 Today I'm going to share with you a detailed guide to help you pack for the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu four days on the Inca Trail. This is in preparation for the group trip that I'm leading and hosting November 6th of 2023. If you want to join me in future trips to Peru for the rest of 2023 and 2024, check the link in the first comments. So this is pretty similar to what I packed in 2018 for the first time I hiked the Inca Trail with some modifications to make things easier and better for you. So we'll talk about bags first. We'll talk about water system shoes and then we'll cover the rest of the gear, including clothing and toiletries. All right. So I have to start with my duffel bag. Do you really need a duffel bag? No, but this is something that I use instead of taking the carry on. This is the bag that I will check. So everything that you will see here for the most part will go inside the duffel bag and I choose a duffel bag because it's pretty durable. I don't worry about the wheels, about breaking. And also because it's a duffel bag, it can fit way more than what a carry on can fit. So I go with this duffel bag from the North Face, large is the size. And I think this is a great investment. If you know that you're going to be going on other trekking adventures in the future, I highly recommend it. As you know, on the Inca Trail, you're going to be with a team of porters who will be carrying provisions and supplies that you will need for those four days on the mountains. And you're not going to give them that duffel bag. Most likely that's a duffel bag that will stay back in your hotel. Usually the companies that take you to the Inca Trail will provide you with a bag where you can fit all of the extra luggage that you want to give to the porters. So I just want to throw that out there because for some other treks, like Kilimanjaro, for example, the porters do take the entire duffel bag. So just to clarify that, that is not required. All right. So the second thing is the backpack that you will be carrying on your bag for the actual hike. Before I talk about the day pack, I want to clarify that every company has a different offer. So some companies will offer porters to carry some of your gear. And that's usually included in the package. Some companies you will have to pay extra for the weight that you are given to the porters. As you know, on the Inca Trail, you're going to be with a team of porters in addition to your guide and assistant guide. And so the porters are usually carrying the provision and supplies needed for those four days on the trail, including kitchen supplies, food, tents, sleep and mats. But for the extra gear you'll have with you, you can make the choice to either give some of it to the porters or carry everything on your own. And like I said, it's just different from one company to another. For our group trips, what we do, we allow our travelers to give up to 15 pounds included to the porters and you will end up just with a day pack. For that scenario, I suggest something between 20 liters up to 40 liters, depending on what type of traveler you are, because some people do like to pack extra snacks and extra gear just to feel comfortable on their day hacks. But for our group trips, I suggest something at least 20 liters. So this is an example of a day pack. This is the Osprey Talon for 22 for men. I don't have mine. I can't find it here. But this will be great because, like I said, you will just end up with the in your day pack. You would need water. You will need some snacks, small emergency kits, a layer or two, rain jacket, a poncho, rain cover and really just the essentials for that specific day hike and the rest will be given to the porters. So this is what I suggest between 20 liters, 30 liters will be ideal. You can go up to 40 liters. But if you are the type of person who doesn't want to give anything to the porters and by that, I mean the porters will still carry the tents and the sleeping mats. But you are going to be carrying your sleeping bag and everything else that you brought on the trail. You will need at least 60 to 65 liters. This is pretty much the only backpack that you will need on the mountain. I'm going to cover the water system. I prefer using a water bladder. This is the Osprey three liter water bladder. I've used this one for so many years and it fits up to three liters. So when you are hiking the Inky Trail, the team of porters and the chefs, they will provide you with water on the trail. So they boil water on the trail to make sure it's safe for you to drink. And at camp, whether you are starting your hike in the morning or if you stop for lunch, they will fill your water bladder. So what I like to do, just fill this water bladder and use the tube to keep myself hydrated. And usually with the Osprey backpack, it fits right here. There is a compartment that's separated from the inside of the backpack. And I really like that because if I need to stop and grab things from my backpack, I don't have to battle my way. So this would be three liters of water. And I do suggest that you also take a water bottle with you. So you can go for something around like one liter, one point five. So a camelback like this one or you can go for a smaller Nalgene water bottle. And the reason I prefer to, in addition to the water bladder to take a bottle with me is that if I want to use some electrolyte tablets, like the noon tablets, I'm going to show them to you