So, you’re feeling ultra adventurous and ambitious and have decided to take on South America as your next backpacking venture? To that, we say: bravo! We’re impressed and super stoked for you!
After spending years on the continent, I can confidently say that South America is one of the trickier destinations to pack for on account of its baffling range of altitudes, climates and experiences.
A bag full of summer clothes will not get you far in the chilly Andes, nor will winter clothes do so well on the sweltering Caribbean coast.
This does not mean that you should haul a shipping container of clothes for each climate around the continent – smart packing goes a long way. This guide will help you to get a feel for the packing principles that will stop you from being too hot, too cold, or too uncomfortable as you switch from mountains to cities.
So, get comfy, and prepare to absorb all this valuable information to get you primed and prepped for everything South America has to offer. One thing’s for certain, you’re in for a wild and unforgettable ride!
The Ultimate South America Packing List
Travel Backpack
- Capacity > 40L–70L
- Price > $450
Packing Cubes
- Capacity > 2L–14L
- Price > $25
Comfortable Walking Shoes
- Price > $160
Lightweight Rain Jacket
- Price > $189
Quick-Dry Clothing System
- Price > $10-$50
Quick-Dry Travel Towel
- Price > $39
Smartphone with Travel eSim
- Price > Get Quote
World Travel Adapter
- Price > $20
Toiletry Bag
- Price > $80
Power Bank
- Price > $99
Travel Cards & Emergency Cash
- Pros > Low foreign transaction fees
Passport & Backup Documents Holder
- Price > $5-$25
We have curated a list of top-notch equipment for your romp across South America, but this is not a-one-size-fits-all list.
Adapt your packing according to your route; say if you are planning on working your way up Brazil’s coast, your packing list will look very different to someone heading just to Patagonia.
But the geography of South America means that countries like Bolivia, Colombia, Argentina or Peru have wildly different climates within the same country, and sometimes just hours apart.
What you wear in a city differs greatly from what you’ll need in nature, and you of course want to be comfortable on South America’s infamously long bus journeys. As such, I’d be surprised if you don’t find these items useful!
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Best Backpack For South America: Nomatic Travel Bag
- Best for: Keeping stuff organised and dry
- Why it earns a spot: Brilliant all-rounder bag for most routes in South America.
- Not ideal for: Extreme multi-day hikes in the Andes or very long trips.
As a backpacker, you will need a pretty kickass backpack. We have put our heads together to recommend the Nomatic Travel Bag as our number one bag for South America.
It is really two bags in one; a duffel bag and a backpack, allowing easy stowing on a bus as a duffel bag and carrying it through the streets of South American cities. Travelling through South America is all about variety, and this bag reflects that.
Because of its smart design, it also manages to provide loads of packing space in a convenient, carry-on sized package! Its handy built-in pockets make plenty of room for all the necessities on your South America packing checklist.
You’ll find separate compartments for important items like shoes, water bottle, electronics, underwear and darn tough socks. A lot of travelling is faffing with your bag trying to find some item, and this bag does a lot to minimise this. As an added bonus, there’s also an RFID-safe and cord management pocket.
To add to its functionality, it is a very comfortable bag with ergonomic straps helping to distribute the weight of your kit across your back. Its waterproof coating also keeps your stuff safe from the unpredictable rains of South America. While the medium-size may not suit those on long trips with heaps of gear, there is a reason why most Broke Backpacker staff swear by this backpack.
Best Suitcase For South America: Nomatic Carry-On Pro
- Best for: City breaks or short trips
- Why it earns a spot: Function and style
- Not ideal for: Hikers or those with a long itinerary
Backpacks not your thing? That’s ok. Our friends at Nomatic are back again with a great alternative to their badass Travel Bag; the Nomatic Carry-On Pro.
You may be a backpacker, but in truth, a massive unwieldy backpack does not suit every traveller. For city-focused itineraries, or journeys not involving rugged mountain paths, a suitcase can be an easy alternative. Oh, and you look a lot slicker breezing through an airport.
