Travel South: a few questions

1. Where in Pto Montt can we leave our car
   How much does it cost
   is it safe?

A. the majority of hostels and hotels has own parking, generally for free in the stay period, but a cheap arrangement is possible during your stay in TDP

follow this link
[ http://www.sernatur.cl/scripts/sitio/destino_servicios.php?destino=158&servicio=1]
and see in the sheet of the hostels for "Alojamiento" at the bottom of the page
also there are in Puerto Montt parkings "Playas de Estacionamiento" , compare prices and quality (for me better the parking of the hostels)
Airport parking? yes, it is a common practice in Chile, safe, but remember Puerto Montt is rainy

1. Is it possible to base oneself in a place, and take day hikes from there, then get transportation to another place, base oneself there, and take day hikes from there?

Sure, the typical, base in Pehoe

Refugio Pehoe
(previous a short catamaran crossing) and there trek to Glacier Gray and other day Ventisquero Frances and then return by bus to Laguna Amarga, but here better (looking for your state) arrange previously a van of Hosteria Las Torres
http://www.lastorres.com/
pick you and family to this Hostel and trek to Mirador de Las Torres

sorry , in the sheet describing the hostels the word is "Estacionamiento), not "Alojamiento"

You should not have much problem in finding a place to base yourself. The area is used to dealing with tourists. People in that part of the country tend to be fairly accommodating and helpful.

You will find prices high around Torres del Paine. You will also find it cold and windy there, even in February. You'll need to dress warmly and protect yourself from the wind. It's easy to get hypothermia there because the wind blows away your surface heat and your body takes heat from the core to replenish it. It does not seem like you're getting cold when you really are. If you start craving things like hot soup, pay attention to that craving. That's your body telling you it wants some warmth.

Have a good trip.

Thanks Fernando, very useful, as usual!
Poster #3, thanks, I'm not very concern about weather, it's just our mobility that might be a problem.
Thanks again

perhaps you should be...

the winds can be strong enough to flatten tents, or blow you off your feet. they blow up out of nowhere, in sudden, sustained bursts. it can also rain torrentially. we saw a lot of cold, wet, miserable people when we trekked there.

i dont want to be alarmist- it might be settled and sunny the whole time you are there. but treat it with respect and be prepared, you're not all that far from antarctica...

gregor

Gregor,
Thanks, but what I meant, is that I know how that weather can feel (we've all hiked through similar weather previously, and my husband and I still do it frequently at high altitude). Not that I don't care about the weather, or won't plan accordingly. I know that "bad" weather can transform a pleasant hike into a death walk, that's why we'll have the "right" gear (plus our small gas burner to get something hot for lunch) with us. However, right now, I'm more concern about wether my dad and I will be able to walk to somewhere nice without exhausting ourselves (in normal conditions, then I'll factor in the weather).