The number one surprise from my trip to Panama was never using bug repellent. I didn’t get a single bug bit in Panama – amazing! I was anticipating a bug orgy like Costa Rica, or even worse Belie, but it just wasn’t the case.

The other item that was never used was my first aid kit, thankfully.

Not explicitly mentioned in my video showing items that I packed were my Keen sandals. They were indispensable. My father didn’t bring any foot ware for the beach or water and had to purchase some flip flops during the trip. Flip flop thongs ended up being useless on our river hikes when exploring for waterfalls. Keens on the other hand were perfect!

I opted to not bring hiking shoes and that was just fine – I brought running shoes instead.

Bringing dry bags (waterproof bags) was another great move. We didn’t have to thing twice about bringing our cameras, passports or anything else on adventures up rivers, out in the ocean or on rainy days.