If the main focus of your trip will be trekking (eg. away from towns in Patagonia), you are advised to give more thought to pack sizes and clothing options, especially the importance of waterproof and warm clothing. Patagonia Clothing
Don't take anything too valuable and certainly nothing sentimental.
Don’t stress if you leave a particular item at home. You will be able to buy travel items throughout South America.
Ultimately, only your own travel experience will tell you what you really need to pack; or could just as easily do without.

South American Backpackers Checklist
I have tried to keep this list as short as possible... not easy! I have put links to companies that sell various travel items. In these company websites you will have to type in the search word for the particular product. This will show you a comparison between product types and prices.

Bags & Backpacks

Bags & Backpacks come in numerous shapes and sizes. It is beneficial to travel as light as possible. I've read backpacker forums where experienced travellers boast about travelling round-the-world with backpacks less than 40 litres in size. This would be travelling with absolute efficiency of backpack space!

I prefer a 60-70 litre size backpack and recommend the North Face Backtrack 70. This sturdy 70 litre backpack is a manageable size and gives you enough space to buy a few souvenirs to take home. The backpack has an external (zip) detachable smaller day-backpack. The day-backpack is useful for day trips and for taking hand luggage on airplanes.

You can buy this (and other sized backpacks) at www.usoutdoor.com On this website use search words North Face Backtrack

Australian & New Zealand Residents: A reasonably priced excellent quality locally made backpack is the 65 Litre "Blackwolf" provided by this Australian supplier. Type the word 'Black Wolf' into their product search engine. I have met many Aussie & Kiwi travellers who had their trusty Blackwolfs strapped on!

I secure my backpack with small combination padlocks that you can purchase cheaply here .

Nicks Travel Notes: Bags: "In a local Bolivian market I also purchased a lightweight shoulder hessian strap bag for $1. Carrying this bag in city areas made me look more like a local uni student than a tourist. In fact with this bag I was often confused as being a local student! The hessian bag easily flattened into my main backpack when travelling."

Footwear

Some backpackers travel with only 2 items of footwear. I suggest 3 items of footwear for South America if they are all lightweight. A fashionable type sneaker shoe is useful for wearing out to restaurants, bars etc.

Nicks Travel Notes: Footwear:: The most important tip is to take comfortable footwear! Break-in new shoes before you travel. If you are a serious trekker you should consider professional walking boot options. I spent most my trip wearing a lightwear pair of sneaker shoes & flip-flops. I only wore my Trail Shoes for walking around Patagonia areas.

Personal Clothing

I have linked clothing items to online stores where they are currently available for purchase.

Women's Clothing - Free Shipping
Men's Clothing - Free Shipping

Nicks Travel Notes: Clothing: In mountain regions the weather conditions can change quickly and dramatically. I kept warm by wearing layered clothing. In the cooler Patagonia regions I wore a thermal t-shirt, 2 regular t-shirts, fleece top and beanie hat. Whilst trekking it was easy to take off / put on individual clothing layers to cool down / warm up.

Buy good quality clothing. Do not take anything you do not feel really comfortable in. You don’t want to look like a mountain trekker walking around city streets. For casual town / city exploring a pair of lightweight comfortable jeans or extra pair of trousers is an option.

Brighter coloured clothes will make you stick out as a tourist. Avoid wearing loud t-shirts with logos.

Make sure you have a rainproof garment that will keep you dry. I took a lightweight professional mountaineer jacket to Patagonia regions. In hindsight, I probably could have got by travelling with a good quality rainproof ‘poncho’ that would have taken up a lot less space in my backpack.

