hiking in Peru - need gear advice

Hi everyone,

I'm hiking in the Cordilleras Blancas in Peru this summer and need advice about gear. I've almost no experience whatsoever with backpacking could really use some advice about how to pack. I'm going to be doing archaeological survey work and excavation, mostly, although there will be a few days of heavy-duty hiking to reach a site on a mountain ridge, and maybe a few nights spent outdoors.

Here's what I've got: soft shell alpine pants, long underwear (wool top, synthetic bottoms), a compressible down jacket (Mont Bell Neige) and some smart wool socks. My boots are an old broken-in pair of Timberlands that fit me well when I try them on and walk downhill, but may or may not be too tight after a full day of hiking.

Questions:

1. Do I need to get some wicking socks (like wigwams) to go under my wool ones? The smart wools claim to have a "built in" wicking layer but I'm skeptical.

2. What is the best thing to wear over the base layer? I'm assuming that, when I'm standing still in early morning or evening doing work, it will be cool enough to wear the down jacket, but when I have to exert myself at mid-day, the sun will be pretty hot. I have several long-sleeve nylon button-down shirts for sun protection but they seem to be made for hot weather. Would these be good to wear over a base layer? Is there a better option for layering that wouldn't require me to strip out of my wool undies at mid day?

3. What do I need to do to make sure I have the right hiking boots? I've been told that having the right socks is way more important than having the right shoes, but I don't want to be miserable because the boots might be a little too tight after my feet swell.

4. Has anyone ever used the pillow pump with the exped downmat and, if so, how much does it expedite the inflation process? Does it make a comfy pillow?

5. If anyone can give me more advice about the climate and your experiences in Peru, that would be awesome. I'll be based out of Caraz and will, at some point, spend time in Huaraz, Trujillo, Huanchacho, and Lima. A trip up the Inca Trail is a distinct possibility.

Thanks for your expertise!

How high up are you going? I used to live in Bolivia, in La Paz, so I can offer some suggestions based on that. I've been to Machu Picchu, Cuzco and Lima.

A down jacket might be overkill. You used to be able to pick up alpaca wool sweaters and ponchos cheap. No idea about prices now.

I'd take some kind of rain gear and a fleece jacket-mine is a cheap one from Columbia that I wear almost every day, even here in LA.

Take some light gloves and a fleece beanie-mine is made by Turtlefur. You can pick up a wool hat down there, the Indians sell all that kind of stuff. Take a pair of leather work gloves like Kinco's and some liner gloves like they sell at REI.

Boots-I'd take a good pair of sturdy boots-not necessarily full leather mountaineering boots-too heavy-but something like an Asolo, Merrill or Vasque. I wear Patagonia, Thor-Lo or Smartwool socks. I have some liner socks too, but not really necessary in my estimation. Some people like to hike in trail runners, so look at those. They just look like macho running shoes to me.

Bad advice on the boots. Good fitting footwear is the most important thing you can have in the way of clothes. You can cheat on everything else, but if your feet hurt so much you can't walk, you are in real trouble. Socks are important too, but boots first. Try them on with the socks you'll be wearing.

Long underwear-not needed unless it's really cold, but if you take it, take a pair of nylon surf shorts. I wore a pair of Birdwells over mine to hike in down in New Zealand. You look like a dork, but it's really comfortable and if you get wet, you dry out quickly.

For sun protection, I'd wear a long sleeve synthetic t-shirt of some kind. A hat with a brim, too, like a Tilley or a baseball hat. At altitude, you can get fried pretty quickly. I'm sure Bill can add more to the list or suggest something better.

Get on the net to check out the climate.