GPT Gear Lists/Tobias

See also GPT Gear Lists

In preparing for the GPT, the primary reference is the GPT manual, which contains useful considerations regarding gear. After having hiked on the GPT for three months (on sections between GPT06 and GPT40, without packraft), we agree with almost all of it, so read that document first. Nevertheless, we wish there had been more example gear lists, to orient ourselves according to which gear to bring. I would describe our hiking style as light but not quite ultralight (base weight ~6.3kg/14lbs). We usually can afford to buy the best gear available, but hiking the GPT with cheaper gear is entirely possible, although it will weigh a little bit more. This review was written in June 2024.

Gear list

This is a more or less complete list of our gear (some item weights are estimated):

https://lighterpack.com/r/8987gu

Gear review

This is not intended to give a complete list of gear, but rather to explain and review some of our choices. We are not sponsored by anyone and do not use any affiliate links (unlike the rest of the Internet).

Electronics

Garmin 67i inReach. We felt like this was a useful piece of gear. We think that having some inReach device is essential, hence here we focus on having a handheld GPS device (as opposed to navigating by phone and having a dedicated inReach device without navigation capability, like the inReach mini 2):

Although I think navigating by phone is totally possibly, there are three reasons why we liked having a dedicated GPS device: (I) easy to operate in bad conditions like rain, which is when you rely on it most, (Ii) frees up your phone to be your camera and podcast device without worrying about its battery levels (which I would if it was my primary navigation device), (iii) on longer trips it's actually not heavier than phone based navigating. The battery of the GPS lasts for at least 8-10 days of hiking on the GPT (and you can recharge it via USB C). If I was going to use my phone for navigation, I would need to bring another powerbank, which negates the weight benefit of bringing an inReach mini 2 over this device. Consider bringing a solar panel (see below) -- we didn't take that option, but for some this might be a good alternative.

Another consideration: Unlike any other trail we have hiked on, on the GPT, frequently the trail splits, since trails are often just created by animals. In 50% of the cases, it doesn't really matter too much which way you go. In 40% of the cases, the non-GPT trail is a dead end or leads somewhere else, and if you want to rejoin the GPT, you will frequently have to either bushwhack, go through swamps or backtrack to where the trail splits off. All of these options are annoying and take time. In 10% of the cases, the GPT route is not the right one, or at least not the optimal one. Still, on average it makes sense to try to follow the track files. On the GPT it is beneficial to check if you're on the route frequently, and a dedicated GPS makes this a bit easier.

By the way, everything that Jan says about Garmin navigation devices is true. This GPS unit generally works well, but it has some annoying limitations, and is not at all intuitive. Get some time to get to use it before you head on the GPT (the same is true of other navigation aids).

Headlamp: Nitecore 25UL. Pretty common in the UL community, we never used much more than half of the battery, but we always recharged it during resupplies. Worked perfectly.

Powerbank: Nitecore Carbo 20000. Worked perfectly. We sometimes didn't bring it on shorter trips (4 days), but on all other trips, we did. For us, it was a good amount to have enough phone battery for 9 days (at most one phone turned on at a time, battery saver, but taking lots of photos).

Phones. We each carry a modern smartphone with a good camera.

Power adapter. We brought a very lightweight two-pin power adapter with pins that can be turned, such that they fit in the Argentinan sockets. This was difficult to find; we got one on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7KXKGHM. In retrospect, this was useful, though I don't remember how necessary it was.

Sleep system

Quilt Enlightened Equipment Accomplice 10F & Exped Synmat HL Duo M. Perfect combination for couples. We like cuddling, but even if we didn't, I think this would provide enough space. The pad is too short for Tobi (188cm/6'4") but it's not too bad. We never really felt cold (when we did, it's because we thought it would be a warm night and didn't wear our down jackets). Probably 10F is even slight overkill. It is noteworthy that the Synmat Duo HL is not very warm (less warm than an XLite), which might make for some uncomfortable nights very early or very late in the season. Recently, the successor model Exped Ultra 3R Duo M came out, which appears to be very similar or identical to the Synmat Duo.

Zpacks Triplex. Simply an amazing tent, ultralight and fairly wind resistant. We often checked the weather forecast and chose sheltered spots on windy nights; this worked very well, and we never got to the limits of what this tent can handle. That being said, we never camped south of section 40 (with the exception of the O trek in Torres del Paine), where it may be windier and with less wind sheltered spots. We were also in the south in late November / early December... It's supposed to be more windy in the summer. Nevertheless, for the sections we did, I would happily bring this tent again, even in summer. The tent technically fits three, but it would be a squeeze. For two people it feels roomy (unless you are very tall) and fits all of our gear, too. There are many similar tents out there, including more modern designs and more affordable variants using cheaper materials, e.g., from the brand 3F UL. Pitching this tent well requires experience! Gather it before you venture out into the southern (and hence windy) parts of the GPT. We brought 10 6.5" Titanium tent stakes with us, of which we only lost one during the trip. Usually they were sufficient, but we often used some rocks to reinforce.

Groundsheet. We used a Polycro groundsheet for some of the northern sections, since we were concerned about sharp volcanic rock. I would say this concern was largely unfounded; most nights on the GPT we slept on surfaces that didn't concern us too much. That being said, whether to bring a groundsheet ultimately depends on personal preference.

1/8" Evo foam pad, 2 person version. This was our first time using an ultra-thin Eva foam pad, and despite initial skepticism, we absolutely loved it! It was one of our favorite pieces of gear. It has multiple uses: slight boost to the R value of your sleeping pad, protects your sleeping pad from sharp rocks (although, again, this turned out not to be a big problem), prevents the inflatable pad slipping on the tent floor, great for sitting on or taking a nap on. Normally when hiking I just sit on rocks, the ground, or fallen trees directly, and it always causes holes in my hiking pants after a while. Not with the foam pad! Also, it's useful for organizing your gear and food without getting it dirty (it gets pretty dusty in some sections, especially in the north). Word of warning: do not let your pad sit in the sun for a long time on an even moderately hot day. It slowly shrinks.

