Belize + Costa Rica

Packing List

Please note a sleeping bag is not necessary for your trip. Sleeping essentials will be provided at every hotel & hostel.

Upper Body Layers

T-shirts

Minimum of 2 synthetic, non-cotton t-shirts, other shirts may be cotton & okay to get dirty

Qty: 4

Patagonia Capilene T-Shirt or Marmot Windridge

Buy in our gear store

Lightweight Top

Synthetic, non-cotton. This can be a fleece or wool pullover, sweater or a full-zip jacket

Qty: 1

Patagonia R1 Fleece

Rain Jacket with Hood

100% waterproof rain jacket with a hood – No ponchos!

Qty: 1

Patagonia Torrentshell or Marmot Precip

Long Sleeve Rash Guard

Highly recommended for sun protection and comfort in the water

Qty: 1

Patagonia Long-Sleeved Rashguard

Buy in our gear store

Sports Bra

For girls

Qty: 4-6

Required Clothing Items

Lower Body Layers

Quick-dry Shorts

Synthetic, non-cotton shorts

Qty: 4

Patagonia Baggies

Bathing Suits

Boys: your quick-dry shorts can double as your bathing suit

Qty: 4

Underwear

Synthetic, non-cotton are best (but a couple cotton pairs are okay)

Required Clothing Items

Head & Hands

Baseball or Wide-Brimmed Hat

For sun protection

Qty: 1

Buy in our gear store

Work Gloves

An inexpensive pair of basic work or gardening gloves for the community service project

Qty: 1 Pair

You can expect to get your clothes dirty during your community service section, so keep that in mind when choosing specific clothing and footwear items.

Footwear

Trail/Tennis Shoes

A pair of comfortable, closed-toed, sturdy shoes. (Able to get dirty)

Qty: 1 Pair

River Shoes

These can be open-toed, but do need to have a back strap

Qty: 1 Pair

Chaco, Teva, Keen

Flip-Flops/Crocs

Backless, comfortable shoes that can get wet

Qty: 1 Pair

Socks

Non-cotton, lightweight hiking socks

Qty: 4-6 Pair

Smartwool or Darn Tough

Required Shoes

Backpacks and Bags

Duffel Bag

70 Liter

Qty: 1

Patagonia Black Hole Duffel 70 L or North Face Base Camp M duffel 71L

Day Pack

20 – 30 liter daypack /school backpack to carry your rain jacket, water bottle and snacks

Qty: 1

Patagonia Refugio Pack 26 L or Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Day Pack

Mesh Stuff Sack

Mesh nylon stuff sack (sleeping bag size) for dirty clothes, etc.

Qty: 1

Sea to Summit Mesh Sack

Buy in our gear store

Your duffel bag needs to be able to fit all of your belongings.

Sleeping Gear

Sleeping Bag Liner

Highly recommended. Silk, cotton, or synthetic. Used as a “lightweight sheet” in warm climates in lieu of a sleeping bag. Used when staying in hotels/ hostels as a personal sheet.

Qty: 1

Sea to Summit Expander Travel Liner

Buy in our gear store

You will be staying in hostels, so this is for extra comfort

Toiletries

Dopp Kit

Contains: toothbrush, toothpaste, prescription medication, travel shampoo & soap, deodorant

Qty: 1

Patagonia Black Hole 6L-M

First Aid Kit

Contains: Insect repellent, reef safe waterproof sunscreen (Kokua, Thinksport, Stream2Sea), zinc oxide, Band-aids, Chapstick w/ sun prevention, Wet Ones wipes, Dramamine (if prone to motion sickness), personal hand sanitizer.

Qty: 1

Prescription Glasses + Contacts

If your child wears glasses and/or contacts, please bring at least one spare pair of glasses/ lenses. Contact lens wearers should bring a pair of glasses as backup in addition to contacts.

Qty: 2 Pair

Reef Safe, Non-Spray Sunscreen

Travel size

Qty: 2

Bug Spray

Travel size

Qty: 2

*Please keep all toiletries in your checked luggage, except for your toothbrush and any personal/prescription medication.

