My Ultimate Camino de Santiago Packing List
It’s Camino Season!
Those of you who have been following along with this blog know that last fall I trekked the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile pilgrimage across Northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. It was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had in my lifetime, and I feel homesick for it often.
With the warmer weather upon us, Camino season has arrived, and many, many pilgrims will be setting off to complete their own Camino de Santiago. Sadly, I won’t be joining them this year, but I’ve still got lots to say about it—including my full, top-to-bottom Camino de Santiago packing list.
I started writing this post before I left for the Camino but never published because other, more pressing topics were front of mind while walking—grappling with the pre-trip blues, routines and human connections, the “Love Bubble”, and then the end of the Camino de Santiago.
I tried hard while on the Camino to enjoy it and not spend too much time cooped up in a corner writing. When I did publish, I wanted it to be what I was feeling, thinking, and experiencing—not what I’d packed and what I ate for lunch. Now that my Camino is finished, I’m left with incredible memories and valuable information for other future pilgrims.
Today I’m sharing my Camino de Santiago packing list. I’m glad I waited to share this list, because things did not go exactly as I thought they would. Having completed the Camino Frances, I can now tell you which things I brought but didn’t need. Which things I needed but didn’t bring. And the staples that worked for me in my 35+ days living out of a backpack.
I’m going to outline my original Camino de Santiago packing list—what I went to Spain with last September—and then I’m going to list the things I picked up along the way.
Most of the gear was purchased from REI or Amazon. I highly recommend REI for outdoor gear. They are pricey, but you can find good items on sale, their return policy is top notch, and their staff are SUPER knowledgeable about all things outdoors.
If you want to purchase from Amazon, I’ll earn a small commission through the affiliate links in this post. You won’t pay any more, but it will help me to keep this site running, and will get you prepped for your Camino. Win-win-win!
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Here. We. GO!
Some grains of salt
1. I walked the Camino de Santiago in 35 days from mid-September to late October of 2022, so I needed gear for varied weather conditions. If you are walking the Camino in the middle of summer, your packing list will need to be amended to fit the hotter temperatures. If you’re going in the fall, this list will give you a good idea of the things you’ll need.
2. My pack was not the lightest pack on the Camino. It was also not the heaviest. This is NOT the ultra-light packing list if you’re trying to prove you can be the lightest packer of all time. That being said, I was happy to have most, if not all, of the items I kept in my pack. I would make minor tweaks, if I had it to do over, but not drastic ones. If you’re looking to have the things you need, to be able to change into something clean (and maybe even cute?) once in a while, then check out my list.
The bottom line is everyone is different. They have different “stuff” needs, and each person has their own capacity for how much they can comfortably carry.
3. Along that vein, keep in mind, when packing for your Camino, that everyone is different. Deciding which shoes to buy was my hardest pre-Camino decision. There are so many options and the truth is everyone’s feet are different. Some people walk in hiking boots and some people wear walking sneakers. (One of the guys I walked with did the entire thing in flip flops!) From the weight of your pack, to what’s on your feet, to whether you carry every day or ship your packs ahead to travel light—your Camino experience is YOURS and yours alone. Only you can truly decide what is best and most comfortable for you.
What I can do is tell you about my experience using this particular packing list on my particular Camino in a particular time of year. And I hope it helps.
Okay, now, let’s get into the gear!
Camino de Santiago Packing List
Here’s the list. You can click the categories, or scroll down for details.
- Backpack
- Day Pack
- Fanny Pack
- Water Bladder/ Camelback
- Trail Runners or Hiking shoes
- Hiking sandal/ Flip flops or both
- 2 athletic pants (leggings)
- 1 athletic shorts
- 2 sports tee shirts
- 1 tank top
- 2 sports bras
- 3 pairs underwear
- Long sleeve (merino wool) base layer
- 3 pairs merino wool socks
- Lightweight rain jacket/Poncho or both
- Lightweight Fleece or packable puffer coat (if walking in the fall)
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Sleeping bag/ Silk sleep liner, or both
- Eye mask
- Ear plugs
- Melatonin
- Toothbrush & travel size toothpaste
- Bar of soap for face, body, and laundry
- Moisturizer for skin (I used jojoba oil)
- Travel size deodorant/antiperspirant
- Sunscreen
- Travel size shampoo & conditioner
- Dry shampoo/baby powder
- Makeup, if you’re bringing it.
