While my last text offered some useful pre-trip preparations to be conducted before your next backpacking trip, here’s a rather OCD list of things of what to pack for an extended trip across different climates. Furthermore, I’ll also list few useful security tips, how to carry your valuables and so on. Regarding that packing list, I’m not saying that you’ll need every single item listed here, a few of them could be obviously determined by the weather conditions in your desired destination as well as individual preferences.
Contents
What to keep in mind
There’s a huge boring element about packing for long trips. One has to take all types of weather into consideration, which requires high efficiency when it comes to what you want to be carrying with you for all those thousands of miles. We’re therefore talking about function, weight as well as ability to pack things in the smallest possible bulks. Anyway, let’s get on it. This is what I’ve taken with me to travel across Latin America, from Tierra del Fuego, through Patagonia up to Mexico’s Yucatán.
Btw, I’ve included mini-reviews of some of the products was particularly happy or unhappy with. FYI, I am not paid, nor do I receive any form of compensation from any of the brands this article will mention.
What to pack for a long trip then?
Feet
- Trekking shoes. For a person that’s keen on trekking, this is perhaps the most important item of all. Think safety/stability, comfort and durability. I went ahead with The North Face Ultra 110 trail running shoes. For the most part of my trip, I thought of them as one of the best investments due to their comfort and stability. Well, that was until the poorly designed eyelets then gave up about 6 months later. Salomons Ultras and Merrel‘s MOABs could be considered the best competition here…
- Sandals. When it comes to sandals, it’s Teva Terra Fi all day for me. Comfort, flexibility, safety and when they get wet it’s not as annoying sleazy slippery as most other sandals normally get. Again, Salomon and Merrel are a good competition here as well…
- Flip flops. I’d recommend taking any small/packable ones, they will be useful indoors in showers, hotel or local bar terraces and so on;
- Tech socks. I first thought that it might be a bit of an overkill but I was honestly happy I had them on me during my long treks in Patagonia;
Clothes
- Trousers. Think pack-ability, features (pocket and weather suitability-wise) and likeable design. Because I didn’t want to sweat more than necessary, I went for KÜHL Konfidant Air, and yes, the name has it right considering the circumstances, plus they also kinda look OK so you can wear them for your strolls in the city…
- Shorts. I like a lot of pockets so I went for durable Cargo pants…
- Underwear. 2-3 pairs are enough – all you need to do is to get into a habit to wash them every evening after or even during your shower. The fast dry elements help. I went for ExOfficio and Under Armour;
- Thermal underwear. Very useful items in cooler conditions, such as in Patagonia. I’ve opted for the Icebreaker’s Basic;
- Jumper. Think fast dry, sweat to get out straight away. I went with Columbia Triple Canyon;
- Jacket. I’ve personally decided to purchase a Rab Xenon jacket. Very light and packable but also kind of wind stopping and warm at the same time;
- Rain gear. I went for the classic Marmot Precip jacket, It’s very packable and as breathable, well as much as rain gear can get;
Other clothing items:
- Swimwear: The more stretchy the better;
- T-shirts: I took 3 pairs only. You can always buy new ones during your travels and enjoy wearing your souvenirs;
- Shirts: I took the hikers’ Craghoppers Kiwi and one cool shirt for the cities;
- Hat: You’ll need one to get protected from the sun.
Accessories
- Backpack. After doing some reading, I’ve personally opted for Pacsafe Venturesafe EXP65 over Osprey combo. Due to the large feet my footwear took up too much space so I couldn’t pack into 45L but I’d recommend it if you can staff everything in it;
- Day pack. Think practical features and suitable size. The North Face Borealis backpack appears to be a popular choice for many. I went with Pacsafe X24, only to find out that it’s more of a great city bag, plus I doubt it holds 24L…
- Secret pouch. Very useful thing. It’s something like this Eagle Creek’s pouch. Simply hook it on your belt and flip it inside your trousers so it’s virtually invisible. I’ve kept my main stash of cash, spare credit card and passport in there;
- Belt. Zero grid. Fab. No metal, therefore you don’t have to take it off in the airports + the cool inner zip where you can hide some emergency cash. FYI, don’t keep the cash there during the trekking as it gets soaked and in many countries of Latin World, the exchange offices like crispy bills so you might end up ironing the $100 bills in your hotel room, thinking about what music you should listen to, during such activity, like me 😀
Electronics
- Laptop: This is not an obligatory item, obviously. I only took it with me for writing and editing and some entertainment;
- Cellphone: I went for the cheapest 2 SIM water and dust resistant phone I could find: Samsung A8. It performed just well across over 4000m of altitude as well as rather extreme dry and humid conditions;
- Kindle: You know, it’s small and light and it can hold a library…
- Camera + case + spare battery. I wanted to go compact not to carry additional fragile gear on me. So I’ve splashed money on Canon G1 Mark III. Unless a different author is listed/credited, all pics on this site were taken with it, in case you wanted to judge its quality. It’s a good compact phone. Dustproof and water-resistant, hence my choice of this camera over one of the Sony RX100 cameras;
- Tripod. The small Joby Gorillapod helped me few times to take a shot;
- Memory cards: that a must for the cameras, right?
