The Way. El Camino. The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is a journey everyone should take at least once in a lifetime! You can meet many fascinating souls on the way and it will allow you to have introspective time with yourself and the universe. Combo bonus: rewarding little villages and local life you will never see when visiting Spain and Portugal as a “normal” tourist.
Here is the ULTIMATE PACKING LIST for female travellers who are eager to travel light and with environmentally caring mindset. There are some informative links you may want to click.
The ultimate must-haves
- Super good travel shoes. I tried 40 pairs and Garmont Santiago Low Gtx won the battle.
- Super good hiking socks. Merino wool! Better take 3 pairs, in case of rain they will not dry fast enough.
- Backbag (30-35 l with hip straps and light supportive frame).
- Sunnies
- Scallop shell
The secondary must-haves
- Sleeping bag or sleeping sack
- Hat or scarf (prefer a hat!)
- Sun lotion with UV protection
- Lip balm
- Sleeping mat NOOO NEED! If you plan to sleep outside you need a tent as well, because it’s raining 🙁
Light clothing
- 2x sports bras
- 2x panties (ok, maybe 3)
- T-shirt
- Shorts
- Travel dress
- Flip-flops or hiking sandals
Warm clothing
- Pullover with hood (merino wool or fleece)
- Feet warmers
- Wind jacket (I like Coretex)
- Gloves
- TUUB merino
- Leggings or fast dry hiking trousers
Hygene
- Small toothpaste
- Toothbrush
- Toothpicks or dental floss
- Soap
- Small 2in1 shampoo (well, ok, I took dry shampoo once in a lifetime)
- Hair comb
- Towel, the special fast-dry
- Q-tips
- Venus gillette
- Mooncup or tampons
- Natural deodorant
- Wet wipes
- Tea tree oil
- Ziploc bags
First aid
- Blister plasters !!!
- Muscle relief active gel
- Activated charcoal pills
- Sea salt (gargle with water in case of cold and for cooking)
- Anti-inflammatory painkillers
- Earplugs (in case of surprise snorers) !!
Luxury
- A book (perhaps The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho)
- Notebook/diary
- Play cards/pocket chess
- Sleeping mask
- Something healthy, but sweet (dried fruits, nuts, energy bars)
Varia
- Belt bag (for ID documents, bank cards, smartphone
- BPA free water bottle
- Headlamp
- Camping cutlery
- Clothespins
- Travel sewing kit
- Nail scissors
- Hair bands
- Power bank
- iPod
- Earphones
- Charger for gadgets
- Camera (your smartphone will do)
- Walking sticks (or buy on the way, as you may not want to mess with airport officers)
- Camino guidebook
- Travel insurance (useful for flight cancellations, medical emergencies)
Another tip for fresh pilgrims is to connect with other travellers here!
At the end of the day, Camino has shops along the way and as long as you have good boots and back bag you are safe and sound! The pilgrim passport you don’t have to pre-order, you can have it from the Cathedral for 2 euro.
Buen Camino!
