Packing List: Salkantay Trek in Peru

So you’re headed to Machu Picchu!

Chances are you came here from my post about Hiking the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, but if you arrived here from somewhere else on the internet then welcome!

This list is meant to be specific to a multi-day trek in Peru through multiple different types of terrain, but can be modified for really any hiking trip. The thing about the Salkantay Trek is that you go from freezing alpine terrain to muggy, hot jungle within 24 hours, so you really need one of everything for this trip.

I traveled with a tour group called Salkantay Trekking, and certainly would recommend them to anyone and everyone. Read more about my trip here!

Note: Camping gear was provided by my trekking company for the days that we were not staying in hotels, so I’ve left that off of this list. The tour guides recommend a -10C bag. I also rented trekking poles.

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General Gear:

• Daypack
  • I have the Osprey Tempest 20L. Osprey makes amazing products, and I’ll always be a customer of theirs. Make sure you get the right bag for your frame. For reference, I’m 5’-4” and 145 lbs.
  • 20L was plenty for the trip I did, since porters carry the majority of your gear for you. All I needed with me was water, snacks, and my layers for the day.
• Sturdy boots
  • I love my Salomons, but boots are so specific to the user. I need ones with good ankle support, but they are a lot bulkier. I also have a pair of low-ankle Merrells, but wear my Salomons a lot more. The Salomons were what I opted for on this trip.
• For clothing, see below.

In your daypack:

• Water Bladder
  • I prefer this Osprey bladder, but Camelbak is the classic and Platypus is also good. These will come down to personal preference, but don’t buy a knockoff–it’s sure to leak halfway through your hike. The guides boil water for you along the way, so there’s no reason to worry about traveler’s diarrhea. We brought some preventive medication just in case, though.
• Water bottle (if not carrying a bladder)
  • I recommend these water pouches to cut down on weight, but I also love a classic Nalgene or a Smartwater bottle.
  • I tend to carry a Smartwater bottle in addition to my water bladder in case I want to use some LiquidIV electrolytes along the hike.
• Head lamp
  • You’re going to want a hands-free light source for navigating camp at night.
• Notebook
  • I love to write about my trips as I go, so I always carry a small travel notebook.
• Camera
  • Obviously many people just use their cell phones, but I love my Canon DSLR. My absolute favorite gadget ever is the Peak Design camera clip, which holds my camera right on my backpack strap instead of in my hand or swinging from my neck. Ideal for hands-free hiking. I also have their rain cover for my camera, which was a lifesaver on this trip.
• Charger
  • I love these long-lasting portable batteries.
• Rain fly
  • Absolutely required for the rainy season in Peru. Some daypacks come with them, but if not this is the one I have. Make sure you get the right size for your daypack.
• Poncho
  • I’m glad I brought this even if I didn’t end up using it. Someone I know went a couple weeks later and got drenched, so it’s better safe than sorry! I’d say the rain fly and raincoat are necessary any time of year, and the poncho is only necessary during the rainy season (October-March).
• Dry bags
  • There are so many options for dry bags. I own a variety: This big one for clothes, these little guys for things like car keys, cell phone, money, chargers, and ID, this one for your cell phone. There are so many options, you just have to find what system works best for you.
  • If you don’t want to spend the money on fancy dry bags, ziplock bags always work too!
• passport – keep it on you; don’t give it to the porter to be safe.
• printouts of confirmations
• Cash for tipping
• sunglasses
• tissues/TP
  • Not all of the latrines had toilet paper, so I love these compact little bundles. I also bring doggie bags to pack out my waste where necessary.
• Buff
  • I’m in love with my Buff. I use it to protect my part from the sun, keep my neck/face covered, swipe off sweat, and keep wispy hair back. I have one with UPF fabric and definitely recommend it.
• Winter hat and sunhat (the one you’re not carrying should be in the bag you give the porter to swap out)
  • For the jungle portion, I got a bucket hat to be able to wear a mosquito screen.
• Gloves
  • These lightweight babies worked perfectly. You only need them the day you’re summiting Mt. Salkantay, so they can be put in the bag you give the porter on the other days.
• Mosquito net
  • Some people had full body ones, but I was fine with this kind that just covered my face. It’s not cute, but neither are bites all over your face. You spent all this energy to get that Insta photo at Machu Picchu, you want to look your best.
• hand warmers
  • Like I mentioned in my main post, the mountain is cold. I brought handwarmers for the wait at the top and was way happier than many of my companions. One per hand was plenty, no need to overpack.
• Sunscreen
  • If you’re a lady with sensitive face skin like me, this Biore sunscreen is a game changer. I wear it every day.
• Bug spray
  • This is only required the day you’re hiking through the jungle, so you can start with it in the bag you give the porter.
• Diamox, aspirin, Imodium, and other medication (see the main post for my travel medicine recommendations)
• Powdered electrolytes
  • There are many options available, but my go-to is Liquid IV. I also like these little Nuun tablets. I used to think I was dehydrated despite drinking plenty of water on hikes, before I realized I wasn’t replenishing my electrolytes. One of these makes me feel one thousand times better.

