My Packing List for The Camino de Santiago

A packing list for the Camino de Santiago is tough to nail down.

Packing a single bag (that you might* have to carry) for a 115km+ hike in a foreign country is at the same time simple and strangely complicated.

Ounces count. Staying under the suggested 15 lb pack weight limit is a challenge- especially for a “what if” and “just in case” person like me, making my packing list for The Camino de Santiago a tad different than my usual list.

That said, the more you pack, the more you have to carry. And when you’re walking 20-30 km every day, just carrying your own body weight can be a struggle.

My packing list for The Camino is small but mighty. (See the very bottom of this post for images and links for the entire list)

The main things to consider in a packing list for The Camino de Santiago are staying clean and staying un-blistered.

You’re going to be washing your clothes in the sink each night as you stop for rest. When selecting fabrics, choose fast-drying, lightweight, breathable materials that will dry as quickly as possible.

You’ll see in the listing that follows that I have two of everything.

One to wear, one to wash. It’s as simple as that.

The idea is that if (when) the items I’ve washed the night before aren’t dry for wearing in the morning, I’ll have a dry spare for the day.

It’s also a good idea to have spares in case of malfunction. If you pick up rips, stains, or other issues along the way that might make an item unwearable- wear the spare!

Nylon is a favorite on packing lists for The Camino de Santiago due to its durability, moisture-wicking, fast-drying, and anti-bacterial properties.

Polyester is a close second for similar reasons, but Nylon has better anti-bacterial properties than Polyester, keeping away the dreaded ‘stank’ that can build up in hiking clothes and never really goes away.

Blister prevention socks are especially important. No, you won’t get by with your regular cotton socks. Don’t try it. This is your warning.

These socks are made of specific materials and construction to withstand the funky things your feet do under that much stress and movement day after day. Get the blister prevention socks. They definitely worked for me.

Rain gear is a serious necessity on a packing list for The Camino de Santiago.

It rains for most of the year in northern Spain and the surrounding region.

THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN IS FOR YOUR FEET TO GET WET. Read that again.

I’m talking squishing, blistering, rubbing, rotting, stinking, painful, gross bad stuff. Don’t let your feet get wet. Since I didn’t want to carry an extra pair of shoes, I brought these moon-boots waterproof shoe protectors that go on OVER your regular shoes and keep you dry up to the knee.

Do they look a little silly? Sure. But when your feet are in pain you’ll do anything – even looking a little silly – to fix or prevent it. The people around you will likely be jealous of your dry feet anyway.

For your top half, I recommend this coat for your packing list for The Camino de Santiago. I’ve had this coat for YEARS and absolutely love it. It keeps me super dry even in a downpour and has just enough weight to act as a good, durable outer layer too.

If you’re hiking in the hot summer, this might be too much coat for you. My hike was in mid-October and this coat was perfect for chilly mornings and evenings and was easy to stuff into my bag as the day warmed up.

Rain PANTS are also an option for your packing list for The Camino de Santiago , but with quick-dry fabrics, my coat, and my shoe protectors, it’s really just my thighs that get a little damp, and personally- I’m ok with that. As always, you do you.

Keep in mind that you will have documents and electronics that need to stay dry as well.

Your passport, identification, itinerary, money, journal, etc. A small water-tight zip bag or two is great to have for all of these items to keep them together and dry no matter what you might walk through.

They’re also very handy and come in various sizes for storing liquids and toiletries like shampoo to ensure that any accidental liquid explosions are contained in your pack.

I have these zip-style bags on my packing list for The Camino de Santiago and use them for all sorts of other things in my kitchen at home and when I travel.

You don’t need to overthink your footwear.

The shoes I wore are just my ride-or-die Brooks sneakers I wear every day to exercise or stroll the neighborhood with my dog. They’re GREAT shoes- my magical healing witch doctor chiropractor suggested them to me last year and I haven’t looked back. If you’re looking for a good sneaker that will see you through the hike- look no further.

You really don’t need any fancy hiking boots on your packing list for The Camino de Santiago, though plenty of people feel the need. As long as your shoes are super supportive, broken in, and comfortable for your body- you’re good to go.

A pair of evening shoes/flip flops are also going to help- especially if you’re staying in albergues along the way, where lightweight shower shoes are a good idea.

Even if you’re staying in Paradors or hotels, having open and airy shoes to change into at the end of each day to let your hiking shoes and feet air while you relax is a tiny luxury you will GREATLY appreciate.

There’s nothing like bustin’ your hot tired dawgs out and putting on a cushy pair of sandals for dinner after a 20-mile day. #luxury

Pants are personal.

