Colombia has thrown of its reputation as a “no go zone” and risen to become one of the most exciting and happening backpacker destinations in the world today.
It is easy to see why. The nation offers a lively party scene, Caribbean beaches, lush jungles and epic adventure options. With so much diversity, packing for Colombia can however prove pretty tricky.
And we’re here to help, friends! We’ve put together this Colombia survival guide with you all your needs in mind. We’ll take you step-by-step through a comprehensive what to pack for Colombia plan.
Let’s get started…
The Ultimate Colombia Packing List
Your Colombia packing is made easy thanks our awesome list. Let’s find our what to bring to Colombia.
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Best Backpack For Colombia: Nomatic Travel Bag
Before you even take on the task of figuring out what to pack for Colombia, you’ll need an amazing backpack to pack it all into. For all types of travelers and destinations, our number one recommendation is the Nomatic Travel Bag.
The Nomatic travel bag covers every detail to make backpacking travel the best experience. Because of its smart design, it manages to provide loads of packing space in a convenient, carry-on size package! Its handy built-in pockets make plenty of room for all the necessities on your what to pack for Colombia checklist – you’ll find separate compartments for important items like shoes, water bottle, electronics, underwear and darn tough socks. As an added bonus, there’s also an RFID-safe and cord management pocket.
You have a choice between backpack or duffel bag carry, and extra carrying comfort for your back thanks to its innovative strap system and detachable sternum strap. And its black, waterproof material is every bit sleek and modern as it is durable and tough. There is a reason why most Broke Backpacker staff swear by this backpack.
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Best Suitcase For Colombia: Nomatic Carry-On Pro
Backpacks not your thing? That’s ok. Our friends at Nomatic are back again with a great alternative to their badass Travel Bag; the Nomatic Carry-On Pro.
This suitcase is ultra-durable, sleek, and comes with a handy tech compartment for transporting your laptop and other electronic bits. Nomatic has been an industry leader when it comes to travel gear and that reputation is reflected in the quality build design and functionality of the Carry-On Pro suitcase. If you can travel on, then you can take full advantage of cheap domestic flights operating within Colombia.
Check out our Nomatic Carry-On Pro review to learn more about this epic suitcase.
Best Camera For Colombia: GoPro Hero9 Black
For most of us, our smartphones now feature cameras with stunning photo capabilities.
But… if you are an aspiring photographer who wants to take next-level photos and video beyond iPhone selfies, I recommend going with an action camera like the GoPro Hero9 Black.
It does deliver pro-quality video and gives you a bunch of a different angle options and shooting speeds to work with for photos (including a selfie-mode).
Think of a camera purchase like this as a long term investment that will have you capturing epic shots well beyond your time exploring here.
If you are looking for something cheaper for video specifically, check out these epic GoPro Alternatives.
Best Sim For Colombia – HolaFly eSim
The good news about Colombia is that there is pretty good 4g and 5g Internet coverage, taxi apps and food delivery apps. The bad news is that your native SIM card will not work and so you will not be able to access any of this online goodness until you rectify that particular situation.
You can waste time hanging around phone shops queuing to get a local SIM card or you can simply install a eSim onto your phone before you leave home. You just access the HolaFly site, choose the Colombia package, download it and off you go – you are online the moment you land at the airport.
eSims are easier to set up and better than the environment than plastic sims. The downside is that not all phones are eSim ready.
Packing Cubes For Colombia – Wandrd Packing Cubes
In case you have never used them, packing cubes are little compression cubes that allow you to neatly pack clothes in in order to help facilitate better packing. They allow you to pack more stuff, and to keep it all better organised.
For the longest time, I thought that packing cubes were a superfluous indulgence, but boy was I wrong. Now I never travel without a few.
These ones from WANDRD are great quality and excellent value for money.
