did that? minus the car though. had sleeping bag pus a small el cheapo 2 man tent hitch hiked camped whenever op ppresented hostel stayed etc MONKEY MIA ( DOLPHINS ) had a super hostel EXMOUTH VERY NICE keep plnty of liquids in the vehcle PLUS a fly hat your gonna need em book hostels at least 2 weks ahead your best bet IYHA stuff you pay $2 in city COST WAY MORE out thataway fyi transp costs etc

Depends on how much time you'll be spending with the pack on your back. If it's primarily on transport, between accomodation stops etc., the Farpoint 40 is ideal. If on the other hand you'll be carrying it for several hours a day, most days, then you'd be better off with a backpack designed for trekking. The Osprey has a good harness and waist belt but it gets old after a few hours when it's full.

Also when full, depending on what you're carrying, it could weigh more than 15kg which may exceed many airlines carry on limit - so you may have to check it in at some point.

Quality is excellent and warranty unsurpassed.

It comes in 2 back lengths - correct size is essential for carry comfort.

I'm also a fan of packing cubes but I don't use them with the Osprey. Most common sizes don't fit that well and I since the pack is front opening, plastic bags and stuff sacks are good enough to keep your stuff organised - and lighter and cheaper.

My biggest gripe with the Osprey Farpoint 40 is the pretty useless secondary compartment including a huge laptop sleeve. I'd prefer either a simple compartment which you could configure as you wish or a proper organiser compartment for your smaller items, gadgets etc. (Don't know many people who backpack with a 17" laptop these days).

Whatever you end up buying you're ahead of the game compared to those poor souls struggling with a 60-70L pack on their backs and a 20L daysac on their front...

I wouldnt say its too much for Chile/Arg. I'd argue its not enough. I had a +5 comfort in Chile and froze one night in TDP during summer.

As for in Peru/Bolivia. Depends where. I had a -10 comfort bag there and was still cold at times up in the Cordileira Huayhuash. Extreme temp means you can survive in it but it'll be pretty uncomfortable.

The other option is to just buy a reactor liner (eg sea to summit make good ones). They're about 50-100 AUD.

Coupled with a sleeping pad that has a good r value (5 being really good for warmth).

I'm not aware of a fully equipped camper van rental available in the Los Cabos area. There are, of course, SUVs for rent. You could bring basic camping gear. I did this last year and rented a standard sedan for a two-week trip in the East Cape area, went as far as La Paz, Todos Santos, etc. You can't bring backpacker stove fuel with you on an airplane, so that was a concern. I brought a small grill to set a pot, and then brought some incendiary items, like small pieces of pressed log, kindling of dry pine wood, fire starter powder to quickly start a fire, then I would gather local fire wood in small pieces and make a fire whenever I needed one to make coffee, heat soup, pastas, etc. Worked just fine. I also stayed at a yurt in the Los Barriles area, camped on the beach, stayed in a hostel in Todos Santos (had a nice back yard garden for tenters), a very cool spot called Sol de Mayo in the Santiago area, ($7 to camp) etc. I brought lots of food and snacks, but also ate at restaurants, and bought fruit, water, wine. As you travel, you'll find many areas to boondock camp, and also many places that allow camping for $3-10. E.g., Playa Tecolote near La Paz is free. I was the only one camping, but I was careful, observed, and did not make camp until dusk when all the beachgoers were gone, and I packed up each morning when I was away snorkeling, or over at Balandra Beach. Snorkling trip to the island not to be missed. Great camping at Tecolote - also restaurants, cold beer. I have never had a bad experience camping in Baja, but sometimes, I'd listen to my intuition, and occasionally I'd leave a place because it didn't feel right. Once I ended up at a place I thought was in the middle of nowhere, and a guy drove up in his pick-up and told me I was on his ranch. He was so nice - said I could stay, showed me where to find some pictographs for a hike the next day. San Bartolo has a cool natural mineral springs pool (free for all), but also a fenced picnic, tenting place with a pool, bathroom.

As an alternative, there is a company in San Diego County (Oceanside) called Vancraft that rents equipped camper vans allowed to Mexico, and then drive south after crossing at Tecate. I imagine this would be very expensive. I packed all my camping gear, clothes, etc. into a Navy Seabag, plus my carry-on duffle. Two people's baggage allowance should be enough for sleeping bags, tent. For a sleeping pad, I brought an inflatable canvas surf rider - served for both fun at beach, snorkeling, and sleeping at night. You can rent snorkel gear too, but I brought my own. Camping spots everywhere.

Thanks to everyone for your replies so far. We have flights booked and will have some plan - we're likely to head towards the eastern side of Issyk Kul and do some trekking from there - maybe near the lake, maybe in the Tian Shan. Then probably swing back westwards towards Song Kul.

One more thing if I may - we intend to trek but stay in yurts/homestays rather than pitch our own tent. I've seen some people say 'you need your own sleeping bag - make it a warm one' and others say 'nah, yurts and homestays measure themselves by their blankets - you don't need anything'. Any ideas?

I haven't had a chance to look at exact walks yet or elevation. I've done a few multi day treks at altitude like Everest Base Camp but my fiance hasn't so we're not likely to do anything too extreme. She enjoys walking but not as bad about multi-day high passes etc. Be nice to be prepared though.

Any thoughts welcome :)

Uber often seems to be cheaper . Some travelers like it because they don't have to speak Portuguese to negotiate Uber.

You need to look at a map of Salvador and of that area in particular. Santo Antonio (note: in Portuguese it's bairro--BUY-roo-- not barrio BAH-ree-oo as in Spanish) is the adjoining neighborhood to Pelourinho, the redone touristy neighborhood of Colonial architecture, museums and bars/restaurants.

Praca de Se (the bus stop is nowadays actually a couple of blocks from Praca de Se, closer to the Lacerda Elevator, and the Praca is closed to vehicle traffic) is on the far side of Pelourinho from Santo Antonio. It would be a hike, with luggage, on some hilly, uneven cobblestone streets. With a taxi/Uber, you would be able to get to the door, using the back way in.
The pousada is probably on the Ladeira do CaRmo (not Camo; it's named after a famous local church & convent nearby; ladeira means a slope, a steep street ).

Good suggestions above for treks. You could also do the Manaslu trek with a trekking company and then continue on the Annapurna Circuit solo. There is also a Langtang, Goshinkunda, Helambu combo.

Question #2. You should bring a sleeping bag on the trek. If you don't want to bring one from home, you can rent one in Kathmandu - rent one at Shona's. Porters (and some guides) don't carry sleeping bags. They use blankets at the tea houses. The blankets are quite dirty. If you depend on the blankets, a porter could be left without a blanket and be cold for the night. I think it is responsible for a trekker to bring a sleeping bag on a trek.

Hiking shoes/trail runners/hiking boots - It's a personal preference depending on how much support you want. You don't need mountaineering boots. If you cross some high passes, there could be snow. Gaiters are useful. In a pinch, you can use plastic bags. Bring a change of socks because they will get wet. Socks should be non-cotton - wool or synthetic..