South America Packing List: Everything I Packed for 9 Weeks

If you’re reading this post, you’re probably getting ready for a trip to South America, and I’m so excited for you!

After spending nine weeks backpacking through Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina, I soon learnt what was worth packing, what I should have left at home, and what I wished I’d brought. This South America packing list breaks down everything I took, and what I would do differently next time.  If you’re travelling solo, you might also find my guide to solo female travel in South America useful.

Before You Start Packing

Be Prepared for Every Climate

I found this trip quite challenging to pack for, as I was travelling through varying different climates. This meant being prepared for different activities as well as different temperatures – from the tropical climate of the Caribbean coast in north Colombia, to the freezing temperatures at ‘El Fin del Mundo’ (the end of the world) in southern Argentina. This will of course depend on where you plan to go, so make sure you do your research before you go.

Don’t Overpack

Pack less than you think you need – you can buy things you might need and you’ll be doing laundry along the way. I took waterproof overtrousers to hike the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina and I didn’t even need them, I wore leggings! You can hire gear such as waterproof outwear when you get there if you don’t have space or don’t want to carry it. You might also want to leave room for souvenirs.

Choose the Right Luggage

Packing Cubes Are Worth It

If I could give you only one tip for your South America packing list, it would be to use packing cubes to keep everything organised in your bag. Especially if you’re taking a backpack. They’re also particularly useful if you’re travelling through different climates, as they allow you separate things.

Choose Clothes You Can Mix and Match

This will mean more outfit options with fewer clothes and will make getting dressed each day much easier. You’ll already be making so many other decisions throughout your trip, and the last thing you want is to spend too much time thinking about what to wear every day. I packed lots of neutral colours that I could mix and match, and it made living out of a backpack so much easier.

South America Packing List

These are the items I packed (or would recommend), but don’t feel like you need to pack every single thing on this list. Everyone travels differently and what you need to pack will depend on the countries you’re visiting, the time of year, and the activities you have planned.

Bags / Backpack

Clothes

Tops

• 2 x t-shirts
• 2 x activewear t-shirts – perfect for hikes.
• 3 x vest top/crop tops
• 1 x ‘nice’ top – You’ll be glad to have at least one nice outfit with you.
• 2 x lightweight shirts – one black, one white. You don’t need two, but I used these a lot for beach cover ups, with jeans exploring cities, or as an extra layer when cold.

Bottoms

• 3 x shorts – including one pair of activewear shorts, and a nicer pair to double up as something to wear in the evenings.
• 3 x leggings – you’ll wear these on travel days, hikes, days exploring cities.
• 1 x pair of loose trousers – linen is a great option here.
• 1 x pair of jeans – make sure these are lightweight and comfortable!

Dresses & Swimwear

• 4 x dresses/jumpsuits – you could stick to one or the other but I love a jumpsuit and got a lot of wear out of mine. These can also count as your ‘nicer’ outfits.
• 1 x playsuit – great to throw on over your bikini.
• 1 x swimsuit
• 2 x bikinis
• 1 x sarong – you can use it as a beach coverup, a towel on the beach, a scarf, a blanket on the plane. This is something you could buy out there, I bought mine in Fiji over 10 years ago and it’s still going strong!

Warm layers

• Waterproof jacket – this doubles up as a lightweight jacket for cooler evenings.
• Packable reversible down jacket – Paired with my thermals and fleece this kept me warmer than you’d expect in Patagonia. I attached my jackets to the outside of my hand luggage to save space inside my bag.
• 1 x Fleece
• 1 x Thermal top – this one also looks great with jeans as an every day outfit.
• 1 x Thermal leggings

Shoes

• Trainers
• Walking/hiking boots – I took my Quechua waterproof walking boots which look and feel more like trainers, and they were perfect. You might prefer more robust hiking boots, depending on how much hiking you plan to do.
• Sandals – these Teva sandals are my most worn shoes on every trip. They’re so versatile – I’ve worn them for everything from hiking in warmer weather and water activities, to exploring cities and going out for dinner.
• Flip flops

Accessories

• Sunglasses
• Cap or sun hat
• Woolly hat & gloves
• Scarf – you might want to choose between a scarf or a sarong as they can be used similarly, but I took both. A scarf can also be used as a shawl for cooler evenings, and again, they make a nice souvenir so you could pick one up out there!
• Small cross body bag
• Tote bag – perfect for a shopping or beach bag (or when you can’t fit everything into your bag between stops like me!).

Toiletries

You can easily stock up on toiletries throughout South America, and most hotels and hostels will have shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. Pack the basics and buy anything else as you go, unless you have favourite skincare or haircare products you’d rather bring from home. I like to stick to my usual skincare routine when I travel, so I always bring those products with me.

Daily Essentials

• Hanging toiletries bag
• Refillable travel bottles set
• Toothbrush & toothpaste
• Shower gel, shampoo & conditioner
• Deodorant & biodegradable baby wipes (wipes are a lifesaver when you want to freshen up on long travel days).
• Moisturiser
• Razor

Skincare & Sun Protection

• Cleanser & serum
• SPF 50 face cream
• Night cream
• Lip balm with SPF
• Reef safe sun cream – sun cream is one thing that’s best to take with you, it’s very expensive when you get there.

