Packing your whole life into a backpack for 12 months can be a huge task and a little overwhelming. If you were back packing through Europe in the Summer then you could probably get away with throwing a few clothes, a couple of electronics and your toiletries into a carry on backpack. For an adventurous 12 month trip through South America and Central America you really need to tailor your packing to suit a huge variety of climates, weather and outdoor adventure activities. Packing for the ever changing weather in Patagonia, the high altitudes in Bolivia and Peru and the humid and hot climate of the Amazon can be quite difficult. You might also need to factor in the never ending beaches and tropical climates further North in Central America as well depending whether or not you will need those clothes elsewhere as well.
A lot of research and thought went into designing my packing list for Patagonia. It then took me a while to figure out how to efficiently combine my Patagonia must haves with my general packing essentials for the rest of my trip. Even then I still ditched stuff the night before I left Australia and at the airport before leaving New Zealand for Argentina. The following guide should save anyone hoping to do a similar trip with a huge range of climates and activities the hassle of having to start from scratch.
This is what I packed for 12 Months in South America and Central America:
Clothing – General
All of my casual clothes for 12 months!!
These general clothing items are what I would probably pack for most trips. If I wasn’t taking extra gear and clothes specifically for trekking I could easily fit the below clothes and general items into a carry on only setup.
I also made sure every single item in my general packing was interchangeable with one another in colour, style and purpose so that I could maximise the amount of outfits I could make with the least amount of clothes possible. Keep in mind, this general section allows you to get by in very hot days as well as some cooler days, but you would need some of the layering Patagonia items from later in my list if you were travelling somewhere colder.
Tops
- Fitted navy T-shirt
- Printed white singlet
- Black chiffon top
- Off-shoulder navy top (loose fitting and quick dry)
- Natural tank top
A top for every occasion! (I almost ditched the natural tank, but decided to keep it until it dies or I find something better on the road…)
Bottoms
- 2 x lightweight cotton shorts (orange/white, and cream/navy)
- Full length black leggings
- Loose hemp pants in black/natural pattern
- (The skirt didn’t make the final cut!)
A good balance for hot, cooler and cold! (I sent the orange and white skirt home with mum after New Zealand)
Dresses
- Comfy playsuit daytime/nighttime
- Daytime/nighttime dress
- Casual beach dress
I ended up swapping the bottom dress for one of my old faithfuls at the last minute. Good decision as I’ve already worn it so much in New Zealand and Argentina!!
Other
- Very light grey cardigan
- Fleece-lined zip hoodie
- Travel scarf (lightweight for multi-use)
Super snuggly but doesn’t look as daggy as some of the hoodies I usually wear at home…
Underwear etc
Underwear
I initially packed way too many pairs of underwear and after camping for two weeks in New Zealand I noticed I washed them so frequently that I really didn’t need that many. I chopped my underwear in half and only took extras if they were actually a different cut or fabric. For my bras it was a little harder to cull as I wanted three types; sport bras for hiking and fitness, crop tops for hostel hangs, camping and on travel days, and t-shirt bras. There is nothing worse than wearing an uncomfortable bra in the wrong situation…
- 8 x Underwear
- 2 x Sports bras, quick dry
- 2 x T-shirt bras and 1 x strapless bra
- 1 x Bra-let and 1 x crop top (for sleeping, travel days, and wearing around camp/hostels)
I’m just a little bit addicted to this colour, obviously…
Socks
Packing some merino socks for hiking was a definite. They are a god send. They are super comfy, moisture wicking and can be worn a couple of times if you have to. I tested mine out on the Great Ocean Road and on Queensland bushwalking tracks and they served me well. They also went great in New Zealand in the winter last year.
- 2 x Merino hiking socks (I ditched one of the pairs in the photo before I left)
- 1 x Warm sleeping socks
- 2 x Ankle height Bonds socks (I left one of the pairs in the photo behind before I left)
This scarf has been used so much already for so many different purposes! I decided to leave the beanie and get one on the road as this one is not very warm anyway. I sent two pairs of socks shown home with mum to Aus after New Zealand.
Swimming
- 2 x Bikinis (sports backs)
Both bikinis are cross backs so they stay where they are meant to be! The bottoms are reversible on the first pair and the second pair are completely reversible. Almost four bikini’s for the price of two!
