What to pack for Rio de Janeiro in April

12 rain days a month finds every seam. A real shell, not a windbreaker.

UV index of 8.1 burns exposed skin in under an hour.

Glare bounces off water and pavement on a coastal day.

Humidity and warmth draw insects year-round in Rio.

Check ankles and, if there's a dog, paws and ears every night.

Cuts and scrapes get infected faster in tropical heat.

Tap water isn't safe here. A filter bottle beats buying plastic twice a day.

This country runs on Type C or N. Get one with USB-C so you're not fighting over the single outlet.

Daylight lasts 11.6 hours, so a full charge won't last two days.

Set it up before you land. Signal drops for long stretches outside cities.

Overhead bins are tight, so carry-on size matters.

Hiking trails near the city need a separate bag for water and maps.

Fits the overhead on every airline that matters. Skip the checked-bag line entirely.

For the passport, the chargers, and the one dry pair of socks.

Heat and humidity at 81 percent make sweat cling to skin all day.

UV hits 8.1 here. Long sleeves beat reapplying sunscreen every hour.

The coast and warm water invite swimming in April.

Wet ground from 12 rain days calls for shoes that drain fast.

Eleven hours of daylight means long exposure to strong sun.

Treat the clothes once and it lasts weeks.

Sweating in 27-degree heat drains electrolytes quickly.

Tap water here causes intestinal trouble for visitors.

One brick charges the laptop, phone, and camera.

Hotel and cafe wifi is shared with everyone else in the building. A VPN keeps your banking and email to yourself.

Crowded urban areas and beaches attract pickpockets.

Airports and transit hubs are busy enough to lose luggage.

Packing cubes compress damp clothes in humid air.

Rain on 12 days means phones get soaked without protection.

Humidity at 81 percent makes clothes smell after one wear.

Planes are loud and crowded on the route to Rio.

27-degree highs and urban streets mean legs stay bare.

Spray seals leather before moisture seeps into seams.

Lips crack and burn at this latitude without protection.

Surfaces touched by crowds carry pathogens in warm climates.

Sunburn and bug bites both need relief without irritation.

One outlet per guesthouse means devices queue for power.

A few phrases go a long way. Ten minutes a day before you leave is plenty.

International travel requires your passport on your person.

Shared accommodations need locks on zippers and latches.

Hanging keeps toiletries dry in a steamy bathroom.

Long flights to Rio benefit from neck support.