From the best El Chaltén hikes to what to pack for Patagonia, this is everything you need to know for one week in El Chaltén, including where to stay and eat.

My story of backcountry camping starts in the spring of 2014 with a guided trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I was hooked. I have dedicated my life since to spending as many days under the stars and out of my bedroom as possible. And admittedly have been extremely lucky in that I have never knock on wood had a serious accident in the mountains. But somewhere along the way I realized that time in the outdoors is also where I get my best thinking done. Away from the dings of cell phones, the horns of cars and familiar, albeit distracting, voices of friends. The place I go when I need to find myself. That and a series if really flaky camping buddies - and here I am. An avid solo female backcountry camper (the female part I do have no control over). And I know it can be intimidating - a thin sheet of nylon your only protection when you are at your most vulnerable. So I jotted down everything I think would help if you are just getting into backcountry camping. I hope it helps!