Shoes
My hiking boots were the first item I purchased for my trip and when I was packing I knew they would be going in. I bought them about a year ago when I was planning just a trip to Patagonia alone. An insane amount of research went into which hiking boots I wanted as I knew Patagonia would put them to the test and that I would be tackling some pretty decent hikes so they not only had to be comfortable, but also had to be waterproof, sturdy and lightweight. There will be a detailed post soon about how I chose my hiking boots and the pro’s and con’s of each brand and type I chose from.
I honestly can’t say this enough…I love these hiking boots!
For any trip where you will be doing a combination of urban sight seeing and outdoor adventures, I would recommend packing the following combination of shoes. If you were not going to be doing any serious hiking or outdoor activities then you could remove the hiking boots from the list and take just three pairs of shoes, and even change the running shoes to something more casual such as a pair of Converse or Van sneakers.
- Hiking boots – Mammut trovat Gore-tex female hiking boots
- Runners – Nike Air lightweight running shoes
- Sandals
- Thongs
As a huge lover of hiking and the outdoors, hiking boots were a must and the runners are perfect for those long sight seeing days when sandals just aren’t comfortable enough. I also love dancing too much to not bring a pair of sandals…
Electronics
If you just want to take a few photos and have a way to stay entertained on flights, train rides and also contact people back home then I would suggest sticking to a smaller list of electronics. You could probably get away with a decent mobile phone and a tablet as this would cover most of your bases. If you are planning on running any online businesses, a travel blog, taking higher quality photos or just like having all of your tech from back home handy then you will need to take a bit more than just a phone and tablet. These are the electronics I ended up packing to allow me to run this blog and do all the necessary extras that go along with that.
Devices
- Macbook 12inch laptop and accessories (charger, adaptor)
- Kindle Paperwhite 6inch, charger and lightweight padded pencil case as carrier
I have never been a Mac user before but I have to say this is the lightest and thinnest laptop I have ever owned and I am in love!
First time Kindle user as well, and I am so totally addicted!
Photography
My packing list has a lot of photography gear, but less than a lot of other people. Just find a good balance for what you want to achieve.
- Fujifilm XT20 and accessories (charger, battery, SD card plus extra batteries and extra SD cards)
- 1 x 10-24mm lens, 1 x 18-55mm lens
- Lightweight tri-pod
- Lightweight padded case for camera and extra lens
- (Polaroid camera as shown ended up staying at home…)
I brought my Polaroid camera along but I ended sending it back to Aus with mum after New Zealand. I am so happy with my Fujifilm XT20, it has barely left my hands!!
Other
- Samsung Galaxy S6 unlocked mobile and charger (old phone I owned outright)
- 2TB Adata portable hardrive
- Old iPod Nano and headphones
- Battery extender mini (mobile)
I went with a 2TB waterproof, shockproof external hard drive (just in case) and managed to find my VERY OLD iPod Nano to throw in. My phone is on it’s way out (sadly) but see how it goes…
Packing for Patagonia Specific Gear
I will be doing a more specific packing list for Patagonia soon, after I have finished at Torres Del Paine. For now this is what I have in my pack for Patagonia.
- Hiking tent – MSR Hubba NX Solo
- Sleeping Mat – Sea to Summit Insulated Ultralight Small
- Hiking Pillow
- Sleeping Bag – Sea to Summit SP3 Ultralight Down
- Sleeping Bag Liner – Sea to Summit
- Multi-tool – Kathmandu
- Packable 10L day pack – Kathmandu
- Gas cooker and cooker bowls (compact) – Aldi
- Quickdry Travel Towel – Sea to Summit small microfibre
- Head lamp – Kathmandu
- Emergency blanket – Kathmandu
A further post on all of this gear soon – so much planning went into my trekking gear and I had an amazing friend who helped me a lot with my decision making process!
The headlamp was so handy while camping in New Zealand and will be a well used necessity in Patagonia.
Patagonia Specific Clothes
Layers, layers and more layers.
Tops
- Black sports tank top quick dry – Underarmour
- Mint green sports T-shirt quick dry – Fila
- Full sleeved mint green merino top – Kathmandu
- Quick dry, mosquito treated long sleeve for the Amazon etc – Mountain Designs
I’ve already worn the singlet and shirt a lot and I imagine once it gets a bit cooler down South I will be living in my long sleeve Merino.
