For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
The first thing to ask yourself is if 86 kg is your ideal weight. If its not, you should base any pack weight calculations on whatever you ideal weight is, not your current actual weight. The second thing to ask yourself is how far and fast you want to walk each day. I met people who wanted to walk 30+km every day, and do that in around six hours of walking. You don't do that with a heavy pack. To travel far, fast or both, you need to travel with a lighter pack. If, like me, your prepared to average a bit less, or spend a bit more time on the road, carrying a little more might be okay.As a newbie to the idea of walking, let alone the actual commitment I have made to walking the Camino next year, I have just about bought all the gear I think I need and compiled a spreadsheet which tells me that total weight is 7.75 kilos so it will end up at 8 kilos. Once I add in 2.5 kilos for water/food this brings up weight to 10.5 kilos. I currently weigh 86 kilos so I am at 12% backpack weight. Don't want to obsess at the 10% rule. So question is am I good to go at 12%?
Thanks for your help here and useful way of calculating. You are right - clothing with boots & poles is 3.3kg so with backpack at 8kg and water/food at 2.5kg this does all come in at 13.6kg. In my unfit state I don't think I am able nor currently willing to push myself to walk 30km with a heavy backpack. Also as I have time I would like to enjoy it at my pace so with a more manageable 20-25km p/day.The first thing to ask yourself is if 86 kg is your ideal weight. If its not, you should base any pack weight calculations on whatever you ideal weight is, not your current actual weight. The second thing to ask yourself is how far and fast you want to walk each day. I met people who wanted to walk 30+km every day, and do that in around six hours of walking. You don't do that with a heavy pack. To travel far, fast or both, you need to travel with a lighter pack. If, like me, your prepared to average a bit less, or spend a bit more time on the road, carrying a little more might be okay.
I recommend using a from the skin out target, rather than just pack weight. This includes everything. Your pack, your worn clothing and footwear, food, water - the works. Assume for a moment that your ideal weight is 86kg, a 20% FSO target would be 17.2 kg. If your worn clothing and footwear was around 2.5 to 3 kg, your base pack around 8 kg and you carried 2.5 kg of food and water, this would be a total of 13-13.5 kg, well within target.
My other observation is that the 10% target is for the pack without food or water, so you are currently under the 10% target at present, not over it as you suggest.
Regards,
Thanks - good philosophyMy philosophy was like: pack 'what you need to have' and not as in 'what is nice to have'. - I have read so many accounts by now of pilgrims sending items back home after the first few days. - Anyway, if you find you need to have something ('nice to have'), it is easy to buy ... - less easy to post it back home ... - or forward ...
annelise
I am sure I will end up losing weight along the way! Good mantra "pack gets lighter as I walk" tell you how that one goes after my walk!I carried 12 kilos last month and ended up losing 10 kilos of body weight. Guess I only carried 2 kilos? Don't believe BS about 10% rule. The pack gets lighter as you walk-- I was putting rocks in my pockets after third week. Wait until you see what the Koreans bring--earmuffs? If I do it again, I'm carrying more, not less. And lot of people carry NOTHING! They use the vans and taxis to carry their packs for 5 euros each day. It really is an Intelligence Test! Taxi won't care what your pack weights.
Thanks. Water weight based on 2 litres. Sure that will vary on each days planned length of walk. Will review what I plan to carry once I have done some actual real practice walks in Uk over next few months.The 10% rule should not overly concern you, other important criteria such as age, physical condition, weather and temperatures must be weighed in, of course. Not knowing the details of your list, I'd be willing to bet a bottle of tinto that you would be able to shave off half- to one kg. if you really wanted to. (I weight same as you and managed to get my pack to less than 6.5 kg (dry, w/o food, PM me if you want to look at my list).
