Original post written in 2021. Links updated January 2025.
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.
The general rule for wearable items is to bring 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 over 10 years and absolutely love it. I’ll have it for 10 more, I’m sure. 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. I’d say this is a good one for spring and fall hikes.
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 few watertight silicone zip bags are 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. *Update- Brooks no longer makes my ride-or-die sneaker (rude). I’m now kicking with my chiro-recommended Altra Escalante 4 sneakers and I’d take them on the Camino any day. They have a sturdy flat sole with good traction and a nice wide toe-box to help avoid blisters when your feet swell during a long day. (Men’s version here)
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 supportive, broken in, and comfortable for your body- you’re good to go.
A pair of loose, airy evening shoes/flip flops are also going to help- especially if you’re staying in albergues (hostels) 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
Listen, pants are personal.
For pants (trousers), I chose strong but lightweight performance stretch fabrics made for moving. My two chosen pairs for my packing list for The Camino de Santiago were light, fast drying and easy to move in.
I have no real allegiance to any brands when it comes to hiking pants. In this arena, I think you should stick with whatever you trained for your hike in.
The exact pairs I wore on The Camino are no longer available, but I brought two pair, one very similar to this Willit Jogger – big pockets, spandex/nylon blend for quick dry/no stank, roomy fit (and cute!). And one more spandex-y type that I’ve had for years and love. (The pair I have are Lululemon and I don’t think they make them anymore, but this pair from G Gradual seems to be exactly the same pant for a fraction of what I paid for mine. Bonus- they double as EXCELLENT airplane pants. I wear them every time I fly.)
Both of these worked VERY well for me and I would 10/10 bring them again.
I wouldn’t point to any one pair of pants as better than another, though. All bodies are different and all pants fit all bodies differently.
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 (it was 2021), 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, UPF 40 protective, dries quickly, sleeves roll up or down, and the cut is nicely flattering and clean on my body.
It also has small invisible zipping POCKETS in the torso that were perfect for keeping small items like 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 apparently 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 (and it’ll stay in your wardrobe after the hike too).
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) but you do you.
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!) Keep in mind you’ll be outside for 7-10 hours at a time, sometimes with little to no shade.
A medium-weight fleece vest is also helpful on your packing list for The Camino de Santiago, especially if you’re hiking in the fall, winter, or spring (my hike was in mid-October). Early morning starts can be CHILLY and it’s nice to have a base layer of warmth to keep you comfortable until the sun is fully up. I wore this Lands End version and liked that it’s a nice light layer I can stuff into my pack as the day warms up but still does the trick for warmth.
A fleece vest plus my jacket I mentioned above was a perfect combo for mornings and evenings. I also brought a pair of fleece-lined leggings to wear under my hiking pants or on their own for extra chilly mornings or evenings. They’re light to carry and just good to have any time you get cold.
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 items are 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 for travel (plus it’s cute). I just make sure my scalp/part is covered by my hair and I’m good to go!)
- Izipizi Light Sunglasses (these are lightweight, break-resistant and REALLY cute. I’m currently on my 3rd pair of these because I lose things and I LOVE them. Lightweight is important when you’re wearing them for 8-10 hours.)
- Sunscreen Chapstick (I prefer Burt’s Bees because of to their cleaner ingredients)
- Spare Face Masks (*I hiked in 2021 when masks were still needed due to COVID-19. I brought a stack of about 50 of these).
Blisters, sore muscles, cuts and bruises are common. Be ready for them.
Remember, on The Camino, you’re outside ALL DAY and likely doing more moving than you do in a typical day at home. As prepared as you can be for blisters, muscle aches/strains, and the like – you more than likely will need something to soothe something at some point. Persistent pain can ruin the whole trip. Don’t let it happen to you.
