What do you need for camino de santiago

A lightweight, well-made rain jacket is always a good idea. You might also want to look at purchasing a windproof travel umbrella. While the tap water in France and Spain is generally safe to drink, it might not always be to your personal tastes. The best way to avoid this potential problem is to take a water bottle with its own filter. The lighter, the better. You might even want to make your own sleeping sack since traditional sleeping bags are often really heavy.

Some folks that go on the trail during the summer might even get by with either a single sheet or a single comforter. You may also want to bring a small travel pillow to use or at least bring along a pillow case to keep from having to put your head down on ones that might not be clean.

Having snacks on hand will keep you sociable and fully energized if you get hungry miles from the next town. Different countries use different amounts of electronic current to run their households. I personally like Dr. The locals recognize this symbol and are usually willing to help travelers on their way.

They get bonus points for being rainproof or at least water resistant. This item could be earrings, lipstick, a second pair of shoes, or even a fresh shirt. Good winter options may also include thick scarves, fleece hats, and gloves. You can instead use your phone to take pictures and to post humble-brag Facebook status if you feel you must. The most popular route is called the French Way, which goes over the border from France into Spain.

It lasts kilometers about miles. There are also some routes that are more strenuous than others so be sure to research more carefully the path you plan on taking before setting out. The French Way takes a little over a monthto complete if you are on foot. Other methods of conquering the trail might involve bicycles, horses, and possibly hopping on a busfor a bit. Instead, a silk sleeping bag liner is all you need. It will keep out any bed bugs not very common these days and provide enough warmth on cooler evenings.

Also, all but 1 of the Albergues I stayed in along the Camino had blankets. So, simply climb into your liner every night and then use the blanket for any warmth. And to be honest, the blanket is usually too much anyway. It can get very hot in northern Spain and the sun will be high in the sky almost all day. Simply put, you will get blisters. I have never suffered from blisters before, but on the Camino, I got more than my fair share.

Pretty self-explanatory, but an essential item to include in your Camino de Santiago packing list. Ok, that's a joke. There are pharmacies in almost every town, as well as sporting stores.

The only thing I would say is many of the things above are more expensive in the small independant Spanish stores. Alternatively, head to large, sporting stores like Decathlon if the town you are in has one. Yes, most of the time. Instead, buy everything ahead of time. That will help you to stay in budget and leave you more Euros for Spanish wine. You will probably find the local Spanish food different to what you are used to. And for dinner, I recommend getting the Pilgrim menu each night.

And water is free at fountains located all along your route. On one day, you even come across a free wine tap! This ridiculously long and detailed Camino packing list is all you should need! Hopefully you should now have a much better idea of how to pack for the Camino de Santiago. If you have any more questions, than just let me know below. I would love to help where possible!

Sri Lanka. El Salvador. South America. Plan A Trip Our story. What are you looking for? Written By:. Looking to walk the Camino de Santiago? A bit confused on what you need to take with you? The Camino de Santiago just slipped its way into the end of our fun trip and as it began, it was nothing like my above-mentioned plans. This, and days of research, inspired my man to take on the pilgrimage as well. For anyone who has never heard of it, the Camino De Santiago is a km miles pilgrimage across the country of Spain including its mountains.

It has a very rich history and was started by saints who trekked across the country to reach the buried remains of saints and then to the Atlantic. They would then collect a shell to prove they made it the whole way and return home.

Obviously, there is a lot more history to this but then this article would be more about the history than what we are all here for: packing.

With all the research we did, we still were in no way prepared for what laid ahead of us on that first day of the Camino. Each day you wake up before the sun, around am, and walk and walk and walk for km each day. Stopping along the way for breaks, food, sightseeing and bathrooms.

This repeats itself for over a month. We finished our pilgrimage in Santiago de Compostela on September 30, Depending on how you chose to tackle the Camino, the average completion time is about 35 days. There are also people biking and horseback riding the trail. These pilgrims are meant to finish in about half the time of a pied walking pilgrim. Each day there will be a new kind of struggle and many people who have to return home from injuries or some other issue. Many of these struggles could have been easily prevented by their packing.

