What to Pack for Trekking in Peru

Last week I shared with you what I packed for my multi-city, multi-country trip to South America. I wasn't travelling alone, but our tours started out very differently. As I opted to take a warm, comfortable train to Machu Picchu, my lovely travel partner, Eimear, wanted to check off something from her bucklist and trekked there instead. 

So this week, Eimear is guest posting, detailing what exactly she packed for her 5 day/4 night trek up Salkantay in the Peruvian Andes. 

Take it away Eimear!

I did an awful lot of research before deciding what to pack for the trek. Setting out on 80km over four days in a range of different climates I needed to make sure I was really comfortable and could fully enjoy myself and not worry about being too cold or having blisters. 

I read lots of blog posts, the advice offered on official websites and I took into consideration my own knowledge and experience. I feel the cold and I didn't want to necessarily use up the full 7kg allowance; I felt bad for the mules or the men having to lug my stuff around. Bar one mistake I think I got the packing pretty spot on. On the first day my day pack was far too heavy so I pared it right back that night.

In my daypack:

A warm hat and gloves

A baseball cap

Sunglasses

2 litres of water

My dslr camera(minus the battery, I left it in my backpack in Cusco and I'm blaming altitude!)

Raincoat

Mini version of my first aid kit (plasters, immodium, ibuprofen)

Sun cream

Insect repellent

Hand sanitizer

Head torch (essential for early morning 4:30am starts *whoop!* and in the evening, sundown was around 6pm)

Coca sweets

Rain cover for the bag

Here is a list of the clothes

1 pair of trekking trousers

4 sports t-shirts (one for each day)

2 sports bras and 1 normal

5 pairs of knickers

3 pairs of trekking socks and 1 pair of sports socks

1 fleece

1 down jacket

1 pair of sports leggings and 1 nice t-shirt (for Machu Pichu day)

1 thermal top,1 pair of thermal leggings and woolly bed socks for pyjamas

First Aid kit:

Insect repellent
Antiseptic
An antibiotic
Anti-histamines
Ibuprofen/paracetamol
Anti nausea and anti diarrhoea medicine,
variety of normal and blister plasters

I also brought a camp towel with me and my swimsuit for the thermal baths. And I put in the tiny pillow they give you on the plane because I like to sleep with a pillow and sleep is essential when you're walking so much every day.

My one mistake was the sports socks, the three pairs of hiking socks I had were climacool and were perfect. I thought, wrongly, that the cycle socks would do the same job. They did not. They didn't wick the sweat correctly and they moved too much so they were very uncomfortable. I wish I'd just bought a fourth pair! 

I basically wore the same pair of trekking trousers for four days and changed my t-shirt every day. It's dirty and the trek is dirty, so if you don't like being dirty maybe take the train. The clean leggings, nice t-shirt and normal bra were perfect for the fifth day at Machu Pichu, it was nice to have clean clothes to put on after a shower in Agus Calientes and lots of people don't trek to Machu Pichu so they look all fresh and clean. 

My fleece and down jacket were needed at night, I wore both in my sleeping bag, (the first night it was -6 Celsius!) and when I didn't wear the down jacket in my bag it made a nice pillow. I didn't carry either during the day, I was fine with my raincoat if it got a bit chilly and again I wasn't willing to carry too much. In my wash bag I had: tooth brush/toothpaste; face wash; wipes (brilliant for an all over body wipe down!); moisturiser; SPF for my face; night cream and eye cream (because I'm a freak!) and shower gel. They were all travel or sample size that I'd been collecting so didn't take up too much room.

Writing it all down here it seems like a lot but it really wasn't. I had drawstring bags and divided the things up by clothes, toiletries, and underwear. It made it easier to pack and find things and I had some plastic bags for wet or dirty items. 

The trek was a dream come true for me and one of the best experiences of my life.

  

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Inside My Pack: South America

 The itinerary: 9 days total spent in Peru and 9 days in Bolivia, just prior to the onset of the rainy season; late September into early October.

I did so much research prior to take off, consulting the weather of the various cities I was to visit and still I struggled with figuring out what exactly to pack.

In the end, I realized I was putting too much stress on myself as to what I was putting in my suitcase, when really there was no need. If I forgot anything or required warmer clothing, I could easily buy items in the larger city centres I was traveling to.

Once I made that realization, it all became a lot easier and I was able to start packing. I kept a neutral colour pallet in mind (so things could be mixed and matched), the weather (so I would be comfortable), and my desire to keep things limited to the space available in my carryon bag (so I wouldn't have to lug around a huge suitcase).

Here's what I packed.

