IMG Cordillera Huayhuash Peru Trek Gear List
This equipment list is meant to help you compile your personal gear for the trek. Most items are required; if you plan to leave something behind, please alert IMG before leaving it home, or better yet, bring it, and let's decide to take or leave it while at the hotel. Please consider each item carefully and be sure you understand the function of each piece of equipment before you substitute or delete items. Keep in mind that this list has been carefully compiled by IMG to give you the best experience in Peru. Don't cut corners on the quality of your gear.
| FEET: | |
| [ ] | Medium to medium heavy weight waterproof hiking boots — with suitable ankle-high ankle support; make sure whatever you wear is broken in and very comfortable; if leather, treat the boot multiple times with waterproofing). If synthetic, treat with a waterproof boot spray. A favorite trekking boot includes the Boreal Hurricanes. |
| [ ] | Wool or wool/synthetic blend socks (3 complete changes)
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| LOWER BODY: | |
| [ ] | Long john bottoms (1 pair, lightweight wool or synthetic) |
| [ ] | Underwear (2-3 pair for trail use); hand washable and quick drying are best |
| [ ] | Lightweight to medium weight stretch nylon hiking/soft shell climbing pants. |
| [ ] | Hiking shorts (nylon hiking style is best. Best of all are the nylon zip-off hiking pants) |
| [ ] | Waterproof/breathable pants (preferably with ¾ or full length side leg zips) |
| [ ] | Lightweight full-length gaiters (needed on rainy days, and for hiking through tall, wet grass) |
| [ ] | Lightweight synthetic insulated pants (optional; for camp use — the Outdoor Research "Neoplume" pants are very comfy and help retain heat while resting at camps)
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| UPPER BODY: | |
| [ ] | Long john top (1 lightweight — zip neck is best) |
| [ ] | Soft shell or fleece jacket. Bring a second lightweight fleece, or vest, or Primaloft jacket. |
| [ ] | Waterproof/breathable jacket with attached hood. Avoid zip-on or snap-on hoods. |
| [ ] | Warm down or synthetic parka with attached hood (reasonably light in weight) |
| [ ] | T-shirt (synthetic is best) |
| [ ] | Sun hoody or button-down sun shirt (optional)
|
| HEAD AND HANDWEAR: | |
| [ ] | Synthetic or wool hat |
| [ ] | Sun hat or baseball cap |
| [ ] | Neck gaiter. Also consider a bandanna |
| [ ] | Wool or fleece gloves |
| [ ] | Ski Gloves: A warm insulated glove with leather palm (treat with waterproof tech spray) |
| [ ] | Chemical hand warmers (2 sets for cold mornings, but only for those with cold sensitivity) |
| [ ] | Wool or ski/expedition mittens (optional — if your hands get cold easily)
|
| SLEEPING: | |
| [ ] | Sleeping bag (down or synthetic, down to 15-20°F degrees, compression stuff bag) |
| [ ] | Lightweight Therm-a-Rest inflatable sleeping pad. IMG will provide a closed cell full-length foam sleeping pad (you'll use your Therm-a-Rest and the pad for supreme comfort!)
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| MISCELLANEOUS: | |
| [ ] | Pack (medium size, internal frame, in the range of 30-50 liters. Top loading works best. Look for a pack which is comfortable to carry, light, and one which has a minimum number of bells and whistles.) Most of the time you won't need 'all' of the space in your pack, but at times, the extra size will be helpful. |
| [ ] | Pack rain cover, to protect from mist and rain. (As an alternative, bring 2-3 large garbage bags for the same purpose) |
| [ ] | Adjustable, 3 piece ski or trekking poles (please bring both poles; they are a great item to have when you're fatigued or need some extra help stepping up or down large rocks and other obstacles; also nice to have along if you twist an ankle or knee. Some slopes are a little steep, and poles are necessary to keep your balance on this terrain) |
| [ ] | Kahtoola Microspikes (for possible icy conditions, and a couple of slick hardpack dirt areas) |
| [ ] | Extra-large stuff sacks (2; for packing clothes and bulk of personal lunch; to keep things organized and dry in your duffle bag); line each of your larger storage stuff bags with a kitchen or larger garbage can sized plastic bag to increase the waterproofness. |
| [ ] | Medium stuff bag (for daily lunch; to be carried in your pack) |
| [ ] | Sunglasses (1 pair dark pair). Extra eye glasses or contacts? |
| [ ] | Sun cream (1 full bottle; 50+ SPF protection); |
| [ ] | Lip protection (with high SPF). Put your lip protection on a string and hang it from your neck; that way you'll use it. It also works great for your nose. |
| [ ] | Include a small Swiss Army utility knife. A Leatherman C4 or lighter is perfect. |
| [ ] | Water bottles (2 wide mouth 1 qt. Nalgene wide-mouth type bottles; a 2 or 3 liter water hydration system can substitute for one bottle) |
| [ ] | Toilet paper (2 large rolls in zip-lock bag); plus personal hygiene wipes; |
| [ ] | Small hand sanitizer, plus a small plastic bottle of biodegradable liquid trail soap |
| [ ] | Garbage bags (4+ large, heavy duty; 30+ gal; use these to line your pack and all of your large stuff bags; it's an excellent way to keep your gear dry. At camps, put your boots in one. Extra bags are ALWAYS GOOD!) |
| [ ] | Headlight (LED with fresh batteries, plus 1 spare set). |
| [ ] | Iodine (Potable Aqua) or Chlorine Dioxide (Aquamiura) tablets for water purification (1 bottle of 50 tablets, or, Lightweight personal water purification device — make sure you know how to use it, and what it filters; must filter viruses and use iodine to be 100% effective. We will boil water each evening, and that usually suffices for most trekkers; we will fill water bottles with this boiled water on a daily basis, but please treat your drinking water if inclined) |
| [ ] | Toiletries: Toothbrush and paste, small travel washcloth and towel. Small antiperspirant (optional). Only a small amount of lightweight personal items should be taken on the trek. |
| [ ] | Day pack (highly recommended for air travel and general touring — lightweight with few frills, top loading is best). Leave the day pack at the hotel; you won't need it on the trek. |
| [ ] | Lunch (for on and off mountain, to supplement provided lunches). Please bring a variety of foods weighing in total no more than 3-4 lbs. You can supplement this some with local foods, candies, and fresh fruits. Lunch ideas include: string cheese, beef jerky, dried fruit, candy bars, energy bars, hard candies, nuts, electrolyte replacement drink mix (several quarts repackaged into a Ziploc bag), 4 quarts worth of performance powdered power drink mix for your harder days. Salty snacks are often appreciated.
Note: on the trek you will be provided a small daily lunch bag by our local cooks, which usually consists of a simple sandwich, piece of fruit, some cheese, sometimes a boiled egg, and a couple of candies. |
| [ ] | First aid kit (To cover your personal needs only); Band-Aids, 1" roll of athletic tape, moleskin, non-prescription pain meds and anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil. 3" wide Ace bandage. Cough drops (10). Pepto Bismol tablets are helpful for dealing with minor stomach distress. Imodium is an effective over the counter aid for diarrhea. Consult with you doctor about the trip and travel at altitude and bring any recommended prescription drugs in original prescription bottles. |
| [ ] | Prescription Medications to Highly Consider:
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| [ ] | Passport/Visa. United States and Canadian citizen will be provided a visa upon entry. Other citizens should check the Peruvian Consulate website for information about their visa requirements. |
| [ ] | International shot record |
| [ ] | Money ($250 for the local staff tips, plus $300-500 for misc.: drinks, some meals, travel, and gifts. Bring some smaller bills for the local staff tips; we suggest a couple of $5's and a couple $10's to help make the tip division easy, the rest in $20 bills works well.) ATM's are available in Huaraz. |
| [ ] | Make sure all your US bills are in good shape, of the NEW STYLE, with no tears, ink markings or excess wear; worn, used looking, or old bills may not be accepted |
| [ ] | Credit cards (be sure to notify your card company you'll be using your credit card out of country prior to departure on your trip so merchants don't decline your international purchases; bring a second credit card as back-up) |
| [ ] | Money belt/neck pouch |
| [ ] | Running/tennis shoes/low-top trekking shoes (use as travel and camp shoes) |
| [ ] | Flip-flops/Chacos (hotel use and camp) |
| [ ] | Socks; cotton or synthetic, for travel (3) |
| [ ] | Small bag of liquid biodegradable soap (for clothes; take this on the trek, too) |
| [ ] | Underwear for travel (3-4); hand washable and synthetic is nice and easy |
| [ ] | Cotton pants or synthetic travel pants (2) |
| [ ] | Toiletries for travel (be sure to keep it light here). |
| [ ] | Dress shirts (1-2) |
| [ ] | T-shirts or short sleeve travel shirts (2-3) |
| [ ] | Large duffel bag (to fit trekking pack and other gear during air travel, and during the trek this duffel bag will be used to contain your sleeping bag and extra gear — which is carried on a mule. Don't forget a small TSA combination locks) |
| [ ] | Second large duffel bag (for air travel and to store gear at hotel; include a TSA lock) |
| [ ] | Ear plugs (2-3 pair; for air travel and sleeping while camping)
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Clothing Notes: Easy-wash travel clothing is convenient, as are jeans and non-flashy shirts. Cotton for trail use is generally DISCOURAGED. Avoid bright colors or super flashy clothing that mark you as a tourist. Huaraz is "tourist and mountain friendly" so being a tourist doesn't create any problems or attract unnecessary attention; however, it's a good idea to dress-down. Avoid skimpy clothing or short shorts so we don't offend the locals. | |
| OPTIONAL | |
| [ ] | Diary, pen and pencil |
| [ ] | IPod or portable music player. Consider bringing a small solar panel or power block to charge your player. |
| [ ] | Books. Plan on doing some trading/sharing! |
| [ ] | Camera(s), extra storage media cards and extra batteries |
| [ ] | Binoculars, smaller style |
| [ ] | 4 Legged lightweight chair with back (for camp use). The lightweight ones weigh about a pound or less. |
| [ ] | Thumb drive for swapping pictures; if we have time at the end of the trek in the hotel
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Gear Donations for the Local Guides and Mule Drivers
We like to encourage our Peru trekkers and climbers to bring along some of their used and close-to-worn-out-gear and clothing on this trip. This gear can then be donated to our local guides and staff after the trek-and make your bag lighter for your flight home. Appropriate items include long underwear tops and bottoms, fleeces clothing, trekking pants, socks, gloves and mittens, outerwear, gaiters, and other clothing items that you've used during your trip but you no longer need-or want. This token is not expected by us or our local staff, but it is a good way to "unload" some of your older gear that you no longer need or want and help the highland families we work with who can put your donations to good use. Extra trek food can also be left with our Peruvian staff after the trek if you want to save some extra weight and space in your bags.
We certainly don't want to overwhelm our local staff, and your guides will help coordinate the donation so that all are treated fairly. Our local contacts certainly appreciate anything you can give them, but please don't make any promises along the way. Thank you in advance for whatever you do for the local families with whom we work!
Gear Note
Lastly mark all personal gear including water bottles clearly in indelible ink with your name, or wrap colored tape around your bottles (or use a sticker; marking your water bottles helps us identify your bottles when filling them during the trek after dinner and breakfasts). Check the condition of your gear and be sure to test new pieces of equipment thoroughly.