Wrong shoes, too large of bags, too heavy of a pack , and more, hindered pilgrims who may have been able to make it to the end. If someone had created this list for me I would have had a few less days of pain and suffering. So please: learn from our mistakes , but remember you are meant to learn from your mistakes.

The mistakes I made, made me a stronger person. So do not beat yourself up when something goes wrong. Learn from it and move on. We decided right before we started the Camino to downgrade our packs. My boyfriend knew there was no way I could finish the miles with my monster.

We went out to a local sports store called Decathlon and bought 22L and 30L bags with hip straps and sent our monsters with most of our items home. The small bag saved the pilgrimage for me. I know I would not have made it the whole way with the huge bag. With just the bare necessities on our backs we were better off. Hip straps are important. They keep the weight off your shoulders and distribute the weight more efficiently.

Look at the Her Packing List article about correct backpack placement. Sleeping bags are too heavy and bulky to carry. A good sleep sack can keep you warm while taking up significantly less space. Most places do not provide a blanket but will have pillows. Ours were a last-minute purchase the morning of our first day in St. Jean Piet De Port Camino store. Best last-minute purchase of the whole trip.

I did not use them, but my boyfriend and almost everyone else did. They make the weight from your bags put less stress on your legs and more onto the poles.

If you do use some, do your research and look into airport policies on carrying them on. Some airports let us walk on with them while others made us check them. Also, get a pair of gloves to prevent blisters on your hands. We brought two outfits each. We decided early on to not bring many clothes. It is unnecessary and they add weight.

No one cares or remembers what you are wearing. It is about the journey, not your outfit. Everyone else wears the same thing repeatedly anyhow. Make sure what you choose does not chafe or itch.

If not, you will be covering many miles extra uncomfortably. Check into the weather averages for the time you plan to tackle this. You will need a jacket. Something made for exercise but can keep you warm. Once again we went with Smartwool. Near the end, when we were further into September and the mountains, I lived in this thing.

The jacket only left my body for showers and the occasional wash. It rains. It only rained three or four days total for us and we were very lucky. Being wet was not fun.

A good lightweight rain jacket can make those rainy days a bit better. Make sure it packs small! We both had The North Face rain jackets that worked wonderfully. This is the most important thing for this trip. Your shoes can make or break you completing the pilgrimage or not. We went with The North Face Hedgehog sneakers. They were perfect for us. If you do any research for this trip, make sure to do your research for your shoes. Blisters are a big problem on the Camino. You will notice everyone at the end of the day tending to their poor feet.

We saw some things that can never be unseen and most of them included the worst blisters ever. Your shoes definitely need to also be waterproof, it can rain for a few hours to days in the summer in Spain.

Many people bought second shoes for when they needed a break from one pair. Tieks were a very popular second shoe, but I like having my toes covered while walking. My recommendation is Smartwool.

They were thick, kept sweat away and protected my toes and heels. Do not go cheap in this department. I did initially. By day three I was covered in blisters.

The cheap socks will fall apart and will not protect your heels and toes from the impacts from the hike. Your feet go through enough. Small lightweight shoes will save you. A no brainer you will need these, but make sure you bring only a few pairs and they are made for lots of movement. Avoiding chafing in this department is key. Find pairs that can dry fast! Sports bras are key. Someone grabbed mine off the drying rack and I was stuck with a nasty thin one from the nearest store I could find.

Bring two good ones! I saw the article on Her Packing List about the many uses for a Buff. Thank goodness I did see it. I lived with my Buff on. It provided me warmth for my neck and ears, a headband, an eye mask, light towel for my damp hair and so much more. Again, fast-drying helps. These towels are thin and light enough that you maximize on space and drying. You have to do your own laundry almost every day, and there is rarely a washing machine available in the Albergues.