In my suitcase (which is a carry-on)

3 trousers
1 leggings*
3 tank tops**
1 windbreaker
6 shirts (most short sleeved or 3/4 lenth)
1 pashmina
1 sweatshirt
2 long sleeved shirts
1 spring coat
1 swimsuit
1 wool headband and gloves
1 warm pjs
1 small purse
1 fold up reusable bag
2 travel towels (one bath and one face)
travel laundry liquid
3 pairs of shoes: flip flops, slip ons***, and hiking shoes

*I ended up only wearing these once and really didn't need them.
**could have done with one less tank top, as I only wore two of them. The sun was piercing and the culture modest, I solely wore them as undershirts.
***Do over: I'd switch these out to some sneakers. 

Toiletries 
toilet paper*
facial cloths**
shampoo and conditioner
toothbrush and paste
sunscreen
face cream with SPF
foundation with SPF and other make up
chap stick with SPF
wet wipes
deodorant
razor
shower gel
hand sanitizer
bug repellent
band-aids
mini first-aid kit
medications: anti-nausea pills, anti-diarrhea pills, antibiotic ointment, chewable antacid, and Ibuprofen, after bite cream, altitude pills***

*Don't skip this one. Find the room in your bag no matter what. It's first on the list for a reason. I brought a whole roll. Smushed it down and removed the cardboard centre to save a bit of space. Used the whole roll over the course of the trip. Handy for loo visits, and shared with a friend.
**I had dry ones that require a bit of water for lather, however, I would recommend wet ones as I didn't always have access to water when washing up.
***Got a perscription from my doctor before leaving, but I'm told this can be picked up in country easily enough. 

small backpack* 
snacks; 4 cliff bars and 4 fruit bars
head lamp
sunglasses
lock
money belt
Soles and American Dollars**
warm socks
sleep mask
ear plugs
inflatable pillow
clear bag for liquids at security***
a good book/magazine
phone and charger
ear phones
travel journal and pencils
Spanish/English dictionary book
passport with copies
water bottle

*In this I packed the items that I'd want to have close at hand while flying
**I also required Bolivianos but didn't get any until I was in Peru.
***Pro tip! When doing international travel pre-pack your carry on liquids (all under 100ml) into an airport appropriate baggie and keep at the ready for a quicker security check. No hassel, no fuss, no muss. 

While visiting Peru and Bolivia I noticed a lot of people wearing traditional dress and others wearing western casual clothing. I didn't see  too many people dressed up or even all that dressy. Bringing clothes for a night out on the town would have been very out of place. The tourists, I noted were wearing activewear and comfortable walking shoes. These are not the streets of Paris.

Locals also know how piercing the sun can be in these parts. They are completely covered. Wearing long sleeves, hats and pants even in the heat of the day. Take their lead and cover up exposed skin and don't forget the sunscreen if you do happen to be caught with your elbows out.

I hope that is helpful to someone out there stressing about what and how to pack for there trip to South America.

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Ideal vs Real

Packing:

via

Ideal World 

• Plan—write out a list of the items you want to take with you on your trip.

  

• Prepare—pull the items you want to bring and wash them and put aside.

• Prior to travel day pack items neatly into an appropriate sized suitcase.

• Weigh suitcase before leaving home to ensure you are within the weight restrictions for your chosen airline.

vs. Real Life

• Daydream about the outfits you imagine you will be wearing on your perfect holiday.

• Intend to do laundry of the clothes you want to bring, but put it off until the following day…then the day after that.

• Morning of travels throw random items into a random suitcase without too much thought as you have no time to think about it as you are already very late.

• Hope and pray you are under the weight restriction of your chosen airline and that you don’t have to wear two shirts, a skirt and a pair of jeans on a long haul flight.

via

Fun travels!

The Packing Phase

Not my video, but totally GVOY during my packing phase before moving to England. 

Most accurate moment found at 1:47

Fun travels!

(source: dailygrace)

Have Old School Camera, Will Travel

When packing for my big move there were a few items I had to leave behind for lack of room in my all ready heavy and full suitcase. One of these items was a old school film camera. I told myself that I had a digital camera and my phone camera and honestly I probably wasn't going to use it as much as I'd like to think I would. That being said, probably on one of my trips home it will be a item I made room for down the road.  Keeping this in mind I came across an article on Lomography magazine written by Plasticpopsicle in a series of tips for analogue users. I found her latest one to be the most helpful for a complete novice like myself.
Her tips range from using a thermal lunch bag as an emergency camera case to separating used and unused film with labeled plastic baggies. Great tips, be sure to check out her whole series; here and here.

Photo by Sadie Hernandez

Fun travels!

Vacation Packing

Every year my family rents a cottage (camp) for a week in Colchester, Vermont. As such the panic for packing for a 10 day trip away from home sets in. I thought that I might do a post about my tips for packing, however it turned into a “I want to pack everything summery I own, this is my last chance to wear it all!”

