Packing List for South America

Get Your Backpack Ready

Peru has 28 of the world's 32 climates, so throughout a trip there, travelers are bound to see a mixture of desert, mountains, jungle, and everything in between. Ecuador lies on the equator and is only categorized by dry season and rainy season.

This is what I packed in preparation for the various weather climates of South America while traveling in Peru and Ecuador. For more details on my trip to South America, read my blog post here.

Important Documents:

• Passport

• Travel insurance

• Cash - Soles for Peru and USD for Ecuador

• ID

• COVID vaccination card to get into Ecuador (as of 9/14/21)

• COVID test to get into Peru (as of 9/14/21)

Necessities:

• Backpack - I’m obsessed with my Osprey Porter 46L Travel Pack, I will never travel without it again

• Extra plastic bags

• Travel laundry line - I have this one

• Rx bars or other protein bar for a quick snack on the go

• Water bottle - I have this collapsible one for traveling

• Water filter - I swear by Sawyer Squeeze

• A pen

• Travel journal - to recap each day!

Technology:

• Portable charger

• Go Pro/Camera

• Phone charger

• Flashlight

Medications/Products:

• Z-Pack

• Tylenol

• Ibuprofen

• Tums

• Imodium

• Anti-allergy pills

• Ginger chews for altitude sickness

• Bandaids

• Electrolyte powder - Liquid IV

• Mosquito repellent

• Sunscreen

• Diamox for altitude sickness

• Antimalarial pills if going to the Amazon

• Hydrocortisone cream

Toiletries:

• Face wash

• Shampoo

• Conditioner

• Dr. Bronner’s multi-use soap

• Face moisturizer 

• Lotion

• Deodorant

• Mini toothpaste/toothpaste tablets

• Toothbrush - Quip is a great toothbrush for travel

• Makeup remover

• Makeup

• Mini hairbrush

• Hair ties

• Travel razor

• SPF

• Tweezers

• Hand sanitizer - bring around in bag

• Pocket tissues for public toilets

• Chapstick

Footwear:

• Allbirds Tree Skippers - best travel shoes ever, could not recommend enough

• Hiking boots - I have the North Face Ultralight FastPack III Mid FutureLight

Tops:

• T-Shirts x2

• Athletic t-shirt

• Quick dry long sleeve shirt - I have the Athleta Uptempo Top

• Base layer top - I have this one from North Face

• Sweatshirt/fleece pullover - I love my Patagonia Synchilla Pullover

Pants: 

• Hiking pants - I have the Athleta Trekkie North Joggers

• Leggings

• Joggers - I’m obsessed with my Lululemon Aligns

• Jeans 

• Bike shorts

• Base layer leggings - I have these from North Face

Jackets:

• Light weight rain coat - I have the North Face Dryzzle FutureLight Jacket 

• Down Jacket/Mid-layer - I love my Arc’teryx Atom LT Hoody, it’s super packable and lightweight

Accessories:

• Day Backpack - I use the Lululemon City Adventurer 10L

• Hip pack/Fanny pack

• Baseball cap

• Beanie

• Hiking/sun hat - this one was perfect for the Amazon

• Mittens - Outdoor Research Flurry Mitts are amazing

• Hiking gloves - these are from Amazon and work well for chilling early mornings

• Gaiter for cold hikes

• Jewelry to spice up any basic outfits

Undergarments:

• Sports bras x3

• Underwear x10

• Pajama pants

• Old t-shirt for sleeping

• Wool socks x3

• Regular socks x2

• Swim suit - in case you find a hot spring in the Amazon

Read my blog post on things to know before traveling to Peru here.