The Millennial’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago | Packing Tips
You may have taken a peek at my inaugural post in this series, but I’ll reiterate the theme of my Camino philosophy: LITERALLY NOTHING MATTERS. I’m exaggerating, but my existential dread appreciates this tone during Camino prep, and honestly, packing for The Way isn’t as big a deal as you might think. If you forget something, there’s a 99% chance you can find it somewhere along the hike, so don’t stress. Plus, you’ll want to keep things as light as possible for the sake of your body, so just tell yourself that as you tearfully set aside the things that don’t fit even though you bought them specifically for this trip…I digress. Hot tip: REI has the most epic return policy of all time.
Anyway, here are a few helpful pointers if you’re a first-timer planning on hitting the trail.
Buy Literally Everything on Amazon or at REI
Make your Prime membership worth its while by purchasing everything possible for this trip on Amazon. Your pack will be sacred though…I suggest getting that at REI, where you can have it properly fitted to your body (and have the option of returning it after the trip if you don’t love it).
If You’re Not That Tall, Buy a Kid’s Pack
I’m a pretty tiny person (I’m 5"1'), so I went with REI’s Tarn 65 and saved a ridiculous amount of money. 65 liters is 65 liters regardless of the bag’s fitting, so as long as it works for your body type, I highly suggest this.
Get a Bag with a Detachable Day Pack
Only after I purchased mine did I realize that the top of it comes off and serves as a tiny day pack. This obviously saves you the trouble of having to purchase a day pack (trust me, you’ll want one for important things, like your credentials, any medication, phone, snacks, et cetera).
Sock Variety is Key
Last year, I brought both long and short hiking socks in different materials to see what I liked better. I was able to determine my favorites and tailor my sock selection accordingly this year. Go on an Amazon shopping spree for this one. It’s a great time.
Get a Waterproof Cover for Your Stuff
This is another good Amazon shopping candidate; there’s no reason you shouldn’t have one of these, especially if you’ve got any electronics in tow. (I keep my laptop covered with a sleeve and then covered the sleeve with plastic bags in addition to having the bag itself covered with a waterproof shell, just to be safe).
Bring Essential and Not-So-Essential Products
Trust me, you’re going to want to do anything you can to make yourself feel human again after a few days on the trail — take it from me, a trial-sized beauty product hoarder. Bring small bottles of really nice shampoo and conditioner. Your showers should feel like a treat. Take a generously-sized bar soap and cut it into smaller pieces so that you can have individual baby disposable soaps for each shower (nobody likes putting a wet bar of soap back into a plastic bag, or fishing it out the next time either, for that matter). Tiger Balm saved my muscles last time (a little bit goes a long way so a small container is fine), and any kind of powder for your boots/shoes — moisture is the enemy (blisters are the number one cause of failure on the Camino). Last year, I also brought a face mask and shared it with everyone in my bunk one night. Good times.
Layers are King
Heat Tech and thin layers are super packable and will keep your body temperature in check if you’re hiking during cooler months. I love Under Armour’s thin longsleeves and Columbia’s fleece, and if you need a reasonably priced lightweight jacket, check out Uniqlo.
Stock Up on Snacks
Bring at least a handful of protein bars to last you the first week; it’s good to have something quick and easy (and healthy) on you while you gauge how much you’ll need to be eating during your trip. Bulletproof and No Cow are my favorites, and they contain very few allergens. This year, I’ve also elected to take an entire bag of protein powder (I went with a plant-based powder from Truvani), which is nice to have on me because I feel nourished and it also means I’m drinking more water.
Hope these help! I’ll continue to update this list as I think of more ideas.
- Céline
Up next: the full rundown of Day 1 on my second pilgrimage.
