Advice on yet another packing list please?

[Majandra22]

Hello all!

My boyfriend and I will be backpacking through Europe for 3 months before doing the Camino Francés in May-June. Packing will be interesting because we want to have certain items for the rest of the time in Europe before starting the camino, but we plan to ship as much as possible to Santiago before we begin. I have carefully accumulated ideas and edited my gear list for the camino over the past 8 months and this is what I have ended up with. There are several luxury items (especially for my feet) and a bit more clothing than normal, but at this point I do not want to edit any of these items out. All in all, the kit ends up weighting in at 22.5 lbs. Unfortunately, it is a tad bit over my 10% ideal. I am currently 210 but hope to be down to about 180 by the time we start the camino, putting the bag about 4.5 lbs over. A few pounds of stuff could go in my boyfriend's pack (although I'm pretty sure he will be way over 10%) but I'd like to get people's opinion of items that seem either completely superfluous or could be doubled up somehow. I also have a few specific questions:

1.) I want to take my iPad for the rest of our trip but don't need it for the camino, is this something to consider shipping ahead?

2.) Also, my camera is a really good point & shoot and I'd love to take it for the better quality but I could shave a pound or so by shipping it ahead and using my boyfriend's iPhone 5s for pictures. Any opinions?

3.) Do you think the down jacket is needed for a May/June walk?

4.) I could leave off the waffled face cloth and use just the bandana but I don't really want my toothpaste to die the bandana (its too pretty!) and I like the idea I saw on here on how good it feel to be able to scrub your face/feet with it. So this is doubled up but only adds 1 oz total...

All weights given in ounces:

REI Traverse 48- 61
camelbak 1 liter bottle- 10.5
hydration hose- 2
Black Diamond trekking poles- 13
head lamp- 2
trekking umbrella- 8.8
mylar safety blanket- 3
Moutain Hardware flip sleeping bag- 28
silk sleep liner- 5
pack rain cover- 5
Timex water-resistant watch/alarm- 1
Total 139.3

"Personal Item"
small purse/hipbag- 4.8
copies of passports- 1
money/credit cards/passport- 4
sunglasses in liner bag- 3
sea to summit daypack- 4
camera with lanyard + extra battery- 7
small cell phone with Spanish SIM card- 5
pack of tissues- 0.25
chapstick- 0.25
tweezers- 0.25
Total 29.55

Clothes
roll-up travel pants- 10
thermal bottoms- 4.5
running capris- 6
travel skirt- 8

1 t-shirt- 6
1 s/s tech shirt- 3
1 s/s tech shirt- 4.5
1 l/s thermal shirt- 8

1 pair liner socks- 1
2 pairs medium-thick socks (1 oz each)- 2

3 pairs of underwear- 3
2 bralettes (1.5 each)- 3

1 pair soloman waterproof hiking shoes- 23.2
1 pair Teva sandals- 8
1 pair sketchers go-lite- 6 (a better evening option if its cold, they are quite warm)

1 down jacket- 12
1 fleece jacket- 10
1 rain/wind jacket- 9

1 wool hat- 1.5
1 wool headband- 0.5
1 baseball-style running hat- 1
1 pair wool gloves - 2.5
1 lightweight scarf (big like a sarong)- 4
Total 136.7

Entertainment
1 larger moleskine journal- 9
6' cable + apple charger- 1
extra SD cards & charger cable for camera- 1
ipad mini in case- 15
usb charger- 1
adaptor for plugs- 1
earphones- 1
Total 29

Toiletries
mesh shower bag- 1 (all shower items + important documents in baggie go in here)
brush + mirror- 2
hairbands- 0.5
foundation/sunscreen- 3
2 bottles of sunscreen- 6
crystal deodorant- 3
mini mascara tube- 1
toothbrush & 2 mini tubes of toothpaste- 2.5
nail trimmer- 0.5
nail file- 0
after-sun gel- 3
bar of Dr. Bommer’s peppermint soap- 5
absorber towel- 3
eye mask & ear plugs- 0.5
female hygiene items- 2
band aid blister stick- 1
tiger balm muscle rub- 1.5
toilet paper without insert- 1
2 extra packets of tissues - 0.5
10 mini wet wipes- 0.5
pstyle in baggie- 7.2
small lightweight waffled facecloth- 1
Total 45.7

Random Backpacking Gear
nicer garbage bag as liner in bag, rolled dry-bag style to keep all contents dry- 2
4 zelcro straps- 0
3 meters of paracord (laundry, belt, etc.)- 0
4' of gorilla glue tape- 0.5
grocery bags- 2
variety of baggies- 4
bandana- 1
titanium spork & knife- 0.25
1 TSA lock + small cable- 2
special rock- 4
2 small carabiners- 1
needle & thread- 0
12 safety pins- 0
medical kit with compeed- 4
baggie of excedrin, claritin, melatonin + immodium- 2
1 sea to summit kitchen sink- 5
1 tennis ball (for foot rolling + some entertainment on the trail)- 1.5
Total 29.25

Grand Total: 411 oz. minus about 52 oz of things on my body (clothes, outerwear, watch) takes it down to 360 oz. or 22.5

So what recommendations do you have- anything that seems totally unnecessary (besides the extra clothes/shoes)?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Here are a few thoughts:

No need for the down jacket at that time of the year.

A point and shoot, in my opinion, will not give me much better quality pictures than an iphone, so send it ahead.

Ipad: I like reading at night so I now carry one. My concern would be mailing such an expensive item with the risk of the Correos losing the parcel.

Camel back bottle to be replaced with a Smarttube kit. That is one heavy bottle!

Do not even think about bringing that safety blanket. You will not make friends at the albergue with the noise they make!

Do not use an alarm. Again, you will not make friends. You will only need the alarm on the mornj g you have a flight to catch. Spend that night in a small hotel and jse your iphone as the alarm.

Choose of of day or hip pack. You do not need both.

Tweasers?

Pick 2 of roll up pants, capri and skirt. You do not need 3. no leggings since you have a dleeping bag. If you pick the skirt think if you will need bike shorts or men's compression undies to avoid chaffing.

Pick 2 of the 4 Ts. Insread of themal bring a long sleeve Merino, good in cold and hot weather. What you want is to layer.

No need for sock liners, good old Merino socks on their own will do. Or other fancy tech material.

2 undies are enough.

2 pairs of shoes only. Wear socks in the evening with Tevas if it get's cold.

No mirror, no foundation, use the same sunscreen for face and arms, 1 bottle of sun screen if that. I carry a little tube of it and hardly use it. Sunscreen is availble in all farmacias, Spains most common shop, although it's pricey. The umbrella will help protect you from the sun.

No mascara, nail trimer. Nail file will do the job. Certainly no after sun gel. No eye maks, no Tiger balm, no toilet paper as you are already carrying kleenex from your "personal items" section, so also ditch the other two you mention. You can always stock up as you go if needed. No miniwipes, no face cloth.

What are Pstyles?

No backpack liner, no grocery bags (you have the day or hip pack for that) and if what you mean are those noisy plastic bags grocery stores give us here and plan to use them to for shoes or dirty clothes, etc.: don't. They are very noisy and you will not make friends at the albergue. No baggies.

No to the caribinerd, no zelco straps. And what is this glue for? No cord. Try the Nite Ize tie wraps. They weigh nothing and can be use to tie sandals etc. to backpack.

Yes to the pins, needle and thread.

NO!!! to the kitchen sink! No to the tennis ball - it's not strong enough to have any benefit for foot rolling.

2 ou ces of "in case" meds is a lot. Bring just enough in case of a flair up until you can find a farmacia, or 1 day.

No to the bandaid stick, you need real foot care material.

Bring a much, much, much smaller rock.

Ues to small padlock, not the wire.

No wool hat, no wool bandana, no regular bandana. If you must a Buff, Merino will do the job of the three.

No sarong if you are bringing towel.

Recommendations:

alcohol wipes to clean blisters. Real tape, compeed or other blister covering materials.

Will you be doing laundry with Dr. Bonner's? If yes that's great.

Hair conditionner?

Something hi-viz, brightly coloured?

Any thoughts on what to wear at night. Next day clothese is fine, just know what it will be.

Have you thought about treating your backpack and liner with permethryn?

Have you thought about vaseline, or a dimethacone gel/cream to precent blisters? What about antichaffing material for groing, thighs, under bras.

I look at the backpack your are thinking of. If you have not purchased it, or can retirn it, I find it heavy at almost 4 pounds. Take a look at the weight of the Osprey.

Finally, the 10% rule. You say you are 210. This is no licence to carry 21 pounds. Unless you are 210 of bone and muscle that is, but you plan on losing 30 pounds befre ou leave, so there must be something else than muscle and bone on the scale. And believe it, I know all about this onlty too well.You should aim for 10% of the average woman's weight. Think about it: your feet are already carrying mlre weight then most, so adding an extra 20%'is asking for trouble, often called plantar fasciitis. Please, please, please, aim for 15 pounds, that will be heavy enough and will make for a much more pleasurasble Camino.

I hope this helps. I'm sure others will have great thoughts to adds. We oh so love doing this on this Forum. Thank you for the entertianement and Buen Camino!

 

[Seabird]

I appreciate the complexity of planning for a multi-purpose trip. Luckily for me, my husband is meeting me in Santiago and will bring the additional things I need for the rest of the trip. I'm planning for my first Camino, April-May, so can't speak from experience. It seems that Anemone has covered everything well!

A couple of things I noticed:

- Send ahead the extras you'll need for the remainder of the trip, like cosmetics. Or buy them over there.
- Do you need both a wool hat and a baseball cap for that time of year?
- I'm taking a small tablet, but leaving the cover at home. I'm using a weather-proof bag for it, one that you can use the touchscreen while it is in the bag. Will save several ounces.
- Re-weigh some of your items, in particular the PStyle. Mine weighs only .65 ounces/ 19 gram. You have it listed at 7.2 ounces! (For those who don't know what it is, it allows women to stand up instead of squat. Men have a built-in PStyle, if you catch my drift. After practicing with it, I'm bringing one too.)

Buen Camino!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Oh, that's a PStyle! Leave it. There are enough cafes along the Frances for you to pee behind closed doors. And you are less likely to sprinkle yourself. Lots of very funny stories about these on the forum with a concensus that you are better off without them.

 

[Seabird]

Oh, that's a PStyle! Leave it. There are enough cafes along the Frances for you to pee behind closed doors. And you are less likely to sprinkle yourself. Lots of very funny stories about these on the forum with a concensus that you are better off without them.

I hear what you're saying! But I would have a really hard time in an emergency between cafes. I'm fully prepared to ditch it if I change my mind. I always appreciate your advice, though.

 

[sabbott]

There are several luxury items (especially for my feet) and a bit more clothing than normal, but at this point I do not want to edit any of these items out. All in all, the kit ends up weighting in at 22.5 lbs.

Thanks for sharing your list, Majamdra22. I'm starting this April, so I've been making lists, too, and checking them twice and thrice. I am away from home right now for a month, in a warm place, and brought my new (ULA circuit) backpack to try out. I'm a painter, and today I loaded my new backpack up with art supplies and set off. I don't have a scale, so I'm not sure what the pack weighed, but it felt quite a bit heavier than the 14 lbs of proposed Camino gear that I loaded up to practice at home. My thought lugging that heavy pack around for an hour this afternoon was, "I'm glad I'm not carrying this across Spain; in fact, I couldn't carry this across Spain..."

So when I get home I will look once again at every item on my packing list and make sure that I'm under 14 lbs. I'm one of those people that packs for every eventuality, so it's going to be a challenge to stay light, but my experience today with that over-loaded pack was an eye-opener, as well as a back-breaker.

 

[Seabird]

I'm one of those people that packs for every eventuality, so it's going to be a challenge to stay light, but my experience today with that over-loaded pack was an eye-opener, as well as a back-breaker.

That could describe me, too. But I'm taking to heart the advice on this forum that the Camino provides: I will find what I need when I need it.

 

[Devon Mike]

Thanks for sharing your list, Majamdra22. I'm starting this April, so I've been making lists, too, and checking them twice and thrice. I am away from home right now for a month, in a warm place, and brought my new (ULA circuit) backpack to try out. I'm a painter, and today I loaded my new backpack up with art supplies and set off. I don't have a scale, so I'm not sure what the pack weighed, but it felt quite a bit heavier than the 14 lbs of proposed Camino gear that I loaded up to practice at home. My thought lugging that heavy pack around for an hour this afternoon was, "I'm glad I'm not carrying this across Spain; in fact, I couldn't carry this across Spain..."

So when I get home I will look once again at every item on my packing list and make sure that I'm under 14 lbs. I'm one of those people that packs for every eventuality, so it's going to be a challenge to stay light, but my experience today with that over-loaded pack was an eye-opener, as well as a back-breaker.

Hi all,

Anemone's comments really sum up all my own thoughts about the packing list.

You don't need to pack for every eventuality. Spain is a developed European country and has plenty of opportunities along the Camino to top up and buy stuff which may become needed.

Just go with a basic starter pack.

 

[spursfan]

I'm a bit brutal - one pair of shorts, two wool t-shirts, rain top, cap, buff, spare underwear and socks

No spare shoes, no separate clothes for the evening or night during the warmer months, no sleeping bag but silk liner instead - Helly Hansen thermal long johns if you're likely to feel cold (remembering that you might find blankets in the albergues)

For me, the two watchwords are wool (keeps warm and/or cool, needs very little washing) and multi-purpose (day and/or evening and/or night)

Prepare for what is most likely rather than what might possibly happen - remember can always buy things along the way if needed

 

[spursfan]

Since you've got the weights of all the items in your packing list, stick it into a spreadsheet and sort by weight - then start cutting things starting with the heaviest

 

[Majandra22]

Here are a few thoughts:

No need for the down jacket at that time of the year.

A point and shoot, in my opinion, will not give me much better quality pictures than an iphone, so send it ahead.

Ipad: I like reading at night so I now carry one. My concern would be mailing such an expensive item with the risk of the Correos losing the parcel.

Camel back bottle to be replaced with a Smarttube kit. That is one heavy bottle!

Do not even think about bringing that safety blanket. You will not make friends at the albergue with the noise they make!

Do not use an alarm. Again, you will not make friends. You will only need the alarm on the mornj g you have a flight to catch. Spend that night in a small hotel and jse your iphone as the alarm.

Choose of of day or hip pack. You do not need both.

Tweasers?

Pick 2 of roll up pants, capri and skirt. You do not need 3. no leggings since you have a dleeping bag. If you pick the skirt think if you will need bike shorts or men's compression undies to avoid chaffing.

Pick 2 of the 4 Ts. Insread of themal bring a long sleeve Merino, good in cold and hot weather. What you want is to layer.

No need for sock liners, good old Merino socks on their own will do. Or other fancy tech material.

2 undies are enough.

2 pairs of shoes only. Wear socks in the evening with Tevas if it get's cold.

No mirror, no foundation, use the same sunscreen for face and arms, 1 bottle of sun screen if that. I carry a little tube of it and hardly use it. Sunscreen is availble in all farmacias, Spains most common shop, although it's pricey. The umbrella will help protect you from the sun.

No mascara, nail trimer. Nail file will do the job. Certainly no after sun gel. No eye maks, no Tiger balm, no toilet paper as you are already carrying kleenex from your "personal items" section, so also ditch the other two you mention. You can always stock up as you go if needed. No miniwipes, no face cloth.

What are Pstyles?

No backpack liner, no grocery bags (you have the day or hip pack for that) and if what you mean are those noisy plastic bags grocery stores give us here and plan to use them to for shoes or dirty clothes, etc.: don't. They are very noisy and you will not make friends at the albergue. No baggies.

No to the caribinerd, no zelco straps. And what is this glue for? No cord. Try the Nite Ize tie wraps. They weigh nothing and can be use to tie sandals etc. to backpack.

Yes to the pins, needle and thread.

NO!!! to the kitchen sink! No to the tennis ball - it's not strong enough to have any benefit for foot rolling.

2 ou ces of "in case" meds is a lot. Bring just enough in case of a flair up until you can find a farmacia, or 1 day.

No to the bandaid stick, you need real foot care material.

Bring a much, much, much smaller rock.

Ues to small padlock, not the wire.

No wool hat, no wool bandana, no regular bandana. If you must a Buff, Merino will do the job of the three.

No sarong if you are bringing towel.

Recommendations:

alcohol wipes to clean blisters. Real tape, compeed or other blister covering materials.

Will you be doing laundry with Dr. Bonner's? If yes that's great.

Hair conditionner?

Something hi-viz, brightly coloured?

Any thoughts on what to wear at night. Next day clothese is fine, just know what it will be.

Have you thought about treating your backpack and liner with permethryn?

Have you thought about vaseline, or a dimethacone gel/cream to precent blisters? What about antichaffing material for groing, thighs, under bras.

I look at the backpack your are thinking of. If you have not purchased it, or can retirn it, I find it heavy at almost 4 pounds. Take a look at the weight of the Osprey.

Finally, the 10% rule. You say you are 210. This is no licence to carry 21 pounds. Unless you are 210 of bone and muscle that is, but you plan on losing 30 pounds befre ou leave, so there must be something else than muscle and bone on the scale. And believe it, I know all about this onlty too well.You should aim for 10% of the average woman's weight. Think about it: your feet are already carrying mlre weight then most, so adding an extra 20%'is asking for trouble, often called plantar fasciitis. Please, please, please, aim for 15 pounds, that will be heavy enough and will make for a much more pleasurasble Camino.

I hope this helps. I'm sure others will have great thoughts to adds. We oh so love doing this on this Forum. Thank you for the entertianement and Buen Camino!

Thank you for your detailed reply Anemone! Following your suggestion, I will remove the down jacket, camera, cable & batteries, replace the thermal top with a merino long sleeve I have, leave the thermal leggings, ship ahead the sketchers, makeup, extra sunscreen, nail trimmer, after sun gel, and wool hat. I will also cut the meds and extra bags and baggies.

I will look into the Buff- I have played around with them in REI but never liked it enough to buy, but it makes sense that it can replace multiple other things. I got the Camelbak hydration bottle and tube because reviews said the Smarttube didn't fit certain bottles well, but that would obviously be a lighter option so I will research it again.

How do you suggest to keep the pack contents dry without a pack liner or interior liner bag?

Just to clarify, the mylar blanket would be used outdoors only in case of camping outside, but since I just got the sleeping bag, I probably don't need it. The alarm is on my watch, I certainly don't have to set it but I will be taking my watch. The daybag "purse" and hip bag are one in the same, just depends on how I wear it, but I will likely send this ahead as well since I have the Sea to Summit packable daypack as well. The skirt has built in shorts beneath- it is the most superfluous pair of bottoms so it may get sent ahead as well. All my socks are merino, the liner pair is just thin, so I could take those and a thicker pair for flexibility (and to wear both in bed if needed). Gorilla glue tape is like duct tape but stronger.

I will buy some permethryn but didn't know if I should use it on the silk liner or the sleeping bag or both? Is the liner even necessary with the bag? Its not mummy style so I would need to cover the pillows somehow- perhaps a silk handkerchief or pillowcase? I didn't think about treating the pack itself, good idea. I bought the blister stick instead of vaseline, does is not work as well? The velcro strips are awesome, they weigh nothing, hold a ton and if anyone tries to undo them they make some noise!

That makes sense to aim for 15 lbs rather than just 10% of my weight so it doesn't cause further stress on my legs. I had a mild case of plantar fasciitis earlier this year and want to avoid it, hence so many foot care items (the kitchen sink is for soaking them on breaks and/or doing laundry- many people mentioned these being worth the extra ounces).

I will strive to get my pack to 15 lb, I started to store items I want to take in it and it weighed in at 15 lbs. I walked around the house with it for awhile and don't think I want to go above that weight.

I know the pack weight will be a huge shock for my boyfriend, I am trying to help him prep as well but he has so many extraneous items he wants to take. He is the same weight as me and has already told me his pack will be at least 30 lbs and he refuses to leave the extras behind, so I'm sure we will end up shipping even more stuff along the way and I'll have the chance to lighten my load even further!

Thanks again for the input- any other suggestions are appreciated! We are going to Seattle this weekend and will have the chance to go to a bunch of outdoors stores so I will be able to look out for other ideas!

 

[Majandra22]

Oh, I forgot to mention- the backpack, while heavy, will not change. I looked for over 6 months, bought 5 or 6 different ones and even went to Canada to shop at MEC. The REI Traverse is the only one that has been 100% comfortable on me- there is literally no downward weight on the straps. My boyfriend had the Atmos 65 and 50 and I hated both of them due to the very shaped hip belt. I'd rather cut down on other items so that I keep the comfortable pack. (I have issues with my shoulders and can't even wear a normal purse without pain- that's why my purse converts to a hip belt when needed!)

 

[Majandra22]

Okay I just updated my spreadsheet and with the changes mentioned it got me down to 17 lb pack weight! That's a great improvement- any other ideas?

 

[SYates]

Okay I just updated my spreadsheet and with the changes mentioned it got me down to 17 lb pack weight! That's a great improvement- any other ideas?

Can you post the updated list in a new post here in this thread? That would help and avoid confusion. Buen Camino, SY

 

[AlwynWellington]

All in all, the kit ends up weighting in at 22.5 lbs

Okay I just updated my spreadsheet and with the changes mentioned it got me down to 17 lb pack weight! That's a great improvement- any other ideas?

Yes!!

I've taken your original list, moved it to a spread sheet and added a space for grams, as many are more comfortable with those.
Then I've added a marker if the item is going in the pack. So far no change, except for presentation.
Then I've added another marker for whether it is needed or not!!!???
And I've also added a few extra rows where you should look at alternative suppliers to get the weight of the heavy items right down.

My work showed a total of 190 oz or 5.6 kg before water or food

And it looks as though all the contributors are in general agreement, although differing in some details.

Kia kaha

 

[Anemone del Camino]

the kitchen sink is for soaking them on breaks and/or doing laundry- many people mentioned these being worth the extra ounces

Hello Majandra!

To answer some of your questions:

Buff: I also do not like them, yet I have one that is Merino and a regular one with a Camino design. The Merino is not as tight as the regular one, which chokes me. But there are those who love them, so I put it out there. Certainly would be better in my opinion than a real hat, as it will give you for flexibility in how you use it.

Smartube: it works great. But you do have to bring BOTH of the small parts as they are to be used together to fit the typical Spanish water bottle (not as wide as the North American bottles).

Keeping your backpack dry: many backpacks come with a cover already included in the price. That helps keep the pack dry, but not the straps. To keep the straps dry as well you may want to look into an Altus poncho or similar poncho. The drawback is that you get wet from condensation if you use it closed. So I use the Altus plus an umbrella, and keep the Altus open in the front. And the umbrella can be used during the rest of your trip in the rain but also for sun/heat protection.

Permethryn: yes, please, stray your packback as it is by putting them down on the ground for lunch, rest what have you, that we start carrying the "chinches"/bedbugs. This is also why albergues ask us not to put our packs on the beds. So I spray my pack, and the outside of my sleeping bag. I own a liner which is pretreaded. For the pillow I don't think I sprayed as to not have my face in contact with the chemical but I do bring a large peice of tule that weighs nothing and that covers the whole mattress. I hope that the bugs will not want to walk through it to get to the pillow. And yes, I do bring a pillowcase, an old one with both ends open as the pillows in Spain are longer and thinner than the ones we have here. So I cover the center of the pillow with it. Others use their towel, a tshirt, etc.

Liner and bag: some use the liner alone at that time of the year. I did twice until I froze the third time in May of 2013. Now I take a sleeping bag only. Adding the liner would be to keep the bag cleaner, but really? It will get washed when I get home.

Blister stick: will you be able to apply it in between your toes like you would vaseline?

Plantar fasciitis: bring a couple of ziplock bags to put a few icecubes in them at bars and cafes. Buy a coffee, ask for a few icecubes, ice your feet. Or carry a 500ml bottle of water to put in the freezer at the albergue (in a clean bag) to freeze and then roll your feet on later in the evening. Be sure to look into the proper orthotics. If you do this you will definately not need the kitchen sink for soaking your feet, and you certainly won't need it on albergues to do laundry. Do think of bringing safety pins to hang your laundry and also a sink stopper.

Hope this helps!