Some feedback on my backpack/equipment

[florin]

Hey everyone. I need some feedback about my luggage. It has 4.8 kg, of which about 1.4 is the empty backpack, 635 grams is the sleeping bag, 586 grams is the waterproof jacket. I have not included in the total weight of 1 pair of pants, one shirt, one shorts, one pair of socks. Most of the things I bought from Decathlon (a network of sporting goods stores that is also here). Most of them I took from the hiking district, I asked the advice of those there and I generally took materials that dry quickly and are created for hiking and trekking. They are not even their top range.

The list that I thought looks like this ( I also attached a picture):
1 backpack (50L model - big but I already had it)
1 rain cover for backpack
1 sleeping bag (usable till 10 degrees Celsius)
1 pair of flip-flops
1 microfibre towel
1 neck scarf
1 pair of sunglasses
1 sunglasses bag + wiping cloth
1 shorts (quick-drying technical material)
1 trousers (quick drying, technical)
1 jacket (waterproof, should withstand rain for several hours, and windproof)
3 pants (technical material, fast drying, here in the picture is only one)
3 T-shirts (2 technical, breathable, quick drying, one cotton - to feel the touch of cotton ...)
3 pairs of stockings (technical material, quick drying, model for hiking)
1 long sleeve shirt (also technically, breathable, quick drying)
1 plastic plate, knife, spoon and plastic fork
1 bandage, 3 common patches, 5 blister patches, 10 sterile compresses
1 sewing thread, 1 needle, 6 safety pins (for repairs, hanging on dry clothes)
1 nylon thread app. 3 meters
1 lip balm with sun protection
1 earplugs
1 small shampoo (100 ml) for body and clothes (I'll buy from there when it's over)
1 small shampoo (50 ml) for hair (I have dandruff and is a specific brand I use, I bought a small container and I filled it)
1 hair cream (50 ml) (to arrange a little hair in the morning - it should be enough until the end of the trip)
1 micro USB usb phone charger and one triple plug (if the electrical sockets are occupied), plus headphones
5 small containers (30-50 ml) with: sunscreen, healing cream, betadine, lavender oil, anti-inflammatory cream,
1 small toothpaste (50 ml) and 1 small toothbrush (over which I wrapped the dental floss)
1 package dry napkins (instead of emergency toilet paper) and one with wet antibacterial wipes
5 medium-sized zip bags, 5 small zip bags, 10 medium thin bags, 3 slightly larger bags (those on the right in the picture)
1 small notebook and a pen, to take notes, journaling

questions:

1. Is it enough to have 1 short and one long pants? They are from fast-drying materials, should I take another pair of each or is it enough?
2. Is the front torch needed? I did not include it here when I weighed the full shit. Should I take it or not (it weights 61 grams)?
3. I have a pair of Salomon ultra 3 gtx shoes, I have worn them in the last few weeks to get used to it. The thing is that they are waterproof and theoretically breathable, but if it's very hot I do not know how good they are. In addition, they are quite heavy. I was thinking of taking a pair of very lightweight textile socks (shown in the picture on the top left) for those moments and to change sometimes - they breathe very well and weight 660 grams. What do you think?
4. Do I need a polar or is it enough what I have? I already have one (it weights another 296 grams) and could add it if it makes sense.
5. Should I also take a glass of plastic with me to drink (water etc)?
6. I did not put a bottle of water, I thought to buy 1-2 of it (disposable) and change it when necessary. What do you think?
7. I did not take pants for swimming, the ones I have are anyway from technical material and I think they are good for this.
8. The jacket I have is impermeable, so is the shoe, so I was thinking of not taking a poncho. That means I'll wet my feet when / if it rains. Do you think it could be a problem? Should I add a poncho?
9. Is anything else I should add? Or remove?

 

[Vacajoe]

You only need one pair of short pants and one long - ditch the rest. The same with shirts. You wash/dry every night so two of each works well if something doesn’t dry. Torch isn’t needed unless you plan to walk very early or late, but I always carry one for emergencies while traveling so that’s a personal choice.

Buy water there and reuse the bottles until they fail. You don’t need a cup but it’s nice to have one on the trail if someone is sharing a bottle with you or you stop to picnic.

Most of all, weight depends on your ability to carry it - stop worrying about getting it perfect and know that you can buy whatever you think didn’t bring while you are there.

 

[tomnorth]

As suggested above, you should only need to pack one pair of hiking pants. The other you will wear. If you get the convertible type you can ditch the shorts too. I would take some sort of rain gear. I prefer jackets to ponchos, but it’s a personal preference thing. I didn’t walk with a headlamp in 2015, but I plan on doing so in 2019.

 

[tomnorth]

I also didn’t notice a cork puller and a knife. If you want to enjoy the Spanish wine along with their cheese and bread, those two items are essential. The knife came in handy more times than I can number. I got a 3-1/2 inch lightweight folding knife from Gerber.

