In this post I’d like to share my personal experiences with those that are brave enough to follow or join us in May. I just want to share a few things that I’ve learnt three years ago about what to take or not take with you; what not to do and what to expect.
Remember that you will have to walk 35-40 km every day and you will need to carry all your things with you. That is why it is very important to choose the right backpack and to take things with you that you really need, not what you think you will need. When I packed my backpack last time I was 100% sure that I needed a face moisturiser, hand cream, an exfoliator, as well as about 7 t-shirts, shorts, jeans, pants and many other things. Well, guess what? In a few days, at least a half of it was thrown away because when you walk that much you begin to understand that every 100 grams matters, and you just can’t afford to carry that much stuff on your back.
We’ve also met a number of people that carried 13-15-18 kg backpacks with things like tents, chairs, kettles, bed sheets and many other things. All of this is getting left behind, so make sure when you pack a backpack you only take things you need, and the lighter your backpack will be, the easier and more enjoyable your walk is going to be.
My backpack was about 7 kg, and it was still heavy for me, especially when walking up hills, so this time I will try to make it no more than 4 kilos. Remember, that we will be walking through a lot of villages and towns, and if you need something like an extra t-shirt or pants you can always get it on the way. Also there will be a place to stay every night, you’ll have a sleeping bag with you, so you don’t need bed sheets, and almost every place has a kitchen with everything you need to cook a meal or a cafe where you can buy food if you don’t feel like cooking.
Below is the list of things I am planning to take with me this time:
- backpack
- waterproof cover for backpack
- sleeping bag
- towel
- pants – 2 pairs
- socks – 4 pairs
- t-shirts – 4
- hat
- first aid kit, that should include a needle (to burst blisters), disinfectant, band-aid and other medicines you might need.
- mobile phone and recharger
- extra pair of shoes
- torch
- small knife
- waterproof jacket
- water bottle
- personal hygiene things
Basically the idea is that if you get soaked, you will always have a spare set of clothes to change into. Clothes ideally should be made of fabric that is easy to wash and dry. Also pay extra attention to your walking shoes, as they have to be worn in before you start a pilgrimage. Trust me (and this has been learned the hard way) this will help you to avoid many blisters.
Hi! I’m planning to do the pilgrimage, but still don’t know exactly when….more likely to be happening in 2012 as me and my husband will need to get into better physical shape!
Thank you very much for this tip, I think it’s very helpful.
Good luck!!!
Kind Regards,
Andrea
Hi Andrea, good luck to you and your husband, I think you will enjoy it a lot. Yes, ideally you need to be in a good physical shape, so we are doing a lot of walking now. Last time it took us a week to get into a better shape and that week was a disaster :)
Thank you for your comment, if you have any questions in the future I will be happy to help.
Regards
Oxana
like me
Andrea, the stages on my Camino were not 35 to 40 k, but more like 20-25 kilometers. I finished in less than 6 weeks. Was there a reason you were walking so far each day?
Hi Annie,
I think you meant to ask me :)
We only had 5 weeks back then, and return ticket to Sydney, so we had to walk that many km a day. Partly we also wanted to challenge ourselves physically and emotionally :)
Hi Annie I am doing in June this year which is not too far away so Im very excited thanks for your great tips on what to and not to take, I just had a question about what type of back pack you have what brand and how much it actually weighed before you put all your belongings in there because if on this trip your planning to only carry 4 kilos I havent purchased my back yet so any tips would be useful thank you for all your help :)
regards jennifer
Hi Jen
I think that I am going to buy an Osprey “Stratos 24″ backpack. It is small, but very comfortable, as it has a metal frame for back support, which is not common for small backpacks, but helps a lot. I am not sure about weight, but it is very light. This is the best backpack I’ve even seen so far, others are way too big and not so comfy. I haven’t packed it yet, as I I haven’t bought it yet )), but I hope that it won’t be more than 4 kg…fingers crossed :)
Regards
Oxana