Compiling a packing list for Patagonia can be intimidating. What to bring? Will I be warm enough? Am I going to have enough water? Will I be able to carry all of this stuff for miles and miles? What if it rains?
All of these thoughts went through my head as I prepared for 8 days and 80 miles of backpacking in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile during March 2022.
During my trip, it rained, it snowed, and I was literally knocked over by 100mph winds at one point. But all in all, it was a fantastic trip that I would do all over again. I carried everything I needed in my 55L backpack and hiked comfortably.
The tent and sleeping bag I used on this trip are high quality, pack down small, and are extremely light. There are cheaper options available if you’re okay with more weight and taking up more space in your pack. I made this list for beginner backpackers, but all of these items are long-lasting and dependable. I would recommend them to backpackers of any level.
Below is my packing list for Patagonia and the list of gear I used when backpacking in Torres del Paine. I hiked the O Trek which takes 8 days. The items needed for the W trek are the same but you’ll only need clothes for 5 days.
Check out my blog post: Backpacking in Patagonia: The Complete Guide to Hiking The O Circuit in Torres del Paine | All the Way Alanna to read more about backpacking in Patagonia.
Packing List for Patagonia:
Gear for Backpacking in Torres del Paine:
1.The Backpack
- This 55L backpack from REI held all of my gear comfortably
2. Rain Cover
- Make sure to buy this rain cover to slide over your bag in a jiffy if bad weather rolls in
3. Ultralight Tent
- This Big Agnes Single Person Tent is a great option for solo travel
- Seen below, I am in the 2 person Big Agnes Tent
- I brought the 2 person tent simply because this is what my husband and I have! Both of us sleep comfortably (but cuddly) in this tent
- Personally, I was happy with the extra space in the 2 person tent and it didn’t add much weight at all
- I love this tent because it packs down so small and is very lightweight. It was actually one of the lightest items in my bag on this trip
4. Warm Sleeping Bag
- I used the Magma 30 Women’s Sleeping Bag from REI
- Adequate for temperatures 30 degrees and up
- The temperature dropped below 30 degrees on several nights but I was able to stay warm by bringing a sleeping bag liner which adds about 10 degrees warmth with minimal addition of weight
- I love this bag because it’s very lightweight, packs down small, and is so warm and comfortable
5. Sleeping Bag Liner
- I also brought this sleeping bag liner which is like a sheet for inside the sleeping bag
- I rolled the liner up into the sleeping bag to pack it away and it hardly took up any more space in my bag
- This adds 10 degrees of warmth with minimal weight
6. Sleeping Pad
- I used this blow up Klymit Sleeping Pad
- A good sleeping pad is key for a decent night of sleep while camping
- I love this pad because it’s very comfortable and has lasted me 3 years now
- It is easy to blow up, and rolls up easily to be carried in a lightweight, compact stuff sack
7. Camping Pillow
- I used this inflatable camping pillow
- Takes 10 seconds to blow up
- Comfortable, tiny, lightweight
8. Microfiber Towel
- I used this Matador Nanodry Towel
- I was so surprised with how well this towel worked! With how small it is, I thought it would never dry me, but it did!
- It’s so light and packs down to the size of a deck of cards
- I used it after my campsite showers and would hang the towel up outside my tent and it dried in several hours
- It folds down and stuffs into a plastic carrying case which has a clip to easily attach to the outside of my backpack
9. Jet Boil
- The Jet Boil is an essential while backpacking. Pour water into the top and you’ll have boiled water in minutes. It’s my go to for coffee, mountain house meals, etc.
- You will need to buy a small cannister of gas which screws onto the bottom. You can’t fly with the fuel so you’ll have to pick one up in town but these are readily available at most Walmarts and camping/outdoors stores
- I recommend you bring a small lighter in case the ignite button messes up for some reason you can light the stove yourself
10. Water Bottle with Filter
- I used the Be Free Water Bottle which has a built in water filer
- This water bottle was perfect for Patagonia because there are plenty of water sources on the trail (rivers, lakes) as well as water faucets at campgrounds
- The bottle is kind of like a bag or bladder that’s soft and folds down
- Just unscrew the top and fill the water bottle up. Screw the top back on and drink. The filter is in the top of the bottle.