Personal Items

Passport
Visas
Immunisation record
Credit Card
Travel tickets
Travel Wallet
Travel Insurance Policy
Guide book
Phrase Book
Sunglasses
Money belt
Combination padlocks
Wrist Watches
Travel Alarm clock
Small Flashlight
Swiss army knife
Digital Camera
Digital Camera Memory
Spare batteries
Mp3/Mp4 Player
Insect repellant
Travel Towel
Toiletry Bag
First Aid Kit
Mini Sewing Kit
Diary / Organiser
Pens
All emergency numbers
Student identity cards
Prescriptions
Sun cream
Glasses / contact lenses
Spare eye glasses
Optional
Sleeping bag
Mosquito net
Camera Travel Tripod
Inflatable Neck Pillow
USB Memory Stick
Global Bag Tag
Travellers Cheques
International Drivers Licence
Knife/Fork/Spoon
Ear plugs
Wet wipes
Hand Sanitizer Lotion
Small Coins from your home currency (as gifts to host family / children)
A few plastic clip bags for wet items (eg shoes) you may have to carry on your trip

Optional Items - Further Discussion

The jury is out of whether you need to take these items. Some Backpackers will take None / Some / All of these items.

I always take a compact Sleeping bag when Backpacking. In South America I only used it on a few occassions in hostels in Patagonia. And where I did use it I could have easily asked for extra blankets instead of using my sleeping bag. But I still feel more secure having my sleeping bag in-case-of-emergency. The other alternative is to hire a sleeping bag along your travels.

I don't take a Mosquito net on my trips. If I am being bothered by mosquitos when trying to get to sleep, I simply put some insect repellant on my face and arms. But a mosquito net is very light and compact to take as an additional item. Travellers with them undoubtedly sleep better in low lying mosquito prone areas.

I don't take a mini Camera Travel Tripod . But for more serious photographers this is an excellent item to take to improve the quality of your photos.

I have an Inflatable Neck Pillow but don't take it with me. I don't sleep well on moving vehicles so am not fussed about sleeping or not. But many travellers can't travel without their favourite inflatable pillow!

A worldwide service called Global Bag Tag advertise that they can track your tagged luggage 24 hours a day / worldwide. Click their link if interested in finding out more about this useful service and its cost.

In the past I have taken Travellers Cheques. I will no longer do so. My next trip I will carry my ATM Bank Card, Credit Card and a small amount of cash on my person (I use an undergarment Money belt ). Also I will keep one credit card and US$50 hidden in my main backpack in case of emergencies.

If you are doing extended driving I suggest you get an International Drivers Licence. Next trip I won't bother getting this Licence. Many South American car hire firms will just accept your current drivers licence and a visa card.

Some backpackers like to take a knife/fork/spoon set. More so for when eating supermarket items whilst travelling. Hostels have all the cutlery you need for dinners. I keep a small spoon in my Day Pack to use for yoghurt packs etc.

Many backpackers swear by ear plugs to get a good nights sleep (especially on moving vehicles). Hostels can be noisy places. You can buy soft ear plugs from your local trade shop.

I take a small bag of Wet Wipes which I keep in my Day Pack. When you can't find running water they are useful to clean your hands / face.

A fellow traveller gave me a small bottle of Hand Sanitizer Lotion This is an excellent germ-kill product to put on your hands before you eat meals - especially when you cannot access running water. I have never been sick whilst travelling in South America and think this product has certainly helped.

A USB Memory Stick / Traveldrive is an excellent idea. Scan all your important documents before you travel and put the data on your usb memory stick. Also you can keep copies of your CV & References if you are looking for work.

If you don't take a usb memory stick, another suggestion is to obtain a free web based e mail address (e.g. hotmail address). Then e-mail these scanned documents to yourself so that they are available on the internet. Access to computers and the internet in South America is now excellent with Internet Cafes in all tourist towns /cities.

I suggest before you travel you scan / copy these documents

Drivers licence
Airline tickets
Student Card
Glasses / contact lens prescription
Any medical prescriptions
Medical Vaccinations Certificates
Passport number and date issued
Serial numbers of travellers cheques
Serial numbers of valuables e.g. camera
International Youth Hostel (and other) membership
All insurance details and any emergency contact numbers
Credit card numbers and emergency number to report theft

2007 South America Travel Advice