Before we left for our four months trip to Central and South America, we wondered how we would fit all warm and cold weather clothes into our small backpacks. In Guatemala we experienced hot and humid weather in February, while southern Chile was sunny, rainy, and snowy sometimes all in the same day. It actually worked out quite well. Here are some observations from a guy who likes to be connected, spends a lot of time outdoors, is not totally roughing it, and still wants to travel light.
Backpack
I opted for a small 40 liter backpack. It barely worked, but unless you are a packing magician like me, I suggest something closer to 60 liters. And even though it is called backpacking, a suitcase probably would have done the trick too. In Patagonia the backpacks came handy since we weren't forced to rent one when we went trekking. Had I been in need of a new backpack, I would have gotten one that unzips all around like a suitcase for easy access. I also carried a 16 liter compressible day-pack with me in my hand or over my shoulder in which I kept my computer, money, bank cards, and my passport. That way I always had easy access to my money and did not have to worry about my large backpack when we did bus rides or stored it away for the day in hostels. We also used them for hikes, food shopping, and pillows. We also each had a compressible duffel bag from REI which we used when we slept in the tight quarters of a sailboat, took a 2-day trip in a rental car, and packed food for a 22 hour bus ride. I call it my European Carry-all.
Gadgets & Tech
Before we left I thought that I would definitely regret bringing my 15" laptop. I was wrong. The comfort of being able to update the blog, edit videos, upload photos to the cloud, answer emails, and take care of some necessary evils like taxes from the comfort of your own computer was priceless. I can't imagine having done all this on slow and unreliable (and sometimes costly) hostel PCs. And let's not forget about inherent security risks that come with using other people's computers. We also brought our smartphones which we used more than the laptop. If you think that you won't need a laptop, it will safe you 4 pounds. In addition to our country specific adapters, we also brought a small three plug power-strip. Especially in hostels when you compete for electricity, being able to turn one outlet into three was helpful for the two of us. We brought a small solar charger which came handy on the sailboat, but that was it. We sent it home in the mail, with some other items that we did not need anymore. Maps.me is an offline map app for Android and iOS and was a great help when we needed to find our way around town.
Sleeping Bag
You don't need to bring a sleeping bag since you can rent it for hikes in Patagonia and Machu Picchu.
Photo Camera
Smartphones have come a long way, but you will still be happy you brought a proper camera. Suzy bought a Sony A5000, which is compact, 20 MP, and mirror-less for under $300. We use our smartphones when it is not convenient or safe to flash the larger camera. But on other occasions we are actually glad we only need to bring our camera instead of the pricier smartphone. We heard that they are popular targets for thieves. Bring a GoPro, if you are into action shots.
Blue Dollar in Argentina
Money is an important matter in Argentina. ATM's charge you expensive fees and only let you pull out the equivalent of $100 at a time. The regular rate is 9 pesos per 1 USD. Most people choose to bring large (new!) dollar bills from home or Uruguay to exchange them on the street at a rate of 13 to 1. That's 44% more spending power!
Behold the packing list...
Most importantly bring what you are most comfortable in and what you like to wear in your free-time.
