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I have had the chance to look at a great deal of helpful threads but I'd like a little more advice if possible.
I am considering what to pack for my trip and I'm concerned about the needs Ive read in other posts.
This is my (general) packing list do far. If anyone has any suggestions for changes I'd be grateful. Ill be starting my trip September 1st this year and hope to end in mid October.
List:
Shoes- I'm still unsure of - I'm thinking a comfortable pair of runners and some croscs or sandals for the evenings and towns. I was looking at Keens as well, but have not decided. I would appreciate feedback on this one especially.
Shirts - one long sleeve light weight, one short sleeve. 2 under shirts (tank tops)
Shorts/ pants - cargo style with pockets one long pair of pant. One pair of shorts
Underwear/socks - 4 pairs each ( too much too little?)
Toiletries- toothbrush, 2 bars soap (for clothes and body) deodorant, muscle patches, toilet tissue, aspirn (or the like) ace bandage, blister kit
Light weight sleeping bag - 1 lb
Hat
Rain Gear - cant decide if a poncho is best or I have rain pants and a jacket.
Diva Cup - sorry gents, its a ladies needs.
Others -
small pocket knife , iPhone, journal, needle and thread, stickers with my info on it for travel buddies I want to stay in touch with, Tabi-chan the sloth (hes a must) and.....
Anything else I have no idea.
Any help?
If folks try to push Brierly's guide book politely decline. It's a heavy tome and there is almost too much information. There is a Michelin Atlas that covers roughly the same stages but is much lighter and leaves much up to imagination and the will of the Way. A great rule to travel by is "Less is more".I have had the chance to look at a great deal of helpful threads but I'd like a little more advice if possible.
I am considering what to pack for my trip and I'm concerned about the needs Ive read in other posts.
This is my (general) packing list do far. If anyone has any suggestions for changes I'd be grateful. Ill be starting my trip September 1st this year and hope to end in mid October.
List:
Shoes- I'm still unsure of - I'm thinking a comfortable pair of runners and some croscs or sandals for the evenings and towns. I was looking at Keens as well, but have not decided. I would appreciate feedback on this one especially.
Shirts - one long sleeve light weight, one short sleeve. 2 under shirts (tank tops)
Shorts/ pants - cargo style with pockets one long pair of pant. One pair of shorts
Underwear/socks - 4 pairs each ( too much too little?)
Toiletries- toothbrush, 2 bars soap (for clothes and body) deodorant, muscle patches, toilet tissue, aspirn (or the like) ace bandage, blister kit
Light weight sleeping bag - 1 lb
Hat
Rain Gear - cant decide if a poncho is best or I have rain pants and a jacket.
Diva Cup - sorry gents, its a ladies needs.
Others -
small pocket knife , iPhone, journal, needle and thread, stickers with my info on it for travel buddies I want to stay in touch with, Tabi-chan the sloth (hes a must) and.....
Anything else I have no idea.
Any help?
33 grams for the pair? where can you buy these gloves? They sound delightful!I'm not one of those "weight-slashers" who manage to walk a Camino with a 3.5 kg backpack, but this year I did try to reduce my load a bit. I think I got it down to under 7 k, and that includes my fanny pack, so I was pretty happy.
As others have said, you should not pay attention to anyone's advice on shoes. It is such an idiosyncratic decision -- trainers vs. boots, Merrells vs. Keens, etc etc, you just have to go with what feels good on your feet. Your feet and your bone structure are unique, so reading about others' experiences really just complicates things. You have some time, so I would start now!
I think two pairs of underwear is fine, with the exception of socks, if you're counting that. I always bring three pairs of socks because it's good to change during the day, you may have trouble with things drying if you get a lot of rain, etc, and dry socks are a really nice thing to have.
Think about whether you need two shirts and two tank tops. Seems like it could be overkill.
Keep the first aid kit/blister kit to the basics because there are more than a zillion faracias on the camino frances, and they sell every foot remedy known to modern civilization.
I would go with a fleece, too. And one thing I would never walk without is a light (very light, 33 grams for the pair) pair of lambswool gloves. More than anything, if you get a stretch of cold rain, they will do wonders keeping your hands warm in the rain.
I've also walked with every possible combination of rain gear and have settled on the ferrino trekker as others have mentioned. But this is another one of those items that generates a lot of strong opinions, so if you're used to and comfortable with pack cover and jacket, go with it.
Buen camino, Laurie
If folks try to push Brierly's guide book politely decline. It's a heavy tome and there is almost too much information. There is a Michelin Atlas that covers roughly the same stages but is much lighter and leaves much up to imagination and the will of the Way. A great rule to travel by is "Less is more".
Ultreia![/QUOTE
Hello obinjatoo,
I found Brierly's book to be incredibly useful, however I did rip some pages out before I started, and continued to rip them out as I walked each stage. I worked out fine….
