Ultimate W Trek Packing List – Torres del Paine, Patagonia

Being prepared for any hike helps you to enjoy your time there and the beautiful views, so I’ve developed this W Trek Packing List! Any trip to Patagonia is bound to be amazing, but even more so if you bring the right gear.

Also, if you’re reading this, I am assuming that you’re doing this hike, and I AM SO PUMPED FOR YOU. It was one of the greatest things I’ve ever experienced. Check out my full blog to hear me gush about it and also provide you with an in-depth guide to hiking in Torres del Paine.

This W Trek packing list is for those who are doing the 5 day, 4 night W Hike Itinerary. If you’re spending more time out there, increase the supply of food items and clothes.

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Tips for your W Trek Packing List

• The weather changes every 4 minutes. You have to be prepared for hot weather and also really cold weather. And rain.
• Layer up!
• Don’t overpack, but don’t forget any of the essentials.
• The W Trek isn’t like some wilderness backpacking trips. You’ll have bathrooms available at times, you can’t have fires, there are designated cooking areas, and you might have meals at the refugios depending on the accommodations you book.
• Consider renting gear in Puerto Natales to avoid flying all the way there with it.
• Consider booking accommodations with tent set ups so you don’t have to carry all the big backpacking gear. (We carried all our crap. Tent, sleeping bags, food, etc. And I will be the first to admit that it was HEAVY and made our hike quite a bit more difficult — but also saved us money.)
• Read What to Know Before Trekking the W.
• You can absolutely do this as a self-guided trek, unless you’re going during winter.

Free Printable Backpacking Gear Packing List at the end.

Important W Trek Packing List Items:

• Phone
• QR Code with park pass
• A Printout of accommodation details
• Cash: Pesos and/or USD
• Portable Charger
• Bus info – into and out of park, timetables
• Passport
• Torres del Paine Map (we were given one at the park entrance)

Camping Gear

• Tent, Poles, and Footprint– a “3 season” tent should work unless you plan on doing this in winter, which would require a guide – then you would need a “4 season” one. It must have strong poles due to the high wind in Patagonia.
• Backpack and Rain Cover – I used a 60L + 10L bag, and it was perfect. You could get away with a 50L bag for this trek. Wear it a bunch before the actual trek.
• Sleeping Bag – bring a warm but not heavy one. It gets cold at night, but you don’t want to carry extra weight in your pack.
• Sleeping Pad and repair supplies – inflate this before your trip to make sure it doesn’t have any leaks; it’s easier to repair at home than in Patagonia. I consider this an essential item! Sleep is so important when doing long hikes.
• Inflatable Pillow
• Headlamp

Kitchen

• Camping Stove
• Fuel – Buy this in Puerto Natales. I recommend bringing 1 can per person if you plan on cooking the majority of the time.
• Pot, Plate, Bowl, Mug, Utensils – I own a cooking kit that includes everything.
• Matches and/or Lighter
• Biodegradable Camping Soap

Food and Water

If you do the hike in 5 days, you need to plan for 4 dinners, 5-6 lunches, and 4 breakfasts.

What you eat is entirely up to you.  We ate oatmeal (2 packs per person) every morning, brought summer sausage, cheese, and pita bread for lunch, had loads of cliff bars and trail mix for snacks, and ate freeze-dried backpacking meals for dinner.  We brought this Curry Rice with Chicken and Cashews, which is my go-to backpacking recipe.

Water is almost too easy to get in Torres del Paine. There are plenty of rivers/streams – always get water from above the trail/trafficked areas. Purify it as well (but I don’t know that’s actually necessary in this park.) And the refugios have water available too.

Also, bring a treat or two. Either ration out a chocolate bar or bring some cookies. Something for when you’re really tired and need a pick me up. It’s worth the weight.

• Lightweight meals, dependent upon how many times you plan to cook.
• Snacks!
• Water reservoirs – nalgene, etc.
• Water purifier

Clothing & Footwear

I recommend re-wearing things. You don’t need a new clean pair of legging each day. Underwear are the only thing that I bring enough of for a clean pair each day. Clothing adds a lot of weight to your pack. Avoid cotton, bring things that are super comfortable, and be ok with being a little dirty.

• 5 Pairs of Underwear
• 3 Pairs of Hiking socks – ones that go above your boot; bring sock liners so you can re-wear your wool hiking socks.
• 2-3 Sports Bras
• 1-2 Long Sleeve Shirts
• 1 Short Sleeve Shirt or Tank
• 2 Pairs of Leggings/Hiking Pants
• Down Puffer Jacket
• Rain Jacket
• Rain Pants – THESE ARE A GODSEND. If you do not own rain pants yet, please go buy some. They have saved me from hiking in soaking wet, freezing leggings.
• Waterproof Hiking Boots – make sure you wear them in and know they’re comfortable
• Waterproof gloves
• Warm Hat and/or Buff Headband

Health & Hygiene

Bring the bare minimum because this stuff can get heavy.

Some of the refuges have showers available.

• First Aid Stuff – click here to see what should go into your own first aid kit
• Toothbrush and Toothpaste
• Baby Wipes and/or Face Wipes (optional)
• Hand Sanitizer
• Sunscreen
• Prescription Medications
• Lip Balm (optional)
• Deodorant (optional)
• Bug Repellent (optional)
• Glasses and/or Contacts

Miscellaneous/Optional Items

• Trekking Poles
• Sunglasses
• Camera
• Journal or Book
• Cards or Games
• Binoculars

Head back over to my comprehensive guide and start planning!

Download a printable packing list here:

Backpacking Gear Packing List

W Trek Packing List

I hope this W Trek Packing List helps you plan your trip! Enjoy Patagonia!

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