Packing for 8 days in Colombia/Avoiding Spirit's Carry on Fee

Ryan and I will be heading to Colombia in just a little over a week to celebrate the 5th anniversary of gettin' hitched! Woohoo!! We have a rule that for each anniversary, we have to travel somewhere we haven't been before. Year 1: Brunswick/Jekyll Island/St. Simon's Island, GA, Year 2: Cape Haze, FL, Year 3:Charleston and Beaufort, SC, Year 4: Nicaragua, Year 5: Colombia!

As a crazy person, the more excited I am about something, the more I obsessively plan it out. So, naturally, I began my mental packing list the day we bought our plane tickets (which was also super early, May). I purchased a new rain jacket, worried over finding waterproof boots that are cute yet functional for hiking (bought some Merrell Captiva boots but returned them when they came in the mail and were super bulky and stiff....the search continues) and have researched "what to pack for Colombia" for the last 5 months.

As noted here in last year's anniversary trip packing post, Ryan and I like to travel cheaply and lightly. While we could feasibly pay the carry on fee for Spirit (and for our Viva Colombia flight from Bogota to Santa Marta), we are firm believers that traveling light is not only possible but so much frickn' easier! Especially since we enjoy traveling on chicken buses, by foot and other generally non-roller bag friendly modes of transport. Not only are these transportation options usually much less expensive, you can learn a lot more about a country by traveling with local people than on an air-conditioned tourist bus (I'll step off my soap box now).

This year is a bit more challenging than last year's packing challenge because Colombia is known for having many different climates within its borders. If I had been smart, I would have planned our trip around one climate but I really wanted to go to Bogota....AND Cartagena....AND Minca. Dammit. So, we go from the chilly mountain city of Bogota, to the warmer and more humid climate in Santa Marta, Minca and Cartagena. And it's supposed to rain EVERY DAY THAT WE ARE THERE.

Challenge Accepted.

My packing list is almost exactly the same as the one for Nicaragua. I added a Marmot rain jacket that gets tiny, a water resistant backpack from North Face, and a curling wand/hairspray/mousse because I recently got a haircut I can't stand unless my hair is curled or in a ponytail...a bit high maintenance for a backpack journey but there ya go. You'll notice a lot of black and that is for mixing and matching and also because then you won't notice so much when I spill coffee/mustard/etc on myself :) The only thing I wish I had were some waterproof shoes/boots but I'm hoping I can get by without them. If not, maybe I can procure some sweet galoshes in Bogota!