Peru – Packing and Prep for a Trek in Peru
If you are doing a multi-day hike in Peru or even a little hiking, you will want to prepare for the terrain and elevation. Below you will the items I recommend and brought with me on our 5-day, 4-night Salkantay Trek Hike with a tour company. Our tour company (Peru by Locals) took care of a lot of items, but we still had to get ourselves from place to place. Keep reading for our suggest for packing and prep for a trek in Peru.
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Packing and prep for a Trek in Peru – 5 things you must have
- Comfortable Hiking Boots: I cannot underscore the importance of comfortable hiking boots. Do not choose your boots based on style! They should be comfortable in the store. Although they seemed bulky at first, I fell in love with my Keen’s for their wide toe area. Rebecca had Keen’s too!
- Waterproof Jacket and Poncho: Although you never know if it is going to rain, it is best to be prepared. You do not want to be walking around in wet boots for the entire trek because it rained on the first day.
- Quality Socks: Again, comfort is key here. I splurged for thick socks and they were seriously amazing on the trail. I also wore a thin sock underneath to protect from blisters. Get good socks and don’t assume you will be able to re-wear any – with the rain and sweat, our socks were disgusting!
- Headlamp: Necessary for any late-night bathroom trips and night time prep.
- Day-Pack: You’ll need a little something to carry water, snacks, the layers you shed, and your waterproof jacket and/or poncho.
- Optional, but recommended: Monetary for your muleteer, cooks, and tour guide.
5 More Things that Came in Extremely Handy
- Body wipes: Because you will be nasty at the end of each day and need a “shower”.
- Camping Mirror: To re-braid your hair each morning.
- Duffle Bag: The horse and donkeys carried our gear. I tried to make it as light as possible and easy to carry and attach to an animal. I am almost positive that they appreciated not having rollers digging into their sides each day. I got a Patagonia duffel bag that was 60L or 70L. I did not over-pack it, so it was able to be a carry-on without too much issue. I also chose one that didn’t scream “Patagonia” on the side of it, but was a little more subtle.
- Packing Cubes: Have you heard of these? They are incredible for keeping things organized. I separate out my tops in one bag, bottoms in another, and etc. This way I can find everything super quickly.
- “Death Bag”: have a separate bag for your socks and undies after you wear them because they are going to be pretty nasty.
Pack This for Peru!
Altitude Specific Prep
I was nervous about how the altitude would affect our hiking, so I did a bunch of research for packing and prep for our trek in Peru. Here are some tips for the elevation:
- Do some practice hikes at the highest elevation you can get to.
- Arrive a couple days early, if possible. This way you can adjust before starting the hike.
- Drink an insane amount of water.
- Coca Tea, Coca candies. In Peru, they drink tea from the coca plant and suck on candies made from the coca plant. I am not 100% sure how they work, but I think they open up the blood vessels, so blood can move around easier.
Other things to consider:
- Chlorophyll: I got chlorophyll drops from Whole Foods to add to water. I am not sure how much it helped, but it was a new/fun way to drink water.
- Ginko: We tried these, but they made me feel very light-headed and sometimes got headaches. Other people swear by them.
- Prescriptions: I read that you can ask your doctor for pills to help with the altitude. I had a friend who used these and did not feel the effects of the elevation at all. Be careful, many of them have a diuretic effect, which is annoying and also dehydrating.
Physical Fitness Prep
Well, the best way to prep for a multi-day hike is to hike. I wish I had taken this advice a little more seriously. Rebecca and I did various exercises: yoga, spin class, running, boot camp, and some hiking. Although all of these exercises are great for general fitness, they don’t necessarily build up and prep the exact muscles for hiking. Also, you will get the nuances of how much water you drink or what is the best sock combination to prevent blisters. Hiking is the best prep for hiking.
The beauty of a multi-day hike is that you have the entire day to get from one destination to another. The amount of physical fitness prep you do will make the experience more or less enjoyable. If you can hike 8-10 miles in a day, then you will totally enjoy this trek. If you feel like you cannot currently do that amount, create a training plan for yourself, increasing your hike one to two miles each week.
The two mile increase is how I prepped to hike Mt. Whitney with success. So if you can hike 4 miles right now, start with that one weekend. Then do 6 miles of hiking the next weekend, then 8 miles the following weekend, and before you know it, you hiking 10 miles a day. You can do it!
Overall Thoughts
We trekked with a tour company called Peru by Locals. I love to hike, but am not a huge camper so going with the tour company was the exact perfect moderately adventurous step for me. We didn’t have to worry about buying food, carry cooking gear, tents, or sleeping items. We got to hike at our own pace and really take in the Peruvian countryside. We still had to pack and prep appropriately, but was feasible for us medium-level hikers.
What are some items you cannot live without on a multi-day trek?
Happy Travels,
Hanna
