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Equipment and Field Gear Required for all Courses

A Special Note:

As in almost any field school situation, while you are enrolled in a field course with ITEC you will be in continuous, close-contact living arrangements with people previously unknown to you. This naturally presents significant interpersonal challenges for everyone. Such is the nature of biological field stations. Thus it is important to polish your social skills, be accepting of diverse personalities and most importantly, maintain a positive attitude. Also, be aware that "Murphy" operates in Bocas too! Flexibility, patience and open-mindedness are important qualities in any field station setting.

If you encounter problems at the field station or in your course, please let your instructor know promptly. By opening a mature discussion, you will be able to see your concerns answered and thus improve the quality of your field experience. You will always improve a situation more quickly by initiating constructive communication rather than by withholding your thoughts.

What to Expect: It is important to remember that you will be working in the rain forest during the wet season. There will be times when you will get wet and muddy and you may be required to slog through deep mud during your course; some courses do this extensively. Such is the nature of tropical rain forest field work. Insects such as mosquitoes and 'no-see-ums' are also part of the tropical experience (but not as bad as the Everglades or late summer in Minnesota!). Insects can be kept off with repellent or by wearing long sleeved shirts and pants, and if you know that you react badly to such bites, bring a supply of oral and/or topical antihistamine.

Extra Spending Money: This depends on your spending habits, but extra money spent by students has ranged from $35-$500 with an average of $250. Traveler's Checks may be safe, but they are difficult to cash in Bocas and are not recommended. The best way to handle cash in Bocas is to bring an ATM (Debit/Credit) card with you. There are two ATM machines in town.

What to Bring: While this list of items to bring is extensive, remember that it is important to pack as lightly as possible to facilitate travel and to prevent being charged extra weight fees by local airlines.

  1. compass
  2. flashlight and batteries (additional batteries can be purchased locally)
  3. light-weight raincoat (ponchos are best)
  4. calf-high rubber boots*
  5. sandals (Tevas, Flip-Flops)
  6. "town" shoes and one set of very casual but dressy clothes for trips to town
  7. "Rite-in-the-Rain" field data book and mechanical pencils
  8. pocket knife
  9. binoculars*(Especially important for Primatology and Ornithology, not required for Geology or CRE)
  10. signal whistle
  11. insect repellent
  12. hat or cap
  13. sun screen
  14. t-shirts and shorts for wearing around the station
  15. 2 long-sleeved field shirts (button-up type are best)*†
  16. 2 pair of light-weight field pants (those legs that zip off are very useful)*†
  17. water bottle
  18. a few large trash bags to keep packs dry during transport
  19. lots of socks and underwear
  20. bathing suit or two
  21. water resistant digital wrist watch
  22. box of quart sized zip-lock bags (extremely useful in the tropics)
  23. calculator
  24. writing paper (for lecture), pens and pencils
  25. blank CDs & some typing paper (DO NOT FOLD!)
  26. day pack or similar equipment to carry into the field
  27. spare set of prescription glasses or contacts (if you wear them)
  28. towel
  29. set of single sheets and pillow case
  30. mosquito net (get the "no-seeum" army issue type which can be bought at any army supply store)
    Must be large enough to fit over bed    .
  31. small, personal first aid kit (bandaids, antibiotic ointment, anti-diarrhea medicine, anti-itch/rash medicine, analgesic etc)
  32. Sense of Adventure
  33. Laptop computer (if you already have one).
  34. Sense of Humor

*(optional for Coral Reef (CRE) course)
†Your field clothes are likely to get very dirty and quite possibly stained while you are doing your projects. We suggest that you bring clothes that are inexpensive, such as old clothes from Goodwill instead of new clothes from LL Bean, etc.

Highly Recommended Equipment

  1. Laptop Computer
  2. Dive mask, snorkel, flippers (required in CRE courses)
  3. Digital camera, flash, or 35 mm camera and 200-400 ASA film
  4. Disposable underwater camera
  5. Hand lens (especially for Botany classes)

Past Student Recommendations of other gear.....

Small flashlight, Granola bar-type snacks or gorp (Primatology students may want to bring breakfast snack food/granola bars to supplement their many breakfasts which will be eaten in the field), Second towel/ second set of sheets, Short clothes line and clothespins, Earplugs for sleeping in close quarters, Vitamins.

Do Not Bring the Following Items:

  1. Surfboard (Transportation to Bocas is difficult and expensive, there are no surfing beaches at the station and you will not have time to surf during your course. If you plan to arrive early or stay afterwards, please make arrangements to store your board somewhere.)
  2. Mountain bike. (Transport of bikes to Bocas is expensive and inconvenient. If you plan to arrive early or stay afterwards, please make arrangements to store your bike somewhere.)

A FINAL NOTE

The "to bring" list may seem extensive, but it is important to pack as lightly as possible because you may be charged for excess baggage by local airlines. Remember, bring everything you need, and nothing you don't!