Mexico Terrestrial Research Assistant Kit List

To download a copy of the kit list, click here.

Hand Luggage

Unfortunately, working in such remote locations often involving numerous flights and forms of transport, luggage can go missing. It is best to be prepared just in case, so here is what we recommend you pack in your hand luggage.

Valuables – Passport, money, phone etc. If completing your dissertation you will most likely need to bring your laptop and this should be taken in your hand luggage.
Personal medicine – Extremely important to bring your personal medicine with your hand luggage!
Change of clothes – Including spare underwear.
Head torch – Essential for your expedition, so this is not something you want to lose. Small headlamp models can be ineffective at spotting wildlife such as herpetofauna so keep that in mind when browsing for one. Don’t forget spare batteries!
Toiletries – Tooth brush and wet wipes.
Sleeping bag/liner – If you have to borrow a sleeping bag its nice to have your own liner to use.
Walking boots – Wear these on the plane, reduces space and makes sure you don’t lose them.

Terrestrial Kit

Rucksack – Please do not bring a suitcase. Some of the forest camps require you to carry your bag in steep terrain for up to 15 minutes so you will need to be able to carry it on your back. Minimum 50 litre capacity.
Day bag/Small rucksack – Needed for field work for carrying water, paper, pens, binoculars, cameras etc.
Sleeping Bag – It will be fairly warm at night so we recommend a 1-2 season sleeping bag and a sheet or sleeping bag liner than can be used on particularly warm nights.
Roll mat or Thermarest – Necessary for comfort when sleeping in a tent in the forest so please do bring one. Roll mats can be purchased very cheaply, whereas Thermarests are more of an investment (be sure to buy a repair kit).
Water bottle/platypus – A combination of leak-proof plastic bottles (minimum 2 litres) is imperative. The ‘hydration systems’ on the market (Platypus, camelback, Ortileb) have the advantage of packing flat when not in use.
Travel towel/Sarong – Don’t bring a big thick towel as it won’t dry quickly enough.
Waterproofs – Jungles can often get quite extreme periods of rain so a lightweight rain jacket is invaluable. Expensive heavy Gore-Tex raincoats are not recommended – they are very hot. We highly recommend you bring a rain poncho as this will allow you to keep paperwork dry on survey.
Head torch – Essential for the expedition as previously mentioned.
Watch with alarm – It doesn’t have to be anything technical. A travel alarm clock will also do.
Notebook & pencil – Essential for all projects.

Clothing Essentials

For the forest, you should bring clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty! Synthetic (wicking) fabric is the best as it is quick drying, but cotton is kinder to the skin. Don’t forget to buy your Opwall t-shirt(s)!

Walking boots – Make sure your boots have firm ankle support, a semi-flexible sole with good grips and dries relatively quickly. Wear these on the plane to save space.
7– 8 t-shirts – You will get sweaty on at the forest site so it’s worth bringing plenty. Due to mosquitoes, please do not bring crop tops.
5 Long sleeved shirts – Insects are quite prevalent so you’ll need to cover up on surveys.
Lightweight long baggy trousers 3 pairs – These can be worn more than once but you will need long trousers for surveys in the forest. Looser is better as insects can bite through skintight fabric.
Shorts 3 pairs – Useful for wearing in camp at the forest site. Due to mosquitoes, please do not bring short shorts.
Hoodie/Jumper – For flights and the air conditioned coaches.
Nightwear/Pyjamas – You will be in shared accommodation.
Underwear, socks and bras – We recommend you bring enough underwear for 2 weeks. And for long treks, it may be better to wear hiking socks over cotton socks. Bring multiple bras.
Fleece top – May be nice to cover your arms from mosquitos without overheating.
Waterproof – clothes Jungles can often get quite extreme periods of rain so a lightweight rain jacket is invaluable. Expensive heavy Gore-Tex raincoats are not recommended as they are very hot. We highly recommend you bring a rain poncho as this will allow you to keep paperwork dry on survey.
Hat or Bandana – Useful to protect you from the sun.
Sunglasses – A good pair are useful to protect your eyes from the sun.
Comfortable shoes/ Flip flops/Sandals – 1 pair—May be muddy depending on the weather so keep that in mind if considering flip flops
Additional clothes – One set of ‘regular’ style clothes for when you are at the hotel in Cancun.

