What to have for archaeology at El Aguacate

[Emma]

Hi all... My name is Emma and I will be a "junior staffer" this summer
on the UMAP program so I dont know as to how much I will work with you
guys. I just sent this to the UMAP students but thought it would be
good for you guys to have since you will be working at El Aguacate for
part of your stay:

Since you all are beginning to think about what to bring I thought i
would expand on Sam's "things to bring" list.

WORK SHIRTS- By work shirts I mean a long-sleeve that can go over your
t-shirts, I had 3 last year and that was plenty. Now like Sam
mentioned the mosquitos were really bad last year and you'll want to
cover up, that said its still 80 degrees + out so these long sleeve
shirts need to be light and breathable. Now this is my opinion but NO
COTTON... it rained almost everyday last year, you dont want to sit
around wet all day. I prefer Columbia's fishing shirts they are very
light and breathable but do the job in protecting you from mosquitos
and dry fast heres a link to see what I'm talking about (its a women's
but theres men's too)
http://www.columbia.com/womens-long-sleeve-shirts/women-shirts-longsleeve,default,sc.html?sz=1&start=10#
... many companies make these types of shirts and I'm sure you can
find something like it at your local outdoor store (ex: Dicks, Sports
Authority etc.)

WORK PANTS- You will want to wear pants in the field. I know Sam
mentioned that you might be able to wear shorts in the later weeks but
he lied (no offense Sam)... 1) you are digging, and by digging i mean
you are on your hands and knees in the dirt all day shorts will make
this highly uncomfortable 2) the mosquitos again... as well as an
array of other creepy crawlies... not to mention the snakes... that
one was a joke, tho not really :). Again for work pants I prefer
something light that will dry fast but many students wore jeans and
that is fine. Just make sure the pants are comfortable and fit you
well so we dont have to see your bumbs! Again, a couple pair will
suffice

WORK SHOES- I know Sam said this I just want to say it again- your
shoes will most likely get wet almost everyday try to find shoes that
will dry overnight for the most part.

For me packing for the field is the hardest part. For the afternoons,
evenings and weekends just remember you are going to tropical paradise
and pack for that :). Shorts, t-shirts, ladies: dresses are very
comfortable after a long day's work, maybe a sweatshirt or light
coverup you guys get the idea. Also, besides for my hiking boots i
wear in the field, I bring flip flops but also a pair of sandals with
a heel strap (tevas, chacos) for the weekend excursions. At least
some flip flops would be a smart idea just make sure they are
comfortable because we do a lot of walking through sites on the
weekends.

Finally, I just want to say these are just recommendations we do not
expect you to go buy all this stuff, like Sam said its about being
comfortable but functional in the field and out-and-about.

Let me know if there are anymore questions!!

-Emma

[Sam]

Thanks Emma, this is great information. How much stuff total should
they bring, by this I mean after all is said and done, what is the
size of their luggage ending up looking like? Is it a small backpack?
Is it 7 luggage trunks? What do you think?

On May 20, 3:59 pm, Emma <emma.koe...@colorado.edu> wrote:
> Hi all... My name is Emma and I will be a "junior staffer" this summer
> on the UMAP program so I dont know as to how much I will work with you
> guys.  I just sent this to the UMAP students but thought it would be
> good for you guys to have since you will be working at El Aguacate for
> part of your stay:
>
> Since you all are beginning to think about what to bring I thought i
> would expand on Sam's "things to bring" list.
>
> WORK SHIRTS- By work shirts I mean a long-sleeve that can go over your
> t-shirts, I had 3 last year and that was plenty.  Now like Sam
> mentioned the mosquitos were really bad last year and you'll want to
> cover up, that said its still 80 degrees + out so these long sleeve
> shirts need to be light and breathable.  Now this is my opinion but NO
> COTTON... it rained almost everyday last year, you dont want to sit
> around wet all day.  I prefer Columbia's fishing shirts they are very
> light and breathable but do the job in protecting you from mosquitos
> and dry fast heres a link to see what I'm talking about (its a women's

> but theres men's too)http://www.columbia.com/womens-long-sleeve-shirts/women-shirts-longsl...

[Emma Nicole Koenig]

Well last year I had my day pack and then a pretty large luggage
bag. Im planning on sizing down a bit but its still 5 weeks and Ill
end up again with my day pack and a mid-large checked bag. I just
made my packing list I can type that up for the students as well

[Emma]

Emma's Packing List (just remember i'm with UMAP and a girl haha but i
hope this helps):

-3 Work pants
-3 work long sleeve shirts
-4 work t-shirts
-3 shorts
-5 non work shirts
-2 dresses
-1 swimsuit
-6 pairs of socks
-10 pairs undies
-4 "undertanks"/bras
-hat
-belt
-flip flops
-heel strap sandals
-hiking boots
-light fleece
-rain coat (dont really need but bringing out of habit)
-towel
-laundry bag
-small med kit for the field (you all dont need to do this)
-MALARIA DRUGS- YOU ALL MUST GET THIS... ASK AARON
-toothbrush
-I RECOMMEND BUYING SHAMPOO/CONDITIONER, SOAP, TOOTHPASTE ETC. IN
BELIZE IT SAVES ON WEIGHT AND SPACE IN BAG :)
-Field kit (trowels, notebooks, pens/pencils, gurber (swiss army
knifeish), line levels etc..... A CLIP BOARD IS A VERY GOOD IDEA!
-camel back (water bottle is fine)
-computer and charger
-camera
-books- both fun reads and Maya stuff (ps: i have some fun quick
reference books from my classes one is just Maya region and the other
is a hieroglyphic study guide if you guys are interested just let me
know down there and you can take a gander :) )
-ipod
-head lamp
-binoculars
-Daypack=my carrie on bag as well (my back pack is 50 liters which I
think is a great size for the field but also weekend trips JUST A
REFERENCE YOU DONT NEED TO GO BUY AN EXACT 50 LITER PACK! :) )

Thats it! if i update ill let you know :)

-Anon
Emma

[Aaron Coons]

Hey all,

I haven't introduced myself on this forum yet, but my name is Aaron
Coons and I'm also a junior staff member with the UMAP program. Like
Emma said, I'm not sure how much we're going to be interacting with
you guys in the Foothill program, but since I was down there last
summer I can hopefully provide a little advice for you. In terms of
luggage, I showed up with a full-on 80 liter Asolo hiking pack for all
my checked gear, as well as a smaller 30 liter carry-on. Somehow I
ended up not going overweight with my luggage, but I was cutting it
close. However, this included what amounted to basically a library
full of books (ask Joe or Gustavo about our collection some time), 2
towels that were waaaaaay fluffier than they needed to be, and the
thickest, cottoniest (that's not a word) clothes out there. Apparently
in Canada we like thick, warm clothes. This isn't necessary in Belize.
I found that out the hard way.

Anyways, I really can't stress enough what Emma said about "No
Cotton." Seriously, it was incredi-hot when we were there last year,
and I'm sure it will be just as hot this year. Light, breathable
clothes are wonderful to have, and long sleeves and pants will help
keep the bugs from making you cry and scream in frustration. On that
note, pack bug spray. Lots of it. Some students last year were
literally getting care packages mailed to them full of bug spray.

Hope I didn't scare anybody off, and I can't wait to meet you guys
this summer, I know you will all have a blast.

Cheers,
Aaron