Newbie Packing Help

[JRoberts21]

Hi Everyone,

I am starting my first Camino from Porto on 23rd August and am in need of advice on what to pack. I have trawled the forum for examples but they all seem to differ from route to route.

The main trouble I am having is the amount of clothing to take and whether alternate shoes are a must, i.e crocs, flip-flops or sandals. Could anyone give some much needed advice?

Would I also need to take a sleeping bag or will a sleeping bag liner suffice?

After feeling like I had most things I now fear I have not.

Thanks.

Jon.

 

[bauzonc]

Hi Jon,

I am also a newbie. I am planning on leaving from Porto on the 31st of August.

Right now I am planning on taking two dri-fit shirts, a pair of hiking shorts, and a pair of hiking pants. And of course, the other necessities (rain jacket and pants, undies, socks, etc.). Plus, whatever I am going to wear for air travel.

As for alternate shoes, I am thinking of taking my addidas slippers, for going to shower or a quick walk to the restaurant/bar/store.

I am not planning on bringing a sleeping bag. Just a liner, which I still need to buy.

We'll see what the more experienced camino pilgrims got to advise us.

Take care.

 

[Diogo92]

Hello JRoberts21 and bauzonc, check my packing list that I've done for my Portuguese Caminho this year: equipment-questions/topic18137.html

If you have any questions, contact me for my email diogomartins555@hotmail.com

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[scruffy1]

Sleeping bag liners are often a tight fit like sleeping in a bed with all the sheets tucked in too tightly-get a big one. Shoes-crocs-flipflops? Most albergues have seen several thousand pilgrims go through their showers and toilet rooms before you arrived-usually very clean but do consider several thousand pairs of sweaty blistered sometimes bloodied athlete's foot fungi-ed plus the usual and expected accumulated crud nastiness and discarded toenails all waiting for you on a damp floor. You will make the right decision I'm sure.

 

[Miranet]

Hi all,

I just got back home from the Portuguese route. I only had a liner with me, but some Albergues didn't have blankets so it was a bit cold (you can sleep in your cloths but it will still be cold). Some nice fellow pilgrims borrowed me their sleeping bag so I was fine, but I would take a summer sleeping bag (or a small and light blanket) next time.

As for shoes, I had hiking boots and flip flops at first but got blisters between my toes exactly where the flip flops were putting pressure on my skin, so I bought shower shoes instead which were much more comfortable and served me as sandals during breaks and in the evenings.

For clothing, I had 1pair of long pants, one 3/4 and one short which was a good mix.

I had 3 shirts and 1 long sleeve shirt plus a rain jacket. Next time ill take a second long sleeve shirt cause it gets cold in the evenings. And you might want to wash it at some point.

Generally: Take less rather than more. You can buy things you need along the way.

I asked a friend to help me select things I didnt need before and was quite happy with what I brought.

My total bag weight was 5.6kg without food&water so I must have done something right . Still I had things with me I didn't really need.

Hope this helps a bit.

Mira

 

[Diogo92]

Hi all,

I just got back home from the Portuguese route. I only had a liner with me, but some Albergues didn't have blankets so it was a bit cold (you can sleep in your cloths but it will still be cold). Some nice fellow pilgrims borrowed me their sleeping bag so I was fine, but I would take a summer sleeping bag (or a small and light blanket) next time.

As for shoes, I had hiking boots and flip flops at first but got blisters between my toes exactly where the flip flops were putting pressure on my skin, so I bought shower shoes instead which were much more comfortable and served me as sandals during breaks and in the evenings.

For clothing, I had 1pair of long pants, one 3/4 and one short which was a good mix.

I had 3 shirts and 1 long sleeve shirt plus a rain jacket. Next time ill take a second long sleeve shirt cause it gets cold in the evenings. And you might want to wash it at some point.

Generally: Take less rather than more. You can buy things you need along the way.

I asked a friend to help me select things I didnt need before and was quite happy with what I brought.

My total bag weight was 5.6kg without food&water so I must have done something right . Still I had things with me I didn't really need.

Hope this helps a bit.

