Going on the Camino de Santiago I had no idea what I was going to pack. 2 months surviving on whatever I packed in my backpack? I had no idea where to even begin. Which is why I wanted to share with you the list of items that I brought along with me.
Traveling the Camino de Santiago requires light but efficient packing. For two months I lived out of the supplies that I could carry in my backpack. There was a lot of trial and error creating this packing list. When I first began my journey, I started with a completely different list, but in the end, these were the items that I carried with me.
Clothes:
Three shirts
Bike shorts
Hiking zip-off pants
Light jogger
Poncho
Jacket
Three bras
Five underwear’s
Three pairs of thick, long socks (Preferably merino wool)
sunglasses
Hiking boots (I got mine from Ross for $12 but they lasted me the whole way)
Hat
Buff/gaiter
Rubber slippers (For showering)
Hiking sandals
Toiletries:
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Floss
Shampoo bar (Lush or Viori Beauty are the ones I recommend)
Conditioner (I bought these in small increments when needed)
Soap bar
Containers for shampoo & soap bar
Washcloth
Fast-drying microfiber travel towel
Sunscreen
Hand sanitizer
Toilet drops
Deodorant
Antibacterial wipes
Toilet paper
Kleenex
Tweezers
Sewing kit (For mending clothes and treating blisters)
Safety pins (For hanging wet clothes off the backpack to dry)
First aid kit
Medication: anti-diarrhea, Tylenol, Voltaren
Coconut oil
Fingernail clippers
Q-tips
Feminine products
Brush
Electronics
Phone
Phone Charger
Headlamp
Travel plug adapter
Earbuds
Miscellaneous
Backpack
Small packable backpack (Used for exploring the town and carrying clothes and toiletries into showers)
Backpack cover (To protect against the rain)
Water bottle
D clips
Sleep sack (To prevent getting bit by bedbugs)
Clothespins (People tend to have the same type of clothes and people have taken other’s clothes by mistake. So, I marked my clothespins with decorative duct tape to distinguish it from the others.)
Eating utensils
ID
Passport
Debit/credit cards
Medical card
Cash (Carry in small amounts to buy from vendors, Credit cards are not widely accepted)
Snacks
Headlamp
Knife
Whistle
Locks
Camino Book
Map (I recommend a terrain map. I was given one at the start of my journey, but it would be good to have one printed out just in case)
Ziploc bags
Duct tape
Walking sticks (I put Hawaiian print scrunchies on mines to distinguish them from others walking sticks)
Tape (I taped my feet when walking to reduce friction and avoid blisters)
S-hook (For hanging a daypack on the shower doors. I used my daypack to carry my toiletries and clothes into the shower)
Camino credentials (These are given at the start of the Camino)
Travel pillow
Pen
Journal (most used it to journal their trip, I used it to stuff my shoes when it got wet so it could soak up the water and dry)
Sink plug (Used to plug sink to wash clothes)
Ear Plugs
Rosary
Rock from home (To place at the Cruz de Hierro. I used a shell instead)
The most important thing to bring is an open mind and a positive attitude. The Camino de Santiago can be a difficult pilgrimage. I had days where I walked up to 30 miles a day. On top of that, I was carrying all my supplies with me. There were times where I felt like I was losing hope, and I wondered why I decided to do it. Despite all of this, I kept a positive outlook, and the rewards greatly outweighed the challenges. The journey was tough, but once it was over, I wanted to do it all over again.
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