- Hand sanitizer
- Phone & charger
- Headphones & charger
- Power converter, if you’re not from Europe
- Portable power bank
First Aid
- Bandages
- Pain reliever of choice
- Vaseline (to prevent blisters)
- Any medications you need
- A menstrual cup/ disk or tampons
Misc.
- Lightweight towel (Turkish towel or microfiber packable towel)
- S-hooks for hanging clothes, soap, & towel during shower
- Small mesh bags to hold soap (& other things)
- Jewelry
Baggage
-Pack
Osprey Kyte 36L pack
Click here to buy it on Amazon
Choosing a Pack for the Camino de Santiago
What size pack do I need?
Bigger is not better on the Camino de Santiago, especially if you’re planning to carry your pack the whole way. People typically carry anywhere from 28L-45L packs. For those of you who have never purchased a hiking backpack, like I hadn’t, this measurement indicates the size in terms of volume. How much space you’ll have inside your pack. The weight of your pack—the most important piece of the equation—is all up to you.
A pack’s weight when empty makes a difference, but most of the ones you find in a sporting goods store will be about the same and all good enough. Because more space does not necessarily mean more weight, some Camino pilgrims opt to bring a larger (45L) pack and just not fill it all the way up. The benefit, they say is that you have more space to throw your stuff into your pack and get moving, rather than having to roll, shove, and organize in order to squeeze all of your items into a smaller space. I’m not going to lie, packing and unpacking every morning and evening can be get pretty annoying. Having a little extra space also leaves room for goods picked up along the way…like snacks.
The argument against going bigger is a classic one that applies to homes and budgets. The more space you have, the more space you’ll fill. Like a bigger house means more furniture and a pay raise often equates to a more expensive lifestyle, with packs the danger is that having more space will encourage you to bring more things.
And things are basically the enemy on the Camino.
Everyone must decide for themselves what size pack is right for them. I went with a middle-of-the-road option of an Osprey Kyte 36L pack. It was a Re-Supply item at REI, meaning someone bought and returned it before me, so I got a sweet discount.
(I talked about my REI Co-op membership in this Gift Guide from 2022, but the long and short of it is it’s a great resource and well worth the 30 bucks. Find out more at REI.com)
How much should my pack weigh for the Camino de Santiago?
The general rule of thumb is that your pack should weigh no more than 10% of your body weight.
I hoped to have my pack weigh 12-14 pounds without water. HA! Before leaving for Spain it was 17 pounds. In it will be all the clothing, toiletries, outerwear, and sleeping supplies that you’ll need for the next 30-40 days. So, getting it down to that low of a weight is no easy feat. Part of the whole point of walking the Camino de Santiago is learning to live with less. Or, rather, having your eyes opened to how little we really need. Everything is personal, and I was just fine carrying my 17-pound pack, even after my camelback was filled with water.
Other Bags
-Fanny Pack
I almost skipped this item, since my pack has two pockets on either side of my waist belt. I’m glad for my training hikes, because it showed just how annoying it would be to constantly be reaching backwards to get items like my phone or chapstick.
I bought a basic fanny pack from Target, and it ended up being an essential item on my Camino packing list. Lip balm, phone, money, and my pilgrim passport stayed there always. When I had a room key (I started staying in private rooms and hotels toward the end) that went in there, too.
-Day Pack
G4Free packable backpack
Click here to get it on Amazon
This item is optional on your Camino de Santiago packing list, but I recommend it. I brought a packable backpack that took up little space and weighed almost nothing. There is the option to ship your bags ahead to the next town by paying a small fee. I planned on carrying my pack most days but thought perhaps I would want a break at some point along the way and could treat myself to a long walk with just a day pack. I never used it for this purpose, but I did use it for other things. Carrying my water bottle, phone, jacket, and notebook to a restaurant or the library after showering in the evening. Walking around Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, and Santiago on my “rest” days. And as a beach bag for our farewell beach day in Finisterre. It was convenient to have a smaller bag for the evenings and off-days.