As for water, I never took more than 2 half-litre mineral water bottles along, most of the time one bottle was just fine. (In September) Either I was able to refill on the way, but mostly I stopped a couple of times at one of the zillion bars along the Camino for a little rest and a drink. Same with food, although I rarely ate anything other than a picked-up fruit during walking time. (Consider that leaving around 8am, you typically arrive at around 3pm at your next stop, leaving you plenty of time for a late lunch, an early dinner, or both.) Your allocated 2.5kg for water+food sound a tad sumptuous to me.
Enjoy your adventure and a buen Camino.
Added to the list - thanksBy the way, Jostony, remember to pack some safety pins- came in handy for me when I had to tighten my waistband! It is so embarassing if your pants kind of start falling down - almost happened for me ... - so had to take a tight grip ...
annelise
Yip totally agree with loss of body fat specially on loaded feet can cause stress fractures definetly got faster as you get into the camino due to fitness levels picking up. would love to see your packing list Buen CaminoThe 10% rule should not overly concern you, other important criteria such as age, physical condition, weather and temperatures must be weighed in, of course. Not knowing the details of your list, I'd be willing to bet a bottle of tinto that you would be able to shave off half- to one kg. if you really wanted to. (I weight same as you and managed to get my pack to less than 6.5 kg (dry, w/o food, PM me if you want to look at my list).
As for water, I never took more than 2 half-litre mineral water bottles along, most of the time one bottle was just fine. (In September) Either I was able to refill on the way, but mostly I stopped a couple of times at one of the zillion bars along the Camino for a little rest and a drink. Same with food, although I rarely ate anything other than a picked-up fruit during walking time. (Consider that leaving around 8am, you typically arrive at around 3pm at your next stop, leaving you plenty of time for a late lunch, an early dinner, or both.) Your allocated 2.5kg for water+food sound a tad sumptuous to me.
Enjoy your adventure and a buen Camino.
I recommend you carry only what you need and you are the only one who can figure this out. However, carrying a heavy backpack is not fun.As a newbie to the idea of walking, let alone the actual commitment I have made to walking the Camino next year, I have just about bought all the gear I think I need and compiled a spreadsheet which tells me that total weight is 7.75 kilos so it will end up at 8 kilos. Once I add in 2.5 kilos for water/food this brings up weight to 10.5 kilos. I currently weigh 86 kilos so I am at 12% backpack weight. Don't want to obsess at the 10% rule. So question is am I good to go at 12%?
Did you walk with that ukulele in your photo? I'm bringing mine. It's so much lighter than a guitar....Suggest you do a couple of day walks carrying the pack as it is and covering the kind of distances you are aiming for. If you can manage - you are fine. And it will get easier as you get stronger.
As a newbie to the idea of walking, let alone the actual commitment I have made to walking the Camino next year, I have just about bought all the gear I think I need and compiled a spreadsheet which tells me that total weight is 7.75 kilos so it will end up at 8 kilos. Once I add in 2.5 kilos for water/food this brings up weight to 10.5 kilos. I currently weigh 86 kilos so I am at 12% backpack weight. Don't want to obsess at the 10% rule. So question is am I good to go at 12%?
True dat. Cooler seasons require more clothing. I was a little chilly in late October. I always carry a very light down hoody. Doubles as a pillow and can be very comforting after a hard days walk. My pack is currently at 9 K with water and full camping kit. But that's me. I'm shaving more off all the time. But the camping kit stays. That's without a cook set up. If I have to I can build an alcohol stove from a beer or soda can. Lord knows there are plenty of those along the way.Probably depends somewhat on the time of year that you go too.
I started preparing for the walk in May 2014-always with the pack I believe has all items I will actually carry on the camino. I have narrowed down, added, cut back and refined items until I am pretty close to where I want/need to be. I have no idea what it weighs and could care less..I can walk 20 kilometers with it no problem. My advice is simply pack up and take off...when you figure out what it takes, that will be the correct weight.As a newbie to the idea of walking, let alone the actual commitment I have made to walking the Camino next year, I have just about bought all the gear I think I need and compiled a spreadsheet which tells me that total weight is 7.75 kilos so it will end up at 8 kilos. Once I add in 2.5 kilos for water/food this brings up weight to 10.5 kilos. I currently weigh 86 kilos so I am at 12% backpack weight. Don't want to obsess at the 10% rule. So question is am I good to go at 12%?
