TIPS FOR PACKING FOR EL SALVADOR

(most of these work for other trips also)

After all these years of traveling to El Salvador, I am beginning to form a system for packing to come. I even wrote a Word document to list all items I need to bring along so I don’t make the mistake I did one year. I forgot my sunglasses! Lucky for me the guesthouse had a lost and found and had a pair available for me to borrow, but they were huge on me and only worked if I looked straight ahead not moving my head one centimeter in either direction, or didn’t look down.

Trip insurance (and carrying proof of purchase ) is just a wise thing to do on any trip. Travel Guard has been dependable and cost effective.

I prefer the “grab and go” approach to travel –-take everything I can in my carry-on plus backpack which serves as my personal item on the plane. That way I can avoid the whole checked bag scene of finding a sometimes damaged bag at the airport carousel – or lost luggage, not to mention the hassle of claiming it for a tight connection.

The downside of this is the 22# weight restriction on most international flights. It’s tough to anticipate your every need within those tight limits when being away from home for a month.

I wear a money belt to El Salvador. Just because.

I’m always cold on a plane and when traveling coach, getting blankets is next to impossible, so I carry a pashima wrap and a pair of socks in a Ziploc which I can pull out easily from my backpack. I may take a couple of energy bars for the plane, but food during the visit is discouraged since it attracts insects and rodents in your room. (Trust me, once you see a palmetto bug [large tropical cockroach] scurry past your toes, you dispose of any food you brought!)

Speaking of bugs, Travel & Leisure magazine recommends that the best place to set your luggage when you get into your room until you’ve had a good chance to inspect it is in the bathtub. Why? Bedbugs have become an international problem and setting your suitcase on any fabric surface including a bed or carpeted floor (you’ll not find in El Salvador) can invite the nasty little critters inside. However, good luck finding a bathtub in Salvadoran guesthouses. Showers, most likely. I inspect the corners of the sheets carefully with my mini-mag light.

Although I carry my cell phone, I keep it hidden unless I am using it. It’s in my room/guest house owner’s safe 98% of the time. This is a prime target for thieves. In fact, a Salvadoran friend told us his was stolen at a traffic light in a “grab and go” attack so keep all valuables hidden from view even in vehicles. Remember when traveling internationally to check into the purchase plan prior to your trip. It may not be worth the cost.

Camera – I don’t even take one anymore since the cell phone does such a nice job.

Phone charger is a given and I have a large note in top of my suitcase to remember to pull it out of the wall before I leave.

In El Salvador it’s best to wear older sneakers. (I wore sandals originally until the day we hiked through the cow pastures of the campesino community where I was told snakes live.) Rural areas are dusty or muddy depending on the season of your visit. (I insert my custom-made insoles in case I’ll be doing much hiking.)

My backpack is old but the feature I like best about it for El Salvador are the two exterior mesh bottle holders. In this country you must be hydrating constantly so I have 2 thermal water bottles. Guesthouses have large jugs of purchased filtered water for re-filling them.

Passport and copy – As soon as you plan your trip, be sure to check your passport’s expiration date to be sure it is well within the guidelines of the country for returning. If not, you could be stopped at the airport and denied entry and trip insurance does not cover your mistake. I keep a copy in my backpack as well as exchange a copy with my traveling companion. (In El Salvador police often stop vehicles to do routine ID checks.) Once I am checked into the guest house, I leave my original with the guest house owner for safekeeping until departure.

I carry my passport in a passport neck holder at the airport and on the plane. In another of its zipped pockets I have a bit of cash for the airport, Covid card, airline ticket, frequent flyer card, health insurance card, and nail file. (How do I always manage to break a nail at airports?)

When you land at the airport in San Salvador, you will need $15 cash (that amount may have increased since I last visited) to pay immigration, so I just keep that exact change in my passport holder. (I also keep an ample supply of $1 dollar bills for tips, and small bills for purchases from local artisans who are not set up for credit cards. I’ve always taken one credit card only that has no international fees for purchases on it.)

List of medications and/or COVID card may be needed at some point.

