The Gear You Need: Mountain Trekking in Peru

Lowepro's Inverse 100AW

The North Face Solaris 35 (The North Face Solaris 35)

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Last July I was fortunate enough to spend five days hiking a new hut-to-hut route established by Mountain Lodges of Peru, traversing over two high-elevation passes, through cloud forests, and down some of the dustiest trails in South America before reaching Machu Picchu. It proved arduous and inspiring, and I attribute the gear I brought as half the reason the trek was so wonderfully successful.

Here are the top picks from that trip.

The Packs
Camera Case: Lowepro Inverse 100 AW
Let me be clear: I do not endorse the fanny pack or the bum pack or whatever name you might use to refer to those embarrassing satchels that ill-informed tourists clip around their waist. Sure, you can reach into your fanny pack more easily than a backpack, but I cringe at the notion of anything that instantly tags me as a tourist. In this case, fashion should trump function. Might as well wear socks with sandals.

Or so I thought. Yet after enduring several backcountry trips where I miss the perfect photo because I'm getting my DSLR camera out of my backpack, I knew I needed a better solution. Enter the Inverse 100 AW, a padded beltpack from famed camera bag manufacturers, Lowepro. Targeted at the outdoor photographer, the pack boasts enough volume to comfortably swallow my Nikon, a second lens, and my Panasonic point-n-shoot, along with requisite accessories (lens cloth, mini tripod, memory cards, etc). Better still, I could wear it around my (yes) waist while simultaneously wearing the Solaris backpack from The North Face (see below). The set-up provided comfortable, quick access to my camera whenever I wanted to take a picture. A simple C-shaped zip closure kept the camera secure when not in use, the 3D contoured belt distributed the weight nicely, and the mesh fabric aided in wicking and breathability. The tough nylon-and-poly exterior insulated the camera from the dense Andean dust, and the bag is outfitted with a stow-away rainproof cover should conditions get really dire. The bag also comes with a detachable, padded shoulder strap to convert the Inverse to a typical camera bag—for the fanny pack averse, an acceptable way to transition from the backcountry to the gateway city without losing easy access to your camera.
$79.99, lowepro.com

Backpack: The North Face Solaris 35
Choosing a pack for this trip was trickier than expected. My larger duffel would be portaged via mule, so I didn't need a bag that could swallow weeks of gear. But weather in the Andes can shift from sunny and short sleeves to wind-chilled multi-layer conditions in a matter of minutes—even at the same elevation. So I wanted something that was relatively voluminous and relatively light, comfortable yet durable, outfitted with a few features but not with 1,001 bells and whistles. After searching far and wide, I did what I should've done from the beginning: Go to The North Face. Their Solaris 35 pack had everything I was looking for: 2,150 cubic inches of storage space accessible by a fold-down panel or a lower zipper compartment separated by a removable divider; zippered side pockets and a top zipper compartment for quick-access items; hydration-reservoir compatible; side compression straps that also let me synch layers down for easy access; mesh water pockets flanking both sides—all of it constructed out of durable 450D rip-stop nylon. It sits on a comfortable, breathable PE frame sheet that gives the bag form without adding much weight, and offers solid support via a three-strap waist support, as well as a sternum strap and heavily padded shoulder straps.

I easily stashed three layers, hat and gloves, a two-liter Camelbak bladder, meds, and a huge box of crackers (the only food I could stomach—barely—when I contracted a nasty virus). But I confess it's the little details that endeared me to this backpack over the weeklong trip: a small front stash pocket, an organized interior panel for pens and electronics, a clip for your keys, the whistle integrated into the sternum-strap buckle… When everything in your pack suddenly seems to be exactly where it should be, you know you've found the right one.
$99, thenorthface.com