The pilgrim's backpack: what to carry (and what not to)

There is one rule repeated in every albergue on the Camino that almost nobody gets right first time: your pack should not weigh more than 10% of your body weight. For someone of 70 kg that is 7 kg, water included. Most first-time pilgrims carry double that on day one and feel it in their back before day two. The good news is that fixing it is easy: it means carrying fewer things, not more expensive ones. If you want an exact number for your own weight, the backpack calculator does it in a second.

Footwear: the part that really matters

In summer, a trail running shoe you have already broken in —never one taken out of the box the same day you start walking— usually works better than a stiff boot: it weighs less, breathes more and causes fewer blisters on dry ground. The boot earns its place in autumn, winter or on muddy mountain sections. On waterproofing the argument among pilgrims is still open: for many, Gore-Tex traps sweat almost as effectively as it keeps rain out, and the foot ends up wet anyway, just from the inside; for others the waterproof boot has never given them a single problem over thousands of kilometres. We counted the mentions of every brand and model across 350 pilgrim comments in what footwear to take on the Camino. What is not up for debate is that the footwear, whatever type it is, should be broken in before you leave. Pack a pair of light sandals or flip-flops for the afternoon too: feet need air after eight hours inside walking shoes. For the detail of how to prevent and treat blisters, which is where a stage is really won or lost, we have a separate guide.

Clothing: layers, not quantity

• Two or three changes of quick-drying technical clothing —no cotton, which weighs a ton wet and takes hours to dry.
• A mid layer (a thin fleece) for cold mornings, even in summer.
• A rain jacket, always. In Galicia it rains in every month of the year, and a rain jacket weighs under 300 g.
• A hat or buff for the sun and another for the cold, depending on the season.
• Light sleepwear, separate from what you walk in.

Doing laundry on the Camino

Nobody carries detergent for five weeks. The solution that comes up most among pilgrims is a bar of multi-purpose soap, Dr. Bronner's or similar, which works both for your body and for hand-washing clothes in the albergue sink: one bottle fewer in the pack. If you would rather use normal detergent, pharmacies along the Camino sell small sachets meant for exactly that.

Almost every albergue has a drying line, but on damp days clothes do not always dry in time: the old trick is to pin them with safety pins to the outside of your pack so they finish drying as you walk the next day. Another one circulates among people carrying a 7-litre dry bag: put the dirty clothes inside with a little soap and water, seal it and shake for a couple of minutes, and you have an improvised washing machine. And if you would rather have a real machine, plenty of albergues have a coin washer: splitting a load with another pilgrim to share the cost is a normal habit between people who met that same afternoon.

For sleeping

In albergues, a light summer sleeping bag (or even a sleeping bag liner in the warmer months) is more than enough; albergues usually provide a blanket or have heating. Carrying a four-season winter bag is the single most common weight mistake among people walking the Camino for the first time in July or August.

First-aid kit: small but complete

Blisters are problem number one on the Camino, so the kit revolves around them: needle and thread (or dedicated plasters such as Compeed) to treat them, petroleum jelly to prevent chafing from day one —especially on feet and groin—, ordinary plasters, an anti-inflammatory, and not much more. Plus any regular medication, in its original packaging and in a quantity matched to the days of your trip.

Documents

The pilgrim credential is the one thing you cannot leave behind: without it there are no stamps and no Compostela when you arrive. Over the last 100 km you have to get it stamped at least twice a day. Add your ID card or passport, the European Health Insurance Card if you are coming from the EU, and a digital copy of everything in case you lose the original.

Electronics: the bare minimum

Your phone covers almost everything: stage apps, torch, camera. A small charger and a compact power bank are reasonable; a second device, a tablet or a DSLR are almost never used and always weigh something. Carry a bottle or flask too: 1–1.5 litres works well on the Camino Francés, where fountains are frequent, but on stretches of the Portuguese Coastal they are scarce and in summer the extra capacity is welcome. In low season, on top of that, there are whole stretches without a single bar open, so do not count on buying water as you go.

What NOT to pack

Jeans —heavy and they never dry—, more than one book, a full-size wash bag, clothes packed «just in case» for an occasion that is not going to happen, and anything duplicated «as a spare». If you are unsure whether something is essential, it probably is not: the rule among people who have already walked the Camino is simple — pack your bag, weigh it, then take out a third.

Where to sleep with that pack

The public albergues run by the Xunta cost around €10 a night, cannot be booked and are allocated in order of arrival, with priority for those walking. Private ones run between €12 and €25, do take bookings, and in July and August it is worth booking a day ahead unless you fancy risking ending up without a bed and walking further than you planned.

Apps worth carrying

Buen Camino sums up stages, elevation profiles and real-time alerts; Gronze is the near-universal reference among pilgrims for looking up sections and albergues in detail. With your phone, those two apps and the physical credential, there is not much else you need in your pocket.