Peru!

Since we don’t want to be huffing and puffing the entire way up to Machu Picchu we need to exercise and prepare ourselves for the trek.
We leave in approximately three weeks!
For the next two weeks each of us need to hike for 12 hours over the course 4-6 days. Try to get in several days where you are on your feet hiking for at least 2 or 3 hours.

Be sure to bring along the backpack you plan on using during the hike. Fill it with about 15 lbs so we can get used to having weight on our back.
Don’t forget to wear the shoes you’ll be bringing along
We need to be going up and down steep hills. While walking on flat pavement will help, we will be best prepared if we find conditions like what we will be experiencing in Peru.
For the final week before our departure we should taper down and let our bodies have some rest. So from June 12th until June 19th continue walking, but don’t bring a backpack and stick to small hills or flat pavement.
Weekends are a great time to have a condensed hiking routine. Try doing two days in a row with a backpack for several hours.
We want to hold each other accountable for how much progress we are making. So at the end of each week write, either in a blog post or in a comment, the amount you hiked and with how much weight you carried.

Good Luck!

Here is a list of items to pack. Feel free to leave comments if you can think of other important items we have forgotten.

5-6 short sleeve shirts or tank tops
2 long sleeve shirts
3 pairs of hiking pants (no jeans!)
2-3 pairs of hiking shorts or capris
1 skirt or dress for Cuzco or Lima
1 lightweight jacket
1 lightweight sweatshirt
Swimsuit!!
2 pairs of lightweight pajamas
7-8 pairs of underwear (we can wash in Cuzco)
Long underwear
Sports bras/Regular bras
Good hiking socks- not cotton (2 for each day of hike & 1 for each day of regular travel)
Thin gloves and stocking cap
Raincoat or poncho
Sleeping Bag/Small travel pillow
Hiking shoes and sandals
Money Pouch or something to keep it safe
Fast drying hand towel/washcloth (if you have room)
Toothbrush/Toothpaste
Travel shampoo/conditioner
Travel bodywash
Hairbrush/hair bands etc.
Deodorant
Razor
Hat with brim
Insect Repellent
Sunscreen
Moleskin
Ziplock bags/1 garbage bag/plastic bags (for dirty clothes)
Glasses/Contacts
Diary & Pen
Toilet Paper!!!
Water Bottle
Feminine hygiene products
Camera & lots of batteries and memory cards
Family & friend’s addresses for postcards
Energy bars and sports drink packets
Credit card/ATM card/Cash (in small denominations)
Drivers License
Passport (make copies to leave at home and leave in each bag)
Student ID card (maybe we can get discounts!)

Specific items for each person to bring:

Kari
Water Purifying Tablets
Travel Guides

Liz
Small travel alarm clock
Electricity convertor plugs for Peru

Anne
Ammodium AD
Advil
Bandaids/Gauze
Spanish/English Dictionary

Don’t forget to contact your bank and credit card company to make them aware that you’ll be traveling out of the country. They might put a hold on your account if they see suspicious activity without explanation.

As far as what type of bag to pack in it’s up to you. We can leave things behind at the Hotel in Cuzco, so plan on bringing a smaller bag to hike the trail in. It will probably be most convenient to be able to carry all of our belongings on our back throughout the entire trip. So pack light!

June 19th 8:42 AM - 12:20 PM:
Flight from Minneapolis to Newark on Continental flight CO2373

July 19th 2:45 PM - 9:45 PM:
Flight from Newark to Lima ... [Continue reading this entry]