Pack weight

[Ali Jones]

hi everyone,
I'm just having a last minute panic about the weight if my pack, which is 9 kilos !
I'd wanted to keep it down to 7 kg. damn!
I m setting off for Biarritz on Monday 4th April...but maybe need to re think.
Is a sleeping mat essential? I've heard that if refugios are full, you may be able to sleep on a floor...in which case it would be handy. Mine weighs 370 gm...so I still have a lot of stuff to get rid of....aagh!
Any advice?
Thanks

 

[nidarosa]

The mat can go. Reduce to two outfits and see how much lighter it gets, and also put all the maybe- and handy-stuff in a plastic bag and then weigh it - bet you'll be surprised! If you want to be around 7 kgs, then you can feel good about it as soon as you hit the number 7, even if it's 7.9 for now. Oh and buen camino!

 

[Mark Lee]

Yeah, for sure take out the sleeping mat.
Don't know what you have for rain gear, but if you have both a poncho and a rain jacket, pick just one and take out the other. You don't need both. If you have rain pants, maybe consider taking those out, too. If you have those leg gaiter things, I would say for sure eliminate those.
If you are carrying more than one type of cold weather jacket, say both a fleece and a quilted type, for sure eliminate one.
Anyway, don't bring anything you consider a backup for something.

 

[Ali Jones]

The mat can go. Reduce to two outfits and see how much lighter it gets, and also put all the maybe- and handy-stuff in a plastic bag and then weigh it - bet you'll be surprised! If you want to be around 7 kgs, then you can feel good about it as soon as you hit the number 7, even if it's 7.9 for now. Oh and buen camino!

Thankyou so much...I have just ruthlessly cut down by 1.2 kilos..including the mat...which is a shame cos it was really expensive ! Actually though I would have been really pissed off if I'd carried it 500 miles and only used it once .
Enjoying cutting down to bare necessities...tho I still have a few things I'm hanging on to !

 

[MTtoCamino]

You will be amazed @ how little you will "need" creature comforts each person must decide for themselves.

 

[Ali Jones]

Yeah, for sure take out the sleeping mat.
Don't know what you have for rain gear, but if you have both a poncho and a rain jacket, pick just one and take out the other. You don't need both. If you have rain pants, maybe consider taking those out, too. If you have those leg gaiter things, I would say for sure eliminate those.
If you are carrying more than one type of cold weather jacket, say both a fleece and a quilted type, for sure eliminate one.
Anyway, don't bring anything you consider a backup for something.

Thanks for the advice. I have a rain jacket and trousers, both as light as I could get. Was going to do without trousers but was persuaded they were necessary...and I only just bought them...so I guess they'll have to come and I can post them home if it gets warm. I only have a fleece and thin rain jacket...and I guess it can be cold in April. Anyway, happy I've managed to cut down by 1.2kg

 

[Mark Lee]

Thanks for the advice. I have a rain jacket and trousers, both as light as I could get. Was going to do without trousers but was persuaded they were necessary...and I only just bought them...so I guess they'll have to come and I can post them home if it gets warm. I only have a fleece and thin rain jacket...and I guess it can be cold in April. Anyway, happy I've managed to cut down by 1.2kg

Yeah, you might need the rain trousers in April as it can still get pretty cold there.
I have only been there from June through September, and never found the need for rain trousers, just a jacket.

 

[MTtoCamino]

April, every year a bit different with amount of rain fall, but I was glad to have rain coat, rain paints,fleece jacket, warm gloves. By the 20th of April only needed the rain coat a couple days nor the rain pants or gloves. My hat I had a rain cover for it. It warms up quick in the afternoons, cold fast at dark

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Bring the rain trousers, leave the mat.

We like to play a little game on the Forum: Post Your List!

Let us know what you are thinking of taking with you and I am willing to bet we can help you shed at least a kg in under 10 minutes .

Of course, we will all disagree about what is worth being carried or not, but we'll have fun!