I notoriously over pack. Since we drive down I always figure I can take just one more thing, even if I have to drive 8 hours with it on my lap. But this year I thought I’d try to not over pack and not just throw a bunch of stuff in a suitcase.  Taking a page from this article and fashion bloggers everywhere, I grabbed a weekenderbag and started pulling some of my favourite items keeping in mind possible outfits. I tried to stay with one colour palate in order to have a wider range of options. Like George Costanza, I happen to dress based on mood.
I still did my typical, throw-a-few-extra-things-in-the-car-at-the-last-minute-before-heading-out with a few items though. Obviously that can't be helped.

     How do you pack for a week vacation?

 As I packed I was struck with a thought. “How am I ever going to pack for England.”

Fun travels!

How to Pack for the Big Move Abroad

If you've been following along, and clearly you must be, you know I'm moving to England soon. I've been thinking (non stop almost) about what I will take with me clothes wise. I don't own a ton of stuff, but moving will mean learning to live very minimally.
Some of my friends are quite the globe trotters, from New Zealand, to Scotland to Calgary, so I thought I'd turn to those in the know and ask how they did it.  The question I asked: "how do you pack to move to a new country?" They had some great advice which I knew would be worth a share.

1. Be Ruthless

First do some research on cost of living and prices for things like clothes, electronics, etc...If those things are comparable to Canada and you'll have a comparable wage, pretty much get rid of most things.

This is a wonderful time to get rid of tacky gifts which you can later claim were lost by the postal service. (Sorry auntie!)

Only keep the larger items that have sentimental value to you, sell the rest. Keep smaller items that have important 'history' such as old pictures, journals and other odds and ends that are sentimental. If you don't need to have them with you and won't use them within 6 months keep them in rental storage/family-friends house back home.

2. Less is More

You need nothing but the basics. Remember layers are your friend as you can always take it off! Silly things like basic shower/bathroom things purchase once you arrive. Assuming you're going to a country that has all the basics you're used to. Don't pack any cosmetics beyond what you'll need for travel. Buy everything new there. Same with hair dryers etc.

Don't take any house things- furniture, pots and pans etc unless you can drive there. Once there is an ocean in the way it's not worth it. You can sell some of these to cover moving expenses.

Do bring any specific medication, for at least 3 months. Bring any favourite treats from Canada that you can't live without (ie. maple syrup) and computer, various electronics that you use all the time and can purchase an adaptor for.

3. Choose Carefully

Try on all your clothes and if it's even slightly shabby, doesn't fit, out of style or easily replaced (ie.  socks) get rid of it. This will get you to 1.5 suitcases of clothes. For the journey, pack at least 2 weeks of outfits. Bring some basics for all seasons and your favourite things. “As annoying as it is to have to buy new stuff, most things can be replaced (depending on where you're moving to I guess), and to be honest, most of the things I left behind I've already forgotten I had." Shoes take up a lot of room so choose carefully.

Once in the new county you can begin to change your wardrobe overtime and become 'one of them'.

It's quite surprising what you can afford to get rid of and how all that's important to you can fit into a reasonable amount and be stored in 1 place.

(Photos courtesy of my parents who are packing to move back home from Vietnam)

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Long Weekends

I'm a bad blogger, last week just got away from me and I missed out on posting this before the Canadian long weekend: Victoria Day or May 2-4 as it's more commonly known. Well, let's do some pretending, shall we? Let's pretend I posted this last week in time for the weekend road trips, or better yet, let's pretend this was a post intended for the American long weekend coming: Memorial Day.
Hello my American friends.

For long weekends many people get the heck out of dodge (unless you are me and can only dream of a weekend road trip from behind a desk at work--my excuse for the lack of posting). So for those of you lucky enough to be getting away, lets fill our weekender bag with classic travelling essentials.

Tan Shorts by erdeer featuring pyramid jewelry

Since we are still pretending, let's pretend we have an awesome, unlimited wardrobe (thanks, polyvore). When going on weekend getaways, you must keep three things in mind;

1) Pack light--you don't want to carry around heavy bags

2) Be versatile--it helps with the packing light by creating more outfits with less

3) Pack pretty things--although you should be practical you also want to be able to look back at your pictures and not be embarrassed by the hiking boots worn at a dinner out.

Untitled #10 by erdeer featuring anne klein jewelry

Using a neutral base and paring it with fun, colourful pieces extends your options and changes outfits enough so you don't feel like you are wearing the same thing all weekend.

For my dream weekend away I selected 3 tops, 1 sweater, 1 jacket, 3 bottoms, 1 dress and 3 pairs of shoes. I've only mixed a few of the possible outfits, there are definitely a few more combo that could be done. What I like most about this selection is that there aren't a lot of items packed but enough so that I can change during the day (dress for dinner) or dress based on my mood.

Do you have any rules for packing for a long weekend road trip? Do tell...

Fun travels!