Packing is obviously one of the most important parts of planning! I'll write up descriptions of everything I packed and also attach a packing list (pending) for quick reference.
My goal was to keep my pack as light as possible, since I am not in very good physical shape. I knew it would become a problem if my pack was too heavy, not only because my body is overweight (which causes its own problems) but because it would make me more tired, faster. Walking 20-25km each day is tiring enough! Even after walking 100km, by the end of the week my bag did not bother me in the slightest, which I accredit to its proper fit and the careful vetting of the contents. With the rule "as light as possible" in mind, here is a look at what I took.
My pack is a Teton brand with lots of adjustable parts, including torso length (partially visible in photo on left). This was acquired from eBay for only $20! You can easily find good, inexpensive gear if you start looking early and don't let yourself rush to buy something full price at the last minute. BUT it's important that you're aware of what you're getting--a $20 bag that didn't fit me properly would not have been worth it.
The bag has a separate compartment at the bottom for a sleeping bag (red, visible in photo on right). My
mom and sister continually commented on this feature, since it meant I
did not have to unpack anything before getting out my sleeping bag, and it likewise meant I could pack my sleeping bag last in the morning. It also had two exterior zip pockets (gray, visible in photo on right). These were also incredibly convenient; I kept medical supplies in one and food in the other for easy access.
The left photo here also pictures the bag open to expose the zippered compartment in the hood of the bag. This is where I kept important things that needed to be readily available, like my bedtime bag (more on that below), charging cords, advil, and sunglasses.
As you can tell already, I recommend organizing things by their use value and use frequency. So, my exterior pockets and the lid pocket were reserved for things I knew I'd need often or want to access quickly/easily.
Next most important, probably, is hiking shoes. After reading lots of blogs and reviews, I ordered the waterproof Merrell Moabs. I had a pair of ankle-height Merrells and they irritated my ankles, so I went with the lower height. [Sidebar: my sister had ankle-height Moabs and ended up slicing open one side one morning because it rubbed her ankle bone uncomfortably and caused bruising.] These fit me really well and on the one day it rained my feet did not get wet at all. You can see in this photo that they did get scummy on that day in the rain!
A note on lacing: many people have commented on the standard laces that come with these Merrells. It is true they are surprisingly short and slippery, but I used the standard laces, tied in the regular way and then "double-knotted" and did not have a problem with either fit or the laces coming untied. My mom, on the other hand, re-laced her shoes (picture forthcoming) for better fit. She also had some issues with laces coming untied.
We discussed shoes many times on the trail. We saw a woman who had done the whole Camino Frances who was wearing a "barefoot" style sneaker (she had two pairs of the same shoes; one for yucky muddy or rainy days, one "clean" pair). We saw many day packers who were just wearing sneakers. The trail is such that you could wear any athletic shoe, but there are many parts of it that are rocky as well. I was glad I had true hiking shoes, but on days when we walked on blacktop a lot we all agreed a person might do better wearing shoes with more shock absorption (like running shoes or trail sneakers).
"Camp shoes", i.e. shoes you can put on once you've reached your hostel for the night, are SUPER important! I ordered these Keens especially for the trip (they were even more expensive than my hiking shoes!) and was very glad I did. Many hostels prohibit hiking shoes in the bedrooms and common areas in an attempt to keep the areas clean, and you certainly don't want to wear your hiking shoes into the shower. You will need some kind of alternative footwear. I was very happy with the Keens and saw many other peregrinos wearing Keens or similar style (closed-toe/sport) sandals. My mom brought cheap flip-flops as shower shoes, and they worked fine but mine were certainly more comfortable and versatile, since I was also able to walk in mine for short distances on the trail and around town to/from dinner, etc. My sister did not bring alternative shoes, intending to share my mom's flip flops, and I believe this was her single biggest regret on the trip.
Your sleeping bag should be as light as possible, since this is one of the other largest things you'll need to take. This photo is actually of the sleeping bag my mom and sister used (sunglasses for scale). (Picture of mine forthcoming.) Their sleeping bags were rated 40° and mine was rated 20°, and both styles were plenty warm.
