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Camino Packing List
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April Preparation 23 26-27 28 29 30 May 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 June 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12-14 After thoughts
Packing for my Camino was fraught with indecision, especially after reading many on-line packing lists and opinions. For me, Kay was a valuable source of first-hand experience and I was also able to call on my own fairly solid experience of bushwalking here in Australia.
My packing almost became obsessive before I left, with items being collected on the spare bed from a couple of months out. As my leaving date drew closer, I then refined what I had before doing a number of trial packs. I ended up weighing everything, much to the amusement of my husband, Paul.
When I left, my pack weighed about 9kg, excluding water. I also had just over 1kg of items in my shoulder bag. In the end, I believed that everything I took was of vital importance, but as I went along I realised that for greater enjoyment and comfort I needed to lessen the weight in my pack. Once I’d sent items on to myself in Santiago, my pack would have weighed about 6kg, excluding water. I was much happier and physically more comfortable, and didn’t really miss any of the items I had sent on.
Here’s what I took, along with a comment for most items.
My clothing was kept in a lightweight water resistant zip packing cell. Items such as my raincoat, beanie, gloves, hat and jumper were not in this packing cell, as I wanted them to be always easy to get to.
| Item | Comments |
|---|---|
| 2 x pairs shorts – hiking design, lightweight with side pockets. | Both from Kathmandu. One pair was really old and had zip-off legs, which I decided not to take. |
| Long black pants – very light weight | Another Kathmandu item – used every day as my evening pants. |
| 2 x T-shirts – Icebreaker merino | Loved these! Even though the instructions said not to put in the clothes dryer, these survived. They still look as good as new. |
| Long sleeve quick dry hiking shirt | Columbia brand. Used this under my jacket on the cooler mornings and then it was great as the day warmed, as sun protection. |
| Short sleeved quick dry hiking shirt | Thought I might get lots of use out of this, but didn’t use it at all, so sent to on to myself in Santiago, where it was great to have a different top to wear once I’d finished. |
| Long sleeved thermal top, with collar | Used this on the chilly early days and then sent on. Did think about it one really cold day later on but managed without it. |
| Fleece zip-up jumper | Kathmandu 100 weight. Used every night and on the chillier mornings. Many pilgrims had light packable puffer jackets – I would maybe consider one of this in the future. |
| 3 x bras - 1 merino crop, 1 regular, 1 very lightweight crop | Used all 3 bras, but could have got away with just 2. The merino crop and regular clip-up bra were used for walking – both were very comfortable. The lightweight crop was really unnecessary, but generally used it at night. |
| 3 x undies – two merino hipsters, 1 quickdry | Once again, used all three but could have managed with 2. Loved the merino pairs, not as keen on the other. |
| 3 x socks – 2 merino, 1 coolmax | Not really happy with my choice of socks. Even though they were all light hikers (not really thick), one pair of merinos ended up being too thick and I couldn’t wear them. This area needs a big re-think. |
| Long johns - polypro | Took these very old long johns mainly for the first couple of days, knowing it would be cold. Didn’t use them after that, so they ended up in a bin. |
| Leggings – cycling legs, Craft brand | Loved these and used them most days. Wore them under my shorts for chilly mornings and then just rolled them down as I warmed up. |
| Hat - soft, wide brim – Outdoor Research | VITAL, worn every day. |
| Footwear – Merrell Moabs to start with, then bought Asics Gel Fuji Trabuco, (Goretex) | This was a real bugbear for me. I bought the Merrell shoes at the advice of my podiatrist and had them for about a year before my trip. They were a size bigger than I usually wear and were well worn in. I got blisters from the first day on Camino, and got to the stage where I couldn’t bear the thought of putting them on. I ended up buying some new shoes in Logrono. I still got blisters, but felt much more comfortable. |
| Extra footwear – Crocs For any future Camino-style walks, I think I would take walking shoes, thongs and some lightweight but supportive sandals for walking in when feet swell. |
Have been a long-time lover of Crocs. Took them for showering and evenings. My first blisters were in such a position that I couldn’t wear the Crocs without lots of padding. Ended up buying thongs (flip-flops), which I then used in the shower. Later I also purchased some Teva sandals in case I wanted to walk in them. Sent the Crocs on to myself. Ended up with Asics to walk in, thongs for the shower and for wearing in the afternoon when drying out my feet and sandals for evening and sightseeing. |
| Rain jacket – Kathmandu Alopex | Wore every evening and on cold mornings, until I warmed up. Vital when wet. |
| Rain pants - Cape | These lightweight pants folded into their own pocket. I used them on wet days and they kept the rain from running down into my shoes. (Some people had gaiters for this, but my pants were lighter than my gaiters). |
| Poncho – Sea to Summit ultra sil | Not too many wet days, but this came in handy to go over the top of everything. Thought this might be overkill with the jacket and pants, but very useful. |
| Sarong | Thought I’d use this heaps, but didn’t at all, so sent it on. |
| Beanie (fleece) and gloves (polypro) | Always kept handy in the outside pocket of my pack. Didn’t use very much but glad I had them when needed. |
| Compression calf sleeves | Put these in as a last minute item. Used them early on, then decided I didn’t really need them so sent on. |
| Buff | Found this very useful. Lost my original but purchased another and wore most days. Also useful as a eyemask. |
These items were kept in a small Sea to Summit toiletries bag. It had a small loop on each end which was important as most showers I used had very few, if any, places to put your things. For future walks I would include a couple of very lightweight S HOOKS that could be used in shower cubicles.
