ArticlePatagonia, ChileJul 23, 20267 min read

Packing for Patagonia: The List We Give Our Groups

Layers, wind and the one thing everybody forgets

The dark-capped Cuernos del Paine over Lake Pehoé — Los Cuernos, the horns of Paine. Photo: Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA

Patagonian weather changes by the hour. Here is the exact kit list we send to everyone joining a W Trek or Fitz Roy departure, and why each item is on it.

Dress for the wind, not the temperature

Summer temperatures in Torres del Paine and El Chaltén are mild, typically 5 to 18 °C. What catches people out is the wind, which turns 12 °C into something that feels close to freezing, and the rain, which arrives sideways and leaves twenty minutes later.

The answer is a layering system you can adjust without stopping: a merino or synthetic base layer, a light fleece, a down or synthetic puffy for breaks and evenings, and a genuinely waterproof shell, jacket and trousers both. Cotton has no place in your pack; once wet it stays wet.

Keep your pack light. On a refugio-based W Trek you carry only a daypack of 25 to 35 litres. If you are camping, aim for a base weight under 10 kg before food and water. Pack everything inside the bag in dry bags or a heavy-duty liner; pack covers blow off in the first gust.

And the item everybody forgets? A buff, or two. It is a hat, a scarf, a sun shield and a dust mask on the gravel roads.