Mira

Miranet, considering that problem of the cold, I tooked my ultralight sleeping bag. The only place where I felt cold was in the albergue of Padrón, but because somebody let the window open heheh

Best regards
Diogo

 

[bauzonc]

Hi Diogo, scruffy1, Mira,

Thanks for your tips. They are helping me with my camino preparation.

I am going late August to early September. Do you think I will need rain pants? I am just bringing a rain jacket and no poncho. Will this be enough?

 

[Diogo92]

Hi bauzonc. They are saying that this will be one of the wettest and coldest Summers that Portugal and Spain have faced off. And for what I know, Galiza it's a little bit like the UK, even in Summer it tends to rain. Be smart and try to buy some modular pants like this: http://www.quechua.com/en-EN/notice/pla ... homme.html

They are very light, you can convert them into shorts and if rains, they will dry very fast. It's worth the investment. If you choose to take some, take only one pair.

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[robventures]

Like all these things, it's a matter of
personal preference...

I absolutely hate convertible trousers - the weight of the zip flapping around the knee day after day after day becomes incredibly irritating. I know I'm not alone in thinking this way.

If it looks like rain and it's above freezing, I just switch to very light running shorts. (I need these anyway for something to wear when I'm washing the hiking trousers.)

 

[bauzonc]

Hi bauzonc. They are saying that this will be one of the wettest and coldest Summers that Portugal and Spain have faced off. And for what I know, Galiza it's a little bit like the UK, even in Summer it tends to rain. Be smart and try to buy some modular pants like this: http://www.quechua.com/en-EN/notice/pla ... homme.html

They are very light, you can convert them into shorts and if rains, they will dry very fast. It's worth the investment. If you choose to take some, take only one pair.

Best Regards
Diogo

Hi Diogo,

I have a pair of hiking pants - similar to what you got though mine is not convertible. As you said, they are light and they dry fast.

Thanks for your advise! I will email you when I have more questions. (Hope you don't mind.)

Take care.

 

[bauzonc]

Like all these things, it's a matter of
personal preference...

I absolutely hate convertible trousers - the weight of the zip flapping around the knee day after day after day becomes incredibly irritating. I know I'm not alone in thinking this way.

If it looks like rain and it's above freezing, I just switch to very light running shorts. (I need these anyway for something to wear when I'm washing the hiking trousers.)

If it's raining and warm enough, I'll switch to capris. Still debating whether to get a pair of rain pants or not.

 

[murrayt]

Regarding zip-off hiking pants, not all zip-off hiking pants unzip near the knee. I have two pairs of hiking pants that I use for hiking (REI and one other brand whose name escapes me at the moment). Both convert from full-length pants to shorts. (My personal preference for hiking is shorts, unless it's cold, is to hike in shorts.) When it is too cold for just the thin hiking pants, I also wear a capilene base layer (the set that I have is Patagonia).

Now, I will have to make a full disclaimer here that I have not yet walked the Camino and that my hiking experience is limited to the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. I am planning to walk the Camino next year with a fairly new friend. We met at an event earlier this year and quite serendipetously found ourselves discussing our mutual plans to walk the Camino next year, so we decided to embark on it together.

 

[Diogo92]

bauzonc, you can contact me whenever you want, there is no problem with that, and I'll be very glad for helping you.

robventures, you're right man on the thing that it's a matter of personal preference, so it will depend from person to person. The ones that I have where bought with the zip a little bit over the knee, and I have other with zip a little bit under the knee. I usually recommend these just to protect and cover your feet in case of rain. Because wet socks are not so good has that. But hey, has you've said, it depends from person to person.

murrayt, I did the Portuguese Caminho this year and I don't regret taking the 2 pairs of hiking pats because of two things: rain and protection (against bugs and sun ) Has I've said previously, we are having one of the wettest Summers in 200 years (today it's raining and we're having 17º temperatures in Lisbon, and colder in the Northern part of the country), so I thing that at least one pair of convertible would fit very well on your backpack.

Best regadrs
Diogo

 

[Finisterre]

spare socks are lighter than over-trousers and you are basically waterproof
three pairs of socks and two pairs of quick dry running pants is enough
wash them each day and you don't need to pack underwear

sleeping bags are nice if you are knackered. down single season, say 400 gram.

crocs are good

have fun and try to keep your pack below three kilos.