- External HD: Not everyone will need that…
- Universal AC adapter: Absolute must. There’s plenty – just pick one with a good review that looks durable.
Various small thingies
- Travel pillow: OK – it’s not for everyone – I didn’t like it much myself – but for those long bus journeys it was very helpful. I went for comfy and rather packable Travelrest Ultimate Memory Foam;
- Waterproof bags: It depends on your plans/activities. I’ve had all my documents in a safe, dry folder;
- Packing cubes: I’ve read about those that it’s an absolute must. I wouldn’t say so but it helps you be organised. I’ve picked: Gonex;
- Gadget bag: Golden thing. All your chargers and small electronic thingies in one bag, although I admit, it took a bulk of space as opposed to having them stashed wherever space is as before. But this way I didn’t have to search for things so much, which proved very useful;
- Padlock: Well, you know. Those small padlocks. It feels like even a child can break it. Who believes in such protection? Think of it as a deterrent;
- Sink plug: A remote washing machine that takes very little space and weight to carry around;
- Needle + thread: One of those “non-reactive” Mc Gyver things, right?
- Multitool: This is also a wee bit Mc Gyvery. How many times have I used it except the wine bottle opener? Not many but my Leatherman Juice XE6 came certainly handy on several occasions;
- Silicon gel bags: You know these small bags you find in packages when you buy electronics that you should not eat? Those do magic if your device gets wet;
- Head torch: Whether you’ll need it or not, it depends upon your adventure levels but generally it’s a great idea to have one;
- Gaffer tape: I’ve worked in theatres for years and gaffer or duck tape in that world is a basic part of “first aid”;
- Superglue: Again, this could be all the theatre jobs that made me take the superglue with me;
- String ropes: Another not entirely necessary thing, unless you plan to rent a motorcycle to tight your luggage on the back of the bike.
Cosmetics and other small thingies
- Cosmetics bag: You know. Normal thing. You put your toothbrush, toothpaste, nail clipper, various creams you use, dental floss, antiperspirant, insect repellent, sun scream, shaving products, condoms, hair products and all sorts of other products inside;
- Towel: I went for the fast drying Sea To Summit towel. It doesn’t feel like it’s drying you but in fact, it does the job well. And it dries fast, which is priceless property of a towel when you’re on the road, especially when you’re taking a bus somewhere just 30 mins after you check out from your hotel;
- Spare prescription glasses, in case you need glasses, the replacement might be useful (I hope you won’t need those though);
- Set of cards. Oh well, you know those evenings… Btw, have you heard of Wist? It’s a brilliant and fun game that doesn’t penalise the brain over the luck as much as in quite a few other card games…
- Kid gift kit: Sweets might screw the children’s teeth. Think of things like latex balloons, coloured sharpies, various small gadgets such as mini LED flashlights and so on. The spark in the kid’s eyes you might create is priceless 😉
Medical kit
- Medications you normally take
- Various plasters
- Antiseptic + antiseptic wipes
- Syringe (for deeper wounds)
- Disposable gloves
- Cotton swabs
- Tweezers
- Some bandage
- Nurofen/Ibuprofen, etc…
- Activated charcoal
- Imodium
- Isostar tabs or some oral rehydration salts (priceless)
- Seasickness pills (those that are good for sleeping as well)
- General antibiotics
- Aloe Vera gel for sunburns, unless you can just pick the leaf on the side of the road;
- Insect repellent
- Tiger balm for the sting irritations (magic)
- Hand sanitiser (even b4 Covid – what an invention for a traveller!)