For pants (trousers), I chose strong but lightweight performance stretch fabrics made for hiking. My two chosen pairs for my packing list for The Camino de Santiago happen to be from Eddie Bauer and Lululemon.

I have no real allegiance to these brands- it’s just what I ended up with after searching for good options.

The Eddie Bauer pair are semi-loose-cut traditional hiking pants and the Lululemon pair (similar) are a slightly more traditional athletic spandex-y type pant that I’ve had for years and love (I don’t think Lululemon makes them anymore, but the link to similar above seems to be exactly the same pant).

Both of these worked VERY well for me and I would 10/10 bring them again.

There’s not really a way to point to any one pair of pants as better than another, though. All bodies are different and all pants fit all bodies differently. For me- I have curvy hips and plenty of natural padding in the back.

Eddie Bauer is good for my body type since they generally cut their shapes for bodies like mine.

And, I know- Lululemon is trendy and expensive, but to be very honest I love their construction and quality of goods- which makes the price worth it for me. When I buy a pair of leggings (or anything) from Lululemon I keep it for years.

When looking for hiking pants for your packing list for The Camino de Santiago , choose whatever style and brand works for your shape but try to aim for pants (trousers) that are made of nylon (my choices are both a nylon+spandex blend) and have some stretch/give for movement.

As I mentioned above, Nylon is really the best for durability, breathability, performance, easy-cleaning, and quick-drying purposes.

Special Note: POCKETS are important. I had all kinds of stuff crammed into my pants pockets every day during the hike to avoid having to put my pack down any time I needed chapstick, a face mask, my phone, my notebook, a rock to carry to the next marker, etc. Make sure your pants have pockets.

Shirts are pretty personal too.

I like shirts that are reasonably flattering to the figure and easy to get on and off. I hiked in this shirt (ok, technically it’s a fishing shirt) and really loved everything about it. It’s super durable but also lightweight, dries quickly, and the cut is nicely flattering and clean on my body.

It also has small zipping POCKETS in the torso that were perfect for keeping a facemask or cash handy in restaurants and shops even when I put my pack down.

This shirt IS made of polyester (instead of the nylon I keep going on about)- but it goes through something called an ‘antimicrobial treatment’ in production, keeping the bacterial build-up stank away. It’s a winner for any packing list for The Camino de Santiago .

I got it in white and navy (because I definitely plan on wearing this in my day-to-day life post-hike and neon colors just don’t hit the same on the street as they do on the trail).

I also like that this shirt is long-sleeved. It protects my skin during long hours outdoors from bugs and exposure, but it’s still light and breathable enough to be comfortable in the warm sun. The shirt’s description claims that it features something called “Omni-Shade UPF 40”, which I know nothing about, but can tell you that it does a good job of keeping my skin safe- I didn’t get anything even close to a sunburn through several LONG sunny days. So- something was working.

Again- your body may not be a body that works in this shirt. Maybe you’re more partial to a looser or tighter fit, more pockets, whatever. Get what works for you. Whatever it is, I recommend that you get a performance fabric like nylon (or similar like mine) made for quick drying and outdoor wear and I really do suggest that you get long sleeves for protection purposes (you can always roll them up!).

A warm fleece vest is also helpful on your packing list for The Camino de Santiago, especially if you’re hiking in the fall, winter, or early spring (my hike was in mid-October). Early morning starts are CHILLY and it’s nice to have a base layer of warmth to keep you comfortable until the sun is fully up.

A fleece vest plus my raincoat I mentioned above was perfect. I also brought a pair of fleece-lined leggings to wear under my hiking pants for extra chilly mornings or evenings. They’re lightweight and just good to have any time you get cold.

Gals– you need a quick-dry bra as well. I snagged two of these C9 Seamless Cami bras from Champion for the trip and LOVE THEM. I’m reasonably large chested and these provide the perfect amount of support and comfort. They’re also very lightweight and quick drying. Underwear is definitely the most personal part of your wardrobe, so you do you- but check this one out if you’re in the market for a comfortable and lightweight hiking bra.

While it’s INCREDIBLY important to keep your packing list for The Camino de Santiago as light as possible (remember- you may be* carrying your stuff the whole way) there are some things that you need to have handy.

It’s rainy for much of the year in northern Spain. That said, when it’s not raining, the sun can be brutal when you’re out in it all day. I’m a blue-eyed pale descendant of Dutch and Irish heritage, so it doesn’t take much to get my skin crispy and my eyes squinting after too much exposure.

