What to pack for Patagonia

Go Ahead Tours’ Customer Experience guru Kelsey ventured south to the wilds of Patagonia this past January on our Chile to Argentina: Santiago, Patagonia & Buenos Aires tour. She came back to the office full of excitement over the animals, scenery she saw down in South America, plus more than a few helpful tips to prepare for such a big trip. Here’s her packing list for a January tour—our winter here in North America, but summertime down in Patagonia.

Patagonia is such a bucket list destination and was definitely the draw for most people on this trip. Not to say we were all super outdoorsy people in our group, but everyone was so excited about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of being surrounding by Patagonia’s incredible natural beauty—like this shot below of the group at Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park.

Packing for a trip like this can be intimidating, but everyone in the group was all so well prepared. We all seemed to get the memo that more doesn’t actually mean better when it comes to packing!

Even though January is the southern hemisphere’s summertime, the farther south you go toward Patagonia, the closer you get to the South Pole, so it gets cold. With that said, you need a variety of items. Here’s what I recommend:

• Light layers that can be worn on their own in the tour’s more northern cities like Santiago and Buenos Aires and then layered together in Patagonia
• Long-sleeved shirts and sweaters in athletic materials—my group wore lots of outdoor-friendly brands like Colombia, Patagonia, and Eddie Bauer
• Comfortable pants like jeans, slacks, or camping gear
• Good walking shoes are a must; hiking boots aren’t necessary but would be a good option if you already have them
• A windbreaker
• A hat and gloves
• Sunscreen and sunglasses—the days were long and the sun was gorgeously bright!

We hope you found this packing list helpful! For additional Patagonia travel tips, check out the articles below.