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Jump straight to the packing list or download here: PDF | Excel
I had always wanted to do some sort of backpacking trip, a la Reese Witherspoon in the movie Wild, but the idea of having to carry water purification tablets, pitch a tent, and sleep alone in the wilderness had always deterred me. So when I found out about the Camino de Santiago which has food and shelter available every few kilometers, and requires ZERO tent building, I added this to my list of goals for the year and started making plans to complete a portion of the Camino Frances (which is one of several paths of the Camino de Santiago). Of course, my first question was “How on earth do I pack for this?” Based on my research and what actually worked for me, I have compiled my complete Camino de Santiago female packing list into the following post, also available for download so you can easily edit and print to prepare for your Camino!
Disclaimer: I didn’t do the entire Camino due to time constraints, but the last 1/3, from Astorga to Santiago. However, as laundry is readily available, I would have packed the same amount even if I had done the entire thing.
First things first… what is the Camino de Santiago?
What is the Camino de Santiago?
The Camino de Santiago (the way of St. James), is a network of routes in Europe that culminates at the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, in the province of La Coruña, in the autonomous community of Galicia. It is popular with hikers and cyclists and for many is also a spiritual journey. During the Middle Ages it was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages.
Each year hundreds of thousands of people walk the Camino. One of the reasons I think this journey is so popular is because you don’t really need to have backpacking experience to accomplish it. You will not be alone in the wilderness left to fend for yourself pitching tents and cooking your own food. You will be walking or cycling from town to town, staying in albergues (hostels), meeting new people, with food and supplies readily available.
There are several routes that can be taken. The most popular is the Camino Frances which stretches from St. Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees mountains all the way to Santiago de Compostela. It is a total of 790 kilometers and can be completed in approximately 35 days. Many people choose to start at different points along the route. Some even choose to start before St. Jean-Pied-de-Port.
If you complete a certain portion of the Camino de Santiago, you can receive your official Compostela. This Compostela is a certificate of completion in Latin that signifies that you have come to the Cathedral in Santiago with a religious or spiritual motivation, to visit the remains of St. James. To receive the official Compostela you must have walked at least 100 kilometers or cycled 200 kilometers. Sarria, Spain is a little over 100 kilometers from Santiago de Compostela and is a very popular starting point for many pilgrims. In September 2017, I walked approximately 260 kilometers of the Camino Frances, starting from Astorga, in the province of León.
The Camino De Santiago Female Packing List
This is what I packed for 11 days on the Camino de Santiago, traveling from Astorga to Santiago on the Camino Frances, in early-mid September 2017. Since I did laundry or hand washed almost every other day I would have packed the same amount for a longer journey. The temperatures were never higher than 70F (21C), some mornings were cold as 40F (4C). The packing list can be downloaded in PDF format here and editable Excel XLSX format here, so you can print and/or make adjustments. Most of my shopping was done at Decathlon, as I was already in Europe.
Backpack/Day Bag
- 30L Backpack – Quechua Arpenaz
- Based on my research, I had already decided to either get the 22L or 30L, but when I got to Decathlon, the 22L looked way too small so I bought the cheapest 30L one they had (the Arpenaz model). It is a very simple backpack with a drawstring main part and a zipper pocket in the top part of the backpack. I had brought a small padlock, but then realized I had no way to lock it shut. Also, it was inconvenient having to take off the entire backpack to get one thing out. If I were to do it again, I would splurge on the Forclaz model, which is twice as much, but has features such as zipper pockets and small pockets on the hip straps for easy access to items while you are wearing the backpack. Luckily, most days I was either wearing my jacket or had it tied around my waist so I would use the zippered pockets of it for things like my phone, snacks, and tissues.
- You want the bag to be no more than 10% of your body weight which was around 7kg for me. Even staying within that limit, my shoulders would be hurting towards the end of a long day, especially in the first few days. A better backpack with a hip belt would have helped as well as more back/shoulder exercises beforehand!
- 10L day pack
- Cheap and essential. I used this every day around town and threw my money, phone, etc. into it.
Sleeping
- Sleeping bag
- I bought the cheapest sleeping bag I could find. The only night this was an issue was the first night in Foncebadon when it was a super cold night and the albergue did not have extra blankets on the beds.
- Bed bug spray
- I opted not to buy this and instead I made a mini spray bottle mix of lavender oil and water (4 drops lavender oil to 3 oz distilled water) which I sprayed over my bed and pillow, mostly for freshness. Not sure how effective it would have been against bed bugs but I didn’t see any bed bugs. But it smelled nice and lavender is great for sleeping.
- Good ear plugs/eyemask
- Essential for obvious reasons. I like the higher rated ear plugs (usually 32dB) as I’m a pretty light sleeper. The ones they give you on airplanes are terrible. My favorites are Mack’s Ultra Foam Earplugs and the Alaska Bear Eyemask
- Pillowcase
- Brought one with me, but didn’t end up using it. Most places provide a disposable bed sheet and pillowcase
Clothes
- Light weight athletic jacket with zippered pockets
- Good for cold mornings
- 2 loose-fitting, racerback tank tops
- I would wear one under my long sleeve shirt, with the original intention of taking off the long sleeve when it got hot. However, that never happened
- 2 long sleeve dri-fit shirts
- 3 pairs workout/yoga pants
- 2 long, 1 capri length. 2 for walking in, one for lounging around town
- 2 pairs socks
- 2 pairs of dual layer socks. I already owned a pair of WrightSocks Coolmesh II (dual layer) and bought a pack of Quechua “Reduce Blister” socks at Decathlon.