Usually they will provide buckets for you to wash your items in. The Scrubba was our savior. You fill the bag with your few items. Fill with water and scrub the clothes on the bumps on the inside of the bag, which act like a washboard. After a few rinses and extra scrubbing, wring your clothes well and they are then ready to be air dried. Our clothes were always the first one in the line and dry, and always clean. This bag is amazing. I had a small keychain light for those bathroom moments after lights out or when you just need to find something in the morning and cannot see in the dark to save your life.

Both are very helpful. Sometimes you just need to jam out. PS: Some fellow pilgrims do not like when you jam out loud I learned the hard way. Take tons of photos ; the scenery is beautiful. Entertainment for when you are winding down at the end of the day is also a bonus.

We did not have a guidebook. We went off the piece of paper they gave us on day one. Having a simple, small guidebook helps. They include distances, altitudes, nearest Albergues, grocery stores and more. We found one that someone had dropped near the last 80 km and we were obsessed with the plethora of information it provided us.

Despite the creativity in the name, they were so useful. If you can bring a small pocket knife with a can opener it will make snacking along the way easier as well. Most of the wine is made locally and it is amazing and cheap. Sometimes we had a few people piggybacking off of us. Everyone needs to charge their gadgets so make sure you make good use of your power time and then allow someone else access to the outlet.

When I asked my boyfriend what I was missing on this list the first thing he said was: toilet paper. Every morning he would grab a large wad of it and had it folded neatly in his pocket for the inevitable runny nose or emergency bathroom trip. Sometimes you are 30 minutes away from the next place of civilization. When you gotta go, you gotta go. We did not do this but regret not doing so. Pre-spraying your items before you leave can save you a whole lot of scratching later. If you do get bedbugs: wash and dry all your cloth items on high heat.

Multiple times. I sat in my rain gear two nights while we handled this task. The bites are not fun. This is not necessary but it is a big part of the Camino. Near the last km you will pass the Cruz de Hierro and it is tradition to leave a rock that you carried with you the whole way here.

PS: If you just need to bring more and worry you cannot handle the pack on your day treks, they do have a service that will pick up your bags and deliver them to your next destination for a small fee.

Just make sure to keep your important items on you passport, money, medication. We met many people who started in a different city. People who planned to take full rest days and explore the cities. There were the people who walked two days worth of walking in one day to make it to the end faster.

There were people who walked alone. There were people who walked in large groups. Best friends. Everyone has their own way. Enjoy your way. That is my one regret. I was too busy complaining about the pain I was in to appreciate everything around me.

To enjoy my way. Looking back I fully appreciate the experiences I had, the good and bad. Even breaking down after 10kms in the shadeless desert and demanding my boyfriend to leave me to die his favorite laughable moment… now.

A moment that makes you see the world differently. Basically, everything I declared I would not do at the beginning of the Camino, I ended up doing by the end. The Camino does that to you.

I wish you luck on your pilgrimage and envy you for being able to experience it for the first time. It is truly life changing.

There are many routes pilgrims take to reach the shrine of St. James in northwestern Spain. You can opt to follow the Camino Primitivo , which is the original way that begins in Oviedo. Jean Pied de Port in France. The Camino Norte starts in the Basque Country and is less traveled because of the elevation in the route. About the Author: Nicolette graduated college and immediately got into the corporate world.

After a year of paper-pushing she jumped ship with her boyfriend and backpacked through Europe for four months. Hoping to inspire others to get out of their comfort zones and experience the World, Nicolette created a blog to document her travels. She hopes to get back out there and experience all the World has to offer!

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Trusted Housesitters — Save money on travel accommodation by becoming a housesitter. Housesitters often have extra duties, like caring for pets and gardens. Hi Michelle! My boyfriend took on most of this weight though! Yeah it was a store just like REI. Just make sure to keep it lightweight and get the hip straps.

It will make a huge difference! Buen camino! The name of the Store is Decathlon, you can find them everywhere in Europe and Quechua is their store brand for Hiking gear. Nicollette, thank you so much for your suggestions. Your article was fascinating and so well written. I figure that now is the time while I am healthy and able. Did you see others my age on the route and how did they fair?