This suitcase is ultra-durable, sleek, and comes with a handy tech compartment for transporting your laptop and other electronic bits. Nomatic has been an industry leader when it comes to travel gear and that reputation is reflected in the build-quality, design and functionality of the Carry-On Pro suitcase.
I’ll be honest, I would need more space in my luggage than a carry on allows for such an epic trip. However, if you can pack light, or are just doing a short trip, you can take full advantage of avoiding huge luggage fees.
Best Camera For South America: GoPro Hero13 Black
- Best for: Adventurous travellers
- Why it earns a spot: Compact and best at what it does
- Not ideal for: City breaks
South America is maybe the world-leading destination for adventure experiences. Standard itineraries will include mountain biking, white-water rafting or surfing. To remember these experiences, not to mention brag about them to friends back home, an equally adventurous camera is well-worth the backpack space.
Go Pro is a synonym for this genre of indestructible camera that can capture epic shots that you will not risk your smartphone on.
The GoPro Hero13 Black delivers pro-quality video and gives you a bunch of different angle options and shooting speeds to work with for photos (including a selfie-mode).
Think of a camera purchase like this as a long term investment that will have you capturing epic shots well beyond your time exploring here. If you are looking for something cheaper specifically for video, check out these epic GoPro Alternatives.
Best Sim For South America – HolaFly eSim
- Best for: Convenience
- Why it earns a spot: Cheap and easy
- Not ideal for: Long trips in one country
Landing in South America can feel bewildering; you have no idea where anything is, you are not sure what a fair price is for a taxi and maybe you can’t speak Spanish so you cannot communicate.
Having a phone with data, and access to Maps, Google Translate and Uber immediately solves all of these problems. It is a great feeling to land, activate your eSim and enjoy the start of your trip stress free.
Having data is pretty essential for safety in South America, let alone how convenient it is to be able to use your phone whenever you want. Getting a local sim card can be a long process involving queuing and having to prove your identity.
It’s much easier to simply install an eSim onto your phone before you leave home. You just access the HolaFly site, choose the package you need, download it and off you go! You’ll be online the moment you land at the airport.
An added benefit is that it will continue working whenever you cross a border too, suiting those planning to hop between countries on their South American Odyssey.
Before purchasing, make sure that your phone is eSim compatible.
Packing Cubes For South America – Wandrd Packing Cubes
- Best for: Keeping clothes organised and clean
- Why it earns a spot: Cheap and functional
- Not ideal for: Bags with lots of compartments
In case you have never used them, packing cubes are little compression cubes that allow you to neatly pack clothes in order to facilitate better packing. They allow you to pack more stuff, and to keep it all better organised.
For the longest time, I thought packing cubes were a superfluous indulgence, but boy, was I wrong. Now I never travel without a few.
Even separating dirty hiking clothes from clean ones is very worthwhile, but in South America, with an array of climates, having a cube for cold weather or one for beach clothes minimises the bag-faffing time that annoys backpackers to no end.
These ones from WANDRD are great quality and excellent value for money.
What To Pack For South America Checklist: Personal Stuff
In terms of what to wear in South America, there is rather a lot to think about. Firstly, climates vary DRASTICALLY depending on where, and on when you go.
For example, November in Bogota is cool and autumnal, while up in Cartagena they have tropical heat and rain. In Argentina and Chile, they get full-blown winters.
We have usefully gone through each of the major categories of clothing to ensure that you do not get caught out by climate or terrain.
Footwear
What is underfoot in South America changes dramatically; you could be on snowy mountain peaks, in jungle, or on beaches in the same country.
It is also important to remember that you will also spend a good deal of time just chilling in hostels, so a structure of boots, trainers and flip flops is a good way to cover all bases. We have three of the best below.
