To Walk Far, Carry Less : Camino de Santiago (18 page)

Lights out. Then: crinkle, crinkle, crinkle. Giggle, giggle, giggle. All night long (or so it seemed). The rest of the pilgrims woke up cranky. The two women? Gone—apparently they’d taken off in the wee hours. I’m guessing it was their first and last night on the Camino.

Space blankets, in theory, are a great idea: They’re lightweight! They’re inexpensive! Should they be used on the Camino? No!

This list should serve only as a starting point for you to compose your own list. For the same reason that my home is different from your home, your backpack and its contents will be different from mine, and from anybody else’s. The definitive Camino pack list doesn’t exist.

Of course, the total weight of my backpack will also be different from your final weight tally. My clothing size is probably not the same as yours. You may prefer a bottle of soap instead of a bar. You might prefer a larger pack towel, and a different type of alternate footwear.

7763 grams (7.76 kilograms) or 273.64 ounces (17.1 pounds)

The total weight includes food and water, but does not include walking clothes or pocket contents.

The key principle is to set your backpack’s total weight goal to about 10 percent of your body weight. Don’t fret if it’s 11 percent or even 12 percent. But make sure that the number includes the weight of food and water, which is by far the single heaviest category.

Lightweight Notes

Grams and Kilograms Versus Ounces and Pounds

It’s easier to do the math when adding grams and kilograms, rather than ounces and pounds, but I’ve listed weights in both forms to accommodate everyone’s weight-measurement orientation. Numbers have been rounded up.

Total: 1698 grams (1.7 kilograms) or 59.7 ounces (3.7 pounds)

• Hiking pants
  

  313 grams (11.0 ounces)
  

• Long-sleeve shirt
  

  193 grams (6.8 ounces)
  

• Socks
  

  69 grams (2.4 ounces)
  

• Underpants
  

  40 grams (1.4 ounces)
  

• Waterproof wristwatch
  

  41 grams (1.4 ounces)
  

• Money belt
  

  75 grams (2.6 ounces)
  

• Bucket hat
  

  60 grams (2.1 ounces)
  

• Mid-weight hiking boots
  

  907 grams (32.0 ounces)
  

Total: 637 grams (0.64 kilogram) or 22.3 ounces (1.39 pounds)

• Reading glasses
  

  23 grams (0.8 ounces)
  

• iPhone
  

  136 grams (4.8 ounces)
  

• Pocket-size digital camera (in soft case)
  

  177 grams (6.2 ounces)
  

• Memo pad and pen (for journaling and notes)
  

  65 grams (2.3 ounces)
  

• Lip balm
  

  9 grams (0.3 ounces)
  

• Gum and/or mints
  

  25 grams (0.9 ounces)
  

• Packet of tissues
  

  23 grams (0.8 ounces)
  

• Wallet for euro bills (weight includes 10 bills)
  

  39 grams (1.3 ounces)
  

• Coin purse (full of coins)
  

  134 grams (4.7 ounces)
  

• Whistle (to confuse aggressive dogs)
  

  6 grams (0.2 ounces)
  

Total: 2178 grams (2.2 kilograms) or 76.8 ounces (4.8 pounds)

• Backpack—40-liter capacity (empty)
  

  587 grams (20.7 ounces)
  

• Large trash sack (lines the inside of the backpack for added rain protection)
  

  40 grams (1.4 ounces)
  

• Backpack rain cover (protects the backpack exterior from rain)
  

  91 grams (3.2 ounces)
  

• Sleeping bag (compressed inside a stuff sack)
  

  723 grams (25.5 ounces)
  

• Waterproof jacket
  

  264 grams (9.3 ounces)
  

• Down vest (compressed inside a stuff sack)
  

  198 grams (7.0 ounces)
  

• Rain pants
  

  224 grams (7.9 ounces)
  

• Waterproof baseball hat
  

  51 grams (1.8 ounces)
  

• Cellophane bag to hold rain gear
  

  Weight is negligible
  

Total: 1191 grams (1.19 kilograms) or 41.9 ounces (2.6 pounds)

