How to Pack for Argentina Guide: 6 Weeks, 2 Pairs of Underwear

I’m heading to Argentina in four days, and since I only booked a place for the first two night’s stay (out of 47 days) I’ll probably be moving around a bit. This makes packing light an absolute much. Here’s the comprehensive guide on what I’ll be bringing.

As usual, I gleaned a lot of information from Tynan’s lifenomadic and Tim Ferris’s blog. My friend Josh also presented this resource, which is definitely worth checking out. I’m a recent graduate, making zero dollars on this site, and the economy sucks. Thus, I don’t have the money to burn on top-notch gear like Tynan and Tim, who, you know, make money on their sites. I included the costs of all recent purchases.

The first part of this Guide are the Notables, things worth offering an explanation.

The second part is the General Guide, a overview of everything I’ll bring.

Notables

L.L. Bean Bigelow Top-Loading – $80

Bigelow Day Pack

The Bigelow has sturdy shoulder straps and a waist strap that removes weight from the shoulders. On the bottom, there’s also a compartment that unzips and you can pull out a poncho-for-your-bag-dealy. Perfect if you get caught in the rain.

This may not sound like anything extraordinary to you, but after two years of using the knock-off North Face bag I bought in Nanjing for $20, which broke down on me multiple times, I’m pretty freakin’ excited about my waist strap. Maybe now I won’t want to rip off my shoulders after 20 minutes and beat myself for my stupidity.

(Note: I had an old $50 gift certificate lying around the house that no one used. So I put it towards this backpack. The bag’s cost to me: $30.)

1 pair of Ex-officio boxer-briefs – $25 + $5 shipping

Ex-officio Boxers Briefs

I first read about these on Tynan’s site, and after reading different reviews, was sold on them. Reviews confirmed everything Ex-Officio claimed to be so wonderful about this underwear:

- wicks sweat
- anti-microbial (so it won’t smell)
- fast drying (about 2 hours)

I purchased the boxer-brief which is pretty comfortable. It’ll double as my swimsuit if necessary.
1 black Techwick shirt from EMS – $25

Techwick Black T

I dig the shirt – looks pretty good, and supposedly wicks sweat away, too. Right now I have two concerns:

- the shirt feels like it’d pill very easily.
- I’ve heard tech gear (like Under Armor, which is notorious for having this problem) smell real bad after a while. I’ve read mixed reviews about EMS’s Techwick. I’m hoping since I normally don’t have body odor problems I’ll be alright.

I’m 5′7″ with a medium build. I bought a medium, which fits well.
1 pair of Profile Convertible Pants from EMS – $39

EMS Profile Convertible Pants

When Jason told me to purchase convertible pants for the trip, I was skeptical.

“Jason,” I said. “I already wear Crocs, man. I don’t think I can pull off Crocs and convertible pants.”

He agreed. “Lose the Crocs.”

But wondrous sweet miracles, I found the first decent pair of convertibles I’ve ever worn. They don’t look too conspicuous, they breathe well, and as shorts, they fall right at the knee.

The length is a little long (I bought a 32 waist) but this helps cover the Crocs on my feet, minimizing the ridiculousness of the outfit – but only a little.

1 sun bucket hat – $10

Sun Bucket Hat

My head looks very strange in caps, and this hat does a better job of protecting you from the sun, anyway. It’s also very light, and folds to take up no space in my bag.

Sunglasses from L.L. Bean – $15

Only notable because I’ve been looking for these sunglasses for a long time. They’re almost identical to Jason Mraz’s glasses in the “I’m Yours” music video. (Yes, I have a man-crush on Jason Mraz. If you could sing like an angel and write lyrics that speak to my heart, I’d have a man-crush on you too. A**hole.)

1 pair of crocs

Even Bears dig the Crocs

The Crocs have been good to me so far – why fix it if it ain’t broken?
Platypus water bottle .75 liter – $7

Platypus Waterbottle

This is pretty sweet – it’s a collapsible water bottle. The water won’t have the plastic taste you get from a Nalgene bottle, and it takes up little space. Plus my Nalgene bottle is still at Chessie’s house in California. Who knows how long it’ll last but at $7, it’s all good.

ALOKSAK bags (bought 3 6×9 and the multi-pack large) – $24

ALOKSAK

Waterproof and airproof bags. Work better than ziplocks, for rainproofing everything. Using these to compartamentalize my chargers, toiletries, clothes, etc. is a godsend. Turns out I could have bought a much smaller bag – with everything stuff in ALOKSAKs, it’s barely half-full.

MSR Quickdry towel medium – $12

MSR Original Packtowl Medium

I went with the medium, but if you like your comforts (aka large, fluffy towels) I’d go with the large or xl. They’re larger, though the fluffiness ratio is about the same (zero.)

A General Guide – Here’s a brief overview of everything I’ll be packing for the trip:

2 t-shirts
2 pairs of boxers
1 long-sleeve hoodie
1 long-sleeve button-up
1 pair of pants (convertible)
1 pair of athletic shorts
1 sun bucket hat
1 poncho
1 pair of sneakers
1 pair of Crocs
2 pairs of socks

1 Camera
1 Alphasmart Wordprocessor
1 LG CU515 cell phone
1 Mini Ipod
Chargers

1 MSR Quickdry Towl (medium)
1 athletic bag
1 LED light – $16
1 compass – $10
1 universal sink plug – $3
1 thin cable
1 cable lock
1 deck of cards
1 roll of duct tape (on a pencil)
1 Platypus water bottle
1 jump rope
1 flashdrive

2 pens
1 moleskin notebook
1 Lonely Planet Guide to Argentina
1 Spanish Dictionary

1 toothbrush
1 travel toothpaste
1 travel shampoo
1 disposable Bic razor
1 bar of soap
1 pair of glasses
1 travel contact solution
3 pairs of contacts
1 packet of baby wipes
1 bottle of facewash

It wasn’t easy for me to pack the bare bones, since I’ve always been a contingency kind of guy (“what if I need dress shoes? an umbrella? my bedazzler?”) This took serious effort. If I wanted to spend a little more cash, I probably could have cut down even more.

I’ll write about why I chose not to bring a lap top and how I’ll adjust to not having regular Internet access in another post. I’m also considering bringing a skateboard.

Think I left something out? Something vital, that may prove to be my salvation/downfall over in the tumultuous region that is, uh… Buenos Aires? Let me know!