To Take Gear From Home Or Not.

[Lindsay53]

Hi all, from what I have read it seems that there is plenty of opportunity to buy any clothing and equipment needed for the Camino in SJPP or along the way and I am wondering how costs compare with Australia.
I am a keen bushwalker and I already have all the gear I would need, however there is some hassle involved in transporting poles, pocket knife, first aid items etc. on an aircraft and I am thinking of just taking my pack and a few clothing items as carry on and buying the rest on arrival. Would this be cost effective?

cheers,
Lindsay

 

[kelleymac]

I think it depends on how nice your hiking poles are. I bought poles and knife after I arrived. The poles were about $50 euros (I bought them in France, but also saw them in shops in the bigger cities in Spain). The knife was just a jack knife. I brought clothes and first aid items in a small pack from home. My pack was small enough to be a carry on.

 

[C clearly]

Rather than just taking your "pack and a few clothing items", I would say take everything except those items that will cause hassle. I don't like to spend time on the Camino looking for things when I could have taken my time to do it more carefully at home.

 

[Anamiri]

I found its best to take all your gear with you. I forgot a knife and had to buy one a few days in. There are places to buy stuff, but it I found it all depends on timing. Remember the Spanish 'open ' hours don't necessarily work in with your walking schedule. It look me days to find a pharmacy that was open.
They were there but shut.
It is easier in the bigger towns and cities of course - it depends where you are when you need something.

 

[alaskadiver]

Just check a small bag with those items you can’t carry onboard. That’s what we do. It’s really not a hassle and I say this as someone who travels as far away as Alaska to Spain.

 

[marjude]

I’m also from OZ and I take a small back pack on board with me that has the things in it that I don’t want to lose medication, chargers, camera, e book etc and all the things that can easily be replaced if lost are in my checked in back pack. My poles fold down so as to fit in my pack. My pack is then placed in a back pack cover bag for protection and then when I arrive at Pamplona I stay there for 2/3 nights to get over jet lag and while there I post the things that I use to travel onto Ivar in Santiago for safe keeping and I then have them for my trip home. Ivar’s postal service is great. I’m also walking April/ May but I’m not sure where I will start maybe somewhere between St Jean and Pamplona.
Burn Camino judy

 

[Robo]

I’m also from Oz. I take all my gear from home so I can try ane test it out.
My pack is carry on size.
I only check in a mailing tube that contains my poles, liquids and small knife.

When I get there i’m Ready to go, with gear I am used to....

 

[SYates]

The gear you have at home is tried and tested and liked by you, correct? Whilst it is true that you can buy a lot of equipment in SJPdP, there is no warranty that it is exactly what you want. Take your own gear and Buen Camino, SY

 

[gerardcarey]

I think that you may find you will be able to fit all clothing required in your carryon pack. Ensure its dimensions are within allowable limits.
If you can, consider getting poles, a knife, and any other essentials when you arrive.
The price of clothing and equipment is roughly equivalent to that available in OZ. It may however be more difficult to find as you will not be knowledgeable as to local suppliers.
Regards
Gerard

 

[Lindsay53]

Thanks everyone for your replies. The mailing tube is looking good, as is sending post camino clothing to Ivar for safekeeping.

 

[DonnaS18]

I’d recommend taking everything as carry on then yr ready to go when u get there. I took 7kg carryon from Aus. I don’t use poles or a knife, but fellow pilgrim bought 2 poles enroute for €6.50 each then abandoned them at the airport. Personally I’d not want to spend my time shopping but poles n knife would be easy to pickup in larger place b4 starting.

 

[mette]

Hi all, from what I have read it seems that there is plenty of opportunity to buy any clothing and equipment needed for the Camino in SJPP or along the way and I am wondering how costs compare with Australia.
I am a keen bushwalker and I already have all the gear I would need, however there is some hassle involved in transporting poles, pocket knife, first aid items etc. on an aircraft and I am thinking of just taking my pack and a few clothing items as carry on and buying the rest on arrival. Would this be cost effective?

cheers,
Lindsay

Take what you know you will need, leave poles and knife at home and by it if you need them on the Camino. You just might not need them

 

[Lisakline]

What is Ivars postal service?

I’m also from OZ and I take a small back pack on board with me that has the things in it that I don’t want to lose medication, chargers, camera, e book etc and all the things that can easily be replaced if lost are in my checked in back pack. My poles fold down so as to fit in my pack. My pack is then placed in a back pack cover bag for protection and then when I arrive at Pamplona I stay there for 2/3 nights to get over jet lag and while there I post the things that I use to travel onto Ivar in Santiago for safe keeping and I then have them for my trip home. Ivar’s postal service is great. I’m also walking April/ May but I’m not sure where I will start maybe somewhere between St Jean and Pamplona.
Burn Camino judy

 

[KinkyOne]

What is Ivars postal service?

It's not really his (Ivar's the founder of this great forum and owner of Casa Ivar) postal service but luggage hold. Many people send their post Camino stuff directly to Ivar in Santiago via Spanish Post (Correos) and pick it up after arrival.

