My packing list

One of the biggest talking points on any Camino forum is packing lists – everyone is looking for that all elusive holy grail of lists that will result in a pack that weighs 3.5kg, but still let you bring several cute outfits, all your electronics, your entire skin care routine and good hair day potions.

The accepted wisdom declares one’s ideal pack weight at about 10% of one’s own body weight…but I’m not so sure that it’s the wisest way to go.

With my current body configuration (read: “older and wider”), I’m carrying about 15kgs additional weight in the form of (very good quality) cellulite – should I really be adding any more unnecessary weight to my 5’2″ frame?

I’ve decided to opt for 10% of my “ideal” weight (the weight where I am happiest in terms of energy and comfort and being warm enough, not necessarily the weight where I look my magazine-standard best)

So I’m aiming for my pack to weigh between 7-7.2kg. This includes everything – the pack itself, my sleeping bag, all my clothes, toiletries, electronics and medicine for a two month stint in Europe. At this stage it excludes the weight of the water I’ll be carrying, which should add another 1 kg or so….aaaaand there I arrived at 10% of my actual body weight. Damnit!

Since I will be traveling a little before and after my Camino, I’ve made some concessions in terms of 3 pairs of underwear instead of 2, and the inclusion of 2 additional old t-shirts. My thinking is that I can always send these extra items on to Santiago, or discard or donate them on the way.

I’ve also packed waaaaaay to much medicine. Occupational hazard meets Addict archetype, and all that.

So here goes – Sorina’s packing list.

(Please bear this in mind when you see me dressed exactly the same in all photos)

On my body:

• New balance yoga pants (doubling up as rain pants)
• Black long-sleeved t-shirt, could be donated at a later stage
• Balega blister-resist socks
• Solomon X-Ultra trail shoes
• My “shaman” scarf
• Running belt
• TomTom sports watch

Small Travelon Cross-body bag, containing

• Passport
• Pilgrims passport
• Money & credit cards
• Phone*
• Pen

McKinley CRX557 Day pack

• Reading glasses
• Polychromatic Sunglasses
• Pashmina (doubling up as blanket for cold evenings, or a covering when attending mass)
• Powerbank, chargers & cables, ear phones
• 2 500ml softflask waterbottles
• Mascara, mouthwash, toothbrush, toothpaste, samples of spritzer, face and hand cream to take on the plane
• Tissues, wipes, chewing gum
• Myprodol, Alzam, ACC 200
• Chocolate-coated Toffees 🙈
• John Brierley’s Guide to the Camino Frances
• Travel documents

Deuter 35l SL Act-lite Back pack**, containing

• 1 K-Way Rain cover
• 2 Black diamond graphite walking poles
• 2 t-shirts (short sleeves)
• 2 long sleeved shirts
• 2 new balance capri running pants
• 2 sports bras
• 3 pairs of underwear
• 3 socks (2 balega, 1 1000mile socks)
• A Summer dress
• T-shirt & New Balance leggings
• T-shirt & shorts for sleeping
• Sun Hat & peak
• Buff
• Solomon Gloves
• 1 Helly Hansen Fleece
• 1 North Face Rainjacket
• 2 disposable ponchos
• Hi–Tec sandals
• Flip-Flops
• Silk liner** for sleeping (in lieu of a sleeping bag). The silk apparently keeps the bedbugs at bay.
• A satin pillowcase** (again, bedbugs)
• 1 large microfiber towel

Toiletries & Cosmetics

• Earplugs
• Earbuds
• Nail clippers & tweezers
• Razor
• Hairbrush, hair clips, hair ties
• Lush 2-in-1 shampoo & conditioner bar soap
• Face & body wash
• Mitchum
• 2 body gloves
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
• Face cream with sunblock
• Sunscreen
• 25ml Bio-oil and a small lavender aromatherapy oil
• Small Hand cream
• 1 3litre and 1 1liter dry pack, to take all valuables into the shower with me

Laundry

• 100ml Sea-to-Summit concentrated laundry detergent
• Safety pins

Medicine, by a self-confessed over-medicator

Daily supplements

• Piascledine
• Cramp-ease
• Probiflora
• Lancap
• Spasmopep

Footcare

• Vicks & Vaseline
• Arnica ice
• Micropore 12mm and 24mm
• Nexcare spray-on second skin
• 1 Tennis ball

Fairly likely to use these along the way

• Painkillers, muscle relaxants, (oral and topical) anti inflammatories
• Migril
• Rehidrat
• Sleeping tablets

Just in case

• Smecta
• Cyclizine
• Buscopan co
• Celestamine
• Corenza C
• Penicillin
• Stingose, dermikelp and quadriderm (in case I get chomped by bedbugs)
• Betadine ointment
• Plasters

Other

A personal panic button (#justincases)

My stone to leave at Cruz de Ferro

A Confraternity of St James SA pin

At just under 9kg, my pack is 2kg too heavy

It includes my poles, but does not yet include the weight of water, so I don’t think that’s enough of a justification. It also doesn’t include the pashmina and guidebook currently in my day pack.

It also doesn’t particularly cater for the snow predicted for Roncesvalles later today.

After 3 repacks I could only let go of 1 box of mebeverine and a 200 gram bar of Sunlight soap.

Hmmm 🤔

Instead of doing deep surgery on my pack now, I think I’m going to wait until I get to Roncesvalles, and start my actual walk

By then I would have used some of the toiletries, know which items were vanity inclusions and which items I should donate or post to myself at Santiago.

But for now, here goes.

It’s the Year of Living Lightly, and I think this is a fair start.

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*I’ve debated long and hard about bringing my iPad. It is the one item that I really want to bring and use daily “in real life”, but which I also doubt the most.

I will have my phone with me, which will strictly speaking allow me to do all the same things I plan on using my iPad for – blogging, journaling, updating social media, reading, guided meditation, qigong, etc. but ease of use (and my battle to operate without my glasses) remain obstacles.

On the other hand, it will add a whole 750grams to my total pack weight, and it will be something I’ll have to look after and fuss about. So in the end, I’ve decided to conquer the big world out there sans tablet.

I’ll let you know how that goes. But prepared yourselves for a lot of “I miss my iPad”-related bitching & moaning.

**Pre-treated with permethrin. While I’m prepared for bedbugs, I’m not overly excited to get eaten by them. As the saying goes – trust in God, but tether your camel.