What to pack for Patagonia - including Chile's Torres del Paine and Argentina's Los Glaciares (El Chalten) National Parks.
In Patagonia, I’ve trekked the O-trek in Torres del Paine and numerous day hikes in El Chalten, Tiera del Fuego and Bariloche. The difference between packing for Patagonia and packing for other hikes is mainly that the weather is unpredictable and you could experience 4 seasons in a single day. This guide will cover the usual tailored to the Patagonia region taking into account my hiking experience there from November to January (Spring to Summer).
Backpack
Clothing
Shoes and Boots
Water
Knife
Food
Fire
Shelter and Sleeping Bag (Camping)
Navigation
Electronics
Entertainment
Emergencies
Hygiene
Where to Buy
Backpack for Patagonia
The backpack you take should be large enough to carry everything that you need to carry for the longest trek/hike you plan on doing. You may also need/like to carry a day pack for shorter day hikes (El Chalten) or optional side hikes such as Britannico Mirador or Torres Base in Torres del Paine.
While you may not experience rain, a waterproof backpack is ideal but alternatives such as using a rain cover or waterproof/garbage bag lining would suffice. Many sites will tell you to ditch the rain cover since it will blow right off due to areas where there can be 100+km/h winds. In my experience, if your rain cover can be secured on (such as those Osprey packs with included rain covers in the base) you should be fine. I have not met anyone whose rain cover has been blown off.
For my Torres del Paine O-trek I took a 36L Osprey Manta AG. While I managed by securing a lot of things to the outside (including a dry bag storing a lot of crap), this was less than ideal as it threw out my centre of gravity making the 17kg feel like far more. I used a rather solid 5L waterproof dry bag as a day bag when required. Without food, 36L would be fine. If I were to do it again I’d aim for 50-60L
Some parts of the trail are really thin and your backpack will be brushing up on branches a lot in certain areas. Keep that in mind if your backpack is made of lighter less sturdy materials or if you are strapping things to the outside. Inflatable pads should be inside your bag.
Clothing for Patagonia
Layering is the key here. Due to the unpredictable nature of the weather, you will want to be able to throw on or remove layers as the current weather dictates. When resting, at a pass or at night you will want an extra layer typically wool or fleece mid layer. When it rains heavily you will probably want your waterproof raincoat or jacket.
You may want additional articles such as gloves, scarves, buffs and beanies. I used thin wool glove liners, not because my hands felt cold but because the wind and chill severely dry your hands which feels annoying. In all but the coldest seasons, a scarf and beanie might be overkill while on the trail, though these would be nice in camp at night. A buff is great, it can be used as a face mask when windy or as a light scarf, some even use it as a headband.
You’ve probably seen photos of people hiking Patagonia in shorts and think they’re crazy. On a sunny day, this isn’t far fetched especially during Summer or Spring.
I went in November-December. Personally while hiking, I hike in synthetic long hiking pants (that can be turned into shorts), a synthetic top base layer, and a fast-drying tech t-shirt. If it gets cold I throw on a wool hoodie, that serves as my mid-layer, which will typically be a mountain pass or high wind area. If it’s raining or that much colder I throw on my Goretex shell.
I have a puffy down vest which serves as another mid-layer that goes on top of my wool hoodie. I also have a synthetic leg base layer for campsites and sleeping in if required.
Shoes and Boots
In Torres del Paine and El Chalten I saw all sorts of footwear from non-hiking specific shoes to trail runners to high-cut hiking boots. The trails are well worn so if you already own a pair, I don’t think you could go wrong using them. I wore mid hiking boots and I wouldn’t recommend non-hiking specific shoes – your feet will end up black and blistered.
The terrain is mixed. Dirt, gravel, rocks, large boulders, sand, ice, snow and mud. I encountered ice and snow at the John Gardner Pass. Steep sand and boulders were at the top of the Torres Base trail.
Water
As with any trek, you’ll need to research the water sources on the trails you want to do. Some may require treatment or filtering, some may not.
