Pack for Latin America

Clothing for cold weather

• A Thermal legging and a thermal long sleeve top
• Puffer jacket that can fold into a small bag
• Gloves, benny and neck warmer
• Fleece
• Hand and feet warmers

I have to be honest, half of these were useless, it wasn’t that cold, even in the high altitudes of Peru.

Water closing 

• Lycra bodysuit with UV protection (to protect yourself from the sun while snorkelling for example)
• Swimsuit
• Water shoes (to go chasing waterfalls or swim on rocky beaches)
• Microfibre towel (doesn’t take much space)

Everyday clothing

• A jean, a legging and two shorts
• Two long sleeve tops and a few t-shirts and summer tops
• Small rain jacket
• Socks, underwear and sport bra (enough to last a week before having to find laundries)
• A pair of sneakers. (I got mines from Rens as they were advertised as waterproof, turned out they weren’t but at least they were good for hiking, I am the kind of person that don’t need hiking boots. Otherwise find yourself some small water-resistant hiking shoes).

Useful items

• Head lamp
• Money belt
• Waterproof phone bag
• Portable battery
• 10L foldable backpack (to have a smaller bag for day excursions)
• Silk sleeping bad
• Sim Cards (we prebought ours from Holafly to not have to worry about it once in the countries)
• Reusable water bottle
• Cap, sunglasses

Pharmacy

• Sunscreen and lip balm with SPF (sun is strong under the tropics or in high altitude)
• Mosquito repellent
• Water Purification Tablets
• Your usual little saviours (for me: Tiger Balm for headaches and insects’ bites, Propolis for sore throat, Cicalfate and Betadine for cuts, Antihistamine for allergies, Charcoal capsules for stomach pain, mouth antiseptic for gums and canker sores)
• Probiotics (to take as a preventive to protect your stomach and guts)
• Motion sickness medicine (for bus and boat trips)
• Pain killers (like doliprane) and anti-inflammatories (like ibuprofen)
• Antidiarrheal medication (I was recommended Lenodiar and Pranarôm with natural ingredients not to unbalance the intestinal flora)
• Sticky plasters

The mentioned medicines don’t need any prescription and can be acquired over the counter in pharmacies. Make sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medication.

Hygiene

• Solid shampoo, conditioner, soap and face cleaner
• Your usual (but make it travel size) creams and makeup products