Hey guys,

First 15 days of JanuaryFebruary  I'm going on vacations with my GF to the South of Argentina, to a place with lakes and forrests/woods/mountains.

Most of the stuff to do there is walking around on the National Parks (no, they are not under UN command ) trekking, etc, you know the drill, outdoorsy activities.

Being myself a city guy that forgot most of what I learned on the "scouts" when I was a kid, I'm asking on advice on what kind of light gear to take to the trip to be ready in case anything happens.

I got the knife/multitool front covered, all others are open to suggestions


NsB

Before that question can be answered you need to do a little homework on what the likely weather conditions will be in the area.  Also nice to know is just how involved your trekking will be.  Marked trails, scrambling, short walks, all day hikes.

I can't find my list of the 10 essentials that you shouldn't go into the woods without, but IIRC they go something like this:

First-Aid Kit
Food & Water
Rain gear
Fire starter
Compass
Map
Flashlight
Clothes
Pocket knife
Sun protection

To that list I normally add a whistle, duct tape (you can wrap it around a walking stick or water bottle to save space), sun glasses, hat, and insect repellent if necessary.

Be advised that you may need a different compass for South America than in the US - the needles are balanced differently IIRC.

My daypack for travelling in serious mountains isn't much different from my full on backpacking pack.  The main difference is a more rudimentary stove, less food and a bivy bag and light sleeping bag rather than a tent and proper sleeping bag. I can deal with the weight and if something bad happens, I have some food, the ability to cook it and brew up warm drinks (even if it's just hot water) and shelter.

As another poster stated, it would help to know what sort of activities you will get into down there, what elevations you think you will be climbing to, etc. Will you be travelling with an organized trekking company?  If so they may provide some gear, and if not, can probably provide a good packing list.

I'm gonna stay on a hostel and from there I'll go to the Parks/Lakes on the morning, to return on the evening (tops) to sleep at the hostel. Nothing will be more than a 12-15 hours walk, and most of them will be just half day (either mornings or afternoons).

The temperature there is something like slighty cold (10-15 C) on the day to kinda chili on the nights (near 0 C)

I'm not planning on do anything serious, just walk around on the marked paths, maybe detour a little to have lunch on the grass or to see some river/etc. Basically, walk around getting rid of the year's stress while admiring mother nature. I like to walk, so maybe I detour a little more than expected, but not THAT much.

I'll bring sanwiches to eat or something that doesn't need cooking on site.
Wild animals are not a problem, most I'll see is a small deer or a wild rabbit (which is a VERY good thing, as I can not carry anything in here/there [mad])

I'm pretty sure that for what I'm planning to do I can do well with jeans, marching boots and some polar jacket, but I'd like to cover basics and a little more just in case.

Case in point, I just bought a little GPS in case I get lost and I'm gonna ask my father for a handy radio in case I need to call in for help.

The posted list seems pretty much what I was thinking plus some items I haven't even considered (like the bug repelent and the whistle) and that's exactly the kind of  input I'm looking for here, outdoorsy common sense for stuff that a city guy wouldn't think about. I'm also going to get 30 feet or so of some nylon rope.

Thanxs for the answers so far [:)]

NsB

At those temps I would stay away from jeans or any other cotton clothing.  Look for some synthetic or wool pants.  I remember reading in one of my backpacking books that most hypothermia cases occur when temps are 40F-50F and the person gets wet somehow.  

GPS is a good insurance policy, but make sure that you have a map and compass too.