Rainforest Travel Tips for Herpers

These tips are geared towards people who want to visit the rainforest primarily for hiking and wildlife observation.  If you you are going for sunbathing, fishing, surfing, etc. - these tips aren't for you.  My suggestions are based on numerous trips I've taken over the past 5 years to Costa Rican and Amazon rainforests.

Overview

First of all, it's important to state the obvious here - you are going to visit and hike in a tropical rainforest.  This means heat, humidity, rain and low-light situations.  You will sweat a lot, and will likely be soaked with sweat before breakfast ends.  You will stink.  In fact, the clothes you wear the very first day will probably still be wet a week later - and will reek.  You will get muddy.  You get get bitten by mosquitoes and ants.  You will walk into a lot of spider webs.  But it won't be as bad as you think - so accept that these things will happen and have fun!

Clothing

• Shoes - For hiking you will want a good pair of waterproof hiking boots or a pair of rubber boots.  Rubber boots work well (for wading into creeks or walking along muddy trails) but they are also heavier and take up luggage space.  Sneakers are OK, but they do leave your ankles exposed, and will likely end up ruined at the end of your trip.  I've also seen guides wear sandals on the trails, but I also see them get bit a lot by ants!  Teva-like sandals are a must as a second pair of footwear and can be worn around your lodging to give your feet a breather.  You may want to stash an extra pair of shoes away just for travel days - especially at the end when your boots may be caked with mud!

• Socks - Only one answer here as far as I am concerned: wool hiking socks.  They are comfortable, dry easily and quickly, and don't stink.  For a week's trip I may use only three pairs of these socks.  Cotton socks are not recommended as they will get wet and stay wet, and will not be comfortable.  Again - as with all clothing - you may want to put aside one pair of socks (any kind) for the trip home.

• Pants - For hiking in the forest I highly recommend long pants.  Your pants should be the lightweight, quick drying kind.  REI or any outdoor store is a great source for these.  I wear convertible pants so that once I'm done with my hike I can remove the bottom half and then lounge in some shorts.  I also bring another pair of shorts along with me.  For one week I can get by with one pair of convertible pants for hiking, one pair of shorts, and another pair of light weight pants for the trip home.  Yes, your hiking pants may get dirty, but hiking the rainforest isn't an exercise in looking good.  Jeans are NOT recommended - they're heavy, soak up moisture and don't dry in that environment.

• Shirts - Again, try to find some lightweight, non-cotton, quick-drying shirts.  REI and Ex Officio are two kinds I use - not necessarily because they're better but because they sell in tall sizes which I need for the longer sleeves.  I also wear a lot of t-shirts.  These do smell after a while, but it's not too noticeable (or maybe you get used to it!).  I wear the t-shirts during the day and the long-sleeves at night when bugs tend to be a bigger problem.  If you think you may be buying some souvenir t-shirts, pack fewer t-shirts of your own with the expectation that you can use the new ones right away.

• Jackets - a lightweight rain jacket should be brought along - you can even use those cheap garbage-bag type rain ponchos.  I stash one in my pack just in case - and use it to keep my camera gear covered more so than me.  It can get chilly at night or on the coast, and if you are sensitive to cold than you may also want to bring along a lightweight fleece or other warm jacket.  Also, regarding Costa Rica: San Jose can get chilly and you may need it on your first and last days in the country.

• Hats - Not necessary for sun-protection unless you plan to spend time at the pool or on the beach.  Good to have though for night hiking or in the rain.  More a matter of personal preference than anything else.

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Hiking Gear

• Packs - Packs are a personal choice and dependant on what you want to carry with you.  Remember that you should carry a lot of water with you to replace that which you sweat out.  For that reason I use a Camelback-style bladder pack and love it.  Besides water I can also use it to hold a rain poncho, collecting bags, insect repellent, etc.  I supplement the pack with a waist bag for my camera.

• Flashlights - You better go night-hiking while you're in the rainforest.  It's a great experience and you will see a completely different type of animal life at night.  A good, waterproof flashlight is essential.  I use a large Maglite, as well as a head lamp.  Head lamps work well but can be annoying when hiking with a group because you can be blinded when you turn to talk to someone.  I also take along a small laser-type keychain light as a last-ditch backup if all else fails.  If you're hiking with others I wouldn't worry too much about lugging extra batteries with you on the hike.  But don't be a fool and start your hike with batteries that already may be close to failing.  Make sure your batteries are good and strong when you leave and rely on your backups - or on others in your group - for light should your primary light fail.  It's good idea to take a long a small flashlight during day hikes as well - they're good for peering into holes but also provide some security for you should you be out later than you expect to.

• Extra batteries.  I have found that my Maglite will last all week with just one change of batteries.  That's with a couple hours a night of use.  But some of my other gear, especially camera and flash, seem to go through batteries a lot quicker.  Plan on taking three sets of batteries for each item.  You cannot get new batteries at most lodges and if you can they will be very expensive.  I have not tried rechargeables - they may or may not work as well.  Unfortunately, batteries may end up being a big percentage of your luggage's weight.

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Herp Gear 

For handling, all you really need is a hook.  Tongs, tubes, and pretty much anything else is overkill and will likely never be used.  A lightweight, collapsible hook is my first choice.  Make sure you have plenty of collection bags. I also bring along a noose for catching lizards. If I think I may be out at night alone, I'll bring and wear some bite-proof gaiters over my lower legs.  Fer de lances are most active at night, and are not the easiest to see.  I've come across enough of them (often lying right on the trail) to have a lot of respect for them. 

