Going to visit the amazon during South America trip, what are the essentials?

[JacknDiane]

Trying to cram everything into a backpackers backpack!
What is essential and what can I leave out?

Bump

Long sleeves and long trousers in breathable fabrics would be my number one tip, it's humid but the possibility of getting bitten by something is high!
Where are you going?

I can't remember the places exactly, just that its the Amazon

Which country are you going to? And are you in a lodge or on a river?
Long sleeves, long trousers and especially a neck buff for pulling up over your lower face for night excursions especially on the river, because there are a lot of flying bugs which will hit you in the face, they are attracted by the torches used. And a thin waterproof because you’ll likely get rained upon at some point. On the river you won’t get many mosquitos but inland you can, so deet bug spray and a wide brimmed hat for bugs that can fall on you. And cash for tips for your guides.
You’ll sweat buckets so no synthetic materials which will stink afterwards. A water bottle and small day pack. Some wet wipes for cleaning your face as you go. Sturdy shoes, no walking in sandals due to snakes.
Be aware that many lodges don’t have air conditioning, only fans.
Enjoy, it’s an amazing experience. But don’t expect to see much wildlife as they will be well hidden in the jungle. You’ll see birds, bugs, possibly snakes, monkeys, hopefully sloths and caiman. But seeing things like jaguars, tapirs etc , chances are very slim, you’ll need to go elsewhere for those, such as the Brazil Pantanal.

Amazing trip! How are you doing it? Hotels? Lodges? How much will you be ‘roughing it’, and how much walking?

Must haves - good boots, mozzie repellent. The heavy duty stuff. Day and night. Long sleeves, long trousers. Speciality wear, if poss, that dries quickly. That’s it, really.

Long sleeved lightweight top, and full length lightweight trousers. And definitely a hat - for sun protection daytime and for insect protection after dark. Covered walking shoes/boots that you feel confident and secure in. Loads of suntan lotion, because you may sweat it off as quickly as you apply it (if you’re my husband, for example!)
Have an amazing time 😊

Earplugs as it’s noisy at night, really noisy!

anti-histamine - god knows what bit me but bloody hell it looked a mess quite quickly.

Good binoculars too. We were on the other bank looking at all the parrots and without a good bino, you’d be stuffed. You can also put your phone camera on the eyepiece and get some great photos. We got great shots of howler monkeys that way.

If you don't even know where you're going, I assume a tour company has arranged all this for you? In which case they will tell you what you need to bring.

The time of year and the activities that you’re going to be doing definitely affect what’s essential to take. I’d take a waterproof phone pouch and maybe even waterproof backpack liners.

Its not me, its one of the dc who are going. Im asking on their behalf.
Thank you for these answers, they are very helpful.

They go in june

Hi, can I hijack please?
Im going to Napo wildlife centre in the Ecuadorian amazon for a few days in September.
We are limited on luggage as its only a small part of the holiday and will also be taking beach stuff including wetsuits.
Will trainers be ok? Ive got a few gym shirts that dry quickly and one pair of walking trousers.
Are leggings a bad idea?
Sorry for the hijack, grateful for any answers

Unless the wildlife centre is ‘sanitised’, ie devoid of real Amazon creatures, you should wear boots that cover your ankles. And leggings - nope. The loose weave will let all the bugs bite through them.

Its not sanitised at all, so plenty of bugs!
I had a feeling that that would be the case about leggings and boots.
I feel that packing is going to be hard.
Specialist gear and limited luggage allowance!
Thanks for the reply.

@DuchessofKirkcaldy79 It’s not just the bugs… I wore trainer-type walking boots, they were amazing. Very light, sturdy and protected my ankles from all sorts - falling over tree roots, snakes etc.
Trousers are also incredibly lightweight and roll up to almost nothing.

I backpacked for 5 months there and managed just fine. The biggest weight was mozzie repellent 😂

@PlatinumBrunette, can you tell us more, this advice is exactly what I need.
What mozzie repellent did you take, and how much? I was thinking of smidge, which is great for the midgies in Scotland, but maybe not strong enough for the amazon?
Also what lightweight clothes do you recommend? What specific fabrics and brands? And what sort of trainers did you take, do you have a link to something similar? And did you take a light waterproof jacket?
And how much sunscreen for 3 weeks?

