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The Ultimate Camino Packing List does not exist. Bummer! The fact is, your packing list will keep evolving through time. We’ll literally search until we drop to find the smallest, lightest and prettiest products for pilgrims. You are able to purchase them in our Pilgrim Shop we are so proud of. If there’s anything you miss on the list, give us a heads-up; we are always happy to built upon other pilgrim’s experience!
There are many different needs, maybe as many as there are pilgrims. You won’t be the perfect match with the categories we crafted. Take our case: Joyce is a hybrid between ‘Standard’ and ‘Comfy’ when it comes to eating, sleeping, and personal accessories. Luisa concurs with the eating and sleeping part but will deal with only having 1 extra set of hiking pants to carry less weight (which will mean doing more often the laundry).
If you can make it to be around 8 kg including water (excluding the cloths you wear) you’re already doing a great job!
Check out the differences between ‘Basic’, ‘Standard’ and ‘Comfy’ needs and discover your own hybrid comfy level. It’s all up to you really; it’s your Camino!
You’ll need a bed in non-private albergues or seek shelter in donativos or churches.
Alternatively, you might want to camp out.
For your food you will depend on supermarkets and cook your own dinner.
All these needs dictate the gear you will need to carry with you. Check out your Ultimate Camino Packing List below: Basic.
Every kilo weighs double or triple once you are walking. When you go ‘basic’ you won’t be carrying any luxury with you. On the other hand, you’ll be taking stuff with you to make you completely self-sufficient. Just remember this ground rule: at the end of your walking day, your 12 kg pack will feel like 24 kg. Even the most experienced walkers advice to take not more than 10% of your weight. Luisa, the small Spanish one of the team is not totally agreeing with this. “I mean think of it: if you are rather small and you’re BMI is higher than generally advised you would be allowed to take quite a lot of stuff according to this rule. Not a good idea; don’t take the 10% rule, use 10% of your ideal weight and you’re good to go”. On the other hand, if you’re small like I am you might not want to take the rule too literal: I am 1.59 m. I weigh 58 kg (working on it) – my ‘ideal’ weight is 55 kg. I would only be allowed 5.5 kg including water. I’m at 6.4 including water. That’s already very light-weight. Don’t think about it too much.
Pack only the things you will need, leave luxury at home and take about 10 kg if you are a guy and about 8 kg max if you are a woman. Take into account that food and water you bring along weighs a total of 2 kg (take or leave). That means that you’re looking at 8 kg and 6 kg gear for men and woman respectively. Your feet, knees and hips will thank you for it. If you think I’m forgetting about the ‘shoulders’, don’t forget to check the ‘Pilgrim’s backpack’ page, where we explain why a good backpack is well fitted when the weight is actually almost completely on your hips and your shoulders are free of any friction or weight.
The big difference with going basic is that you will sleep in your own private room, you will not always depend on cooking your own meals since you like to go out eating at least once a day, preferably dinner.
You do want a decent and clean standard level of living while walking, so you won’t hesitate to take a few extra accessories to make your walking adventure more comfortable.
All these needs dictate the gear you will need to carry with you. Check out your Ultimate Camino Packing List below: Standard
Every kilo weighs double or triple once you are walking. When you go ‘standard’ you won’t be carrying a lot of luxury with you. A bit more than the basic die-hard pilgrim, but hey, you want to be able to shave, you want to enjoy the food, and you don’t want to be doing the laundry every day, so an extra set of clothes is your standard. On the other hand, you’ll be taking stuff with you that need to be very low in weight because you do insist on carrying your own backpack. Check out the Basic Level tab to see more details and advice.
The big difference with going basic or standard is that you won’t be carrying your own backpack.
Your standard is to go as comfortable as possible, period. You plan and book ahead because you want to have your luggage transferred every day. You need a restaurant nearby your hostel, since you are never going to cook your own meals.
All these needs dictate the gear you will need to carry with you. Check out your Ultimate Camino Packing List below: Comfy
No ‘weight’ talking for you. Your day pack is all you will be carrying and it will contain a rain coat, some food, a camera and maybe even your tablet to be able to blog comfortably about all your adventures. Still, we urge you to prepare well. Even a day backpack with a weight of say 2 or 3 kg can become a real pain after walking for a few hours. It doesn’t hurt to get a good one and avoid this annoyance!