-Water Bladder
Camelback 2-liter Water Bladder
I opted to bring a water bladder instead of a water bottle on the Camino de Santiago. This is one more example of how personal preference will factor into your decisions about gear. In my day to day life, on short hikes and even day hikes, I always use a water bottle. I decided on a whim to try the water bladder route for the Camino, and I loved it. It was so convenient to not have to reach behind me to grasp for my bottle, take a sip, screw the cap back on, and put it back in place. I’m a big drinker, so having the mouthpiece right in front of me allowed me to stay hydrated and keep my hands free for things like taking pictures or eating chocolate while walking.
I had a 2-liter Camelback water bladder laying around the house that came inside of a backpack. I transferred this into my Osprey backpack for the Camino. I don’t know that one water bladder is better than another because I have limited experience. The things I did like about this pack were as follows:
- It had a plastic handle by the opening which made filling it a million times easier.
- The opening where you refill it was large. Less opportunity to spill and make a mess.
- It held 2 liters. A perfect amount of water for a day of walking.
I also purchased a plastic water bottle while in Spain, which I drank, then kept and refilled. This was a good extra source of water for particularly long, hot days on the trail, and it allowed me to have something more convenient to drink from when I wasn’t walking. After showering for the evening, exploring a city on a rest day, or for a drink during the night, while in bed. The “single use” bottle got a lot of use and weighed less than a solid aluminum water bottle.
Those are just my two cents. If you want to use a different bladder– or opt for a water bottle– that’s your business! You can click here to shop water bladders.
I loved my Osprey Kyte 36L backpack
This ultra-light packable day pack was perfect for when I needed to carry some things... but not ALL of my things.
FOOTWEAR
Shoes and socks are the most important things you will wear on the Camino de Santiago. These are very personal decisions that require thought and testing. I can’t tell you the best shoes for the Camino de Santiago, but I can tell you what worked for me.
-Trail Runners or Hiking Shoes
Hoka Speedgoat 5
Click here to buy them on Amazon (Or buy them at any Hoka retailer.)
Ahhhhh shoes. Shoes were the bain of my Camino prep existence.
Originally, I went for a GORE-TEX, waterproof, mid-height hiking shoe. I got these Salomon’s from REI that were pretty great. Unfortunately, I got them in my actual size and they proved too tight on the first hot day. The prominent advice given is to size up in your Camino shoes to account for swelling. (Walking 15 miles a day will do that, you know.) Luckily it was only a training hike at home, and not on the Camino. And since I’m a co-op member, it was no problem to return the shoes to REI and try something different.
While dealing with the sizing issue, I also became concerned about temperature. I was hearing about heatwaves in Spain and how gortex can exacerbate feet heat. Hot feet = sweat, and sweaty feet = blisters.
I returned my Salomons and instead bought a pair of trail runners. I got Hoka Speedgoat 5s in a full size up from my normal shoe size. I have a pair of Hoka running shoes, so I knew they would be comfortable for many, many miles.
I fretted about this decision constantly in the month leading up to the Camino, but, happily, the Speedgoats worked out. They were comfortable, breathable, lighter than a hiking boot, but enough tread to get through some of the steep hills. The thing about waterproof boots, I found out later, is that once they get wet they take forever to dry. When walking the Camino de Santiago, inevitably, at some point, you will get wet. My Hokas didn’t keep the water out, but they dried quickly overnight after a day of walking in the rain.
When I came home from the Camino and started training for an ultramarathon, I got myself another pair of Hoka Speedgoats for that trail run. A very happy camper here.
-Hiking Sandals
Teva Hurricane Xlt2
Click here to buy them on Amazon
A lot of Camino pilgrims talked about walking in hiking sandals like Tevas or Chacos. Some of them did this because their feet were swollen or blistered and it hurt less to walk in sandals. For some, this is just their preferred hiking footwear. I had never hiked in sandals before, but this made sense to me. The thought of being able to switch my shoes if my feet were in a bad way sounded appealing enough that I went out and got myself a pair of Tevas. I knew it was meant to be when I found these babies in a buttercup yellow—my favorite color—and on sale at REI.
I did not end up doing any of my Camino walking in my Tevas. I did, however, wear them every single evening after showering at the Albergue. And I wore them on the “off days” I spent touristing in Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, and, of course, Santiago de Compostela. It was so nice to have something to change into after walking allllllllll day in my sneakers, and these Tevas provided way more support and comfort than any flip flops could. They are a bit heavy, but so worth the weight for what they gave.