Be prepared to nip anything that might happen in the bud as soon as it starts so you can keep it moving. Make sure you have the following on your packing list for The Camino de Santiago:
- Band-Aids: I keep these specific Band-Aid Tough Strips stocked in my house at all times. Seriously. I found them in college when I wore cheap shoes and CONSTANTLY had blisters and abrasions from them. These Band-Aids are made of a woven cloth and stick in place through intense friction like nothing else I’ve found. I’m talking DAYS of sticking power- through swimming, showers, sweating, breaking in shoes, etc. I genuinely don’t feel like other kinds of Band-Aids are even worth buying anymore. I brought them on The Camino in both the regular size and the large size for preventative and post-injury needs. They definitely came in handy for myself and for handing out to others more than a few times. BRING A BUNCH OF THESE BAND-AIDS. This is your sign.
- Pain Relievers: honey, you’re gonna be sore. I’m usually not a huge fan of popping pills and pain relievers willy-nilly, but an anti-inflammatory pain reliever with ibuprofen or naproxen as the main ingredient can be really helpful for fast overnight recovery from sore swollen muscles and fatigue headaches. Everybody has a different preference for brand, of course, but I’m a big fan of Aleve’s liquid gels. They just work for me.
- Biofreeze is also a lifesaver when your muscles and joints are overworked. I like the roll-on gel type to keep my hands clean. I SLATHERED my calves and thighs in this stuff every night and during the day when I was especially sore and it really made a difference. It’s a menthol-based topical pain reliever and is AMAZING on your legs and lower back/shoulders after a long day of walking.
- Foot Lube: Yeah – you read that right. This stuff is great for reducing friction on your feet (or anywhere else that might be rubbed a little too raw as you walk). Some people use Vaseline, but it’s too goopy for me. Foot Glide is wax-based with no petroleum, parabens, phthalates, or sulfates and allows your feet to breathe while keeping them sufficiently goop and friction-free. Really, it can be useful anywhere you might start to chafe as you’re walking- arms, thighs, etc. I’m typically prone to some swelling in my feet after several hours of walking, so friction on my toes is often inevitable. I put Foot Glide on the tops of my toes, sides of my feet and backs of my heels every morning before putting on my socks. Worked like a charm. Friction free.
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 when 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! I still use it when I travel in cities and on hikes and love it. This thing is GREAT.
Another note on hydration: if you’re hiking in a warm month or feel susceptible to dehydration/muscle fatigue (who among us isn’t?), try these Waterboy hydration/electrolyte packets in your water bottle. Don’t get me wrong, these aren’t your average sugar-and-dye-filled hydration packets. These are clean, sugar-free, chemical-free, low-calorie, and actually taste good. They’re also super lightweight and easy to toss in your bag. I discovered these after many years of looking for a product that would help my body recover from sweaty hikes and travel with quick on-the-go electrolytes but didn’t have a first ingredient that was pure SUGAR and a last ingredient I couldn’t pronounce (or recognized as poison-adjacent). 10/10 recommend these!
It’s possible that you’ll be in the dark sometimes.
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 a MAJORLY blinding safety light strength down to a ‘night vision’ red shade for low-impact illumination. It definitely came in handy on my Camino.
In case you need to clip something on or clip something off…
On my packing list for The Camino de Santiago, I have a few lightweight 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 for clipping your pack (or anything else) to things to keep it off the ground. The uses are endless and they came in handy several times.
The pocket knife is also useful for clipping loose strings on fabrics, cutting into roadside stand fruits, or picking rocks out of your shoe treads. (I took this one my dad gave me. I like it because it has a tiny pair of scissors on it) 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!*
We should discuss your baggage…
Keep it organized. I used super lightweight packing cubes to keep my pack orderly during the journey. I’ve talked about these before and I’ll recommend them as a person who likes everything to be just so. I HATE a messy bag. It makes me CRAZY.
If you want to keep your pack (and mind) organized, I suggest using these cubes to keep similar items together and tidy. They weigh next to nothing and keep you from digging around to find small items and mussing everything into a wrinkly mess.