In the pack you give the porter:

I use a backpack duffel similar to this and absolutely love it.

• Sandals or light sneakers for at the campsite
  • There’s nothing like taking your boots off after a long day of hiking. I love my Chacos, Sanuk, or Tevas for sandals.
• extra batteries for your headlamp or other gear
• camp towel
• power adapter 
  • If you want to charge your phone in the hotel on the last night, don’t forget your outlet adapter

Clothing: 

Like I’ve mentioned, you’re going through a variety of climates in just a few days, so you need a variety of clothes. I put everything in packing cubes by day so that I could easily swap out the warm weather for the cold weather when the porters gave us our bags at the end of the day.

In general I brought one of each layer. I put most of my clothing in the bag we gave the porter after we summited Mt. Salkantay, but I needed the majority of it at least once.

Recommendations below:

• Packing cubes are essential for getting everything to fit neatly in your duffel and for keeping things organized.
• Puffer coat
  • The highest point of the Salkantary Trek is cold, if I haven’t said it enough! 
• Raincoat or poncho and rain pants
  • For this hike, I opted just to bring a packable poncho to wear over my other clothes.
  • I have this cheap one and a nice Eddie Bauer one and use them interchangeably.
  • I didn’t bring rain pants on this hike, but I’ve used these ones on others and absolutely love them.
• Warm fleece jacket
  • I wore my Patagonia Better Sweater, but wear whatever works for you!
• UPF sun shirt
• Hiking leggings 
  • These are another game changer. I used to wear regular yoga-style leggings, but they often aren’t tough enough and would rip if I stumbled against a rock. I have since purchased two pairs of reinforced hiking leggings, one from REI and one from Athleta. I love them both but like the Athleta ones slightly more. No more rips, they don’t slip down, and best of all, pockets! 
  • I don’t recommend shorts due to the bugs, (unless you want to wear full-body mosquito netting!) so if leggings aren’t your style go with some lightweight trekking pants. These Baleaf ones from Amazon are incredible. I own them in multiple colors!
• Wool socks
  • Everyone who hikes knows not to wear cotton, but there were a lot of beginners doing this hike with me. Wool all the way!
  • I wore Smartwool thermals at the cold camps, and Darn Tough lightweight hiking socks during the day. I also brought one pair of compression socks for the day with the most altitude change.
• Quick-dry underwear
  • Another game changer. Whether it’s rain or sweat, things get wet. These are so incredibly comfortable and definitely help keep swamp ass at bay.
• Long underwear to sleep in (tops and bottoms)
  • This is what I wear to sleep while camping. You don’t want to over-bundle in a good sleeping bag. Let your body heat do its job!

Toiletries/Other

• Dirty laundry bag
  • One of my biggest travel hacks is to use a wet bag meant for dirty cloth diapers to contain especially smelly clothes!
• Deodorant
• Extra contacts, glasses
• Personal hygiene items
• Hand sanitizer
• Itch relief cream
• Extra batteries
• Ear plugs
  • I use my Loop Quiet earplugs whenever I camp. Tents offer no noise insulation!
• A small lock
  • I locked my bag but not everyone did. We had no issues, but better safe than sorry.
• Chapstick
• Blister pads/moleskin
• Baby wipes or these fun Epic Wipes
  • I personally didn’t think it was worth it to shower at the campsites–there was a long line, I was sleeping in a rented bag, and we were just going to get gross first thing the next day. I opted for a whore’s bath of baby wipes and dry shampoo, until we got to the hotel on the last night.

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