Camino first - but staying on in Europe afterward - is this packing list okay?

[KateB]

Hi it's Kathy the fretful mother (see my previous post - now no longer fretful thanks to all of you).
Just have yet another packing query
The Camino is stage 1 of this trip - and then my son and his friends move on to Portugal (Algarve), then the UK for a few months, then he does this 45 day Contiki camping tour from one end of Europe to the other (literally), then he meets me in Italy for two weeks before flying home to Australia in early October.

For the Camino he is packing 1 x long cotton pants and 2 x shorts (denim), 1 x long sleeve shirt, 2 x short sleeve t-shirts, 3 x socks, 3 x underwear, Goretex jacket, poncho, iPhone 6/charger, sleeping bag, high absorbency towel, hat, a pair of 'Skins' (compression short/undergarments made from lycra worn by athletes as he thinks these may help with chafing) various toiletries (blister pads, antiseptic cream, antibiotics, paracetamol, toothbrush, small shampoo, deodorant, sunscreen, Vaseline), grocery bag, ziplock bags, baby wipes, thongs (flipflops) for shower and that's about it.

We don't know anyone in Europe or the UK so he can't post extra clothing for the other legs of the trip and he can't pack Camino-purpose-only clothing (like the zip off pants that appear to be popular) as they won't be needed for the rest of the trip.

So my question is - will the above list be adequate for the Camino and suit the conditions for May and into early June? They are taking their time and allowing six weeks walking from SJPDP to Santiago de Compostela.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

 

[nidarosa]

Hi, if he is walking for five or six weeks I wouldn't take cotton or denim! Take one pair of cotton trousers - not jog pants! - for evening use if that's what he's got, walk in the zip-offs. These two will work well even travelling and being a tourist in the Algarve - which will be so warm in May/June that he will only need the shorts - and then when he gets to the UK, buy another pair of trousers if necessary rather than carry heavy denim and clothes to use in a month's time. For a camping trip though, zip-offs would be fine surely?
Also I would suggest merino T-shirts rather than technical ones (whiffy after a while) or cotton (dries slowly). I realise his budget is low but avoiding chaffing and walking in damp clothes is also important. Merino dries quickly, keeps you cool when it's hot, warm when it's cold, can be worn damp without chaffing and can go for a few days without a wash if necessary. All the best for you and your son!

 

[Jo Jo]

I am somewhat of a heretic in that I do not believe cotton is inappropriate on the Meseta, in the Summer. Both of those qualification are important A fuller explanation is here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...id-not-for-a-summer-camino.31137/#post-269857

That being said, I would seriously rethink his clothing. First, as explained in the longer post, at most I would have one set of quick-dry nylon and one set of cotton clothing (not all cotton, as here). I understand the Australia is mostly very arid and dry. Cotton works great in that climate, and the meseta in the summer can feel similar. But the mountains on either end are much wetter (the rain in Spain falls mainly . . . . in Galicia and the Pyrenees; don't believe My Fair Lady). Cotton is great in the arid, dry areas because it retains water, leading to an evaporative cooling effect (think of a cheesecloth dipped in water and held before a fan). For exactly that same reason, cotton is very bad, and can even be dangerous, in wet, cooler climates. It never dries and cools your body to the point it can lead to real chills and sometimes even hypothermia, even if the air temperature is well above freezing.

And cotton socks are a total disaster in any hiking environment (except the treadmill at the gym).

I did not like quick dry nylon very much on the meseta in July, but if I was planning the sort of epic trip he has in mind, I think I would take take only quick dry nylon. It will get him through more of the environments he is planning to encounter (particularly the UK, where it is damp; and then staying in Europe through the fall).

I also think the convertible pants are generally too heavy, but I'd take only long pants and long sleeve shirts for sun protection (I saw some epic sunburns on people walking the Camino in shorts or short sleeve shirts). I hardly ever removed the legs on my pants during my Camino.

Also, I'm not sure why a poncho and goretex rain jacket. A poncho would probably work just fine for the Camino, but I'm not sure I'd want that for the rest of the trip. I'd probably leave the poncho and go with the jacket and get rain pants (and a trash compactor bag as a pack liner).

I'd also add a stocking hat (very light, and really helped on cool nights/mornings). I'm assuming the hat on his list is a sun hat (full brim, not just a ball cap).

For what it's worth,
Jo Jo

 

[L Squared]

We don't know anyone in Europe or the UK so he can't post extra clothing for the other legs of the trip and he can't pack Camino-purpose-only clothing (like the zip off pants that appear to be popular) as they won't be needed for the rest of the trip.

Since the camino is the first activity on the long trip, why not have the boys post all of the stuff they don't need for the Camino to Ivar in Santiago? They can do it once they arrive in Spain. Somewhere in the Camino Forum you can read about this service that Ivar offers.

I saw a thread in here the other day where it said the post office accepted suitcases to send through the mail. Also they apparently have boxes available at the post office for pilgrims to mail unneeded items ahead to Santiago