My Tevas did get a hike in, eventually. After leaving Leon, I ended up loaning them to a friend who was blistered and in dire need of new shoes. I would have carried their weight for the entire Camino just for that moment of being able to help him out, and it would have been worth it.
-Flip Flops
While I felt I needed the Tevas for an alternate hiking shoe, I needed these sandals for something else—The shower!
Other pilgrims have mentioned not being allowed to wear hiking sandals either in the shower or in the rooms of the albergues. It makes sense since they’ve been walking around in god-knows-what outside. My Old Navy flip flops were my shower shoes, my hopping up to pee in the middle of the night shoes, and my “I just need a break from hiking attire” shoes.
Hoka Speedgoat 5
Teva hurricane XL2
CLOTHING
Less is more on the Camino de Santiago. But knowing this was not as easy as doing it. I could have definitely packed fewer clothing items, but I wore everything I brought (and more!) First I’ll give you the packing list of clothing I brought with me to the Camino de Santiago, and then I’ll tell you all the extra items I ended up adding along the way.
Clothing List for the Camino de Santiago:
-2 Pairs leggings
-1 pair bike shorts
-1 cotton tank top
-2 athletic tee-shirts
-1 Merino wool long sleeve, half zip base layer
-2 Sports bras
-1 bralette (to change into post-shower)
-3 pairs hiking underwear (I know, right? Crazy. I’m usually the one that packs seven pairs of underwear for a 4-day trip.)
I had never heard of “hiking” or “sports” underwear until I started researching what to pack for the Camino de Santiago.
These underwear are super lightweight, moisture wicking, and quick-dry, all things you’ll be happy to have when you’re spending 8 hours a day walking, and handwashing your laundry every night. The ones I bought were:
-2 pairs REI co-op active underwear (Click here for REI Active undies)
-1 pair ExOfficio Give-n-Go Sport Thong (Click here for ExOfficio on Amazon)
I liked the REI underwear better and they are cheaper. But I’ve included links to both.
-3 pairs merino wool socks
I got Darn Tough hiking socks at the advice of, like, everybody. At first, when I heard I should be walking in wool socks, I thought it sounded terribly hot and uncomfortable. But apparently, this is the best fabric for your feet. They are moisture wicking and antimicrobial.
Darn Tough socks are made in Vermont, (USA) and come with a lifetime guarantee. Several people recommended them to me, even before my Camino shopping spree.
Shop Darn Tough hiking socks at darntough.com or Amazon
-1 pair Injinji Toe liners
These look like old school toe socks but they are actually liners that are meant to be worn under your wool socks. Toe liners prevent blisters because your toes are not rubbing against one another. Moisture and friction are a dangerous combination when it comes to feet. I only got one pair of these because I didn’t know if I’d like them and none of this stuff was particularly cheap.
Additional Clothing Items for The Camino de Santiago:
1. Cardigan
2. Lightweight tank top
3. Extra pair of underwear
4. Fleece zip up jacket
5. Winter hat
6. Pair of fleece gloves
7. “Swimsuit” (This was actually shapewear I bought before my spa day in Leon. But it did the trick!)
8. Long Sleeve Shirt
9. Pair of thick wool socks
Items 1 & 2 were things I brought with me to Spain.
Because I work for an airline and travel as a “non-rev”, I am required to dress nicely for flights. Before starting my Camino de Santiago, I took a (free!) first class flight to London and hung out for 24 hours. I had planned to ditch my travel outfit in London and carry on with just my Camino clothes.
The tank top weighed next to nothing, so on a whim I decided to keep it. I wore it in Leon, when I was ready to party and sick of looking like a hiker, and then again in Barcelona on an impromptu quick trip. The cardigan was kept out of necessity. I had a very chilly walk to the train station in London, on my way back to Gatwick Airport, and realized I needed an extra layer for warmth. I was SO glad I kept this.
Items 3-7 were purchased along the way.
I realized quickly that 3 pairs of underwear were not cutting it. I ended up purchasing one more pair in Pamplona that I lovingly referred to as my “Pamplona panties” for the entirety of the Camino. For me, four pairs of underwear were just the right amount. Plus, they were floral and pretty and fit me well, which came in handy when, halfway through the Camino, I started taking my pants off in front of someone.