The actual pack you carry is a matter of personal preference. Mine is an older REI brand pack that has been up many-a-mountain in its life. I don’t believe my exact pack is made anymore, but this one is a good and similar choice. You need it to be big enough for your stuff, but not so big that it weighs you down. Aim for a pack that is lightweight and comfortable for YOUR body. If you’re purchasing a new pack for your Camino, be sure to purchase it well in advance so you can practice walking with it and get used to the feel of it on your back.
A condom cover for your pack is going to make rainy days (and the evenings that follow) much more tolerable and I brought this one to keep my pack dry (Note some packs come with rain covers, but mine did not). Even if you’re forwarding your main baggage and walking with a day pack, I recommend a cover for your pack just in case you find yourself walking in the rain. It really makes a difference.
If your journey is anything like mine, telescoping walking poles are going to be your best friends. They help with stability and balance while taking pressure and stress off of your joints and back at every step. I recommend the telescoping type for packing and night storage purposes.
I definitely relied heavily on my poles every day of the hike. They’re great for relieving pressure on your tired feet or sore knees, extra stability in rocky/hilly terrain, and pulling small limbs of apple and fig trees down to pick a snack along the way. (ok, maybe I shouldn’t have admitted that last part)
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 instructions 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.
I was still able to avoid wearing wet clothes on any day by following a few extra steps each night and morning:
- 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. (I brought a few of my collapsible travel hangers and they really came in handy for hanging things on pegs, door handles and window knobs!)
- Each morning before you head out, pack any still-damp clothes in one of your large silicone zip bags to keep them from soaking into the other items in your pack. Hang/pin 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 2″ safety pins or carabiners to secure things to the exterior of my pack.
- 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 accommodation– before dinner, before drinks, before showering- IMMEDIATELY. You need every minute you can get to be sure you’ll have dry clothes for the morning!
- 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!
As I mentioned in the laundry process 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 for just me) are light and fold down small for easy packing and ensure that you have a way to properly hang everything to dry.
If you’re in an albergue 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. Many of the hotels/albergues along The Way don’t have hangers in the closets.. or closets at all! 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 to dry on the next day’s hike.
You should also bring laundry detergent along with you. I recommend concentrated liquid detergent because a little goes a long way, so you don’t have to bring much. I’m personally a fan of this super concentrated Dirty Labs detergent. I use it for my laundry at home and also travel with it. It works really well with just a tiny amount and it’s a clean, environmentally friendly formula. I use these little toiletry squeeze pouches for my liquid toiletries like shampoo and also for laundry detergent.
These toiletry squeeze pouches are SUPER lightweight and get smaller as they empty, so you’re not carrying around a heavy empty plastic or glass bottle. I filled one with my concentrated laundry detergent and tossed it in a waterproof bag with the other toiletries in my pack. Like with the pouch-style water bottle I suggested above, I questioned their durability at first but had no issues. I’ve since used these regularly every time I travel. I haven’t had a single issue with leaking or breaking. They pack flat and take up very little space, are super lightweight and get smaller as you use the product inside. Bonus: they’re reusable! I love them! I used my label maker to label what’s in each, but you could easily just write on them with a permanent marker.
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 if you’re hoping to make it to Santiago to earn your Compostela. 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 at most, 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 and wasting a small fortune in fees.
So there you have it. Your packing list for The Camino de Santiago: done.
And yeah, it seems like a lot of stuff. (I never said I was one to pack lightly.) But as I read back over this post and think about how I truly did use everything on this list, a quote from the movie “The Way” comes to mind:
“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.”
So yeah- if something is going to make your walk easier, bring it. If having your luggage sent ahead each day and walking with only a day pack is going to make your journey better, DO IT. (In fact, I’d suggest it!) It’s your Camino. Walk it as you will.
Just keep it light and keep it (water)tight and you’ll be good to go.
¡Buen Camino!
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