My under 20 lb packing list

[DylanRomero]

I finally finished up a detailed list of everything I took on the Camino with me last fall, including links to the exact items I chose for reference. I also listed all the items I would add/change/subtract next time I walked.

Please let me know if I missed anything important! Many of you have fine-tuned your packing lists far more than I have. Here's the list: http://walkingthecamino.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/the-under-20-lb-camino-packing-list/

 

[Anniesantiago]

I'd leave the 2 books and the lock home. I promise you will not have time to read! You'll be so exhausted at the end of the day, by the time you wash your clothes and find food, you'll fall into bed and sleep.

The lock will become obsolete extra weight after 2 days, when you realize you have nothing worth locking a pack for.

Did you take a money belt for your passport and cash? Never ever ever leave it in the pack... I've watched thieves slit open a pack and take those goodies with the unsuspecting victim continuing their walk, never knowing they'd been robbed until we yelled.

Also, I didn't see your ziplock plastic bag for taking your passport and cash into the shower... was it there?

Otherwise, looks good! Does your pack weigh 7 poundS?

 

[DylanRomero]

Thanks for the feedback Anniesantiago!

The lock did feel fairly unnecessary to me as well, but I guess I didn't want to encourage unsafe travel.

I definitely didn't take into account that I'm avid reader (it's like breathing to me), so 2 books might be a little overkill for most, especially since they take up a lot of space and weight. I wolfed down 4-5 books during my walk however.

My pack ended up weighing about 17 pounds. I wish I could have gotten away with a 7 lb load!

 

[vjpulver]

Books - I usally have 3 (or more) going at once. But for the Camino, I wanted to be unencumbered and I also felt it was importnt to be engaged in the entire experience - no diversions. I went without even a guide book, no phone, basically only two changes of clothes, several bandanads (double as towels, etc) and a small journal.

In Leon, I bought a novel at a local shop. I quickly devoured itand left it behind. Other than that, I did not read. I was absorbed in life around me.

Locks - I did not use locks on my pack, but when I am travelling on public transportation, I frequently use zip strips (narrow, plastic strips that are used to bundle cable - cable ties). You can discourage people from opening the zippers on luggage by zip-locking them. Of course it would be easy to cut them off, or simply slash the bag, but it does slow down the casual thief or your cabinmate. They prove useful for a variety of other funtions too.

Once I got on the Camino, all the conversations and concerns about what to pack, etc, simply fell away. The truth is, you take what you take and as the experience unfolds, you learn a lot about who you are and what you really need (or want). I was grateful to discover that I could happily function with soooooo little.

Life is good...
"Ginn"
In Suny Santa Fe

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola - imho 20 lbs is perfectly doable - my own preference is for no more than 15 lbs. Often it isn't what you are taking but the weight of it and it might be worthwhile searching around for lighter versions. Books are of course a personal choice but I'd rather have no blisters than books anyday!

 

[SabsP]

For the dutch reading pilgrims : Dwarsligger books.
http://www.dwarsligger.nl/dwarsligger.php
Books in small format, needs a bit of getting used to reading the smaller print but a good alternative for the " heavy " novels. They already have a broad selection of different titles.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I also found books discarded along the way, so had no shortage of reading material if I felt I needed it.

Mostly, I spent time getting to know other pilgrims and exploring the art in the churches of the wonderful little villages along the way.

I think 20 pounds is fine for a bigger person. For me, my limit was 14, but each person has to decide for themselves.

 

[DylanRomero]

True, there are usually all sorts of interesting book in a bunch of different languages lying around at each albergue. And books are no substitute for talking to your fellow pilgrims!