Additional Equipment

Water Bottles

Minimum 32oz water bottles

Qty: 2

Nalgene 1L wide mouth

Buy in our gear store

Headlamp

With fresh batteries + 2 sets of spare batteries

Qty: 1

Black Diamond Spot or Black Diamond Storm

Sunglasses

With 100% UV protection

Qty: 1

Goodr

Sunglasses Holder

Croakies or Chums

Cup with Lid

Sturdy plastic or metal; thermal plastic mug is best

Qty: 1

160z nalgene wide mouth

Bowl with Lid

Qty: 1

Tupperwear or Nalgene

Plastic Spoon

Qty: 1

Light My Fire Spork

Nylon Stuff Sack

Sleeping bag size for food storage while backpacking

Qty: 1

Required for your trip

Gear

Camping Chair

A luxury item but highly recommended! Provides a comfy place to sit while hanging out at camp in the afternoons.

Qty: 1

Crazy Creek

Buy in our gear store

Digital Camera

With charger + adapter, and a 32- 64GB memory card

Qty: 1

Canon Powershot G9 X

GoPro

With charger and 32-64 GB memory card

Qty: 1

Buy in our gear store

A Good Book

Paperback books are less bulky

Qty: 1

Notebook with Pen

For journaling

Qty: 1

Spanish/English Dictionary

Helpful Tool

Qty: 1

ENO Hammock

Not required, but great item to have when relaxing on the beach!

Qty: 1

Personal Protective Equipment: Mask

Two (2) reusable, breathable masks that completely cover nose and mouth and fit snuggly; Moondance will not provide masks. To be used where it is required by trip location or outfitter.

Qty: 2

Not required but highly recommended. *Since we don’t allow cell phones during the course of our trips, you may not use your phone as a camera. Leaders will take photos that will be shared at the end of the summer.

Miscellaneous

Wallet

Personal wallet with $150 spending money and valid identification

Qty: 1

Passport + Copies

Passport (valid for 6 months after the last day of your trip) + 2 additional photocopies of your passport

Qty: 1-2 Copies

PADI E-Learning Copy

Printed hardcopy of completed PADI E-Learning form (additional details to come regarding this)

Qty: 1

International Travel Authorization

Original signed and notarized international travel authorization form

Qty: 1

Bandana/Buff

For additional sun and wind protection. Buffs are tube-like and can be worn up to 12 different ways providing versatile sun protection. Can even be worn as a headband!

Qty: 1

Moondance Buff

Buy in our gear store

Pack Towel

Absorbent & quick to dry, large is ideal

Qty: 1

Sea to Summit Drylite Towel

Buy in our gear store

Tide Pods

Qty: 1-2

Additional Required Items

Packing Tips

In the event that your luggage is delayed or lost in transit, we want you to be prepared. Therefore, wear tennis or hiking shoes on the plane. Plus, pack the following items from this packing list in your daypack / school backpack carry-on:

A change of clothes (underwear + t-shirt + shorts or pants)
Your rain jacket
Prescription medications & toothbrush
Passport, ID, money
COVID-19 Vaccination Card
Completed International Travel Authorization form

These items are already included in the packing list – they are not additional items!

Lodging

Sleeping

During your trip you will stay in a variety of accommodations; private lodge (cabin style with bunks), community stays, permanent tents, and hotels (single gender rooms). Sleeping bags and/or bedding with pillows will be provided throughout your trip. Sleeping bag liners are highly recommended.

Eating

Eating utensils (plates and cutlery) will be provided throughout the trip.

If you have any special dietary restrictions/ considerations, please contact the Moondance office for further information.

Immunizations

Recommended Immunizations

Routine Vaccines

Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip. Some of these vaccines include:
Chickenpox (Varicella)
Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
Flu (influenza)
Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
Polio
Shingles

Hepatitis A

Recommended for unvaccinated travelers one year old or older going to the country this trip visits.

Infants 6 to 11 months old should also be vaccinated against Hepatitis A. The dose does not count toward the routine 2-dose series.

Travelers allergic to a vaccine component or who are younger than 6 months should receive a single dose of immune globulin, which provides effective protection for up to 2 months depending on dosage given.

