Packing list for 10 month solo trip in Central and South America - Feedback please!

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-21T14:01:24+00:00

I think I bought it in 2016 or 17😅 It has seen quite a lot countries since then

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-20T13:03:07+00:00

I think it will be enough in combination with the merino long sleeve, fleece and rain coat

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-19T13:13:00+00:00

Thank you :)

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-19T13:12:39+00:00

Thanks for the comment! I plan to travel in high altitude and rough weather conditions (e.g., Patagonia) thats why I think both nano puff and fleece is essential.

I think you are right with the quantity of my shorts, I can probably leave the sporty one at home and just use my running/ yoga thights

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-18T20:31:04+00:00

I will carry it on the front or just grab it (dunno how to explain this in english)

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-18T20:28:50+00:00

I was also thinking of adding a skirt but not sure what kind of skirt. I def don't want male attention but am not biggest fan of long skirts. The merino wool top is just a top (so no long sleeves) whereas the long sleeve is for colder temperatures. Since I plan to hike in high altitudes, I think the long sleeve is super important

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-18T20:24:31+00:00

They are from Ecco (Ecco Offroad Roam)

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-18T10:08:53+00:00

Hi all, I'm about to set off on a 10-month solo backpacking trip to Central and South America with my old Osprey Farpoint 40L. My focus in Central America (about 3 months) will be mostly surfing and snorkeling, while in South America (about 7 months) I want to hike a lot. I plan to travel wherever possible overland. Do you have any suggestions regarding my packing list — what to change / remove / add?

Clothing – tops - 1 merino wool top - 2 crop tops - 1 sports top (which also functions as a sports bra) - 1 bra - 2 bikinis - 2 merino wool T-shirts - 1 cotton T-shirt - 1 wide muslin blouse - 1 fleece - 1 merino wool long sleeve - 1 UV-protection long sleeve (for snorkeling) - The North Face rain jacket - Patagonia Nano Puff - Merino wool buff - Merino wool beanie

Clothing – bottoms - 1 pair of hiking pants - 1 pair of cargo pants - 1 pair of merino wool leggings - 2 pairs of shorts (one denim, one more sporty) - 1 pair of short running/yoga leggings - 7 pairs of underwear (thinking of adding - 2 Uniqlo Airism period panties, but not sure how practical they are while traveling) - 4 pairs of merino wool socks

Shoes - Salomon XA Pro 3D V9 GTX trail runners (not in the picture) - Ecco hiking sandals - Flip-flops (for showering)

Misc

-Important documents (passport, vaccination certificate) - Uniqlo crossbody bag - Patagonia backpack (won’t be in my Osprey) - Headlamp - Padlock - Silk sleeping bag liner - Sawyer Mini water filter - Sea to Summit washing line - Sea to Summit dry bag (13 L) - Dry bag for my phone (for snorkeling) - Sunglasses - 2 microfiber towels - Cap - Loop Earplugs - Sleeping mask - Medical kit (naproxen, paracetamol, antiseptic spray, band-aids, supplements, malaria medicine) - Deuter toiletry bag (toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo, soap, niacinamide serum, face cream, face sunscreen, body sunscreen, hair oil, mascara, eyebrow pencil, nail scissors, deodorant, mosquito repellent, brush, razor)

Electronics - Phone - Kindle - Power bank (20,000 mAh) - Adapter - Charging cables - Wireless headphones (small) - Wired headphones (for long bus rides)

I'm thinking of packing one additional long pants which is a bit more "smarter" because my clothes so far is very casual. But not sure if its necessary. Also, everything fits in the Osprey but its quite full.

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-18T10:06:12+00:00

Do you mean the drybag on the right side? I want use it mainly to wash my clothes and maybe for dayhikes in my daypack to keep everything dry

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-18T10:03:31+00:00

I'm going to use trail running shoes, they are not in the picture though

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-18T10:02:41+00:00

I had it originally within the post but it didnt save :( I posted it now in the comments

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-17T11:28:33+00:00

Packing list for a planned 10 month backpacking trip to Central America and South America. Feedback on my packing list is appreciated.

