What to take on Camino?

I thought I’d cut the contents of my Camino pack to the bone – until I climbed the first mountain out of Valcarlos. On my bunk in Roncesvalles, aching and exhausted, I agonised over what to throw into the huge box of rejects at the back door of the monastery.

In Pamplona I sent ahead a box of discards, large and small: the heavy sleeping bag, thick coat and extra undies went onto Santiago.

Next Camino I almost got it right:

• small backpack <32 litres
• light sleeping bag (these two items the heaviest of all so worth concentrating on keeping light)
• sleeping bag liner – great for warm albergues
• two pairs hiking trousers, one that I could convert to shorts
• two T-shirts
• two hiking shirts
• two quick dry knickers
• two bras
• three pairs socks
• rain poncho – worth investing in a good one
• light fleece coat – LIGHT! after a few hundred metres I was overheated in my down coat, even in snow and sleet. The poncho will keep you warm in wet conditions, too
• one pair well-worn-in boots (I walked in late winter/early spring each time, so didn’t wear sandals)
• minimal bathroom gear: shampoo for hair, body and laundry; comb; tooth brush and paste; moisturiser for face and hands, which dry out so quickly when outdoors all day; tissues for bathroom stops and drippy nose; deodorant
• crushable hat. Mine has a reinforced front to keep the rain off my glasses
• light gloves and scarf for cold mornings
• walking sticks
• hiking towel
• my phone holds wallet, camera, map, accommodation info, plane and train tickets, and allows occasional contact with the outside world
• lightweight journal and pen – my most precious cargo!
• passport and Camino credential,
• cash card
• daypack which folds into itself, back to almost nothing
• some nappy pins for the clothesline or to finish drying socks attached to your pack
• minimal first aid kit – both Spain and France have pharmacies! I take one or two pain relief pills, and a few band aids