Shopping for Costa Rica

I am not normally a shopper, but I have given a lot of thought to what clothing and other items I would need for this trip, and I have done some very targeted shopping for a few items.
Bob and I have two very different strategies for preparing for this trip, clothing-wise. My plan is to get what I need while I am here. I prefer shopping in stores to shopping online for clothing. Mostly, this is because I am a hard-to-fit size and shape and I need to try everything on. Bob, on the other hand, has decided to bring only a minimum of clothing with him and shop for clothes in Costa Rica. His idea is that he wants to dress like the Ticos and to only bring or buy and wear what he absolutely needs. He also has the advantage of being an easy-to-fit size, which works for him when shopping both online and in stores.

We have some challenges to consider. First, although we will be away for nine weeks, our luggage limit, per airline rules, is one checked suitcase each, not to exceed 50 pounds, and one carry-on bag, with very specific measurement requirements (not to exceed any of these three dimensions: 22" x 14" x 9" - for a total not to exceed 45"). The charges for overweight luggage or extra checked baggage are steep and we are planning to avoid those charges.

Another challenge is the climate in Costa Rica. Although this Central American country is considered tropical, the temperatures here can vary from the 80's - 90's at the coasts, to the 70's in the Central Highlands, to the 50's at the highest elevations, especially in the cloud forests. Although we are going to be there during what is considered the dry season (December through April), there will still be rain and lots of humidity. Clothing needs vary widely from the beaches to the rain forests to the cities to the mountains, and also depend on what outdoor activities one is planning to do. If we are to partake of all that Costa Rica has to offer, we need to be prepared with a wide variety of clothing.

And lastly, there are some protective clothing requirements involved. Sun and rain protection, insect protection, and theft protection top the list.

With all this in mind, I went shopping (mostly online) for some specific items that I did not already have in my wardrobe:

• Shoes: I bought three new pairs: (1) new, lightweight sneakers for hiking (Merrill); (2) a pair of lightweight, Mary Jane style, blue sneaker-type shoes that are designed to be worn without socks and can be used as water shoes (Merrill); and (3) a pair of VivoBarefoot sandals that can double as swimming shoes, to be used when snorkeling or walking/swimming on the beaches. (On order from Zappos.com.) I still need a pair of flip-flops, which are evidently widely worn at the beaches in Costa Rica. But I am planning to wait and buy those when I get there.
• Hat: I found a wonderful wide-brim, neutral color, 50+ SPF, packable hat (Wallaroo brand) at Magellans.com.
• Beach coverup: I needed one, and found a lovely white one at TravelSmith.com.
• Shirts: I picked up three shirts, at different stores, that are lightweight with long sleeves that can be rolled up into short sleeves, held with tabs. I can wear these over tee shirts or tank tops for sun and insect protection.
• Dress: This may be my one splurge, in that we may never do anything fancy enough for me to wear it. It is a plum-colored (they call the color "fig"), short-sleeved, wrinkle-proof dress with two zippered pockets (for carrying a credit card and some money). Takes up very little space. This was an online purchase from Magellans.com.
• Purse(s): In my search to find a purse that would hold my necessaries and be as theft-proof as possible, I actually came up with three. Two are by Baggallini: a "hugger backpack" in black and a small waist pack in a light tan. The third purse - the one I will use especially while traveling or in the cities - is a pacsafe/citysafe handbag specifically designed to be as theft proof as possible. It really is a marvel, and I will describe it thoroughly another time. This last purse came from TravelSmith.com. The other two, I bought in local stores.
• Moneybelt(s): I found a variety of belts and pouches designed to conceal and protect one's money, credit cards, passport, and other important IDs. I bought several different kinds. [OK, so I probably went overboard here. We'll see.] [PHOTO]
• Insect-repellant clothing: It does exist. You can find it on the travel clothing sites. So far, I only have one piece, which I found the other day at our local REI store. It's a white, short-sleeved tee shirt (insect-shield by Ex-Officio) which is impregnated with Permethrin. The claim on the label: "Repels mosquitos, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers and midges. Repellency remains effective for 70 washings." We'll see.
• Carry-on luggage: I didn't have any suitcase or bag that met the carry-on size requirements for American Airlines. So, I went shopping, both online and in stores. I finally found the perfect thing, on sale in a local T.J. Maxx: a Ricardo black roll-on bag that weighs only 5.9 pounds and is a few inches under the 45-inch limit. It will work well for short overnight trips within the country too.

There are two more items on my list, and I have a week max to find them: a bathing suit and a pair of cargo pants. I don't like shopping for these online, because I am not a perfect size and I need to try these things on for fit and the flattery factor. And bathing suits are out of season here in the North, so stores have few or none to choose from. I may have to forego the cargo pants (though all those extra pockets could come in handy), and I may have to wait and purchase my bathing suit in Playas del Coco.

Clothing Purchased for Costa Rica Trip

Back row, left to right: Merrell Mary Jane style sneakers, Wallaroo Sydney Diva hat, Baggallini black Hugger Backpack.

Center row, left to right: VivoBarefoot swim sandals, PacSafe brown money belt, Eagle Creek packable daypack, Taylor luggage scale, Baggallini tan wallet bag.

Front row, left to right: Eagle Creek waist money belt and neck pouch, Rick Steeves hidden pocket, Eagle Creek bra pouch; Insect Shield insect repellent tee shirt by Ex Officio, PacSafe/CitySafe Midnight Blue anti-theft purse.

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