How big of a bag do I need for Camino de Santiago?
Choosing a backpack/rucksackFor a warm-weather camino, a 30-45 liter backpack should suffice. Look for a pack that weight 3 pounds or less (1.5 kg), as heavy expedition packs with a lot of padding and stiff stays are not necessary for the Camino.
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Aim to pack as light as possible for the Camino de Santiago, bringing only essential items. A suggested guide is to plan to carry no more than 10% of your body weight (so if you weight 150 lb, plan to carry no more than 15 lb).
We would recommend that you do not pack a pillow for the Camino de Santiago. We don't think you will need a pillow, unless you're planning to wild camp of course. All albergues and guest houses will have pillows.
I lost about 8kgs, around 18 lbs, over a four week period. So yes, I did lose a lot of weight on the Camino. However, losing weight was never one of my reasons for walking the Camino. I did not set out on the Camino to lose weight, and I must admit that it never entered my mind at any time while I was there.
The best approach, especially at the beginning, is to get out and start walking (or cycling if you plan to cycle the Camino). If you are walking the Camino, you're going to want to build up to being able to walk 20km a day comfortably.
Buy two pairs of shoesI found it a lot more comfortable to be able to put on a dry pair of shoes every morning. That was worth the weight of an extra pair to me.
Yes, the Camino is completely safe, even for women. There are many routes that you can take to reach your final destination in Santiago de Compostela, and if you take one of the more popular paths, you're bound to be secure all the way through.
Whether you wear a rain poncho or a rain jacket: you'll need rain pants. The best rain pants are full-zip, so they zip on the sides from top to bottom. Then it's easy-on over hiking footwear, and easy off. These are waterproof and breathable too.
Most albergues do not supply sheets and towels, so plan to bring a lightweight one-season sleeping bag and pack towel. If you really want to save weight, consider carrying just a sleeping bag liner if you are walking in summer.
Public bathrooms are not frequent on the Camino de Santiago. But, cafes, restaurants and bars are frequent, you may find one or two during the day, and these all have bathrooms that customers can use.
It is advisable to carry some cash with you when you walk the Camino de Santiago. The main reasons you will need some cash are to pay for accommodation and to pay your bill in some cafes. On the Camino de Santiago, some albergues will accept card, but this tends to be the private ones that are bookable via Booking.com.
Mornings on the CaminoThis was mainly around 6-7am with a quick half hour to brush teeth and get ready for the day before setting off. Most Pilgrims stay in an albergue or hostel, where they'll have access to a shared kitchen to prepare breakfast if they want.