10 Essential Items You Need for a Galapagos Vacation

Since you'll be either doing offshore excursions or day trips, a functional day backpack is essential. The Agstrom 20 from North Face (for women) fits the bill with its streamlined design, multiple pockets, and manageable size. At 20 liters, it will hold everything you need for snorkel and hiking excursions, and more.

Even if you don't normally keep a travel journal, you'll want to in the Galapagos. The islands and their animal inhabitants are truly like no other place on Earth. Record the animals and sights you see with Field Notes’ memo book and space pen, and keep them safe in a protective cover with slots for money and credit cards.

The service and Wi-Fi connectivity on the islands is pretty poor, especially on more remote islands like Floreana. If you're traveling with a group, you'll want to stay connected. goTenna will let you communicate with other goTenna carriers as long as they are in a one-mile radius without a cellphone signal or Wi-Fi connection. It's a slim device that you can easily attach to your backpack and it gives you free, downloadable maps, connects to your iPhone, and has an emergency feature.

The Galapagos are directly on the equator, and the sun is stronger than what most people are used to. That makes sun protection essential. A chemical-free, high SPF sunscreen like the  Honest Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ works well. You’ll also need sport Polarized sunglasses (I love these  from Oakley) and a moisture wicking, quick-dry hat.

Water is limited on all of the islands, and tap water is undrinkable. So, to save the environment (and your wallet) it's best to have a large, reusable water bottle that can clip to your backpack. Most hotels and restaurants have filtered water that you can refill with.

You'll be seeing some of the world's most diverse wildlife, so obviously you should up your camera game. If you don't want to lug around a cumbersome DSLR—although this would be one place to do it—get a lens kit for your iPhone so you can get close-up, crisp shots of the unique wildlife.

The wildlife isn't just on land, either, so make sure you have an underwater smartphone case or GoPro to capture photos and video on snorkel, boat, and kayak excursions. After all, will your friends really believe you if you just say you swam with sharks?

You'll be in and out of the water your entire trip, and often on boats, so make sure you have a large quick-dry towel with you for the beach, to dry off, and to absorb moisture from your wet bathing suits.

Water shoes are a must for any trip to the Galapagos, as you'll likely be on boats, in water, and on hiking trails all in the same day. Tevas have great, comfortable options—I personally love this pair for women and this pair for men.

It's important to be mindful of what types of toiletries you bring to the islands. Sulfates and other chemicals in most shampoos, conditioners, body soaps, lotions, and face washes can be harmful to the environment. The islands practice a "Leave No Trace" policy.

Sea to Summit carries a line of travel-size, biodegradable wipes and toiletries that are perfect for this kind of trip. Many hotels will provide you with toiletries, but if you have any preference on quality, you should bring your own as the hotel offerings are very basic.