My arsenal of medicine is among the first things I pack. The handy pill travel packets from one of the travel catalogs allows me to get all meds I will need in one wallet-sized container. Coming to El Salvador, I try to include a variety of other meds that may come in handy — Tylenol, Aleve, antihistamine, a few cough drops, Starlight mints and Tums, etc. Although I do bring Immodium, I use it only for emergencies such as when needing to travel distances in a vehicle (to avoid an embarrassing incident.) The local wisdom is to never, ever use Immodium. It binds up the toxins and causes problems. We’ve heard it from the best of sources, including a gastro-intestinal specialist who recommends drinking excessive amounts of water to flush out the system instead. I always carry a printed copy of my vision report in case my glasses break and I need to replace them. The last couple of our trips my partner was able to get the name and contact information of a retinal specialist in advance if an emergency happened to him there requiring immediate assistance. We didn’t need it; however, we felt safer having it. Most people traveling to El Salvador are doing mission work and have in-country coordinators who would have names and contact information of medical specialists if you require them. Take the time to get them before you leave.

Be sure to visit the travel aisle of your local pharmacy for small-sized items such as the toothpaste, tiny toothbrush, dental floss, small deodorant, and many other items. Purchase items like the Lens Wipes, and baby wipes right before leaving so they are not dried out.

Other handy items to pack are the spray sanitizer that clips onto a backpack, Gatorade/Propel packets which you can easily sprinkle into bottled water. This is especially important to restore the electrolytes if you have diarrhea. The other nice thing about the powdered version of Gatorade is you don’t have to worry about carrying it as a liquid on the plane. (I take them to every tropical destination I visit also.)

A little manicure set comes in handy for more than hygiene needs. (Remove the scissors or the TSA rep will do it for you.) Small sunscreen, chapstick, and Deet are givens. (El Salvador does not seem to use screens and with windows always open, mosquitoes find you overnight! And those skeeters carry tropical-borne diseases, remember.) A hat with brim. A mini- mag-light, and mini-first aid kit with Benadryl cream, Neosporin, thermometer, bandaids, and an Ace bandage may never be needed, but as my dear departed dad always said, “Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.” Seems like someone in the group always sprains an ankle when climbing a volcano. A collapsible walking stick is a good idea also for walking in campesino communities or hiking.

The small rolls of toilet paper are musts also. Gas stations are not around every corner in this country. I’d recommend packing a small tube of Desitin. (No more details on that, but you may need it.)

A cheap pair of flip flops to wear in the communal shower and/or around the guest house at night to give your feet some air. I swear by Tide sticks for a quick stain remover.)

Ziplocs, ziplocs, and more ziplocs of all sizes come in handy for everything. I like the space saver bags for clothing; they shrink down so tightly and the Salvadoran airport workers don’t even bother opening them on the return flight to the U.S.

I like to keep a map of the country with me just to see where I am going or where I have been and if you have an itinerary, that is helpful to have. The airport sells a decent tourist map – not terribly detailed but locals can mark exact locations for you. The airlines require your listing an address and phone number of where you will be staying before you depart the plane. Small legal pads and lots of working pens for me during interviews.

If you plan on staying at a guesthouse, bring your own toiletries (soap and shampoo.) They are not provided. And, as in Europe, don’t count on a washcloth if you require one. I’ve learned to use a corner of the tattered towel or just use my hand.

For many years I tried washing my basics in the sink overnight, but learned the guesthouse staff with do your laundry much better if you give a day or two’s notice and it is reasonably priced. It’s especially nice to pack and return home with clean clothing.

The most important item to have when packing for El Salvador is your list of reliable Salvadoran friends with their contact information. They have been a godsend to us by helping us coordinate details during our visits, providing transportation, translation, and coming to our rescue when ill. This year I remembered to pack thank you notes to leave behind at the guest house and for our friends who helped us through yet another crisis.

Packing the critical items needed for a month in El Salvador to fit into a 22# carry-on and backpack is tricky, but with a bit of planning, it can be done successfully and allows me to relax and focus on our projects here.