Edited by Sanghmitra Khanna
Travelling around South America has always been a dream of mine – exploring diverse cities, meeting different people, and discovering culture.
For months, I had been planning for this big adventure; the things I would bring, the places I would visit…,but when the time finally came to pack my bags, I was lost.
What should I bring? What should I leave behind? And especially, how would I manage to fit everything for three months travel into a single backpack?
Over the course of three months, I would travel through opposite climates and demographics, from snowy hikes in Peru to sweltering heat in the Amazon, from partying in Brazil to lounging on Colombian beaches. Each destination required a completely different wardrobe.
I didn’t want to splurge on fancy or expensive travel gear so I shopped primarily for a backpack that fit my budget.
As I set off, I quickly realized how important packing wisely and efficiently really is.
Here is a list of items I recommend to bring for your backpacking trip.
Bags
- 60L backpack
- The most important item. This backpack will contain your life during the months of your trip, and choosing the right size can make a big difference. For me 60L was the perfect size – large enough to fit all my belongings, and light enough to manage walking distances with it on my back.
- Smaller backpack
- Essential for day trips or hikes to avoid lugging around your larger backpack.
- Money belt
- A must – especially in crowded areas like Brazil during carnival festivities.
- Tote bag
- For day trips to the beach or casual outings
Everywhere
- Passport
- Power charger, AirPods, iPhone charger, Camera and Kindle
- Great to stay entertained during long bus rides
- Universal plug adapter
- Air tag
- My friend and I relied on it to keep track of each other during carnival in Rio, so we wouldn’t need to carry two phones with us.
- Also great to track your belongings.
health and safety
- Mosquito spray
- For protection against mosquitoes and diseases like Dengue fever (which is ramping in Brazil).
- Locker
- To keep your personal belongings secured in hostels.
- Emergency cash
- Vaccination certificate
- Make sure to bring your vaccination certificates (Yellow Fever especially) if you are travelling to certain countries where it’s mandatory for entry. I learned this the hard way when I left mine at home and ended up stuck in Brazil for several days before I could sort it out.
organization and comfort
- Packing cubes
- To keep your clothes organized and facilitate easy packing and unpacking
- Ear plugs
- After sleepless nights buses and dorms due to people snoring next to me, I invested in these – they are life-savers.
- Some hostels also have them for free at the reception.
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
clothing
- Comfortable leggings
- Perfect for long night bus rides. Most buses blast the air conditioning all night long, so even when it’s warm outside, you will freeze.
- Also perfect for hiking.
- Underwear – 14 pairs
- Bras – 3 pairs
- Socks – 10 pairs
- Flip Flops
- This is a must – for when you are by the beach, but also for hostel showers
- Sneakers
- For site seeing, casual outings, and parties
- Running shoes
- I prefer these to hiking boots. They are easier to transport and I find them more comfortable.
- Flowy pants – 3 pairs
- T-shirts – 2
- Sweater – 2
- Pyjama – 1 pair
- Shorts – 3 pairs
- Skirts – 2
- Dress – 2
- Bikinis – 3
- Waterproof outdoor jacket
- We did the Salkantay Trek to the Machu Picchu during the rainy season, so this definitely was a must.
- You can also rent most of these pieces of clothing in Cusco directly
toiletry
- Toothbrush, shampoo, conditioner, body soap
- Microfiber towel
- They don’t take up any space and dry quickly.
- Beach towel
- Deodorant, razor, pills (Tylenol), hairbrush, make-up, micellar water, cotton pads, perfume
- Hand-sanitizer
- Many toilets do not have soap or running water.
- Toilet paper
- Most public bathrooms do not have toilet paper