Which bags in addition to the backpack?

[martin1ws]

I have my backpack. Water is in reach with a drinking system (blue desert smart tube).
What is the best combination of bags?

What combination of waist bag / plastic bag / front pack / zipper / money belt / ... do you have?
* Nothing else
* Only a zipper for the shower and the backpack

* A bag/zipper/... for the shower (valuables)
* A bag for evening tours when the backpack is in the hostel
* A bag / waist bag / front pack for the money, the smartphone and the snacks during the walk.
Is your smartphone within reach (photo, GPS, ...) or in the backpack?
A small one only for the daily money and smartphone or a bigger one for snacks etc.
* A "safe" bag like a money belt for the valuables in the big cities
* ...

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

A small one only for the money, passport, camera and smartphone. [See my profile pic!!]
Remember - thieves can get into your back-pack even while you're wearing it, in busy city centres.
Good luck and buen camino, Martin!

 

[markmcilroy]

I always have a front "bum bag" or "fanny pack" as they are sometimes called, it has a bottle holder and big enough for a phone, a little cash /cards, snack bar, sunscreen. Also I have around the neck security pouch.

 

[Dorpie]

I like to keep things as simple as possible. While I'm walking it's just my backpack with cash, phone, small snack etc in the pockets on my pack's waist belt. At the end of the day I just use a super cheap/light drawstring bag like this.



I'm probably a bit slack when it comes to security on Camino but as long as you're with other people you can always ask them to keep an eye on your stuff while in the shower.

 

[Christian vaegter]

I also prefer to keep things as simple as possible. Money, passport, credentials etc is in a zipper plastic bag in a side pocket on my shorts. This way I have all vital documents on my at all times in case something happens to my bagpack.
A rain cover for the bagpack is sufficient but an alternative (or supplement) is a big plastic bag as a lining on days of heavy rain.
You'll quickly find out what works best for you, no worries. But simplicity is often the easiest and best option.
Buen Camino

 

[MikeyC]

A small dry bag for the essential documents, cash etc...
Kept in the backpack whilst hiking. If entering a bar remove from backpack and carry on person. (the fold and clip makes a carrying handle). Only the day's budget kept as cash in a zipped pocket.
In the hostel take the dry bag to the shower.
Maybe, keep a spare ATM card in the backpack just in case (eggs and basket!)

Sleeping items (Bag/liner) have their own dry bag; it's a large one as I seem to have two sleeping bags in my backpack but that's the wife ensuring my pack doesn't look empty. Walking as a couple is a luxury that allows a certainly flexibility in who carries what that the solo pilgrim doesn't have. I also seem to remember that I had all the wet weather gear. Maybe my pack would be lighter on my own......

 

[Jodean]

I wear a silk money belt under my shirt with my bank cards, ins. cards, big money and boarding pass. This goes to the shower with me.
Have a small hip pack/waist pack for all the little things like my iphone, guidebook, passport/pilgrim pass in a plastic holder (purchased from Ivar), pen, glasses, choc. bar. money for the day.
Both stay in my bed when I am sleeping.

I don't use dry bags as my poncho keeps everything dry. Prefer to use little mesh bags to keep stuff organized.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I wear a waist "fanny pack" at all times. It carries my passport, large sums of cash, and debit/credit cards in a small ziplock placed in a hidden zipper. It also has a zipper opening for my phone in front (very easy to grab for photos), and in the middle compartment I have a small change purse with small amounts of cash, reading and sunglasses, and a few pain pills "just in case". It has a water bottle holder on one side. I like having everything I need at my fingertips while walking.
When showering it goes in a plastic bag with my clean clothes and at night goes in the bottom of my sleeping bag.

I bring a lightweight string bag as shown above for evenings out, but only if I might need a jacket or umbrella. I still always wear the waist pack as once I forgot the string bag on the back of a chair.

I line my backpack with a white trash compactor bag and use a couple of small, white zippered laundry bags from Walmart ($1.50 US each) for clothing, etc. I use a large ziplock bag for my sleeping bag or liner depending on the season. I also have a backpack cover.

I do not care for the hidden slim waist belts as they can get sweaty and damp under clothing. I am not concerned about stolen money, etc. since most of the time am wearing the backpack on top of the fanny pack belt.

P.S. I treat the outside of my sleeping bag and backpack with Permathrin to help deter bedbugs.

 

[David Tallan]

On the Camino we had a number of ziplock bags inside the backpack, including one for passport/credencial which we kept either in a pocket in our pants or in the top exterior zippered compartment of the backpack. We also had larger ziplocks in which we kept changes of clothes. They were handy for when we went to the shower, to keep clean clothes dry before/during the shower and to hold dirty clothes until it was laundry time after the shower. I also had a little, light fabric bag that folded into its own pocket that I used when going shopping. After the camino, we had some time for sightseeing. ((I booked way more time than I thought the camino would take in case we needed to stop due to injury or we couldn't maintain the anticipated daily distance, figuring we could sightsee for any remaining time.) At that point, I bought a smaller daypack to take with us during our days of sightseeing.