Items 8 & 9 were taken from donation bins in an Albergue. Pilgrims on the Camino are constantly shedding stuff and adding to their pack as they go. When you no longer need something, you can leave it behind at an Albergue for other pilgrims to take. I got a men’s long sleeve shirt and a pair of thick wool socks. As you can see, for me the theme was adding, not subtracting. I get cold very easily and I needed to keep layering up to stay comfortable. I did end up gifting the shirt to a friend, so the cycle of Camino giving continued.
By the time I got to Burgos, it was clear I needed more layers. I was freezing in the early mornings. I got the fleece, gloves, and hat from the giant Decathalon store for really cheap.
Note: The most important takeaway here should not be to pack every single thing you might need. “The Camino provides,” is a popular refrain amongst pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago, and it is true. If you are walking the Camino Frances, you will be able to find what you need. Gloves, hats, snacks, and melatonin. And you’ll likely have the opportunity to give, as well.
“Don’t pack your fears” is another of these kitschy Camino sayings, and I love this one.
If you’re looking to me for what clothes to bring on the Camino de Santiago, your packing list might be way too big. You will find out along the way exactly what you need. Pack the basics, just enough to get by one day at a time. The Camino, and your fellow pilgrims, will take care of the rest.
Sometimes a girl gets cold...
Sometimes she gets wet,
And sometimes she gets SICK of looking like a backpacker.
OUTERWEAR
You will experience varied weather on the Camino de Santiago. Your layers of outerwear are a critical part of your Camino de Santiago packing list.
-Rain Jacket
REI Co-op brand lightweight rain jacket
This jacket is waterproof, light weight, covers my whole bum, and has zippers in the armpits to allow for air flow. It is only a shell, so does not provide warmth, but it did block out the wind.
-Rain Poncho
I brought a backup poncho just in case my rain jacket and pack cover were not enough. It was an annoying addition to my pack because, despite it being little more than a plastic tarp, it felt like extra weight and definitely took up some space. That being said, on the few occasions I used it (especially towards the end, in Galicia) I was happy to have it.
-1 lightweight runners baseball cap
-Sunglasses (Duh)
*I already wrote about the additional items I picked up along the way in the “Clothing section” so refer back to that to find out about the fleece, gloves, and hat I purchased.
Toiletries
The ten-step skin care routine many of us have become accustomed to will not work on the Camino. Simplicity is key, and one of the easiest ways to keep your pack weight down is to not bring a million liquids. My Camino de Santiago packing list included the following personal care products:
–THE BEST SUNSCREEN ever
-Travel size shampoo and conditioner
-Bar of charcoal soap that can be used on both face and body
–Jojoba oil for face and body moisture (My skin never looked so freaking good!)
-Antiperspirant/Deodorant
-Nail clippers—vital for those toes.
-Nail brush
-The tiniest hair brush you’ve ever seen
-Baby powder (my dry shampoo of choice)
Makeup:
-1 tube mascara
-1 tiny sample container of foundation/cover up
-1 sample size lipstick
Call me high maintenance for bringing make-up on the Camino de Santiago if you want, but, respectfully, IDGAF. This tiny amount of makeup took up basically no space or weight, and it made me feel good to be able to cover a blemish or dark circles, paint my lashes, and on the specialest of occasions, wear lipstick.
Additions
The charcoal bar of soap worked really well for washing me and my clothes for the first half of the Camino. Unfortunately, I used it all in the first half and had to replace it along the way.
*Pro Tip: Keep your bar of soap in a little mesh bag (Buy it on Amazon) so that you can hang it in the shower, and hang it to dry afterward. Plus, the mesh makes a great suds!
Jojoba oil was the perfect moisturizer for my skin. As someone who suffered from oily skin and acne as a teenager, it blew my MIND to be putting straight up oil on my face. But jojoba is great for skin. After walking each day, I showered, then applied jojoba oil to my face and body before getting dressed. I did a water splash on my face the next morning, but did not really wash it, so the oil stayed and I only had to moisturize 1x per day. If I had to do it again, I would bring more jojoba oil or I would use it only for my face and buy a small, travel size lotion for my body. Once it ran out, I was so sad. I tried a couple different moisture options, but they just were not as good.