Health & Hygiene

• Insect repellent spray
• Probiotics
• Hand sanitiser
• Anti-chafe cream if you need it – I use liquid talc which does the same job.
• Period products – you can buy these out there, but if you have a specific preference bring them with you as certain products might not be widely available. A menstrual cup will also save you space and money.
• Soap leaves – great when there’s no soap and hand sanitiser just won’t cut it!
• Laundry detergent sheets – I prefer these sheets to liquid detergent – they’re lighter and there’s no risk of leaking.
• Biodegradable anti-bac wipes
• Packs of tissues – have some small packets on hand for when public toilets don’t have any.

Hair & Beauty

• Hairbrush & hairbands/hairclip
• Tweezers & nail scissors
• Reusable cotton pads/muslin cloth for cleansing and to remove makeup.
• Make-up & perfume – keep it minimal. It’s nice to have but you’ll wear it less than you think.

Electronics

• Smartphone
• Chargers
• Worldwide travel plug adapter
• Portable charger
• Headphones
• Kindle
• GoPro

Travel Essentials

• Passport & travel insurance – also take physical copies of these documents, as well as digital copies stored somewhere like in your emails.
• Yellow fever certificate – this vaccine isn’t required in all countries in South America, but it’s best to have it as many recommend it.
• International debit/credit cards -bring more than one in case they get lost or stolen.
• Cash – it’s useful to bring a small amount of local currency, but if you have a fee free international card you can easily withdraw from ATMs. You can also carry a small amount of USD to exchange if you’re travelling through multiple countries and don’t want to start your trip with lots of different currencies.
• Packing cubes – as I said above, a must!
• Airtag – I keep one in my backpack so I can always locate it.
• Phone strap – this makes me feel safer when I have my phone out for directions or taking photos.
• Eye mask & ear plugs
• Padlocks – I took a couple, some flexible to lock my bag up, and a more robust one for hostel lockers.
• Carabiners – I used them to attach anything bulky that wouldn’t fit in bag to my daypack, from packable jackets to my diving mask.
• Water bottle – lots of hotels and hostels offer filtered drinking water where you can refill.
• Microfibre towel – I don’t love these (who does) but they’re quick drying, lightweight and so handy to have. Hotels will supply towels, and lots of hostels now rent them, but I like to have this with me.
• Portable handheld fan
• Waterproof phone pouch – I didn’t have one for this trip but I recently bought a cheap one in Oman similar to this one and was amazed that it kept my phone completely dry! (I would recommend testing it with something else before submerging your phone!) .
• Head lamp/torch
• First aid kit/medication – you can buy all of this when you’re away, but I like to keep a simple first aid kit with me so I have immediate access to things like painkillers, antihistamines, travel sickness medication, anti-diarrhoea tablets, electrolytes/rehydration sachets, plasters etc until I can get to a pharmacy.
• Zip lock bags – I used these for so many things from carrying leftover food, to storing a wet swimsuit, or wrapping a lotion bottle to protect from leaks.

Optional

• Dry bag – if you’re a diver or plan to go on boat trips these are great to keep everything dry. Also great to take to the beach.
• Binoculars
• Hoodie – you don’t need this and a fleece, but I did opt for both as I prefer a big comfy hoodie for flights and travel days.
• DSLR camera, extra lenses & memory cards
• Laptop or iPad – I wasn’t working or blogging then so I didn’t take either, my smartphone was enough.
• Pack of cards
• Notebook & pen
• Anti-chafe shorts – if you have a few dresses or skirts and are prone to chafing, don’t skip these.
• Sleeping bag liner – if you’re doing multi-day hikes and renting sleeping bags, you might want one of these. I use mine if any accommodation has sheets with questionable cleanliness.
• Stuffable neck pillow – if you want to take a travel pillow, I’d recommend one that you can unzip and fill with a couple of outfits to save space in your bag!
• Diving mask – you can rent them everywhere, but if you’re doing lots of snorkelling or scuba diving you might prefer to have your own mask with you. I didn’t have one at the time but have since bought myself this one which comes on every trip with me.
• Water shoes – if you have some waterproof sandals like Tevas, you can skip these.
• Portable washing line
• Sewing kit – you never know when you’ll need this – I’ve repaired tears in my backpack as well as clothing I didn’t want to replace.
• Duct tape – I’ve used this to repair bags and shoes – it’s very useful!
• Foldable lunch box & cutlery – useful for leftovers or eating on the go.
• Tea bags! If you’re fussy about your tea bring some with you (although it will never taste the same as when you’re at home!).

What I Wish I’d Taken

• Not essential, but I wished I had my mini binoculars for wildlife spotting in the Amazon!

What I Should Have Left at Home

• Waterproof overtrousers for Argentina. I didn’t even need them, and if I did I could have rented them instead of carrying them around with me. Do your research before you go about whether you can hire items like this that you won’t use much.

Final Thoughts

Whilst your South America packing list will differ depending on where you’re going and the activities you’ve got planned, I hope this guide makes getting ready for your trip feel less overwhelming, so you can focus on enjoying it. Have an amazing time exploring South America!