- It holds 1 liter of water which was plenty given the ample opportunities to refill. I’d recommend a larger water filtering system such as Sawyer Water Filtration for trips with less water access
11. Headlamp
- I like the black diamond headlamp. It’s comfortable and has several settings with different colors and brightness levels. Comes with batteries.
12. Collapsible Trekking Poles
13. Portable Charger
- This Anker Portable Charger is a life saver
- Long battery life, charges fast. I brought two on my trek
- Small and compact
14. Camping Meals
- Bring enough meals for every day if you want to save money and make your own meals. Otherwise, you can purchase “full board”, about $60 USD per day, which will include sit down breakfast each morning in the refugio with other trekkers, a sack lunch to take hiking with you, and dinner in the refugio each night. I opted for full board and it was a great way to meet other trekkers from across the world.
- On the O Trek, there was only one night where full board was not an option and it was at Los Perros campground. There is no food served at Los Perros so you will be responsible for your own breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I cooked an Adventure Meal with my Jet Boil.
- Adventure meals are super easy. Boil water in your jet boil and pour into the bag to the line. Wait 8 minutes and then eat. The chicken fried rice is one of my favorites
15. Camping Utensil (half spoon/half fork)
16. Go Pro
17. Coffee
- I love these instant coffee packets because they have creamer in them. No need to pack both
18. Easy Lunch Foods
- These cashew butter and jelly packets make for an easy lunch on a rolled up tortilla
- I purchased sack lunches ahead of time through the “full board” option while doing the O Trek. Again, it was just the one day after leaving Los Perros campground that I did not have a sack lunch and was responsible for my own lunch.
- With that being said, the sack lunch was the same every day: very bready sandwich, apple, granola bar, snacks. I didn’t mind it, but it did get old by the end of the week. If you might struggle to eat the same thing every day for lunch, bring other options.
19. Snacks
- Brings some sweet trail snacks and late night sweets, trust me. I recommend Take 5 Bars and sour gummy worms.
20. Sunscreen/ moisturizer
- Elta MD is the only thing I put on my face for the whole trip. It has SPF 46 and is slightly tinted which looks nice. I tend to have red/rosy cheeks, and this just gets worse when I’m exercising. Not that I worried about it much in the woods, but this stuff really helps my complexion and feels good/ moisturizing
21. Compact Hairbrush
- When every little thing takes up room in your bag and you’re not sure if you can bring a hairbrush or not.. Bring it. You’ll be so happy you did. This travel hairbrush hardly takes up any space and folds in half
Clothing for Backpacking in Torres del Paine:
1. Comfortable Hiking Boots (that you have thoroughly broken in)
- Merrell’s are always good to me
- I love the Merrell Moab Boots
2. Camp Shoes
- You will want a comfortable pair of shoes to slide into at camp
- I love these Teva Slippers
3. Rain Jacket
- I used the Rainier Rain Jacket From REI
4. Rain pants
- These REI Rainier Rain Pants have zipper slits at the ends so you can easily slide the pants on over hiking boots if it starts to rain
5. Inner Shell/Puffy Jacket
- Any puffy is great, I like the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody
6. Mid-layer
- One of the best mid layers is the Patagonia Fleece Pullover
7. Beanie
8. Gloves
9. 2 Dry Fit Shirts
- You’ll want two comfortable, dry fit shirts that you can wear several times without odor
10. Leggings/ Base Layer Pants
- I wore leggings most of the time. If it got cold, I’d slip my hiking pants over the leggings. Rain pants went on top of both of those if I needed extra warmth. I basically could wear all of my pants at once if needed
11. Durable Hiking Pants
- A durable pant like the North Face Bridgeway Zip Off Pant is important. These will hold up for several days and can be worn over leggings for extra warmth. They dry quickly and don’t hold odor
12. Polarized sunglasses
13. Underwear (5+ pairs)
14. Socks (about 5 pairs based on preference)
Backpacking in Torres del Paine is truly incredible. With my Packing List for Patagonia, you’ll be fully prepared for all the elements so that you can have a magnificent time among one of the world’s most beautiful landscapes.
PS- There are no bears in Torres del Paine. There are pumas, but they tend to keep away from people. No bear cannisters or bear spray needed here.
For future trips, keep this in mind when traversing any areas known to have bears: store any food you’re carrying in a bear can. Keep bear spray handy just in case.
-Alanna
Explore and be happy.
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