So I thought it would be useful for people to know what was in my backpack when I ended the Camino. A lot of my stuff was actually not new and I wouldn't recommend buying a whole new wardrobe for the trip. Use what you have if you can.
-REI Flash65 backpack (light, less than 3 lb) (I think I could have gone down to a 55L size)
-REI Expedition sleeping bag (honestly I was glad I had a super warm sleeping bag; even at nights I was too hot, being hot was much better than being too cold)
-pack cover
-2 hiking poles
-sleeping bag cover that came with my sleeping bag (I actually used this bag for holding my clothing/wearables)
-Granite Gear compression sack (22L size) for my sleeping bag
-3 pairs wool socks (burned holes in 1other pair on a radiator in Ferreiras)
-2 pairs REI synthetic liner socks (burned holes in 1 pair as well)
-synthetic turtleneck with wick-away fabric
-synthetic Columbia tunic fleece
-an old wool hat that covers ears I never really wore
-Turtle Fur neck gaiter (I used it for my head as a hat, as a gaiter
-OR glacier leg gaiters (great b/c they kept my pants cleaner longer and protect me from the cold)
-1 pair snow trax (only used one day)
-convertible, breathable long pants
-ski-type pants that were excellent in the rain
-1 wool base top and bottom for daytime wear, 1 synthetic polar-tec bottom as PJs
-ski jacket - jacket was def a little too heavy when I was moving, but when I was still, it was a godsend
-Asolo hiking boots with ankle support
-holey cashmere sweater
-2 pairs ExOfficio Give-n-Go underwear
-workout tank with built in bra
-emergency bivy sack
-2 emergency blankets (maybe this was a little too much)
-compass (only used that once through the Pyrenees)
-1 roll of toilet paper
-some feminine products (enough for 2 days)
-guidebook which I used in the beginning a lot, but then looked at it less and less as my Camino went on
-knife with 3 inch blade
-1st Aid kit (tums, anti-diarrhea medicine, advil, 3 pack moleskin, small scissors, bandages, alcohol wipes, anti-bacterial ointment, elastic bandage, wound dressing...I had a lot in a ziploc bag, thankfully didn't have to use it much, but glad I had it just in case)
-small travel sewing kit
-3oz sunscreen, 2 oz cetaphil lotion, 2 small toothpaste tubes, toothbrush, soap bar (i could have survived on half a full size bar)
-converter, phone charger, headphones
-a pair of earrings
-pen
-bikelight (so useful in the dark)
-flip-flops
-glasses and sunglasses
-hair ties and bobby pins
-snacks are essential if you are travelling around the holidays when stores are closed for vacation, but you don't need that much, just 1-2 day supply; my emergency energy bar was a baguette I'd buy whenever I came by a bakery (panaderia)...sometimes that baguette would be in my bag for 3-4 days
-gummy bear vitamins :)
-a candy bar (fast energy)
-big shell from Pablito; I used it once in a while to drink water with from a fountain
-blue ribbon from the midnight Christmas mass at Notre Dame in Paris
-1 big plastic water bottle
-2 trash bags
-REI Flash65 backpack (light, less than 3 lb) (I think I could have gone down to a 55L size)
-REI Expedition sleeping bag (honestly I was glad I had a super warm sleeping bag; even at nights I was too hot, being hot was much better than being too cold)
-pack cover
-2 hiking poles
-sleeping bag cover that came with my sleeping bag (I actually used this bag for holding my clothing/wearables)
-Granite Gear compression sack (22L size) for my sleeping bag
-3 pairs wool socks (burned holes in 1other pair on a radiator in Ferreiras)
-2 pairs REI synthetic liner socks (burned holes in 1 pair as well)
-synthetic turtleneck with wick-away fabric
-synthetic Columbia tunic fleece
-an old wool hat that covers ears I never really wore
-Turtle Fur neck gaiter (I used it for my head as a hat, as a gaiter
-OR glacier leg gaiters (great b/c they kept my pants cleaner longer and protect me from the cold)
-1 pair snow trax (only used one day)
-convertible, breathable long pants
-ski-type pants that were excellent in the rain
-1 wool base top and bottom for daytime wear, 1 synthetic polar-tec bottom as PJs
-ski jacket - jacket was def a little too heavy when I was moving, but when I was still, it was a godsend
-Asolo hiking boots with ankle support
-holey cashmere sweater
-2 pairs ExOfficio Give-n-Go underwear
-workout tank with built in bra
-emergency bivy sack
-2 emergency blankets (maybe this was a little too much)
-compass (only used that once through the Pyrenees)
-1 roll of toilet paper
-some feminine products (enough for 2 days)
-guidebook which I used in the beginning a lot, but then looked at it less and less as my Camino went on
-knife with 3 inch blade
-1st Aid kit (tums, anti-diarrhea medicine, advil, 3 pack moleskin, small scissors, bandages, alcohol wipes, anti-bacterial ointment, elastic bandage, wound dressing...I had a lot in a ziploc bag, thankfully didn't have to use it much, but glad I had it just in case)
-small travel sewing kit
-3oz sunscreen, 2 oz cetaphil lotion, 2 small toothpaste tubes, toothbrush, soap bar (i could have survived on half a full size bar)
-converter, phone charger, headphones
-a pair of earrings
-pen
-bikelight (so useful in the dark)
-flip-flops
-glasses and sunglasses
-hair ties and bobby pins
-snacks are essential if you are travelling around the holidays when stores are closed for vacation, but you don't need that much, just 1-2 day supply; my emergency energy bar was a baguette I'd buy whenever I came by a bakery (panaderia)...sometimes that baguette would be in my bag for 3-4 days
-gummy bear vitamins :)
-a candy bar (fast energy)
-big shell from Pablito; I used it once in a while to drink water with from a fountain
-blue ribbon from the midnight Christmas mass at Notre Dame in Paris
-1 big plastic water bottle
-2 trash bags
What happened to the camelbak? It sounded like you had trouble with it early on, so I was wondering if it survived and how well it worked. Where did you carry it while you had your backpack on?
ReplyDeleteHow many knives did you go through?
Oh so after my camelbak leak incident in Estella (bladdar was in its pocket right next to my back), I just carried it in my side pocket, not using it. I carried it all the way to Carrion de los Condes, which is probably a few hundred km away, where I finally decided to just leave it in the albergue of the Holy Spirit (reason being the next day was supposed to be one of the longest walks ito km and I wanted to lighten my pack). I think the camelbak works if you want to sip from it and move fast. You just have to be careful about not having heavy things press against it so the bladder explodes. For me, I was kind of packing things tightly into my backpack, which is prob why it exploded. I also went through 2 knives. I left the 2nd knife in Paris because I didn't want to have any trouble going through airport security.
ReplyDelete