Walking the Camino de Santiago can honestly be one of the hardest things you'll ever do in your life—it takes a lot of physical and mental preparation. Besides that, it's important to calculate how many days you'll be on the road so that you don't forget important items.
Statistically, these are the most dangerous hiking trails in the world, but, fortunately, Camino de Santiago isn't one of those. The path is pretty flat and there are signs all over the place so that you don't get lost.
Camino de Santiago is one of the 10 awesome things you can do in Spain, but you do need to prepare yourself first. Remember that, and also make sure none of the following items are missing from your backpack.
10 Underwear Is The Most Obvious (And Forgotten) Item
We know that this may seem ridiculous, but it's unbelievable the number of people that still forget to pack their underwear. The truth is that this is such an "obvious" item that everyone will never forget—but trust us, that's so wrong. Most pilgrims forget to pack this basic item and they end up having a hard time. You don't need a lot of underpants, honestly, because you can wash all your clothes along the way.
9 A Hat, Sunglasses, And Sun Screen To Protect Yourself
The weather in Spain can get really warm—and the feeling worsens when you're walking throughout the day. Don't underestimate this tip and items such as a hat and sunscreen, because you'll need them when you're walking the Camino de Santiago. Of course, it can also get really cold, depending on the time of the year you choose to go on this journey,
These tips every backpacker in Europe should know can also help you along the way!
8 Pack A Waterproof Poncho (Because You Never Know...)
During spring and winter, walking the Camino de Santiago can be even harder. The weather conditions are always very harsh and that's why you need to be prepared for absolutely everything!
Even during summer, nothing tells you for sure that it won't rain during your Camino. Packing a waterproof poncho weighs nothing on your backpack, so there's no reason for not being properly prepared for any adversity (it can rain out of nowhere)!
7 Stuff Sacks To Make Sure Your Clothes Are Properly Organized
Believe us: stuff sacks are the real lifesavers. Regardless of the number of days you'll be on the road (since there are a lot of different routes in Camino de Santiago), you must pack light and organized.
A well-organized backpack is crucial and stuff sacks help you with that. You can pack all your t-shirts on a sack, your pants/shorts on another, and even your hygiene products on a different one. The organization is the key!
6 Bring A Sleeping Bag With You, Even Though You Plan To Stay In Hostels
Most hostels and pensions (not to mention all of them) have no bed linen. All they provide you is a series of bunk beds with mattresses, a bathroom, and that's pretty much it. Bring bed sheets would weigh a lot on your backpack, and that makes no sense. That's why the most clever way to guarantee you sleep comfortably is to bring a sleeping bag like these very light ones.
5 Earplugs And An Eye Mask Could Be Useful For The Ones Who Have Trouble Sleeping
If you are thinking of walking the Camino de Santiago—or if you have already decided to do so—you must know that you'll never sleep alone, nor in a single room. Most hostels and pensions have several rooms organized with bunk beds so that a lot of people can spend the night.
That's why you should bring an eye mask (because of the clarity in the room) and some earplugs in case someone snores so loud!
4 Don't Forget Your First Aid Kit
This is another item almost everyone forgets to pack when walking the Camino de Santiago. We cannot tell you how important it is to bring a first aid kit along because you're gonna make a lot of foot sores—even if you have the best walking shoes in the world.
As we said earlier, walking the Camino is very something very intense and you need to pack essential first aid tools to help you recover quickly.
3 Laundry Detergent So You Can Wash Your Clothes Along The Way
Here's a pro tip for you, regardless of whether you're walking the Camino for the first or tenth time: don't bring a lot of clothes because you can wash them along the way!
We know how common it is to think of the days you'll be spending on the road, trying to match an equal number of clothes. But that will weigh a lot on your backpack, which will make it difficult for you to walk.
2 Your Smartphone And A Power Bank (Just In Case)
Let's be honest: regardless of walking the Camino de Santiago alone or with other people, emergencies can happen and that is when it's helpful to have a smartphone around (along with a charged power bank).
Anything can happen really and by bringing these items you make sure you can ask for help in any situation. So please don't forget them when you are packing everything—you can even bring a small bag to keep them.
1 Pack Some Toiler Paper Just To Make Sure
Public bathrooms, right?
You never know what can happen and it's so likely to enter a bathroom and not find any toilet paper that it's best to go prepared for everything. Toilet papers also have the advantage of being very light, something that will not influence your backpack's weight.
If you want, you can bring paper tissues instead. Pack them in the stuff sack used for your hygiene products so that you always know where they are.