Summer Packing List

BUY AT AMAZON

SUMMER PACKING LIST

BUY AT AMAZON

RULE OF THUMB REMINDER: It 's best to carry around 10 per cent of your body weight, but factor in your body strength and stamina. I found that I could only carry around 7%. At 10% of my body weight, my pack felt heavy and cumbersome. Other people carried much more than me with relative ease, so test it out for yourself.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember that you will be carrying water and some food with you as you walk the camino. This has to be taken into your packing weight considerations. In winter, spring and autumn, 1 litre of water is sufficient as there are many fountains along the route. Summer calls for at least two litres, and in any season, you will carry some snacks to keep you going.

SUMMER PACKING LIST (BACKPACKS)

Clothes

2 pairs of zip-off trousers (wear them long in the early morning hours and zip off as the heat sets in)
I pair of shorts or skirt for evening wear
2 pairs of knickers
2 pairs of socks
2 Bras
2 T-shirts
1 long-sleeve light-weight hiking shirt
1 light-weight blouse for evenings
1 fleece (for cooler evenings and mornings)
1 pair of walking shoes/hiking boots CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THE RIGHT FOOTWEAR
1 pair of walking sandals (for extremely hot days if feet over-heat, and for evenings)
1 pair of light flip-flops for the shower
1 light-weight rain poncho (the kind that fits into a tiny bag)

GET ZIP-OFFS ON AMAZON

GET FLEECE ON AMAZON

Toiletries

Miniature size shampoo and conditioner – buy more as you go
Miniature size soap (the type you get in hotels)-buy more en-route
Miniature toothpaste and toothbrush
Miniature body lotion (doubles up as moisturizer too)
Small roll-on deodorant-(buy more as you go)
Small feather-weight towel (buy them in camping stores)
Make-up (for people like me!) Keep it to a minimum
Tiny hairbrush or comb
Sunscreen lotion
Lip-balm

GET YOUR MINIATURE TOILETRIES ON AMAZON,
THEN REPLENISH ALONG THE CAMINO

First Aid Kit

Needle and thread
Band-Aids
Compeed
Antiseptic cream
Vaseline
Duct-tape or medical tape
Pain-killers

CLICK HERE FOR FOOT-CARE TIPS

FIRST AID KIT, BUT INCLUDE LIST ITEMS

Electronic Devices

INTERNATIONAL ADAPTOR PLUG

Adaptor Plug
Mobile phone/Iphone plus charger
Small Guidebook (if you do not have electronic devices on which to bookmark web pages)
Camera (if you don’t have a good one embedded in your electronic devices)

Sleeping Equipment

Extremely lightweight sleeping bag OR single duvet cover OR single sheet. (In the heat of summer, many pilgrims prefer to take a single duvet cover that they can climb into. It acts as a sleeping bag and you don’t have to sleep on sheets that many others may have used. A sheet is also so much lighter to carry if you’re not fussy).

Pillow case (again, many pilgrims don’t like to put their heads on a pillow that has been used by many others)

Ear plugs (people don’t just snore after long hikes, they have been known to ROAR!)

Eye-mask (pilgrims have been known to throw on the lights in the early hours before they leave)

TERRA HIKER Ultra-Lightweight Sleeping Bag

Miscellaneous

Plastic knife/fork/spoon (always comes in handy)
Miniature torch (to see in the dark when you need to use the toilet, or if you leave before light)
Sun hat
Sun-glasses
Reading glasses
Feather-weight scarf to protect the back of your neck from sunburn

Additional Tips

Evaluate the current weather trends and think carefully about whether to take a sleeping bag in summer. In Spain and Portugal, it is mostly hot and many pilgrims take a light single sheet or single duvet cover instead. A backpack without even the lightest sleeping bag is a gift from heaven!

Feather-weight sarongs are useful items to carry as they can be used in many different ways. They protect your neck and head from the sun, can be used as a skirt, wrap-dress, towel, emergency arm-sling or bandage, emergency backpack, picnic blanket.....The list goes on! I'll leave the rest to your imagination!

Packing Notes

CLICK HERE TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT BACKPACK

Summer in Spain and Portugal is normally very hot, but there can be rainy, much cooler days, so be prepared.

You can buy the most amazingly light-weight clothing, backpacks, towels and more at hiking stores near you or you can purchase them below.

BUY QUICK-DRYING TOWELS HERE

Carrying a guidebook adds weight to your pack and a lot of pilgrims prefer electronic guides. Many people who do carry them tend to rip away pages as they walk the trail, leaving the pack lighter as the journey goes on.

Packing Lists for Other Seasons

spring

autumn

winter

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