Inca Trail and Beyond Trek
The following checklist should help you with your packing. As a general rule, you should always try to keep the weight of your equipment to a minimum.
For conservation reasons the packed weight of your trek bag (including your sleeping bag and camping mattress) when trekking on the Inca Trail is limited to a maximum of 10 kgs – 22lbs. Items not required on trek can be stored at the group hotel in Cusco.
You must bring the following items:
4 season sleeping bag*
Thermarest or similar camping mat*
Daypack c. 30 litres**.
Headtorch / headlamp with spare bulb and batteries
Sun protection (including total bloc for lips, nose etc)
Water bottles 1 Litre / 2 pint (x 2)
Hiking boots
Trainers / sneakers or similar for travelling and camp use
Socks
Technical walking socks (2 or 3 pairs)
Trekking trousers / trekking pants
Waterproof over-trousers / rain-pants
Underwear
Thermal baselayer shirts (2 short sleeve, 2 long sleeve)
Casual shirts and/or T-shirts
Fleece jacket or warm jumper
Waterproof jacket
Warm jacket (down)
Sunhat
Lightweight thermal gloves
Warmer over gloves or mittens Warm hat
Washbag and toiletries
Small towel
Eyewear - Sunglasses
The following items are optional:
Trekking poles ***
Long johns (thermal underwear)
Swim wear (for the hot springs at Aguas Calientes)
Travel clothes
Nailbrush
Antibacterial handwash
Sleeping bag liner
Pocket-knife (note: always pack sharp objects in hold baggage)
Repair kit – (eg. needle, thread, duct tape)
Small padlock (to lock your KE trek bag)
Camera, film / memory cards, batteries
Spare laces
Basic First Aid Kit including: Antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium), altitude (Diamox), painkillers, plasters (band-aids) and blister treatment, and re-hydration salts (Dioralite).
Notes:
Items marked * can be hired / rented through KE Adventure Travel. Please make requests at least 6 weeks prior to trip departure date. All hire / rental equipment is issued in Cusco.
Perurail has a strict policy on hand baggage on the train to the Inca Trail and from Machu Picchu. The weight of your hand baggage on the train must not exceed 5kg and the sum of its dimensions (length + width + height) must not exceed 157 cm or 62 inches. If your daypack exceeds these dimensions it must be placed inside your trek bag for transportation on the train.
For conservation reasons, trekking poles cannot be used on the Inca Trail unless they have rubber tips. Please make sure that when flying, sharp objects such as trekking poles and knives are packed into your check-in luggage.
