A College Girl's Camino Packing List

[travelbug97]

Hello Pilgrims!

I have known that I would walk the Camino ever since I learned about it in my Spanish 3 class junior year in high school. I feel drawn to the Way as if being pulled by a giant cosmic magnet. I had originally planned to walk the Camino Frances the summer after I graduated in 2015, but life and some other things (parents ; money or the lack thereof) caused me to postpone. After my father passed away from cancer earlier this year, I knew that I had to take this journey for myself and I had to take it soon.

I am now planning to walk alone in August of 2017, right before I study abroad for a semester in Seville. It seems so far away! Luckily I have a lot of planning to do to to keep me occupied until then. I have been diligently (obsessively?) curating my packing list for my walk, and thought I would post it here to get some feedback from all you lovely people.

Backpack

• Kelty Redwing 40 Women's Backpack - I must have tried on a hundred backpacks before I found one that worked. I am only 5'1" with a very short torso, so the majority I tried did not sit right on my shoulders. Was so happy to find out that this one fit!
• Camelbak 3 Litre Hydration Bladder - I don't anticipating ever filling the bladder to it's full capacity; maybe half full at the most, this is just the one I already owned.

Feet

• 1 Pair Women's Merell Grassbow Mid Sport Hiking Boots - I bought these at REI 3 years ago when I was first planning to do the Camino and have broken them in gallivanting around the Colorado Rockies.

• 1 Pair Teva Original Universal sandals - for shower shoes and walking around the towns in the evening

• 3 or 4 Pair Smartwool Outdoor Sport Light Cushion socks - still undecided on the quantity

Clothing

• 2 Pair Reebok Technical T-Shirts
• 1 Columbia Long Sleeve Button Up Hiking Shirt (with UV Protection)
• 1 Long Sleeve Technical Shirt - I can't decide whether or not I should bring this
• 2 Sports Bras
• 3 or 4 pair athletic underwear - again undecided on the quantity
• 1 Pair The North Face Aphrodite Shorts
• 1 Pair Patagonia Happy Hike Shorts
• 1 Pair Athletic Leggings

• 1 Columbia Benton Springs Fleece
• 1 Columbia Arcadia II Rain Jacket

Sleeping

• 1 Down 3-Season Sleeping Bag
• 1 Therm-a-Rest Compressible Camping Pillow - I know this is a bit of a luxury, but I can't stand to think of putting my face on a pillow that countless other pilgrims have used... only 9 oz I can live with that little extra weight
• 1 Pair Ear Plugs

Toiletries

• Travel Sized Shampoo & Conditioner
• Contact Lenses & 2 Travel Sized Contact Solutions
• Toothbrush & mini toothpaste
• Mouth Guard (I grind my teeth like crazy)
• Travel Sized Deodorant
• Vaseline
• Mini Hair Brush
• Medication

Sun Protection

• 1 Pair Sunglasses
• 1 Original UV Buff
• 1 Baseball Cap
• Sunscreen

Miscellaneous

• 1 Head Lamp
• 1 Sea-to-Summit quick drying towel
• 1 Travel Journal and Pens
• 1 Camera - Okay I keep going back and forth on whether or not I should bring my DSLR. I have a Canon Rebel T3i, and I know I am going to want to use it. The cons are the extra weight and the issue of how to transport it. (I've been looking into clips that fasten to the backpack strap, but am concerned about discomfort/imbalance of weight if I have the camera hanging off my chest. Also rain.)
• 1 Cell Phone - Could also use some advice in this department. Is it worth it to try to get an international SIM card/data plan to contact home or is there sufficient WiFi available to text my mom every few days using internat apps? Either way I will definitely need some way to contact her periodically and let her know I'm alive so she doesn't freak out.
• Chargers and European Plug Adaptor
• 1 Clothesline & Clothespins - also debating whether or not to leave these behind
• Travel Laundry Detergent
• Small Roll Toilet Paper
• A few Ziplock Baggies
• Compeed/Blister Kit

• 1 stone from the mountain top where we spread my dad's ashes

Paperwork

• Passport
• Pilgrim's Credentials - should I wait to get this in SJPdP or try to get it ahead of time here in the States?
• Emergency Euros
• 1 Credit Card
• 1 Debit Card

Okay, that's it! I would love some feedback if you think I need to add/change/drop anything from this list. I am trying to keep the whole thing under 12 lbs, but I haven't yet put it all together to see how much everything weighs ...

