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Should I bring my own Mercado bag?

montyhiker

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
April/May 2024
Sorry if this seems trivial, but I leave in 26 days for my first Camino (Frances). I’m finalizing my backpack items figuring what makes the honored Final Cut. Question: I was gonna bring a reusable lightweight bag for the trips I might make to a supermercado for food items. Should I do this, OR do Mercados supply bags to carry out your items? My shopping bag is not heavy, just bulky (4 inch X 4 inch). I’m not asking what’s best for the environment, just whether Spanish markets have their own bags (I promise, I’ll recycle them if they do). Thanks Pilgrims!
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Spanish tiendas and supermercados DO have plastic bags. I believe they charge €0.05 per bag.

To avoid this, and to use as a "possibles" bag, I have used a near-identical item for the past decade.


Mine was made by Sea to Summit. But, they seem not to offer it anymore. The Sea to Summit bag had a zipper to close the top. That bag held 16 liters. I use it as a carry-on bag for the flight over, a shopping bag when walking into town, a touring day back, and a laundry bag.

Both my bag and this one can be used in a similar manner. I attach mine to my rucksack harness so it is usable while I walk if needed. I just unclip it and open it up from it's tennis ball-sized compressed size.

Hope this helps.

Tom
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
trecile said:
Stores do provide bags if you ask, but your own shopping bag is more environmentally friendly, and can do double duty as a bag to take your items into the shower area.
Click to expand...
That’s a good point about the ‘shower area’.
 
I use a little 'Chico' bag that wads up into a little ball. I think it is made with plastic water bottles and I use it as shopping bag, shower bag, laundry bag, etc. It is small enough to stuff in my pocket when I am out and about in case I need to stop somewhere and pick up something.
 
I use this drawstring sack to hold my after-walking-slides when they are in my pack....the bag then gets taken to the shower and the clothes washing sink....and finally to the mercado/tienda. Occasionally I wish for a better handle on it when it is full of food, but not enough to want to carry the extra weight. On the occasion there were not enough pillows for everyone it worked quite well stuffed with clothes and wrapped in my fleece jacket.
 
Camino Cleanup Program & Retreat
Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June
Osprey do an 'ultralight stuff pack'. (Think tiny backpack) Basically a pretty much weightless ( ok, . . . 4 ounces) backpack which is really tough and comes complete with mesh compartment. It packs into itself and is about the size of a small orange when stowed. ( although a lot lighter!)
Great piece of kit. I've taken it on my last two Camino's. I use it as a shower bag, town bag and for supermarket runs.
Buen Camino
 
Nanobags weigh less than one ounce:

Nanobag

Experience the magic of Nanobag, the best ultralight, packable reusable bag that fits in your pocket. Perfect for travel, groceries, and everyday use.
nanobag.com
Or you can find a lightweight nylon bag at most grocery stores in the US for a better price.
 
I take my trusty Bunnings shopping bag https://www.bunnings.co.nz/bunnings...s3tPQ2erbLtCydUJ8hEaAuMiEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Doesn't crinkle and wake sleeping pilgrims, lightweight and has multiple uses as others have mentioned.

One of those better Aussie exports
 
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
A russian shopping bag from the early 80’s; basically a very strong string bag with the capacity of Mary Poppins’ handbag.

If you saw a queue in Moscow in the early 80s, you joined it, because it implied something was available - you found out what you were queuing to buy later.

Mine was a gift from a Muscovite Co-worker a while later.
 
I use a very similar very lightweight day pack, weighs next to nothing, packs down to nothing and serves multiple purposes.
 
Plastic shopping bags from home(or bought there) work fine.
I clip to my belt the Sea to Summit 20liter daypack and use it for groceries, it’s about the size of a golf ball. This bag doubles as my personal item on planes and trains and it’s a great backpack to have while sightseeing.
Once when walking the Frances, my walking partner got hurt and insisted on using Jacotrans to move our large backpacks, so I used it for 4 days to keep my valuables, jacket and water with me when walking.
 
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Yep, those small UltraSil bags/backpacks are great.
We use ours for:

Shopping, taking laundry, on the plane as a 'hand bag', as a pack 'overflow', if we buy a bulky DIY lunch........101 uses.

Super light. Ours is 50 gms I think and about 22L capacity. Folds up to about 2-3 cm cube.
So you could even use it as a day pack if you needed to send your pack ahead, or use it to send ahead with gear in it.

 
A lightweight reusable bag can have many purposes, including, but not limited to, a bag to hold shower stuff, grocery bag, laundry bag, etc. I vote Yes on bringing an extra bag as long as it doesn’t weigh more than an ounce or two.
 
I used the Sea to Summit ultrasil packable back pack. Packs down to the size of an egg. Not cheap though. But really tough, light and holds a lot. Alternatively, just bring any of those thin, tough lightweight fold-small reusable/foldable shopping bags that have been around for the last few years ..
 
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
I have a Decathlon bag that I have used for the last 5 o6 caminos. I use it when I buy groceries and if I need food for a whole day and the next morning I will put what I bought in that bag and carry it. It sounds like a pain but you get used to it pretty quickly. When I started the VDLP, even though it was late October when I left Sevilla, I carried my food (there were not alot of options especially because Spain was just opening up and you never knew what may be open. Some days there is nothing from stage to stage. I had my food and 2 liters of cold water (plus the one I always carry on the side of my backpack) and one frozen liter of water to keep my food and the other water cold.
 