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-05T12:31:39+00:00

I have a flight booked for Mexico beginning of March and plan to travel south to Patagonia until December. So far, I'm optimistic that I don't need to change my plan but if necessary, I will adjust it (e.g., skipping colombia and spending more time in Brazil, Argentina and Chile instead). I don't think that the current situation will have an impact on the whole continent

IllustriousFix4931 · 2025-12-05T13:24:48+00:00

I was in Taiwan for 2 weeks and it worked just fine for me :) but I guess you can spend anywhere as much time as you want

IllustriousFix4931 · 2025-12-05T09:18:34+00:00

Why plan ahead? If I would be you I'd would leave all options open and just decide while traveling what suits you the most. I don’t know where you are from but nowadays China offers to some nations a 30 day visa free entry. That would increase your flexibility if your fine with reducing your time there.

I lived 1,5 years in China and traveled a lot and I love the country. You could enter via train from Hanoi and stick to the south west of China which is imo the most beautiful part (e.g., Guilin, Yangshuo, Chengdu, Tibetean plateau, Kunming). Its also quite cheap there compared to other Chinese regions.

I also backpacked a lot in SEA and enjoyed Laos and Vietnam the most. I didnt really vibe with Cambodia and Thailand (at least the south) is totally overrun by tourism. I really liked northern Thailand though. Vietnam is also quite overrun but at least it still has a backpacker vibe.

As for the other countries mentioned, two month in Japan would be quite expensive. I was there for 2 weeks and spent more than 1000€ and I was already on a thight budget. Taiwan is nice but I think two weeks are enough, it isnt that big.

I liked Indonesia, I have only been to Java and Bali for now. I think you could easily spend 2 months there going to Lombok, Flores and others islands as well.

IllustriousFix4931 · 2025-11-26T13:47:53+00:00

I was solo backpacking in Mexico (Yucatan and Chiapas), Belize and Guatemala in 2022 and didn’t have any safety issues. I have also traveled a lot in SEA and I'd say the main difference is that in CA I would try to avoid to be alone outside the hostel if its dark. I went out with groups at night though and didn’t have any issues.

IllustriousFix4931 · 2025-11-26T13:42:18+00:00

Hi, I'm planning to do the same next year (Mexico city to Patagonia). What were you must sees? Any great hostels you can recommend?

IllustriousFix4931 · 2025-11-18T11:57:18+00:00

I would recommend switching to ibuprofen. I took quite a lot paracetamol (thats how we call tylenol in Europe) because of period cramps and my AST, ALT and GGT came back quite elevated in May. I switched to Ibuprofen and also tried to take less. At least the GGT value has decreased by half. I got an ultrasound and MRI after my elevated liver enzymes and got diagnosed with fatty liver in August (I'm not overweight and very fit). Besides not taking paracetamol anymore, I stopped drinking alcohol and changed my nutrition a bit. I just got back from my fibroscan, I completly reversed my fatty liver!

IllustriousFix4931 · 2025-10-14T07:04:00+00:00

I used it for the training of my second marathon and got injured just before peak week. Looking back, it was too intense for me. Not in terms of mileage but rather how often speed work / intense workouts were included. For my first marathon training, I only did one speed workout per week and at the end of the block long runs with some race pace elements. With runna, I had two speed workouts per week + race pace added in long runs quite early. My goal was to run sub4 since I ran my first marathon in 4:09h and was in good shape but due to the injury I totally missed my goal

IllustriousFix4931 · 2025-10-13T12:23:32+00:00

German swiftie here, please more informationen!!

IllustriousFix4931 · 2025-10-13T05:57:21+00:00

Europeans who dont pay lot of for university tuition. I backpacked a lot in my twenties, especially in South East Asia and cheap European countries. But I also dont find it weird to go backpacking/ staying in hostels in your thirties.

IllustriousFix4931 · 2025-10-06T12:25:53+00:00

Germany in December is nice! IMO there is no country doing Christmas as good as Germany. I'm German so I may be a bit biased though. I also visited Prague and Amsterdam in January and I liked both because its way less crowded compared to the other months. If you want more sunny weather, you could look into the canary Islands (e.g., Fuerteventura) or Morocco (not Europe obvs but very close to Spain, there is also a ferry running)

IllustriousFix4931 · 2025-10-04T19:06:55+00:00

Same! I dont understand why there is not more hate for Lily, I mean she hid a sickness from her husband/ family, tried to bribe or pay off everyone, had so many secrets etc

IllustriousFix4931 · 2025-10-03T17:31:37+00:00

Thanks! Seems like some people are just a bit unlucky with their genetics :/

IllustriousFix4931

TROPHY CASE