Peru Packing List - can I see yours?
 

I'm starting to think about what I need to acquire before our trip. We'll be there for most of May. Going Lima-Nazca-Arequipa-Colca Canyon-Lake Titicaca-Cusco-Machu Picchu-Sacred Valley. I've read a bunch of articles of suggested clothing to pack, but no real packing lists. We will be doing backpacks and packing light. Planning to wash clothes. Total length of trip is 20 days on the ground.

Here's what I was thinking so far for clothing for one person... what am I missing?

Lightweight pants (for hiking, trekking) - 3 pairs
Jeans - 1 pair for dinner, going out at night
Short-sleeve quick-dry shirt - 3
Long-sleeve quick-dry shirt - 3
Lightweight fleece jacket - 1
Windbreaker - 1
Underwear (quick-dry?) - 7?
Underwear, thermal - 4 (for Inca Trail)
Athletic/tennis shoes - 1 pair
Walking shoes (closed toe - probably sneakers) - 1 pair
Bathing suit - 1
Poncho - 1
Wide-brimmed Hat
Sunglasses

Am I missing anything clothing-wise? From what I read it'll be too chilly for shorts, plus pants are better protection against bugs. And sun (I burn easily). Do we need more layers or anything heavier to stay warm on the Inca Trail?

What did you pack and for how long of a trip?

I went for 4 weeks

I would drop one of the pairs of pants
Just bring one short sleeve top (plan to buy a souvenir t-shirt)
Far too many pair of thermal underwear you won't be doing washing on the Inca Trail..just one pair of longjohns and maybe two tops.

If you have a type of thermal underwear that can be worn as a blouse then sub it for one of the long sleeve shirts

You forgot SOCKs..lots of socks! Wool and quick dry synthetic

You don't really need a windbreaker and a poncho.

Bring some kind of shower shoe, flip flops or slides

Buy your gloves, knit cap and scarf in Arequipa, Colca or Cusco before your trek, you'll want them at night.

Old swimsuit only if you do plan on going in the hot springs, eg at Colca. Then toss it when you are done.

BTW they will probably brief you on this, but when you are doing mountain hiking in cold weather you will overdress in the morning and then as soon as you start going uphill you will heat up and strip everything off!

For your hat bring one with a chin strap in case it is windy.

Also something to pad your toes on your downhill. Especially if you are not wearing ankle high boots.

I am not clear on your footwear. What are you planning on hiking in? I hope it is not tennis shoes.

cargo pants that zip down to shorts.
Goose down Parka FREEZIN in the mountains at night.
several pairs socks nothing dries
light 1# GoreTex hikers for trekking. Layers.
A good medical kit some Diamox to prevent altitude illness
and antiobiotics for the Attack of Atuahalpa #1 cause of disability. I contraceted this from the chicken soup they put the feet in there but was ableto arrest it in a few hours thanks to my trusty medical kit. mdtravelhealth.com Peru.

Good luck!

Socks, yes! I'm trying to figure out a good company/style that will stay pretty dry. Any recs?

The poncho is just a fold-up cheap on in case it rains hard. That way my camera bag is somewhat protected. (It has a water cover, but I like to be extra careful.)

Yeah, too many pants. Good call.

I actually just placed an order for hiking boots, so I'll be wearing those on the Inca Trail, as well as during our Colca Canyon hike, and potentially our Lake Titicaca tour as well (stairs!). Any sock recommendations for those? I've heard to wear two pairs so they rub on each other.

Goose down parka, really? I've read to just wear all your layers at night and in the morning. Then strip them off. So short-sleeve + long-sleeve + fleece + windbreaker (if I have that).

I disagree about the down parka. You will have a sleeping bag at night.

Cheap plastic poncho is fine.

I have a collection of wool sport socks, SmartWool has a wide range, seem to hold up well with repeatd machine washing (not dryer). You can find them online at discounters. Wool socks are okay when wet and don't seem to get as smelly as quickly. For regular travel (not hiking) I use microfiber and Coolmax type low rise sport socks.

I don't wear double socks anymore now that the technology of hiking socks and blister pads has ramped up since the old days.

Speaking of blisters, moleskin is so old school! Do a bit of googling online to find the options for blister prevention and treatment.

