Part 1: Before the Hike
For Cusco
- 1 pair of clothes for before and after the trek
- Get tip money for the guides
- Patagonia backpack (I think I would have preferred to take a backpack and a small rolling suitcase) – Buy from REI
- 1 lock for the bag you leave behind – Buy from Amazon
Part 2: Hiking
For the Trek
Have with you at all times:
- Toilet paper (grab this from camp before and after each day)
- Chapstick – Buy from Amazon
- Sunscreen – Buy from Amazon
- Plastic bags (gallon sized)
- Cell phone to take pictures
- Bandaids
- Supplements
- Passport
- Lock for duffel – Buy from REI
- Credit Cards
- Sun Hat (I used a hat from Sunday Afternoons but would have loved one of these Buy from REI
- Currency and wallet
- Pen
- Small Travel Umbrella
- Sunglasses – Buy from Amazon
- A dry bag that I had from an old Oakley Bag (a trash bag would have also worked)
Hiking the Trail
- [Bought in Cusco] Sunscreen (wish I would have had the kind that rolled on)
- [Bought in Cusco] Water
- Have some Peruvian Sols (their currency) ready to pay for bathrooms or things that you forgot since there are no ATMs
- Trash bag (better than a rain cover for a pack)
- Cell phone holder that strapped to backpack (would have been great to have an external pocket that strapped to my belt)
- 2 carabiners (I had two and probably could have used one more. These came in handy for all sorts of reasons).
- Cell Phone for taking pictures (there will be no WiFi)
- Backpack (I used a 20 L Travel backpack from Amazon – worked great until a tear formed) – Buy from Amazon
- REI travel duffel – Buy from Amazon
- Duct tape (solved the tear problem) – Buy from Amazon
- Buff to keep the sun off my neck – Buy from Amazon
- 2 pairs of underwear from REI (wash 1 each night) – Buy from REI
- 2 water bottles (I only used 1) – Buy from Amazon
- Travel belt – Buy from Amazon
- Mosquito Repellent
- Baby wipes
- Poncho (got one on clearance from REI)
- Deodorant (ran out of my travel size on the last day)
- Camping towel (I had a small size and it worked ok. At times I wish I brought my large sized one) – Buy from Amazon
- Soap bar (we were given hot water each day and I brought this from a hotel)
- New Balance Running shoes (I chose this instead of hiking shoes at the last minute)
- 2 Moreno wool medium weight socks – Buy from Cabela’s
- 3 sock liners – Buy from Cabela’s
- 1 Patagonia long sleeved SPF 45 hiking shirt (I picked the grey one but this started to get really dirty – would suggest a black or dark red) – Buy from Patagonia
- 2 Black Champion dry fit shirts to go under the Patagonia shirt – Buy from Target
- 1 Smart Wool Shirt – Buy from Smart Wool
- Gloves (these were the liners and were a bit of a pain because I had to take them off to take a picture) – Buy from Amazon These would have worked better.
- Bungee cords for strapping wet items to my pack or tent
For My Android Phone
- Chargeall battery for laptop (make sure to at least bring a 20,000 version to last the week)
- My Tracks App so you can record your trip
- A phrasebook
- Google Translate: iPhone and Android
- Trip Advisor App: iPhone and Android
- VPN software for phone and laptop
- A few audiobooks that I downloaded ahead of time
- I have an Android phone so I had an SD Card and SD/USB Adapter
- Universal USB cable – Buy from Amazon
- Cord Turtle for headphones – Buy from The Container Store
- Corded headphones
Food
- Trail Mix
- Supplements
- Protein bars
At night on the trail (1 pair of clothes for the night (underwear, socks, pants, shirt)
- Teva sandals – Buy from Amazon
- Thermal Shirt – Buy from Amazon
- Thermal Pants – Buy from Amazon
- 1 Patagonia Nano Puff jacket – Buy from REI
- Headlamp (preferably with a red light so you don’t blind people)
- 1 Icebreaker beanie – Buy from Moosejaw
Misc Items
- Gloves that work with a touchscreen
- Business Cards
- RFID wallet for passport
- Pen
- Bestek Universal adapter and converter – Buy from Amazon
- Laundry detergent – Buy from Amazon
- Travel Toothbrush – Get from Target
- 2 travel-sized toothpaste (my travel size ran out and ended up sharing this from other people)
- Compression socks –
- Altitude Rx 120 Capsules – Buy from Amazon
Part 3: After The Hike
For Aguas Calientes
- 1 pair of nice clothes to change into
For The Return to Cusco
- 1 pair of clean underwear to sleep in
Things I could have left at home
- 1 Patagonia Better Sweater – Buy from REI
- Zero Lemon battery. 20,000 units seemed to last charging my camera each day
- For the Sauna: 1 quicksilver hybrid shorts/swimsuit (could have used my hiking pants instead)
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Tips
- Buy anything large or expensive from REI. They have an amazing 365 return policy even if an item is used.
- You will sweat a lot. If you plan for this then you can have baselayers that you can wash and keep your outer layers clean.
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