 

[Pingüigrino]

Hi. You never can say. Two weeks ago I was walking up O'cebreiro in a sunny and hot day, but stepping snow. Four days later, I was fighting with a wall of water and wind. Never can say at springtime.
Buen Camino.

 

[shubertj]

You probably need the rain trousers my wife has been there for the last 2 weeks and has had cold, sleet, snow and rain most days. A couple of times she has been wearing both rain jacket and poncho for warmth. Even though she has gloves she also has been putting the extra set of socks on her hands for warmth. It is a different Camino in April then the summer you need more things. But you can also buy additions if needed. She is having the time of her life loving every bit of it.

Buen Camino

 

[SeaHorse]

Even if the albergues are full, they have their mats, no need to carry your own. Only once seen somebody else use mats - they arrived around 8pm in a town that had only 45 beds total, everything full long ago. So they camped out in children's playground (padded with some special material + the mats). They were lucky there was no rain then.

 

[Saint Mike II]

hi everyone,
I'm just having a last minute panic about the weight if my pack, which is 9 kilos !
I'd wanted to keep it down to 7 kg. damn! ..but maybe need to re think. Any advice?
Thanks

Some good advice (particularly from other women); if you have a packing list - mark the "essential items"; mark the "maybes". Pack the essentials as see what your pack now weighs. Remember you will still need to "add in" around 0.750 lts of water (two 500 mil litre bottles - not full) so add the 750 grams to the weight and see what you now have. If you are under 7 KG then maybe you can some of the "maybes". Remember - Spain is a modern country and just about all the usual consumables (toothpaste, soap etc) can be purchased as the small bottle expire. Good luck

 

[Kanga]

You do not need a mat. Albergues are restricted by their licenses to take only a specific number, and for those they have bedding.

Good advice in the posts above. In addition, check your electronics and spongebag . A smartphone does just about everything, I have no need to carry anything more electronically.

In my spongebag I avoid anything liquid - that means it contains water and water is heavy. If anyone needs makeup, it is me - but for the duration of the camino I have convinced myself I am beautiful and do without it. If carrying a full tube of anything, try sacrificing some by squeezing the tube half empty. Does everything have a dual purpose? My sunscreen is also my moisturiser, and it goes on face, hands, feet and even a tiny bit on my hair. I carry hi-sudsing soap (try it in cold water to check) that works as body soap, shampoo and for clothes washing. Medications "in case"? Just take a couple of pills of each, enough to get you to a chemist or doctor.

And buen camino!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Two weeks ago I was walking up O'cebreiro in a sunny and hot day

And today you can see new snow on their webcam!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

You do not need a mat. Albergues are restricted by their licenses to take only a specific number, and for those they have bedding.
And buen camino!

Albergues may be restricted by Law as to The number of people then cam take in every night bit many have either not gotten the memo or don't care. I remember people sleeping on extra mattresses at Carbajalas, extra mattresses set up in The dining room including in too of the dining table in Castro Urdiales, the ladies in Pobena talking about setting up the over flown in the large spare room they have, and sending the rest to the church patio....

 

[David]

Ali! Well this is fun, you are nearly ready to start, leaving tomorrow? - how nervously "oh God why am I doing this I'm not ready" and exciting it is for you!!
Very unlikely you will find refugios full in April so don't worry about that.
A bit late for you to post your packing list now but simplest last minute tweaking is 'wear one, carry one' - you won't need much more than that.
When you get to Roncesvalles you will see two tables filled - filled!!! with discarded items ... you only need to walk to Roncesvalles to know if you are carrying extra items that you don't need and will never use - so you can drop off all the extra stuff there - and you most likely will still have extra stuff you no longer want .

I have been down into Portugal visiting homesteading friends and also a bit of Spanish 'touristing' but am on my way to Camino tomorrow to do first aid - so please do look out for an old fat man mainly dressed in brown carrying a first aid sign in various languages and do come and say hello! If you want we can go through your pack together but you may have stripped it down by then -

Buen Camino to you!!!