Herping Tips

Snakes

• In the rainforest snakes can be found just about anywhere - on the ground, in vegetation a foot up, or high in the trees.  There is no fool-proof way to find them except to be alert, look everywhere, and focus on movements and shapes that may seem out of place.  During the day I'd say the odds are that terrestrial snakes will be more easily found, whereas at night the arboreal snakes will be easier to find.  But there's no hard and fast rule.  I've had a lot of luck at night finding snakes on tops of leaves within a couple feet of the ground - particularly next to streams.  Also, keep an eye out for large palm leaves during the day - you may be lucky enough to see a silhouette of a snake resting on top of a leaf over your head.  Not that these places are a common hiding spot - it's just that it's easier to see a snake like that than to look in and among a bunch of vines.  I've been told that raking is not very effective in the rainforest, and for the most part I'd say that's true - but then again I found a rare ninia once under some ground cover, so it can pay off.

• Night hikes tend to be the most productive: more snakes are out, and the fact that you can only focus on where your flashlight is makes it easier to concentrate on what you're looking at.  During the day there's just so much to look at, it's harder to concentrate.

• The more people you have with you looking, the more you'll find.  When I'm out on my own I'm lucky to see one or two a day.  But with everyone looking you may be lucky enough to end a day with 7 or 8 bags of different species.

• Weather is a big factor in the availability of snakes - after a heavy rain is not the best time to go looking.  Talk to local guides if you can to get a feel for the location, what time is best to be out, and where the good spots are.  Be persistent: many locals assume you don't want to find snakes (think about it - how many marketing materials ever even mention snakes?? That's because most people are afraid of them).  Don't just ask if there are snakes around - the default answer will be no.  Say you're looking for them.  Better yet, hire someone and offer a small amount of money for every snake found.  You'd be surprised how easily local people can find snakes when motivated!

• Keep all snakes caught in a cloth bag.  Release them as soon as you've had your fill of photographs.

• NEVER attempt to catch or handle venomous snakes unless you are very experienced, know the species you're dealing with, AND are with other experienced herpers.  Some species can be unpredictable and all can be extremely dangerous.  If you do catch a venomous snake, you should use a hands-off approach to bagging and immediately secure the snake inside a hard-sided container with a secure lid.  Do not keep the snake in any location where someone else (i.e. a housekeeper) may accidentally come into contact or otherwise encounter it.

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Lizards

• Besides frogs, lizards are by far the most common type of herp you'll see.  Look for them in the leaf litter and on trees and leaves at eye level.  Geckos and anoles are commonly found on buildings.

• Many small lizards can be easily caught by hand if you're fast enough.  A lizard noose works well too.  For some species like basilisks and iguanas, look for them at night sleeping at eye level near ponds and streams.  They are very easy to catch at night if you approach quietly and with a minimum of light.

• Keep larger lizards in cloth bags and smaller ones in plastic bags.  Plastic bags containing herps should have some leaf and twig litter in them.  Release them as soon as you've had your fill of photographs.

Frogs

• Frogs will be the most common and easiest type of herp to find.  You'll commonly come across them hopping across trails, in and around pools and ponds, and in and alongside streams.  Be alert in areas of high frog concentration because that will almost certainly mean there are snakes nearby as well.

• Frogs should be kept in plastic bags, with some wet leaves thrown in for security, air spaces, and moisture.  Release them as soon as you've had your fill of photographs.

• NEVER handle an amphibian if you've put any kind of chemical on them - insect repellant, sunscreen, deodorant, etc.  Frogs should only be handled with clean hands.

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Photography

This really depends on how involved you want to get and what you want to lug around.  I only use digital now.  A must for me is a macro lens, a zoom lens, a flash, and a small portable tripod.  I use a Nikon Coolpix 995 for most of my field macro shots and a Canon D10 for the longer shots and any "studio" macro shots that I take back at the lodge.  A tripod is nice but is more of a luxury unless you don't mind adding those extra pounds to your luggage.

Keep all of your gear in airtight plastic bags when not in use.  Add packets of silica gel to your bags to help keep moisture out.  During the year whenever I'm at the mall, I look for those little silica gel packs that seem to come with everything these days.  Shoe stores especially.  Take them and empty them from the bag and into a jar.  Before your trip, microwave the beads (60 seconds at a time) until the colored beads turn blue.  Let the beads cool and put them into little sachet bags you can get at a craft store.  Put these sachet bags into larger plastic bags into which you'll then put your camera gear.  I've seen a nice Nikon digital camera get fried because of the humidity, so I do not take chances.  Avoid having your gear in direct sunlight.

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Other items to always have on you:

• Whistle - should you get lost or require attention.
• String/Extra shoelaces
• Small knife or leatherman
• First aid kit - bandaids/ Neosporin, etc.
• A large plastic bag to put valuable gear in should it rain.
• A Sawyer Extractor for snake bite - I've never needed one but why take a chance?
• Moleskin for blisters

A word on mosquitoes:

Bugs in the rainforest are no worse than most places in America.  There will likely be spots where the concentration of mosquitoes is heavy (near water), but if you keep on walking you'll be fine.  I would say the majority of days I've been hiking I've never even needed repellent.  Be prepared, but don't be paranoid.  For repellent, I recommend Cactus Juice.  Cactus Juice is all-natural, also contains sunscreen, and is effective.  Also effective is oil of eucalyptus (though may need re-application every two hours or so).  I feel so much better putting Cactus Juice on me than deet or any other "stronger" substance.

Happy herping!

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