14 things to know before hiking the Inca trail
Updated: Aug 4, 2022
The Inca trail is often the first thing people associate with South America. When I signed up for the 42km walk, I remember being incredibly worried about whether and how I would survive it considering my very average fitness level. Having reached the other side, I want to share 14 tips based on my based on my Camino adventure.
Packing tips
1. Be aware of weight limitations
Porters are only able to carry a limited weight, and after subtracting the weight of the sleeping bag and air mattress, you are left with 2.5kgs for personal items. On this point, I highly recommend taking the recommended sleeping bag because it's extremely warm, and the air mattress will make life a whole lot more pleasant when camping on rock.
2. Be deliberate with your clothing
I carried the following items of clothing
Kathmandu hiking pants (similar to these): I wore these for 3 of the 4 days. The excessive number of pockets are extremely handy to store tissues, quick sugar fixes, a torch and other items. I advise wearing long pants to protect yourself from flies and the terrain
Cotton leggings: I layered these under my pants for day 2 (the coldest, highest altitude day)
Three quick dry active wear singlets: It made a world of difference to be able to change every morning. I'm a small human so fortunately my clothing is light
Thin long-sleeved shirt and thin sweater: Dressing like an onion is ideal, and I constantly altered between my sweater and jacket. Day two is particularly confusing because as soon as you stop walking, you freeze enough to throw on your down jacket only to feel incredibly hot again 10 minutes later.
Uniqlo ultra-light down jacket (link): Foldable, compact yet warm enough
Fresh t-shirt and leggings for the last day: This was a good idea because you are more likely than not to only finish the Inca trail once in life and you might as well look decent (and smell relatively decent) for the photos that await.
4 pairs of hiking socks: This comprised a lot of my weight and I’m not sure if it was entirely necessary to change socks everyday (particularly since my boots were waterproof) but I don’t know the alternative well enough to comment.
Beanie, gloves and scarf (all bought locally): Kept in my backpack and a lifesaver due to the changing weather
Bandana (bought locally): Nifty little item which deals with sweat, rain, hair in the face and other things
Cap and sunglasses: Sun protection is important even on the Inca trail. Bonus benefit of the cap is rain protection
Plastic poncho: As I was hiking in rainy season, this was always easily accessible and used excessively enough that it was the first thing to be thrown out when we returned back to Cusco
Thermal top and bottom to sleep: There are plenty of rumours regarding what to wear at night to keep warm: my thermals kept my warm while others in the group wore all their jackets and felt cold. One hypothesis is that the sleeping bag works best when it’s closer to body heat but this isn’t verified.
3. Take the right shoes
I grappled with the hiking boots vs hiking shoes vs sneakers and the buy vs rent decision before leaving. Ultimately I bought Colombia leather waterproof hiking boots which I used for the entirety of the trip. These served me very well on all walks and hikes; the ankle support and waterproof material was a life saver on many occasions. Most members of our group wore hiking boots (bought or rented depending on whether this was their only hike). Two members of the group wore sneakers and they appeared to be okay with that decision. Ultimately the decision is a subjective one, dependent on how much walking you intend to do on your travel and whether you have another pair of sneakers that could fulfil this role.
4. Take tissues
I’m not sure if it was because of altitude or rainy season but my nose wouldn’t stop running through the trail, and I ended up with tissues in every pocket of my hiking pants. It sounds trivial but having a runny nose while struggling to breathe on a steep incline at altitude isn’t much fun. Keep lots of tissues with you;
5. Seriously, lots of tissues
Tissues and toilet paper may be your saviours on the trek, particularly since they will be your only glimpse of luxury while using trail toilets. Toilet options include the ‘au naturale’ or campsite pit toilets. If you have had experience with camp toilets it’s not that really that bad, however I highly suggest wearing your hiking boots to the bathrooms rather than thongs. It rained as we arrived to camp on our first night and as a result I kept my hiking shoes on until I slept. On the second two nights I changed into thongs after going to the bathroom. Toilets on the morning of day 4 in the dark are a particularly interesting experience, my only advice is to hold your breath.
6. Water
I carried a camel pack for water however I didn’t end up drinking nearly as much as expected. This may have been because we were hiking in the clouds during rainy season so didn’t really feel the dehydration. Nevertheless, my camel pack was one of my best purchases for the trip and helped through the two months along all the hikes and walks I did.
7. Other helpful items
Wet wipes: I used these to "shower" at the end of each day and they made me feel human
Medications: Take these in your backpack - altitude tablets, panadol and asthma medication were my most used
Camera batteries: I took two spare in my backpack which is important if you want the freedom to take photos throughout the trail without being concerned about a lack of battery when you reach the end. I kept these in my sleeping bag at night to prevent them draining. Note that I didn’t take my phone on the trail because I wasn’t using it as a camera, and because we were awoken each day either by the sun, each other or the porters.
Torch: One of my biggest regrets is not carrying a proper head-torch - invest in one.