 

[shubertj]

You probably need the rain trousers my wife has been there for the last 2 weeks and has had cold, sleet, snow and rain most days. A couple of times she has been wearing both rain jacket and poncho for warmth. Even though she has gloves she also has been putting the extra set of socks on her hands for warmth. It is a different Camino in April then the summer you need more things. But you can also buy additions if needed. She is having the time of her life loving every bit of it.

Buen Camino

Picture from this morning hiking to Hospital de Orbigo, she is the one smiling in the dark blue.

 

[Patch]

Personally I carry 5kg, but I only walk in the summer months.
Last year I did a month on the Camino and had to sleep on floor of leisure centre once, some unlucky people did not get a mattress. Also had to sleep on sofa at another refuge.
But given that I still have no plans to carry a matt this year....though I may take a light weight bivi bag as I plan to take a less walked path.

 

[james walter purdum iv]

hi everyone,
I'm just having a last minute panic about the weight if my pack, which is 9 kilos !
I'd wanted to keep it down to 7 kg. damn!
I m setting off for Biarritz on Monday 4th April...but maybe need to re think.
Is a sleeping mat essential? I've heard that if refugios are full, you may be able to sleep on a floor...in which case it would be handy. Mine weighs 370 gm...so I still have a lot of stuff to get rid of....aagh!
Any advice?
Thanks

i walked in september 2015 and never needed a mat..i did sleep on the floor at ventossa but the hospitarios fixed me up with a small mattress...you will find as you walk your pack will get lighter due to the denotive boxes in each hostel. shed what u don't su and i picked up a wool hat that i needed toward the end of my journey...

 

[Magnara]

Don't worry, after you have been on the track a couple of days, as David says you will suddenly find there are things in your pack you can do without. I can still remember the little lineup of "essentials" we left on the bed when we left after the second night. A lighter pack trumps most things, but don't agonise about it - the camino will show you what you can do without.

 

[BrienC]

If it takes consideration, take it out. Sleeping mats are considered optional on my packing list (see my blog - link to Camino list is at top of the home page). But then, I take an electric toothbrush on long trips ;-)

Buen Camino!

 

[BrianForbesColgate]

I have a rain jacket and trousers, both as light as I could get. I only have a fleece and thin rain jacket...and I guess it can be cold in April.

It can snow in April - several times along the way - so those rain pants might come in handy to retain body heat, depending on what else you are taking to keep you warm.

 

[Shalaw]

I think people worry too much about the weight of their packs. It's true that lighter is better, but I think the key is having an excellent backpack that distributes the weight well. I'm 5'7" and 135lbs and my pack weighed about 10.5 kilos!! But....because I invested in a light pack with a swiveling hip belt, it seriously did not feel heavy at all. My shoulders never hurt, nor did my back. It's true, I'm a girl so I did have extra stuff like makeup and extra gitch, but I did take a solid shampoo bar from LUSH that worked very well and was super light. I agree that the mat can go as we never needed one and we did not see anyone sleeping on one. One thing I wished I never brought were my hiking sandals because I could not walk in them, even though they were very expensive. Remember too, that you can always send anything superfluous ahead to Santiago, if you don't need it and you can also buy anything you need along the way.

Buen Camino!!

 

[Mooncat]

I wore a rain kilt instead of rain pants and it worked fine. Took up much less pack room and weighed less. You can see rain kilts on line. Also, my legs could breathe instead of sweating. However, the wind was not always kind to keeping my kilt down. Also, check your pack to see if it is already waterproof without adding a waterproof cover. I found that my cover caused a lot of condensate to form on my pack from steam coming off my body. So, the pack ended up being wet under the cover. But, nothing inside was ever wet. One more thing. Wool provides warmth even when wet. Buen Camino.