Thanks & Buen Camino,
Jen

 

[oursonpolaire]

Rather than a baseball cap, you might want to use a Tilley/mock-Tilley, the brim of which provides cover from the sun for your ears and neck. You'll get an awful lot of sun on these exposed parts, and many ears have been burned on the Camino-- as your GP will tell you, there's been more than one case of skin cancer starting on ears. Others will chime in on this, perhaps, but I wonder if you don't have a shirt or pair of shorts too many.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Is it worth it to try to get an international SIM card/data plan to contact home or is there sufficient WiFi available to text my mom every few days using internat apps? Either way I will definitely need some way to contact her periodically and let her know I'm alive so she doesn't freak out.

Yes. For about 10 Euro you will have enough data to check email when there is no wifi available, and you will have local phone calls for the myriad reasons you may need to make a local phone call. International calls, however, will be expensive. You can get the SIM card for an unlocked phone in Pamplona or at the Madrid airport if you have connection time and the store is open. A SIM card from SJPdP will not work in Spain unless service in general becomes more compatible soon!!

 

[trecile]

You will want a Spanish sim card when you are studying in Sevilla, so you may as well get one before you walk the Camino.

 

[kaixo]

@travelbug97 I am sorry for your loss. Planning for the camino is a nice distraction during a difficult and painful time. I wish you peace.
Here are a few suggestions:

• 1 Columbia Long Sleeve Button Up Hiking Shirt (with UV Protection)

• 1 Long Sleeve Technical Shirt - I can't decide whether or not I should bring this

Pick one, you really don't need both.

1 Clothesline & Clothespins - also debating whether or not to leave these behind

Maybe just a few small clothes pins or safety pins.

Pilgrim's Credentials - should I wait to get this in SJPdP or try to get it ahead of time here in the States

Get it now, you have plenty of time, and it will make you smile when you hold it.

Totally optional...Consider a cheap flimsy shopping bag to keep your food/snacks in and to use when you go shopping to replenish your stash. I carry some nuts, cookies, chocolate, fruit, bread, cheese, etc. and it's helpful to have food all in one bag. A ziplock works too but it's nice to have a bag when you shop.

Happy planning and sending sweet prayers to you during the holiday season.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Here are the items I would secxond guess:

Tevas for shower and town: Teva straps will retain moisture from showering making them yuky to walk round town. Plus Tevas are heavy. Opt for Crocs ot EVA Birkinstocks instead: 100% platic.

Socks and undies : 3 pairs only. Regarding socks, I assuming they are the ones you already use in the Rockies and like them. I like my socks thin, none of that extra cushioning that holds in moisture. But that's me.

Sports bras: make them regular bras. They will dry faster and you won't be doing mich jumping up and down with your backpack on the Camino.

Long sleeve shirts: bring only one.

Shorts & leggings: I am assuming you are not considering pants? I musch prefer pants as they protect your legs from the sun, and braches, and allow you to sit anywhere.

Dump the pillow, just bring a pillow case.

Leave the clothes line and clothespins behind. Swap those for safety pins.

Baseball cap: it will not help for your neck, side of the face. I would swap for a large brim hat, a safari type had. Outdoor Reasearchmakes some super light ones. Mine is bright yellow so it serves as a high visibilty item for safety while on roads.

Phone: there is wifi in just about every cafe and albergue. But... I like having my phone cal dial 112 in case of emergency, and I also use it as a camera. I have bought SIM cards locally for my unlocked phone but now prefer to pay a bit more and leave home with a plan from my providor: no need to find a Sim upon arrival, and those who may need to reach me in case of emergency already have my number. Also, no need to pay to,have phone unlocked.

You can het your credencial from this forum. It's free if you buy a guidebook. Or can it from the APCO. Make sure you bring something to keep it dry (ziplock of some sort).

I now never leave without an anti-chaffing cream, for groin, bra line, etc. I now bring Pro-shield plus which is used is hospitals for diaper rash. I use it as above but also on my feet before putting socks on. I also bring St-John's Wart oil for my feet after my shower as it serves as an antibiotic.

What I don't see is something to cover your backpack in case of rain.

3 season bag: in August it may be overkill, but after thinking it would also be overkill in May and having frozen..thing is, you are not planning on a liner, or it would be all or nothing?

 

[Anniesantiago]

Looks good. My thoughts on the misc. items:

• 1 Head Lamp - leave it home
• 1 Camera - leave it home and use your cell phone
• 1 Cell Phone - There is free internet everywhere, so you can email and FaceTime for free but if you want to call WITHIN Spain, you'll need a sim card. Cheap and easy to get. I like Vodafone. Have used it for years with no issues.
• Chargers and European Plug Adaptor
• 1 Clothesline & Clothespins - Take large safety pins instead of clothespins and leave the line at home.
• Travel Laundry Detergent - don't bother. Buy a cold=washing bar in Spain and cut in 4ths
• Small Roll Toilet Paper - ok, but I prefer those little packet of Kleenex and PLEASE take a handkerchief for using in the bush and CARRY OUT YOUR TP please.

 

[VNwalking]

Welcome, travelbug...And heartfelt empathy for your loss. My Mom died when I was 20 and I sure wish I had had the Camino to go to after that--but back then I wouldn't ever have considered it. You're in for a big treat, and a big challenge.

So your list...I'd ditch the;

• Headlamp
• Clothesline and pins
• Detergent (you can take a small bottle of Dr Bronner's soap or similar, useful for body, hair, and clothes--but do be careful--the bottles leak unless you tape them closed!
  
• TP

Take:

• 2 pairs of the undies (wash one wear one)
• 2 pairs of socks (ditto)
• And yes--a hat with a brim all the way around (they're cheap in Spain--I got a perfectly good one for 5 Euros last year.)

I'd definitely take the pillow if you'll sleep better.
And the camera, if you want more than a point and shoot.

And do you have a pack cover for rain? (I used to only use fancy goretex raingear but on the Camino I prefer an Altus poncho because it covers the pack too. I got mine in SJPP and ditched my goretex--and have not regretted it once.

I've also down-graded from boots to water shoes on the Camino (basically hiking sandals with mesh). This is a walk, not a hike, and in August the boots'll be extra hot!

 

[Deleted member 43985]

Not sure you want to take a down 3-season sleeping bag in August... a bag liner would likely be more than enough in the heat of summer. Buen Camino!!

 

[november_moon]

Here are my thoughts:

• Socks - bring an extra pair. They are light and don't take up much space - in August, it could be very hot, and you may want to change your socks more often than you think.
  
• Undies - also an extra pair for the same reasons.
  
• Sleeping bag - leave it at home, bring a liner - maybe a light down blanket if you are a chilly sleeper. A 3-season bag is serious overkill. Even when it's chilly, you will be sleeping inside in a room with other people.
  
• Shirts - 1 long-sleeve shirt for sun protection - you don't need 2.
  
• Pants - I prefer hiking pants to shorts and tights - you'll want sun protection for your legs in the summer time, not just warmth. It has been 6 months since I walked, and I still have a tan line at the top of my socks, and I used sun block religiously and only wore shorts about half the time.
  
• Fleece+rain jacket is a good combo for layering, although consider a poncho also. I found that even in June, sometimes it was too hot for my rain jacket when raining and wore a t-shirt under my poncho.
  
• Pillow - leave at home and bring a pillow case. I did that and it worked great.
• Toiletries - don't forget to floss! And bring soap. I brought a good moisturizer too - after being in the sun all day, my skin was thirsty.
  
• Sun protection - I agree that a wide-brimmed hat is a good idea. You'll be walking west, so much of the day, the sun will be to your back and you will want something to protect your neck. And don't forget sunglasses - you need to protect your eyes from the sun as much as your skin.
  
• Laundry - Leave the clothes line and pins at home - there will always be clothes lines - and bring safety pins to hang your clothes - they are smaller and your clothes won't fly off the line in the wind. For soap, I used Dr Bonners bar soap and it worked great. I like almond, but it comes in non-scented and other scents - lavender, peppermint, etc. This is the soap I used for my body also.
  
• Money - bring a back up credit card at least - I always travel with 2. And if you can, bring a back up ATM/debit card. I have 2 checking accounts with different cards. If one gets compromised or lost, I can just report it and continue on with the other account.

 

[Mark Lee]

Your equipment list looks pretty good to me, overall. You should have no problems.
The Teva sandals will work great for double duty. Sure, they will still be a bit wet after you shower, but it's warm in northern Spain in August and September (rained on me only 2 days) and they will dry quickly. Besides, they're made to get wet and wear when wet. I love my Teva sandals. I even walked a couple of days in them (with geeky socks ) on the Camino.
The sleeping bag is questionable. If it weighs over 1-1/2 pounds, I recommend leaving it behind and carrying just a liner or a lighter sleeping bag.
A lightweight sun hat would be handy to have. I always carried a both baseball cap and a sun hat. Both very lightweight and made of tech type material. I can wet them down at a fountain and put them back on my head to stay cool. Some days I liked to wear the baseball cap and some days the sun cap. Not that big a deal to bring both.

 

[jsalt]

Everything that @november_moon said

 

[november_moon]

A lightweight sun hat would be handy to have. I always carried a both baseball cap and a sun hat. Both very lightweight and made of tech type material.

Me too. I wore the baseball-style cap most of the time because it is more comfortable for me, but on hot, sunny days, I really liked the wide brim hat. On cold and/or wet days, the baseball cap was better because I could snug my hood up around my cap, while still having the brim to keep the sun or rain off my face.

 

[Mark Lee]

Me too. I wore the baseball-style cap most of the time because it is more comfortable for me, but on hot, sunny days, I really liked the wide brim hat. On cold and/or wet days, the baseball cap was better because I could snug my hood up around my cap, while still having the brim to keep the sun or rain off my face.

I did the same thing when caught in a drizzle. The baseball cap brim works great like that under a hood, and when it's made of the tech material dries really quick when the sun comes back out.

 

[Micah26]

Hi Fellow Pilgrim,
I am sorry to hear of the death of your father. The Camino will give you the time you need to heal. I am currently planning my first pilgrimage which will happen shortly after my mother passes. Mom is 91 and has joined me in planning the trip. Seems one of the last things we can do together... My best friend died of lung cancer in April, I became a widow at 41. It seems I will have the time and finances to do the Camino after mom passes and will need to do so. I am looking at it as a time to remember, mourn and plan my future. May the Camino help you do the same! Oh your list looks similar to others. I would weight and keep the weight under 15 lbs. it's a long road!

 

[marbuck]

I would never think of walking a Camino without my Tilley!
http://www.tilley.com/canada_en/

 

[Purple Backpack]

I love packing lists so will address that, too. But first, I'm so sorry for the loss of your father. At my dad's funeral, someone read Psalm 121, a Song of Ascents, for me and I still recite it on tough days, both on and off the trail. (Mods, I'm not sure if this breeches the "religion rule", but perhaps it is simply an ancient poem written by King David? Apologies if it crosses the line, but felt it may provide comfort to travelbug97).

As for the packing list:

• 1 Pair Teva Original Universal sandals Teva fan and river rat here. But I use an old pair of Teva Zirras with really thin straps and thinner soles. They dry fast, are really comfortable and quite a bit lighter. Can hike in them and great for evening. If you can't find a pair, try the newer Verras. Same idea with an extra thin strap or two. Available on Zappos, REI and Jet.com.
• 3 or 4 Pair Smartwool Outdoor Sport Light Cushion socks I find it helpful to change socks at lunch during hot weather. Compeed can also mess up your socks, if you use it. So 4 ultra-thin pair for me. Clean socks are such a luxury! Sometimes, I'll hold one back as a treat for later in the trip. The Camino does weird things to your sense of what's important in life.
• 1 Long Sleeve Summer 2016 in Europe was beastly hot. Take one long sleeve for sun protection. Soak the arms in water to cool off wonderfully.
• 3 or 4 pair athletic underwear 3 will do it but for a couple of ounces, I'd bring the 4. But then, I also bring mascara.
• 1 Pair Patagonia Happy Hike Shorts Love these, have used them on the past three long hiking trips I've done. Dry immediately, comfortable. The Happy Hike capris are good, too, and I regretted not having them last summer to keep the sun off. One short, one capri?
• 1 Pair Athletic Leggings Too hot in the summer. Did I mention it's hot?
• 1 Down 3-Season Sleeping Bag Nope. August. Hot. Hot. Hot. And it rationalizes the weight of the mascara. Take a liner. Different story if you are ending more towards the end of September/October.
• 1 Therm-a-Rest Compressible Camping Pillow You know, it helps to have a little comfortable thing from home sometimes. For some, it's a heating coil for coffee, a favorite fleece or a journal. For me, it's a tiny down pillow from Western Mountaineering. That little 5 ounce thing and I have traveled a gazillion miles and it's my tiny luxury. I made a pillowcase for it out of a travel towel. It also fits in a quart ziplock, along with my ear plugs.
• 1 Pair Ear Plugs Worth their weight in gold. Bring 3. One in case of loss, one to wear, one to share!
• Toiletries suggestions: Conditioner is hard to find, bring extra if needed. Dr. Bonner's solid bar soap/shampoo comes in lovely fragrances and works great for laundry, too. Cut the bar in half and it will easily last 2 weeks. Replace with something local. Lush products work ok, too, but Bonner's seems to get things cleaner.
• 1 Head Lamp Everyone here says no to head lamps but I like to take a tiny one. Useful for reading on dim trains, finding stuff in your pack and looking at fine print on maps in dark bars. Saves your phone battery.
• Duct Tape. Take a little bit; useful for repairs. Double back the end and wrap around a pencil to coil it.
• Canon Rebel It hurts if you love photography but cut this item off the list. Iphones have such good cameras and the photoshopping makes Instagram a lot of fun to let the folks back home see your trip. Also, just watching an iPhone from getting lost/stolen is enough without adding an expensive camera to the mix.
• 1 Cell Phone Spanish sim card if you are going to use a lot of data. Just load up again when you get close to running out. Make sure to look at the international plans on your home cell network and block roaming as soon as you are on the plane. Text your mom daily. She'll worry. Guaranteed.
• 1 Clothesline & Clothespins I take them but don't usually use them. I seem to hang stuff on my pack or wherever.
• Travel Laundry Detergent Bonner's solid all purpose soap/shampoo/laundry soap.
• Compeed/Blister Kit Take a small, basic first aid kit including Advil, Benedryl, wound care in addition to blisters, anti-diarrheal, anti-nausea meds. Consider an antibiotic. Yes, there are pharmacies. But they will likely be several miles away or closed when you need them.
• 1 stone from the mountain top where we spread my dad's ashes (Psalm 121...)
• Pilgrim's Credentials - should I wait to get this in SJPdP or try to get it ahead of tim Fun to get at home and get your "first" stamp at a local church before leaving.

Buen Camino, young peregrina!

 

[rometimed]

Don't listen to the naysayers I walked for 4000 KMs last year and didn't wear pant EVER! (Leggings are awesome)

Anyways list is good.

I wouldn't bring the DSLR if you have a smartphone. I brought a 2nd camera on my 38000 Kms of walking that I sent home after the Camino since I wasn't using it much. After a while it was just so so so much faster to use my smartphone and then upload via wifi at the end of every day or every other day to the cloud. (although I say this but I'm planning to bring a Drone next time for fun)

I'd also recommend a swiss army knife (especially one that can uncork wine bottles) and a spork. Spork is good for times when you want to grab a yogurt and keep moving or something.

Also even though i'd never used it prior I brought Gold-Bond Medicated Powder and it was a life saver for my feet after long days with sweat and the start of blisters to dry them down.

 

[Purple Backpack]

rometimed...That's an outrageous 2015 hiking season! Is there a blog to go with that one? Would love to read it. Beautiful trails!

travelbug97, rometimed is right, a knife (buy a cheap one there) and spork are great. I add a plastic coffee mug with lid and store a few tea bags, Starbucks Via tubes and sugar packs inside for those times when I need a caffeine boost. Leggings are perfect, too, in colder weather, plus rain pants. I took capri running tights last summer but only wore them a few times, on rainy days. They were nice to sleep in, though, comfy on the plane and lighter than full tights. On blistering days, I really wished I had taken loose capris instead. The GoldBond idea is a good one, will try if it ever warms up enough here to have sweaty feet.

Now I want to pack up and go hiking someplace warm. But there's 3 feet of snow and ice outside so it's skis for the next few months. Took me hours to shovel out of Ivar's forum snowstorm the other day.

 

[rometimed]

rometimed...That's an outrageous 2015 hiking season! Is there a blog to go with that one? Would love to read it. Beautiful trails!

In process of writing a book and plan to make a few youtube videos about the trips individually and one on gear. Won't be ready for a few months though. It took me 10 months to finish sorting out the pictures from the trips since I ended with 11,244.

The big walks were:

- French Camino (+ Muxia and Finesterra) about 30 days
- English Camino, 4 days
- Hadrian's Wall (England), 5 days
- Coast to Coast Trail (England), 15 days
- West Highland Way (Scotland), 6 days
- Westweg Schwarzwald (Germany), 13 days
- Lycian Way (Turkey), 19 days

 

[hotelmedicis]

Lots of comments here but for what it's worth, two long sleeve shirts and two T=shirts? I would really try to cut back on weight and leave as much as you can. You won't be wearing all four of these shirts so leave two behind. Plus what is the weight of your sleeping bag? 3 season is fine if it weighs under 600 grams. Otherwise ditch it and buy something like a Marmot Atom or something very light from Enlightened Equipment. At 5 foot 1 inches you probably don't weight more than 110 pounds so your entire pack shouldn't weight more than about 15 pounds dry. Ditch the water system in favor of a 1 liter disposable plastic water bottle from Evian or whatever your local store has. Really cut back on the weight. You won't regret it. DSLR? Heavy.

 

[Elizabeth Cheung]

I love packing lists so will address that, too. But first, I'm so sorry for the loss of your father. At my dad's funeral, someone read Psalm 121, a Song of Ascents, for me and I still recite it on tough days, both on and off the trail. (Mods, I'm not sure if this breeches the "religion rule", but perhaps it is simply an ancient poem written by King David? Apologies if it crosses the line, but felt it may provide comfort to travelbug97).

As for the packing list:

• 1 Pair Teva Original Universal sandals Teva fan and river rat here. But I use an old pair of Teva Zirras with really thin straps and thinner soles. They dry fast, are really comfortable and quite a bit lighter. Can hike in them and great for evening. If you can't find a pair, try the newer Verras. Same idea with an extra thin strap or two. Available on Zappos, REI and Jet.com.
• 3 or 4 Pair Smartwool Outdoor Sport Light Cushion socks I find it helpful to change socks at lunch during hot weather. Compeed can also mess up your socks, if you use it. So 4 ultra-thin pair for me. Clean socks are such a luxury! Sometimes, I'll hold one back as a treat for later in the trip. The Camino does weird things to your sense of what's important in life.
• 1 Long Sleeve Summer 2016 in Europe was beastly hot. Take one long sleeve for sun protection. Soak the arms in water to cool off wonderfully.
• 3 or 4 pair athletic underwear 3 will do it but for a couple of ounces, I'd bring the 4. But then, I also bring mascara.
• 1 Pair Patagonia Happy Hike Shorts Love these, have used them on the past three long hiking trips I've done. Dry immediately, comfortable. The Happy Hike capris are good, too, and I regretted not having them last summer to keep the sun off. One short, one capri?
• 1 Pair Athletic Leggings Too hot in the summer. Did I mention it's hot?
• 1 Down 3-Season Sleeping Bag Nope. August. Hot. Hot. Hot. And it rationalizes the weight of the mascara. Take a liner. Different story if you are ending more towards the end of September/October.
• 1 Therm-a-Rest Compressible Camping Pillow You know, it helps to have a little comfortable thing from home sometimes. For some, it's a heating coil for coffee, a favorite fleece or a journal. For me, it's a tiny down pillow from Western Mountaineering. That little 5 ounce thing and I have traveled a gazillion miles and it's my tiny luxury. I made a pillowcase for it out of a travel towel. It also fits in a quart ziplock, along with my ear plugs.
• 1 Pair Ear Plugs Worth their weight in gold. Bring 3. One in case of loss, one to wear, one to share!
• Toiletries suggestions: Conditioner is hard to find, bring extra if needed. Dr. Bonner's solid bar soap/shampoo comes in lovely fragrances and works great for laundry, too. Cut the bar in half and it will easily last 2 weeks. Replace with something local. Lush products work ok, too, but Bonner's seems to get things cleaner.
• 1 Head Lamp Everyone here says no to head lamps but I like to take a tiny one. Useful for reading on dim trains, finding stuff in your pack and looking at fine print on maps in dark bars. Saves your phone battery.
• Duct Tape. Take a little bit; useful for repairs. Double back the end and wrap around a pencil to coil it.
• Canon Rebel It hurts if you love photography but cut this item off the list. Iphones have such good cameras and the photoshopping makes Instagram a lot of fun to let the folks back home see your trip. Also, just watching an iPhone from getting lost/stolen is enough without adding an expensive camera to the mix.
• 1 Cell Phone Spanish sim card if you are going to use a lot of data. Just load up again when you get close to running out. Make sure to look at the international plans on your home cell network and block roaming as soon as you are on the plane. Text your mom daily. She'll worry. Guaranteed.
• 1 Clothesline & Clothespins I take them but don't usually use them. I seem to hang stuff on my pack or wherever.
• Travel Laundry Detergent Bonner's solid all purpose soap/shampoo/laundry soap.
• Compeed/Blister Kit Take a small, basic first aid kit including Advil, Benedryl, wound care in addition to blisters, anti-diarrheal, anti-nausea meds. Consider an antibiotic. Yes, there are pharmacies. But they will likely be several miles away or closed when you need them.
• 1 stone from the mountain top where we spread my dad's ashes (Psalm 121...)
• Pilgrim's Credentials - should I wait to get this in SJPdP or try to get it ahead of tim Fun to get at home and get your "first" stamp at a local church before leaving.

Buen Camino, young peregrina!

I Love this packing list because PILLOW AND MASCARA!!

 

[Ian T]

So do I and I have a Swiss Army knife as well !!!

I Love this packing list because PILLOW AND MASCARA!!

 

[trecile]

I Love this packing list because PILLOW AND MASCARA!!

I brought mascara - and I used it.

 

[SYates]

Here are my 2 cents worth in italics (the items I agree with/have nothing to add I left out ;-)

• 3 or 4 Pair Smartwool Outdoor Sport Light Cushion socks - still undecided on the quantity

Things dry very quickly in August (and there are also dryers in many albergues for that odd rainy/coolish day) so 2 is what I would take, max. 3.

• 1 Long Sleeve Technical Shirt - I can't decide whether or not I should bring this

Leave at home, 3 t-shirts is enough.

• 3 or 4 pair athletic underwear - again undecided on the quantity

2 or 3 max.

• 1 Pair The North Face Aphrodite Shorts
• 1 Pair Patagonia Happy Hike Shorts
• 1 Pair Athletic Leggings

I personally don't walk in shorts (sun burn etc.) but if you like them I would say, one pair of shorts, one leggings (perhaps, again, it is August) but also one pair of long hiking trousers.

• 1 Therm-a-Rest Compressible Camping Pillow - I know this is a bit of a luxury, but I can't stand to think of putting my face on a pillow that countless other pilgrims have used... only 9 oz I can live with that little extra weight

Bring a pillow case instead - less weight.

• Travel Sized Deodorant

One of the first items that many pilgrims discard ;-)

• Medication

Only the minimum necessary, lots of pharmacies on the way.

• 1 Baseball Cap

Better bring a hat (fabric) with a wide rim, your neck also needs sun protection and the ventilation is better. Something like a Tilley hat (or a similar, cheaper model).

• 1 Head Lamp

Never understood the need for those, in emergency case use the torch function of your phone.

• 1 Camera - Okay I keep going back and forth on whether or not I should bring my DSLR.

I only did one Camino with my DSLR (and only one lens), it was the Camino I took the least photos ... Have a look at good compact cameras (Canon G series comes to mind ...)

• 1 Cell Phone - Could also use some advice in this department. Is it worth it to try to get an international SIM card/data plan to contact home or is there sufficient WiFi available to text my mom every few days using internat apps? Either way I will definitely need some way to contact her periodically and let her know I'm alive so she doesn't freak out.

Wifi is pretty much everywhere on the CF, so if it is only to contact family via Skype and to use some useful travel apps, you don't need a SIM card. Also, if you want to have a SIM card, get one in Spain, cheaper than an international plan in most cases.

• 1 Clothesline & Clothespins - also debating whether or not to leave these behind

Never needed nor missed a clothes line, pins can be useful, look for diaper pins as they are less damaging for clothes.

• Travel Laundry Detergent

Just use shampoo ;-)

• Small Roll Toilet Paper

Or a packet of tissues (and PLEASE pack used toilet paper out off the trail to the next rubbish bin ;-)

• Compeed

Just make sure that you know when and when not to use Compeed ...

• Pilgrim's Credentials - should I wait to get this in SJPdP or try to get it ahead of time here in the States?

Better get one beforehand, less to worry about on arrival ...

What I miss:

Sunglasses and rain cover/protection for backpack

Buen Camino, SY

 

[trecile]

I almost didn't bring a headlamp, but added one at the last minute. I was glad I did, because on the August days when it reached 95°F/35°C it was nice to start before the sun came up so that I wasn't walking past around 1:00.