• Short-sleeve T-shirt
  

  162 grams (5.7 ounces)
  

• Long-sleeve T-shirt
  

  75 grams (2.6 ounces)
  

• Long underwear (bottoms)
  

  186 grams (6.6 ounces)
  

• Extra pair of pants (capris)
  

  266 grams (9.4 ounces)
  

• Extra hiking socks (two pairs)
  

  138 grams (4.8 ounces)
  

• Extra underpants (two pairs)
  

  80 grams (2.8 ounces)
  

• Crocs (alternate footwear)
  

  252 grams (8.9 ounces)
  

• Mesh sack (to hold extra clothes)
  

  26 grams (0.9 ounce)
  

• Recycled-plastic bag (to hold Crocs and/or dirty laundry)
  

  6 grams (0.2 ounce)
  

Total: 414 grams (0.41 kilogram) or 14.7 ounces (0.92 pound)

• Toothbrush (travel size)
  

  13 grams (0.5 ounce)
  

• Toothpaste (travel size)
  

  28 grams (1.0 ounce)
  

• Dental floss (travel size)
  

  5 grams (0.2 ounce)
  

• Deodorant stick (travel size)
  

  66 grams (2.3 ounces)
  

• J. R. Liggett’s Soap Bar (mild soap for hair, body, and clothes)
  

  99 grams (3.5 ounces)
  

• Comb
  

  11 grams (0.4 ounce)
  

• Microfiber pack towel
  

  58 grams (2.0 ounces)
  

• Microfiber face cloth
  

  6 grams (0.2 ounce)
  

• Toilet paper (travel-size roll—55 sheets)
  

  30 grams (1.1 ounces)
  

• Pads or tampons (only a few—can buy more along the way)
  

  41 grams (1.4 ounces)
  

• Toenail clippers
  

  47 grams (1.7 ounces)
  

• Ziplock plastic bag (to hold toiletries)
  

  10 grams (0.4 ounce)
  

Total: 2985 grams (2.99 kilograms) or 105.14 ounces (6.6 pounds)

• 2 liters of water (depending on water access during each day’s walk, 1 liter of water may suffice)
  

  2000 grams (70.54 ounces)
  

• 1 banana, apple, or orange (average weight for one piece of fruit)
  

  200 grams (7 ounces)
  

• Bread and cheese (light lunch)
  

  454 grams (16 ounces)
  

• Bag of almonds (snack)
  

  130 grams (4.6 ounces)
  

Emergency Food:

• 1 energy bar
  

  53 grams (1.8 ounces)
  

• 2 tea bags
  

  6 grams (0.02 ounce)
  

• 1 packet instant soup
  

  20 grams (0.7 ounce)
  

Utensils and Food Bag:

• Small spoon
  

  17 grams (0.06 ounce)
  

• Pocketknife
  

  36 grams (1.3 ounces)
  

• Ziplock plastic bag (to hold emergency food items)
  

  10 grams (0.4 ounce)
  

• Food bag (to hold all food and utensils)
  

  59 grams (2 ounces)
  

Total: 476 grams (0.48 kilogram) or 16.9 ounces (1.06 pounds)

• Backpacker’s first aid kit (including small scissors)
  

  95 grams (3.4 ounces)
  

• Gentle paper tape (helps prevent blisters)
  

  40 grams (1.4 ounces)
  

• Compeed and toe gel caps (to cover blisters)
  

  40 grams (1.4 ounces)
  

• Aspirin (travel size)
  

  13 grams (0.5 ounce)
  

• Hand-sanitizer spray (travel size)
  

  29 grams (1.0 ounce)
  

• Earplugs
  

  2 grams (0.1 ounce)
  

• Bandana
  

  29 grams (1.0 ounce)
  

• Extra pair of eyeglasses
  

  23 grams (0.8 ounce)
  

• Sunglasses (in lightweight carrying case)
  

  90 grams (3.2 ounces)
  

