Gear
Backpacking the Camino with No Gear: What I Learned the Hard Way
When my luggage didn't arrive in Bilbao, I started the Camino del Norte with the clothes on my back. Here's what I bought, what I borrowed, and what I'd do differently.
March 1, 2026 · 8 min read
Day one in Irún. My checked bag was somewhere between Madrid and Bilbao. I had walking shoes (luckily worn on the plane), the clothes I was wearing, a phone, and a charger. The next bus to Bilbao was in three hours.
I bought a 35L Decathlon backpack for €35. A poncho for €12. Two pairs of merino socks. One quick-dry t-shirt. Underwear. A bar of soap. Compeed.
Total damage: about €120. Less than I'd spent on my 'proper' kit at home.
What I learned: you genuinely need very little. The fancy waterproof breathable fabric, the titanium spork, the trekking poles that telescope into your pack — all of that is nice, none of it is necessary.
What I missed most: a sleeping bag liner (bought one in Bilbao for €15), and a real headlamp (used my phone torch and regretted it every morning leaving the albergue at 6 AM).
What I bought that I now use on every Camino: the Decathlon poncho. Lighter than my expensive rain jacket and covers the pack.
The Camino has a quiet way of teaching you what matters. Losing my bag was the best gear lesson I've had.
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