The flights are booked, the Inca Trail Permits have been secured, and training is well underway for our Inca Trail Expedition, but with less than 9 weeks to go until we head to Peru on this once in a lifetime trip, the time has arrived to get down to the nitty-gritty, and sort out what we are going to take, and more importantly perhaps, what we are not!

As someone who struggles to travel light, I have no idea how I’m going to pack 5 days’ worth of clothes in duffel bag that cannot weigh more than 8kg (which includes a sleeping bag!), especially when we have been advised to expect ‘all extremes’ from hot sunshine to freezing Altiplano temperatures, but that’s the limit, and I’m determined to make it!

Fortunately, our partners have provided us with a list of Top Tips on What to Pack for the Inca Trail, and it looks a little something like this…

• Zip-Off Shorts
• Long-Sleeved T-shirts
• Warm Fleece or Down Jacket
• Thermal Underwear
• Warm Hat / Gloves / Scarf
• Sweater (Alpaca jumpers available to buy in Cusco)
• Waterproof Coat & Trouser or a Full Length Poncho
• Socks / Underwear (no brainer!)
• Trekking Trousers
• After Trekking Trousers & T-Shirt (to wear around camp)
• Waterproof Hiking Boots (Worn in)
• After Trek Shoes (Trainers or Sandals)
• Sleeping bag (-5°C)
• Water Bottle
• Sunglasses
• Head Torch & Spare Batteries
• Suntan Lotion Factor 40+ / Lip balm
• Sun-Hat
• Insect Repellent
• Camera & Memory Cards (I would also recommend a Power Bank and Back Up Batteries)
• Trekking Poles with Rubber Tips (essential for Inca Trail)
• Personal Toiletry Kit (Don’t forget the Deo!)
• Money Belt
• Rain Cover for your Day Pack (unless you will wear it under your Poncho
• Personal First Aid Kit including: painkillers, plasters (Band-Aids), antiseptic cream, after-bite, anti-diarrhoea tablets, throat lozenges, re-hydration salts & personal medication.

As with Kilimanjaro Expeditions, you are required to carry your own daypack when trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with everyday necessities such as rain gear, water, sun lotions, camera, hat, gloves etc. but everything else must fit in the duffel bag that is carried by the porters.

8kg sounds a bit tight to me… I’ll let you know how we get on!