in a little bit. Instead of using the noon tablets in my water bladder, it's going to get sticky. I'd rather use it in my water bottle and keep my other water clean and separated. OK, so that's for the water system. Tracking poles, you have an option to either bring your own tracking poles if you have a pair that you really like, or you can rent them from the company that you're tracking with when you get there. So we have both options available for our travelers. Just one tip, if you choose to take your tracking poles with you, you cannot have them in a carry-on in the airplane for most of the airlines. Some airlines will let it slide by because they see tracking poles as a potential weapon, so they have to be in your checked bag. So that's another reason why I prefer to have my duffelbag to throw my tracking poles in there. And also, if you plan on taking them and have a rubber stopper, I think that's what they call it because, like you see right here, they are pretty point so they can damage your duffelbag. So make sure that you have this rubber stopper to keep them protected. All right, so about shoes, you need your hiking shoes or the boots that you're going to be hiking in. And it's a good idea to pack something that you can use around camp when you finish hiking for the day. You just want to lounge around camp. It's good to have a pair of camp shoes. This is my favorite pair of hiking boots. And when I'm choosing hiking boots for the Inca Trail or long tracks like the Inca Trail, I look for something that has good grip that can manage the terrain. I look for something that can provide me with some ankle support. And that's why I prefer boots rather than trail runners or low-cuts hiking shoes. And I look for something that is waterproof because it's very possible to get some rain on the Inca Trail. So this is Goretex, so it is waterproof. And the thing that I love about this pair of hiking boots is that it's so soft and comfortable from the inside. I've tried so many brands, but this is the softest pair of boots that I have. All right, so this would be my main hiking boots. I would wear them every single day. And then when I am at camp, I don't have my camp shoes with me. I will leave a picture right here so I can either go for something that looks like this or I can take my sandals. I like my sandals around camp. Usually I would keep my socks and then wear them. They are pretty comfortable so I can either go for one or another. The truth is you don't really need 100% clean clothes for every single day because if you go that route, you're going to end up with so many clothes and that's not necessary. But I will just give you an idea about things that you will absolutely need. So first of all, you will need a fleece jacket or a down jacket to keep you warm for either cold nights or if it gets cold when you are hiking. And then it comes with its own rain jacket. So you want to look for something that's going to protect you from the rain in case it rains while you are hiking and with a hood for rain protection as well. I bought these two as one piece. Again, I will link to everything that I'm showing you today on this video. So when it comes to pants, I would say no more than three pants and that's already too much. I think that's what I packed in 2018 but this time I'll probably just take two pairs that should be enough for four days. So when you are picking pants, look for something that can dry quickly, quick dry, something that's light. And I like pants. I don't really like to hike in shorts because A, it protects you from the sun. It protects you from the bugs. If there are any bugs or mosquitoes on the trail, just a personal preference. If you can find something that can roll and maybe you can wear it as short if it gets pretty warm, that could be a good option too. So I took two pairs. These are pretty similar from Colombia. I took another pair from Prana. And then right here, I added the rain pants. This would be important if you choose to hike the Inca Trail during the rainy season. If you know that you are going to get a lot of rains, I think it's a good idea to take rain pants with you. But if you are going in the dry season or in between the dry and rainy season, where it might rain one day, but it's not going to rain the whole time, then I don't think rain pants will be necessary. But it's a personal preference for me personally. I don't think I will be packing rain pants, but I thought I'd share it with you. When it comes to layers, I would say three should be also enough. I look for something that's quick to dry, omni heat. These are some layers from Colombia. When I started hiking, this was the type of layers I would go for. So I packed these two from Colombia. They were pretty good. They wick the moisture. I sweat a lot in them, but they don't keep that much sweat. But then later on, I started leaning more towards marina wall layers. This is one of my favorite layers from Smart Wall. With the marina wall, it's also quick dry. It wicks the moisture and it doesn't keep the odor. So if you are hiking for hours on the trail and you were just going to get stinky and nasty, it's not something that you can really notice with the marina wall. And that's one of the things that I love about marina wall. To that, I will add something that you will sleep in in your tent. And I choose to sleep in marina wall, to be honest, because it's super warm, especially for the nights where it gets pretty cold on the