| Item | Comments |
|---|---|
| Towel – Sea to Summit micro fibre Drylite | An excellent choice. Took the large sized one, 60 x 120cm (145g). Have always used smaller travel towels but was thankful of this slightly larger one. It dried really quickly too. |
| Small body scrubber | This was rectangular, but a small mitt would also have been useful. Excellent to make shower gel go a long way and good for really getting clean after a day on the track. |
| Shower wash (hair, body, clothes) | I started off with a small Sea to Summit Wilderness Wash but bought small sized replacements as needed. |
| Toothpaste | Small tube, replaced as needed |
| Toothbrush and cover | Normal sized brush, cover essential. |
| Dental Floss | One with only a small amount left on roll. |
| Deodorant | Took my regular Mum roll-on and was happy with that. |
| Face cream | Started off with a small tube and replaced as needed. Wished I’d taken my pot of Nivea. |
| Talc powder | Small travel container of Johnson’s baby powder. Used every day. |
| Hair elastics (4) | Didn’t need 4 – used two on a couple of days. Would consider getting hair cut short for any future trips. |
| Shower cap | Very light motel-style one. Used when I didn’t want to wash hair. Not essential, but useful. |
| Hair brush (folding) | Just before leaving, my sister gave me a tiny plastic folding brush that my nephew brought back from Japan. It was perfect. |
| Sink stopper - small | Didn’t use this. |
| Wet wipes (2) | Had one pack in medical kit and the other lived in my shoulder bag. Really only needed one, as could replace if needed. |
| T-paper (1/4 roll) | Didn’t need this, though others carried toilet paper. I always had tissues in my pocket, so was able to use those, if needed. |
| Tissues (2 x small packs) | Essential. Kept one pack in shoulder bag and another in medical kit. Easy to replace. |
| Elastic clothes line | Didn’t need to use this, though would always include one. |
| Baby pins (8) | Kept some attached to outside of pack for drying socks and other items. Useful when hanging clothes on lines, as well. |
| Clothes pegs (4) | Used these a lot. Would consider taking twice that many, though I used safety pins in place when needed. |
| Lip balm (in shoulder bag) | Essential. |
| Vicks inhaler (in shoulder bag) | Essential for me, as I suffer with hayfever and I was there in Spring. |
| Hand sanitizer (in pocket on pack) | Essential. Tiny size was suitable. |
| Lavender oil (in shoulder bag) | Taken originally for natural headache relief but useful in lots of ways. Tiny 9mL bottle. |
| Razor – disposable (1) | Only used this right at the end, when I would be mixing with non-pilgrim people. |
These items were kept in an extra small Kathmandu packing cell. Being mindful of the saying that we all carry our fears on our back, I tried to keep the weight down, including only those items I thought I would actually need and use. Of course, with my dreadful blister troubles the many farmacias along the way became my second home and would often be the first port of call once arriving in a town. Some of these original items I either threw out, passed onto others or sent to myself. Other pilgrims gave me things and I bought over 200 Euros worth of items. I purchased mainly blister-care items and, as I developed a very sore throat with raspy cough, I also purchased some throat lozenges.