I also like to bring a pad of lambswool and wrap my toes in it when there will be a long day of hiking, especially for downhill. Learned that in New Zealand on the Milford Track!.

We're doing a 6-7 night lodge to lodge hike on the Salkanatay trail this July through Mountain Lodges of Peru. MLP recommends the following packing list for the 6 night/7 day hike. I've read a couple of reviews that say that the list is spot on (take into account that we will be sleeping in lodges rather than tents)

Day pack
Broken-in hiking boots (sneakers are not suitable)
Full rain gear or poncho
Gloves
Lightweight hiking pants (recommended) or shorts
Breathable dryfit top-wear
Comfortable shoes/flip-flops
Cold-weather jacket
Long-sleeve fleece/sweater
Wool hat
Baseball cap or sombrero
Binoculars
Headlamp
Sunglasses
Comfortable hiking socks (at least 4 pairs)
Sunscreen
Insect repellant
Bathing suit
Casual mountain wear for evenings
Photo/video cameras and chargers
Trekking poles or walking stick
Refillable water bottle (hydration bags are
recommended)

I blister really easily, so I've already been looking into preventive measures and things to do once it's too late. Moleskin is recommended, but I usually end up using a combo of band-aids and athletic tape. Not glamorous, but whatever works!

Wool socks - excellent idea. Also love the idea of wrapping your toes. I have narrow feet and have ordered narrow boots, but I tend to still slip around.

jdp - Thanks for the list - looks very thorough!

We spent a year travelling the world and had to carry most of the gear with us along the way. I was in favour of minimalism whereas my wife took the "just in case approach" - we ended up taking far more than we ever needed. Since then we have travelled with hand baggage only - much better not having to lug heavy bags around packing and unpacking. If you forget anything there are many places you can buy stuff cheaply (particularly in Cusco).

Thing I would not have been without:

Waterproof goretex jacket with integral zip in fleece (much easier to carry around and slip on and off). An additional thin fleece for layering

Footwear - I took a pair of Rockport ankle high walking boots and Keens trekking trainers - both pairs really well worn in - new shoes on a trip like this are a BIG mistake.

Walking poles - we bought some in Cusco prior to trekking from Lares to Ollantaytambo. We had not used them before but found that they really helped and would not be without them on treks like that - really helped relived the strain on the knees.

Thermal underwear - camping at night can be very cold - also found them invaluable in some of the hostals we stayed in which lacked heating! Merino is far better than anything man made. Propbaly only need 1 or 2 sets.

Socks - you can spend a fortune on walking sock which is a bit of a waste really as most people would not notice the difference - most importnat is to get some of a decnt thickness to avoid blisters but not so thick as to make your boots feel tight. & try the boots and socks together

Otherwise good sunglasses, a wide brimmed hat and sunscreen are essential at altitude and , of course a decent first aid kit (make sure you have good stuff for insect bites e.g. anti-histamine, hydrocortisone etc. -I took a spray can of "Wasp-eze" it contains lignocaine (anaethaetic)and anti-histamine - intended for wasp stings but stopped insect bites itching straight away)

Have fun! it is an amazing part of the world.

Lose th jeans if possible. Take up too much suitcase space, too heavy, too hot, and too long to dry. I've been wearing lightweight travel pants everywhere including restauants at night. If you must, take a pair of super light black panrs instead of jeans. When really cold, wear thermals under light pants.

Second Crellstons suggestion of collapsibe hiking sticks - a god send really. Just one will fit easily in small baggage. Great for slippery walks and for saving your knees downhill.

Although I would normally say lose the jeans, in Peru it's virtually a uniform. As long as you don't mind wearing them on the plane and going a while between washings (!)

i was in peru for a month and hiked the inca trail as well. the variations in climate that peru holds means that you need to be prepared for every kind of weather. id get trekking pants that zip off, i like the quick dry tops but ditch the ¨casual mountainware¨as its all or nothing there so no one is really going to judge unless in your in lima in which case you want to dress nice if you go out, although as with everywhere in south america you have to stay aware. dicth the walking sticks you can rent them anywhere, the last thing you want to be carrying around is that cumbersome thing. always err on the side of packing less. hope you have a great time.