When you go ‘comfy’, in our vocabulary, you will have your luggage transferred to your next destination each day. This means you can pack as much luxury as you want. Hey, you don’t even need a backpack; your regular suit case will work just fine.
We at Camino Comfort are light-weight freaks, but we also like luxury. One of our goals is to combine the two. We like to leave home with luggage that has some ‘room’ for improvement; think ‘Shoppping’…
You carry your own pack, you don’t or you like both options. The truth is, in case of emergency you might need it. So let’s go through how to use the transport services:
Once you arrive at the albergue you tell the receptionist or owner that you wish to send your pack ahead to a certain location (for which you made reservations).
They will contact the luggage transfer service of your choice (they usually have a list from which you can pick from). Make sure you write down the telephone number of the provider you pick.
The receptionist will give you an enveloped form or a ticket form and you’ll need to fill in your name and your destination of choice. Pay the fee (~5 Euros usually) by putting it in the envelope and attach it to your pack. You can leave the pack in a designated area when you leave in the morning. It will be picked up during the day and dropped off at your destination of choice (probably sooner than your estimated arrival time). Once you arrive, you pick it up and check in at your new accommodation for that night.
Hi! Wally here. I’m not particularly happy today. Look at my backpack, looks heavy right?
I’m here to warn you: most pilgrims throw a lot of stuff away (or sent it back home) when they are a few days into their travel adventures. They simply come to realize that they are carrying a lot of items that they are not going to be using.
We provide information based on your needs and daily budget level. The truth is that a lot of pilgrims pack items with the background idea of ‘just in case’. And all the items ‘just in case’ might just be the unneccesary weight you don’t want to carry…
For a better view of the table on mobile: rotate your phone to view the complete table.
The Ultimate Camino Packing List | Basic | Standard | Comfy |
General Gear | |||
Backpack with rain cover Even if you won’t be carrying all your luggage, consider carrying a good backpack that carries weight on your hips, because you will be carrying water, rain gear, emergency kit etc… | 30 – 45L | 30-45L | 24L |
Walking poles A wise choice for everyone. They reduce the pressure on your joints up to 30%, correct your posture, prevent lower backpain and keep dogs and bad persons away ;-). | X | X | X |
Water bottles 2 x 0.6 L | X | X | X |
Festival/Concert mat To be able to sit down where you like and when you need it. | X | X | X |
Reflective items to be visible and safe | X | X | X |
Small aluminum karabiner clasps To hang stuff from your backpack. | X | X | X |
Waist pouch / valuables carry-on Perfect to keep your valuables close to you wherever you go. | X | X | X |
Several small water resistent pouches | X | X | X |
Clothesline Handy when you are in a hostal or when it rains and you need your clothing to be dry the next morning. | X | X | X |
Flash light / Head light For use in albergues (not before 7 am please). For use in dark rest rooms that have a light timer. To walk in the dark (not advised). | X | X | |
Duct Tape | X | ||
Tent / Lighter / Pot / Stove (when camping) | X | ||
Clothing | |||
Hiking boots/shoes Fit them well, make wise choices, try them out, train in them. And yes, generally speaking you don’t need tough mountain boots on the Camino. A pair of mid-crew trail runners will do the perfect and lightweight trick! | 1 | 1 | You |
Hiking pants long / zip-off / Outdoor sports legging | 2 | 2 or 3 | can |
Belt if needed | X | X | take |
Sandals / rest footwear It can be cold in the evenings. Toe-slippers can be comfy but don’t forget you won’t be able to wear normal socks in them. You might want to check-out Oofos brand. Good for walking, shower, leisure and light-weight. | 1 | 1 | as |
Undies (I take 3 since I went full-merino on my outfit (no frequent laundry) | 2 | 3 or 4 | many |
Long sleeve shirt or thermo underwear A long sleeve can be very pleasant at night and can act as an additional layer during the day if it gets really cold. | 1 | 1 or 2 | as |
(Sport) Bra’s(if you’re a woman) | 1 | 2 | you |
Hiking socks I use 3 to be able to switch half way a stage. | 2 | 3 or 4 | want |
Hiking/swimming shorts | 1 | since | |