Bottoms
- Black sports shorts quick dry – Puma
- 3/4 black hiking tights – Kmart
- Printed knee length hiking tights – Rockwear
- Water resistant hiking pants – Kathmandu
Warm Layers
- Thermals top and bottom – Aldi ski gear
- Purple wind/rain proof jacket – Kathmandu
- Grey down jacket, 800 loft and ultralight – Kathmandu
- Beanie – To be bought on the road…
- Gloves – TBC!
I bought these at the Aldi ski gear and took them to New Zealand for snow boarding last year. Cheapest and comfiest merino thermals ever!
Toiletries
- Shampoo Bar Lush and tin
- (Conditioner Bar Lush and tin – sent home with mum)
- Extra shampoo Bar Lush and smaller tin – for washing clothes and soap
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Mouthwash and floss
- Hairstyling wax and hair spray aerosol mini’s
- Deodorant (roll-on)
- Face Wipes
- Moisturiser mini
- Sunscreen (roll-on)
- Bushmans insect repellant
- Wax strips and after-care
- Nail polish
- Tweezers and nail clippers
- Female Hygiene products
- Small amount of costume jewellery (3 x necklaces, second set of earrings and 2 x bracelets)
I split these into toiletries and makeup. I haven’t really worn much makeup, at all, but I only brought the very basics because I knew I wouldn’t want to once I was here.
Backpacks and Bags
- Osprey 50L Sirrus main pack
- Osprey 22L Skimmer day pack
- Small cross body handbag (fits my Kindle, UV water filter bottle, purse and sunnies)
- Black passport sized purse (detachable strap)
I decided on a 50L pack to 1) limit what I let myself take and 2) I’m so short any bigger and it would be ridiculous!!
I bought this day pack quite a while ago. It works well packed full at 22L but also shrunk down with the side straps if it’s not too full.
This cross body bag survived Europe and fits all of my essentials perfectly. The small black one has been amazing for going out at night with minimal items and I love the combo together for transit days as they fit inside each other.
Travel Gear
Water
- Camelback All Clear UV water filter bottle (lamp and main bottle)
- 2.5L Osprey water reservoir (water bladder for hiking)
Who would have thought a UV filter would be so useful. I won’t have to buy water at all during my travels and topping up on the trails will be so easy.
Organisation and Dry Bags
- 8L waterproof dry bag
- 4L waterproof dry bag
- 6 x Stuff sacks (ultralight style packing cubes)
I’ve already used these a few times. It’s such a relief to know my camera, laptop and other electronics are safe!
All assembled into the packing cells / stuff sacks. This is my whole life for 12 months…
Medical / Emergency
- First Aid Kit (hiking)
- Medications (personal prescriptions, medicine specific for South America and also for hiking and motion sickness)
My travel doctor basically assembled this for me. I doubt I will use much, or any, of it. Better to be safe than sorry on longer hikes I guess…
Some of these are a must for the areas I am going, and others are just because I hate getting car sick and can’t live without them. Everyone’s medications will be different.
Glasses / Contacts
- Contact lenses x 90 days
- Sunglasses (prescription)
- Sunglasses (non-prescription to wear with contact lenses)
Prescription glasses and contacts take up so much space, but it’s unavoidable for me unfortunately.
Other
- Notebook, travel journal and pen
- Official documents and passport
- Padlocks for airports and hostels
- Cap/hat
One of these is more of a record of dates, times and places while the other is for more creative journaling. Good to have somewhere to jot information down to when you don’t have electricity as well.
All the important stuff you just can’t travel without.
Last minute changes
Items I packed but ended up leaving behind at the last minute:
- Polaroid camera and accessories
- 10 x Packets of polaroid film (100 sheets in total
- 1 x Short flowing skirt
- 3 x Packing cubes/stuff sacks
- 1 x beanie
- 2 x pairs of socks
- Several pairs of underwear
- 1 x extra bra
- Conditioner bar and tin
- Several jewellery items (I know I will end up buying jewellery)
Let’s see what I still have after 12 months!
My life for 12 months in three bags!
This is what I packed going into my trip and I am certain the items I end up with at the end will have changed, a lot! There are a few more items I need for Patagonia trekking that I will be getting once I get there, including gas canisters, hiking food, and cooking utensils but I didn’t want to carry these with me for the month before I start hiking and won’t be carrying them with me except on the hikes. I will be putting together a complete list of what I will be taking on my Torres Del Paine trek and on my shorter hikes in Patagonia soon, so stay tuned if that interests you!
—Girl Seeking Purpose