How To Prepare for Camino - First Timer

[sbcamino01]

Good morning!

My name is Samantha, and I am planning my first camino for May 2025. I am a bit overwhelmed trying to make a list of everything I need to have planned prior to starting. Does anyone have a list of things to prepare for and how to go about it? (transportation, hostels, etc.)

TIA!!!

 

[trecile]

I suggest that you start by reading the different sections of this forum.

There are many sub forums including gear selection, route selection, and travel and transport options.

No one can answer all of your questions in one post.

 

[trecile]

I see that you are in the US. I recommend that you check to see if there's a local chapter of American Pilgrims near you.

Home - American Pilgrims on the Camino

americanpilgrims.org

 

[Pafayac]

Prepare yourself to accept all cannot be prepared.
Put all the required stuff into your backpack (you will found several lists here) but do not forget:
"Our backpack weights the weight of our fears".

 

[Bill's_Walking]

Hi Samantha and welcome! This the best place to browse threads and ask questions. Check out the Forum Store, it's under the tab called Services by Casa Ivar in Santiago, he sells Camino guide books which will help answer some of your questions. If you like using apps, there's the Wise Pilgrim app which takes the info from their guide books and puts it in a phone app. I like youtube videos myself. Buen Camino!

Edited.to add: PS walk alot

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Samantha, welcome to the forum.

As mentioned above, a quick answer based on the minimal information you've given isn't really possible. It very much depends on what exactly you are looking for.
You don't mention which Camino you wish to walk next May, how long you intend to allow yourself, your level of experience, whether you've ever traveled before or not, whether you've done any training, your (rough) age and fitness level, whether you are looking for a social camino or a solitary one, and so forth.
There is a massive amount of information here on the forum.

A quick tip to find answers to questions you might have:

Go to the search function (magnifying glass top right).

Tap on Advanced search
Enter a keyword/s
Select 'search title only‘ or 'tittle and first post only'

If that doesn’t work ( because the Forum search function isn’t great), read Doug‘s excellent post (#4):

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/forum-search-problems.81299/

Enjoy reading, and feel free to come back to us with any more specific questions!

 

[lovelyshell]

Hi is Samantha,

Here is my female packing list: https://marisahikes.wordpress.com/2017/03/28/first-blog-post/

I see you are from the US so the brands should be familiar to you. I hope you live near an REI! I also recommend REI’s Re/Supply which is previously used gear. This is good for getting shirts where you can easily predict your size.

Buen Camino!

 

[David Tallan]

In general, one of the nice things about a Camino is that it doesn’t absolutely require a lot of preparation. Once you've read the threads that others are pointing you to above, you'll see that some have had magical experiences just showing up. All you really need is a passport and bank/credit card. You can figure out and acquire everything when you get there.

That said, some of us like to plan and prepare. The course of my planning and preparation usually goes: figure out how many days I have to walk; pick a route (I would generally suggest, for a first Camino, 2-3 weeks go with the Portugues from Porto, a month to 6 weeks, the Frances), maybe get a guide book (like Brierley' or Bahrami's) and/or an app (like Wise Pilgrim or Buen Camino).

Don't forget the physical preparation, too. When I have trained before my Caminos they have been a  lot less painful. I generally train over several months, walking with my packed backpack and poles, gradually increasing the length and frequency of the training walks. When I can do 20km three days in a row without issues, I know I am ready.