Hiking T-shirts | 2 | 3 | you |
Fleece / Warm layer Differences between max en low temps can be huge. There will always be a moment when you appreciate a warm fleece, trust me. If you invest in Merino from Icebreaker or Smartwool you’re in for a treat! | 1 | 1 | won’t |
Water resistent coat, or | 1 | 1 | be |
Rainponcho | 1 | 1 | carrying |
Hat (we recommend the Tilley Hat) Essential item to avoid serious health complications from walking too long in the sun. | 1 | 1 | the |
Buff Soak it in cold water and cover your head and neck. Lovely. The Original Buff, unlike the face ones, provides UV-protection and lasts. | 1 | 1 | load |
Sleep / Evening clothing/shirt/legging | 1 | 1 | yourself |
Eating | |||
Knife/Fork/Spoon (or Spork) | X | X | You will |
Cup | X | be | |
Plate | X | served | |
Sleeping | |||
Sleeping sheet (mid jun ~ mid sep) optionally with Anti-bedbug treatment (~160 g) | X | X | X |
Sleeping bag / compression bag (colder seasons) | X | ||
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bag (all seasons, 600 g) | X | ||
Earplugs In dorms you’ll need them because of the snoring. | X | ||
Sleeping mask if you turn in early, or start late | X | ||
Sleeping-mat if you’ll sleep anywhere | X | ||
Grooming | |||
Sanitary paper Half a role should be enough for that emergency in the middle of nowhere. Leave no trace! | X | X | X |
Liberpee urinary device for women | X | X | X |
Microfiber towels Our microfiber towels are revolutionary comfortable! | X | X | X |
Sunglasses Protects your eyes from the sun and prevents early exhaustion. | X | X | X |
Comb | X | X | X |
Toothpaste or the Eco Tab version | X | X | X |
Tampons / sanitary napkins (if you’re a woman) We plan accordingly, but some things just hit you in the face anyway. | X | X | X |
Travel Toiletry Bottles | X | X | X |
Wash bag | X | X | X |
Toothbrush + cap | X | X | X |
All-in one soap or Eco-Living Soap We wash everything with the Eco soap, so we can leave shower gels and shampoos at home. | X | X | X |
Sonic lightweight Electric Toothbrush | X | X | |
Shampoo / Showering gel / Laundry soap | X | X | |
Hair styling cream/gel | X | X | |
Disposable Razor, or | X | X | |
Personal Shaving gear | X | X | |
Shaving leaves, shaving oil, shaving foam | X | X | |
Facial skin care product | X | X | |
Eau de toilette | X | X | |
Deodorant Use deodorant. You don’t have to smell like a pilgrim to be one. | X | X | X |
Any extra’s you might want to pamper yourself Who’s counting grams? | X | ||
Health | |||
Personal medication / Pain meds Pain killers: half a blister should be enough. There are pharmacies everywhere. Cut down your daily mileage and stop chronic intake will ya?! | X | X | X |
Emergency kit Take just enough for a couple of days. If you need more, there are plenty of pharmacies around. | X | X | X |
Anti-septic solution or Alcohol swaps | X | X | X |
Tick-remover, Afterbite / Anti-mosquito | X | X | X |
Nail clippers For your toe nails in particular. But since you have it with you it won’t hurt to groom your finger nails as well. Take care of your feet well before you leave en don’t clip your nails too short. | X | X | X |
Sun protection cream / After sun Your backpack and clothing can cause you serious torture if you have a sun burn. | X | X | X |
NUUN electrolytes | X | X | X |
Feet care products / Muscle ache creams Take good care of your feet. Your Camino adventure depends on it. | X | X | X |
Antibacterial Hand Gel If you like hygiene: there is not always water and soap around when you most desperately need it. | X | X | X |
Documents | |||
Pilgrim Credential De pilgrim passport to gather your stamps to get your Compostela ánd to be able to stay in the official pilgrim albergues. | X | X | X |
Addresses/phone numbers/Money/CC/Insurance | X | X | X |
Travel guide / maps (apps on your phone) | X | X | X |
Passport / Travel ID Else you won’t get out of your country nor into Spain. | X | X | X |
Document pouches | X | X | X |
Reading material | X | X | X |
Other | |||
Phone + charger Maybe a small power bank if you think you’ll run out of juice before getting to an electric outlet. | X | X | X |
Scallop shell This one needs to be on your backpack or around your neck – no question about that. You can cut down on the weight with a smaller shell. I’m kidding, nothing is a must on the Camino. | X | X | X |
Saint James pendant | X | X | X |
Pilgrim pins | X | X | X |
Camino Patches | X | X | X |
Camera, preferably the one in your phone | X | X | X |
Paper/Pen | X | X | X |
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