Wednesday, June 15, 2016

What to pack for South America

what we wore

I thought a review of the things we took to South America might be a good idea.
I did a fair bit of research before we went and used our past experiences as well.
It's always tricky to pack for a long trip but I think we did OK.
Everyone's experience is a bit different, but this is what worked (mostly) for us.


We were away for 3 months, mostly autumn. From the end of February to the end of May.
We travelled from north to south and then north again. From hot to cold to warm.
We stayed in cities, we camped and we walked a lot. We did the usual sightseeing.
We didn’t stay in smart hotels or resorts or eat in swanky restaurants or go to nightclubs or the opera!
We travelled by plane and bus (the best buses when we could)
We wanted to be comfortable but not look too much like tourists (that is hard!)

My main criteria were to travel as lightly as possible although we still seemed to be dragging too much stuff around.

Bearing in mind that we tried not to fill our bags too full as it becomes a real pain to pack up everytime and we wanted to allow space for gifts and souvenirs.
Actually not having much space was a good incentive not to buy lots of stuff.

I tries to include a mix of nicer travel clothes and old stuff or designated bushwalking gear.  
As I said we didn't anticipate going to any posh places where we would need formal gear.                         
Most importantly – Being comfortable was a major consideration.

Shoes – four pairs does seemed a bit excessive and we could possibly do without sneakers or sandals.
Thongs (flipflops) take up no space and are useful for popping off to the bathroom where there are shared facilities. Also I was glad of extra black Keens shoes that I took.

PACKING FOR HER
Rain jacket
Rain pants
Warm jacket – fleece
Down jacket
1 jeans
2 long pants – 1 bushwalking, 1 other
1 shorts
1 threequarter pants
Nice pants and top
Short sleeved dress
6 tops – mix of short and long sleeve, 1 for bushwalking
Thermal top – merino/polypropylene
Thermal bottoms – merino/polypropylene
PJs or nightie
Trackies
8+ undies
6 socks
4 bras
Walking boots
Walking sandals
Other shoes
Thongs/crocs
Swimming cossie
Sunhat
Beanie
Buff
Gloves
Scarf/shawl

I actually cheated and took two sets of thermals which I wore on the 5 day trek we did in Patagonia. Other times I wore the long sleeved tops under my short sleeved tops for warmth.

PACKING FOR HIM

Rain jacket
Rain pants
Warm jacket – fleece
Down jacket
1 jeans
2 long pants – 1 for bushwalking, 1 nice pair
2 shorts – 1 bushwalking, 1 nice
2 long sleeve shirts
4 tshirts/short sleeved shirts
1 nice shirt
Thermal top – merino or polypropylene
Thermal long johns – merino or polypropylene
PJs
Trackies
8 + undies
2 singlets
6 socks
Belt?
Walking boots
Sandals
Thongs
Sneakers
Swimming cossie
Sunhat
Beanie
Gloves

I don't think G wore his down jacket more than once but it is kind of an insurance policy. I also don't think he wore his trackies.

what the locals wore

OTHER STUFF
Rucksack/travel pack
Day pack
Handbag
Money belt
Sleeping bag
Sleeping mat
Inner sheet
Travel pillow
Microfiber towel
Travel clothes line
Laundry soap*
Scrubba washbag 
Water purification tabs or steripen
Drink bottle 1 litre
Padlocks
Plastic ziplock bags various sizes
Pen knife
Sharp knife
Sporks
Plastic chopping board
Sunnies
Walking sticks
Camera and memory cards
Spare camera battery
Phone
Ipod  and earplugs
Kindle
Chargers
Adapter
Power bank
Notebook and pens, pencils
Pack of cards
Zilch a dice game
Spare glasses
Earplugs and eye mask
Headtorch

Because we were doing a trek, by ourselves we took our own sleeping bags and mats although we could have hired them from the town we started from, but I am fussy!
We used the steripen a lot to purify tap water in iffy places, mainly Bolivia and Peru. Bottled water was always available everywhere but it saves on plastic bottles to make your own water.
We also bought plastic mugs and plastic plates over there and they were used on the trek but also came in useful for lunches.
We used all our ziplock bags quite quickly even though we washed and reused them.

MEDICAL
Diamox
Malaria pills
Medication and script/letter from doctor
Panadol
Nurofen
Antihistamines
Immodium
Gastrolyte
Antacid chews
Betadine
Tea tree oil/ointment
Aloe vera gel
Insect bite treatment
Bandaids
Tape
Bandages
Non-stick dressings
Tweezers
Travel sickness pills
Sleeping pills
Antibiotics

There were lots of things we didn't use eg Diamox for altitude sickness.
Most medicines are freely available over the counter from pharmacies - you can get antibiotics and I managed to replace my thyroid meds which got left behind along the way. However we always take a basic medicine kit.

PERSONAL STUFF
Wet wipes*
Handsanitiser*
Tissues*
Soap*
Shampoo and conditioner*
Shaver
Lip balm
Deodorant
Nail scissors/clipper and nail file
Nail brush
Moisturiser/face cream
Cotton buds
Comb/hairbrush
Insect repellent
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Floss/floss sticks
Toilet paper*

We took lots of insect repellent because of the Zika virus as we thought there might be a shortage of it. There wasn't. There was a shortage of insects.
MISCELLENY
Snacks (energy bars)
Nuts
Tins tuna
Lollies to suck on the plane
*Could buy these items there
 
OTHER THINGS
Pop a pair of undies in your carry on bag in case your luggage goes astray.
Also toothbrush and small travel toothpaste.

Getting laundry done is be pretty cheap and especially in the tourist areas quite quick.
Take a photo of your luggage. In case it gets lost.(something we should have done but didn't)

Write your name inside and out of all your bags.

1 comment:

  1. Hoping I get to use this soon! Great list and pleased about the insects!

    ReplyDelete