Packing For Colombia Checklist: Personal Gear
Colombia’s climate does vary depending upon where exactly you are. For example, Bogota can get rainy and cold, Medellin is generally pleasant and the Caribbean coast has the full raft of tropical weather from exhausting heat to flood rains.
You also need to be mindful off not dressing like a tourist and trying to blend in as much as possible. This is not exactly easy but it is still worth trying as it will reduce your chances of being targeted by criminals. Factor all of this in when deciding what to wear in Colombia.
Want to save money on accommodation?
We got you. For reals.
Good Shoes – Salomon X Ultra 3 Low Aero
Chances are your trip to Colombia will involve a lot walking, especially if you are heading to the Colombia National Parks. The cities themselves are pretty big and pretty hilly, the mountain villages perfect for hiking and then there is the famous Lost City 4 day trek which you cannot miss.
I admit that most shoes that are also good for hiking are not the most attractive pieces of footwear. But they are some of the most comfortable and deliver good ankle support for a long day of walking about town. I mean, your body is already going to be suffering enough from all of those beers and aguardiente’s.
The countryside of Colombia is lush and beautiful and best explored on two feet. So get your walking shoes on!
Check out the women’s Salomon X Ultra 3 Low Aero.
Good Rain Jacket – Arcteryx Beta AR
Did you know that the surface of the earth is over 70% covered in water? And you know how that water got there? Yep because it tends to here rain here on planet earth quite a lot! Colombia is lush and green and therefore, it gets a lot of rain! Bogota stays kinda rainy all year round and other regions experience full on wet seasons so be prepared.
There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wing gear for it. Don’t let a bit (of a lot) of rain ruin your trip and make sure you are ready with some top notch rain gear.
This is our pick of the many rain jackets we have tried. It’s reliable & stylish and looks good worn out in the mountains or in city bars.
Travel Insurance From World Nomads
ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing.
They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.
SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!
Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.
Planner/Travel Journal
Keeping a journal is one of the best things to do when traveling. The Drifter Leather Journal by Kodiak is our favorite, it works great for digital nomads and organized backpackers and can be used as planner or a dream diary – whatever you want!
Keep on track with your goals, travels and save those precious memories, especially the ones you do not want to share online. This one is bound in beautiful leather so it looks beautiful and will withstand life on the road.
Daypack for Colombia – Osprey Daylite Plus
If you intend on doing any hiking or day trips, then bring a day pack. They are great for carrying water, hat’s and gloves and for packing sandwiches for lunch. We love Osprey products and this daypack is our personal pick.
The Osprey Daylite Plus has a mesh-covered panel to keep your back cool and fresh by minimizing contact with the back of the pack itself and allowing air to get between you and the pack.
Check out our full review of the Osprey Daylite plus for more details.
Additionally, you can attach it to other Osprey packs in case you want to add more capacity and carry just one piece of luggage… but the reviews on this feature are mixed. Your packing for Colombia is not complete with a good daypack!
Best Sunglasses For Colombia – Abaco Polarized Sunglasses
A reliable pair of sunglasses is undoubtedly one of your Colombia packing essentials. Our favorites are Abaco Polarized Sunglasses because they deliver on quality and style.
They’re built tough with triple-layer scratch-resistant lenses and trademarked Adventure-proof Frame Material. You can also customize them with your choice of lens and frame colors to reflect your own style.
Best of the Rest – Colombia Checklist
So what else is there? Lets look at some other cool shit to bring to Colombia.
Hanging Toiletry Bag
Another backpacker/traveler favorite for staying organized is a hanging toiletry bag. It’s extremely helpful to have all of your accessories neatly gathered in one bag that you can hang for easy accessibility, especially when counter space isn’t plentiful or even available.
A well-organized bag is worth having whether you’re tree whilst camping or a hook in the wall – it helps to have quick access to all your stuff.
Historically, I have been the guy who has my stuff all over the bathroom, so getting one of these things really changed the toiletry game for me. Plus they are not too expensive either. A no-brainer essential.