Thank you 😊

Hah! OK, with the disclaimer I did this a very, very long time ago, I can’t remember all the brands but I’ll see what I can do.

My jungle trousers were definitely Rohan. Very close weave, cool and dried almost instantly. https://www.rohan.co.uk/womens/new-season/?o_product_type=Trousers&q=*

Boots - I genuinely can’t remember and I’ve had a quick look and they may have been Merrell. All I recall is they were airy and light. I was more concerned about trench foot than getting them wet.
I barely took them off - look up chiggers to find out why 😳
This page gives some good ideas https://www.countryfile.com/go-outdoors/gear/best-lightweight-walking-boots

Mozzie repellent - vital. The jungle nasties strike in both day and night. I went for the most chemical one possible because I know the insect life. 100% deet to spray on clothes, shoes but not skin. It’s like paint remover. No joke! Then I think a 30% one for daily use. This brand, or Jungle Formula is best.

sunscreen - no clue! I was IN the jungle for most of it, only outside when travelling up and down the river, and evenings in camp. I do remember being horribly sunburned tho.

Other clothes - again, can’t really recall, but there was definitely a good old-fashioned cagoule in there. Unsexy as hell, but useful. Full zip up rather than a ‘pull-over the head’ one for easy access.

Thank you for asking, you’ve triggered some beautiful memories for me.

And please do look up chiggers 🫣

I travel EVERYWHERE with TCP. You want to double wrap it as it will make everything stink if it leaks but it quickly sterilises and dries wounds so they heal quickly.

We had Malarone tablets for malaria prevention.

@PlatinumBrunette thank you so much! That's fantastic, sounds like you had an amazing trip.

I will Google chiggers but im a bit scared to! 😁

Amazing trip!
Definitely trainer-type hiking shoes are perfect because they’re less heavy and bulky but still comfortable and and durable for long hiking. I used old Solomon ones that were great.
Other random essentials that are often missed but I found make such a big difference - a waterproof cover for your backpack (it gets damp easily out there), those carabiner things to hang shoes/wet things etc off your backpack like this, a mini first aid kit, mini torch and definitely Jungle Formula insect repellent - the only one that worked for us!
Clothes wise, extra socks and layers that dry quick!

Thank you @GirlsAbroad

I'd also look at whereabouts she is going and see if deet or permethrin is thought to be better in that area. Check out Purple Turtle permethrin spray for clothes before leaving.

Random but a lightweight mesh water bottle holder is good for hikes if you don't want to take a proper rucksack, and they tend to be nylon or polyester so dry instantly. And/or one of the tiny foldup backpacks like the ones decathlon or Mountain warehouse sell, so you can carry a couple of bits on a walk rather than the full luggage size rucksack.
Definitely take antihistamines, both cream and tablets - and if course some imodium😃
@DuchessofKirkcaldy79 do you absolutely have to pack wetsuits, are you sure you can't borrow/hire them at your destination? They are so bulky and heavy that's the last thing I'd want to pack.

Take them at night.. from very bitter experience

Also, nosilife kit is worth noting

I have stayed in two lodges in the Amazon basin and at no time did long hikes. There were slow hikes to see the flora and fauna.

We had water borne Makoro trips and saw caiman and giant otters. We saw spiders and monkeys! Lots of other interesting things like ants and frogs. My DD swam in a lake with pirhanas. We had fed them earlier. No wet suit required. Far too bulky to take and not needed.

At the lodge in Ecuador we had an aerial walkway and saw amazing birds. Also parrots at a clay lick. In Peru, fantastic macaws and parrots. Very memorable.

Others have given health advice but I’d just enjoy the experience. Don’t worry about health, the lodges have supplies. Also, we had naturalists and local guides. The local guides tell you about how people live in the rainforest. One last thing: we had no rain on either trip! One was April and one was in August. We got lucky I think. Highly recommend it.