The Road to Santiago
  • Home
  • Contents
  • Camino Stories
  • Contact
  • Camino Routes Summary
    • Camino Frances Map & Additional Information
    • Camino Portuguese Map & Additional Information
    • Camino del Norte Map & Additional Information
    • Via de la Plata Map & Additional Information
  • Camino Planning Tools
  • The Camino de Santiago
    • Travel from Paris to St. Jean Pied de Port
    • The Symbolism of the Scallop Shell
    • Your Pilgrims Passport
    • Getting Your Compostela/Pilgrim's Mass
    • The Pilgrim's Mass Prayer
    • Accommodation: Albergues, Hostals & Hotels
    • Sending Your Backpack Ahead
    • Storing Excess Baggage
  • Camino Climate and Conditions
  • Buses & Taxis Along the Camino
  • Calculating Camino Costs
    • Access to Money
  • Things To Consider When Packing
    • Spring Packing List
    • Summer Packing List
    • Autumn Packing List
    • Winter Packing List
    • The Right Back Pack
    • The Right Sleeping Bag
    • The Right Footwear
    • Foot Care
  • Mobile Phones, WiFi & Internet Services
  • Training for the Camino
  • FAQ's
  • Explore these links
  • Guided Walks
  • Camino Videos and Films
  • Camino Books
  • Shadows, Shells and Spain
  • Camino de Crestone
  • Camino Author Interviews
  • A Near-Death Experience and The Camino
  • Privacy Policy
  • Lovely Camino Products to Travel With!

BUY ON AMAZON

Picture
WINTER PACKING LIST

camino climate

BUY ON AMAZON

Picture
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, so test it out for yourself.
A NOTE ON A WINTER CAMINO: Winter caminos are a huge challenge. Not many albergues are open, and those that are can be very cold even with the heating on. You might have to walk longer distances in the freezing cold to get a place to sleep, and there are hardly any other pilgrims around. Restaurants and cafes are mostly shut, so you'll have to stock up on food and water. Walking warms you up, but you'll need to ensure that your body stays warm when you arrive at the albergues. Click on the link to read other people's accounts of the winter pilgrimage.
Picture
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. Adjust these guidelines to your own physical needs. Summer calls for at least two litres, and in any season, you will carry some snacks to keep you going.

pilgrim stories

WINTER PACKING LIST (BACKPACKS)

 Clothing

2 pairs of zip-off trousers or leggings

I pair of trousers or skirt for evening wear

1 thermal vest

2 pairs of knickers

3 pairs of socks (1 pair to sleep in)

2 Bras

2 T-shirts 

1 long-sleeve light-weight shirt

1 light-weight shirt for evenings

1 warm fleece 

Light-weight warm jacket 

1 pair of wool gloves                             

1 wool hat (beanie) 

1 wool headband

1 wool scarf

1 pair of walking shoes/hiking boots            CLICK HERE FOR BEST HIKING FOOTWEAR  

1 pair of walking sandals (for evenings)

1 pair of light flip-flops for the shower 

1 light-weight rain poncho (the kind that fits into a tiny bag) or water-proof rain jacket

Plastic backpack cover (if you don't use a water-tight rain poncho)



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



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



Electronic Devices

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 

Sleeping bag liner for extra warmth

Pillow case 

Ear plugs (hardly anyone around, so this is optional)

Eye-mask (optional)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ADVICE ON SLEEPING EQUIPMENT




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-glasses (some say these are not necessary)

Reading glasses

A few medium-sized safety pins (to pin still-wet clothing to your backpack-they can then dry as you walk) 

BUY YOUR QUICK-DRY CLOTHING HERE

Picture

TAIPOVE Men's Quick-Drying Pants

Picture

NONWE Women's Quick Drying Pants

GET YOUR LIGHT-WEIGHTS HERE

Picture

WANTDO Women's Puffer Winter Jacket

Picture

WANTDO Men's Puffer Winter Jacket

BUY YOUR FLEECE HERE

Picture

COLUMBIA Women's Fleece Jacket

Picture

MAGCOMSEN Men's Fleece Jacket


BUY MINI KITS ON AMAZON

Picture
Picture
Picture

Picture

GET YOUR GLOBAL ADAPTOR  HERE

Picture

LIGHT-WEIGHT WINTER SLEEPERS HERE
(ALWAYS CHECK DETAILS FOR SEASONAL SUITABILITY)

Picture
Picture

Packing Lists for Other Seasons
autumn
summer
spring
BACK TO CONTENTS GUIDE

BUY BACKPACKS HERE

Picture

CLICK HERE TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT BACKPACK 

Picture


Be careful when buying your rain poncho. Some brands are just not up to the job when it rains down furiously (it does that a lot in spring and autumn, especially in Galicia). In winter you are more likely to encounter snow and hail, so take a poncho anyway.


Picture
If you find yourself walking at a very rainy time, in addition to your backpack cover, you might want to consider packing the contents of your backpack in plastic bags before re-packing them. This helps keep everything dry when even the ponchos let in the water. 


Picture
Weigh your backpack as you add items on your 'wants' list. You'll be surprised how little you can take, how the small things add up. An extra pair of socks or  knickers, or that evening shawl...it all makes for a heavier load in the end. 

Picture
All items used in your First Aid kit can be replaced in pharmacies along the camino route. You might have to carry extras as not so many places will be open in winter.

Picture
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.

Picture
You need a very warm sleeping bag in winter, one that will keep you warm at minus temperatures.There are special sleeping bags that you can buy online and in camping stores near you.

Picture
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!
contents guide
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from Muffet, TheDyslexicBook.com
  • Home
  • Contents
  • Camino Stories
  • Contact
  • Camino Routes Summary
    • Camino Frances Map & Additional Information
    • Camino Portuguese Map & Additional Information
    • Camino del Norte Map & Additional Information
    • Via de la Plata Map & Additional Information
  • Camino Planning Tools
  • The Camino de Santiago
    • Travel from Paris to St. Jean Pied de Port
    • The Symbolism of the Scallop Shell
    • Your Pilgrims Passport
    • Getting Your Compostela/Pilgrim's Mass
    • The Pilgrim's Mass Prayer
    • Accommodation: Albergues, Hostals & Hotels
    • Sending Your Backpack Ahead
    • Storing Excess Baggage
  • Camino Climate and Conditions
  • Buses & Taxis Along the Camino
  • Calculating Camino Costs
    • Access to Money
  • Things To Consider When Packing
    • Spring Packing List
    • Summer Packing List
    • Autumn Packing List
    • Winter Packing List
    • The Right Back Pack
    • The Right Sleeping Bag
    • The Right Footwear
    • Foot Care
  • Mobile Phones, WiFi & Internet Services
  • Training for the Camino
  • FAQ's
  • Explore these links
  • Guided Walks
  • Camino Videos and Films
  • Camino Books
  • Shadows, Shells and Spain
  • Camino de Crestone
  • Camino Author Interviews
  • A Near-Death Experience and The Camino
  • Privacy Policy
  • Lovely Camino Products to Travel With!