| Item | Comments |
|---|---|
| Medications – non-prescription (aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen, Imodium, senekot, anti-histamines) | Took a small supply of these. Used lots over the time. Easy to replace, as needed. Take care, as in Spain, some medications can be purchased in very strong dosages. Gave the Imodium to someone in need. |
| Medications – prescription (Omnaris spray, Elocon ointment, sleeping pills, anti-biotics, Feldene) | Broke my Omnaris hayfever spray early on but managed without it. No trouble with my hand eczema, so Elocon was sent on to myself. Towards the end, I needed to use my Felden anti-inflammatories for my right ankle. |
| Scissors | Essential. Had tiny pair and used them all the time. |
| Emery boards (2) | One would have been enough. |
| Insect repellent | Used this only once, when in a slightly dodgy-looking albergue. Someone I knew, who got bedbugs bought a big can of insect spray and used it on their bed and pillow at every albergue. I had treated my bedding with permethrin before leaving. |
| Suncream | Essential for me. Though many others didn’t use it, I did see lots of red necks and backs of legs. Had small tube that hung on the outside of my pack via a carabiner |
| Pawpaw ointment | This is a great product, but early on I wasn’t using it so got rid of it. Then I did need something to lubricate between toes and soothe ravaged feet, so ended up buying a number of different products such as Vaseline and Bepanthen, as well as an excellent pot of ‘home brew’ from a pharmacy in Fromista. |
| Blister essentials (Compeed, band aids, hypafix tape). As I’m not normally prone to blisters, I wasn’t anticipating needing much in this area. How wrong I was. | Bought plenty of Compeed but they didn’t work for me…blisters just kept growing underneath them, or they didn’t stay attached. Didn’t use band-aids, but took and then also had to buy metres of hyperfix/fixomull tape. Also bought many packets of various sized dressings and one piece of foam that I was able to cut to size and use under the tape. |
| Elastic tubing (1) - suitable for elbow, ankle, knee. | Didn’t use this. Did buy some silicone tubing that I used on my little toes. |
| Traumeel anti inflammatory cream | Used this and then replaced with another tube of the same, and then a Voltaren-type product. |
| Anti-fungal foot cream | This was a tiny trial-sized pack. Didn’t use it. Readily available, if needed. |
| Sewing kit | Vital, especially a needle for blisters. Needed to sew a button on my shorts. |
| T-tree oil | Used this to sterilise needle for blister popping. Swapped it for a tube of Betadine gel, which I also used on blisters. |
| Hydrolite sachets (4) | Only used two on these on one very hot day. Bought a pack of dissolvable magnesium tablets which I often put into a spare water bottle for use during warmer days. |
| Massage aides - muscle mate & plantar fascia scraper | Didn’t use these as often as I would have liked, but very important and not heavy enough to worry about. A realty thin lightweight foam mat would have been useful for stretching. |
| Eye drops (in shoulder bag) | Essential. |
| Ear plugs (4) | Didn’t need 4 pairs. My favourites, 3M Express Pod Plugs where the plugs were attached to each other, lived inside my bag of sleeping gear and were used most nights. |
I didn’t have much in the way of electronics, but used a 2L Sea to Summit ultra sil dry bag to hold everything. After a while this became my little bag of extra items that didn’t seem to fit in anywhere else.
