I read several packing lists before I set off on my trip, all with largely similar advice. That said, I felt once on the trail like some key things had been omitted from the posts I read which would have been helpful to know! So from my experience here is what I would recommend for your Inca Trail packing list!
I cannot speak to bag weight allowances for any company other than G Adventures, as that is the tour I did, but I expect they are fairly similar across all operators. We were each provided with a small black duffel bag. This was where our sleeping bag and spare clothes etc would go, to be carried by our heroic porters. These had a strict 6kg limit and they do check them!
You are also allowed to bring your own rucksack which you will carry each day for things like water and snacks, sun protection, hiking layers, cameras and so forth. So what should you be packing? Here are my thoughts:
Essential Inca Trail packing
Clothes
- Comfortable base layers – I used these exclusively for sleeping. Leggings and a long sleeved top, both Merino wool which I already owned from skiing.
- Raincoat – Carried it for four days and did not need it, but I wouldn’t risk doing the trail without one!
- Hiking coat – I took my RAB down puffer jacket. This proved to be a great move, as when the sun came up and it became too hot for a coat, I could scrunch it up into its storage bag and the tie that on to my backpack which was a huge space saver. It is also very lightweight.
- Hiking boots – some people did wear sturdy hiking trainers but the terrain is quite uneven so for best ankle support I would recommend you bring your trusty hiking boots. Be sure to wear them in before you go though, this is not a place you want to be picking up unnecessary blisters – some will inevitably show up anyway so don’t add to your pain!
- T-Shirts – I took a t-shirt per day as I didn’t want to put a sweaty one back on! They don’t take up much space! I would recommend these over strappy or tank tops as I found on the one day I wore one, the straps of my bag rubbed and it was quite uncomfortable.
- Hiking trousers – I invested in a pair of fleece lined walking trousers from ACAI for this trip. I love them, they are comfy, water resistant and look like a regular pair of jeans with functional pockets! Super impressed with them and would buy again!
- Exercise shorts – Every day I set off with some Gymshark shorts with pockets under my hiking trousers. When it got warm enough I could just pull those off with minimal fuss, no need to contend with grotty toilet facilities! Alternatively, those hiking trousers that you can zip bits off are a good option. A girl in my group had some Peter Storm ones that were nice – so glad outdoor activity has much more clothing choice especially for women these days!
- Gloves – It is seriously cold when you set off in the morning! I bought some from Mountain Equipment that still let you use your phone so I didn’t have to constantly take them off to take photos of all the amazing scenery! Lots of people chose to buy gloves at the local markets with llama patterns on them which were also cosy looking, so don’t worry too much if you forget!
- Hiking socks – You will want a few pairs of these for the trip to protect your feet from rubbing and sliding in your boots.
- Bed socks – If you have space I would recommend for sure. I bought some alpaca socks from the market in Bolivia and wore these to keep my toes cosy whilst in the sleeping bag. You won’t want to wear your hiking socks after wearing them all day!
- Wooly hat – Another one for those chilly mornings. I also slept in it on the coldest night.
- Cap or sun hat – the sun is pretty strong in the mountains so this just makes good sense both to keep the sun out of your eyes and avoid any heat stroke.
- Sunglasses – You don’t want to spend your entire hike squinting do you!
Not clothes
- Portable charger – If you want to keep taking photos of your journey, which I am sure you do, don’t forget to get a good battery pack that will last a few charges! Especially if like me you have an Apple watch or other gadgets you want to keep going! I got a 500gram solar powered one off of Amazon, which I was able to recharge in the sun which was fab!
- Sun screen – You are at altitude for the whole trek – which means stronger sun! So please pack your appropriate factor and keep reapplying, you don’t want heat stroke.
- Baby wipes and hand sanitiser – This is the absolute minimum I would recommend hygiene wise. The bathrooms get steadily more grim on the way…
- Water bottle – This one should be obvious! They do not let you take plastic one-use water bottles on to the trail, it is against the National Park policy (even though you find people inside selling water, gatorade, Inca Kola etc…). We were told you need at least a litre of water so most of us ended up buying second or bigger bottles. I personally found this was an unnecessary weight as we were able to fill up daily, and I drink quite a lot of water.
- Torch or head torch – It goes pitch black at about 6pm. And the sun will be rising as you wake most days but not the last one. There is the hour wait in the dark, plus you have to start the final few kilometers when it is still dark out. I took a regular torch, but wish I had bought a head torch. I thought I wouldn’t use it again but I have started running seriously again and had to buy one anyway!
- Inflatable pillow – These are not provided for you, even for hiring, so you need to source one before you go. I got a nice comfy one for about £15 off amazon.
Recommended extras to pack
- Camp fleece/hoody – I personally liked having a larger fleece which I could fit over my others that was too bulky to walk in but nice and cosy for camping in the evenings which I could also sleep in.
- Card game – There isn’t loads of time to kill at camp, as you go to bed so early as the sun sets around 6pm and you have to be up at 5am each day! But we always found we had time for a few rounds of cards or Monopoly Deal before bed time! This proved invaluable in the hour of waiting on the final morning in the dark for the park to open!
- Sleeping bag – If you have your own and it is a lightweight one, personally I would say bring it. I luckily did read on another list before I went about the weight limit, and that the stuff that you can hire is quite heavy. The roll mat is 1kg and the sleeping bag 2.5kg. My microfibre sleeping bag is only 0.9kg so I took it along and had lots more weight for other bits!
- Snacks – We were provided with some of these, a bit of fruit and some biscuits, nothing special! Sweets are definitely a good addition, easy to share and they keep everyone going.
- Buff – I wouldn’t necessarily go out and get one if I didn’t have one already but this was helpful in the cold mornings and nights.
- Blister plasters – I wore some 4 year old hiking boots, but my big toes began to rub a bit on day 3 from the constant pressure on them when going sideways down narrow uneven stone steps. I was very grateful for the blister plasters to help cushion this a bit for that final day.
- Lightweight shoes – You may want to take some other shoes to put on not your boots for walking around camp during evenings. Every list I saw said flip flops etc due to weight. HOWEVER our guide was quick to inform us that we shouldn’t wear that type of shoe as there are spiders and scorpions around that we would be vulnerable to. After we encountered a tarantula outside the food tent on that first night I left my flip flops in the bag at night!
- Shower gel and travel towel – Now contrary to what you may expect, there are shower facilities at each camp. They were pretty dicey and the water was freezing cold, but most of us decided to brave it and felt much better for it! We were given a bowl of hot water upon arrival to camp so I took mine with me to supplement the shower which made it a little more bearable!
You can choose to hire walking poles from most tour companies. I opted not to as I thought I would find them annoying but most people did get them. I was fine without, but I am quite physically fit and walk/run about 15,000 steps a day so I felt fairly well prepared.
I would suggest hiring the camping mat though as it wasnt too heavy or expensive and I imagine sleeping on the basic free one wouldn’t be too comfortable.
The most important thing to bring however is a positive attitude and a sense of adventure! The facilities get a bit grim and camping isn’t for everyone, but it is 100% worth the end goal!
