Costa Rica & Diapering Supplies

[ILuvLA]

Having recently spent a couple of months in Costa Rica (CR), here is what I have learned.

Tena Slip: Walmart and Pricemart (owned by Costco) carry Tena Slip. They are a bit better than a USA Depends, but not that great; definitely not for nighttime use. These can be found everywhere (local pharmacies, stores, etc.).

Abena: some stores (MaxiPali and AutoMercado) carry some Abena cloth backed. But the selection can be limited. And you will need to go to the “bigger” more “touristy” stores to find them.

For a better selection of Abena diapers go to WALCAS SA. They are the Abena importer for the country and based in the capital, San Jose. They are very helpful and respond very quickly via WhatsApp or FaceBook Messenger. They can deliver to anywhere in the country for a small fee (about US$5). Currently, they don’t take credit cards, but you can go to any bank in the country and send them funds to their bank account for payment. Once paid, they will ship your order to you.

There selection is not “huge”, but they do carry pads, pull-ups, and briefs. Sadly, they only carry paperbacked. After several discussions with them they said that they will start to acquire plastic backed Abenas.

Pricing is comparable to what we find in the USA.

Regarding CR talcum powder: There is a locally sourced line that contains aloe, zinc, and vitamin D, E, & K. Very inexpensive and very effective; best talcum powder I have ever used! But one word of caution. If you take it thru a USA airport X-ray machine, it will set off an alarm. I don’t know what it contains that concerns TSA, but TSA will have it chemically tested before they let you pass on to your fight. Other than a waste of 15 minutes of time, it was a non-issue.

Hope this helps any future travelers! CR is a great little country. Certainly worth a visit!

[JDinVirginia]

Thanks! That is very useful information for travelers. Your specificity is great.

--John
(double incontinent)