There will be the chance to get clothing washed by villagers during the expedition (this is very cheap). Just make sure you have enough of everything to allow you to still have clothes to wear while you send others off for a few days to be washed.
It is a good idea to keep one set of clothing clean for your flights to and from country, this makes your travel and the people around you more comfortable. There are quite a few biting insects so in the forest you must wear clothing that covers your arms and legs on surveys.
Label your baggage, clothes and kit; there are many volunteers, and some may have the same or similar items to you. Unfortunately valuables are very occasionally at risk, so please only take what is vital for your expedition.

Toiletries

Good tip to travelling light is to get into small groups to combine things like toiletries, foot powder and sun block as you don’t all need to bring a bottle each!

Toiletries – Tooth brush, tooth paste, hair and body wash. Please ensure you use biodegradable soaps to minimize impact on the environment. Most biodegradable soaps are multi-use.
Insect repellent – Malaria and dengue is extremely rare in this area but there are a lot of biting insects so for your own comfort and to protect from bites, please bring some repellant. DEET based products are very important for day to day on camp due to a natural resistance held by the local mosquitos however, if handling animals (particularly amphibians) you will need non DEET based repellent as DEET can pose a risk to the wildlife encountered.
Talcum powder/ antifungal powder – This is invaluable to help prevent and combat athletes foot/other fungal infections.
Sun cream – Factor 30, minimum, is recommended.
Sanitary towels/tampons – Please bring a supply even if you do not expect to use them as travel can disrupt your cycle.

Medical Kit

The medical provision on site is excellent and there are medics based at all camps. However, there are some items listed below you should carry yourself (as appropriate).

Antihistamine tablets – For insect bites. It’s useful if you can bring both drowsy and non drowsy
Antihistamine cream – Bite/sting cream. Can be very beneficial for reducing itching and swelling of insect bites.
Paracetamol/aspirin – For headaches etc.
Ibuprofen – For swelling etc.
Rehydration salts – Essential! Rehydration salts kept in camp do not have the most appetising taste so please bring your own. We utilise purified water which contains a low concentration of beneficial minerals found in normal spring water. Because of this, we recommend you take a dosage of rehydration salts every day. Don’t forget to read the correct dosage to ensure you are absorbing the salts correctly
Antiseptic wipes – Cleaning cuts or grazes
Plasters (assorted sizes) – May also be worth adding a couple of blister plasters as well as normal ones.
Personal Medication – It is vital that you bring any prescribed medications.
Vitamins – If you normally take these.
Travel sickness tablets – In case you need these.

Optional Extras

Here are some items you may want to consider bringing .

Wellies – Last year we experienced unusual levels or rain therefore we do recommend bringing wellies if you’re able to. They are also good for protection from wildlife
Camera – You will have lots of opportunities to take pictures but please bring a waterproof carrying case/bag for the camera
Binoculars – These are really useful to see much of the wildlife in the forest. 8 X 42 are the best to bring but any you may have at home will suffice.
Water proof plastic/zip lock bags – These are very useful to keep the water out of your kit and clothes. You can line your rucksack with a bin/garbage bag and have smaller bags for clothes and items like your camera.
Earphones/cards/book – The coach journey to the forest is quite long so bring something to keep yourself entertained.
Language/phrase book – This is a recommendation stressed by previous volunteers. Also worth noting many translating apps allow you to download language packs you can use offline
Folding fan – You will be glad you brough one when the midday heat hits.
Earplugs/ eye mask – If you are someone that generally struggles to sleep, you may find that the lively sounds of the jungle or people walking by with their torches on keeps you awake. Also useful for a long plane and coach journey!
Handheld mirror – You will have no access to mirrors in the jungle so it may be useful to bring one.
Nail clippers/ tweezers – If you are staying in camp for a long amount of time these will be very useful.