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t2andreo said:
Spanish tiendas and supermercados DO have plastic bags. I believe they charge €0.05 per bag.
Click to expand...
I highly recommend this large Quechua crossover bag that @t2andreo gifted me in Florida when we had opportunity to meet for coffee. I have brought it on every Camino since then as it weighs "nothing", is sturdy and holds quite a few groceries, including a bottle of wine if our private room has a balcony or nice views. I wear it as a crossover bag in airports for under the seat storage, and it folds up to nothing in my backpack afterward...I love it!
 
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Camino Jewellery
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Decathlon sells something very much like this, only in Decathlon blue. It folds into its own pouch, about 4" x 4" x .5" and is very lightweight. My wife and I are currently in the Czech Republic and use a couple of them for grocery shopping.
 
I recall I got them, at Decathlon. I do not know if they are still available. But I DO recall they were cheap.

Hope this helps.

Tom
 
t2andreo said:
I recall I got them, at Decathlon. I do not know if they are still available. But I DO recall they were cheap.

Hope this helps.

Tom
Click to expand...
It would be a shame if they have discontinued it, as it has water bottle holders on the sides, an additional zippered area on the center and another very small one inside the bag.
 
Camino wristwatch
Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
I know. I still have a few in my private stash.

Looks like I will need to handle and share them sparingly.
 
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Yes, always had a very light weight bag stuffed in my pocket while wandering around. 1.8oz. It was a free promotional item.
 

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RRat said:
Yes, always had a very light weight bag stuffed in my pocket while wandering around. 1.8oz. It was a free promotional item.
Click to expand...
It looks like it is probably a string bag. They come in handy and used to bring one of those before I received the Quechua bag.
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
The Galician association had produced their own recycled bags when I was last there. Most albergues had a stack of them, free to use and, presumably, return.

 
Train on the 4-day Catalina Camino
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
On my first Camino in 2001 I took along a cotton tote bag I'd picked up at a trade fair. It had longer than normal handles which meant I could put my head through them and it rested on my chest.
It became know, rather unfairly in my opinion, as "Jeff's nosebag".
I've taken a modified (foam padding inside the shoulder straps) Sea to Summit ultrasil packable back pack since then.
 
I always carry a string bag with me when traveling. Before heading to the airport, I load everything I need to keep with me in it and place in in the top of my backpack. Makes it very easy to pull out in the rare instance they run out of overhead space and I need to gate check my backpack.
 
Camino wristwatch
Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
Camino Chrissy said:
It looks like it is probably a string bag. They come in handy and used to bring one of those before I received the Quechua bag.
Click to expand...
Looks a lot like the (leftover) poncho bags in my stash, though I am sure those are smaller. I am bringing a mesh bag as 1) plane bag, 2) shopping bag. Can also do for dirty clothes if there is a washer nearby. (Made in house. Also other bags, there is a lot of interesting, slippy-textured fabric in the stash. Not bringing the zipper bag with a cotton lining, it's not slippy enough on the inside and it's too heavy.)
I always thought "string bag" meant a mesh of knotted strings, not a drawstring bag made of fabric. But usages may vary.
BC to all
 
Nope, in the midwest where I am from, "string bags" are not made out of mesh and I have never seen one of those before. Ours are what you are calling a "drawstring backpack"...I call yours a mesh bag. What I call a string bag are cheapies that are often given out free at conferences with company logos on one side advertising their product, and because of the thin "string" used as the backpack straps.
It doesn't really matter though; both have a purpose.
 
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Camino Ready, Backpacks, Boots etc
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
I always define 'our' string bags as 'loads of holes sewn together'
 
Bring it. Very much looked down upon if needing a bag IMHO. I use mine walking around villages in evening too, as many times I sit in bar or outside writing in my journal or planning my next stage with John Brierly . My Fold up bag holds these items perfectly. For laundry items too! Buen Camino.
 
Not sure if it's on everyone's packing lists but I loved have a smaller bag. Similar to previous comment..I used it for grocery shopping and to hold food and also sometimes walking around in the evenings to carry my Brierley book or my sunglasses or whatever. I have a Sea to Summit one like this (also mentioned above!) https://seatosummit.com/products/ultra-sil-day-pack. It looks a little more substantial in the photos than in real life but it's very light and packs down into a little pouch.
 
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Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
My solution was a stuffable back pack, which also served as my carryon since I checked my bag. These stuffable backpacks weigh almost nothing and can stuff down into a small ball that takes up very little space in your pack. Once unstuffed, they can hold a lot of groceries. I usually had enough space when I went shopping.
 
It can be useful. I had a nice one from Decathalon that took less space than a standard plastic shopping bag.
 
Bring a bag or get the first plastic one and use it the whole time.
 
Camino Jewellery
A selection of Camino Jewellery
`Always carried one of these, lightweight, packable and very durable (72 grams 20ltr capacity) use it as my under seat bag on flights!
My thinking was if no longer able to carry my full pack it's good enough to carry waterproofs and water as well as shopping etc. also still use my poles!
I think somewhere ultra ultralight hikers have used the for a whole trail or Camino.
 
trecile said:
Stores do provide bags if you ask, but your own shopping bag is more environmentally friendly, and can do double duty as a bag to take your items into the shower area.
Click to expand...
I had a bag I used for many things. Mostly mercado purchase, and taking things to the shower. It was great and I was glad I had it.
 
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