If I die young, it will be from talc poisioning. Baby powder is the best dry shampoo for blondes, and if you saw some of the showers I was subjected to, you would get not wanting to wash your hair daily. To be fair, most of them are fine, but there are always lines of people waiting to get in. And hair washing is soooooo annoying.
I had to replace all of these items along the way and it was not always possible to find a travel size or to find the exact product I was looking for. But it is all part of the adventure!
The tiiiiiniest brush you ever did see.
Learning to sleep in bunkbeds, in rooms full of strangers, was a huge Camino lesson.
SLEEP GEAR
Sleeping Bag vs. Sleep Liner or Sleep Sack
One of the biggest quandaries when packing for the Camino de Santiago is whether to bring a sleeping bag or just a sleeping bag liner (also called a sleep sack, I’ll use the terms interchangeably). I walked the Camino de Santiago from September 13- October 20 in 2022. The annoying thing about the fall is that the weather is ever-changing and unpredictable. Walking the Camino Frances, like I did, you’ll get summer days and some nights that feel like winter. Hot and dry, cold and wet, all of it. This made choosing what to pack a bit trickier.
But it’s not just the weather that should determine which sleep gear you add to your Camino de Santiago packing list. This question—sleep sack or sleeping bag—depends largely on personal preference.
For me, 72 degrees is my happy place. While I don’t like being excessively hot in bed, I cannot stand going to bed cold. My body refuses to fall asleep if my toes are chilly, and I am one of the “psychopaths” that wears socks to bed at night. I went back and forth about what to bring, but ultimately, the thought of spending even a few nights too cold to comfortably fall asleep was not worth it to me.
I ended up packing both a lightweight sleeping bag AND a silk sleep liner and was so glad to have them both. My first night, in Saint Jean Pied-de-Port, was stifling hot to the point that even the ultra-thin sleep liner was too much cover. But most nights on the Camino I used my full sleeping bag.
Here is the sleeping bag and sleep liner that made it onto my Camino de Santiago packing list:
-Sleeping Bag
EcooPro Warm Weather Sleeping Bag
Click here to buy it on Amazon
This was an Amazon find that was recommended by another peregrina. The bag is water resistant and weighs only 1.45 lbs. It comes with a compression bag, which allows it to squish down from 11.4 to 9.6 inches. There is some debate about whether or not to bring the compression bag. Many of the seasoned Camino hikers said not to bring it, to simply stuff your sleeping bag into the bottom of your pack. It is said to save space and time. I brought and used the compression bag, and I liked having things as tidy and organized as possible.
-Sleeping bag Liner
Browint Silk Extra Wide Sleeping Bag Liner
Click here to buy it on Amazon
This sleep liner is 100% silk which most people recommend as the fabric of choice. Not only is silk super lightweight, and apparently temperature-regulating, but they say it prevents bed bugs. The weave in a silk liner is so tight that it prevents anything from slipping through. Whether this is science-true or old-wives-tales-true, I can’t be sure. But this one was lighter weight than all the other fabrics I tried, including mixed silks.
One way to save weight in your sleep gear is to buy a “mummy” shaped bag. This is one where the sleep sack or sleeping bag tapers in at your feet. I said a big ‘No fucking thank you” to that idea and went with an extra-wide version. I was nervous enough about sharing a room with a bunch of strangers every night on the Camino. I didn’t want to make the privacy within my sleeping bag uncomfortable, too.
This Browint extra wide 100% silk liner weighs 6.3 ounces and comes in several colors.
-Sleep Mask
-Ear Plugs
Learning to sleep on bunkbeds, amongst strangers, was one of the biggest lessons I got from the Camino de Santiago. It took a few sleepless nights and exhausting days, but I did get used to it eventually, and I am a much better sleeper because of the Camino. Pack a sleep mask and ear plugs. If you’re sleeping in Albergues, you’ll need them. I put my sleep mask, ear plugs, and melatonin into a little mesh pouch and shoved it into my rolled up sleep sack. So all my sleep stuff stayed together in my pack, and I never had to look for these small items in random pockets.
Organization is clutch when you’re living out of a backpack.
For staying in touch with the people you love...
Electronics
-Phone & Charger
-EU Power Converter if you’re not from Europe
-Portable battery for charging on the go
-Ear buds & Charger
Beats Fit Pro
Hopefully several of your devices use the same charger, but if not you’ll just have to make it work. You can keep charging cords in one of the small mesh bags we’ve discussed in other sections, or keep them in a side pocket of your pack. Just make sure they stay in the same place all the time to limit the hassle of searching when you need one.