Salomon X Ultra 5 Gore-Tex
It is true that a lot of backpackers in South America spend their whole trip in sandals and flip flops. This is however foolhardy for a number of reasons.
Firstly, no matter where you go there will be a lot of walking involved whether simply exploring the cities or hitting the trails. Further, wearing flip flops in cosmopolitan cities like Buenos Aires and Bogota simply screams “tourist” or worse, “Gringo”.
Sometimes hiking shoes are not the most attractive pieces of footwear, but Salomon prizes style and substance, just look at the footwear choices of any trendy London cafe patron. Give your Salomons the life they deserve by taking them offroad instead of to brunch.
These shoes deliver good ankle support for a long day of walking about town. I mean, your body is already going to be suffering enough from all of those 2-for-1 mojito’s, beers and other famous South American party substances.
You will also find that not every trail demands heavy hiking boots, these shoes are a sort of swiss army knife on your foot, comfortable in cities and on more gradual trails like walking across Isla del Sol.
Lowa Renegade GTX Mid Hiking Boots
If you plan on doing some serious hiking in South America, then you should consider bringing some boots.
This is especially pertinent if you are going above 3500 metres, or are going hiking in Chile, Argentina or Patagonia where it gets really icy and snowy.
OluKai ‘Ohana Flip-Flops
The final footwear option is flip flops. These are useful for any traveller; wear them in a hostel, in the shower or on the beach. Your feet can use a break and a bit of airing out after a day of walking around a city. Wearing them in the shower can also prevent verrucas.
Flip flops should never be your primary footwear choice, but as a side kick shoe, you will not regret throwing a pair of these in your South America packing.
These Olukai flip flops are ultra-comfortable, well-made, and come in a variety of colours.
Clothing and Weather Protection
In South America, the weather can turn on a dime. Equipping yourself with the means to stay dry in a rainstorm or warm up a mountain will go a long way towards ensuring a comfortable trip.
Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody
Did somebody just say Patagonia?! Whilst most people imagine South America to be steaming hot, the truth is that a lot of regions get some real weather diversity. The result is lots of backpackers shocked by the chill in high-altitude regions like Cusco buying coats for inflated prices.
A day in the Andes is often an exercise in layering, as temperatures are cold in the morning and evening but warm in the high-altitude sun. A compact down jacket is brilliant for this climate as it can be carried in a daypack and has ample room for layers beneath.
Buses in South America also have a quirk of blasting AC, so journeys in a warm coat will be far more comfortable than bracing the Arctic chill without one.
This Patagonia jacket weighs just under a pound and provides an excellent weight to warmth ratio. If you don’t go for one of the super bright colours, it is pretty stylish and city-worthy too.
Some form of this is absolutely essential for South America.
Arc’teryx Beta AR
Chances are that you will encounter a downpour in South America. Though, it does not even take being soaked by the torrents of Caribbean monsoon season or Amazonian showers to ruin your day, just a drizzle without proper clothes will make you cold and miserable.
Having a rain jacket on hand will prevent such mishaps, and this is a premium option that will keep you bone dry in environments like cloud forests, driving Patagonian rain storms or the periodic downpours of Medellin.
The plus of paying a premium for this Arc’teryx kit is that you will also cut a dash in city bars and it is stylish enough to be part of your everyday wardrobe back home.
Swimwear
No matter what part of South America you are roving around, chances are that you will end up swimming. Yes, even in the Andes. Hot springs are plentiful here, take it from me, I have experienced a jacuzzi-like pool at 4300 on the Bolivian Altiplano.
Elsewhere, waterfalls, beaches, rivers and even snazzy hostels with included pools abound. Make sure that you do not miss out on these unreal dips.
Health and Safety
You never want things to go wrong, but it is a good rule of thumb to prepare for the worst. Having a fully stocked first aid kit, travel insurance and a money belt can stop an unfortunate event from becoming a disaster.
