Kit chosen for what the wind here actually does, not a generic mountain list.

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Why this list is different: the wind

Summer gusts in Torres del Paine reach up to 180km/h — not a freak storm, a routine feature of the trekking season, and strongest in summer. They make it feel around 6°C colder than the thermometer says. On paper the conditions are mild (around 13°C by day, close to freezing at night); on an exposed ridge they aren't.

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Pack for the felt temperature, not the forecast.

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Wind and weather

• A properly windproof, waterproof hardshell — "water-resistant" isn't enough here
• Wind-resistant trekking trousers
• A neck gaiter or buff, for your face on exposed sections
• Trekking poles — for balance in gusts as much as for the descents

Layers for the temperature swing

• Merino base layer, not cotton
• A light insulated mid-layer for evenings and early starts
• A backpack rain cover, since the rain arrives sideways

Feet and the rest

• Broken-in waterproof boots
• Gaiters — the trail stays muddy, and sometimes snowy, into summer
• Sunglasses and high-factor sun cream: UV is stronger than the temperatures suggest, especially in spring, when the ozone layer over the far south is at its thinnest
• A head torch for pre-dawn starts to the towers and dark refugio dorms

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Chilean ATMs typically charge foreign cards CLP 5,000–9,200 (≈ €4.5–8.3) per withdrawal and cap each one around CLP 200,000 (≈ €180), so plan your withdrawals.

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