Guyana Packing Lists

Make sure your back pack is well fitted for your frame and pack no more than you need. Those backpacks sure get heavy when you're crawling up steep mountains in the mid-day sun! We also carried day packs that contained water bladders.
We inserted water proof bags in our backpacks to kept everything dry when it rained.

You never know what kind of bugs you'll encounter in the rain forest so clothes should be quick dry, light in weight and color, long sleeved shirts, long pants, hat, good hiking shoes and water shoes to cross brooks and rivers that have no bridges. Zip-off pants are great for when you don't feel threatened by creepy crawlers. We hiked with two pairs of socks on our feet, a thinner pair next to our feet and heavier ones outside. This sure cut down on blisters.
The evenings may cool down so a hooded sweater or light-weight jacket may come in handy.
You should check out the season before you go. If it's the dry season, a rain poncho is all you need. If it's the rainy season, you might consider something more substantial.

Malaria is a major health problem in Guyana, so you'll need to take the appropriate prophylaxis. It's a chloroquine resistant area. We took a daily Malorone tablet which has few, if any, side-effects. We were also vaccinated against hepatitis, typhoid, tetanus, cholera and diarrhea. The cholera/diarrhea vaccination is called Dukoral and I didn't have so much as a cramp the whole time I was is Guyana.
We took whatever would be included in a first aid kit. Our team also had snake anti-venom available.
As far as toiletries went, we took toothbrush, toothpaste, brush, liquid biodegradable soap that we used to take baths/showers,shave, wash our hair, clothes and dishes. I didn't think it was possible to survive without hair product and a hair dryer but I managed quite all right. We also took wet-wipes and toilet paper.

I took over 800 pictures in 2 weeks, so digital is the way I go. Take lots of batteries for your camera.

Since we had to carry it on our backs, we had a tiny lightweight, mosquito domed tent and rainproof fly. Without the fly you had a beautiful view of the star-filled night sky. We fashioned a lightweight double sleeping bag out of two single sleeping bag liners. It was too hot in the evening to put covers on, but by the morning it was cooler. We also had very lightweight Thermarests which worked well for me but my bony husband needed more padding so we had to make do with whatever was available to soften his bed.
We used headlamps instead of flashlights and were great as they allowed us to keep our hands free.
Everything we owned was put in various sizes of plastic baggies, and again into the large water proof bag.
Bathing suits came in very handy in order to enjoy all the rivers and water falls. I used a sarong to get back and forth to our bathing spots.
We used those light weight and super absorbent camping towels that dry so quickly.

Take bug spray and lots of it, sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses, ear plugs in case your group doesn't snore in harmony every night. They were pretty synchronized at first, but eventually everyone deteriorated and started snoring out of tune. Ear plugs also drown out all the loud animal sounds at night.
We used water purification tablets (Pristine) on a daily basis and occasionally a filter and then the tablets. Gatorade crystals add a bit of taste and help keep up your electrolytes.
On our hiking days, we made sure we had Power bars and trail mix. They're a great boost when your energy starts to sag.

Guyana Packing Lists

Visiting Guyana?

Visiting Guyana?