Practical
The Honest Packing List: 7 Things Every Pilgrim Forgets
After three Caminos, here is the gear I would never leave home without — and the things I now refuse to carry.
January 20, 2026 · 11 min read
Most packing lists start with the obvious: boots, backpack, sleeping bag. This one starts with what's missing — small things that quietly transform the daily experience of walking.
1. A silk sleeping liner. Lightweight, washable, and the difference between a good and a terrible night in a busy albergue.
2. Earplugs. Buy the soft foam kind. Bring spares.
3. A small clothesline with built-in clips.
4. Powdered laundry soap in a tiny ziplock.
5. A real headlamp (not your phone torch).
6. Compeed blister patches — the European kind, accept no substitute.
7. A paper journal. You'll want it years later.
And the things I leave at home now: a second pair of shoes, a heavy guidebook, more than three pairs of socks.
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Next stops & related posts
Towns, stages, and stories connected to this article — your jumping-off points to plan the next stretch of the Camino.
Pilgrim guides
- Roncesvalles monastery & albergue
- Samos monastery lodging
- Foncebadón mountain albergues
- O Cebreiro pilgrim shelters
- All lodging articles
- Camino Primitivo (mountain terrain)
- Camino del Norte (coastal weather)
- Foncebadón (high pass)
- O Cebreiro (Galician mountains)
- Compare all routes
- Camino Francés overview
- Camino Inglés (shorter option)
- All planning articles
Suggested stages
Camino Francés · Stage 1
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port → Roncesvalles
25 km · 1390 m · Challenging
Camino Francés · Stage 2
Roncesvalles → Zubiri
22 km · 220 m · Moderate
Camino Francés · Stage 3
Zubiri → Pamplona
21 km · 80 m · Easy
Camino Portugués · Stage 1
Porto → Vilarinho
27 km · 320 m · Moderate
Camino Portugués · Stage 2
Vilarinho → Barcelos
30 km · 250 m · Moderate
Camino Portugués · Stage 3
Barcelos → Ponte de Lima
33 km · 300 m · Challenging
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