A few protection necessities for me and likely for you too:

• Long sleeves (as discussed above)
• Sunscreen (I like this type/brand- it doesn’t leave me feeling sticky and wanting to crawl out of my own skin)
• A sun hat (I LOVE this one- it allows me to wear my hair in a pony or bun, is lightweight/lets my head breathe, and packs down small (plus it’s cute). I just make sure my scalp/part is covered by my hair and I’m good to go!)
• Sunglasses (these are lightweight, bendy and REALLY cute)
• Sunscreen Chapstick (I prefer Burt’s Bees due to their clean ingredients)
• Spare Face Masks (I brought a stack of about 50 of these. You’ll want a fresh 2 or 3 per hiking day, plus more for accidental breakage, loss, sharing, and 5-6 for each day of air travel to and from Spain)

Hydration. Is. Everything.
Keep this in mind on your packing list for The Camino de Santiago

You NEED to carry a water bottle with you. Besides the horrors of plastic pollution that come from single-use bottles, you could be on long stretches of trail without access to a shop or restaurant to purchase water. Although I usually promote the virtues of glass water bottles, in this case, I don’t want to be left carrying a heavy piece of glass with me once it’s empty.

This collapsible water pouch is IT, people. It carries a liter of water and collapses down to almost nothing and no weight (1.5oz) when it’s empty. It also comes with a carabiner on the lid so you can clip it to your pack for easy access. It’s made of a durable 3-ply material so it won’t rip or burst- I was a little worried about this, but it got smashed and bashed and squashed over and over on the hike and didn’t leak a bit!

It’s possible that you’ll be in the dark sometimes and your packing list for The Camino de Santiago should prepare you for it.

You might be in a hostel/albergue with other sleeping pilgrims and need a little light as you get to bed or use the restroom. You might be hiking after sunset or before sunrise. You might find a strange hole in the ground that you want to look into (oh, just me?).

You never know when you’ll need a light. I REALLY dig this headlamp for hands-free purposes and because it’s waterproof and adjustable- from MAJOR blinding safety light strength down to a ‘night vision’ red shade for low impact illumination. It definitely came in handy.

In case you need to clip it on or clip it off…

On my packing list for The Camino de Santiago, I have a few carabiners (for clipping things on) and a pocket knife (for clipping things off).

These carabiners are nothing fancy. I’m not rock climbing or bargaining my life on them in any way- they’re purely for light use- helpful for clipping things onto your pack and clipping your pack (or anything else) to things to keep it off the ground. The uses are endless and I found them handy to have.

The pocket knife is also useful for clipping loose strings (this one I like has a tiny pair of scissors on it) on fabrics, cutting into roadside stand fruits, or picking rocks out of your shoe treads. It’s definitely optional, but I found that having a sharp multitool with me was helpful in several situations. *Note: I checked my pack with the airline for the flight over to Spain. If you plan to carry on only, don’t bring the multi-tool!*

Let’s talk about trail laundry on your packing list for The Camino de Santiago.

Unless you get lucky and find a hotel or albergue with laundry machines, you’re gonna be washing your clothes every night (or however often you need to) in a sink. If you followed the instruction above for bringing quick-dry clothing, you’re more than halfway there.

Keep in mind that wringing water out of fabrics with your hands isn’t the same as wringing fabrics with the spin cycle of a washing machine.

I tested the drying speed of all of my clothing before I left without considering this factor. Everything dried super quickly at home, but I didn’t consider the humidity of an albergue or small rural hotel room and had still-wet clothing to pack most mornings of my hike.

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I was still able to avoid wearing wet clothes on any day by following a few extra steps each night and morning:

1. Ensure that your wet clothes are hanging in mid air and not lying flat on or against a surface or chair. This allows the air to flow more efficiently around the fabric and evaporate the water more quickly. (My collapsible hangers came in handy for hanging things on pegs, knobs and window handles!)
   
2. Each morning before you head out, pack any still-damp clothes in their own packing cube to keep them from soaking into the other items in your pack. Hang any small items such as socks or shoes on the exterior of your pouch (if it’s not raining) to allow the sun to dry them as you walk. I even saw some people with shirts and pants pinned to their day packs to assist in drying. I used large safety pins or carabiners to secure things to the exterior of my pack.
   
3. As soon as you arrive at your destination for the evening, be sure to remove anything that’s still wet from your pack and hang it back up to finish drying. I’m talking as SOON as you get checked into your accomodation– before dinner, before drinks, before showering- IMMEDIATELY. You need every minute you can get.
   
4. You’ll then wash the clothes you wore that day and repeat the process. If all goes well, the still-damp items from the night before will be dry by morning!

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As I mentioned above, I had a few tiny accessories that really helped with the laundry process.

Collapsible hangers and giant 2″/size 3 quilting safety pins are so, so useful. The hangers (I brought 2) fold down small for easy packing and ensure that you have a way to properly hang everything to dry.