- Eye drops
Documents
- Credit/Debit cards: Take at least two bank cards, in case one was stolen or lost. And not to beat the “backup” purpose, make sure to store separately from your major card so if you lose one, you still have the other one 😉 Btw, please make sure that they won’t expire during your trip because it could be a buzz kill 😉
- Travel documents: Obviously a passport and its copies. The same as above – make sure that it won’t expire during your trip…
- Prescriptions: If you have any of all prescriptions you might be using regularly (medications, glasses, etc…) or their copies
- Health insurance documents
- Vaccination Passport, if needed
- International Driving license, as in some countries require those…
- Spare passport photos for various visas, applications, etc…
- Onward ticket. Check that on your government’s sites. They are sometimes required, especially when you are arriving at the destination by plane. There are ways around it though…
- Fake valet? Last but not least, if you’re about to stroll in more dangerous parts of the city or just if you’re paranoid: take a spare (fake) valet with an expired bank card, a bit of cash and an old smartphone
Useful & fun apps 2 download
- MapsMe
- Currency converter
- Unit converter
- Spendee or Andro Money apps
- Dictionary
- AirBnb + Booking + Hostelworld
- Sky Map
- Uber
- Prey or Where’s My Droid
General safety precautions
Pick neutral colours for your visible gear so it doesn’t scream for the unwanted extra attention unless you want some. As for the valuables, try keeping them in multiple parts. Like, keep your spare credit/debit card in a different place than the major one and so on. That way you’ll still have something if one thing gets lost or stolen.
When it comes to general safety, I personally believe that if you use normal precautions, such as not wandering around dark alleys alone or advertising your phone and expensive jewellery; as well as if you behave reasonably and treat the locals with respect, you should be fine. Basically, keep your usual guard on and don’t be a dick 😉 More safety tips could be found here, in case you were interested.
More practical tips about travelling (mostly) Americas
- Budget: in case you were interested, here‘s an article listing the country-by-country basic expenses for a traveller in Latin America
- Transport: Information, safety and some other practical advice regarding public transport in Latin America can be found here
- ATM withdrawal charges: Some practical info, including the list of free-of-charge ATMs in Latin America, can be found here
- Border fees: To find out how much will you have to pay to enter or exit certain countries in Latin America, please click here
- Safety: Few safety tips on how to secure your valuables, what to watch out for and more could be found here
- Flights: In case you wanted few tips on how to score a cheaper flight, airport tips and more, please click here.
Locations covered on Quaint Planet
Santiago de Chile ► Valparaíso ► Santiago de Chile ►Punta Arenas – Ushuaia – Punta Arenas ► Puerto Natales – Torres del Paine – Puerto Natales ► El Calafate (Perito Moreno Glacier, Arg) ► El Chaltén (Los Glaciares National Park) ► Chile Chico (Ch) – Puerto Rio Tranquillo (Marble Caves) ► Coyhaique – Puyuhuapi – (Carretera Austral) ► Puerto Chacabuco – Quellón/Castro ► Puerto Varas – San Carlos de Bariloche (Arg) ► Buenos Aires ► Colonia (Ur) ► Montevideo ► Punta del Diablo – Cabo Polonio ► Montevideo ► Salto ► Concordia (Arg) ► Puerto Iguazú (Iguazú Falls) ► Salta ► San Salvador de Jujuy ► Tilcara ► San Pedro de Atacama (Ch) ► Uyuni Salt Flats Tour (Bol) ► Uyuni ► Sucre – La Paz (Death Road Tour) ► Copacabana (Lake Titicaca) – Isla del Sol – Copacabana ► Cusco (Per) ► Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) ► Cusco ► Lima ► Máncora – Montañita (Ecu) ► Puerto López ► Quito ► Ipiales (Col) – Pasto ► Tatacoa Desert ► Bogotá ► Medellín ► Villa de Lleyva ► Santa Marta – Cartagena – Rincón del Mar Necoclí ► Capurganá ► Puerto Obaldía (Pan) ► Panama City ► Las Lajas ► Cerro Punta ► David ► Bocas del Torro ► San José (Costa Rica) ► San Juan del Sur (Nic) – Ometepe ► Granada ► Managua – El Rama – Bluefields – Corn Islans ► Léon ► El Tunco (El Salvador) ► La Antigua Guatemala – Lake Atitlán ► Lanquín (Semuc Champey) – Flores (Tikal) ► Belize City ► Bacalar – Tulum – Playa del Carmen – Mérida – Valladolid – Cancún ✈️ .
Featured image credit: Exe Lobaiza on Wunderstock
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