I travelled with G Adventures on the Peru Multisport trip, so my list of what to pack for the Inca Trail is based on that experience.
Some tour companies might be a bit different in terms of weight allowances, but you probably won’t go far wrong following this guide.
What to pack for the Inca Trail
G Adventures allow you to give 6kg of stuff to be carried by one of the porters in a duffel bag which they provide. This includes your sleeping bag and air mattress.
If you hire them from G Adventures, the sleeping bag weighs 2.5kg and the air mattress weighs 1kg. That leaves you with 2.5kgs to pack. Anything above that weight will need to go in the bag you carry yourself.
Here’s what I took:
In my duffel pack for the Inca Trail
Three or four merino wool t-shirts
I recommend packing three merino wool t-shirts for the Inca Trail. The weather on the trail can be very changeable. Merino wool t-shirts are warm when you’re cold, but not at all hot when the sun is shining. They are thin like a normal t-shirt, not woolly like a jumper.
Merino wool is also naturally anti-bacterial and is resistant to odours caused by sweating. That’s perfect for a four day trek with a weight limit, as you can wear a t-shirt more than once and not smell too bad!
Two pairs of hiking trousers or leggings
I took two pairs of leggings, one pair of thermal running leggings and one pair of normal sports leggings. I wore one pair and put one pair in the duffel bag.
Hiking trousers are great for men, or if preferred for women. I personally find leggings more comfortable and they can double as pyjama bottoms.
Two pairs of merino wool trekking socks
I took two pairs of merino wool trekking socks, and I found that to be enough. My feet aren’t particularly sweaty and the anti-bacterial properties of merino wool meant that they didn’t start to smell.
Trekking socks are padded, so they keep your feet comfortable on the trek. The merino wool is also nice and warm at night when temperatures drop, and my feet never felt too hot in the day.
Underwear
It goes without saying that you’ll want clean underpants each day. I also took two comfortable sports bras, wearing one and one in the duffel.
One thermal base layer
I was really glad that I took my thermal base layer. I mostly wore it in the evenings at the campsites and used it in place of a pyjama top to sleep in. When you pack for the Inca Trail, make sure you include one of these.
I have an Icebreaker 260 merino wool thermal top which I thoroughly recommend. I often feel the cold, and this is by far the warmest top I own! Icebreaker aren’t the cheapest brand, but in this case I think it is worth the money.
Two fleece tops
I took two different weight fleece tops with me and I was glad to have both. I took a 100 fleece zip top, and a 200 fleece half zip top.
I wore the 200 fleece for hiking on the colder day (when it rained all day) and doubled up that night as the elevation meant a cold night.
One winter hat
As I’ve mentioned, the temperature drops quite a lot at night and I was glad to have a warm hat. On night two, at high elevation, I slept with it on.
One pair of gloves
I left my gloves in the duffel bag and that was just fine. One day it was cold enough to wear them on the trail, but it was raining and I didn’t want them to get wet. I was glad I had made that decision as I really did want warm, dry gloves in the evening!
I have Thinsulate gloves which I love, as they are super warm and not too bulky.
One thin scarf
Again, really just for the colder evenings I was glad to have a scarf. I took just a lightweight cotton scarf and found that to be enough. I don’t think it would have been worth the weight to take a wool one.
Packing Cubes
G Adventures provide a duffel bag for you which is big enough for your stuff, plus sleeping bag and air mattress. They are pretty good bags, with tough material and zips.
However, they aren’t waterproof and, although the porters have pack covers, it’s worth making sure your spare clothes are in a plastic bag just in case!
I packed my clothes in plastic bin liners inside a packing cube. I was glad I did that, as the porters pack your sleeping bag and air mattress for you each day in the bag alongside your clothes. The packing cube made it easier to keep my clothes separate.
Toiletries
I went light on toiletries because they can be heavy! I just took:
- Wet wipes
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Deoderant
- Face moisturiser
In my backpack for the Inca Trail:
First things first, make sure you have a decent hiking backpack. I hadn’t really thought about it before the trip and took a normal backpack. I injured my shoulder climbing a while ago though, and it was sore before the trek.