Travel First Aid Kit
You don’t need to tote around half a pharmacy, but a well-stocked first aid kit should be in all our backpacks.
While many will include items like bandages or saline solution which will hopefully never be used, having drugs like paracetamol or immodium or blister plasters for the routine stomach issues that plague backpackers is super convenient.
You can tuck this lifesaver away in a forgotten pocket and it’ll be there when you need it.
Tip: Add a few bits and pieces to the first aid kit after you purchase it, like extra headache medicine, any personal meds you need (like allergy pills), whatever you take to calm your stomach and a few more plasters.
Travel Insurance From SafetyWing
ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing.
They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.
SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!
Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.
ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing.
They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.
SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!
Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.
Money Belt By Pacsafe
Like everywhere else in the world, visitors to South America are at risk of petty theft like pickpocketing.
Having a money belt hidden beneath your clothes goes a long way towards preventing opportunistic thieves from nicking your kit.
I travelled through South America for ten months and never got pickpocketed, I think that using a money belt was partly responsible. Stowing backup cards and cash in one of these will ensure that if you happen to be robbed, not all is lost, as well as reducing your attraction to prospective thieves.
Comfort and Convenience
As well as functional kit, you will make your trip much more enjoyable by being nice to yourself and buying things just to make your life easier when you are out in South America.
Planner/Travel Journal
Travelling through South America is a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds and new faces, journaling about your trip can be a great way of making sense of what you see as well as creating a memento of your time on the continent. Who knows, you may fancy yourself as the modern-day Bruce Chatwin and want to turn your notes into a travel book!
Even for those less into journalling, having paper to hand is indispensable as you plan itineraries and compare costs. My personal notepad is full of hostel names and currency conversions.
The Drifter Leather Journal by Kodiak is our favorite, it works great for digital nomads and organized backpackers and can be used as planner or a dream diary – whatever you want!
This one is bound in beautiful leather so it looks beautiful and will withstand life on the road.
Abaco Sunglasses
Sunglasses are pretty essential in South America as your eyes will come under attack from blinding high-altitude sun, reflected sunlight on beaches or during long bus rides.
Our favorites are Abaco Polarized Sunglasses because they deliver on quality and style.
They’re built tough with triple-layer scratch-resistant lenses and trademarked Adventure-proof Frame Material. You can also customize them with your choice of lens and frame colors to reflect your own style.
Hanging Toiletry Bag
Often when budget backpacking, you will be sharing space with other people in hostels. No one likes the guy rummaging through his bag in the middle of the night trying to find his tooth brush, this bag can hang off your bunk, helping you to get easy, quick access to your stuff.
Historically, I have been the guy who has my stuff all over the bathroom, so getting one of these things really changed the toiletry game for me. Plus they are not too expensive either. A no-brainer essential.
This one by Nomatic is possibly the best toiletry bag on the market. It is made from water-resistant, wipe-cleanable material that guarantees longevity and it offers excellent organisational capabilities. It also comes with a hang-up-hook so you can hang it over the shower head or your hostel bed.
Waterbottle – Hydroflask Vacuum Bottle 32 oz.
Packing a reusable water bottle is probably the best thing you can personally do to combat single-use plastic use whilst travelling. It is also a major essential when hiking or exploring cities which are thirsty work.
The Hydroflask Vacuum Bottle keeps cold water cold for many hours and vice versa for hot beverages, refreshing you on any adventure.
Tap water is a mixed bag in South America, but in cities like Buenos Aires or Cuenca where it is drinkable, refilling a bottle is good for your wallet and for the planet. Even elsewhere, it is possible to buy a cheap drum of mineral water and top up your bottle, good for your wallet and for Mother Earth.
If you go with the Hydroflask, you’ll probably never need to buy another water bottle again.
Petzl Actik Core Headlamp
Headlamps are great for traveling for many reasons. Firstly, they are useful as hell if you go camping or on an early sunrise mountain hike.