In Torres del Paine you can drink the water from the rivers without any kind of filtering or treatment – there are many rivers whose source is a pristine glacier with no farm animals around. However, I’d recommend doing this away from campsites and sticking to the usual precautions such as drinking up-trail. Some campsites have taps that can be used to fill water containers directly, as they have been sourced from the same rivers.
I carried a Steripen Pure Plus UV filter as a backup but I never required it simply just taking the water straight from the rivers in Torres del Paine. In El Chalten, I simply took sufficient water for the day staying in town although camping there is possible but not necessary.
The other main water filter other people I met used was a Sawyer filter designed to attach to 2 standard bottles. When it comes to removing particulates, this looked to be one of the best methods for convenience.
Knife
If for anything, it will likely be used for food prep. I’ve seen people with tiny Swiss army knives to knives with 5-6 inch blades. I picked up one quite cheaply at Puerto Natales but it got stolen at Refugio Los Cuernos. Be careful with your belongings, especially on the W portion of the trek where you will encounter all sorts of people, not just hikers.
Food
There are no special food requirements for trekking in Patagonia however with the Torres del Paine trek, you can purchase food and drink (significant markup) at certain campsites or refugio’s (lodges) along the trek. The main benefit of this is being able to hike with a lighter pack by buying food along the way, even if you don’t plan on buying for every meal. While camping is an option at El Chalten, the hikes can be done as multiple day hikes from town.
Fire
Open fires are banned in certain treks, notably Torres del Paine where previous fires assisted by high winds and dry climate have destroyed roughly 1/3 of the park.
In 2011, 176km sq km was destroyed from a tourist burning used toilet paper.
In 2005, a campfire lit by a backpacker destroyed 160sq km.
You can still see the unfortunate devastation today. Penalties have ramped up to include bans to the park, bans to Chile, significant fines and jail time.
Lighting a stove in the designated cooking areas in campsites is allowed and you can pick up a lighter in Puerto Natales.
Shelter and Sleeping Bag
You could do certain areas of Patagonia without bringing your own tent. Torres del Paine has refugio’s and campsites with sturdy high-quality 4-season tents already set up that you can rent. El Chalten, Bariloche and Tierra del Fuego can be broken up into day treks.
In Patagonia, I saw some use a 3-season tent but it definitely needs to be strong vs wind and you want to be using all your guylines. I’d be especially cautious at Paine Grande in Torres del Paine. This was by far the windiest campsite I had experienced. I don’t know what they were using but 2 people were sleeping in the toilets because their tent got destroyed.
For your Patagonia sleeping bag rating, it depends. It depends on your sleeping bag brand, tent, campsite, season and how many clothes you’re sleeping in. For the main travel season (October-April), if your existing bag is rated at -5C to -10C, that should suffice. Even if it’s closer to 0C you can always just wear warmer clothes to sleep especially if your tent is warmer. For reference, Erratic Rock in Puerto Natales rents out -9C bags.
Navigation
If you’re sticking to the main trails (Torres del Paine, El Chalten, Tierra del Fuego, etc), they are very well worn, well posted and easy to follow not to mention with lots of people on them.
Upon entering Torres del Paine you will receive a map which is good enough – just don’t lose it as a replacement from campsites is expensive. In El Chalten, I did Sendero Pliegue Tumbado, Lago Torre (Torre) and Lago de los Tres (Fitz Roy) and I used my phone with offline maps but even this wasn’t necessary.
Electronics
You will typically want your phone for photos, offline maps and GPS, don’t expect reception.
On treks, I love taking photos so I take one of my mirrorless A7 series camera.
Depending on the length of your hike/trek and how much you use electronics, a USB power bank. A 3000mAH battery will have your phone last around a full day. I personally used a 20000mAH battery which can last me up to about 6-7 days charging a phone, camera (I take spare batteries too), headlamp and my UV water treatment.
Headlamp for finding your way around at night. Trails typically are closed at night so this is more for use at the campsites.
In Torres del Paine:
- in certain refugio’s Wifi is available at a large cost.