 

[LakeMcD]

I use a small ripstop nylon zippered eye glass holder for cash that I need for the day. ATM, credit card, passport, remaining cash go in a money belt. A very lightweight (2.4 oz) almost waterproof Sea to Summit daypack (it's waterproof enough that I've taken it in a shower with me before) is used to keep clothes dry and turns into my roaming sack similar to how others use a "string bag".

 

[JohnMcM]

I have my backpack. Water is in reach with a drinking system (blue desert smart tube).
What is the best combination of bags?

What combination of waist bag / plastic bag / front pack / zipper / money belt / ... do you have?
* Nothing else
* Only a zipper for the shower and the backpack

* A bag/zipper/... for the shower (valuables)
* A bag for evening tours when the backpack is in the hostel
* A bag / waist bag / front pack for the money, the smartphone and the snacks during the walk.
Is your smartphone within reach (photo, GPS, ...) or in the backpack?
A small one only for the daily money and smartphone or a bigger one for snacks etc.
* A "safe" bag like a money belt for the valuables in the big cities
* ...

Have a look at Sea to Summit. They have a very lightweight bag (called "Sil" I think). I have the older version of it. It seems to be what you are after.
Buen( happy-baggy) Camino

Edit: that's it in the above post

 

[Camino Chrissy]

The above SeatoSummit day pack looks great if you want to spend $28 US. I'm very happy with my string bag, easily found at any thrift shop for $1 each. However, if a person was wearing it all day long, the day pack would be the better option.

 

[amocatnerak]

I used a Patagonia mini hip pack to hold my money, phone, lip balm, etc. It fit perfectly over my backpack belt buckle.

 

[t2andreo]

I carry a Sea to Summit siliconized nylon, 16 liter shoulder bag. It has a zip-close top. When stowed it is the size of a kiwi fruit.

When I enter a town, this becomes my ‘possibles’ bag for picking up stuff on my way to my lodgings. It does duty as a shopping bag, laundry bag, shower tote (the siliconized nylon is highly water resistant, and as my carry-on in the cabin bag for traveling.

It also has been used as a pillow, when stuffed with clothing.

Hope this helps.

 

[Oddyspapa]

Sea to Summit is good but expensive. I like Decathlon bag. They have two packable waterproof sub-bags. The one is 10L ultra compact bag(1.7oz, $2.49) and the other is 20L ultra compact bag(3.5oz, $10.9). I will bring 20L bag for 2018 Camino, next week.

 

[alaskadiver]

We didn't bother with fanny packs. We put our passports and credencials in ziplock bags and carried it in the top flaps of our backpacks which never left our control. When going out at night we each shoved our bags in our pockets. Same for my phone.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

I use a small ripstop nylon zippered eye glass holder for cash that I need for the day. ATM, credit card, passport, remaining cash go in a money belt. A very lightweight (2.4 oz) almost waterproof Sea to Summit daypack (it's waterproof enough that I've taken it in a shower with me before) is used to keep clothes dry and turns into my roaming sack similar to how others use a "string bag".

I have the exact same daypack. At under an ounce, and about as big as a pingpong ball when rolled up, it comes in handy for evening time strolling around. It is made from silnylon, so it is pretty waterproof if you seal the main seams with some thinned-down, 100% silicone caulk that you just brush on.

 

[JabbaPapa]

The inevitable bags under your eyes from too much hike and too little sleep.

 

[martin1ws]

Thank you very much for your answers!
I think I should finalize my packing list, pack everything in my backpack and then decide.

 

[jrm]

My bag system is:
1. Main backpack.
2. two rolltop sea2summit dry sacks inside that bag. One holds clean clothes, and another holds dirty clothes.
3. one generic tiny "ditty bag" to hold my shower kit.

Everything else lives in my pants pocket. If I cant carry it in my pocket, I dont want to lug it around town after a day hiking with it on my back. I'll keep my camera in one hand, wallet/passport/phone in a pocket and head out. Those items are always in my pocket. If my bag goes, at least I have my id and a credit card to take care of the rest. I consistently left myself stuff in the allergies and never had a problem. But I know that's only one-rotten apple away from spoiling the whole setup. I just made sure my bag was only full of things I didn't care about replacing.

 

[JJinWI]

Let me start by saying this is my first Camino, but I have done a fair amount of wilderness camping/backpacking.

I want to have ready access to several items (like my camera, phone, swiss army knife, sunscreen, spork...) Unfortunately, the waist belt pockets are a little too small on my backpack (plus they are a pain to open and close)

So after much research, I found a decent solution. I have tried this on several 15-mile training hikes and it works great.

Here is the link to my blog post with the details. LINKY
FYI the last video in the post shows it best.

Also, I'm carrying an iPad and searched for a lightweight solution to carrying it around (since I don't want to leave it in the hostels while exploring). The thin nylon sacks/backpacks offer no protection. I ended up buying this small pack. LINKY

It fits my iPad Pro 10.5 perfectly. It will also hold my other valuables and my toiletries bag while I am taking a shower. It is also very comfortable to wear. The only negative is it weighs 17oz (482g). FYI, I looked at/bought/returned and weighed about 10 different bags and this was the lightest I could find that would offer some form of protection for my iPad, camera...

Hope this helps.

Cheers,