Packing for a trip to the rainforest

A few weeks ago I was out shopping for the impossible shoe. I needed something that was waterproof, good for hiking, lightweight and somewhat stylish.

Why did I need such a shoe? My boyfriend and I were about to leave for a trip to the Belize rainforest. If you have never been to Belize I highly recommend taking a trip to this tropical country where you can spend a day snorkeling in the Caribbean or head inland to hike through jungles full of wildlife and explore caves filled with ancient Mayan remains.

We decided to head inland to the rainforest where the weather was almost always 80 degrees and sunny. My boyfriend and I are pretty adventurous and wanted to visit the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave which requires hiking through the jungle and swimming across waist-high waters before even arriving at the cave opening - I'll share more on this adventure in a later post.

You can imagine the challenge finding shoes for an activity like this. The only shoes anyone seemed to tell me would fulfill my needs were Teva-like sandals which don't exactly fit my style profile. I ended up stumbling upon a pair of black waterproof shoes that looked like athleisure sneakers and asked someone to grab my size - the sales associate ended up bringing me my size along with one half size bigger and one half size smaller.

I tried on my size and was ready to make a purchase when he urged me to try on one of the other two sizes he brought out with him. I reassured him I was confident in my size but he persisted and said:

"You only know you found the right fit when you've rejected the wrong fit"

I know he was only talking about shoes, but I couldn’t stop thinking about this statement and applying it to other areas of my life. I think we all come across those moments when we have to reject something that just doesn’t fit us anymore - a job, relationship, outfit - and be confident that rejecting what was wrong will get us one step closer to finding something that fits us perfectly.

Ok, enough with my inspirational tangent - the shoes I bought ended up being perfect for my adventure in Belize and I wanted to share those along with other things I packed for my trip to the rainforest.

Must haves for a trip to the rainforest:

Sunglasses - you would think you could leave these behind since it's rainy in the rainforest right? Wrong. It really only rained for about an hour each day and the rest of the day was filled with sunshine
Lightweight Tees - there is nothing easier than a lightweight tee to throw on with jean shorts for breakfast or even for a hike. I like buying ones that are a little oversized so I have the option of tying a knot at the bottom and giving it a more fitted, stylish look
Workout Shorts - usually on hikes I wear Lululemon leggings, but the rainforest is pretty humid and breathable shorts are a must. Patagonia and Salomon have good options for hiking which I linked below
Sports Bra - for all my fellow DD friends out there, you know you can’t do anything active without the right support. All my favorite sports bras have been discontinued, so if you have any suggestions let me know. I did link a style below that is similar to what I wore during my trip
Hiking Shoes - these are great for hikes that take place both on land and underwater
Swimsuit - if you’re anything like me, when your vacation is full of adventure and activity you definitely still need to take some time to relax by the pool
Insect Repellant - I try to use natural skin products and Herbal Armor saved me from being eaten by all the rainforest mosquitos