I used ONE cheap ear bud for the entirety of the Camino. But today I use Beats Fit Pro ear buds. If I’d had them then, I would have brought them along, and the sound quality would have been much nicer. These buds were created with athletes and physical activity in mind. I got them when I was ultramarathon training.
If you want to try out the Beats Fit Pro, click here to Get them on Amazon.
Miscellaneous items for the Camino de Santiago
Towel
I used a Turkish Towel from Amazon for the Camino de Santiago. It dried quickly and provided a makeshift privacy curtain when I had a bottom bunk. I own a microfiber beach towel that I love, and if I were doing it over again, I think packing a small microfiber towel would work perfectly well.
Get this functional Turkish towel on Amazon
Small mesh bags
These hold soap in the shower, and can be used to organize small items like your sleep mask & ear plugs.
Large Diaper Pins
These are for hanging your still-wet clothing items, like wool socks, on your pack to dry. After walking 15 miles during the day, the evenings are spent washing yourself and your dirty clothes. Since you only have a couple outfits it is important to wash them frequently. Your hand-washed items will need to be hung to dry, and most albergues will have drying lines outside. But sometimes one night is not enough. These large safety pins allow you to hang those still-wet items, even when on the go. Simply fasten those Darn Tough socks to your pack and let the sun do its job.
I had several days of walking through Spanish villages looking like a walking laundry basket, socks and sports bras swaying in the breeze. It’s not the cutest look, but it works.
S Hooks
These S- shaped hooks are used to hang things from the shower door, like your towel and your dry clothes.
Jewelery
1 pair of earrings
1 necklace
1 bracelet
I'm telling you these little mesh bags are lifesavers for keeping things organized on the Camino.
And that about sums it up. The big ticket items and all the little things that make up my Camino de Santiago packing list. Every packing list will be a little different based on the size, fitness and comfort of the person going, as well as the time of year and how long your trip is. Whether you plan to carry your pack the whole time or send it ahead will be a big factor in how you pack, too. Some people who plan to send their packs ahead each day actually bring a small suitcase instead of a backpack. If you’re not carrying it, why go through the hassle of picking through a vertical stack of all your items to find something?
Weight and comfort are two of the biggest things you should be considering when creating your own packing list. What items do you NEED to feel comfortable? Are you a chilly willy or a sweaty betty? Hate stiff hiking boots or love them? Only you can know things like this. When it comes to overpacking, it is easy to do. And on a trip this long it makes sense that we want to prepare ourselves for whatever comes our way.
The lesson here is that we can never be fully prepared for what life has in store. We will be surprised sometimes. Underprepared. All we can do is the best we can. And try not to pack our fears.
I hope this Camino de Santiago packing list was helpful for you, and that the (sometimes long) explanations gave some good insight into *why* I packed what I packed. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out in the comments or DM me on Instagram. If you’ve completed the Camino de Santiago, tell us about it! I’d love to hear your biggest surprise need—something you didn’t think of before you left. I’d also like to know the items you brought but never used. What layers did you shed along the way?
I’ll include links to my other Camino de Santiago content below, in case you’re curious about the experience. And feel free to stay a while and check out some other flight attendant and/or travel posts!
Thanks so much for stopping by, and best of luck along ‘The Way’.
Hey you. Yes, you! Thanks for stopping by! I’m Toni and I run the show here at A Wheel in the Sky. Here we talk all things travel, flight attendant life, and secrets too juicy not to share. I hope you enjoyed this Camino de Santiago packing list, and that it helps if you feel a bit more prepared. You can find all my other Camino content linked below. If you’re new here and want to check out some of the travel or flight attendant content, then feel free! I’ll link a few starter posts.
If you want to stay up to date with travel tips and flight attendant stories, please consider subscribing to get all the latest delivered right to your inbox. Lastly, if you like what I’m doing here and want to, you can now buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/awheelinthesky. A caffeinated gift is never expected and always appreciated!
Thanks again for coming <3
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My Flight Attendant Origin Story
The DOs and DON’Ts of Dating a Flight Attendant
The 7 Most Annoying Things About Flight Attendants
Travel Tips:
