Must-Haves for Women Hiking the Inca Trail

Day Pack - I wish I had packed a small backpack. I kept borrowing my friend's packable day pack because my back was getting so sore carrying around my cross body bag.

Small quick dry washcloth. - On the trek we were given warm water at morning and night to clean up and having my own wash cloth instead of sharing one would've been really nice.

Trekking Poles. The poles would've been really useful in the colca canyon and even though I rented them on the inka trail I wish I had my own.

Acetozolomide / Diamox - We were tired at high altitude but not sick so I'm glad I took these a few days before we got to Cusco. Spending a few days in Cusco before the hike was also a very good thing.

Antibiotics, Immodium and Rehydration Tablets - I went to the travel clinic and got antibiotics for Gastrointestinal issues. I'm glad I did because we all got sick.

Warm Clothes & Rain Coat - The Inca Trail and Cusco can get really cold and wet - I think it might've been 5C on some nights. I get cold easily so I was glad I brought warm clothes, a down jacket and a winter sleeping bag with me on the trek. It does get hot during the day so pack some lighter clothing as well.

Good Shoes that are Broken in - Don't go out and buy shoes the day before you leave for Peru or you'll be crying at the end of day one. Also don't assume that you need hiking boots for the trail. I prefer hiking shoes and my Merrell trail runners worked great.

Doggy Bags - I'm not talking about take-away bags - I'm talking about those opaque bags they sell for picking up after dogs. They should hand these out to people at the beginning of the trek because you're not supposed to throw paper down the toilets on the trek (okay it's a hole in the ground). The little doggy bags that come on a roll would be perfect for sticking your used TP in and then throwing it in the trash.

She-wee - This one's for the ladies. I didn't know what a she wee was before the trek but I wish I had brought one because, I hate to break it to you, there are no toilets on the trek. You're going to be squatting into a hole in the ground which is a little difficult after a long day of hiking. Having a she wee would be much easier. Just bring a bottle of water with you to the loo to rinse it off after using it. Also roll up your pants before heading to the toilets - it gets a little wet (and gross) in there.