mountain. So this is an underwear. Also a marina wall. And then I choose another layer. So I honestly don't pack a lot of things to sleep in. I spend every night wearing the same thing. If I need to throw a jacket to keep myself warm, I will do that. But usually the sleeping bags, they are rated for all seasons. So they will be warm enough. All right, so something to sleep in. And then a bunch of clean underwear. It's better to opt for athletic underwear. Marina wall would be ideal. I like to have clean socks for every day. So I have a bunch of socks right here. Or I would take three clean socks and I would pack some liners. So usually these liners, you can wear them underneath your socks and then change the liner and keep the socks. So that's something that you can think about. I like to wear liners under my socks. Some bras for women, I would say for me personally, even though we will be there for four days, two or three are more than enough. Gloves, because you might have some cold mornings. A pair of gloves is important. So make sure you have that with you. And a hat to keep your head warm. This is a hat that I would sleep in at night. This is a hat that I bought from Peru. I love this hat. Just throw it when I'm hiking to keep me warm. It's really cold outside. Don't forget to have a hat. At first, I threw in my regular hiking hat. This is pretty beat up. I traveled for nine months wearing this hat. It's pretty beat up. But I was thinking about this hat, but then I thought, you know what? When you are hiking, you are under the sun. You want to protect not only your face and your head, but you want to protect your neck. Because many times we had sunburns in our necks, especially Alex, he always has sunburns. So we ended up opting for this type of hat. I'm going to wear it just to give you an idea about what it looks like. So there is this cover in the back that keeps your neck protected. And this whole piece is detachable. So if you don't want to look goofy, and you don't think it's necessary, you can just remove it. It just goes through the clip. There you go. So sometimes I have some knee issues when I'm hiking for longer hours. So I pack a knee brace with me just in case. If you have any issues with your knees, I would say pack both of them for both knees that will help you. This is another reason why trekking poles are really helpful. So whether you bring in your own or you're renting them, I highly recommend having trekking poles because not only they help you with stability, but they also alleviate some of the pain and pressure on your knees and low back. I highly recommend. I always bring a buff with me when I'm hiking. Keeps your hair tidy, cover your face, cover your neck, wear it over your head. You can even use it to tie your hair if necessary. This is beautiful. I pack a poncho. Some companies do provide you with a light poncho in case it rains. But I like to have my own poncho. I'll show you this one. There it is. I also like to bring with me some dry sacks. Just one or two. You never know what you can use them for. So I would probably throw my camp shoes in there or maybe any smelly clothes that I don't want to mix with everything else. I would throw them in this dry sack. And I bring a bag if I want to throw in some snacks or nuts. I would use a reusable bag like this. Rain cover for your backpack. Sometimes they are built-in with your backpack. I saw a lot of REI and all spray backpacks that come with the rain cover. But it's pretty important. Don't forget this. You need to keep your bag protected. Even if you have a poncho, sometimes the poncho can go over your backpack and cover it, but sometimes it's not that large. So you need something that you can use to cover your backpack. So that's that. If it's really cold, you can take some hand warmers with you. Especially for cold nights, you can just throw them maybe under your socks or between your hands until you get warmer. Little towel. You just want to clean up your face because sometimes when you get to camp at the end of the night, the companies will give you a bucket of water with some soap that you can use to wash your face or your feet. Some campsites, I remember, there was a shower or two, but they didn't have hot water. So it's not even worth trying. My suggestion is to pack some body wipes with you. I don't have any right now. But there are larger sheets that you can use to clean your body. And they work really well, especially if you are hiking for hours and you just want to feel a sense of cleanliness. You can do that. But I like to bring a towel with me, something of this size. And a first aid kit. Do you really have to bring a first aid kit? Your guide and your assistant guide will have an emergency kit. But I personally like to be self-reliant and self-sufficient. So it's good to have one with you. So this one, for example, it's empty. It doesn't have everything but band-aids, pins, mostly band-aids, alcohol wipes. You can grab one for yourself. A pillow. I'm just mixing things right now. Inflatable pillow. This is a question that you should ask the company whether they're going to provide you with a pillow or not. But regardless of the small inflatable pillow like this, let me show you what it looks like. Otherwise, you can just, what I sometimes do, I just use this dry sack and I fill it with clothes, close it, and then use it as a pillow. I couldn't find my normal sunglasses. So I wanted to show you my mountaineering droolbow glasses. I