Inca Trail Trek Packing List: Here’s the Complete Packing List to Bring to this Hike
The Inca Trail Trek packing list–It is very important to have appropriate clothing for trekking. The temperatures on a high-altitude trek can drop below freezing, especially at night. It can also get very cold during the day when the sun drops behind a cloud. Trekking can be uncomfortable if you are ill-prepared. Even if you do not use each item listed, it’s better to be prepared.
Documents for Inca Trail Trek Packing List
- Flight info (required) (Printouts of e-tickets may be required at the border)
- Insurance info (required) (With photocopies)
- Original Passport (required) (With photocopies) (if you have old and new passport, please bring both passports).
- Mandatory health declaration form during the pandemic time.
- One other picture ID, such as a driver’s license
- Required visas or vaccination certificates (required) (With photocopies)
- Vouchers and pre-departure information (required).
- International Health Card (“Yellow Card”) with proof of Yellow Fever inoculation within the last 10 years (if you are extending your trip to the Amazon Rainforest)
- Expense money, American dollars, and Peruvian soles in cash, credit/ debit card, there are ATMs in Machu Picchu town and most of the services accept credit cards.
Items Available for Rent:
- Sleeping bag (USD 5 per day)
- Trekking poles (a pair of poles USD 5 per day)
Essentials for Inca Trail Trek Packing List:
- Cash (US dollars and Peruvian soles), credit card, and debit card.
- Backpack to carry your things (daypack).
- Personal first-aid kit (anti-inflammatory tablets e.g. Ibuprofen)
- Mask (masks are mandatory in public during the pandemic time).
- Luggage tags and locks.
- Reusable water bottle (this is very important to bring because we are against littering/polluting with more plastic the mother earth).
- Personal towel (should be small).
- Toilet paper, and face tissue paper.
- Waterproof backpack cover
Electronic Gadgets:
- Camera, or phone with a good camera.
- Power bank battery, camera charger, and adapter.
- Binoculars.
- Torch or headlamps with extra batteries.
- Outlet adapter
- Memory card
Clothing:
- Comfortable hiking pants
- Down jacket or a warm jacket
- Fleece top/sweater
- Good hiking boots with protector ankle or similar.
- A pair of flip-flops or light sandals (hiking sandals are recommended).
- Hiking long-sleeve T-shirts and shirts.
- Thermal base layer
- Hiking socks.
- Sun hat or cap
- Warm hat for the nighttime
- Gloves for the nighttime.
- Buff
- Bandana
- Bathing suit in case you want to go to the hot springs in Machu Picchu town.
- Rain gear (especially if traveling in the wet season, from October to March) Goretex jacket, Goretex pants, Goretex boots, Goretex gloves.
Personal Care Items:
- Sunblock.
- Sunglasses.
- Hands sanitizer gel.
- ChapStick (lipstick)
- Deet or mosquito repellent (recommendable 40% DEET).
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrush
- Biodegradable soap
- Contact lenses solution if using contact lenses.
- Swipe
- Facial wet tissue
Gear:
- Sleeping bag, it should be -5oC/ 23F to -15oC/ 5F (available for renting).
- Sleeping bag liner.
- Hiking poles rubber-tipped (or you can rent one pair from us).
- Ear Plugs.
- Reusable plastic bags (to keep everything dry).
- Pack liners to waterproof bags
Hiking Boots–Inca Trail Trek Packing List
Your boots must be waterproof, warm, comfortable, and broken in! Please choose them carefully. For this trip, you need a medium- to heavyweight hiking boots designed for on- and off-trail hiking with multi-day hikes in mind. Lightweight boots don’t offer the high degree of ankle support and foot protection you need. Full-grain leather is extremely water-resistant and durable and is preferable to split-grain leather or nylon. Remember that full-grain leather boots tend to be stiffer and will need a break-in period. If you are shopping for new boots, ask your store about boots with built-in Gore-Tex-type waterproof barriers that enhance water-resistance. If you have old full-grain leather boots, coat them with silicon waterproofing material to increase their water resistance. Waterproofing materials wear off over time and need to be re-applied. Gore-Tex boots are considered waterproof for one year unless the membrane is punctured.
If you’re buying a new pair of boots, make sure a qualified salesperson gives you proper guidance in determining fit. Don’t buy any boots that you are not permitted to return after wearing for several hours around the house. Blisters caused by improperly fitted or insufficiently broken-in boots are the most common and painful problem normally encountered on hiking trips. Before you depart, you should be able to wear your boots for a full, active day with no discomfort. Even boots you have owned for years can sometimes produce blisters when you are doing this amount of hiking. Limber up feet and boots before departure, and bring a good supply of Second Skin. Be sure to wear moisture-wicking synthetic socks. If you feel a “hot spot” forming while you’re hiking, stop right away and apply Second Skin or something similar.
Running shoes are not sufficient for the hiking conditions you’ll encounter, although they are comfortable to change into at night at the campsites.