south america
Travel Resources
Everything I needed to know before traveling! This list is specific for citizens of the United States in relation to other countries.
- A list of Visa free countries, or Visa upon arrival.
- Staying in an area for more than a month? Try Workaway! Lodging and Food in exchange for honest work!
- Just passing through? Use Couch surfing to avoid hotel and hostel costs!
- Use Gmap Pedometer to track distance and mileage.
- If you’re just going to one country, VisaHQ is an excellent website that helps explain what you need to visit. They also offer services to get you there.
What NOT To Buy Online
Any article of clothing that you have not put on yourself in person. This includes:
- Shoes (VERY Important)
- Socks (With Shoes)
- Pants
- Underwear
- Shirts
- Jackets
- Gloves
DO NOT buy these items online, it will save you a lot of money. For example, I had bought some shoes for 109.00 but when I put on my hiking socks, I realized they were far to small. For those of you who are familiar with hiking, small shoes can result in loss of toenails, blisters and more (For a great guide to buying the right size shoe, click Here).
I strongly suggest, in order to keep from wastefully spending like I did, to go to a store like REI and try on your stuff before you actually buy it.
Backpacking Checklist 2.0
When traveling, short-term or long-term, it is important to have a list of everything you need before you leave. This reduces your anxiety, stress, and money. If you buy things you need in advance, you can find cheaper options. I made this mistake with my Filter, Pants, and Shirts. I’ve since corrected my them.
In total, the bag on my back will weigh around 12 pounds, not including food or water. All items on my person add up to about 8 pounds. All in all, if I assume my food weighs 5 pounds, my entire weight will come to around 25 pounds.
This here is my Checklist of all the things I think I will need when I am traversing the globe. If you have any suggestions, go ahead and leave me a comment.
Pack: Osprey Talon 44 (Blk) | Packing | 149.95 | 2 lb | 1 |
Tent: Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 | Packing | 303.95 | 2 lb, 4 oz | 1 |
Therma Rest Neoair Sleep Pad, (Lg) | Packing | 179.95 | 1 lb | 1 |
Sleeping Bag | Packing | Free | 3 lb, 9 oz | 1 |
550 Paracord 50 feet | On Body | 4.39 | 5 oz | 1 |
Clothing Stuff Sack | Packing | Free | 1 | |
Compression Stuff Sack (Med.) | Packing | Free | 1 | |
Rain Pack Cover (Grn) | Packing | 21.99 | 4 oz | 1 |
TOTAL: | PACKING | $660.23 | 9 lb, 9 oz | 1 |
_ | _ | _ | _ | 1 |
Merrel Hiking Shoes (Tan) | On Body | 109.89 | 2 lb, 6 oz | 1 |
Merino Wool Cushion Socks (Gray, 1) | Clothes | 15.95 | 2 oz | 1 |
Summer Hiking Socks, Merino (Blu, 1) | On Body | 18.89 | 2 oz | 1 |
Kuhl Synthetic Polyester Pants (Gray) | On Body | 56.99 | 12 oz | 1 |
Synthetic T-Shirt (Grn) | On Body | 21.53 | 5 oz | 1 |
Longsleeve Synthetic Shirt (Blk) | Clothes | 3.95 | 1 lb | 1 |
Winter Scarf (Red) | Clothes | Free | 7 oz | 1 |
Ghost Whisperer Jacket (Blk) | Clothes | 142.83 | 7 oz | 1 |
Padagonia Rain Coat (Blu) | On Body | 1.05 | 8 oz | 1 |
Patagonia Rain Pants (Blu) | Clothes | Free | 8 oz | 1 |
Head Lamp Black Diamond (Grn) | On Body | 23.95 | 1 | |
AAA Batteries (4) | Misc. | Free | 1 | |
Sun Glasses | Clothes | Free | 1 | |
ExOfficio Boxer Briefs (2) | On Body | 42.05 | 4 oz | 1 |
TOTAL: | CLOTHES | $436.81 | 7 lb, 1 oz | 1 |
_ | _ | _ | _ | 1 |
Mini-Stove; Wood Fueled (and sack) | Cooking | Free | 10 oz | 1 |
600ml Titanium Pot (and sack) | Cooking | 28.5 | 4 oz | 1 |
Cleaning Sponges | Cooking | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
Titanium Spoon, Chopsticks (and sack) | Cooking | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
Bic Lighter | Cooking | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
Small Matches | Cooking | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
Homemade Pot Cozy | Cooking | 2.05 | 0 oz | 1 |
Sawyer Mini Water Filter | Cooking | 24.95 | 2 oz | 1 |
50 oz. Water Bottles (2) | Cooking | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
Fishing System | Cooking | Free | 1 | |
TOTAL: | COOKING | $55.50 | 1 lb, 5 oz | 1 |
_ | _ | _ | _ | 1 |
Toothbrush | Hygiene | 4.26 | 2 oz | 1 |
Toothpaste | Hygiene | Free | 1 oz | 1 |
Toilet Paper | Hygiene | Free | 4 oz | 1 |
TOTAL: | HYGIENE | $4.26 | 7 oz | 1 |
_ | _ | _ | _ | 1 |
Nokia Lumia 1020 | Misc. | 120 | 9 0z | 1 |
Sony Cyber Shot DW800 20 MP Camera | On Body | 82.63 | 4 oz | 1 |
Passport, 28 Pages | On Body | Free | 2 oz | 1 |
Solar Powered Charger, Plugs, and Cords | Misc. | 23.95 | 9 oz | 1 |
Gerber Knife | On Body | Free | 1 | |
Compass: Flat, Multi Purpose | Misc. | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
Mountain Climbers Clips | On Body | Free | 1 | |
Sewing Kit, Zip Ties | Misc. | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
Harmonica | Misc. | 1 | 1 | |
Pencil | Misc. | Free | 1 oz | 1 |
Pencil Sharpener | Misc. | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
Moleskin Journal 193 Pages | Misc. | 12.95 | 5 oz | 1 |
TOTAL: | MISC. | $163.48 | 1 lb, 6 oz | 1 |
_ | _ | _ | _ | 1 |
Band Aids | First Aid | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
Pain Relief (10 Tablets) | First Aid | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
Diarrhea Medicine (12 Tablets) | First Aid | 9.99 | 0 oz | 1 |
Bandages | First Aid | 10.95 | 1 oz | 1 |
TOTAL: | FIRST AID | $20.94 | 1 oz | 1 |
_ | _ | _ | _ | 1 |
Estimated Worn Weight | On Body | _ | 5 lb, 4 oz | 1 |
Estimated Bag Weight | Packing | _ | 15 lb, 8 oz | 1 |
Estimated Consumable Weight | Food | _ | 6 lb | 1 |
Estimated Total | All Categories | $1,341.22 | 26 lb, 12 oz | 1 |