| Item | Comments |
|---|---|
| PHONE (& stylus) – purchased a Spanish SIM on-line, so I was good to go from the minute I arrived. | Samsung S5 which I used as a camera and my link to home via email, Facebook, my blog. The stylus was important, especially when writing my blog or playing the odd game of Sudoku. |
| Charger unit (includes European plug) | I had a charger with a European plug so didn’t need an adaptor. Some pilgrims had multi-port chargers which were very useful. |
| 1 charge pack | Didn’t need to use this as I never had a problem accessing a power point. In a couple of private albergues, each bunk had its own light and charge point…luxury |
| USB memory stick (32GB) | Used this to back up my photos. |
| Ear phones (includes bag) | Used mainly to listen to music whilst walking. Someone I spent time with used to listen to a book before bed. |
| Note book and 2 pens | This was a tiny spiral notepad that I kept in my shoulder bag. I recorded expenses, phone numbers, and any other info that I wanted quick access to. |
| Sunglasses | Essential, used every day. |
| Reading glasses | Needed these and they were always easy to access. |
| Reading glasses (emergency pair) | Luckily, I didn’t need these and ended up sending them on to myself when I realised that most farmacias had cheap magnifying glasses available. |
| Item | Comments |
|---|---|
| Backpack – Deuter ACT Lite 45+10L | This was the perfect sized pack for me. It easily held what I needed without having everything squashed in. It was very comfortable to wear and was heard-wearing. |
| Whistle (attached to pack) | Would always have this attached on any walk. |
| Pack Cover | Used this when wet. Extra protection was provided by my poncho, which went over everything. |
| Bag for sleeping items | This was a Sea to Summit ultra sil 8L bag. In it I kept my sleeping bag, liner, pillow case and ear plugs. |
| Sleeping Bag (Sea to Summit Traveller) | This light and compact sleeping bag opens fully and can be used like a blanket. I often pulled the end in and zipped up the bottom foot or so to stop it from sliding off me during the night. |
| Silk sleeping bag liner | Essential. Some people had only something like this, no sleeping bag. Most private albergues provide blankets. As I slept in my t-shirt and undies, I used my liner like a sarong when I got up to use the bathroom at night. |
| Silk pillowcase | A luxury, but used each night. |
| Water bottle (Raidlight, on pack strap) | Bought this just before I headed off. This arrangement allowed for my water bottle to be easily accessible on pack strap. The holder was a bit heavy and the bottom strap broke while I was away, but the position and the bottle itself was a winner. |
| Carabiners (2 large and 2 small) | Originally used the two larger ones to attach my Crocs to the outside of my pack. Used for various purposes. |
| Walking Poles (2 Leki vario carbon) | Loved these, and glad I had two. Didn’t like leaving them in communal pole bins overnight, so was able to very quickly fold away and store in outside pocket of pack. |
| Folding seat (Thermarest Z seat) | Used this often enough to take again. Excellent for sitting on the side of the track or on cold or rough surfaces. |
| Day pack (packable, for carry on) | Had a Sea to Summit 20L. Used this for plane carry-on and then lent it to someone to use for a few days when they paid to have their pack taxied ahead. |
| Pocket knife | Used this a couple of times, mainly to cut fruit. |
| Cutlery set | Sea to Summit UL knife and spork set. Use this often and was glad I had it. |
| Pilgrim Shell | Bought this at SJPP, lost that one and purchased another in Pamplona. |
| Head torch and 2 batteries | Coleman brand. Used most nights. Mine had a red light function which was invaluable, as it was less disturbing to others. |
| Guide Books x 2 – John Brierley’s guide to Camino Frances (which lived in my shoulder bag for easy access) and also the one to Finisterre and Muxia. | Used this guide every day. Wrote all over it recording memories, where I stayed and events that happened along the way. Didn’t use my Finesterre guide as I didn’t end up walking to the coast. |
| Stow away bag | Didn’t really need this but it did come in handy on a few occasions. |
| Neck pillow for plane | Sea to Summit Aeros (50g). Bought this at the last minute and was glad I had it. |
| Valuables holder | This contained my passport, extra cash and spare cards. It lived in my shoulder bag. |
| Passport | |
| CASH | Had some in a purse and some extra hidden away elsewhere. |
| MasterCard, debit card and cash currency card | Mainly used cash and accessed it from ATMs using my Global Currency card. Used my Mastercard a few times but didn’t use the debit card. |
| Shoulder bag | This never left me, and I LOVED it! It was either worn on my front, threaded through my pack waist strap, or worn across my body. It was a very old Lowe Alpine small flight case. I have since purchased a new version of this. |
| Purse | Sea to Summit. Held cash, some coins and one card. |
| Pilgrim Credentials | Purchased via internet before leaving home, purchased another set along the way, as I loved getting stamps and filled my first set quickly. Always kept in plastic cover. |
| Folder (flight and accommodation info) | This plastic folder lived down the back pocket of my pack where a water bladder would normally go. Had this info also on my phone, but was glad to have the paper copies. |
| Extra sealable bags | This was just a few spare zip-lock bags of various sizes, most of which I used. |
| Mints | This tin of sugar-free mints lasted me the whole trip. |