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Published: November 30th 2010
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Looks like a lot, but it really isn't. Packing for a year. 32 pounds includes my pack boots and clothing I will wear down there and each day."The National - England"
"Ugly Casanova - Corcovado"
"The National - Slow Show"
I have put a tremendous amount of research into my upcoming trip. I booked my ticket quite some time ago and have spent my time since trying to figure out two things. One, what am I going to do when I am there? Two, what the heck do I bring with me? So this entry is all about question number two! I decided to start my blogging career with this one because I reckon travelers with more experience than I can lend me a hand on what to bring! Those would-be backpackers that were/are as confused as I can use this blog for a bit of help!
Where to start when packing for a trip to South America? I know NOT to pack as much crap as I did for my trip to Peru. Sweet baby Jesus I packed too much for that 3.5 week trip. Nearly 55 pounds. I know, right! I was young(er) and apparently not that travel savvy. Things have changed...I'm smart as hell now!!!! So I obviously have to cut that weight down substantially. My goal is 30 pounds maximum, including the
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My clothing. base layers all on far right from socks, to boxer briefs, long underwear, midlayer. Looks like i like gray, and blue colors. clothing and boots I wear down there. So careful planning was in order. To make things more difficult I have to think about all the climates I will be traveling in. From the wind, rain and cold of Cape Horn and the Patagonia, to the high elevation of the Andes, to the subtropical climate of Iguazu Falls, to the Mediterranean climate of Santiago and through the hot and humid climate of the Amazon Basin.
I found researching what to pack on the internet was quite helpful, to a point. However, most of the "what to pack" sites were for specific regions. There were no sites that encompassed all the regions that I will be traveling to. What to pack for the Patagonia is obviously quite different from what you would bring to Iquitos. So how would I manage to pack all that I need for all those climates and keep things under my maximum weight?
After reading all that I could on the internet I was almost more confused then when I had started. So I went to an outdoor store in Winnipeg, Wilderness Supply. I found them to be quite helpful. The first person I had talked to
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all my small items, tent, and sleeping bag with stuff sacks.
traveled in the Patagonia and other parts of Chile and Argentina. The next person I talked to had been to the Amazon Basin. They both agreed that I should start with my shoes and socks. Apparently keeping your feet in working order is important as you backpack your way through a continent. I agreed. The socks were quite easy to sort out. Merino Wool! The lady (ha, that makes her seem old, she did have a touch of gray hair) threw me four pairs. Two light weight and two heavier hiking socks. She informed me that Merino Wool is not only comfy, but it helps regulate body temperature and DOESN'T STINK! The hell you say! Ha, she said she wore one pair for 11 days straight and no smell! SOLD, sounds great! Ill try to change my socks more frequent then that...Ill try!
So my next thought was focused on the boots, or shoes, or mid boots, or...aaaahhh! Hundreds of choices of top brand name shoes and boots and just as many varying opinions. This was going to take some thought. After nearly 3 months of researching and question asking I decided on buying Zamberlan Tundra GT RR boots.
It all Fits!
Everything Fits into the one pack, the side pack is empty. Still about 15L of room left in the big pack! Just so happened to be one of the few pairs that I had not had the chance to try on! I am happy with my purchase. Lightweight for casual wear yet supportive and tough for hikes such as The Circuit! Craghoppers makes great travel gear for warm and humid climates and climates with biting insects and mosquitoes. They are made with insect repellent fabric. Not to be confused with clothing made so that mosquitoes cant bite through. Their clothing is extremely breathable, antibacterial and tough. Their clothing is not cheap, and you have to order it from England. But worth every penny. I won't go into this much detail with everything else I bought. After nearly 7 months of planning, the following is what I decided to go with. I payed very close attention to the weight of everything. The following list looks very long, yet weighs just over 32 pounds. (including the weight of the pack, and all the small things from tooth brush to nail clippers, to water bottle) Hope this helps for anyone trying to pack for as many climates as I am.
Zamberlan Tundra GT RR boots
Chacos Sandals
Merino Wool Boxer Briefs x 4 (Smartwool)
Merino wool Socks x4
Merino Wool Beanie x 1 (SmartWool)
Merino Light Weight NTS (next to skin) Bottoms x 1 (Smartwool)
Merino Micro Weight NTS Top x 1 (Smartwool)
Merino Wool Mid Weight Full Zip Fleece with hood (Ibex)
The North Face Summit Series REDPOINT OPTIMUS JACKET (for the when it gets friggin cold, but packs light and small)
The North Face Summit Series Meru GT. Rain Jacket (This Jacket is Awesome)
The North Face Venture Side Zip Rain Pant
The North Face Outbound Hiking Trouser x 1
Craghoppers NosiLife Cargo Trouser ( NosiLife = built in bug repellent fabric!!) x 1
Craghoppers NosiLife Long Sleeve Shirt x 1
Out Door Research Wind Stop Gripper Gloves
Long Sleeve Shirt with hood x 1
Jeans x1
T-Shirt x 2
Hiking Shorts x1
Board Shorts x 1
Hubba Hubba 2 man 3 Season Tent ( this is a nice tent )
The North Face Fission Synthetic Sleeping bag (rated -7C)
Quick Dry Towel
Therm-a-Rest Prolite
5L Waterproof Stuff sack
Pelican Case for Camera and Ipod when water becomes a major issue
Toothpick (story behind this toothpick upcoming in a future entry!)
68 L Pack IBEX (M.E.C.) this is a great pack. It sells as a 65L but you can stretch it to 68L if you buy the Long Length!
27 L Pack (NIKKO) Bought this pack in Cusco, Peru. Its nice, Nikko makes great gear, they are a Japanese company!
Very Small Man Purse! (M.E.C.)
That is the bulk of my gear. Not going to list all the other stuff that really you should bring anywhere you backpack. Things such as head lamp, water bottle, water treatment stuff, chow set, hat, sun screen, tooth brush, Leatherman, ect.
Because I will be relying on my tent quite often I will bring a tent repair kit!
I found the biggest help for making sure I didn't over pack was practicing packing my pack. I know sounds kind of funny, but it really helped. Your gear looks so different packed up then spread out. I realized the best way to store everything and I realized what I just don't have room for. I decided to leave behind a pair of shorts and two other layer items, a pair of pants and a few small items. Practicing packing also helped me to lower my overall weight. At one point I was up to 39 pounds. I would suggest that anyone who is planning to travel and doesn't have much experience, should practice packing!
Hope this helps for anyone trying to figure out what to bring. Everything that I am bringing was chosen with much consideration, especially the old man sweater! Funny, I will be spending up to 6 months in the Patagonia and yet the Patagonia Clothing Company is not represented in my gear! Hope that doesn't bring me bad luck, Sorry Yvon Chouinard!
And yes, all the items on that list were not cheap. Hope I wont get mugged and lose it all!!
Final weight of my pack including EVERYTHING is 32.6 pounds. Almost reached my goal! But that is still pretty good!
Cheers!
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Sherry Green
non-member comment
Impressive!
Hey Tim, you are amazing - such detailed planning is bound to pay off - it's also a great life lesson - "carry less baggage" - go for it and enjoy.