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My trip to Chilean Patagonia to hike the famous W-Trek was everything I dreamed of: steep ascents, rugged mountains, sherbet-colored sunrises, teal-blue lakes, and tree-lined trails. It was five days of challenging hikes and unforgettable views. Honestly, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
That said, no trip is perfect. While I don’t regret the adventure at all, there are definitely a few things I would do differently if I had the chance. Consider this your guide to what I learned the hard way on my 47-mile backpacking trip of a lifetime.
So let’s dive in. I’m always willing to admit when I’m wrong (it happens so infrequently, obviously). Here’s what I would change if I could do the W-Trek again.
1. Book in Advance
This one sounds obvious, right? In theory, yes. In practice, not so much.
Our group of five had originally planned to hike the W-Trek in November 2020… and then, well, the world shut down. By September 2023, we decided to go for it again: “Is now our moment to go to Patagonia?” The answer was a loud YES. But because we booked late (October for a February trip), our options were super limited.
We hadn’t even decided if we wanted to stay in refugios (mountain hostels), rent pre-set tents, or bring our own gear. But because of the late booking, the choice was made for us. We had no option but to carry all our own gear: tents, sleeping bags, mats, camp pillows, the works. Schlepping it all was… a fun challenge!
And here’s the thing, when you bring all your own gear and food, you don’t just hike all day. You also have to set up camp, cook, clean, and tear it all down. We thought we’d have afternoons free to read or play cards, but between hiking and camp chores, downtime was minimal.
TLDR
Book early! Especially with a group. You’ll have your pick of refugios, tents, and meal plans. If you want to make life easier, I recommend booking through Torres Hike. They streamline refugio reservations, meals, and park entrance tickets so you can skip the expensive guided tours and still have everything organized.
While a South American backpacking trip may sound intimidating, I don’t think a guided tour is necessary or helpful for this trip. The trails are straight forward, book through Torres Hike is a piece of cake and life at the refugios is a breeze. So skip the expensive guide, you can do it!
Ready to Explore? Book Here ↓
2. Don’t Be Too Cheap
If you’re on a budget, good news, you don’t need to shell out for a $3,000 guided tour to enjoy Torres del Paine. Flights to Santiago were the most expensive part of our trip, and splitting costs among friends made everything else manageable.
That said… if I could do it again, I’d spend a little more for convenience. Here’s a quick breakdown, but if you want a more thorough explanation of your options, check out my comprehensive Patagonia guide.
- Most expensive option: Stay in refugios in actual beds (with a rented sleeping bag and your liner). Eat breakfast and dinner there, plus get a packed lunch to take on the trail.
- Middle-of-the-road option: Stay in refugios or rent a pre-set tent. Either rent a sleeping bag or bring your own. Have refugios prepare your meals or pack in your own food.
- Cheapest option (what I did): Rent just a tent space, bring all your own camping gear, and pack in every meal and snack.
Guess which one requires carrying the heaviest pack? Yep, the cheap route. Looking back, I would have at least split it, maybe bringing my own sleeping bag but letting refugios handle meals. Not only would that have lightened my pack, but it would have saved time on cooking and cleaning dishes.
And about the food, honestly, we were way too precious about it. Blogs had warned us that refugio meals were bad, so we skipped them. But by day three, the food looked incredible (yes even the pork and zucchini pizza we had on day 3), the reviews from other hikers were glowing, and their packed lunches were basically gourmet compared to our sad trail food. Lesson learned.
Convenience > pride when you’re carrying a backpack for five days.
3. Skip the Hiking Boots – Bring Trail Runners
Confession: I didn’t bring hiking boots on this trip. And thank goodness, because you don’t need them!
Hiking boots are bulky, heavy, and take up too much space. I used to swear by my Columbia Newton Ridge boots (budget-friendly, Danner-esque, Wild boot dupe for the Reese Witherspoon fans out there). But for Patagonia, my friend convinced me to try trail runners, and I’ll never go back.
The result? Zero blisters. Zero pain. No foot drama at all, which is a miracle for me. My feet usually blister at the thought of hiking, and my toes rub constantly, but the trail runners were perfect.
Sure, ankle support might help with river crossings or rocky patches, but the lightweight comfort was worth it. And if you’re like me, trying to pack light for three weeks in South America, you’ll appreciate every inch of saved suitcase space.
For reference, I used the Hoka Speed Goats, which were so perfect I basically want to tuck them into bed at night.
4. Don’t Split Up
If you’re hiking the W-Trek with friends, stay with your group. Not just for buses and meals, actually hike together. Adjust your pace, slow down when someone needs it, and avoid splitting off.
I say this because… yes, I took a wrong turn, you can read all about it here. Hiking alone in the mountains without service isn’t ideal. As the group’s “medicine keeper,” it also would have been smarter to stick closer in case anyone needed something.
We had five women hiking together, and overall, it was smooth sailing. No fights, no drama, just good vibes. But having set check-in points along the trail would have been smart, especially since half of us were tracking mileage on apps anyway.
The bottom line: don’t wander through Patagonia’s “Death Marshes” alone. Your friends will thank you.
5. Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Creature Comforts
Confession time: I’m not a hardcore backpacker. This was my longest multi-day trek and the most nights I’ve ever spent camping. I loved it, but it was also a stretch for me.
On the first day, I was struggling emotionally. Between listening to a melancholy audiobook and still grieving the loss of my dog, I was craving comfort. And you know what? Paying $10 for refugio WiFi so I could FaceTime my husband was worth every penny.
Forget the purists who say, “You won’t miss your phone.” If WiFi gives you peace of mind, pay for it. I did, at every refugio that offered it, and it kept me connected to my family and sanity and most importantly, my New York Times crossword puzzle streak.
Same goes for packing shampoo. A veteran hiker told me not to bring it (“too heavy, you won’t wash your hair anyway”), but guess what? I did, and it was 100% worth it. Washing my hair once made me feel human again and helped manage my Hagrid level frizz that I had on day 3. Sleeping clean in a tent after a long day of hiking was heaven.
Moral of the story: pack what makes you comfortable. Patagonia is hard enough.
The Bottom Line
I survived five days on the W-Trek just fine, but hindsight is 20/20. Hopefully, my missteps help you plan your own adventure with a little more comfort, ease, and joy.
If you want my full day-by-day recap of the W-Trek, start here with day 1. And if you have questions or Patagonia dreams, reach out!
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