The best clothes for kayaking, river rafting, and generally being active in Belize 1 of 3

When you are planning an active holiday in the tropics, your clothes are incredibly important. Other than a good sunscreen and access to proper hydration, having good comfortable clothes, is the single most important thing you can do for yourself. Dressing casual goes without saying in a place like Belize, but loose fitting, quick-drying fabrics can go a long way to making your experience that much better. We’ll start from the head, and make our way down the body to describe some of the innovative fabrics, quick fixes, and things we’ve learned over the years to make getting ready for an active vacation in Belize a little easier.

Head
A good wide-brimmed sunhat is very important when sea kayaking on the ocean, and especially important on the Caribbean Sea. There are inexpensive woven hats that are popular because they breathe well, are lightweight, and can look quite stylish. However, after a couple of days of serious use, they will generally come undone. They are a little harder to store away, when you don’t need them, and generally don’t recover from being stuffed into your bag. The alternative is a canvas, or a fabric hat that has a wrap around brim. These have become very popular over the years; it seems that almost everyone has the ubiquitous Tilley Hat. There are a few different styles that do everything from repel water to hide goodies in secret pockets, however the most important feature is breathe-ability. Whether it is mesh walled, or a few holes in the side of the hat, it is important to have some ventillation. Make sure there is some air circulation going on up there!

Neck
A bandana is a great tool in the tropics. It can be used on the head, wrapped around your neck to protect you from the sun, or be used to cover up for bugs. It can also be incredibly useful for wiping your brow in the heat of the day, as well. It is almost as useful as duct tape! This is considered essential gear in Belize.

Shirt
There is an incredible array of clothes for the tropics, from quick-dry polyester fabrics to cotton blends. There are some great designs out there with ventilation, and airflow, which is important when wearing a non-breathing polyester shirt. All of the great outdoor gear manufacturers have quick-dry products designed with the tropics in mind. Some of the shirts that seem to work best come from Exofficio, Patagonia, and Mountain Hardwear, but their amazing technology comes with a hefty price tag.

The alternative is silk. Silk is one of those incredible naturally quick drying fabrics that allows your skin to breathe. Although, there aren’t many “technical” silk shirts out there, a regular long-sleeved shirt with a collar (to help with sun protection, when your bandana is still in your pocket) made of silk performs as well, even better than the fancy quick dry shirts. A great place to look for these types of shirts is at your local second-hand store, or you may have an old one lying around from the 80’s somewhere in the attic!

Next, we will talk about important things like gloves, pants, shorts, socks, and footwear.