In that case it is a heavy sleeping bag and you may not enjoy carrying very far. Others have suggested lightweight fleece blankets instead, they can be quite inexpensive too.Wow, Thanks again everyone for the quick feedback and ideas. I very much appreciate it.
I will say I was incorrect about the sleeping bag size. I checked once more and it is around 2.5 lbs. I was thinking kilos and writing pounds. My brain is still adjusting to using both interchangeably.
Im going to look over the feedback and make adjustments as I can.
Gratefully
haveslothwilltravel
Hello haveslothwilltravel,
You will come across a lot of advice on what to pack and everyone has a different idea of what works best for them. Here I will attempt to give my version. I also walked in September/October.
Shoes - runners may be OK for you, but I found that hiking boots worked for me because I prefer the ankle support. There were sections of the camino where there was uneven/ rocky ground and I was glad for the boots. I didn't want to risk a fall because I wanted to get to Santiago. I found crocs to be excellent - very comfortable after a long day's walking.
Shirts and shorts/pants list look fairly simple - no extra there, unless you leave behind one of the tank tops.
Underwear/socks - could cut back to 2 pairs of each. I took 3 pairs of socks (and liner socks) and didn't need the third pair.
Toiletries - I would leave behind 1 bar of soap. You can always buy another one when you run out, and you won't have to carry the extra weight. I took a roll on deodorant, but it was only half full - plenty. Don't forget shampoo, and leave in conditioner if you use it - and sunblock!
Sleeping bag - seems to be very light, could be ok.
Hat - a necessary item!
Rain gear - again I think this is necessary - I took a jacket and pants, although others swear by the ponchos. The rain jacket was good for extra warmth when required, as I only took a lightweight fleece jacket.
You haven't mentioned a warm layer - lightweight fleece is good.
I took a "buff" to keep the sun off my face when it was low in the sky. The camino buff is for sale on this forum - look at the "Camino Resources" section. It is also useful for warmth around the neck and as a beanie.
I also took silk long johns for wearing in the evening when it cooled down. They are very light.
I took nappy pins to use for hanging clothes to dry. I also took a long piece of spare shoelace and used it for clothesline.
Take a small stone from home - to place on the pile at Ferro Cruz (if you are travelling on the Camino Frances)
Passport, tickets, money… travel money card - preloaded.
portable musical instrument, if you have a talent!
Camelback type water bladder.
Walking poles - I used pacer poles and found them to be very good.
Pack, waterproof cover for pack.
Pilgrim passport
Brierly's guidebook
zip lock bags for waterproofing.
I may have forgotten some things, but doesn't matter. You can buy most things that you need on the way.
I also want to know where to get those gloves.33 grams for the pair? where can you buy these gloves? They sound delightful!
Wow, Thanks again everyone for the quick feedback and ideas. I very much appreciate it.
I will say I was incorrect about the sleeping bag size. I checked once more and it is around 2.5 lbs. I was thinking kilos and writing pounds. My brain is still adjusting to using both interchangeably.
Im going to look over the feedback and make adjustments as I can.
Gratefully
haveslothwilltravel
Hi brissy, I got them in some shop in Heathrow about 6years ago after my first pair wore out. I have a camino friend who found them online easily though. Buen camino , Laurie33 grams for the pair? where can you buy these gloves? They sound delightful!
250mls of water only? I drank almost 3 litres every day while walking plus tea and orange juice!Sitting in Santiago right now After 32 days walking, I found that I lost about a kilo in weight for every kilo in backpack. Things I did not need were sunglasses as you walk to west and sun is on back and I definitely carried too much water----1.5liters but very rarely drank more than 250 ml per day. Should have brought more under ware as mine was stolen from Albergue clothes line. Actually found men's boxers for sale for 37 euros at hiking store! Love the Koreans as they pack everything. Korean girls had ear muffs when weather was cold
I love your list serve name by the way: Haveslothwilltravel. I just want to add my 2 cents about shoes. Whatever you decide on they should be lightweight, whether high tops or low tops. No need for heavy leather, they are heavy, hot slow to dry. Most important is fit. They should be comfortable out of the box. There is a myth out there that walking shoes or hiking boots need to be broken in. If they don't feel good out of the box then it's the wrong shoe for you. If it's a toss up between a half size too big and a half size too small. Go with too big because your feet will swell.
Oh and I will be serving as hospitalera in Granon from September 1 -15. Stop in and say "hi" or stay the night.
Question about the guide books.
I wasnt aware to bring one and have read mixed reviews. Do you really need a guide book?
Not for the Camino Frances. You certainly don't need it to find the path; just follow the yellow arrows - or in summer just follow the line of pilgrims.
If you want an understanding and appreciation of the history, culture and architecture you pass, then download onto your smartphone an ebook version of "The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago; The Complete Cultural Handbook" by David Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davison. Not a book to "read" a but instead a wonderful field guide.
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