Equipment

Your clothes should be cool and by no account tight or thick. There are sandflies and mosquitoes at the station and you have to protect yourself against them. The best protection is to wear long-sleeved shirts and long trousers, although you should also bring shorts and t-shirts with you. Mosquito repellent is absolutely necessary. Here on Utila the most common repellent is “Off – Spray”, very strong, very potent, but so poisonous, that it is forbidden in Germany! As sandfly protection we use simple baby oil that you can buy here without any problem.

Equipment list

Cool, fast drying, long and short trousers
Cool, fast drying, long and short-sleeved shirts
Old working clothes should be included
Gloves - not only helpful for gardening
Trekking boots (for the mangroves) - they should be cheap or old, they will get wet totally wet, inside too!
Sandals (waterproof is best, for walking in the sea on rocky beaches)
Flip flops
You need a hat or something to cover your head
Swimming clothes
Mosquito repellent "Autan", "Zedan" are rare, but you can get "Off"and citronelle (for insects; mainly mosquitos) and baby-oil (for sand flies) here
Refillable drinking bottle
Backpack for trips into the mangrove forest
Flashlight
Penknife
Perhaps a dictionary (but if you speak English, you shouldn’t have problems on Utila)
Books and other accessories to relax in the evening (some books are available in the station)
Sun protection you should bring, it is very expensive here
Sunglasses
Photocopies of all important personal documents
If you are bringing electrical appliances, don’t forget an adaptor for Central American plugs
Mosquito nets are available at the station
Clean towels (we provide bedding)
A padlock
A snorkel and a mask (they can be bought here, they cost approximately 30$)

We recommend that everyone travel with appropriate insurance for your trip such as the following:

Gap Year Travel Insurance by Essential Travel

Volunteer Travel Insurance by Essential Travel