Unvaccinated travelers who are over 40 years old, immunocompromised, or have chronic medical conditions planning to depart to a risk area in less than 2 weeks should get the initial dose of vaccine and at the same appointment receive immune globulin.

Hepatitis B

Recommended for unvaccinated travelers younger than 60 years old traveling to the country this trip visits. Unvaccinated travelers 60 years and older may get vaccinated before traveling to the country.

Measles

Infants 6 to 11 months old traveling internationally should get 1 dose of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine before travel. This dose does not count as part of the routine childhood vaccination series.

Rabies

Rabid dogs are commonly found in this country. If you are bitten or scratched by a dog or other mammal while in this country, there may be limited or no rabies treatment available.

Consider rabies vaccination before your trip if your activities mean you will be around dogs or wildlife.

Travelers more likely to encounter rabid animals include

Campers, adventure travelers, or cave explorers (spelunkers)
Veterinarians, animal handlers, field biologists, or laboratory workers handling animal specimens
Visitors to rural areas
Since children are more likely to be bitten or scratched by a dog or other animals, consider rabies vaccination for children traveling to this country.

COVID-19

All eligible travelers should be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. Please see Your COVID-19 Vaccination for more information.

Malaria

CDC recommends that travelers going to certain areas of Costa Rica take prescription medicine to prevent malaria. Depending on the medicine you take, you will need to start taking this medicine multiple days before your trip, as well as during and after your trip. Talk to your doctor about which malaria medication you should take.

Find country-specific information about malaria.

Yellow Fever

Required for travelers ≥9 months old arriving from countries with risk for YF virus transmission.1 Included in this requirement are travelers arriving from Tanzania and Zambia, and designated areas of: Colombia (the entire country, except the cities of Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cali, Cartagena, and Medellín, and the archipelago department, San Andrés and Providencia); Ecuador (the provinces of Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Sucumbíos, and Zamora-Chinchipe, and excluding the rest of the country); Paraguay (the entire country, except the city of Asunción); Peru (the entire country, except the cities of Cusco and Lima, the regions of Cajamarca, Lambayeque, Piura, and Tumbes, and the highland tourist areas of Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail); Trinidad & Tobago (the entire country, except the urban areas of Port of Spain; travelers with itineraries limited to the island of Tobago, and travelers with airport transits or layovers are also exempt from this requirement). Travelers arriving from Argentina and Panama are exempt from this requirement.

Typhoid

Recommended for most travelers, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas.

Resources to Share with Your Physician

Click here to view a map of where Moondance groups will be traveling throughout Belize + Costa Rica. Provide this information to your physician of choice (primary care physician, travel clinic, etc.) in order to get the most accurate suggestions for immunizations and vaccinations.

Click on the country name to see what the CDC recommends for travelers in:

• Belize

• Costa Rica

Flights

Please check your parent dashboard for your child's flight information. Flight information is listed in the "Forms" section in the "Travel+Flight Information" section.

Please check your parent dashboard for your child’s flight information. Flight information is listed in the “Forms” section in the “Travel+Flight Information” section.

Important Travel Notes:

We highly recommend that all students fly on the recommended flights in your parent dashboard. If you have any questions OR if you are considering another flight path please contact the Moondance Adventures HQ BEFORE purchasing your airfare.
We also highly recommend making your flight reservation through our partnered travel agency, Exito. They are familiar with all Moondance flights. Please follow this link to start the booking process.
Remember when booking your child’s flight to allow at least a 3-hour layover in any connecting airport to avoid missed connections or baggage delays.
Please keep in mind the group flight will begin and end at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Because the group flies together, it is imperative that every student arrives in Atlanta in a timely fashion. If one individual does not arrive in Atlanta on time to make the group flights, it can delay the entire trip. Leaders are not guaranteed to be on the flight.
If your child flies as an unaccompanied minor, please remember to pay the unaccompanied minor fee for both legs of the trip when booking travel. We will contact you in the spring to give your child’s trip leader’s names and contact information for the unaccompanied minor contact. In the meantime, please give the airline your information.
If your child flies as an unaccompanied minor, a leader wearing a Moondance t-shirt will meet your child at the flight’s arrival gate. All other students will meet their leader at the Delta baggage claim.