Salkantay Trail Packing Guide: Everything You Need to Bring

Salkantay Trail Packing List Reading Time: 8 minutes

In this blog post, I will help you sort out your Salkantay Trail packing list. If you are thinking of walking the 5-day Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu, you might be wondering what to pack: what to bring, what to ditch, and everything in between. If you want to know what to add to your Salkantay Trek packing list, don’t worry, I got you covered. I’ll explain how to pack (you get two bags), what to pack (clothing, sundries, boots, etc.), and all the extras (hiking poles, money, etc).

I walked the 5-day Salkantay Trail in May 2022. Before going on the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, I watched several videos; they all mentioned how quickly the weather changed, and how you need to be prepared for everything. They were not wrong, and you do! I actually used every single item I brought with me and was glad to have it all. I think I packed the perfect amount for my trip. So if you follow the Salkantay Trail Packing list I have created below, you’ll be very prepared for your trip.

Read more: What to Know about the Salkantay Trail and Salkantay Trail Day by day

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Understanding How to Pack for the Salkantay Trail

While packing for the Salkantay Trail, you should keep in mind that you’ll be packing your things into two different bags. You will get a duffle bag from the company to pack overnight items. You will not carry this bag. The porters of the tour company will carry these bags on the horses, and you will be reunited in the evenings when you arrive at camp. The other bag is a day pack that you will carry with you all day with small things like money, hat, SPF, etc.

You can put up to 7kg in the duffle bag from the trekking company. That duffle bag will be carried on horseback by the workers. Therefore, try to keep your day pack as light as possible because that will be on your back.

Salkantay Trail Packing List: SUNDRIES

This is a list of smaller sundries, or bathroom items that I took with me on the Salkantay Trail. Some of them I kept in the duffle bag, and some I carried with me in my day bag.

Everything with an (*) means I kept it in my day pack to have handy while walking.

• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush (vibrating toothbrush, runs on a AAA battery)
• Floss
• Wet wipes: sanitizer wipes*
• Wet wipes: facial wipes
• One roll of toilet paper*
• Bandaids* (for blisters- both on the feet and fingers from holding walking sticks)
• Travel sewing kit: Thread and needle for blisters)*
• Alcohol gel*
• Sunscreen*
• Shampoo (of the 2 in 1 Head & Shoulders variety, travel size)
• Brush
• Hair ties

Salkantay Trail Packing List: CLOTHING

This list consists of the main pieces of clothing that I brought with me on the Salkantay Trail. The majority of these items I kept in the duffle bag, but I did keep a few of these items in my day pack to be prepared for weather changes.

(*) = I kept it in my day pack to have handy while walking.

• Hiking boots (absolute must- my friend used New Balance and suffered)
• 1 Pair of Converse (they are small; easy to fit and easy to slip on in the evenings)
• 2 x Yoga pants (I often wore 2 pant layers- sometimes both yoga, or one yoga under hiking pants)
• 1 Pair of Hiking pants
• 5 Pairs of travel undies
• 4 Pairs of socks (2 official hiking socks and 2 regular sports socks)
• 2 Sports bras
• 4 T-shirts
• 1 Sport tank top
• 1 Long sleeve thermal layer
• 1 Zip-up fleece
• 1 Peruvian sweater (I wanted this for the pictures in Macchu Picchu)
• 1 Down jacket (best if it folds up small)*
• 1 Rain jacket*
• 1 Cap (for sunny moments)*
• 1 Beanie (for wintery moments)*
• 1 Knitted ear cover head wrap thing (I bought mine in Cusco)*
• 1 Swimsuit (for the thermal baths)
• 1 pair of gloves (I bought mine in Cusco)*
• 1 Scarf (I bought mine in Cusco)*
• 1 Bandana (this helps especially if your backpack straps scrape your neck and to protect from sun)

Salkantay Trail Packing List: EXTRA ITEMS

This is a list of all the extra items that I needed to pack.

(*) = I kept it in my day pack to have handy while walking.

• Sunglasses*
• Walking sticks (I use these from Trekology, an absolute must- bring your own or rent them for $15)
• Sleeping bag (absolute must- bring your own or rent one for $25)
• Duffle bag (provided by the company)
• Day backpack*
• Hydration bladder* (I much prefer this over a water bottle for longer hikes)
• Fanny Pack/Bum bag* (It’s so much easier to have chapstick, money, phone, etc. easy to access right in front)
• Snacks*
• Money* (for bathrooms, drinks, showers, snacks, taxis, thermal baths, etc.)
• Travel Medical Insurance – I use SafetyWing

Read more: What to Know about the Salkantay Trail and Salkantay Trail Day by day

Salkantay Trail Companies

If you’re planning to walk along the 5-day Salkantay Trail, a great option is to go through a company. Booking with a company makes things so much easier. They plan all the logistics and organize transportation, permits, meals, etc.

5 Day/4 Night Salkantay Treks

There are several tours available online with GetYourGuide and Viator if you want to book your Salkantay Trail in advance. There are several companies in Cusco that you can book with last minute. But if you feel more comfortable having more of a solid plan, then I suggest booking in advance. I booked about 6 weeks in advance. There are several options available. Take your time and look over all the details to determine which company is right for you. These are two trips that are similar to what I did:

One-Day Trip to Humantay Lake

If you don’t have time to walk the entire Salkantay Trail, you can still see parts of it. This one-day tour brings you to Humantay Lake, which is absolutely stunning. This is where all the 5-day hikes begin, so you’ll have a chance to get a taste of the Salkantay Trail. The tour is 12 hours long and includes hotel pickup, downtown drop-off, transportation, bilingual tour guide, breakfast and buffet lunch (vegetarian option), first aid kit, oxygen bottle (for emergencies), and 1 Wood stick (optional).

Salkantay Trail Packing List Final Thoughts

I hope this blog post about the Salkantay trail packing list has helped ease some of your worries. I want you to feel confident as you venture out on this totally unique life experience. The Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu is beautiful, difficult, hot, cold, and very worth it. Buen viaje!

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