Remember, we went the last week of May and temperatures averaged in the 60°s during the day and the 40°s at night. If you travel later in the summer when it is warmer, you CAN actually get away with only taking a sleeping bag liner or travel sheet (e.g. I have a silk Cocoon I could have taken). We found that all of the hostels we stayed in had blankets in case of extra-cold nights. A peregrino could potentially take a travel sheet and use the blankets at the hostels. However, there is a certain "ick-factor" (as my mom would say) since these blankets are rarely washed. I also imagine that farther away from Santiago (if you're doing a longer portion of the trail), hostels may be less likely to have blankets.
Here's a picture of all the gear I took other than clothing.
Since it's roughly in columns, here's a brief list of what everything is left to right, top to bottom.
Clothing/complete gear photo forthcoming. Here's a list of the clothes I took:
AND (drum roll, please!) the most important two bags of all:
If the rest of my gear had been lost, ruined, stolen, shipped away on a train, etc. I could have lived on these two bags. On the left, you can see I used a cheesy but highly functional hip-pouch for my travel documents, pilgrim's passport, credit and debit cards, cash (not pictured--spent it all!), and my phone (also not pictured). Instead of wearing this thing as intended under my clothes around my waist, I usually wore it slung around my torso. This way, there was no risk of it slipping down around my hips/riding up to my natural waist, and it was less sweaty since it was on the outside of my shirt. And yes, I decorated mine.
The bag on the right is what I've been calling my "bedtime bag". I highly recommend that you make one of these lil' babies for yourself, tailored to your needs. The idea is that at night in the hostels, I could keep this bag next to me on the bed (in my sleeping bag, even, since it's so small). Everything I might need would be easily accessible. This is important in a dark hostel, especially if you're on the top bunk! Mine includes my night time allergy and other medications (which includes the eye-drops), chap stick, ear plugs, a pen, and a small journal. I also wear glasses, so my bedtime bag was an easy place to safely store my glasses while I was asleep. Additionally, most nights I used my little head lamp to write in the journal and then used my Buff headband as an eye cover.
One other crazy thing I took: my Kindle!
My goal was to keep my pack as light as possible, since I am not in very good physical shape. I knew it would become a problem if my pack was too heavy, not only because my body is overweight (which causes its own problems) but because it would make me more tired, faster. Walking 20-25km each day is tiring enough! Even after walking 100km, by the end of the week my bag did not bother me in the slightest, which I accredit to its proper fit and the careful vetting of the contents. With the rule "as light as possible" in mind, here is a look at what I took.
My pack is a Teton brand with lots of adjustable parts, including torso length (partially visible in photo on left). This was acquired from eBay for only $20! You can easily find good, inexpensive gear if you start looking early and don't let yourself rush to buy something full price at the last minute. BUT it's important that you're aware of what you're getting--a $20 bag that didn't fit me properly would not have been worth it.
The left photo here also pictures the bag open to expose the zippered compartment in the hood of the bag. This is where I kept important things that needed to be readily available, like my bedtime bag (more on that below), charging cords, advil, and sunglasses.
As you can tell already, I recommend organizing things by their use value and use frequency. So, my exterior pockets and the lid pocket were reserved for things I knew I'd need often or want to access quickly/easily.
Next most important, probably, is hiking shoes. After reading lots of blogs and reviews, I ordered the waterproof Merrell Moabs. I had a pair of ankle-height Merrells and they irritated my ankles, so I went with the lower height. [Sidebar: my sister had ankle-height Moabs and ended up slicing open one side one morning because it rubbed her ankle bone uncomfortably and caused bruising.] These fit me really well and on the one day it rained my feet did not get wet at all. You can see in this photo that they did get scummy on that day in the rain!A note on lacing: many people have commented on the standard laces that come with these Merrells. It is true they are surprisingly short and slippery, but I used the standard laces, tied in the regular way and then "double-knotted" and did not have a problem with either fit or the laces coming untied. My mom, on the other hand, re-laced her shoes (picture forthcoming) for better fit. She also had some issues with laces coming untied.
We discussed shoes many times on the trail. We saw a woman who had done the whole Camino Frances who was wearing a "barefoot" style sneaker (she had two pairs of the same shoes; one for yucky muddy or rainy days, one "clean" pair). We saw many day packers who were just wearing sneakers. The trail is such that you could wear any athletic shoe, but there are many parts of it that are rocky as well. I was glad I had true hiking shoes, but on days when we walked on blacktop a lot we all agreed a person might do better wearing shoes with more shock absorption (like running shoes or trail sneakers).