If you’re in an albergues or a hotel or camping, you might not have access to hangers or anything that would allow your clothes to hang straight and dry quickly overnight. I also found the large safety pins helpful for everything from pinning socks to dry from a curtain fringe to attaching them to my pack for the next day’s hike.

You should also bring detergent along with you. I used these little toiletry pouches for my liquid toiletries like shampoo and also for detergent.

These toiletry pouches are SUPER lightweight and get smaller as they empty, so you’re not carrying around a heavy plastic or glass bottle. I just filled one with the detergent I regularly use at home and tossed it in a waterproof bag in my pack. Like with the pouch-style water bottle, I questioned their durability at first but had no issues.

For checking my pack with the airline, I used one of these Ikea-style tough zipping bags to cover and secure my pack. It’s a good way to make it easy to snag off the luggage belt, ensures that none of your straps get caught in any machinery, and keeps all the gross oils and dirt from the baggage handling machines off your pack. It worked like a charm and can just stay folded flat inside your pack during the hike to use on the way back home.

I really liked having a small notebook with me for jotting down notes for the blog, Spanish phrases, scribbling ideas that came to me during the walk, sketching, recording addresses and details for navigation, pressing flowers and leaves, and just having a piece of paper on hand for whatever. I’ve always loved the feel and functionality of Moleskine notebooks. They’re just the right size, durable, and have the super handy elastic closure band to keep everything from flapping about.

You’ll also need a Pilgrim’s Passport to collect stamps (selos) along the way. You can get these in little shops once you arrive, but my eternal need to be prepared required that I get one in advance. I recommend it so you’re not scrambling to find a shop selling passports when you should be getting started on your walk. Many websites such as this one (or any others you find with a quick Google search) sell them cheaply online and can be shipped to you in advance of your departure.

Finally, bring a little bit of cash.

If you’re from anywhere outside the EU, the cheapest way to convert your local currency into Euros is with your local bank.

I brought €250 in small-ish bills so I’d be ready for tips, vending machines, and small meals as soon as I landed in Europe.

Usually, your bank will do currency conversion for free or for a tiny tiny fee. Converting cash at the airport or any other stand-alone currency conversion establishment includes fees of a percentage of the amount you’re converting. It’s convenient, but the fees can be high and add up to a chunk of money better spent elsewhere.

For my bank (and most others), you just need to go in a day or two in advance and request the quantity of Euros you’d like in cash and pay the equivalent in your local currency. My bank was able to get the Euros overnight and I picked up the cash the following day.

No problem! But definitely plan ahead of time for this transaction at your local bank to avoid doing it at the airport at the last minute.

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So there you have it. Your packing list for The Camino de Santiago: done.

*I do want to make a special note and be honest with you. While we had planned to carry our packs for the entire hike, due to an unforeseen injury (blessing) in our group, we decided to have our packs moved ahead for us each day. Our entire journey was planned through a company called Camino Ways and the service was provided as an option through them.

Even if you’re not using Camino Ways or another Camino planning company, it is very easy to hire a service to pick up your pack in the lobby of your hotel each morning and deliver it to the hotel you plan to stop at that night. All of the hotels and albergues are very used to pilgrims utilizing this process and can help you if you have any trouble. A few good options for this service include Camino Fácil, El Camino Concorreos, and JacoTrans. There is also a good listing of providers for specific routes and additional information on this website.

If you definitely plan to use a luggage transfer service, you can even just pack your stuff in a typical suitcase or duffel bag and forego the hiking pack since you won’t have to carry it on your back. This will definitely make packing and unpacking each day easier than cramming everything into the hiking pack. Most people using the luggage transfer services pack this way.

While I was at first slightly disappointed that we weren’t going to be “real” pilgrims with our packs on our backs, it ended up as a blessing that made the hike much more tolerable and our entire experience much more comfortable. Each person in our group carried only a day pack with documents and daytime essentials inside (and this was heavy enough!)

A quote from the movie “The Way” came to mind as I was wrestling with the thought of not carrying my own pack:

“Does a true pilgrim walk with nothing but suffering? Or should a pilgrim dress himself as a beggar even if he isn’t? Do we imitate what we think a true pilgrim is? Do we honor the poor by imitating them? Did pilgrims 500 years ago ignore the creature comforts any more than we should now? It is a false pilgrim who adds more hardship than is already there.”

LOTS of people have their packs sent ahead each day, so we’re weren’t the only weenies walking with smaller day packs. In fact, we were in the majority and felt terribly sorry for people having to lug a huge bag on difficult stretches of trail. That said, the above lists still apply- even if you’re planning (like I was!) to carry your pack the whole way.

Just keep it light and keep it (water)tight and you’ll be good to go.

¡Buen Camino!

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