Recommended Walking & Travel Gear

The best advice that we can give you is to bring as little as possible. Every year we have travelled on the Camino we aim for 8kg – 10kg of gear in our backpack.
 
The maximum size of your backpack should be 50 litres, and remember there is no need to fill it. If you plan to carry a little food, for your daily journey, and some water this will bring the weight of your backpack up to around 10kg which should be your max.
 
Remember that there are many towns and villages along the way where you can buy whatever it is you might need.
 
Try to ensure that whatever weight you are carrying is evenly spread in your backpack and make sure the straps are tight enough so that you are carrying most of this weight on your hips and not on your shoulders.
 
Footwear should be considered the most important thing you will need for the trip. A lot of people will advise you on buying a pair really good of boots but we have found that a good pair of walking shoes will do a better job. They are lighter on the feet and more comfortable, particularly on hot days, and leave you less prone to blisters. We would also advise you to take a pair of sandals or running shoes with you for walking around in the evenings.
 
Most of the items on the list are linked to the relevant section of our online shop. We have teamed up with Amazon.com to bring you the most secure and intuitive online shopping experience on the internet.
 
Some essentials:
 

• Rucksack (Between 50 – 65 litre)

• A pair of decent walking poles.

• Some rain gear, including a backpack cover and a pac-a-mac or poncho

• Broad brimmed hat

• Sunglasses

• 2 light weight T-shirts (sports tops would be best. They are light weight and quick drying)

• 1 light fleece (It can get chilly in the evenings)

• A pair of walking trousers

• A pair of shorts

• 3 pairs of underwear

• 3 pairs of socks.

• Walking Boots or Walking Shoes We would recommend a good pair of walking shoes

• Sandals or running shoes for the evenings

• Light sleeping bag

• Sleeping mat

• Some travel detergent

• Platypus Water Carrier

• Sunscreen – two small pouches should be enough

• Toiletries – keep things to a minimum. Remember that there are plenty of shops along the way

• Small First Aid Kit – include Compeed/Second Skin, plasters, and ibuprofen. There are plenty of chemists (farmacias) along the way so only a small amount should do.

• Microfibre travel towel

• Mobile Phone

• Digital Camera

• Earplugs – Bring some spare ones. Lots of heavy snorers out there!! (We recommend these, they’re very good)

• Small torch such as a Maglite

• Swiss army knife

• Travel set of cutlery

 
This is by no means an exhaustive list. We have found it met our requirements for all the trips we have been on so far.
 
One more thing to consider is reading materials. A couple of paperbacks should be fine as long as you would be happy to leave them behind for someone else to read when you have finished them.
 
And you might want to consider keeping a small journal.
 
Your main aims are to keep your backpack as light as possible (8kg – 10kg) and help make your walk as enjoyable as possible.