- 2 pairs underwear
- Pro tip: You probably don’t really need these
- 2 sports bras
- 1 pair sleeping shirt/shorts
- 1-2 tank tops
- For changing into after a shower, and traveling in
Shoes
- Flip flops
- Essential for showering and walking around town
- Trail shoes – Merrell Crosslander 2017
- Purchased from Decathlon at the last minute because I realized the Hoka One One running shoes I had planned to use were just a bit too snug on my right toe. They had worked for short distance runs, I even think I did a half marathon in them once, but I could see them being a problem after 20-25 kilometers (12-15 miles) a day. The Merrells had plenty of room in the toe area. I broke them in for only two days and approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) of walking before starting the Camino and had no problems. I also used the insoles from my Hoka One Ones for extra support. I used Anti-Friction cream (basically Vaseline) on my feet daily before putting my socks on and never got blisters.
Misc
- Mobile phone with camera
- Headphones – didn’t use much on the trail but essential for offline Netflix watching and listening to music while relaxing on your bunk
- Passport/money/credit cards
- Portable charger and cord for phone
- Wall charger for phone
- Don’t forget an EU adapter. This one is awesome because it has USB ports so you can charge multiple devices from one source and you are lucky if you even get one outlet for yourself.
- Quick drying towel
- Money belt/small wallet
- Didn’t really use the money belt (it’s actually a small pouch that goes around your neck), I had a small wallet (zipper card case) I used for my cash and cards
- Combo padlock
- Useful for albergue lockers and your backpack
- Head lamp
- For the occasional mornings where your first few kilometers are in the woods
- Utensil set
- Didn’t use more than once
- Notebook and pen
- For journaling or other things
- Sunglasses
- Kleenex
- Ziplock bags (misc sizes)
- Useful for lots of things. You can even use one to bring your valuables into the shower with you if you feel so inclined. I did this the first couple of days
- Plastic grocery bags
- Useful for dirty clothes, etc
- Map/guidebook
- On your phone of course, this is the 21st century ? and you don’t want to waste precious weight on a physical book! The two I used were http://santiago.forwalk.org/en/ for creating my own guide and the Camino de Santiago Companion App by Guthook Hikes (I believe you can also download their general Guthook Guides app and purchase the Camino Frances map within that app)
- Rain poncho
- Another cheap essential, which was purchased for a few euros at Decathlon and used quite a few times, including walking around the streets of La Coruña in the pouring rain on my way back to Barcelona
First Aid/Vitamins
- Ibuprofen
- Blister prevention cream
- Apply every morning before putting on socks
- First aid kit with bandaids, alcohol wipes, ibuprofen, etc.
Food
- Fruit squares or gummy bears
- In the excitement of supply shopping I impulsively bought some chewy fruit squares that are supposed to give you energy, but only ended up eating a couple… gummy bears usually won over
- Protein bars
- These came in handy some mornings when I didn’t feel as though I’d eaten enough breakfast
- Metal 750ml/1L water bottle
- Must have, there are many places along the Camino to fill your bottle, tap water is very good, and any bar you go to will usually fill your bottle for you.
Toiletries
- Chapstick (preferably with SPF)
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Razor
- Toothbrush/toothpaste
- Dental floss
- Soap
- Mini deodorant
- Hair ties/elastic headbands
- Wide tooth comb
- Small container of face moisturizer with sunscreen
- Sephora face wipes
- Sunscreen 30SPF
- Contact lenses/Emergency pair of glasses
- Tampons
- Small scissors
- Nail clippers
- Tweezers
Organization
- Shacke Pak Cubes – packing squares are a must have for travel in general. I used one of the small ones for the Camino
- Electronic Accessories Organizer – to keep your cords/chargers organized
- Toiletry bag for organizing your bathroom essentials
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What if I am doing the entire Camino Frances? – This packing list would work for longer or shorter trips as well. For longer trips, laundry is readily available and you can always hand wash. I only brought two pairs of socks and washed them every other day, either by hand or using the laundry facilities which are provided by most albergues. I did laundry every two days and usually split it with 2-3 other pilgrims to save money. I would hang dry my clothes (as long as it was sunny) most of the time, but sometimes used the dryer.
- Do I need to pack food? – You don’t really need to pack a lot of food, there will be a grocery store or a cafeteria to eat at every 5-8km or so. But it’s a good idea to keep 1-2 protein bars on hand just in case. My favorite snack to take on the trail was gummy bears (ositos de oro) which were usually available in most grocery stores.
- Should I bring makeup? – I didn’t bring makeup, only moisturizer with SPF and an eyelash curler. I know an eyelash curler sounds ridiculous but it is usually my one must-have item even when I don’t wear any other makeup… but I would leave it at home next time, especially since when it wasn’t dark I was usually wearing sunglasses.
- What should I wear on travel days (arriving to the starting point/leaving from Santiago)? – I recommend traveling in one of the outfits you reserved for wearing around town (i.e. a pair of workout pants, top, your lightweight jacket). Leave the jeans at home, you don’t want to waste precious kilos!
Stay tuned for upcoming posts with more Camino tips and information. Buen Camino!
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