Bags
large backpack 40-60 liters
small day-pack
compressible duffel-bag (or large purse)
laundry-sack
Undergarments
4 x underwear
4 x socks
(long underwear is optional)
(PJs are optional)
Shoes
1 x hiking shoes/boots
1 x synthetic sandals with heal-strap (can be used for water sports) or flip-flops
(1 x fashionable sneakers are an optional extra)
Pants and Shorts
1 x hiking pants with zipper to turn into shorts
1 x jeans (yes, yes, and yes)
1 x swim shorts/workout shorts
(1 x regular shorts is optional)
Shirts and Sweaters
2 x cotton t-shirts
1 x long sleeved cotton shirt
1 x athletic synthetic t-shirt
1 x sweater
Jackets
1 x windbreaker/rain jacket (one-layer, thin)
(1 x thin puffy down jacket is optional, if the sweater is not enough)
Other Items
warm hat
thin gloves
baseball cap
headlamp
toiletries
medicine
disinfecting gel
travel towel
long charging cables
travel adapters
power-strip
(maybe a solar charger)
card game
pen
passport and copies
bank cards
small amount of laundry detergent
sunglasses
light, small, BPA free water bottle
(camel bag is optional)
large zip-lock bags
(laptop is optional)
smartphones
ear phones
photo camera
dictionary loaded onto the smartphone (Google translate works offline on Android)
Maps.me app works as offline city maps and for navigation
cork-screw and beer bottle opener
(GoPro is optional)
eye mask, earplugs
insect repellent
Lots of large dollar/euro bills if you want the best exchange rate in Argentina
Small one dollar bills for tips in the Caribbean
small wallet
digital Lonely Planet
Gadgets & Tech
Before we left I thought that I would definitely regret bringing my 15" laptop. I was wrong. The comfort of being able to update the blog, edit videos, upload photos to the cloud, answer emails, and take care of some necessary evils like taxes from the comfort of your own computer was priceless. I can't imagine having done all this on slow and unreliable (and sometimes costly) hostel PCs. And let's not forget about inherent security risks that come with using other people's computers. We also brought our smartphones which we used more than the laptop. If you think that you won't need a laptop, it will safe you 4 pounds. In addition to our country specific adapters, we also brought a small three plug power-strip. Especially in hostels when you compete for electricity, being able to turn one outlet into three was helpful for the two of us. We brought a small solar charger which came handy on the sailboat, but that was it. We sent it home in the mail, with some other items that we did not need anymore. Maps.me is an offline map app for Android and iOS and was a great help when we needed to find our way around town.
Sleeping Bag
You don't need to bring a sleeping bag since you can rent it for hikes in Patagonia and Machu Picchu.
Photo Camera
Smartphones have come a long way, but you will still be happy you brought a proper camera. Suzy bought a Sony A5000, which is compact, 20 MP, and mirror-less for under $300. We use our smartphones when it is not convenient or safe to flash the larger camera. But on other occasions we are actually glad we only need to bring our camera instead of the pricier smartphone. We heard that they are popular targets for thieves. Bring a GoPro, if you are into action shots.
Blue Dollar in Argentina
Money is an important matter in Argentina. ATM's charge you expensive fees and only let you pull out the equivalent of $100 at a time. The regular rate is 9 pesos per 1 USD. Most people choose to bring large (new!) dollar bills from home or Uruguay to exchange them on the street at a rate of 13 to 1. That's 44% more spending power!
Behold the packing list...
Most importantly bring what you are most comfortable in and what you like to wear in your free-time.
Bags
large backpack 40-60 liters
small day-pack
compressible duffel-bag (or large purse)
laundry-sack
Undergarments
4 x underwear
4 x socks
(long underwear is optional)
(PJs are optional)
Shoes
1 x hiking shoes/boots
1 x synthetic sandals with heal-strap (can be used for water sports) or flip-flops
(1 x fashionable sneakers are an optional extra)
Pants and Shorts
1 x hiking pants with zipper to turn into shorts
1 x jeans (yes, yes, and yes)
1 x swim shorts/workout shorts
(1 x regular shorts is optional)
Shirts and Sweaters
2 x cotton t-shirts
1 x long sleeved cotton shirt
1 x athletic synthetic t-shirt
1 x sweater
Jackets
1 x windbreaker/rain jacket (one-layer, thin)
(1 x thin puffy down jacket is optional, if the sweater is not enough)
Other Items
warm hat
thin gloves
baseball cap
headlamp
toiletries
medicine
disinfecting gel
travel towel
long charging cables
travel adapters
power-strip
(maybe a solar charger)
card game
pen
passport and copies
bank cards
small amount of laundry detergent
sunglasses
light, small, BPA free water bottle
(camel bag is optional)
large zip-lock bags
(laptop is optional)
smartphones
ear phones
photo camera
dictionary loaded onto the smartphone (Google translate works offline on Android)
Maps.me app works as offline city maps and for navigation
cork-screw and beer bottle opener
(GoPro is optional)
eye mask, earplugs
insect repellent
Lots of large dollar/euro bills if you want the best exchange rate in Argentina
Small one dollar bills for tips in the Caribbean
small wallet
digital Lonely Planet
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