I spent three months backpacking South America (the north half) — with a 32L backpack.

Packing for a trip to a different continent can be a little daunting. 

What if the weather changes?  …I get invited to a birthday party?  …I want to climb a mountain? 

Most of the questions we ask ourselves for a week long vacation are ridiculous.  But what happens when we extend our time out to three MONTHS?!  Well, nothing.  Same pack and pretty much the same clothes.  Sounds crazy, I know, but it’s totally possible and only requires a little bit of thoughtful planning.  Oh, and I did get invited to a stranger’s birthday party, climbed a mountain, and completed an 8 day trek.  No problems.  In fact, I often quickly realize that I pack too much!  Not to worry, it’s easy donating and trashing items on the road.  

*This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through a link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. As always, all opinions and experiences are my own.*

Let’s take a look at what I fit in my Kelty Redwing 32L… shall we?

CLOTHES:

• T-Shirts — This included 3 tank tops (I donated one later) and 4 short sleeve shirts
• Shorts — I brought my favorite pair or hiking shorts.  This wasn’t enough so I bought another pair of loose fabric shorts in Brazil
• Leggings — One pair that eventually got a hole in them falling down the side of a waterfall in Ecuador(whoops).
• Pants — One pair of my favorite PrAna pants
• Dress — It was nice to throw on one item instead of matching two sometimes, especially for the beach and “events”
• Pajamas — Pair of sweats (for when it’s cold), shorts (for when it’s hot), and a loose t-shirt
• Swimsuit — I didn’t stay on Copacabana for a week just to not go to the beach…
• Rain Jacket — I use this North Face self stowing one that’s super cute and folds into its own pocket!
• Sports Bras — Only two. One to wear while you wash the other.
• Underwear — Brought 4 pairs of Smartwool and Exoficio underwear.  Washed after every use since they dry quick enough to pack the morning after.
• Socks — 4 pair of short Darn Tough and Injinji socks and 1 long Injinji pair

SHOES:

• Hiking Sandals — Because my Chacos are awesome for warm weather
• Hiking Shoes — I use trail runners because they’re so much more comfortable than hiking boots or anything that’s more stiff.  Plus they don’t give off as much of the “I’m a tourist” vibe.  I bought the second pair a couple days before the trip and didn’t want to fully commit to them.  Ended up liking them more but didn’t want to donate my original pair since I knew I would use them at home.  Only bring one!
• Crocs — It pains me to add these to my list, but they ended up being a blessing at campsites.  Having a closed toe was great to keep myself from stubbing my toes.  They also kept my socks dry when I stepped in too much mud.

TECH:

• Phone. — Naturally
• Camera — I brought my Olympus and sort of regretted it.  Phones these days do a fantastic job of capturing quality photos.
• GoPro — Perfect for lightweight wide view videos
• MacBook Pro — My preferred laptop for writing as well as daily photo collecting
• Dongle — To convert my USB, SD cards, and anything else to USB-C in my laptop
• Cables — Phone, Laptop, Camera, etc.
• Headphones — I used these for the first week, but they quickly sunk to the bottom of my bag as I had no use for them.  Regret bringing.
• Charging Cube — Allows multiple devices to charge on one plug.  I recently switched to a donut, but they’re key in hostel electronic charging.
• Tripod — Didn’t use this hardly at all, if ever.
• Cleaning Cloth — I use a NerdWax one shaped like a slice of pizza because why not.  Most of the time I use it for my glasses, but it’s also great for camera lenses and laptop screens.
• Plug Adapter — For the obvious reasons.
• USB Camera Battery Charger — Ditch the super bulky one that comes with the camera and get this tiny USB compatible one for travel.
• Charging Bank — I use this solar panel one
• Head Lamp — Useful at campsites to find the toilet (or a great bush) to pee at night

EXTRAS:

• Passport — DUH.
• Wallet — My Passport cover has convenient card slots
• Yellow Card — Which I forgot, got turned away at the border of Guyana and had to go back to the city to get a new one with my Yellow Fever shot on.
• Utensils — I use these bamboo ones so I don’t have to use and throw away plastic ones.
• Water Bottle — This collapsable bottle came in CLUTCH more times than I can count.  It folds tiny when not in use but holds a liter of water when I needed it!
• Water Filter — I only used this a couple times, but it was great knowing that when I couldn’t find clean water, I had this tiny straw to safely quench my thirst.
• Pack Rain Cover — Since I knew we would be heading into high altitude just after the official “rainy season”
• Fanny pack — For short hikes or multi-day treks, the perfect way to carry phone, GoPro, whatever.
• Day Pack — When a fanny pack just doesn’t cut it (especially since I carry/drink so much water). My favorite is this waterproof Sea to Sky pack one that folds into its own tiny pouch.
• Exercise Bands — I brought a few with me thinking that I would stick with my workout routine.  Why do I always lie to myself like this?
• Braided Clothes Line — When you pack light, laundry becomes an almost daily task.  This takes all the wet clothes off of door corners and chair backs, and actually gets them to dry!
• Drain Stopper — Great for use in places that don’t have a means to collect water (like hostel sinks) to wash your undies in.
• Poncho — Just a $0.50 one that you can throw on in an emergency
• Locks — One for my bag, and one for a hostel locker
• Towel — Great for beaches as well as not having to pay to rent one at hostels.
• She-Wee — Because us girls can’t just “go” when we need to without squatting.
• Travel Hat — I almost immediately regretted bringing this. Ended up buying a ball cap a few countries later
• Buff — Great as a headband to keep my hair out of my face, but also as a face shield when sand boarding!
• Sleeping Bag Liner — Thought I might be sketched out by some of the hostels.  Never was, so this was never used. Regret Bringing.
• Snack Bag — I use the reusable Stasher bags to store small things in
• Journal — I found these super cool Bear In Mind backpacker notebooks.  Awesome for small trips, but I got a little overwhelmed if I didn’t have time to fill them out after a while.
• Trekker Pen — These write in the rain, on anything, can’t go wrong.

 

TOILETRIES:

*Zero liquids! Take THAT TSA!*

• Shampoo Bar — Don’t have to fuss with liquids when flying and lasts for MONTHS (pretty sure I’ve had mine for a year).
• Dry Shampoo — Great idea, but TSA kept flagging me for it (strange powder) and I ended up donating it after a couple weeks.
• Bar of Soap — Again, no liquids, and it lasts much longer than body wash.
• Laundry Soap — I use zote soap to wash my clothes with in the sink or tub.
• Deodorant — Meow Meow Tweet deodorant cream works great and lasts long.
• Toothbrush — Switch to a low waste alternative like my bamboo one!
• Tooth Powder — Again, lasts forever and no liquids required! My favorite at the moment is The Dirt in mint.
• Floss — I use silk floss that is more responsibly made than the normal plastic.
• Chapstick — Carmex is my jam.
• Tweezers — Because self care is necessary.  Mine got confiscated on a flight after two months… still salty about it…
• Nail File — Even I don’t want any hangnails
• Nail Clippers — Teeth don’t count.
• Eyebrow Pencil — Again with the self care and beauty thing.  Haven’t been able to give it up quite yet.
• Hairbrush — for the obvious reasons.
• Insect Repellant — Didn’t use much outside of the jungle.
• After Bite — Only used a couple times but was worth bringing.
• Menstrual Cup — Ladies.  If you travel (or don’t) and you haven’t switched to a menstrual cup, why the heck not?! It saves the environment, it’s healthier for our bodies, and it keeps our hard earned cash in our pockets!

What I Bought on the Road

• Rain cover for my pack — On the flight from Houston to Rio, I left the one I brought on the plane.  I was pretty salty and beat myself up over it for a little while.  However, the one I ended up with was even more compact!  Definitely a win.
• White beach dress for New Years Eve in Rio — I don’t own white… until now.  It’s a tradition to wear white on New Years, so do as the locals do!
• Alpaca wool sweater — Pretty much my only real souvenir.  It’s so comfy and cute!
• New Toiletry Bag — My original one broke
• Two short dresses — Brazil is HOT.  Like, shouldn’t have only packed one pair of shorts and two tank tops hot.  Dresses were the perfect option to throw on and walk around, plus they take up hardly any space!
• One pair of shorts — Because only packing one was a mistake.
• Alpaca wool headband — Kept my ears super warm when we were trekking and freezing our buns off in the mountains.
• Hammock with mosquito net — Came in SO handy when jungle exploring in Suriname.
• Reusable metal cup — Mostly used in Suriname when we were jungle camping.

Now, looking at this list might seem overwhelming.  There are also a lot of items that were only used in one or two countries.  Depending on personal preference (and budget) it’s easy to leave a lot of these items at home and buy/donate as necessary.  Being on a low budget though, as many multipurpose and packable items the better.  Remember, you don’t need anything too fancy to backpack South America!

Questions, comments, or suggestions?  Drop them below!

Check out my other Packing Lists or more posts on my trip to South America!

Don’t forget to pin this post for later…