I have a couple of suggestions to get you started......
1) If you are a social guy, plan to stay at the albergues. Resist the urge to book ahead of time, fearing that you won't have anywhere to stay. There is always somewhere to stay, and you will meet new people almost every day. There will be hundreds of other pilgrims leaving the day you leave - you are at no risk of loneliness unless you want to be alone.
2) There is an exception to the above. Book Orisson in advance. Its kind of a staging area for the Camino, and you will meet 25 other pilgrims right away in an ideal setting. Some of these people will be faster or slower than you, but some of them you will walk into the square with on the last day.
3) Young people can sometimes get away with minimal/no training. I do not recommend this as many people either fall out or have a truly miserable time due to injuries, fatigue, and blisters. Start now by selecting footwear, and walking in it. I tried several different shoes before I found ones I liked. A month before you leave, buy a new set of your preferred shoes, and break them in. If you can walk at least 15K (with your pack!) at least a few times a week without issues, you are likely to have very few problems. Include hills in your training route. If you are on the prairies, find a staircase. The Camino is not flat!
4) As others have said, don't take too much stuff. You are not walking through a wilderness, its mostly a farming area. Having done the Camino, I could easily imagine getting off the train in SJPD with good shoes, a pack I like, and rainwear I trust. You can buy everything else. Take no spares, stock, "just-in-case", or extra of anything- its all available at the towns you will walk through. You are rarely more than three hours away from a drink, an aspirin, a washing machine, a pair of scissors, or an ATM.
5) Get your equipment at MEC (its a Canada thing). They have the right stuff, and have a really good return policy for things that don't work out as expected. Other than underwear, you should have nothing made of cotton in your possession when you leave. Its heavy and takes too long to dry. If you can afford it, the Tilley hats were born to do the Camino. Either way, you need a hat.
6) Buy a guide book. I used
Brierly, but there are others. You will use it several times per day. We came to refer to it as "The Good Book" when stopping along the way.
7) You have to sneak across the border to buy permethrin to treat your pack and sleeping bag. It is not for sale in Canada but readily available in the USA. Just trying to save you some time here. As you do your research, you will figure out why!
This forum is the best place for advice, although some of it will be contrary or contentious. There is rarely one "Right" way to do anything, so do what works for you. Above all, worry and plan less; train and anticipate more. This is a great adventure. It takes you out of your comfort zone physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I never met anyone who was not affected by the experience, and came away a better person. As others have noted, they would give anything to walk the Camino for the first time again. I cannot do that, but you can.
Buen Camino.
