Quote: (07-04-2016 10:34 AM)Sidney Crosby Wrote:
Why would you not bring jeans, unless you want to look like a German who walks around wearing hiking or track pants all the time.
Take you favourite jeans, chinos and some dress pants you can wear with a nice shirt if you plan on going to some nicer places
I didn't bring jeans to South America and regretted it. Apart from skinny chinos and shorts, I brought a pair of hiking trousers and tracksuit bottoms.
Had I been as style conscious as I am now, I'd have felt like an underage sex tourist, or a German backpacker, walking around the streets of Buenos Aires wearing them.
Dressing well definitely matters in Latin America the further south of the continent you are.
A single pair of jeans won't take up that much space and a good one will do the work of several.
Quote: (07-04-2016 11:35 AM)Vronski Wrote:
Quote: (07-04-2016 08:44 AM)Franks Wrote:
Planning my trip to South America with a 55L Backpack.
... during my travels.
.... your South America travels
Don't want to sound rude, but you don't travel "in style" with a backpack. Furthermore, an extended trip (from what I understand) just with just a 55L luggage ?!? ........ get a soft wheeled luggage of 75L (minimum if it's for an extended trip), with enough space and change to feel comfortable and attractive to women (who are BTW in Argentina very fashion-conscious). Especially if by "nightlife" you mean trendy spots, and not holes in the walls for cheapos or backpackers.
Sometimes I really have the feeling to be here on the Loney Planet forum. To each its own I suppose.
My backpack was exactly that size for South America and a bit bigger (65L) for both big Europe trips and I most definitely was able to travel "in style" — more so for the latter.
I never cease to be amused by people comparing backpacks to suitcases the size of Tasmania and thinking you need the latter to dress well while travelling. The truth is by knowing what to combine, you're able to make a little go a long way.
The last time I spent time in Europe, I brought along 5 collared shirts and a couple of smart pullovers, which came to just under 1kg.
I've never filled up my backpack to the top whenever I've travelled for an extended period, yet like Stickman said, I've also managed to dress better than 99% of travellers — let alone merely those with rucksacks. It often means having to eschew a blazer or jacket, which can be a dead weight when travelling in between climates — which is the case when spanning South America or during a European summer. Have any of you guys done that without getting it all wrinkled?
Quote: (07-04-2016 08:11 PM)BangBoy123 Wrote:
Doing " Some hiking" doesn't mean you should travel like a Hobo
Nothing worse when I see fellow Americans trying to game chicks in cosmopolitan cities wearing hiking boots, $10 jeans, and a t-shirt that looks like he cleaned his boots and his dong with it.
It's a nice feeling travelling light, but if you take a backpack then you will get backpackers chicks, if you take a suitcase with proper clothes then it's a different story. And better to get your clothes at home, they will be more expensive there
Yes and no.
"Doing some hiking" and getting off the beaten track is no excuse for looking like a homeless dude. On the hand, it's silly to suggest that your bags are a decider for which chicks you'll game.
Are you seriously going to let your luggage determine your mode of travel?
I spent 4 weeks on a sailboat just before I hit landfall in South America. Hence I dressed for the elements and comfort rather than for the runway. Maybe I simply wasn't prepared for going from sailing in equatorial regions to the 35°C heat of northern Brazil, to the temperate conditions of Argentina and Chile. In hindsight, I still thought I looked like a fool wandering around in a fleece jacket and fleece vest.
I didn't pack a whole lot more, ultimately, the next time I was in Europe. Even though I spent a lot of time hitchhiking, I could draw from my backpack enough clothing to hit the smartest clubs.
I could do everything I needed on a laptop on my mobile as well. I found it less of a burden than bringing my laptop to Europe later on and having to worry constantly about it getting smashed (which happened) or stolen.