"Camp shoes", i.e. shoes you can put on once you've reached your hostel for the night, are SUPER important! I ordered these Keens especially for the trip (they were even more expensive than my hiking shoes!) and was very glad I did. Many hostels prohibit hiking shoes in the bedrooms and common areas in an attempt to keep the areas clean, and you certainly don't want to wear your hiking shoes into the shower. You will need some kind of alternative footwear. I was very happy with the Keens and saw many other peregrinos wearing Keens or similar style (closed-toe/sport) sandals. My mom brought cheap flip-flops as shower shoes, and they worked fine but mine were certainly more comfortable and versatile, since I was also able to walk in mine for short distances on the trail and around town to/from dinner, etc. My sister did not bring alternative shoes, intending to share my mom's flip flops, and I believe this was her single biggest regret on the trip.
Your sleeping bag should be as light as possible, since this is one of the other largest things you'll need to take. This photo is actually of the sleeping bag my mom and sister used (sunglasses for scale). (Picture of mine forthcoming.) Their sleeping bags were rated 40° and mine was rated 20°, and both styles were plenty warm.Remember, we went the last week of May and temperatures averaged in the 60°s during the day and the 40°s at night. If you travel later in the summer when it is warmer, you CAN actually get away with only taking a sleeping bag liner or travel sheet (e.g. I have a silk Cocoon I could have taken). We found that all of the hostels we stayed in had blankets in case of extra-cold nights. A peregrino could potentially take a travel sheet and use the blankets at the hostels. However, there is a certain "ick-factor" (as my mom would say) since these blankets are rarely washed. I also imagine that farther away from Santiago (if you're doing a longer portion of the trail), hostels may be less likely to have blankets.
Here's a picture of all the gear I took other than clothing.
- clothes line (used once)
- hiking poles (used heavily but not constantly)
- hat (used a few times in misty rain)
- liquids bag (collected for plane travel)
- Advil and migraine pills (used daily)
- an emergency blanket (not used--the logic was that if there was an emergency, it could be used as shelter, a blanket, a place to sit, etc. Very versatile. I don't regret taking it since it was light and tiny, and in a worst-case scenario it would have been good to have)
- teal bathroom bag (contained toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and contact solution for easy transport to/from bathroom)
- green stuff sack (contained charging cords, adapters, extra hair ties)
- sunglasses
- pocket tissues (which doubled as toilet paper after my baggie of toilet paper was empty-- I was skeptical about needing TP. You may not pee in the woods [I managed to avoid it!] but many of the cafes and restaurants you'll stop at will not have TP.)
- head lamp (used almost daily)
- bedtime bag (see below)
- medical kit (tape is visible, band-aids were all used up on hot spots on my feet so that they did not become actual blisters. Included safety pins.)
- instant coffee (used a couple of times)
- extra empty gallon-sized ziplock baggies (used a lot!--food, dirty clothes, etc.)
- pen, pencil, spork (used a few times)
- stuff sacks for clothing (I really loved having these. Yellow for pants and tops, red for undies, bras, and socks, blue for most of the little things/toiletries in the photo.)
- Platypus (flexible) water bottle (used, of course, but you could easily get away with not taking a water bottle, buying one there, and re-using it.)
Clothing/complete gear photo forthcoming. Here's a list of the clothes I took:
- two short-sleeved shirts
- one long-sleeved shirt (I wish I'd taken two; time of year will determine this)
- one tank top (for sleeping/layering)
- two pairs of hiking pants
- one pair of crop yoga pants (for sleeping)
- three pairs of underwear
- two sports bras
- three pairs sock liners and three pairs socks--I ended up borrowing socks almost every day from mom, who took extras.
- Buff headband
AND (drum roll, please!) the most important two bags of all:
The bag on the right is what I've been calling my "bedtime bag". I highly recommend that you make one of these lil' babies for yourself, tailored to your needs. The idea is that at night in the hostels, I could keep this bag next to me on the bed (in my sleeping bag, even, since it's so small). Everything I might need would be easily accessible. This is important in a dark hostel, especially if you're on the top bunk! Mine includes my night time allergy and other medications (which includes the eye-drops), chap stick, ear plugs, a pen, and a small journal. I also wear glasses, so my bedtime bag was an easy place to safely store my glasses while I was asleep. Additionally, most nights I used my little head lamp to write in the journal and then used my Buff headband as an eye cover.
One other crazy thing I took: my Kindle!
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