” to receive a 15% discount on both clothing and treatment services at this website (please note that you need to use the coupon separately for products/ service).
Permethrin spray is readily available at many retailers, including Dick's Sporting Goods, Campmor, and Walgreen's.
For more information, please download our Vector-Borne Disease General Fact Sheet.
December through May is the dry season in Central America; even so, afternoon thunderstorms are common. Daytime highs will range from the 75-95, and the lows will be 65-80. Throughout the course areas, sun can be intense making sun protection (sun screen & clothing) very important.
2 Long-Sleeved Lightweight Sun Shirts: A hooded, synthetic-material sun shirt is suggested.
These are NOT required items. Please only buy them if you plan to use them outside of your course.
There are many extended periods on the course that will be very wet and muddy. It is not a question of if, but when your feet are going to get soaked. In such conditions, a thin sock liner combined with gaiters is important.
PLEASE NOTE: Heavy weight leather boots become extremely heavy when saturated and dry painfully slow. We recommend you have a medium-weight variety of hiking boot on this course.
Thinner hiking socks made of synthetic or synthetic wool blend materials are breathable, wick moisture away from the skin and are quick drying. Wool socks work well, but are a little more expensive. Do NOT bring cotton socks – they retain water and will make you miserable.
Gaiters are garments worn over the shoe and lower leg to protect from water, dirt, and rocks. Some students and staff choose to embrace the mud, but if you do opt to bring gaiters we suggest ones that come up to the knee. They should be snug around your boot and leg, but not restricting.
Over the course of a long hike your feet WILL swell. This is especially true when hiking in hot conditions. Shoes that feel nice and snug in the store will probably feel tight and uncomfortable after a few days on the trail. Buying a size or two up is a great idea! If possible, try the shoes on with the same socks you will be wearing on the trail.
No matter what your choice in footwear, go for at least a few hikes before coming on course. Students have had to leave the hike because of bad blisters caused by not breaking in their new boots! The more you wear your boots before you arrive the less chance you’ll have of getting bad blisters.
Please note that Outward Bound provides all other equipment, including (but not limited to):
HIOBS Instructors will carry a fully stocked First Aid kit. You do not need to bring your own first aid kit or "just in case" OTC medications that you do not regularly take if they are listed below.
This kit includes, but is not limited to: