5Kg (clothes) 2Kg to play with - any suggestions?

[KarlAndrew]

Hi all,

I'm happy to announce that I have tested the weight of my backpack and it weighed a sheer 5Kg with only clothes inside. This includes, 4 pairs of underwear, 3 pairs of socks, 2 jeans, 3 longs sleeved vests and 4 shirts, a towel, 1 shorts and a sleeping bag.

This of course is just clothes, so I have a good 2Kg remaining to play with. Toothpaste and shampoo are a definite necessity but could you suggest any minor things which could also come in handy on the camino, Im thinking, a penknife, chargers, basic first aid kit sun glasses etc.

Advice is greatly appreciated, even with regards to other clothes which I may require.

Thanks,
Karl

 

[grayland]

My first and most important advice is to lose the jeans. They are the work of the devil on the Camino. 1. Heavy 2. long long drying in the conditions 3. Hot and chaffing
The standard advice is to take cargo type pants made of quick drying tech material. Lots of pockets,comfortable and most have zip off legs to double as shorts. I only take the pair I am wearing now as I found that most of the time it is only necessary to zip off legs and wash them. The pants will dry quickly if washed entirely once a week.
No need to carry extra pants...especially heavy extra pants.
Just my opinion..of course.

 

[wes]

Grayland is spot-on regarding the unsuitability of jeans. I'd also suggest you should add a good quality poncho - it's almost certain to rain at some stage, especially in Galicia - and a hat with a brim that will protect you from both sun and rain. Buen Camino, wes.

 

[KarlAndrew]

Cheers for the advice guys, Ill try look for some good pants and let you know. About the poncho, do you think its possible to find one at SJPDP:?

 

[KarlAndrew]

Ohhh and I've also been meaning to ask about towels. I've included a towel to my packing list, but am I right to assume that albergues do not provide a towel. And being that I shower daily this would be of utmost importance.

 

[annakappa]

No jeans - absolutely NO JEANS!! Buy a pair of pants with the zipper-off legs (like that you automatically have your pair of shorts! You don't mention when you will be walking, but you should include a fleece jacket and a wind jacket. Maybe the latter not necessary if you are going in July/August. Try and buy a micro-fibre towel. They weigh next to nothing and dry in a jiffy. Sun protection cream is also a necessity. Choose one in a tube (less weight) instead of a bottle (that also goes for shampoo, etc) Remember that you will then be carrying your daily snack and water. What about your guide book? And your spare pair of shoes/ sandals/ crocs or whatever? Well, there a a load of small items that somehow get included at the last moment. You should search on the Forum for people's lists of their items for their pack. Anne

 

[grayland]

Look at this thread for a very recent list by Falcon269:
equipment-questions/topic12805.html

 

[mralisn]

All of the above!

No jeans. Absolutely.

Microfiber towel. Yes! You will not want to take a cotton towel! Cotton kills no matter what form.

Sleeping bag for what time of year? Maybe a "sleep sheet" or silk liner would work?

Nice job!

 

[jujuaway]

I don't know how you got it so low.
i used a chux super wipe (large) as a towel to save weight.
My diary (an essential for me) was made of rice type paper to keep the weight down.
i think 2 sets of clothes, one on, one off is the go. I also took a head torch and used it every day... a bit e
heavy but fantastic, it meant i could comfortably walk in the dark and even though i mostly had it off as i walked if i came to a sign, i could turn it on.
i wholeheartedly agree with the comments about "no jeans" and i loved my evening sandals for the walk around the village, after the walk of the day.
Enjoy the packing, it's so much fun and seems so important, but once you are on the Way, it won't really matter, we make do with what we have or we buy what we need.
juju

 

[camino-david]

Like everyone else states - NO Jeans. Theres a whole heap of things you have not included.
1. First aid kit and any personal medications, including sunscreen
2.Toiletries, including ear plugs and nappy pins to fix wet clothes on the back of your backpack so they dry whilst you are walking.
3. Waterproof cover for your backpack and plastic bags for clothes and sleeping bag.
4. Camera and other electronics, such as iPod, with chargers
5. Waterproof jacket or poncho
4. Sunhat, gloves
5. Paperwork, such as passport, credential. credit cards. photocopies of passport and credit cards, flight and accomodation confirmation bookings, pen, pencil, guide book.
6. Water - you should carry at least 1 litre, which is 1 kg, although some people carry less
7. Backpack which will probably weigh about 1 - 1.5 kg
8. Fleece jacket
Also I think you are taking too many clothes - 4 prs of underpants (take 3), 2 longsleeve shirts (take 1 plus a tee shirt which should not be cotton)
There are heaps of suggested packing lists on the forum, and naturally they are personal choices. Also it depends what time of year so there is no one definite list. But as a general rule, aim for a max of 8 - 10 kgs, including everything, and that means water as well.
Most pilgrims smile at my mention of gloves, but I had snow at O Cebreiro, and walked through a snow blizzard down to Triacastelo, and arrived with frostbite in two fingers. The year before, there was frost every morning. This was in late October.
Buen Camino. David

 

[KarlAndrew]

Comrades, Im blown away by the lengthy responses, thanks very much. I think that the bottom line of all your posts is that I should scrap the jeans, which I willl do. I have also taken note of some other little things which I missed out, such as sandals for the evening.

 

[migolito]

I hike with either The North Face Pinnacle Peak pants or Mountain Hardwear Mesa (both covertible zip offs). If its going to be a little cooler/cold I wear Mountain Hardwear winter type pants (stretchy material). All these pants can be found on sale for about 50% off at Ebay or do a google search.
Another problem with 'jeans' for hiking is the lack of a gusseted crotch. After 20 miles you'll know the issue with that