- in certain refugio’s some power points are available to charge devices (do not leave these unattended especially on the W portion of the trek).
If taking a wall charger you’ll probably want a plug or adapter:
- Type C (small, not large 2 pin Euro style) plug for Chile .
- Type C and Type I (same as Australia) plug for Argentina. Argentina uses both Type C and I. Depending on where you stay, you may encounter 1 or the other or both. It’s best if you bring both just in case.
Due to my large powerbank size I don’t carry these on treks so they stay in the accommodation.
Entertainment
As with any multi-day trek you may find that you have nothing to do once you arrive at camp. This is common in Torres del Paine since almost everyone is pre-booking accommodation/campsites with very little idea of how long it will take to hike between campsites. If you’re an early riser you could be at camp by lunchtime with nothing to do for 8 or so hours before sleeping.
Typically cards, dice, music (phone with earphones) and ebook reader are the top things brought to kill time
Emergencies
You’ll want a basic first aid kit.
Also a basic repair kit + spares for your tent.
Communications. If you’re doing the popular trails (those mentioned here), an emergency communicator isn’t really required but feel free to carry one.
For Torres del Paine, the combination of campsites, ranger stations (with sign in books), the sheer number of people make it so you’ll be found rather quickly if you need help.
Other Mandatories
In Chile, when checking into accommodation you are required to present the PDI document(Investigations Police of Chile) that you would have received on entry to the country. This isn’t always asked for but if you are hiking and staying in Torres del Paine, you should bring it (along with your passport for ID) and not leave it in your Puerto Natales accommodation. Needless to say but if you do forget your PDI document, it can cause you some grief and they could charge a significant extra tax on top of whatever you’ve already paid.
Where to buy
In your home country
The best place to buy everything except perishables is prior to arriving in South America. However, due to circumstances you may find yourself already in the country and need to buy something. Due to unreliable postal service, I wouldn’t have anything shipped to South America. You may not get your item or it may, as experienced by 2 friends, have it get stuck in customs. While they did receive their items eventually, this led to all sorts of problems such as having to change your travel plans to accommodate and having to deal with the stress.
Santiago, Chile
Santiago is a major hub to get Patagonia. Arrivals to South America from Australia will likely pass through here and flights to Punta Arenas (airport close to Torres del Paine) are frequent and cheap from here. Mallsport is a large shopping centre just northeast of the city. This has every outdoor shop imaginable in one area and includes tons of international outdoor brands. If you’re looking for something specific and you’re in South America, chances are this is the best place to find it, or at least find something similar.
Punta Arenas, Chile
Flights from Santiago arrive here. Limited to a handful of outdoor shops. Prices can be cheaper than Puerto Natales but don’t expect many options for tents and sleeping bags. Food is cheaper than Puerto Natales so stock up here at the Unimarc if you have the time.
Puerto Natales, Chile
Again just a handful of good outdoor shops. However, this is your last stop before Torres del Paine National Park so if you need anything you must rent or buy it from here. Again, don’t expect many options for tents and sleeping bags, especially if you want something specific or light weight.
There are 2 main supermarkets for food here – Unimarc and Don Bosco. Smaller stores do exist but have been largely killed off by the supermarkets. While these do have limited dried fruit, I did see a speciality dried fruit store – Frutos del País 40 y 2. Stove gas is available.
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
While you can rent accommodation, campsites, tents, sleeping bags and sleeping pads; this depends on the specific campsite. You can buy consumables at certain campsites and refugio’s including fully prepped meals and individual items like pasta, eggs, tea and stove gas. This comes at exorbitant prices with the only things really worth buying are eggs and for those looking to celebrate, alcohol.
El Chalten, Argentina
El Chalten is Argentina’s trekking capital, like Chile’s Torres del Paine. This is a very small town, I’d say smaller than Puerto Natales. There is a small supermarket but plenty of restaurants.
El Calafate, Argentina
Where everybody goes due to the proximity to the Perito Moreno Glacier and airport. This is a touristy town with a large supermarket. I bought a local Argentinian sim card from here.