@Mr.Bill, this is an interesting approach, and might well work for you. That said, I think that many new forum members are seeking more definitive advice than you have provided here, whether it is as an indicative packing list or a weight target.I started preparing for the walk in May 2014-always with the pack I believe has all items I will actually carry on the camino. I have narrowed down, added, cut back and refined items until I am pretty close to where I want/need to be. I have no idea what it weighs and could care less..I can walk 20 kilometers with it no problem. My advice is simply pack up and take off...when you figure out what it takes, that will be the correct weight.
I agree that a specific list would be great if that was possible, but you did not apply the (duh) factor. My toothpaste is probably 60 militootoos less than yours, and my shirt, (that thing I'm considering for covering my pectorals) might be wool instead of silk. Each persons' specific capabilities and tastes differ considerably from others. I am simply saying this: know your capabilities through actual practice and trial runs. Don't wait until the day before you leave to start thinking about (what should I bring?).@Mr.Bill, this is an interesting approach, and might well work for you. That said, I think that many new forum members are seeking more definitive advice than you have provided here, whether it is as an indicative packing list or a weight target.
Why? They are going to undertake what for many will be something quite unusual - not everyone walks 100km regularly, let alone the 800km or more that long distance pilgrims attempt. They will be doing it in an foreign country, where they are unfamiliar with everything from the climate to local customs. And they want to start their camino with the best chance of success that they can muster. There may be many more good reasons to seek good advice on pack weight as well as many other aspects of preparation. This forum provides a place they can get that.
I would still be concerned about this advice. I walked last weekend with about 18 kg, and that was comfortable too. It was for an overnight camp, so there was a tent, cooking equipment, water collection and purification, and two days food in my pack. I was much slower than I would expect to be with my lighter camino pack - averaging around 3 km/hr overall. I need to be stopping at every bar on the camino to be getting my overall average speed that low. I walked St Olavs Way in Norway with a similarly heavy pack. Much more food needed and I carried more warm clothing than I would have for walking in Spain in summer. The effect on my walking speed was very similar. Just because those loads were comfortable in the right pack, doesn't make them right for walking the camino.I think I get what Bill is saying. Try packing what you think you want to take and do some trial walks. Subtract things if you think you would be more comfortable, keeping in mind what you have learned are your priority items. When you are comfortable with both carrying the weight and what is in the pack, that is what you take, no matter the weight. I sort of figured it out that way for myself and ended up carrying about 14kg including food and water. I was quite happy with it. Carrying more would mean I'd have physical problems. Carrying less would mean that I would have had to do without something that I really wanted with me. If I followed strict advice from people on the forum, I would have not been as happy with what I carried as I was.
Clearly it is if you miss it by a lot, and the extra weight becomes an impossible burden.
Water weight based on 2 litres. Sure that will vary on each days planned length of walk.
Which is impossible!!That makes me feel better. I've done the impossible twice.
Absolutely! Summer - you probably carry less in clothes but more in water. The route is important too. I did the VDLP and some stages require you to carry all of your food and water for the day with no towns inbetween. In a Spanish heatwave that meant carrying 3 litres minimum to be on the safe side.Probably depends somewhat on the time of year that you go too.
It all depends where you are. In Galicia I could get away with carrying about 1 litre at a time in fluids because there are plenty of towns and fuentes. Extremadura can be quite different. Hence the 3+ litres. If it is too heavy, you drink the excess sooner.That's probably more water than you need to carry. There will be places to top off on your way, so you don't need to carry an entire day's worth of water with you. I started off carrying more water, but after a while of realizing that my bottles never got more than half empty. I started filling them half way to save a little weight. It really did make a difference.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?