 

[tomnorth]

Oh yes, another thing to consider is a collapsible cup. You’d be surprised at how hard it is to find cups on the Camino. I picked up a version from REI.

 

[alaskadiver]

3 pants and 4 shirts are far too many. Either a jacket or a poncho, not both.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Hey everyone. I need some feedback about my luggage. It has 4.8 kg, of which about 1.4 is the empty backpack, 635 grams is the sleeping bag, 586 grams is the waterproof jacket. I have not included in the total weight of 1 pair of pants, one shirt, one shorts, one pair of socks. Most of the things I bought from Decathlon (a network of sporting goods stores that is also here). Most of them I took from the hiking district, I asked the advice of those there and I generally took materials that dry quickly and are created for hiking and trekking. They are not even their top range.

The list that I thought looks like this ( I also attached a picture)View attachment 44140:
1 backpack (50L model - big but I already had it)
1 rain cover for backpack
1 sleeping bag (usable till 10 degrees Celsius)
1 pair of flip-flops
1 microfibre towel
1 neck scarf
1 pair of sunglasses
1 sunglasses bag + wiping cloth
1 shorts (quick-drying technical material)
1 trousers (quick drying, technical)
1 jacket (waterproof, should withstand rain for several hours, and windproof)
3 pants (technical material, fast drying, here in the picture is only one)
3 T-shirts (2 technical, breathable, quick drying, one cotton - to feel the touch of cotton ...)
3 pairs of stockings (technical material, quick drying, model for hiking)
1 long sleeve shirt (also technically, breathable, quick drying)
1 plastic plate, knife, spoon and plastic fork
1 bandage, 3 common patches, 5 blister patches, 10 sterile compresses
1 sewing thread, 1 needle, 6 safety pins (for repairs, hanging on dry clothes)
1 nylon thread app. 3 meters
1 lip balm with sun protection
1 earplugs
1 small shampoo (100 ml) for body and clothes (I'll buy from there when it's over)
1 small shampoo (50 ml) for hair (I have dandruff and is a specific brand I use, I bought a small container and I filled it)
1 hair cream (50 ml) (to arrange a little hair in the morning - it should be enough until the end of the trip)
1 micro USB usb phone charger and one triple plug (if the electrical sockets are occupied), plus headphones
5 small containers (30-50 ml) with: sunscreen, healing cream, betadine, lavender oil, anti-inflammatory cream,
1 small toothpaste (50 ml) and 1 small toothbrush (over which I wrapped the dental floss)
1 package dry napkins (instead of emergency toilet paper) and one with wet antibacterial wipes
5 medium-sized zip bags, 5 small zip bags, 10 medium thin bags, 3 slightly larger bags (those on the right in the picture)
1 small notebook and a pen, to take notes, journaling

questions:

1. Is it enough to have 1 short and one long pants? They are from fast-drying materials, should I take another pair of each or is it enough?
2. Is the front torch needed? I did not include it here when I weighed the full shit. Should I take it or not (it weights 61 grams)?
3. I have a pair of Salomon ultra 3 gtx shoes, I have worn them in the last few weeks to get used to it. The thing is that they are waterproof and theoretically breathable, but if it's very hot I do not know how good they are. In addition, they are quite heavy. I was thinking of taking a pair of very lightweight textile socks (shown in the picture on the top left) for those moments and to change sometimes - they breathe very well and weight 660 grams. What do you think?
4. Do I need a polar or is it enough what I have? I already have one (it weights another 296 grams) and could add it if it makes sense.
5. Should I also take a glass of plastic with me to drink (water etc)?
6. I did not put a bottle of water, I thought to buy 1-2 of it (disposable) and change it when necessary. What do you think?
7. I did not take pants for swimming, the ones I have are anyway from technical material and I think they are good for this.
8. The jacket I have is impermeable, so is the shoe, so I was thinking of not taking a poncho. That means I'll wet my feet when / if it rains. Do you think it could be a problem? Should I add a poncho?
9. Is anything else I should add? Or remove?

1. It looks like you have 4 pairs of long pants? If so, ditch 3 of them. One pair and the shorts are plenty.
2. Keep one short sleeve 'technical' T-shirt and the long-sleeved shirt; ditch the other T-shirts.
3. Either a rain jacket or a poncho, not both. I prefer a poncho because it covers my pack, I don't have to take off my pack to put it on or take it of, and is has superior ventilation all around due to the volume of air movement. Since a poncho requires no rain cover for the pack, more weight is saved.
4. I prefer a lighter, highly breathable,non GTX trail runner.
5. Ditch the plate and utensils. Get a lightweight, plastic camp mug.
6. Three pairs of socks is sufficient. No need to bring a 4th pair.
7. Wet feet are not a problem with breathable footwear, as they will dry out quickly. Further information here.

 

[Marbe2]

Use Non GTX shoes for warmer weather..otherwise you may sweat too much. This past Spring, it rained almost every day. Still my non GTX Vasquez trail runners dried by morning with a little help. If you are going in the warmer months my vote is for a lite poncho! Consider a 1.9oz titanium mug..holds 12oz. Can use for wine, water, coffee, etc. They are expensive but durable!

 

[Anamya]

I agree with the "too many pants" comment above. Other things:

- Too many zip bags. take 2-3 of each, maximum, and you will be fine.
- Head torch can be useful, my husband had one and we used it a few times.
- Another vote for the trail runner, no need for another pair.
- 1 pair of stockings is enough, no need for 3.
- About water, buy one when you get there are refill it - do not buy multiple plastic bottles, please. there are lots of fountains along the way you can simply refill the one you already have.
- Your healing kit seems good, maybe just take 2-3 band-aids.
- Maybe consider taking safety pins? they weigh nothing and are great to pin things to the backpack to dry while you walk, to fix ripped clothes (or pants that got too big after all the walk) and to keep things from running down the clothing line

Overall, you made a pretty good list! Buen Camino!

 

[josephmcclain]

Agree with everything above!! My only concern is the size of your backpack. You certainly will have no problem packing in the morning. Plenty of space. BUT you will find that because the pack is half empty the weight sits low and that is not good for your back, nor the way the pack wants to distribute the weight at its optimum. Smaller, I would say!!! I made the same mistake! And was constantly trying to figure out how to repack. I had an osprey 48. Here are the things that I eventually gave away in order to get my weight down:
1. Headlamp
2. Knee braces
3. Sleeping bag (It was October)
4. And other stuff I forgot!

 

[KJFSophie]

Hey everyone. I need some feedback about my luggage. It has 4.8 kg, of which about 1.4 is the empty backpack, 635 grams is the sleeping bag, 586 grams is the waterproof jacket. I have not included in the total weight of 1 pair of pants, one shirt, one shorts, one pair of socks. Most of the things I bought from Decathlon (a network of sporting goods stores that is also here). Most of them I took from the hiking district, I asked the advice of those there and I generally took materials that dry quickly and are created for hiking and trekking. They are not even their top range.

The list that I thought looks like this ( I also attached a picture)View attachment 44140:
1 backpack (50L model - big but I already had it)
1 rain cover for backpack
1 sleeping bag (usable till 10 degrees Celsius)
1 pair of flip-flops
1 microfibre towel
1 neck scarf
1 pair of sunglasses
1 sunglasses bag + wiping cloth
1 shorts (quick-drying technical material)
1 trousers (quick drying, technical)
1 jacket (waterproof, should withstand rain for several hours, and windproof)
3 pants (technical material, fast drying, here in the picture is only one)
3 T-shirts (2 technical, breathable, quick drying, one cotton - to feel the touch of cotton ...)
3 pairs of stockings (technical material, quick drying, model for hiking)
1 long sleeve shirt (also technically, breathable, quick drying)
1 plastic plate, knife, spoon and plastic fork
1 bandage, 3 common patches, 5 blister patches, 10 sterile compresses
1 sewing thread, 1 needle, 6 safety pins (for repairs, hanging on dry clothes)
1 nylon thread app. 3 meters
1 lip balm with sun protection
1 earplugs
1 small shampoo (100 ml) for body and clothes (I'll buy from there when it's over)
1 small shampoo (50 ml) for hair (I have dandruff and is a specific brand I use, I bought a small container and I filled it)
1 hair cream (50 ml) (to arrange a little hair in the morning - it should be enough until the end of the trip)
1 micro USB usb phone charger and one triple plug (if the electrical sockets are occupied), plus headphones
5 small containers (30-50 ml) with: sunscreen, healing cream, betadine, lavender oil, anti-inflammatory cream,
1 small toothpaste (50 ml) and 1 small toothbrush (over which I wrapped the dental floss)
1 package dry napkins (instead of emergency toilet paper) and one with wet antibacterial wipes
5 medium-sized zip bags, 5 small zip bags, 10 medium thin bags, 3 slightly larger bags (those on the right in the picture)
1 small notebook and a pen, to take notes, journaling

questions:

1. Is it enough to have 1 short and one long pants? They are from fast-drying materials, should I take another pair of each or is it enough?
2. Is the front torch needed? I did not include it here when I weighed the full shit. Should I take it or not (it weights 61 grams)?
3. I have a pair of Salomon ultra 3 gtx shoes, I have worn them in the last few weeks to get used to it. The thing is that they are waterproof and theoretically breathable, but if it's very hot I do not know how good they are. In addition, they are quite heavy. I was thinking of taking a pair of very lightweight textile socks (shown in the picture on the top left) for those moments and to change sometimes - they breathe very well and weight 660 grams. What do you think?
4. Do I need a polar or is it enough what I have? I already have one (it weights another 296 grams) and could add it if it makes sense.
5. Should I also take a glass of plastic with me to drink (water etc)?
6. I did not put a bottle of water, I thought to buy 1-2 of it (disposable) and change it when necessary. What do you think?
7. I did not take pants for swimming, the ones I have are anyway from technical material and I think they are good for this.
8. The jacket I have is impermeable, so is the shoe, so I was thinking of not taking a poncho. That means I'll wet my feet when / if it rains. Do you think it could be a problem? Should I add a poncho?
9. Is anything else I should add? Or remove?

I don't see a quick dry/camp towel for drying off after showers? I bring a cotton bandana as well to use as a washcloth, cooling towel, headband, padding on a shoulder strap, foot wrap, first aid, etc..... worth it's weight and cotton!

 

[tomnorth]

I don't see a quick dry/camp towel for drying off after showers? I bring a cotton bandana as well to use as a washcloth, cooling towel, headband, padding on a shoulder strap, foot wrap, first aid, etc..... worth it's weight and cotton!

Yes, one of those ultralight towels is a must for me. I also brought an ultralight washcloth. Again, I got mine from REI. I also brought a regular cotton bandana, which came in super handy.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Agree with everything above!! My only concern is the size of your backpack. You certainly will have no problem packing in the morning. Plenty of space. BUT you will find that because the pack is half empty the weight sits low and that is not good for your back, nor the way the pack wants to distribute the weight at its optimum. ...

Hi, Joseph....
I am having a bit of difficulty understanding why a partially filled backpack would create such conditions for the wearer. I might be missing something, though. Let me share what I have found, and then perhaps you can give me some feedback.

I have used my Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60 liter pack for wilderness backpacking when it is slightly full with 8 days worth of food and fuel with a total pack weight of around 22 pounds (10 kg); and on Camino where it is only 1/3 full, with a total pack weight of around 9 pounds (4.2 kg). Although lighter, I don't find any real difference in how the pack itself performs at that lighter weight. The shoulder harness and hip belt are adjusted the same, and sit the same way on my body. Of course at the lighter weight, there is less effect from gravity tugging the contents of the pack downward.

You are absolutely correct that the method of packing a backpack affects its balance and the way it will ride when carried. I find, though, that with the lighter load of the pack I carry on Camino, it is less critical -- to the load distribution in the pack -- as to the manner and method used to load the pack, although I still tend to follow the same basic principals as when I was thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail or when going out for a 5 day backpacking trip in Rockies.

 

[David Tallan]

All of this is personal opinion.

I liked having two changes of clothes rather than just the one that everyone is suggesting. My clothes were very light, so I don't think it added a lot of weight. And it gave me some flexibility if for some reason it was difficult to do laundry and have it dry on a particular day. That said, 4 shirts seemed excessive. I had some extremely lightweight, quick-drying trousers that zipped off at the knee which I found really useful. They could be trousers or shorts as I needed and they worked out especially well when I developed a need for a knee brace because they made it easy to put on and remove without removing my trousers.

I also preferred hiking sandals to flip flops. They may be a bit more weight but they give you a lot more flexibility.

I agree with adding a pocket knife and leaving behind the plate, spoon and fork. I'm assuming there will also be a phone to go with the charger and cord. I like the ziplock bags. I had some even bigger ones that I used to hold changes of clothes (one set in each bag). Aside from keeping clothes dry in the backpack, and when I took clothes I was going to change into to the showers, they also gave me some piece of mind when I worried about being exposed to bedbugs. I knew that clean clothes in ziplock bags were not exposed or infested. And they don't rustle. I also bought water and refilled the bottles. I didn't need a cup.

I agree with not adding the poncho. I'm not sure how warm your rain jacket is. I had a very light, thin rain jacket that provided no warmth but acted as rain jacket/windbreaker and a separate fleece hoodie for warmth. I found that provided the right combination of flexibility and light weight for me. We walked in July and August, and the fleece wasn't often used but there were a few cold mornings and the weather isn't always the same year from year.

I would add hiking poles, but that is a whole other conversation, I expect. I would also add a hat.

 

[florin]

Do I need to carry a money belt? I was thinking to keep some money in my pocket (zipped) together with my national identity card which is thin (I'm from European Union so I dont need a passport for Spain) and a bank card. A second bank card and copy of my national ID in backpack with some money.

Since I will not carry much money I dont see the need of a money belt. What do you think?

 

[David Tallan]

I'm not even European and I didn't carry a money belt when I did the Camino Frances in 2016 and I was fine without it.