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Clothes for backpacking South America?

6 replies

Sweetdisposition91 · 27/06/2019 20:06

Please help me as I literally have no idea what to take! We will be starting in Colombia in September, going to the Galápagos Islands, doing the Inca trail in Peru, to the Amazon in Bolivia etc.. all different climates!

I’m not a light packer but will have to carry everything in my backpack so can someone please help me create a capsule type wardrobe to suit all my activities/occasions whilst I’m away?

OP posts:
EstherMumsnet · 28/06/2019 20:37

Envy Sounds amazing.

Rathkelter · 28/06/2019 22:23

Travel with minimal stuff. I took two small rucksacks, one Eastpak, which I wore on my front, for ready accessible things like camera etc, and another slightly larger, on my back for clothes. I was in Venezuela (several years ago) and focussed on outdoor activities. All I had were a couple of khaki trousers, one shorts, vest tops, T shirts and one zip-up long sleeved sweatshirt, raincoat, woolly hat, baseball cap, swimsuit, sandals and hiking boots. I was keen to dress down as didn't want to stand out travelling alone on night buses etc. Hid cash in my shoes and internal money belt. At the time you couldn't do cash withdrawals in Venezuela so I had to bring cash with me and hide it in different places on my person. I met other travellers who had loads of stuff and they regretted it. It's such a pain to carry around and you want to be flexible and spontaneous, which you can be if you travel light.
Have a fab trip!

Rathkelter · 28/06/2019 22:25

I slept outdoors in some places and the raincoat and woolly hat came in very handy for layering. Also light to carry.

PippiDeLena · 29/06/2019 00:25

Sounds amazing!

Easier said than done but try not to bring too many clothes; you'll only end up wearing the same few items, and you can buy most climate appropriate clothes out there.

My list would be:

A few loose tops, including ones with long sleeves to protect you from the sun and mosquitos.

Shorts, hiking trousers and a fleece or hoody that folds up small and dries quickly.
A pair of comfy leggings / harem pants / joggers for travelling days.

A lightweight rain Mac.

A lightweight big cotton scarf (I recommend The Mumsnet Scarf!). Can be used as a blanket on long bus journeys, rolled up as a pillow, as a sarong, a shawl, something to sit on on the beach - so versatile!
A microfibre towel because they don't take up much space (but they can feel quite horrible on your skin).

A light / medium impact sports bra or crop top; sometimes bus and taxi trips are super bumpy and you might need the extra support when travelling.
Comfortable swimwear that you can freely move in (e.g. not only a strapless bikini, you might be climbing in and out of boats etc.)

Try to bring one dress / nicer outfit in case you want to dress up slightly in a city one day. After a few days in the jungle even just having a shower and wearing a maxi dress will feel very fancy! Choose an outfit that is a crinkly or stretchy material so it will still look OK when it's been screwed up in your bag for weeks.

Are you planning to do a lot of hiking? Think about if you'll really need proper hiking boots (very heavy and take up space) or if you can get away with wearing hiking sandals instead.

The lush shampoo bar is useful and much easier to transport than a bottle; their conditioner bar wasn't very moisturising though. You can buy most toiletries over there and it'll save you using up your luggage weight allowance with heavy liquids. The only exception would be any make up you bring (if you wear it) but in some places the humidity would make it slide right off your face anyway so there's no need to bring lots.

Not S&B related but get some US dollars and hide two or three emergency stashes of ~$100 in your main bag, handbag and day pack. That way if one of your bags gets lost or stolen you will have enough for a room and food for a couple of days until you can access more. Also, scan a copy of your passport and email it to yourself and to a trusted person at home, along with your travel insurance information. It will make things easier if your passport is lost and you need to make a claim.

Hope you have a fabulous time!

NetMumz · 12/07/2019 13:49

Honestly you're going to need alot of stuff, depending on your level of activity and what you're planning on doing. For South America it can be very humid in some parts, you dont want to be weighed down with too much gear, but the gear you do take should at least be waterproof or water resistant.

At least for the basics, I would pack a Waterproof Backpack/Dry Sack, Boots, First Aid Kit, Waterproof Trousers and Waterproof Socks

Strawberrycreamsundae · 12/07/2019 14:02

I would use packing cubes/bags to make it easier to find things in a rucksack- I use them whenever I travel.

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