probably take them with me this time. But really, any sunglasses that can protect you from the sun, that's the point. Okay, before we move to toiletries, I'm going to probably pack a pair of small binoculars. If there are any wide-life to be seen. And maybe a little lamp for your tent. This is not necessary if you have a headlamp that's enough. There you go. All right, it's on right now. So I would hang it in the middle of the tent until it's time to sleep and then turn it off. A belt. Some electronics. Okay, so I just use this packing cube to throw in all of the electronics that I need. So charger for your phone, your camera, extra batteries, SD cards, whatever that you need when it comes to electronics. Keep in mind that you won't have electricity on the trail. So it's pretty important to pack a portable charger with you to make sure that you can charge your phone and your batteries. This is an anchor portable charger 20,000 milliamps. So I will link this portable charger too. I've used it actually for seven days when we did the Mount Kilimanjaro and it worked really well. And right here I just have random items, charger, cables, SD card holder, extra batteries, my GoPro. So I like to keep them separated in one spot. I suggest that you pack some Ziploc bags with you. You never know what you can use them for. The other thing that I want you to keep in mind when you are hiking the Inca trail, you are required to have your passport with you on the trail because that's what you are going to show for your permit on the trail. So keep it protected. Maybe throw your ID and passport in here. Maybe some cash and just keep it protected in case it rains. So Ziploc bag or two will be good. All right, so moving on, I'll show you some medication and toiletries. I like to have a small bag for medication. And by that I mean I would have some ibuprofen for headaches. And it also helps when you are hiking at high elevation. I honestly know if I'm getting up to 10,000, 12,000 feet, I would take a pill or two before even getting there and it helps. So some painkillers, some pills for diarrhea. As you never know, vitamin C. I always have vitamin C with me. Some tums. I usually have stomach issues. So this is a good the anti-acid and Neosporin. And I like to have noon tablets to help me with electrolytes because what happens when you are hiking, you are losing a lot of salt through sweat. And sure you are drinking water and you're trying to hydrate but you have to compensate for the salt that's lost. And that's why you should add some electrolytes. I like these noon tablets. So I would, like I mentioned earlier, I would throw one in my water bottle and sip through it throughout the day. And right here I have a lotion. This is an insect repellent because on the Inca Trail, it's common to find some bugs and mosquito bites can be a thing. So you can have some insect repellent with you. It will be helpful. You can either opt for the spray or the lotion. Now they have all type of forms. Like when I was leading the group trip in Bali, there was one of the travelers in our group was bringing bracelets that you can wear. And they are also insect repellent. So they have all forms of insect repellent. You can choose whichever one works best for you. And this is not medication. But when I go on long hikes like this, I like to have shoe laces with me, an extra shoe lace or two, just in case you never know. So this is me trying to be overprepared. So little bag of medication. And if you have any prescription medication that you have to take, bring it. For toiletries, I really try to pack the basics. Toilet paper. And in addition to the toilet paper, I like to have wet wipes too. This is enough. I mean, it has 14 wipes. You probably won't use all of them. And in my toiletry bag, I like to take this sea to summit bag with me. And inside here, I'll show you where I have. I have tweezers and nail clippers. So this is a tip for before you start your track. Make sure that you clip your nails, your toes, so that it doesn't become uncomfortable when you're hiking. Some lotion with me just for skincare in the morning. The other hairbrush. So although I'm not going to be taking a bar, usually this is what I like. This is an all-purpose cleaner. So this is a liquid soap that you can use to clean your hands, your face, your hair, clothes, dishes, anything washable. So usually this is what I would take with me instead of a bar. Sunscreen. Very important to keep your skin protected. So apply and reapply and reapply. Whenever you stop for a break, apply sunscreen. And one thing, there are some areas when you usually apply sunscreen, you apply it to your face. But don't forget your ears and behind your ears, because I remember when I was trekking Kilimanjaro actually for seven days, this is how I learned this lesson. My ears were burnt and they started peeling pretty bad. Since then I started applying sunscreen behind my ears and your neck obviously. And really any part of your body that's not covered, apply sunscreen. Toothpaste, toothbrush, some aloe vera gel. This is in case you get sunburned, so you have something that you can use to ease the burn. Hand sanitizer. Chopstick to keep those lips protected. My lips are already dry, I have to get better at this. And I have a little floss and some hair ties. And everything fits in there pretty nicely. This is pretty much everything that you need on the Inca Trail. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments.