Gear list for VdlP in March/April

[Madis]

I have done some Summer Caminos and I intend to go light with a small backpack. My list does not include some hygiene stuff that I will buy in Spain and deplete as I go forward step by step.

The current weather I have at home is more or less what it should be like in mornings before sunrise around Seville when I start in March next year. I have done a ton of testing with long daily walks in the last seven weeks. I expect the temperature to go up from near freezing before sunrise to 20-27 degrees Celsius in the afternoon near Seville, less than 20 degrees in Galicia.

The boarder concept of my list I wrote down in my blog: https://caminopilgrim.travel.blog/2023/10/07/spring-autumn-gear-packing-list-for-camino/

Today, I did my last gear adjustments and a weight check. Here is the full list:

Main daily gear

• 1x Osprey Stratos 24L backpack
• 1x Altra Timp 3 trail runners
• 1x Patagonia Torrentshell 3L waterproof jacket
• 1x Alpine Loacker Merino long sleeve shirt
• 1x Colombia Silver Ridge II trousers
• 1x NYTTED merino wool knitted beanie
• 1x Buff midweight merino wool multifunctional scarf
• 2x Under Armor Heatgear boxers (different lengths to avoid chafing)
• 2x Bridgedale Train Run lightweight merino wool socks

Sunny day

• 1x Buff Pack Sahara Grevers Cap
• 1x Colombia Silver Ridge II shorts
• 1x Alpine Loacker Merino T-shirt

Rainy day

• 1x North Face Resolve waterproof trousers
• 1x Under Armor Storm gloves
• 1x Bridgedale waterproof lightweight socks

Sleep system

• 1x Alpine Loacker light Summer down sleeping bag
• 1x Nevica thermal synthetic leggings
• 1x Bridgedale Heavyweight Merino Endurance Knee Stocking

Evening

• 1x Xero Z-trail sandals
• 1x Patagonia Nano Puff jacket

Bonus items

• 2x 1L Nalgene narrow mouth plastic water bottle
• 1x Sea to Summit Airlite XL microfiber towel
• 1x Toothbrush and travel cover
• 2x Pairs of earplugs (in case I lose a pair)
• 1x Headlamp with USB-C charge (sun rises quite late)
• 1x Small set of different sized plasters

Good to have

• 1x Mammut Ultralight Smart Wallet
• 1x Phone
• 1x Charger for phone & headlamp (USB-C)
• 1x Oldskool small wired headphones
• 1x Camino seashell
• 1x Camino passport
• 1x Passport

Total weight 6.3kg (13.9 pounds)

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Too many brand names ;-) ... but you end up with a good weight, one kg less than what I do on caminos when I got my tent with me. So it does not look like you have too much unnecessary gear with you

 

[Rita Flower]

Looks right and weights right.
Haven’t walked the Via at that time of year but it’s basically the same as I took in autumn.

 

[Robo]

I walked this year starting March 25 in Sevilla, to Astorga by 28 April.

Judging the weather is always hard. I looked at a lot of weather sites and historical weather, to get an idea of what to expect.

My gear worked out spot on.

What I got?

Not a drop of rain.
Pre dawn starts, like 6:30 am were about 9C
At Sunrise it would quickly start climbing.
By midday it was up to 20C
The hottest part of the day was 4-5 pm and could reach 27C

I aimed to finish by about 1-2 pm each day.
First to avoid the hottest part.
Second, so I didn't miss the Menu del Dia (last orders are usually 3-3:30pm)

In the mornings I started out with a very light 120 gsm long sleeved Merio shirt.
And a sleeveless puffer jacket.
But after an hour or so, as the sun came up, I would sweat a lot.

So I switched to the Merino shirt and my rain jacket pre dawn, and that was far better.
The jacket came off soon after sunrise.
It was enough to provide a bit of extra warmth an wind protection.
A couple of days I wore my very lightweight gloves in the pre dawn.

I used the sleeveless puffer jacket for cool evenings.
Not that there were many! I could maybe have left it out.

What surprised me was the sun!
Even as the temp started to hit only 20C the sun was really hot.
So glad I had my hands free Umbrella.
That gave me sun protection and allowed me to walk hatless. (Nice breeze through my hair.)
The sun is on your back on the VdlP.

Cold was never an issue.

But maybe you are leaving early March?

PS. I learned to love pre dawn starts. 60-90 min before dawn.
Two reasons.

One. It helped me to avoid the hot part of the day.
Two. Walking at twilight and then dawn is amazing!

If you don't already know, look up the definitions of Twilight, Dawn etc.
I did in the first week, once I realised that I should start pre dawn.
Twilight for example, 20-30 minutes before dawn, has plenty of light for walking. Plenty!

What Is Civil Twilight?

Civil twilight is the brightest of the twilight phases. How is it defined and when does it start and end? What are civil dawn and civil dusk?

www.timeanddate.com

So I would only need my head torch for maybe the first 30 minutes each day.

Watching the World around you wake up each day is amazing.
The birds, the livestock, horses silhouetted against the pre dawn glow.
And then as the sun starts to show, and spring above the horizon.
A beautiful time of day

But those early starts need to be considerate of other Pilgrims of course!
Not many on the VdlP, so that was not a problem.
In fact for my first week, I hardly saw another Pilgrim.
When I started my pre dawn starts.........I found them!
They had been there all along, just 2-3 hours ahead of me

 

[el-pe]

I agree with Rob. I started the VdlP in late March and found a few mornings a bit chilly (starting at 6-7AM), but I just layered. Only thing I wished {I had was a pair of lightweight merino gloves. My gear list was similar, but I used a Zpack Nero DCF backpack (on all three Caminos) which worked great.

 

[Madis]

Really good feedbacks, thanks! Especially Rob with the detailed descriptions. Your mornings were a lot warmer than what I expect.

I made a little change in my packing list and swapped out the thermal leggings for some regular tracksuit pants. Then I have a fresh pair of pants for the evening walks around town. Warmth when sleeping should remain the same. Switching two pairs of pants for 1 will give a slight weight loss too. Still, the best weight loss is the one I can do myself before the Camino.

This will mean that instead of regular long hiking pants, I will do daily hiking in shorts or rain pants over them if necessary because of weather or cold.

Another trick that I am planning mainly for airport comfort is that I will take only 1x 1L water bottle with me from home. For the other 1L of water that I still need, I just use a large Aquarius plastic bottle. I prefer all my stuff inside the backpack when boarding the plane with hand luggage. 2 bottles might get uncomfortable with this small backpack (unless I throw many layers of clothes on me).

I plan to finish my hiking days at 4pm, because I will be doing ~37km days on average. This should get me to Santiago in 28 days or less. My morning start will be latest at 6am therefore. I do enjoy the early mornings a lot. Especially, if the first thing I need to do is to get past a highway section.

 

[krystianw]

For what it's worth, do you know that these folding water bottles exist? I use these a lot on Caminos where the amount of water I want with me varies a lot between days.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

For water I usually buy several 500 ml plastic bottles of water in the first local shop. And refill them later on demand, depending on how much water I think I will need on the respective day.

 

[Robo]

This will mean that instead of regular long hiking pants, I will do daily hiking in shorts or rain pants over them if necessary because of weather or cold.

I tend to obsess over my pack weight a bit. You are at 6.3 kg which is quite good.
My target was about 6.5 kg, but I think it was closer to 7.5 kg by the time I started.

We are all different of course. But I would not try to shave weight to the extent I would be uncomfortable.
For example, I never hike in shorts. Due to sun burn. But I met a couple of people on the VdlP that did.
A pair of lightweight hiking pants are only about 250 gms.
I know it's extra weight, but everything is a compromise.

I ended up ditching some excess stuff a long the way.
Small stuff. 'Dirty Girl' Gaiters that seemed like a good idea that I never needed.
You walked Caminos before.
You know that you might start out with a couple of 'trial' items and keep them or ditch them......

I guess I'm saying, if in doubt, throw it in.
If you don't use it, throw it out, or mail it to Ivar.
(I did that too)

PS. One guy I met from Switzerland, had the smallest pack ever. I reckon it was 15L.
He walked really fast and long.
He trains in the Alps LOL

We all do it 'our way'........

 

[Madis]

For what it's worth, do you know that these folding water bottles exist? I use these a lot on Caminos where the amount of water I want with me varies a lot between days.

Will look into these. They seem like a great upgrade from Nalgene bottles which are like 200 grams each and take huge space when empty.

 

[Madis]

For water I usually buy several 500 ml plastic bottles of water in the first local shop. And refill them later on demand, depending on how much water I think I will need on the respective day.

I tend to avoid the store plastic bottles as my primary water source. Would like to keep daily water in a BPA free container.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

I tend to avoid the store plastic bottles as my primary water source. Would like to keep daily water in a BPA free container.

Oh I understand that too ... for me it is just that I know that the rest of my life I avoid those, so a couple of weeks on a Camino will not make much difference to my health, but serves my urge to minimalism

 

[Madis]

For water I usually buy several 500 ml plastic bottles of water in the first local shop. And refill them later on demand, depending on how much water I think I will need on the respective day.

I ordered some 700ml foldable plastic containers. carrying 3 of them should save me quite a lot of weight and pack space. thanks again!

Now my pack weight will definetely be under 6kg. will make a post here once I have done a new weigh in.

 

[Madis]

Here is the new list (bolded items are changes compared to original list):

Main daily gear

• 1x Osprey Stratos 24L backpack + cover
• 1x Altra Timp 3 trail runners
• 1x Patagonia Torrentshell 3L waterproof jacket
• 1x Colombia Silver Ridge II shorts
• 1x Under Armor Streaker tank top
• 1x Buff midweight merino wool multifunctional scarf
• 2x Under Armor Heatgear boxers (different lengths to avoid chafing)
• 2x Bridgedale Train Run lightweight merino wool socks

Sunny day

• 1x Buff Pack Sahara Grevers Cap

Rainy day

• 1x North Face Resolve waterproof trousers
• 1x Under Armor Storm gloves
• 1x Bridgedale waterproof lightweight socks
• 1x NYTTED merino wool knitted beanie

Sleep/Evening system

• 1x Alpine Loacker light Summer down sleeping bag
• 1x Adidas slim fit football tracksuit pants
• 1x Alpine Loacker Merino T-shirt
• 1x Alpine Loacker Merino long sleeve shirt
• 1x Bridgedale Heavyweight Merino Endurance Knee Stocking
• 1x Skinners hybrid sock-shoes

Bonus items

• 3x 0.7L foldable plastic water bottle
• 1x Sea to Summit Airlite XL microfiber towel
• 1x Toothbrush and travel cover
• 2x Pairs of earplugs (in case I lose a pair)
• 1x Headlamp with USB-C charge (sun rises quite late)
• 1x Small set of different sized plasters

Good to have

• 1x Mammut Ultralight Smart Wallet
• 1x Phone
• 1x Charger for phone & headlamp (USB-C)
• 1x Oldskool small wired headphones
• 1x Camino seashell
• 1x Camino passport
• 1x Passport

Total weight 5.2kg (11.5 pounds)
before was 6.3kg (13.9 pounds)

A total of 5 item lines changed:

1. Removed long hiking pants (will hike in shorts or wear rain pants over shorts)
2. Replaced puffy jacket with a tanktop (still have 2 warm shirts if needed)
3. Replaced synthetic leggings with tracksuit pants (better for evenings)
4. Replaced hiking sandals with sock-shoes (will walk evenings outside with trail runners)
5. Replaced hard plastic water bottles with foldable ones

My main weight loss before Camino will be focused on excess body fat. That will enable me to walk far with moderate effort and need less food/water for the daily journey.

 

[Madis]

I have re-done the gear list now over and over again. I tested the foldable water bottles - did not like them. Might use 2 really tall and slim store bought water bottles instead.

I made the list to include weights and Amazon links for each item:
https://caminopilgrim.travel.blog/2023/10/07/spring-autumn-gear-packing-list-for-camino/

Main daily gear (1710 grams)​

• 1x Salewa Ultra Train 22L backpack - 430 grams
• 1x Jack Wolfskin Speed Liner 3L waistbag - 120 grams
• 1x Altra Timp 4 trail runners - 780 grams
• 1x Patagonia Torrentshell 3L waterproof jacket - 380 grams

Sunny day (338 grams)​

• 1x Buff Pack Sahara Grevers Cap - 58 grams
• 1x TCA Flyweight running shorts - 120 grams
• 1x TCA Stamina Long Sleeve Lightweight Running Top - 160 grams

Rainy day (807 grams)​

• 1x North Face Resolve waterproof trousers - 300 grams
• 1x Buff Merino Heavyweight Beanie - 70 grams
• 1x Buff midweight merino wool multifunctional scarf - 67 grams
• 1x Under Armor Storm liner gloves - 70 grams
• 1x Bridgedale waterproof lightweight socks - 300 grams

Sleep and evening system (1088 grams)​

• 1x Sea to Summit Reactor Extreme liner - 360 grams
• 1x TCA SuperThermal Baselayer Long-Sleeved Shirt - 120 grams
• 1x TCA Thermal Base Layer Tights - 100 grams
• 1x Skinners hybrid sock-shoes - 160 grams
• 2x Under Armor Heatgear boxers - 2x75 grams
• 3x Bridgedale Train Run lightweight merino wool socks - 3x66 grams

Bonus items (774 grams)​

• 1x Nalgene Narrow Mouth plastic bottle - 168 grams
• 1x Sea to Summit Airlite XL microfiber towel - 68 grams
• 1x Toothbrush and travel cover - 2x10 grams
• 2x Pairs of earplugs - 2x2 grams
• 1x Headlamp with USB-C charge - 57 grams
• 1x Small set of different sized plasters - 30 grams
• 1x Mammut Ultralight Smart Wallet - 10 grams
• 1x Phone - 195 grams
• 1x Charger for phone & headlamp (USB-C) - 120 grams
• 1x Oldskool small wired headphones - 3 grams
• 1x Camino seashell - 34 grams
• 1x Camino passport - 23 grams
• 1x Passport - 42 grams

Things to buy in Spain (385 grams)​

• 1x Toothpaste 75ml - 75 grams
• 1x Shower gel 250ml - 275 grams
• 1x Nail scissors - 30 grams
• 1x Water bottle 1L (plastic, empty) - 5 grams
• + Food & Water

Total weight 5.1kg (11.2 pounds)

 

[WalkingInGers]

Wow..congratulations..a difference with my full rucksack of 12 kgs

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Wow..congratulations..a difference with my full rucksack of 12 kgs

12! Are you carrying a lot of camera or video gear?

 

[WalkingInGers]

12! Are you carrying a lot of camera or video gear?

Actually am carrying medical equipment and a travel CPAP machine!

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I feel for you. Part of the reason that I love the camino is I don't have to carry anywhere near as much Gear as when I used to hike. Good on you !

 

[RussB]

I have done some Summer Caminos and I intend to go light with a small backpack. My list does not include some hygiene stuff that I will buy in Spain and deplete as I go forward step by step.

The current weather I have at home is more or less what it should be like in mornings before sunrise around Seville when I start in March next year. I have done a ton of testing with long daily walks in the last seven weeks. I expect the temperature to go up from near freezing before sunrise to 20-27 degrees Celsius in the afternoon near Seville, less than 20 degrees in Galicia.

The boarder concept of my list I wrote down in my blog: https://caminopilgrim.travel.blog/2023/10/07/spring-autumn-gear-packing-list-for-camino/

Today, I did my last gear adjustments and a weight check. Here is the full list:

Main daily gear

• 1x Osprey Stratos 24L backpack
• 1x Altra Timp 3 trail runners
• 1x Patagonia Torrentshell 3L waterproof jacket
• 1x Alpine Loacker Merino long sleeve shirt
• 1x Colombia Silver Ridge II trousers
• 1x NYTTED merino wool knitted beanie
• 1x Buff midweight merino wool multifunctional scarf
• 2x Under Armor Heatgear boxers (different lengths to avoid chafing)
• 2x Bridgedale Train Run lightweight merino wool socks

Sunny day

• 1x Buff Pack Sahara Grevers Cap
• 1x Colombia Silver Ridge II shorts
• 1x Alpine Loacker Merino T-shirt

Rainy day

• 1x North Face Resolve waterproof trousers
• 1x Under Armor Storm gloves
• 1x Bridgedale waterproof lightweight socks

Sleep system

• 1x Alpine Loacker light Summer down sleeping bag
• 1x Nevica thermal synthetic leggings
• 1x Bridgedale Heavyweight Merino Endurance Knee Stocking

Evening

• 1x Xero Z-trail sandals
• 1x Patagonia Nano Puff jacket

Bonus items

• 2x 1L Nalgene narrow mouth plastic water bottle
• 1x Sea to Summit Airlite XL microfiber towel
• 1x Toothbrush and travel cover
• 2x Pairs of earplugs (in case I lose a pair)
• 1x Headlamp with USB-C charge (sun rises quite late)
• 1x Small set of different sized plasters

Good to have

• 1x Mammut Ultralight Smart Wallet
• 1x Phone
• 1x Charger for phone & headlamp (USB-C)
• 1x Oldskool small wired headphones
• 1x Camino seashell
• 1x Camino passport
• 1x Passport

Total weight 6.3kg (13.9 pounds)

Looks fine to me, only question is how easy is it to pack in 24 L bag. Wrestling to get it all in a bag , in a dark room every morning will become a bit of a trial .