Packing for our 4-month long excursion across South America was a difficult task. We googled what other travelers had done, enlisted the help of friends that had made similar trips, and still found ourselves going back and forth on what we would need. Therefore, now that we are nearing the end of this journey, we thought it would be helpful to share what we found to be necessary versus optional on a long-term trip to South America.
Obviously, what each traveler should bring depends on where they are going, when they are traveling, and what they hope to accomplish. For us, we had planned to travel through Columbia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, from September to December. Since we were traveling during their spring and summer months, we expected tropical and humid conditions in northern Columbia, cooling off as we moved south to Patagonia. We planned on staying in both large cities and remote villages, as well as trekking through areas that were sure to have snow and ice given their distance south and/or their elevation. This meant that we had to cover all our bases from bathing suits to winter jackets, and everything in between.
Naturally, our plans also changed once we got here. The civil unrest in Bolivia made it difficult and potentially unsafe to travel to our intended destinations there, so instead we extended our stay in Peru and Chile and had to cut out Bolivia. Wanting to also avoid the protests occurring in Santiago meant that we rerouted to include areas of the desert in Northern Chile instead. Never a dull moment for long-term travelers!
All of this being said, we had to be ready for conditions across an entire continent. So, here’s what we’ve found – we hope it helps!!
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Recommended List for 4 months in Columbia, Peru, Chile, & Argentina:
Gear:
- Backpack (55+ Liter)
- Carry on/day pack
- Headlamp
Travel Accessories:
- Adaptor plug (one with USBs and outlet)
- Passport holder/money belt (preferably one that fits under clothes in public)
- Packing cubes
- Microfiber travel towel
- Sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
Shoes:
- Hiking boots (waterproof and warn in)
- Sneakers
- Waterproof sandals
Clothes:
- Base layer
- Winter jacket
- Raincoat
- Socks (hiking & regular)
- Buff/bandana
- Bathing suit
- Sports/comfortable bras
- Warm hat
- Sweatshirt
- Synthetic, lightweight long sleeve shirt
- Athletic shorts/pants
- Athletic tops
- Nonathletic pants & shirts (1 each, sometimes in the city its nice not to dress for the mountain)
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Optional Extras:
- Foldable duffle bag – useful to store extra weight during treks
- Rain cover – very helpful to keep your belongings dry during treks, and to cover/protect anything you attach to the outside of your bag while flying
- Tent & sleeping bag – can rent, which we did because they take up so much room, but if you are there primarily to trek the expense/hassle of renting does add up, so it may be helpful to bring your own
- Sleeping mat – we brought ours, but ended up using them very little, and you can rent them if needed, although typically the rentable mats are much flimsier than what we prefer
- Travel sheet – again we brought ours and ended up using them very little, but we did not see options to purchase/rent them during our travels
- Camp stove – guided treks will provide meals, but they are expensive, and having your own equipment allows for additional freedom! Just remember to also purchase camp fuel, which can be difficult to find, and you cannot fly with it
- Water filter – we brought ours but did not use it often. However, if you are planning on trekking without a guide this is a must!
- Poncho – for some of the treks this is helpful because it also covers your legs, so you don’t need rain/water-proof pants. We bought ours in Cusco for super cheap and then ended up throwing them out to save on space
- Trekking poles – whaddup fellow travelers with knee issues! We rented in Cusco for about 6 soles/day, which does add up, but saves you the trouble of carrying them everywhere
- Warm, comfortable extras (i.e., scarf, sweatpants) – we bought these on the road for very cheap and were happy with our purchases as they ensured maximum comfort, but feel free to bring your own from home!
- Camera – phones work too, but if you’re
into photography and want to capture the glory all the more, aim for cameras
with small, lightweight cases so you can fit it more easily in your pack!
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Final Recommendations:
All in all, we ended up bringing everything we needed (and some things we didn’t) and were able to supplement with a few helpful items along the way. We hope you found this helpful, and will leave you with the following parting advice:
- Don’t stress too much about having every little thing, because you can definitely find it in bigger cities like Medellin, Lima, and Cusco.
- Make sure everything you pack serves a unique purpose (don’t bring 2)
- Packing cubes are a life saver for long-term travel because they help you to keep everything organized and dry
- Leave a bit of room in your pack for things you may have forgotten or gifts for your family! We are traveling right up to Christmas and are bringing home a few alpaca items for our loved ones.
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Please feel free to contact us with any specific questions! We would love to help.
Happy Traveling!
Summer & Jackson
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