Camino Packing Guide
Essential gear recommendations and weight optimization for your pilgrimage journey
🎒 Smart Packing
⚖️ Weight Optimization
✅ Tested Gear
⚠️ THE #1 RULE: MAX 10% OF YOUR BODY WEIGHT ⚠️
80kg person = 8kg pack maximum. 90% of pilgrims who quit do so because their pack is too heavy!
#1 Priority: Your Pack
Best: Osprey Atmos 36L (€250)
Budget: Decathlon Forclaz 40L (€70)
Weight: 1.2-1.6kg max
#2 Priority: Your Shoes
Trail Runners: Salomon X-Ultra 3
Hiking Boots: Merrell Moab 3
Critical: Break in for 100km first!
#3 Priority: Sleep
Sleeping Bag: 5-10°C rating
Liner: MANDATORY in albergues
Total Weight: Under 1.5kg
🎒 Complete Gear Breakdown
🎒 Backpack Options (30-40L MAXIMUM)
| Option | Weight | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osprey Atmos/Aura 36L | 1.4-1.6kg | €200-300 | Best overall, lifetime warranty |
| Decathlon Forclaz 40L | 1.2kg | €60-80 | Budget choice, available in Spain |
| Gregory Optic 36L | 850g | €150-200 | Ultralight, experienced hikers |
👟 Shoe Recommendations
🏃♂️ Trail Runners (Most Popular)
- Salomon X-Ultra 3: €120-140
- Merrell Moab 3: €100-120
- Hoka Speedgoat: €140-160
Pros: Light, dry fast. Cons: Less ankle support.
🥾 Hiking Boots
- Salomon X-Ultra Mid: €130-150
- Lowa Renegade: €180-220
- Scarpa Mojito: €120-140
Pros: Ankle support. Cons: Heavier, slower drying.
🛏️ Sleep System
Sleeping Bag (5-10°C rating)
- Sea to Summit Spark: 400g, €150
- Decathlon MT100: 800g, €30
- Western Mountaineering: 300g, €400
Sleeping Liner (MANDATORY)
- Silk liner: 120g, €40
- Cotton liner: 200g, €15
- Merino liner: 150g, €60
Sleeping Pad (Optional)
- Thermarest Z-Lite: 410g
- Klymit Static V: 510g
- Sea to Summit Ether: 650g
👕 Clothing Strategy: The 1-Week Rule
🧺 Pack for exactly 1 week, do laundry every 2-3 days
This prevents overpacking and keeps you organized. Most albergues have washing facilities.
🚶♂️ Walking Clothes
- 1 hiking shirt (merino/synthetic)
- 1 hiking pants (quick-dry)
- 2 pairs hiking socks
- 1 hiking underwear
- Sun hat (wide brim)
🏠 Spare Clothes
- 1 spare shirt
- 1 shorts (sleep/spare)
- 2 pairs spare socks
- 2-3 spare underwear
- 1 spare bra (women)
🌦️ Weather Protection
- 1 warm layer (fleece/down)
- 1 rain jacket
- Rain pants (optional)
- Gloves (cold mornings)
- Buff/neck gaiter
👡 Footwear
- Hiking shoes (worn daily)
- Camp shoes (sandals/flip-flops)
- Optional: backup sneakers
✅ Best Fabric Choices
- Merino Wool: Odor-resistant, temperature regulating
- Synthetic blends: Quick-dry, durable
- Nylon/Polyester: Lightweight, fast-drying
❌ Never Pack These Fabrics
- 100% Cotton: Slow to dry, heavy when wet
- Jeans: Heavy, uncomfortable when wet
- Heavy fabrics: Anything that takes forever to dry
🏥 Health, Safety & Personal Care
🩹 Blister Kit (MOST IMPORTANT!)
- Compeed blister plasters (large pack)
- Leukotape P (prevention tape)
- Small scissors (cut tape/trim nails)
- Betadine (antiseptic)
- Ibuprofen (bring lots!)
🧴 Personal Care (Minimalist)
- Toothbrush (cut handle to save weight)
- Travel toothpaste or powder
- Multi-purpose soap bar (Lush recommended)
- Sunscreen SPF 30+ (Spanish sun is brutal)
- Quick-dry towel (microfiber only)
- Deodorant (bunkmates will thank you)
💊 Personal Medications
- Your prescriptions (bring 150%)
- Extra glasses (if you wear them)
- Contact supplies (daily disposables)
- Women's products (available but bring some)
- Vitamins (optional multivitamin)
📱 Technology & Documents
📱 Essential Electronics
- Smartphone (camera, GPS, guidebook, translator)
- Power bank 20,000mAh (Anker PowerCore)
- USB-C/Lightning cables + backup
- EU wall adapter (with USB ports)
- Headlamp (early morning starts)
📄 Must-Have Documents
- Passport/ID (albergue check-in)
- Credencial (GET BEFORE YOU GO!)
