Packing for Peru

[onthemove]

Does anyone have a good blog or reference for a packing list for Peru/Machu Picchu? We are headed there the last week of August/first week of September. We are doing the full 4 day/3 night hike, and then taking the bus down to Lake Titicaca for a couple days. I am going with Peru Trecks because so many of you used them, I just would like to see what you actually packed and actually ended up using. I do get cold pretty easily and I am pretty new to real hiking and camping. We will be renting the sleeping bag and poles through the tour group. 

Thanks! 

[sunshinedaydreams]

We used Peru Treks, too, and had a fantastic time! Good call on renting the poles. I relied heavily on mine the second day coming down from Dead Woman's Pass. If you didn't also rent a sleeping mat through them, I would recommend it. It's nice to have some sort of cushion after hammering on your body all day.

We were there in mid-October, and I packed:

- sturdy, BROKEN-IN pair of boots, extra laces
- 2 pairs hiking pants, one with zip off legs
- 4 tank tops
- 4 t-shirts
- 2 long sleeve, light-weight thermal shirts
- 1 light fleece
- rain jacket
- 4 pair Smart Wool hiking socks
- 1 pair fluffy socks for sleeping
- 1 pair fleece pants for sleeping
- sun hat
- polarized sunglasses
- sandals for walking around camp
- winter hat
- thin gloves
- headlamp
- basic first aid kid (band aids, gauze, neosporin, moleskin, alcohol wipes)
- Immodium
- Excedrin (supposed to help with altitude)
- TP (none of the bathrooms had any)
- hand sanitizer
- extra hair ties
- 2L Camelbak bladder + 2 1L Nalgene bottles per person (I drank way more water than normal; it was heavy, but I needed it)
- powdered Gator Ade
- deck of cards (we had a social group that hung out in the tent after dinner)

My strategy was to layer with a tank, tee and long sleeve shirt in the morning and strip/redress as necessary. It got fairly chilly at night and was freeeezing at the top of Dead Woman's Pass and our lunch spot on the third day, so I was glad I'd packed a lot of layers. I definitely wore the hat and mittens, albeit for a short time, on day three and on morning four while we stood in line waiting for the gate to open out of the campground. In August it may be warm enough you don't need these. I was one of the only people who had sandals in the campground and everyone was jealous. It was so nice to let my feet breathe after being stuffed in boots all day.

In Puno I wore basically the same stuff. I had a pair of jeans I'd left in my bag at the hotel while we were on the trail. We were able to do laundry at the hotel in Puno and rewear things. Overall, the weather was similar there to the trail. Pretty warm during the day and chilly but not cold at night.

[osumelissa]

Jul 14, 2015 17:01:19 GMT -5 sunshinedaydreams said:

We used Peru Treks, too, and had a fantastic time! Good call on renting the poles. I relied heavily on mine the second day coming down from Dead Woman's Pass. If you didn't also rent a sleeping mat through them, I would recommend it. It's nice to have some sort of cushion after hammering on your body all day.

We were there in mid-October, and I packed:

- sturdy, BROKEN-IN pair of boots, extra laces
- 2 pairs hiking pants, one with zip off legs
- 4 tank tops
- 4 t-shirts
- 2 long sleeve, light-weight thermal shirts
- 1 light fleece
- rain jacket
- 4 pair Smart Wool hiking socks
- 1 pair fluffy socks for sleeping
- 1 pair fleece pants for sleeping
- sun hat
- polarized sunglasses
- sandals for walking around camp
- winter hat
- thin gloves
- headlamp
- basic first aid kid (band aids, gauze, neosporin, moleskin, alcohol wipes)
- Immodium
- Excedrin (supposed to help with altitude)
- TP (none of the bathrooms had any)
- hand sanitizer
- extra hair ties
- 2L Camelbak bladder + 2 1L Nalgene bottles per person (I drank way more water than normal; it was heavy, but I needed it)
- powdered Gator Ade
- deck of cards (we had a social group that hung out in the tent after dinner)

My strategy was to layer with a tank, tee and long sleeve shirt in the morning and strip/redress as necessary. It got fairly chilly at night and was freeeezing at the top of Dead Woman's Pass and our lunch spot on the third day, so I was glad I'd packed a lot of layers. I definitely wore the hat and mittens, albeit for a short time, on day three and on morning four while we stood in line waiting for the gate to open out of the campground. In August it may be warm enough you don't need these. I was one of the only people who had sandals in the campground and everyone was jealous. It was so nice to let my feet breathe after being stuffed in boots all day.

In Puno I wore basically the same stuff. I had a pair of jeans I'd left in my bag at the hotel while we were on the trail. We were able to do laundry at the hotel in Puno and rewear things. Overall, the weather was similar there to the trail. Pretty warm during the day and chilly but not cold at night.

Pretty much ditto all of this post as far as packing and clothes. The only things from this list I didn't pack winter hat, mittens, and a deck of cards. Definitely bring toilet paper (we pinched some from our hotel). layers are the best and I wore a baseball hat most days.

I used Peru Treks in May 2013 and then after the hike we flew to Lake Titicaca and stayed in Puno. In Puno we did a day trip out onto the lake which was nice. 

[lahoagie]

I have not done this trip but I would suggest a sleeping bag liner because you are borrowing a bag and possibly a prescription for Cipro.

[librarygirl]

Layers and lots of fleece articles H and I were in Peru last year the same week you'll be there. We didn't do the trail so no help there but we were based in the Sacred Valley for three nights and once the sun went down, it was extremely cold at night so I can only imagine how much more so it will be camping and at higher altitudes. I even slept in layers since our room's space heater provided heat for well, the corner. 

[onthemove]

Jul 14, 2015 13:06:12 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

No help on packing but we're also going to MP end of August so if you see a short blond and a tall brown-haired dude, wave!

We have the same hair/height combo!  

[onthemove]

Thanks everyone, layers it is! And I think Aug may be colder than October, that is their winter so I will definitely bring hat and gloves (I'm pretty sure I have that right)!