Gear and Packing

I’ve narrowed down and tested out the gear I want to take with me on the Camino Portuguese.

Here’s how it packs…

This trip is only a bit over two weeks, but honestly, I’d pack the same way for a much longer Camino and just replace anything I use up along the way. Spain is a first-world country, I’m not through-hiking the camp-centric American trails, and I can buy anything I might need once I get there.

You may notice I don’t pack anything in the outer mesh pockets or hang things on the outside of my backpack. That’s a back injury waiting to happen. I have reserved the side pockets for snacks and a simple bottle of water. If it gets too warm, I’ll tie my jacket around my waist or hang that from my pack. It’s very lightweight and doesn’t shift the center of gravity of my pack.

A 22 liter pack is relatively small. (I haven’t weighed it). A lot of folks hike with 30-40L packs, but I prefer to pack lighter to lessen the pounding on my feet, joints and avoid shoulder pain if I can. I’m not a purist, though, and if I suffer an injury or whatever, I’ll use a delivery service to transport my bag to the next stop so I can keep walking. I won’t consider it a failure to ship my pack ahead, however, it is a coping strategy I will reserve for emergencies.

So… what’s in the pack?

I organize my pack in several parts: Sleeping, Hygene, First Aid, miscellaneous, and warmth.

Hair tie, bandaids, towel, wool (prevents blisters), medical tape (also prevents blisters), Compeed (treats blisters, lol), camping silverware and collapsible drinking cup, sleep mask and ear plugs.

So that’s about it. I might tweak things as I go, but this is my plan. I’m sure I’ll think of little things (I just remembered to pack nail clippers for instance), but it’s only for two weeks, merino wool doesn’t get as stinky as synthetics and cotton, and I can buy what I need as I go.

Buen Camino! Ultreia!

Cheers! V-