- Travel insurance (print policy)
- EHIC card (EU citizens)
- Emergency contacts (written list)
💰 Money Strategy
- 2 bank cards (different networks)
- €300-500 cash (emergency fund)
- Notify banks (prevent blocking)
- Budget €50/day (comfort level)
- Money belt (hidden backup)
📲 Essential Apps (Download Before You Leave!)
- Buen Camino (offline maps)
- Wise Pilgrim guides
- Google Translate (offline Spanish)
- Maps.me (offline maps)
- Weather app
- Banking apps
- WhatsApp (connect with pilgrims)
- Google Photos (backup)
- Emergency SOS app
❌ What NOT to Pack (Save Your Back!)
🚨 Common Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Camino
These items add weight but provide little value. Remember: Spain has stores!
❌ Clothing Mistakes
- More than 7 days of clothes
- Multiple jackets
- Fashion items (jewelry, makeup)
- Heavy jeans
- Extra shoes (max 2 pairs total)
- "Just in case" outfits
❌ Gear Mistakes
- Camping gear (tent, stove)
- Big towels
- Books (use phone apps)
- Chair (Spain has benches)
- Hair dryer
- Multiple chargers
❌ Toiletry Mistakes
- Full-size anything
- Multiple shampoos/soaps
- Makeup kit
- Perfume/cologne
- Hair products
- Multiple towels
❌ Mental Mistakes
- "What if" thinking
- Home comfort items
- Packing for others
- Fear of not having enough
- Technology overload
📦 Pro Tip: Ship Ahead to Santiago
Many experienced pilgrims ship a box to Santiago with nice clothes for the cathedral service, souvenirs collected along the way, and any "just in case" items. This keeps your daily pack ultralight while ensuring you have special items for the end.
📋 Interactive Weight Calculator & Checklists
⚖️ Pack Weight Calculator
✅ The Essential 15 (Never Leave Without)
🛒 Final Week Prep
🌤️ Seasonal Packing Adjustments
🌸 Spring (March-May)
Weather: Variable, 5-20°C, rain likely
- ✅ Warm layers essential
- ✅ Quality rain gear mandatory
- ✅ Waterproof boots recommended
- ✅ Warm hat and gloves
- ⚠️ Weather changes hourly
- ⚠️ Some mountain albergues closed
☀️ Summer (June-August)
Weather: Hot and sunny, 15-35°C
- ✅ Sun protection is life-or-death
- ✅ Lightweight, breathable everything
- ✅ Extra water capacity (2-3L)
- ✅ Electrolyte tablets
- ⚠️ Start walking at 6am to avoid heat
- ⚠️ Very crowded - book albergues ahead
🍂 Autumn (September-November)
Weather: Perfect! 10-25°C, occasional rain
- ✅ Ideal hiking weather
- ✅ Layer system works perfectly
- ✅ Light rain gear sufficient
- ✅ Warm layers for cool mornings
- ⚠️ Days getting shorter
- ⚠️ Some services reduce hours
❄️ Winter (December-February)
Weather: Cold and wet, 0-15°C
- ✅ Warm sleeping bag (0°C rating)
- ✅ Multiple insulation layers
- ✅ Waterproof everything
- ✅ Warm accessories essential
- ⚠️ Many albergues closed
- ⚠️ Only 8-9 hours of daylight
💡 Expert Pilgrim Secrets
Weigh Every Single Item
Use a luggage scale and weigh each item individually. You'll be shocked how much that "light" item actually weighs. Create a spreadsheet if you're serious about going ultralight.
Test Everything at Home
Do a full shakedown weekend: pack everything, walk 20km, sleep with your gear. Find problems at home, not 200km from Santiago. Your feet will thank you.
Spain Has Stores
You can buy almost anything you forgot in Spanish cities. There's a Decathlon in most major Camino towns. It's better to buy there than carry "just in case" items for weeks.
🛒 Where to Buy Your Gear
🌐 Best Online Stores
- REI.com (USA): Best return policy, expert reviews
- Decathlon.com: Budget-friendly, available in Spain
- Bergfreunde.eu: European shipping, technical gear
- Amazon: Convenience, but check return policies
🏪 Physical Stores
- REI (USA): Free pack fitting, gear rentals
- Decathlon stores: Try before buying
- Local outdoor shops: Personal fitting advice
- Cotswold Outdoor (UK): Expert staff
🇪🇸 Buy in Spain
- Decathlon Spain: Pilgrim-specific sections
- St-Jean-Pied-de-Port: Pilgrim gear shops
- Pharmacies: Compeed, foot care products
- El Corte Inglés: Department stores in cities