 

[Lisakline]

Oh, ok, Thanks! What is the adress?

 

[marjude]

sorry I gave Ivars luggage storage the wrong name.

Lisakline, if you go to forum search and write in Ivars Luggage storage you will find all the info you need.

Been Camino judy.

 

[kdespot]

Lindsay, bring everything that you think you might want and are allowed to take on the flight. Yes, there is an outdoor equipment store in SJPP but it's small and may not have in stock the items that you need. The few cities that you'll pass through will have larger stores but they might not be anywhere near where you're staying. It's just a hassle to get stuff once you're there. I folded up my poles and put them in the luggage compartment. I bought a knife when I got there. Pharmacy items are super easy to acquire anywhere. Otherwise, pack it. You can always leave unwanted items behind.

 

[Kanga]

@Lindsay53 I also am from Australia. My pack is pretty honed, over many years, so I bring everything with me. I use a carry-on with everything inside. That includes carbon fibre Z-poles, folded down and with rubber tech tips. As far as I know there is nothing in my pack that is on the "forbidden" list of items. I don't carry a knife, but if I needed one I'd buy it in Spain. I have purchased scissors a couple of times in Spain, but now I have some baby ones that have blunt ends and the security officers were happy with those.

Generally I find anything that comes from a pharmacy is more expensive in Spain (pharmacies still have a monopoly on anything medical - painkillers for example cannot be purchased in a supermarket). I used to carry lots of the pharmaceutical stuff, now I only take what I will need daily; anything else I buy along the way if it proves necessary. I'd rather pay a few dollars more and not carry extra weight.

Occasionally I need something extra. It has never been a problem as long as I am not expecting to find merino or silk or a particular brand of equipment or clothing, and I can wait until I get to a bigger town. Cheap equipment and tech (non merino) hiking clothes from Decathlon. General clothing from any of the hypermarket stores (E.Leclerc, Carrefour, Eroski, Hypercor).

It is always worth asking at albergues if you do need something unexpected - they often have discarded items left by over-equipped pilgrims.

 

[tomnorth]

I’m also from Oz. I take all my gear from home so I can try ane test it out.
My pack is carry on size.
I only check in a mailing tube that contains my poles, liquids and small knife.

When I get there i’m Ready to go, with gear I am used to....

The mailing tube is the way to go.

 

[Deleted member 75649]

I bought walking poles in SJPP for 15 euros each and left them in Santiago at the office where I obtained the Compostela. I also bought scissors very cheaply. This year I bought cotton makeup removal pads from the supermarket and used them to cover old blisters. They were softer and cheaper than gauze from the pharmacy.

 

[Lisakline]

sorry I gave Ivars luggage storage the wrong name.

Lisakline, if you go to forum search and write in Ivars Luggage storage you will find all the info you need.

Been Camino judy.

Thanks very much!

 

[JabbaPapa]

Hi all, from what I have read it seems that there is plenty of opportunity to buy any clothing and equipment needed for the Camino in SJPP or along the way and I am wondering how costs compare with Australia.
I am a keen bushwalker and I already have all the gear I would need, however there is some hassle involved in transporting poles, pocket knife, first aid items etc. on an aircraft and I am thinking of just taking my pack and a few clothing items as carry on and buying the rest on arrival. Would this be cost effective?

cheers,
Lindsay

If you have no financial constraints, and given your experience, you could definitely travel by air ultra-light.

Maybe keep the first aid kit though -- far better for yourself and others what you're familiar with, than some strange foreign contraption ...

 

[darealdeal77]

Hi all, from what I have read it seems that there is plenty of opportunity to buy any clothing and equipment needed for the Camino in SJPP or along the way and I am wondering how costs compare with Australia.
I am a keen bushwalker and I already have all the gear I would need, however there is some hassle involved in transporting poles, pocket knife, first aid items etc. on an aircraft and I am thinking of just taking my pack and a few clothing items as carry on and buying the rest on arrival. Would this be cost effective?

cheers,
Lindsay

Hi Lindsay,
We brought our trekking poles, pocket knife, and small first aid kit. As long as you place the luggage in check in, you’re good! I bought cardboard cilinders to place the trekking poles in. Our poles broke down small enough to place them in the backpack. We got to Madrid and did not have any issues. Almost forgot, another thing we did was have the backpacks wrapped in plastic at our airport to prevent the straps or buckles to be broken. I hope this helps, and in Spain you can buy any medicine, blister stuff and awesome feet gels! Buen Caminó!

 

[Deputy Dan]

I usually don't like to check luggage, but many airlines won't let you carry poles on board with you. Mailing tube (box in my case) is the way to go for poles & knife. I carried a spare box (folded in half, it served as a stiffener) in my pack for the return trip and it turned out to be necessary as the first box took a beating in the cargo hold on the way over.

 

[Sha-Ron]

For us it was better to take everything with us from home including poles and pharmaceuticals. Availability of specialist items as well as communication in Spanish and also, for us, the exchange rate or cost in euro, was sometimes a problem.