Trail guides, camping with a toddler and gear that actually holds up — from the West Highland Way to Patagonia.
The Honest Version
These ones don't. Every trail guide, gear review and packing list on this page has been tested on an actual trip — in actual weather, with actual kit, with a small person who has opinions about everything. If it made it through Patagonia, it makes the list.
Trail Guides & Trip Reports
hiking-camping
by Stace · Sep 2, 2016
Before the Inca Trail even begins — Lima to Cusco at sunrise, meeting the G Adventures group, a weaving co-op in the Sacred Valley, and testing our legs on the ruins at Ollantaytambo.
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hiking-camping
by Stace · Sep 2, 2016
Day 1 to Day 4 on the Inca Trail with G Adventures — Dead Woman's Pass, crushed Snickers bars, coca leaf readings that got genuinely spooky, and finally reaching Machu Picchu in the rain.
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hiking-camping
by Stace · Feb 10, 2017
Once you've packed as light as possible for the Lost City trek, it's time to start hiking. Four days through Colombian jungle to a city hidden in the Sierra Nevada — here's exactly how it went.
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hiking-camping
by Stace · Jul 13, 2026
El Chaltén exists purely because of the hiking — trails leading straight out from the main street to Fitz Roy views that genuinely stop you mid-sentence. Here's why it deserves more than a passing stop.
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hiking-camping
by Stace · May 21, 2020
Iceland offers some of the most varied and spectacular hiking in the world — from short day walks near Reykjavik to multi-day treks through highland wilderness. Here are the best ones.
Read more →Packing Lists for the Trail
Every packing list here comes from a real multi-day trip — no theoretical gear lists, just what actually made it into the pack and earned its place.
packing-lists
by Stace · Mar 15, 2026
The West Highland Way is 96 miles of Scottish highland trail from Milngavie to Fort William. Here's exactly what I carried hiking it with Freddy on my back — the gear, the mistakes, and what I'd change.
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packing-lists
by Stace · Mar 15, 2026
Packing for Patagonia means preparing for wind, cold and unpredictable weather while also packing for a three year old. Here's the exact list I carried across three weeks — Torres del Paine, El Chaltén and beyond.
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packing-lists
by Stace · Sep 13, 2016
The Inca Trail is a stunning, difficult four-day hike to Machu Picchu — a physical challenge and a spiritual one. Here's exactly what to pack, from what G Adventures provides to what you need yourself.
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packing-lists
by Stace · Aug 20, 2018
The Ciudad Perdida (Lost City) trek in Colombia is one of the toughest hikes I've completed, and packing information was hard to find. Here's exactly what to bring, based on four days of hard-earned experience.
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hiking-camping
by Stace · Aug 26, 2025
How I fit everything for me and my toddler into one Osprey Renn 50L backpack, whatever kind of adventure we're heading into.
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hiking-camping
by Stace · Mar 6, 2026
There's a version of me from four years ago who would have laughed at my current kit list. Back then it was a 36L Osprey Sirrus and zero toddler gear. Here's how it's evolved since Freddy arrived.
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gear-guides
by Stace · Aug 1, 2018
The Osprey Sirrus 36 carried me through the Inca Trail, four weeks in New Zealand and the Lost City trek in Colombia. Here's every compartment, what works, and whether it's still the right bag today.
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gear-guides
by Stace · Aug 28, 2025
Travelling with a toddler as a solo mum means packing enough for two without weighing yourself down. The Osprey Renn 50L is the pack I've found strikes the perfect balance — here's the full breakdown.
Read more →Free Tool
The Wandering Bajans trip planner lets you build your full itinerary, packing list and budget in one place — free, no sign-up required. Open it alongside any guide and plan as you go.
Packing lists
Itinerary builder
Budget tracker
Amazon Affiliate Links
Everything here has been on a real trip. Some links are affiliate links — if you buy through them I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The rectangular footprint is the thing. Most two-person tents are wedge-shaped which means one person ends up with their feet in a triangle. This one gives you a proper rectangle — enough room for me, Freddy and all the stuff that somehow comes into the tent. Sets up fast enough that he can't get into too much trouble while I'm doing it.
Wide enough that two people can actually use it without falling off the edge at 2am. The insulation matters more than you think — I used this in Patagonia where the ground is genuinely cold and it held up. If you are camping anywhere with a temperature drop, get the insulated version.
The pack I've carried across three continents — the Inca Trail, Patagonia, the West Highland Way, all of it. Note: the Amazon link points to the current version of this pack rather than my original, since Osprey has updated the model since I bought mine. Same core design, newer materials.
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