Glasses, contact lenses and solution
Plastic bags: Always helpful when you don't expect it
Deodorant
Blow-up neck pillow: I didn't take this myself, and found I was tired enough at the end of every day to sleep soundly on my clothes stuffed in the top of my sleeping bag. Others in our group took this and appreciated it.
I think any luxuries beyond this are unnecessary and just give you more to worry about
Tips along the way
8. Hire walking sticks
Prior to the trail I had spent a long time mentally preparing myself for the uphill battles ahead, however one of the biggest surprises was just how painful it was to go down. On day 2, after conquering dead woman’s pass, a steep decent of a couple of hours awaited. This is when the only significant injury in our group occurred and it wasn’t hard to see why. As a 20-something who has never had knee issues in her life, my knees were in a lot of pain at the end of each downhill segment. The only respite were my two walking sticks, without which I’m sure I would definitely have fallen on the slippery, steep Inca stairs. The sticks are also helpful on the uphill slopes, acting like a second pair of legs and after my sticks were taken away at Machu Picchu I found myself grasping at phantom sticks.
9. Watch out for wildlife
The first day and a half is highly populated by horses, donkeys and llamas which leave droppings to be avoided as you walk. This disappears as rescue from the trail by these animals gets more difficult on day two
Mindset & Philosophy
10. Just do it
If you have the choice between the trail and other ways to get to Machu Pichu and you don’t have any medical conditions preventing you, DO THE INCA TRAIL. The four days of the trail were four of my proudest in life and very much a bucket list-ticking, perspective changing experience. Besides suddenly now having muscles in my legs and a much greater stamina, I have a greater appreciation for many things in my life and in the world. Finishing the trail was definitely one of my proudest moments of life.
11. Prepare both physically and psychologically
My group agreed that more than half the battle was psychological. Prior to the trail I did a few hikes and walks in Brazil, Chile and at altitude in Bolivia and Peru. These were enough to prepare me physically for the particular challenges of the Inca trail, namely inclines, altitude and stamina. By the time I arrived at Km 82, my body was fairly well prepared and I had learnt how to pace myself and keep hydrated. That said, unlike the other walks I had done, the Inca trail is 4 days long and offers little in the way of physical and emotional respite at the end of each day. Despite sleeping mats and warm sleeping bags, each new day brought increasingly sore limbs and altitude related exhaustion. Waking up on day 2 to the coming hours of uphill climbs proved that the challenge was largely emotional. I remember at one point on day 2, I was channelling all the anger and emotion I had built over the previous year into my walking sticks to keep going. Day 2 is when walking groups disperse and perseverance and determination become particularly important when you’re own your own. Prior to starting the trail I had hyped it up mentally to the point that I felt sick on the bus ride to Km 82, but had I not done this I’m not sure I would have made it to the top of dead woman’s pass. I knew this would be one of the biggest challenges I had faced and because of this I was able to fight with it and feel the incredible sense of achievement at the top
12. The cliche rings true; it's the journey not the destination
It doesn’t matter what the weather is like at the Sun Gate or at Machu Picchu. That stereotypical photo at the top? Who cares. I learned that the trail isn’t about getting to a picture perfect location and taking the perfect cloudless photo, it’s about the journey and everything you learn about the Incas, about the world and about yourself on the way. It rained when we got to Machu Picchu, but as it turned out this was one of the most enjoyable days of the trip. We decided to ditch our ponchos and run around in the rain, stopping to take frantic photos with the sites and the llamas and it was one of the most liberating experiences of my life. The sense of achievement at getting to the top is unmatchable and because of this it is important not to worry too much about the weather and perfect images particularly when hiking in rainy season.
13. Teamwork with strangers is pretty awesome
Teamwork is everything on the trail, and when one member of the group is struggling it’s important that everyone chips in to encourage them. From the moment we were tattooed with some sort of dead insect blood on day one, it was a team effort to get each other to the top: the Inca trail is not and should not be a race. You will come across other groups along the way, and I enjoyed getting to know different people on the trail and occasionally having large Disney sing-a-longs. Keeping our collective spirits up was on of the most important things, and I’m glad I had a good group to walk with.
14. Respect your Porters
The porters on the Inca trail are some of the most incredible men I’ve come across in life. Besides lugging tents, our belongings, food and literally everything we needed every night, they treated us as some sort of Inca royalty, even waking us up with cocoa tea in the mornings (drink this even if you don’t like the taste - it helps with the altitude). They cooked our food (including three courses for lunch - a healthy soup, main course and dessert), set up our tents and always had smiles on their faces. On our third day they even baked a cake to celebrate ‘New years eve eve’, a feat I’m still coming to terms with. It’s almost impossible to fully appreciate these men until you actually experience their work. From learning their names and backgrounds on the first night to cheering them on along the trail with claps and ‘vamos amigos’ to saying goodbye on the last night, the porters were one of the most mind-blowing aspects of the trail for me.
The Camino Inca is an experience that I’m sure has a profound and varied meaning to everyone who complete it. I am extremely glad I recklessly signed up to walk the track, and I hope my little guide helps someone else make that decision in the future.
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