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Hello!
I will be in Dominical and Peninsula Osa May 22-June 4.
I believe in Dominical, beach wear will do?

For Osa, looking for suggestions.

I have:
Light material convertible pants
Long sleeve poly/workout shirt
Swimming trunk
Poncho (rain jacket too heavy?)
Mosquito hat?
Shoes....I have these Keens which will work for beach : http://www.keenfootwear.com/product/shoes/men/newport-h2
But I have read it is recommended for Osa (jungle trekking) to wear rain boots. But....I cant quite imagine miles and miles in rain boots without my feet getting blistered/sore? Maybe im wrong, have never owned nor hiked in rain boots, but Im down for it.

Curious on your suggestions.

Thank you.

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1

Well, reading around, rubber boots and hot weather socks is the way to go....

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Hi, If you will be hiking for miles and miles then you need something that fits your feet very well. Even then you will possibly get blisters so I would bring two kinds of foot wear. Obviously it is wet in the rain forest. Shoes will get wet and muddy fast and your feet will be soft enough to blister. That is why most folks recommend rubber sandals that can be rinsed off quickly. If I were doing a major hike I would look into something more substantial than sandals but something that will not take several days to dry out.

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Ditto-

The rubber boots are great to prevent snake bites, and walk in muck, muddy and sloppy conditions, easy to clean. I wore Teva Hike sandals each time I hikes here, as a trek shoe will get wet and never dry, and be a smelly mess too. The problem with rubber garden boots, is they have no support...

Forget the poncho, its so hot and humid, you will die in anything that does not breath. Bring small umbrella, and a Neosporin for bites/blisters.


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4

Looks like your Keens will work, I've always used Tevas but basically the same thing. Bring a pair of socks.
I hate the rubber boots, Ok for short walks but long treks not so much.
Rain protection, an old T-shirt works well, you'll be wet/drenched even when it's not raining.

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I approve of the Keens. In my experience they're even with Tevas, maybe a notch up. I think the snakebite-protective effect of rubber boots is outweighed by the discomfort factor. Anyway muck will get over the top of a boot and they'll get stuck in the mud so your foot comes out & you have to dig it out. If you don't want to take any chance with snakes then wear gaiters. And if you're stomping through a swampy jungle you should carry a machete which can also be used dispatch snakes. That's how the locals deal with them.

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6

Are you doing the three day trek to the Sirena ranger station in Corcovado Park? We did Carate-Sirena-Carate and it was not muddy but that was in February. Los Patos-Sirena is supposed to be muddier and can be very muddy in the rainy season. I wore light hiking boots because that is what my feet are used to for long hikes. I just took them off for crossing rivers. With boots I also felt better protected against ants, ticks and such. Mud and sand might also get trapped in sandals. I am not used to hiking in rubber boots or sandals and to me it is important to wear what I am used to. I had a light rain jacket but didn't use it. I wore quick-dry pants and shirt. I had bug spray, sunscreen and a hat. On jungle trails our guide went first so we were not too concerned about snakes.

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