What to Pack on the W-Trek: A Women's Guide
Patagonia is home to some of the most beautiful mountains in the world and the W-Trek is a great way to get fully immersed in the iconic scenery. If you’re planning to hike the 5-day, 50 mile W-Trek be sure that you’re fully prepared for a great trip. While the majority of these items are necessary no matter your gender, here is our list of what to pack on the W-Trek for women:
Camping Supplies/Gear
If you plan on carrying all of your gear on the W-Trek, then this list is for you. If you're booking rooms each night, then you can get away with packing a smaller pack—only needing your clothes, toiletries, and any personal necessities.
Hiking backpack (pro-tip, go to REI to get fitted for a pack)
Hiking poles (you can rent these in town before the hike if you don't want to fly with yours!)
Clothes
Now onto the clothes! Patagonia experiences just about every type of weather, so make sure you pack accordingly.
Hiking Pants
I was a hater on hiking pants until I actually tried them—we love these Colombia ones that are super breathable and comfy. Leggings are also a great option, pack what you are most comfortable in!
Sun Shirt
You'll be constantly going back and forth between layers on the trail. A sun shirt is a great way to not only protect yourself from damaging UV rays, but also is a great mid-layer to keep you comfortable on the trail.
Breathable Short-Sleeve or Tank
For a layer to wear under your sun shirt—I personally love a breathable tank top (they're also so small you can pack multiple), but some prefer a short-sleeve shirt. Pack whatever you are most comfortable in, but be sure to pack one with sweat wicking material and avoid cotton.
Fleece
Layers are super important on the W—packing a lightweight fleece is a great addition to keeping you warm. Paired with a good puff jacket and you'll be set when colder weather strikes.
Puff Jacket
A puff jacket is a must on the trail! We especially love the Patagonia Nano-Puff as they're super packable but also keep you extra toasty.
Rain Gear
It rained non-stop on our entire last day—make sure you're prepared with a proper rain jacket and rain pants!
Camp Outfit
You'll most likely be rewearing your hiking clothes each day—pack an outfit that is specifically reserved for nights at camp. It's such a treat to change into comfortable and (semi) clean clothes each night!
Socks
Socks are so important while on the trail! We personally love Darn Tough socks and packed 3 pair for the trip.
Underwear and Sports Bras
All of the girls in our trip opted to pack a pair of underwear for each day and two sports bras total. Make sure to pack items that you know are super comfortable and a sports bra that won't dig into your shoulders with your pack.
Hiking Boots
We love the OnRunning hiking boots, but pack whatever boots you're most comfortable in. You could absolutely hike this trail in trail runners as well.
Camp Shoes
Again, it's a great feeling to take your boots off after a long day of hiking! We packed these lightweight sandals and wore them around camp each night with socks.
Hats & Gloves
Hats were a must for hiding greasy hair. We packed both a beanie for when the weather was colder and a baseball hat for when it was sunny and warm. Beware that it can get REALLY windy at times on the trek and a baseball hat could easily fly off. Gloves were also nice when the temperature dipped.
Toiletries
Every campsite has a bathroom and over the course of the 5-day trek, we only peed outside one time. There were also showers at each campsite, so you could shower if you wanted to—personally we were exhausted and didn't want to deal with wet hair, so we opted for face wipes instead.
Food
For food you can either bring camping meals from home or buy all of your food in town before you head out. The latter is much cheaper, but you don't have as many options! Here were a few of our extra snacks we brought from home that helped make the trek more enjoyable.
Candy (especially great when you need a pick-me-up on the trail)
Hot chocolate packets/tea
Sauce packets to spice up our meals
That is our list of all our essentials to pack on the W-Trek for women. Did we miss anything that you can think of?This post contains affiliate links and at no additional cost to you, we earn a commission if you make a purchase. That income helps keep this site up and running!
