Is it worth bringing camping gear for Central/South America?

[SprintST]

I'm currently in Des Moines Iowa, a thousand miles from home in Ontario Canada on my way to Tierre Del Feugo wondering how much I'll use the camping gear I'm hauling along. I enjoy camping but the stuff takes up awful lot of room, not to mention the weight. One of the reasons I changed to a DR from a KLR is the lighter weight. Now I find myself loading up on the poundage again.

Accommodation costs in the U.S. are manageable in the short term (kinda) but how much would I really be camping once outside of the States? Safety is a concern since I'm traveling alone. I'm hoping to do some couchsurfing along the way and stay in motels and hostels in the cheaper areas.

For those of you who have already done Central or South America and taken camping gear along would you do it again or forego the camping altogether?

So, do I leave the camp gear at a friends and just enjoy the ride a lot more or what? HELP? Would love to hear other peoples take on my dilemma.