Our Suggestions for What to Bring for Your Rancho Cacachilas Visit

Clothing

The Cacachilas Range is a dryland forest and although Baja Sur is certainly closer to the equator than the toe of Texas or San Diego, it can be cool in the evenings and on some winter days.  First of all, we suggest that you check the weather report for the week prior to packing.  Consider that our elevation ranges from sea level to around 4, 000 feet.  That means that the temperature changes.  It can be pretty warm and it can certainly cool off.  It can go from swimming weather to putting on a down vest and a neck scarf in a single 24 hour period.  You don’t need lots of clothes, you just need a variety of them.

• Swim suit

• Good hiking socks/good broken in hiking boots or shoes.  We suggest the ankle supporting type but if you are more comfortable with other styles, and they are broken in, great.

• Flip flops for around camp and beach or other comfortable shoes.

• Shorts, long pants, long sleeved shirts and short sleeved shirts. Because weather/temperature can change, we suggest both lightweight wearables and warmer wearables.

• Windbreaker or other type of  wind protective jacket, and layers of clothing to wear under it.

• Gloves if your hands get cold

• Sun hat, and a hat for possible cold weather.  (again, try to check the weather report prior to packing).

GEAR FOR THE HIKES

First off, we have the MULABAR.  A mula bar, is not exactly “meals on heels”  but it does carry a lot and hoof it down the trails with us. Our lunch, for example, extra water, water pump purifiers, things that don’t fit into your fanny pack…it expects payment of apple cores and a bit of shade now and then.

• A camel pack or fanny pack is great for quick access to water, your lip balm, sunscreen, Kleenex, whatever….

•  Trekking  poles if you use them, very good for down hill treks.  REMEMBER, we go up hill and then down hill...

• Water bottle  (our team is working hard to try and reduce plastic so we like to refill bottles)

• Headlamp is great. Flashlight is ok. Be sure to include your batteries  

• Camera or photo phone.

• Binoculars if you want to bird watch along the way (this is winter range for a large number of species, so be sure and check our website (www.ranchocacachilas.com), under ornithology, and this page of the San Diego Natural History Museum http://sdnhm.org/science/binational-expeditions/sierra-de-las-cacachilas/

• Notebook/pencil/small watercolor set/pencils if you like journaling.

Toiletries

• Toothbrush and paste

• Hand cream, lotion, shampoo, etc

• Insect repellent , sunscreen, lip balm, etc.

PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION

Of course, we know that you can’t enter the country without it, but hey, people have tried!

PERSONAL MEDICATIONS

Please ensure that you bring enough medications for your entire trip.  It is no longer easy to simply buy prescription medications in Mexico, although many pharmacies, such as the chain called Farmacia Similar,  have resident physicians who can write them for you on the spot.

PROVISIONS THAT RANCHO CACACHILAS WILL SUPPLY

• Mosquito netting/screens for tents/rooms.

• Tents, sleeping bags, liners, camp pillows, camp chairs, for remote hikes.

• Screens and screen doors on rooms, fans, beds, linens, standard size pillows, comforters, cotton blankets, for home ranch stays.

• Towels and washcloths

• Hot water, bucket showers and dry toilets.

• A willing staff

• Good, healthy meats, fish, vegetables that are ranch grown, or locally sourced whenever possible. Beverages.

• Finally, we provide great hikes, super views, night skies, campfires, camaraderie and adventure.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT OUR WATER

At Rancho Cacachilas, our water is limited, we depend on hurricanes to fill our aquifers in this part of the world.  As you can imagine, that is often a mixed blessing.

Our toilet facilities are dry and our showers are bucket showers with solar-heated water. The water we use is put back into, or onto the ground. For the sake of our gardens, trees and desert it goes to them, where we have desert plants, we ask that you bring and use biodegradable items when possible. (we do provide good toilet paper!)

The Rancho Cacachilas Team looks forward to your visit!

Download the full packing list here.

Need additional information? Contact us.