They are also very useful for finding your way to your hostel bed at 3am without having to turn the lights on, and having the use of both hands. Finding items in your bag using a headtorch at night instead of turning on the lights and waking everyone else up will make you much more likeable in the hostel world.
They are also a godsend if there is a power cut (pretty common in Bolivia, Brazil and Peru).
Not all headlamps were created equal and this is one of the best. The Petzl Actik Core comes with a USB rechargeable battery (full recharge in 3 hours or less); however, it is compatible with AAA batteries. Water-resistance is another critical feature. This product can withstand splashing; but keep in mind, water-resistant does NOT mean waterproof.
Camping / Trekking Gear
South America offers brilliant opportunities to go off the beaten track through wild camping. Even those embarking on organised tours like the Inca Trail may benefit from bringing camping equipment as it will save having to rent things in-country.
MSR Hubba Hubba 2p
Not all travellers come to South America preparing to camp, but for those intrepid backpackers looking to maximise outdoor time, having your own tent unlocks so many opportunities like wild camping along the Qhapaq Ñan (the great Inca road) or sleeping under the stars on a Colombian beach.
This tent has been selected for having all the perks of a top-notch backpacking tent without all the freakishly high numbers on the price tag.
It may not quite make the cut as ultralight backpacking gear but it is mega-roomy and has multiple pockets for keeping yourself organized when settling in for the night and protection from the elements. As far as budget backpacking tents go, this is one of the best. It’s a happy medium between the ‘prepared for anything’ mode and the ‘I wanted to go for a trek so I bought this for 200 pesos’ afterthought.
Nemo Disco 15
If you are planning on experiencing the great outdoors on your own terms, a sleeping bag is needed to go with your tent. Even for travellers not planning on free roaming through the Andes, it could be useful to prepare for a hostel with insufficient bedding, or a remote stay without proper facilities. I even met a girl who brought one just to sleep on buses!
There are a LOT of sleeping bags on the market today and we have tried a lot of them. The quality and standards vary and are not always in correlation with the price – pricey does not always mean better. The Nemo Disco 15 is a great all rounder sleeping bag packing in warmth, durability and a reasonable price tag.
The Basic Stuff To Pack For South America
On top of the essential items listed above, here is an additional suggested checklist of what to pack for a South America trip:
Everyday Clothing
- A few pairs of comfortable pants/jeans
- 1-2 pairs of shorts (summer/late spring)
- A few pairs of socks
- (Sexy) underwear x 2/3
- Ladies: a few dresses, pants, outfits, or desired lady apparel for a night on the town. Whatever makes you comfy!
- Dudes: A few collard shirts or something half-way decent for a night on the town. Whatever makes you comfy!
Tech and Admin
- Smartphone with a good camera for photos if you are not bringing an actual camera
- Portable power bank for charging your phone on the go
- Phone charger
- Amazon Kindle for reading by the pool
Personal Essentials
- Copy of your passport just in case
- Cash (not too much, there are ATM machines everywhere)
- Packable Towel
Trip-Specific Extras
- Hiking poles
- Gloves
- Leave some extra packing space for the travel souvenirs that you will inevitably accumulate along the way.
How to Pack Smart for South America
And that’s it for your South America survival guide, amigos!
If you remember one thing from this guide, it should be that South America’s weather varies far more dramatically than most travellers expect, so pack smart by anticipating each climate that you will experience. Having layers, practical footwear, weather protection and security basics will ensure that your trip will be a flyer!
As you prepare, refer back to the top-23 needs packing list, our tips on what to wear in South America and how to pack for the varying seasonal conditions. Remember that South America is a BIG place, so be sure to do any necessary research for the specific countries on your itinerary for any extra gear or safety precautions you’ll need to take for more advanced activities.
Now that you are fully prepared for packing South America, nothing stands in your way of savouring the mountains, beaches and ruins of this incredible continent.
