In addition to diseases, they are also concerned about what might be carried into the country via your belongings. So there are strict customs searches at both airports and even the road border crossings between Argentinean and Chilean Patagonia.

• Passport - everyone needs this so this is a no-brainer.
• Comfortable Shoes - the region's outdoor activities revolve range from tropics to mountains to deserts. This works for most situations, but hiking boots may be needed for more rugged pursuits in places such as Patagonia.
• Hat - don't take for granted the dangers of UV radiation especially since the southern parts of Latin America are close to Antarctica and thus the ozone hole. A hat will at least keep your scalp from getting severely burned or increasing the likelihood of developing cancers from radiation exposure. If you're wearing a broad-rimmed hiking hat, it could also help protect your neck, ears, and face.
• Sunscreen - again, given the sun's harmful UV rays, it's a good idea to protect other exposed parts of your skin from sunburn.
• Sunglasses - prevents cataracts or other harmful effects of prolonged exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays on your eyes. Better ones can also guard against dust blowing around and getting into your eyes.
• Bug Repellant - this can be controversial because the chemicals contained in these things can be harmful to the environment. However, getting eaten alive by mosquitos is not desirable either (especially if there's always that potential of getting some mosquito-born disease, which is certainly probable in the tropical north). In any case, the most effective repellants contain DEET, but they're smelly and toxic if used excessively. The better way to go environmentally, though not necessarily a comfortable one, is to cover your skin with long sleeves and pants. Probably more relevant in the subtropical north than Patagonian South.
• Layered Clothing - this means wearing multiple layers of jackets, sweats, or shirts and taking them off/on depending on the conditions. This is very important to be able to adapt to the variable weather and climate in the region. It can easily go from freezing cold to scorching hot and back in a day. This will at least protect you from exposure to hypothermia or even heat stroke.
• Rain Coat - this will keep you and your equipment dry for the most part (with a rain poncho covering the pack in addition to the body). Sudden downpours can occur through Latin America and this will at least keep you sane under such conditions (not to mention limit your exposure to hypothermia).
• First-Aid Kit - this often-overlooked necessity allows you to disinfect and close wounds or tape up a sprained ankle. You never know when Murphy's Law strikes and having this kit will at least put you in a situation to deal with the consequences rather than letting circumstances degenerate into something more life-threatening than it has to be.

Some other things worth bringing to enhance your experience include...

• Hiking Sticks/Trekking Poles - this is useful for longer and more involved tramping excursions (especially multi-day or very long day hikes). They provide you at 1 or 2 extra "legs" to maintain your balance on stream crossings or alleviate shock to your knees if you're carrying a pack
• Lots of Memory or Film or Portable Hard Drive - the first and third items are for digital photographers. In any case, you'll be taking heaps of photos and you'll want to make sure you can bring all your photos home

Finally, nature is inherently dangerous and unforgiving, and since much of Latin America's nature isn't very developed with infrastructure we might be used to in more developed nations, you need to be cognizant of these dangers. Below is a list of things you need to be aware of to stay safe in the outdoors...

• Getting lost - always stay on the tracks and heed the signs. Bring a topo map as well as a compass with you if you're on a more involved hike where it's easier to lose the track.
• Hypothermia - given the amount of high elevation adventures or desert extremes, the danger is very real. Always pay attention to the weather reports before undertaking any tramp that exposes you to the elements. Bring a rain coat to avoid getting wet and losing heat that way.
• Streams and Rivers - while many popular walks have bridges, other more difficult walks involve crossing unbridged streams and rivers. Use your hiking stick to gauge depth and do not cross if it has been flash flooded or you can't see the bottom. Generally waters thigh-deep or higher are very dangerous for crossing.
• Poisonous Wildlife - The rainforests of the north is home to some poisonous organisms like snakes. You need not be paranoid of being in the same habitat as some of these creatures if you respect them and keep to the tracks with proper equipment.
• Road Fatigue - given the vast distances you have to drive to get around Latin America (especially Argentina), you'll need to be wary of this. To prevent falling asleep behind the wheel or losing your focus, try to switch drivers periodically or at least utilize some of the roadhouses to recharge.

The real question should be how much time should you spend in each country? Even that's a pretty vague question. So I've compiled a list below for each of our Latin American trips to give you an idea of what might be considered sufficient for your needs. Realize that we tend to be pretty ambitious in our natural endeavors while mixing in some culture and city scenery so the blogs we have and info we provide corresponding to the durations listed below are merely guidelines. You may want to go at a slower pace or you might think we didn't cram enough stuff into our own itineraries.

• Iguazú Falls (Argentina/Brazil) - 5 days including the gruelling travel days
• Angel Falls & Ciudad Bolívar (Venezuela) - 7 days including all travel days
• Patagonia (Argentina/Chile), Buenos Aires (Argentina), and South Beach (Miami, FL, USA) - 12 days total including all travel days and layovers