This one by Nomatic is possibly the best toiletry bag on the market. It is made from water resistant, wipe cleanable material that guarantees longevity and it offers excellent organisational capabilities. It is also comes with a hang-up-hook so you can hang it over the shower head or your hostel bed.
A Proper Travel Towel (Gotta stay dry!)
Towels are essential backpacking gear as a lot of hostels don’t provide them or if they do, they may not really be all that clean. However don’t bring a ‘normal’ towel on your backpacking journeys, they are big and take up loads of room in your pack and they take ages to dry.
Travel pros like use micro-fibre dry towels that roll up into tiny, space saving proportions AND they dry unbelievably quick. Granted, they are not quite as comforting as a cotton towel but its a trade of that travellers need to make. A good micro-fibre travel towers is essential travel gear on any ultimate backpacking gear list.
Swimwear
From Caribbean beaches to hostel pools to natural springs, Colombia will present you with a lot of opportunities to get into your swimwear.
During your trip to Colombia you will notice that the local females are very dedicated to making sure that swimwear is, erm, “sufficiently filled out” and the nations plastic surgeons are kept quite busy.
Try not to stare too much is all I’m saying…
Travel First Aid Kit
You don’t need to tote around half a pharmacy, but a well-stocked first aid kit should be in all our backpacks. Stuff happens on the road and it’s inconvenient and embarrassing when you can’t manage small situations like a cut finger or hangover migraine.
You can tuck this lifesaver away in a forgotten pocket – and it’ll be there when you need it.
Tip: Add a few bits and pieces to the first aid kit after you purchase it, like extra headache medicine, any personal meds you need (like allergy pills), whatever you take to calm your stomach and a few more plasters.
Suncream: Thinksport Safe SPF 50+
By now, all of us are as pasty as the driven snow from sheltering in place for the last six months. Am I right? This means we are even more vulnerable than usual to the sun’s fierce rays. Packing sunscreen for Colombia may seem like a no brainer, but you would be amazed how many sun-burned cocktail-toting people you see wandering around.
Thinksport Safe SPF 50+ sunscreen gives folks strong sun protection in a non-oily formula that’s free of gluten, paraben, phthalates and biologically harmful chemicals.
Money Belt – By Pacsafe
As we said, Colombia can be dicey and tourists are targeted. If you are robbed, the thieves will empty out your pockets and take your wallet. Therefore, hiding some cash in a money belt is a wise move.
Therefore it is always a good idea to use a money belt to hide your cash just in case something does go wrong.
The Basic Stuff To Pack For Colombia
On top of the essential items listed above, here is an additional suggested checklist of what to pack for a trip to Colombia:
- 1-2 pairs of comfortable pants/jeans
- 1-2 pairs of shorts (summer/late spring)
- A few pairs of socks
- (Sexy) underwear x 2/3
- Ladies: a few dresses, pants, outfits, or desired lady apparel for a night on the town. Whatever makes you comfy!
- Dudes: A few collard shirts or something half-way decent for a night on the town. Whatever makes you comfy!
- Smartphone with a good camera for photos if you are not bringing an actual camera
- Portable power bank for charging your phone on the go
- Phone charger
- Amazon Kindle for reading by the pool
- Copy of your passport just in case
- Cash (not too much, there are ATM machines everywhere
- Packable Towel
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Final Thoughts on What to Pack for Colombia
And there it is, amigos – you complete Colombia survival guide. With this, you have everything you need to know about what to pack for Colombia. As you continue trip prepping, remember that you have a top-21 needs packing list to refer back to with tips on what to wear in Colombia and how to pack for the different regional conditions. Plus, you have some packing recommendations for women and men – including what NOT to pack for Colombia.
Just focus on where you plan to go, what you plan to do and pack smart. Less is more! But, just follow our main tips, and you’ll be ready for anything and everything that magical Colombia throws your way!
We wish you safe and happy travels!
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