Another member of my group advised me to get a backpack with good padded hip straps to take the weight off of my shoulder. I picked one up at a market in Ollantaytambo and it was so worth doing!
Down jacket
What kind of jacket should you pack for the Inca Trail? I recommend taking two types. The first, a down jacket, and the second, a waterproof jacket.
It can get really quite cold at night at the campsites on the Inca Trail, particularly the second night which is at high elevation. So you’ll be glad of a warm jacket that’s light and scrunches up super small.
Waterproof jacket
Waterproof over-trousers
Same deal as the jacket, but for your legs.
Waterproof pack cover
Don’t forget about keeping the things in your pack dry. A pack cover will do the job.
Rain poncho
When you pack for the Inca Trail, I advise you to throw in a cheap plastic poncho in addition to your other rain gear. I didn’t bother, but wished I had.
On day two of my trek it rained non-stop. By the end of the day the water had soaked through my waterproofs, making my fleece soggy and cold.
Sun hat
Hopefully you’ll get some nice clear days on your hike! Because of the altitude, the sun is very strong (even if it doesn’t feel that hot) so make sure you wear a hat.
Sun cream and bug spray
You’ll also need to slop on some sun cream, and spray on some bug repellent while you’re at it. I kept forgetting about the bugs, and I got a couple of very itchy bites!
Head torch
If you need to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, you’ll need a head torch. The campsites on the Inca Trail don’t have lighting, and you might want your hands free.
You also need this for the morning on the fourth day. You’ll be leaving camp by 4am and it will likely still be dark.
Camera
This is, clearly, a trip of a lifetime so make sure you capture the moments! I have a Nikon D3500 which is an entry level DSLR.
It’s obviously bigger than a compact camera, or your phone, but it’s actually quite light compared to other DSLRs. It takes really good pictures and I wouldn’t go back to just using my iPhone now!
The evidence is on my instagram 🙂
Phone
Most of the time you’ll be out of signal on the trail, but it can be handy to have your phone in your pocket for taking quick photos if it’s raining and you don’t want to get your proper camera wet.
Also, there’ll be wifi at the lunch restaurant in Agua Caliente and you might want to catch up on your whatsapps.
Power bank
You only need a power bank if you’re planning on using your phone for taking all of your photos. If not, it’s probably not worth the extra weight. I didn’t take mine on this trek, but I have an Anker Power Bank which I rate highly.
Water bottles
You’ll be able to refill your water bottles with boiled water at camp each day and also at the lunch spots. But, of course, you need to take the bottles with you.
I found that a 1-litre bottle and a 0.75-litre bottle was plenty for me.
I like Chilly’s 750ml bottles, and it’s worth getting a water bottle carabiner so that you can clip it somewhere handy.
Snacks
You’ll be provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner on the trail, but that probably won’t be quite enough for the energy you’ll be using up. Make sure you take some energy bars or other snacks to munch along the way.
Waterproof hiking boots
I had read on other blogs that hiking boots are not required on the Inca Trail and that normal sports shoes were fine. I disagree.
I expect those bloggers travelled in summer, but I went in October (the shoulder of the rainy season) and trust me, if it rains at all you are going to want the grip of decent hiking boots! And you’re going to want them to be waterproof.
I had also read that ankle support wasn’t important. Again, I disagree. The trail is very uneven and a twisted ankle will do you no good at all!
I took my Keen Terradora Waterproof Hiking Boots, which were perfect for the job. (I wrote a post a while ago about these here).
Rubber Tipped Hiking Poles
Hiking poles aren’t essential, but most people opt to pack them for the Inca Trail. They make the steep downhill sections quite a bit easier on your knees.
If you’re travelling with G Adventures you can hire some when you hire a sleeping bag and air mattress. The only advantage of taking your own is that the hire ones all look the same, so it’s hard to keep hold of the same ones for the whole trek.
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