What you will need:

Clothing:
. The climate to be encountered will be wet and warm sometimes, and in the mountains it can be cold and windy at higher elevations. We need both cold and warm weather clothing. One of the big advantages is that there is a huge storage at the youth hostel in Quito and we can leave our warmer clothing here in storage (yes its safe) while we are in the cloud forest, and pick it back up when we return to Quito.
. This isn't our shorts and t-shirt tour. There will be bugs, flies, hot sun, rain, mud, (no leeches, they are on our Amazon tour), BUT if you are prepared these annoyances won't be problems. Don't bring bug spray with you if its in a can cause the customs guys are really upset about tins and cans now and will probably take it away. A baseball hat (sometimes liberally doused with insect spray) works pretty well when it gets bad, but don't think that there are lots of bugs on this whole trip because it not true.

Raingear:
In the cloud forest it sometimes rains every day. Only for a while and sometimes pretty hard too. Then it is hot and steamy as the sun comes out again. So you want a light portable raincoat that is waterproof with a hood.
Having zippers on the underarms is good for breathability. Rainpants are a necessity also. Zips on the sides of the legs are good too.

Footwear:
Wet feet are really a drag, especially after a whole week. Gumboots, or rubber boots or whatever you call them, is a necessity for some trails. They only cost 5.00 in Mindo and then you don't have to haul them down there, but they might not have your size, most Ecuadorians are not as big as North Americans.
The high altitude birding from Quito will require hiking boots only. A pair of sandles or sneakers for after birding is nice for a break from your walking shoes. Socks: A good combination is some of those new non-slip inner socks and light wool on the outside. This will keep your feet both blister- free and warm if they are wet. Bring mole skin too so you don't end up with friction spots on new boots becoming blisters.

Pants:
Light weight fast dry long pants are good. You won't use shorts on this tour, so don't bring them. You might find you can use the same pair of pile pants (fleece) that you use for skiing at home, when birding in the Andes section of the tour. Just put them under the light pants and take them off when it gets too hot and carry them in your day pack.

Hats:
Bring a baseball hat with brim. If you don't like baseball hats, bring a Panama hat or something light with a brim. A wool hat or touque (Canadian for wool hat) is good to keep your head warm. Ecuador is a wool clothing dream come true with millions of hand made wool sweaters, hats, mittens, blankets, socks, and whatever else can be made of wool. All available Sat/Sun in Quito at the weekend market in one of the local parks. A light rainhat might be useful for some people.

Pile jacket:
In Quito where it is high up enough to be chilly in the morning, a pile jacket is nice to have. It's a must for our high mountain birding days. A windproof jacket to go over your pile jacket is a good layer protection.

Sunglasses:
Might seem a bit silly especially when it is misty in the cloud forest but when the sun comes out it's hot and bright. Make sure your sunglasses have 100% UV protection and 100% IR protection. A neck straps or strings to take them off without putting them in your pocket every time will be very handy.

Luggage:
A good frameless backpack would be ideal. Bring a small daypack to carry valuables, camera, binoculars, passport, lunch, water bottle separate from the bigger pack. You will have to carry the big pack short distances, and put it on buses a few times. Don't make it really heavy because you will have to carry it. Your guide will have enough weight with spotting scope, first aid, etc. Check with your airlines for luggage weight limits, these have all changed since 9/11. You will find it really handy to use "dry bags" that are used for canoeing and river rafting to contain clothes and gear. Just put things in separate dry bags inside your pack and then nothing will get wet at all. Even if someone drops your pack in a lake everything will be bone dry. Remember your pack could end up on top of a bus in the pouring rain, those dry bags could come in handy.

Vaccinations:
You need Yellow Fever, Typhoid vaccination, Hepatitis A & B, and your Tetnus booster must be up to date. Check with your local health authority to see what they recommend.

Money:
The official currency in Ecuador is the American Dollar. The only place to cash travellers' checks is at Bank of Guayaquil in Quito, Loja, or Guayaquil. Travellers checks are not accepted by most banks and other businesses like they often are in Mexico, Central America, Australia, New Zealand etc. Visa is also tough to use. Debit cards can be used only at banks in the major cities.

Passport/Visa:
You can get a visa for Ecuador when you land at the airport. You must present your passport to apply for your visa. You must carry your passport with you at all times in Ecuador as sometimes police or soldiers will stop and check passports.

Language:
Ecuador is Spanish speaking and in some areas people speak Quechua. Your tour leader, bird guide and van driver all speak Spanish and can help make your tour more pleasant and comfortable for you. Your driver and bird guide speak some English too and can help you communicate. If you can't speak Spanish don't worry, that's what we are here for.

Binoculars/Field Guides:
Bring your binoculars and some lens cleaning solution and papers or cloth. The new books "The Birds of Ecuador Volume 1 and 11 by Robert. S. Ridgely and Paul J. Greenfield. Cornell University Press 2001." is the only book(s) to have. You will not need to take both of them with you, some people even cut the plates out and bind them separately. If you cannot bring yourself to chop up your book, you may later find your friends with the butchered version timidly asking to please read your text.

Terms and Conditions of Tours:
A deposit of $300 US person is due with registration and will hold your space.
50% of balance is payable 90 days before departure and final payment 60 days before departure. Payment in full when booking less then 60 days prior to departure. Please pay by check to Just Birding $100 of deposit will be non-refundable, but may be used for another tour within one calendar year.
$200 of deposit refundable as follows: In full, with cancellation IN WRITING 90 days prior to departure. 50% refund with cancellation IN WRITING 45 days prior to departure. No Refund is available less than 45 days prior to departure.

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Your Guide:

Just Birding is owned and operated by George Bradd. He has an extensive background in bird research and conservation, bird guiding and outdoor recreation and education. Many of his winters have been spent birding in other countries and he has led bird groups in California, Equador, Mexico, Costa Rica, Fiji, and Western Australia.

George has put together an incredible tour for birders in Ecuador. Over 50 species of Hummingbirds were seen last tour, including the rare Black-breasted Puffleg.

Join Just Birding for quality experienced guiding in small groups. Birding FOR birder, BY birders, makes all the difference.

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