• Sunscreen (in small plastic container)
  

  96 grams (3.4 ounces)
  

• 1 clothespin
  

  9 grams (0.3 ounce)
  

• Ziplock plastic bag (to hold first aid and blister-care items)
  

  10 grams (0.4 ounce)
  

Total: 270 grams (0.27 kilogram) or 9.5 ounces (0.6 pound)

• Route maps
  

  28 grams (1.0 ounce)
  

• General orientation map (of western Europe)
  

  42 grams (1.5 ounces)
  

• Guidebook (with nonessential pages ripped out and page margins trimmed)
  

  134 grams (4.7 ounces)
  

• Pilgrim’s credential
  

  21 grams (0.7 ounce)
  

• 2 extra pocket memo pads (for journaling and notes)
  

  35 grams (1.2 ounces)
  

• Ziplock plastic bag (for holding the above items)
  

  10 grams (0.4 ounce)
  

Total: 249 grams (0.25 kilogram) or 8.7 ounces (0.5 pound)

Note:
Mobile phone and camera are listed earlier in Pocket Contents list.

• iPhone charger
  

  40 grams (1.4 ounces)
  

• Camera-battery charger
  

  69 grams (2.4 ounces)
  

• Adapter plug
  

  46 grams (1.6 ounces)
  

• Earbuds
  

  37 grams (1.3 ounces)
  

• Pocket pack (a mini-backpack)
  

  57 grams (2.0 ounces)
  

Depending on the route or the time of year that I’m walking the Camino, sometimes I’ll take certain items that are not listed in the example pack list (these items are not included in the “Total Weight for Everything Carried in the Example Backpack”).

• Rainproof gloves
  

  77 grams (2.7 ounces)
  

• Fleece ear band
  

  23 grams (0.8 ounce)
  

• Fleece Sherpa-style hat
  

  54 grams (1.9 ounces)
  

• French or Spanish pocket-size language dictionary
  

  116 grams (4.1 ounce)
  

• Blue foam sleeping pad (trimmed to save weight)
  

  130 grams (4.6 ounces)
  

• Extra bandana
  

  29 grams (1.0 ounce)
  

• 1 baggy pair of socks (for cold feet while sleeping)
  

  62 grams (2.1 ounces)
  

• Soluble micro-ground coffee (individual packets; weight is for 12 cups)
  

  46 grams (1.6 ounces)
  

Some pilgrims use a walking stick or a large wood staff on the Camino, while others use a cane—a French woman I met loved using her deceased father’s sturdy bamboo cane. But many pilgrims prefer high-tech trekking poles, and it’s not unusual to see some pilgrims walking with two of these poles. Walking aids on the Camino are used primarily for stability and balance, but also for protection—particularly against pesky dogs.

These dogs didn’t bother me, but I heard later that one of these scoundrels bit a Dutch woman on the back of her leg (dogs lying where the LePuy and Vézelay routes meet—a spot thousands of pilgrims safely pass by each year).

Pilgrim Stories

You never know when a walking aid will come in handy. One spring day I wanted to catch up to a Swiss friend on the Camino. He wasn’t that far ahead, but I thought I would take a shortcut by crossing a farmer’s freshly plowed field. I didn’t think I’d disturb anything, since the field had only large chunks of reddish-brown mud, and it was clear that no seeds had been planted yet. But by the time I had nearly reached the very muddy middle of the field, I realized my folly—and it was too late to go back. After every step I had to scrape slabs of mud off my boots with my walking stick. And as I walked, the walking stick saved me from plunging headfirst into the gooey field. So you can see how a walking aid is sometimes quite helpful. As is thinking ahead about certain situations...

Of course you can choose to not use a walking aid. The only way to know your preference is to try the various options before you leave home. Try them on slippery, muddy, rocky trails. Uphill, and down steep hills. On paved roads, where you don’t really need one. (It bothers some people, but I don’t mind the rhythmic tap, tap, tap on pavement. It goes well with my horrible singing.)