Downshift Musings

Research and preparation for your Camino de Santiago will go a long way to making your trek more enjoyable and stress free once you’re on your way. I’ve put together a few points of opinion and advice for the 4 most important gear choice below.

1) Backpack

This is THE piece of gear. It will become like another body part. You’ll feel the security and liberation that comes from having all of your belongings on your back. That said, buy the minimum size you think you can get away with. The less you bring, the happier you will be.

• Size: I used a 46L pack, which worked perfectly. I could have used a 36L, perhaps, if I didn’t bring a sleeping bag. My husband Rich use a 48L pack. Definitely stay below the 50L pack range. You don’t need to worry about carrying food or a tent or more than 1L of water.
• Gender Specific: Women need a pack built for chests and hips.
• Adjustable torso length: I bought an Osprey pack and they came in several sizes in addition to gender, but I still needed to adjust the torso length so that the pack did not hit the back of my head.
• Hip belt
• Chest belt
• Water bottle side pocket
• Breathable or suspended back: Great for sweat relief.
• Side entry into pack: Optional but quite convenient.
• Sleeping bag compartment: Optional but quite convenient if you choose to bring a sleeping bag.
• Popular brands: We saw Osprey, Deuter and Quechua as the most common backpacks

I used the Osprey Kyte 46L. Rich used the Osprey 48L Kestrel. Both were purchased at REI and fitted with the help of their trained staff, who will also fill the bag with weights so you can get a realistic and comfortable fit.

If you are not planning on walking with your backpack and are intending to have it transported for you then you need a day pack. I would look for the following features:

• Size: ~20L or smaller
• Water bottle side pocket: Optional but more convenient than opening your pack to get to water
• Padded shoulder strap: Nice to have to prevent shoulder pain from too much weight
• Chest belt
• Waist belt: this will help distribute the weight better and secure the pack
• Needs to hold: water bottle, rain gear, first aid kit, layers of clothes you peel off as you warm up, snacks, and valuables (money/passport/credential/phone)
• Suspended back: Wonderful if you don’t have to worry about the pack being collapsible, otherwise choose a “stowaway” design. I used the 20L Osprey Tempest for our walking trip in Scotland last year.

A word about water: You’ll notice I have not recommended an integrated water bladder compartment. Most packs will have one anyway (although the bladder itself is not included). I DO NOT recommend using a water bladder. Water is readily available from pilgrim fountains and at bars and hostels. The weight of a filled water bladder will be too much and it is very inconvenient to re-fill. I bought a sturdy screw top 1 liter bottle of water in St. Jean Pied-de-Port and used that as my bottle for the entire Camino, storing it in a mesh side pocket. The water bladder compartment actually makes a nice pocket for stowing maps or an ipad. Besides, if you don’t have a water bottle, what are you going to fill up at the Wine Fountain?

2) Shoes

Shoes are a very personal choice and what works for one person definitely may not work for anyone else. The one universal truth about footwear for the Camino de Santiago is that you do not need hiking boots. As the experts says, it is not a technical trail. The surfaces are usually country roads (gravel), dirt, asphalt, concrete, or cobble stones. The way can be slick and muddy in places but is mostly very stable. Many people choose a trail running shoe. So what would I look for?

• breathable (try to stay away from Gore-Tex?)
• light weight
• good stability
• good cushioning for all day comfort
• rock kick plate to protect your toes
• big enough to wear with 2 layers of socks
• Nothing that can rub on the inside

Buy your shoes after you’ve been on your feet all day (after 4pm) on a warm day to help simulate the foot swelling you can expect and also bring the socks that you will wear. I think I actually over-compensated for projected swelling and bought my shoes a tad too bid in the toe box which led to blisters from sliding.

After you have purchased your shoes do several long-ish walks in them. If they aren’t working out return them and try again. MAKE YOUR SHOE PURCHASE EARLY.

Anecdotal evidence: Our Camino friend Mike started walking with hiking boots he had used previously with no problem in Oregon. He developed swelling and terrible blisters and was delayed several days in Léon. He ended up finishing his Camino wearing crocs. I saw another young couple who brought only trail sandals and socks. They regretted that big-time! I tried walking in sandals for an hour one day when my blisters were at their worst. I gave up almost immediately because gravel kept getting under my toes.

Additional Footwear

You need something to wear in the hostels and around town once you’ve reached your destination. Your trail shoes are not permitted inside the sleeping quarters of the hostels and are usually stored in racks in a designated space along with your hiking poles. You might also want something that you can wear in the shower.

Crocs seem to be a popular choice. Rich brought some fairly heavy trail sandals (way too heavy for me). I ended up choosing an open toe sandal that could be worn with socks and was the lightest weight I could find (Chaco Z/Volv). I took it as an omen that the color was named “Camino Orange”. REMEMBER – these will be in your pack so weight matters!

3) Rain Poncho

Most backpacks now come with an integrated rain cover. I have a nice 20L cover for my Osprey laptop bag and it is very handy during my commute. I would NOT recommend a pack cover for the Camino, however. This is because it does not cover the backpack straps. Water will eventually inundate the sponge-like straps and then the pack might get wet. You’d also need to protect your body with a rain jacket and rain pants.

Instead I recommend a rain poncho with a “hump” designed for use with backpacks. I first read about the very popular Altus brand poncho on the Camino forums. However it is made in Europe and thus difficult to get in the U.S. It is also pretty darn heavy. I bought a very similar design, available on Amazon.

Features to look for:

• “Hump” – this accommodates the backpack, but can also be stowed away for use without the backpack
• Lightweight: look up that weight before making a choice
• Long: Make sure you get a size that will help protect your legs. You really don’t want to bring rain pant
• Real sleeves
• Elasticized at wrist: There’s nothing quite like that stream of water running down your arm if you lift your arms up. The poncho I bought didn’t have elastic wrists so I made my own by keeping two rubber bands handy.
• Price: I bought my knock-off poncho for under $20 on Amazon.

4) Hiking Poles

I had a serious debate with myself about bringing poles because I had read many different opinions on the Camino forums about the merits of poles. Also, there was the issue of how to get them through TSA security at the airport. I am EVER grateful that I decided to bring them. I don’t understand why anyone would walk without them. What should you look for in your poles?

• Lightweight but strong
• Z-style: easier to pack and to adjust rapidly
• Rubber cap: Optional rubber cap for asphalt and concrete surfaces. The metallic clack of hundreds of hiking poles can grate a little bit. I am looking into buying Black Diamond Z-Pole Tip Protectors for my poles.

So I borrowed a pair of Black Diamond FLZ poles from some friends of ours and I loved them so much I got myself a pair. Rich took an old pair of much heavier poles from REI that have a twist-lock mechanism. If you have older poles you might consider upgrading to the lighter, more compact z-poles with the better locking mechanisms. Rich’s poles would slip out of place and took a lot more time each morning to adjust to the correct height.

How to pack your poles

TSA isn’t very friendly about hiking poles. It’s possible you could slip through security with your poles in a carryon bag, but also quite likely they’ll make you check them. Technically I believe they are prohibited.

Rich and I avoided the problem by putting our poles into a triangular mailing tube from FedEx and checking the tube as luggage. We took our backpacks as carryon luggage but then were forced to gate check them anyway. Once we got to our destination we threw the tube out. I was able to buy a new one with no problem at the post office in Santiago for the trip home. We also taped a utility jack knife to the inside of the tube so we’d have scissors, knife and corkscrew handy in Spain.