As I mentioned here, I spent two weeks hiking the Camino de Santiago from Leon to Santiago this fall. In the (very brief!) time that I spent planning my trip, I was thankful to the packing lists and tips that I found online I figured that I'd share my packing list and reflections.
How light will you go?
Since you don't need to camp on the Camino (at least not on the section and at the timing that I completed it) and no need to carry a significant amount of food or water, it's possible to carry an extremely light pack...or to treat yourself to a few luxuries.
I decided that I'd prefer to carry a few extra pounds rather than go totally spartan. And you know what? I was happy that I did. Everything I read online says that you'll curse yourself and toss out half of your belongings, but I was extremely happy with my burden. Even with luxuries in tow it weighed only 15 lbs which is comfortably less than 10% of my body weight (a much cited and sensible guideline for an upper limit). This may not be the right choice for everyone, but it worked for me.
Also keep in mind that this isn't a wilderness trip. While that means you’ll save weight on camping and cooking gear, you’ll want to bring a few extras like toiletries and a set of clean clothes. That said, nearly every albergue provides sinks for hand washing and clotheslines for hang drying, so you can wash out your essentials regularly.
A few notes on the “right” gear
Footwear. While your shoes are critical, there is no consensus on the perfect footwear. No matter what anyone swears by, what works for them is just that: it works for them. You'll find people who love their footwear and had no foot issues wearing everything from heavy leather backpacking boots to minimalist running shoes...and in each category you'll find many people who hated their shoes! The best you can do is choose something that works for you on your regular hiking routine.
Pack. It's important to find a pack that fits you well. Don't be shy about spending a few hours at your local outdoor store trying on all the packs that will hold the correct volume, loading them with weight, and walking around. (Pro tip - if your outdoor store doesn't have weight bags for testing packs, ask them if you can use a climbing rope.) Ignore the pack’s look and price to start with and just find what fits. I am unrelenting about finding a pack that sits snugly on my hips and hardly touches my back and shoulders. I think this makes me a weirdo? Whatever. After years of backpacking I know that this works for me. If you already own a bag that will work, all the better.
Clothing/Textiles. Obviously you want to choose quick drying versions that will dry overnight. If you want to test your gear for drying speed in advance, make sure to wring it out by hand instead of putting it through the spin cycle, since this is the method you'll be using on the Camino. Hand-wringing leaves your clothes with a LOT more water in them than a centrifuge spin cycle!
Basic Caminio Packing List (aka - What I actually packed).
Total pack weight 15 lbs, total skin out weight 18.4 lbs. I traveled in late September and early October on the Camino Francis.
Clothing
1x tshirt
1x long sleeved merino wool base layer
1x shorts. I found shorts with pockets to be ideal for keeping my wallet handy.
1x pants. I chose to go with a pair of soft shell pants that would work in the rain and also as a comfortable pair of pants for cold weather. I re-treated them with a technical waterproofing spray before leaving for good measure. They weren't the lightest pants in the world, but I already owned them and didn't want to buy something new.
1x sundress. I chose to wear a sundress as my “clean” outfit for the evenings. It was lighter weight than bringing a top and bottom combo, easy to change into after a shower, and looked really cute. I got a TON of comments to the effect of “why didn't I think of that?” and “aren't you fancy!” I highly recommend this option.
1x fleece pullover
1x base layer leggings
1x rain jacket
2 pairs wool socks. Guess what? Wool socks don’t dry overnight. They don’t even dry within 24 hours. These were a pain in the ass. They were also too hot for these Canadian feet in the Spanish afternoon sun. Therefore, I bought...
2 pairs synthetic socks. Much more useful than ^
4x synthetic underwear
2 bras
1x sleepwear. You are sleeping each night in a room with 4-50 other people of mixed gender. Some people sleep in their underwear, but most wear either their clean clothes or sleepwear.
1x Buff. This was a great multi-functional item. I used it as head-ware when it was cold, an eye mask while I slept, and a hair wrap if it was cold after a shower.
Hat. I used a running style baseball cap that I already owned, although most people prefer a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun off their neck.
Footwear
Hiking boots. As I mentioned, there is no perfect footwear. I wore my light hikers which were well broken in, but if I did it again I might try trail runners. The hikers don’t have a lot of cushion which sucks on the frequent paved roads and I had problems with my feet overheating in the afternoons. That said, they were excellent on the muddy, rocky, and steep sections so maybe the grass is always greener?
Flip flops. These were my evening shoes and also functioned as shower sandals and slippers to wear around the albergue. Often you are not permitted to wear your hiking boots inside the albergue. (Fair enough since, in some areas, you hike around a LOT of cow shit.)
Toiletries
You can refill pretty much whatever you need along the way, so just bring a travel sized and pick up a new one if you run out.
Toothbrush and paste
Miniature hair brush
3 hair elastics
Castile soap used for body wash, shampoo, and hand washing laundry. Note, this worked terribly on my hair. I’d just bring a travel sized shampoo next time.
Conditioner. If you colour your hair at home, save one of the conditioner squeeze tubes that comes with your hair colour. It’s super concentrated so will go a long way.
Face wash
sun screen
lip balm
deodorant
large sarong used as wrap for going to/from shower, towel, etc. This is sort of a luxury item, but it was SOOOO useful that it would have been one of the last things I gave up. I was able to avoid having to dress in a tiny, wet shower stall (often with no place to keep your clothes dry!) and simply wrapped myself in this sarong then go back to the room to (semi) discreetly dress under the wrap. I wish I could tell you what my wrap was made of because it dried in a flash, but it is actually an old scarf that I bought at H&M and I removed the tag from it years ago. It was cheap and is very soft, so I’m guessing it’s rayon?
Small terry wash cloth - used for drying body after shower
Half oz micro towel - used for same purpose as washcloth but I was indecisive when planning for trip and brought both!
Mini first aid kit. Bring a little of what you use at home for each of the following. For me it was...
Pills - ibuprofen, tums, pepto
Blister care - moleskin, bandaids, mini scissors
Disinfectant - polysporin, hand sanitizer
Nail clippers
Accessories
Backpack. I chose a 40 L full featured model (aka, not lightweight) that fit me well enough to make the load feel like nothing.
Summer sleeping bag.
Fitted sheet treated with permethrin. I was paranoid about bedbugs and this item allowed me to sleep soundly. I would cover the entire mattress and pillow with the fitted sheet and never touch the mattress, pillow, or provided blanket. I was never affected by bed bugs. Who knows if it was luck or the chemically treated sheet!
Headphones. I didn't actually use them, but most people do.
Safety pins. Use them as clothes pins in windy conditions and when securing gear to your backpack if it didn’t dry overnight.
Mini notebook & pen
1x mesh packing cube. I used this to keep my clothing organized. It can also double as a pillow if there isn't one provided by the albergue.
Camera & charger. Although I typically use a micro SLR, I was happy I chose my pocket sized point and shoot for this trip. Most people keep the electronics low profile, so this fits in a little better. Also, since it was small enough to keep in my pack’s hip pocket I didn’t have to stop to grab it and snap a photo.
Phone & charger. Some people enjoy doing the camino without a phone, but most prefer to be able to check in with family in the evening. Wifi is prevalent at albergues.
Guidebook. Anyone who knows me knows I love a good guidebook. Most English speakers carry this book which is excellent and often called the “Brierley Bible.” It's a pretty detailed guide, which is a useful luxury in my opinion. You can always tear out the unneeded pages if you want to go more light weight.
Water bottle. One 750 ml biking style bottle worked well for me since there are frequent fountains that you can use to fill up along the way. If you encounter a stretch where you’ll need more than one full bottle handy, just pick up a disposable plastic bottle from a store or bar.
Earplugs. Enough for a new pair every 2 nights. Good noise blocking ear plugs are essential for your sleep. Make sure you learn to insert them correctly (roll tight, set them deep in your ears, then hold them for 30 seconds until they expand) so that you'll actually get solid noise blocking.
Mini knife. Useful for picnicking.
Documents
Passport
Camino document
2x credit card (the one you plan to use and a backup, kept separately in case of theft)
2x debit card (the one you plan to use and a backup, kept separately in case of theft)
Mini wallet
Mini purse. Weird? I know, but my dress for the evenings did not have any pockets so I needed a practical way to carry my valuables. The purse I bought was a tiny cloth thing that only weighed a few ounces and could hold my wallet, phone and camera.
Lightweight Camino Packing List (aka - How I'd amend my packing list if I wanted to lighten up)
If I were to amend my packing list to go lightweight, here is what it would look like. Removed items are shown with a strikethrough and added items are in bold.
Clothing
Footwear
Toiletries
Toothbrush and paste
Miniature hair brush
3 hair elastics
Castile soap used for body wash, shampoo, and hand washing laundry
Conditioner
Face wash
Sun screen
Lip balm
Deodorant
Large sarong used as wrap for going to/from shower, towel, etc
Small terry wash cloth
Half oz micro towel
Mini first aid kit
Pills - ibuprofen, tums, pepto tabs
Blister care - moleskin, bandaids, mini scissors
Disinfectant - polysporin, hand sanitizer
Nail clippers
Accessories
Backpack. Drop the size to 30-35 L. If I could find one that felt right I would go with a lightweight model, such as something from GoLite. But if the fit wasn't right, I'd stick with a full featured model. In my opinion a little weight in the form of structure on your backpack tends to pay off by making your load feel lighter than it is, reducing fatigue in your shoulders.
Summer sleeping bag. Hostel sheet treated with permethrin.
Fitted sheet treated with permethrin
Headphones
Safety pins
mini notebook & pen
1x large mesh packing cube
Camera & charger
Phone & charger
Guidebook, tear our unneeded sections.
Water bottle
Earplugs. Enough for a new pair every 2 5 nights.
Mini knife
Documents
Passport
Camino document
2x credit card (the one you plan to use and a backup, kept separately in case of theft)
2x debit card (the one you plan to use and a backup, kept separately in case of theft)
Mini wallet
- Lightweight purse
