SALKANTAY TRAIL: Complete 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. Don’t worry, I got you covered.

If you want to know more details about how to do the Salkantay Trail, click here.
If you want to know what it was like day to day, click here.

Before going, all the videos I watched 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 thing I brought, and was glad to have everything.

You can put up to 7kg in the duffle bag from the company. Try to keep your day pack as light as possible.

So without further ado:
(Everything with an * means I kept it in my day pack to have handy)

SUNDRIES:

Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Floss
Wet wipes* (I also used this for washing my face so as not to carry extra bottles)
One roll of toilet paper*
Bandaids* (for blisters- both on the feet and fingers from holding walking sticks)
Thread and needle (for blisters)
Alcohol gel*
Sun screen*
Shampoo (of the 2 in 1 Head & Shoulders variety, travel size)
Brush
Hair ties

CLOTHING:

1 Pair of Hiking boots (absolute must- my friend used New Balance and suffered)
1 Pair of Converse (they are small so 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 undies
4 Pairs of socks (2 official hiking socks and 2 regular sport socks)
2 Sports bras
4 T-shirts
1 Sport tank top
1 Long sleeve thermal layer
1 Zip up fleece
1 Peruvian sweater (I just wanted this for the pictures in Macchu Picchu)
1 Down jacket (fake North Face, folds up into a small bag)*
1 Rain jacket*
1 Cap (for sunny moments)*
1 Beanie (for wintery moments)*
1 Knitted ear cover head wrap thing (for sort of cold but not too cold moments)*
1 Swimsuit (for the thermal baths)
1 pair of gloves
1 Scarf
1 Bandana (this helps especially if your backpack straps scrape your neck and to protect from sun)

EXTRA:

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*
Camel Bak* (I much prefer this over a water bottle for longer hikes)
Fanny Pack/Bum bag* (I love the one from Cotopaxi! 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.)