Kitchen

Evernew 1300ml titanium pot. Great pot, but we often wished it was a bit bigger. 1500ml would have been optimal for us. We ended up bringing a lightweight disposable takeout plastic container to have extra volume.

Soto Windmaster Stove. We bought this stove because we were concerned about cooking in windy conditions; in reality, we almost always had pretty sheltered campsites. So, I'd say that any normal camping stove works. Camping gas was usually not too hard to find. We tried out the gas canister refilling once (described in the manual), and it mostly worked, but it is a bit of a finicky process, and we decided it was not worth the minor cost savings for us. See these articles on refilling: https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/2012/01/gas-canister-refilling.html https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-g-works-r1-gas-saver-refilling.html

Backpack

Tobi has an Osprey Exos 58 (not quite ultralight, but very comfy and well ventilated back due to mesh, perfect for people who sweat a lot) and Fangwen bought a ULA Ultra Circuit (ultralight, claims to have 68l, but really fits less than the Osprey). We were both happy with our choices. That being said, our backs and shoulders did occasionally hurt, especially in the beginning and on trips where we carried lots of food.

Layers and shoe

Upper layers. We each carried 1-2 t-shirts, a stretchy or fleece midlayer, a primaloft jacket and a down jacket. I was almost going to only bring a minimalist down jacket but decided it would be too cold (which indeed it would have been for early/late season and/or high Alpine campsites). I know other (ultralight) GPT hikers bring fewer insulating layers; for us, comfort at camp is more important.

Rain layers. We carried a GoreTex rain jacket, but no rain pants, only DCF rain skirts. We were very lucky to not get rained on a lot. On the flip side, we can't really comment on how well this system works.

Hiking pants. We both had normal hiking pants but with the ability to zip off the pant legs. In Europe we use this feature a lot, but on the GPT we pretty much always used the long pants for hiking -- there's very often bushes, sometimes with thorns, that you have to cross. Thin pants worked less well at preventing scratches to the skin.

Primaloft pants. we were debating bringing these for a really long time. In the end, we brought them for the southernmost sections end of November / beginning of December, but not for any of the other sections. We felt like this was a good choice. They were definitely useful and a very cozy comfort item in the beginning, when it was windy and cold. However, you will be okay also without.

Shoes. We both bought some relative cheap trail runners, but with great foresight, we brought a second pair that we left together with some other resupplies with a friend in Santiago. This was absolutely the right call, since we each ruined both pairs over the course of 3 months. You can of course also buy new pairs in Patagonia, but they may be harder to find (and are likely to be more expensive).

Socks. Besides our normal hiking socks, we had one pair of sleeping/city socks. This was mostly sufficient. For the southern, more wet sections (that were also in the early season), we brought some NRS 0.5mm Hydroskin Neopren socks. These keep you warm even when wet. We both liked having them, although for the summer or the northern sections, we would probably not bring them.

Mini gaiters. Very useful, especially on the northern section where there is a lot of sand or dust, and plants that attach spikes to you. In the southern section, we barely used them.

Sun protection

Sun screen. We estimate that 5ml per person per day is sufficient with long pants but a normal t-shirt. When using sun sleeves, half of that.

Sun hat: Outdoor Research Sun Runner Cap. Our sun hat provide a lot of protection all around. They look very dorky, but they work. The protection to the sides and the back is also very useful in keeping Tábanos off you.

Sun sleeves: Outdoor Research Activelce Sun Sleeves. We only had these for the northern sections, and they were very useful. The sun is relentless in parts. Our sun sleeves actually have a cooling effect, but it needs a bit of wind to work. Without wind, the sun sleeves sometimes got a bit uncomfortable. Ultimately a question of preference, but we would bring ours again.

Water filter

Water filter / treatment. We used our MicroSawyer filter until it broke (freezing in a cold night) and tablets afterwards. I would say it's essential to have some way of filtering or treating. You often find pristine rivers, but often you are also just in areas with lots of animal poop.

Things we didn't bring

Mosquito hat. Mosquitos are not really a problem, but Tábanos (horseflies) are, especially in December and January. A bug net for your head could be worthwhile to bring, although it may not be very comfortable to wear in the heat. Up to personal preference.

Solar panel. It seems like since the GPT manual was written, solar panels have gotten better and lighter (as well as cheaper), so that they might be worthwhile to bring, in particular in northern sections where it is more reliably sunny. We didn't realize this beforehand, but met another GPT hiker who was very happy with her little solar panel.

Hiking umbrella (ideally with silver reflective coating). We gave this some serious consideration, but ultimately decided against it, because we didn't have any experience with it. I think it would be useful in the Northern sections, which can have absolutely brutal sun (no shade for days in parts) and can get very hot. As a rain shield it probably works a bit less well, since it's mostly rainy in the south, where it's also windy -- and wind and umbrellas don't mix well. Still, it could be useful.

Water wading / fording shoes. We always forded rivers with our trail runners, which were our only shoes. We think this is by far the best system, since fords and minor river crossings, as well as crossing wetlands happen all the time on the GPT, and switching into different shoes all the time is impractical. That being said, we did have more blisters on sections where our shoes were wet a lot, and we believe that the wetness also helped destroy the shoes more quickly. Other hikers have remarked that if you are prone to blisters, sores or rashes, you might want to bring fording shoes.