can i mail my camping gear to Puerto Natales ?

Hello all !!! great board !
so i am planning a trip to SA early next year. I really want to do some extensive hiking in Patagonia. I have read that renting gear in Puerto Natales can be iffy, shotty gear, leaking tents? Now since i am traveling for 3 months, i would prefer to not carry all my own gear the whole trip. Does anyone know if there is a place that people can mail down their gear so its ready to use when i arrive? then mail it home when im done of course? I guess i was hoping some place specialized in taking care of things like that down there?

thanks..

Hi Redmenter,

I used the worldwide Poste Restante service when I travelled. Basically, this means that you can post your stuff ahead to a post office mailed to yourself as follows:

example:

Mr. Red Menter
Poste Restante
General Post Office,
10 Main Street
Hicksville
USA

Most general post offices have this service and will hold your things for up to 3 months. Some post offices will charge a small fee while others can charge by the day. It can vary.

However, Puerto Natales is a tiny little place and they may not have this service at their post office, so if you could find some way to check ahead it would be a good idea. However, if they do, I would vouch for it as being a great way to send and receive things around the world. I used it all over South America, the US and New Zealand.

Hope that helps.
Evelyn