Camino de Santiago Packing List: What We Actually Carried for 500 Miles
Note: We walked this route in Spring 2023, and we have done our best to keep the details in this post accurate since then. A few prices, albergues, and small logistics may have changed in the time since, so double-check anything time-sensitive before you rely on it.
We put the Camino de Santiago on our travel list years ago, right after we watched The Way. Emilio Estevez directed it and cast his own dad, Martin Sheen, as a grieving father walking the pilgrimage his son never finished. Sheen picks up a ragtag crew of strangers along the way, and watching them turn into family by the end is what got us. We cried through the credits and immediately started dreaming about walking it ourselves.
If you have not seen it, watch it before you start packing. It captures the strange mix of loneliness and connection that pilgrims talk about long after they finish, and it explains why people walk this route better than any packing list ever could. It took us a decade to actually pack our bags, between jobs and just never finding the right window. This year we finally ran out of excuses.
This post kicks off a full series on the Camino Frances, and we are starting where every pilgrim starts, before you ever take a step. Preparing for the Camino de Santiago means packing smart, understanding the route, and setting expectations that match reality instead of the movie version. Here is our full Camino de Santiago packing list, why each item made the cut, and what the Camino Frances actually demands. This list works whether you are building a Camino packing list for women, for men, or for a couple like us splitting gear between two bags.
Understanding The Camino De Santiago
The Camino de Santiago is not a single trail. Pilgrims have walked networks of routes across Europe toward Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain since the Middle Ages, and several of those routes still converge on the city today. Medieval pilgrims walked specifically to venerate the remains of the apostle Saint James inside the cathedral, often as an act of penance or religious devotion. Modern pilgrims still walk for faith, but plenty also walk to grieve a loss, hit a milestone birthday, or just see if their knees can handle it. Whatever the reason, everyone ends up standing in front of the same cathedral with the same tortured feet.
Why We Chose The Camino Frances
We chose the Camino Frances because it is the original, most traditional route, and the one most people picture first when they hear "Camino de Santiago." It also has the most infrastructure of any Camino route, with albergues, pilgrim offices, and gear shops in nearly every town, which mattered a lot on a first attempt like ours. It runs from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a small French town at the base of the Pyrenees, all the way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
Some pilgrims keep walking past Santiago to the coastal town of Finisterre, which people once believed marked the end of the known world. We are strongly considering it, mostly so we can say we walked to the edge of the earth.
Camino Frances Quick Facts
- Distance: Roughly 500 miles, or about 800 kilometers, from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela
- Typical duration: Most pilgrims finish in 30 to 35 days
- Our timeline: About 50 days, since we work while we travel and refuse to rush a bucket list trip
- Daily distance: Most days run 12 to 16 miles between towns
- Compostela requirement: Walk at least the final 100 kilometers, starting from Sarria, to earn the official certificate
"We're just gonna hope that Abby doesn't die."
Why Our Camino Will Take Fifty Days
Most pilgrims finish the Camino Frances in about a month, and we will take nearly double that. We work remotely, which means some mornings involve a laptop and a WiFi hunt before we even lace up our shoes. We would rather stretch the walk out and do it right. So we are building in dedicated work days in major cities along the route, and we will not touch a laptop on the days we are actually walking the Camino.
We will share our full budget as we go, along with what we love, what we hate, and where we stayed each night. Consider this post the packing chapter. If 50 days sounds like more than you can spare, browse our quick itineraries for shorter trips that still scratch the travel itch.
The Complete Camino De Santiago Packing List
The golden rule of Camino packing is weight. Every extra pound turns into a real problem somewhere around day ten, so pack light and trust that Spain has stores. Pilgrim shops line the entire route, and you can replace almost anything within a day or two if you forget it or it breaks. If this is your first pilgrimage, treat this as a Camino de Santiago packing list for beginners, since none of it assumes you already own specialty hiking gear.
You will also pass through a major city about every four to five days on the Camino Frances, so restocking never requires much planning. Pack only what you need for the next few days of walking, and pick up personal items again once you hit the next big stop.
"You could show up for the Camino completely naked and buy absolutely everything you need for the trip."
Clothing
- 3 changes of clothes, all quick-dry and easy to layer
- Hiking pants with pockets
- 5 pairs of wool or cotton socks, plus underwear (you could probably get away with 3 of each)
- 1 poncho or rain gear set
- A hat (Ryan wears a ball cap, Abby wears a toboggan)
- Sunglasses
- A light jacket
- One comfortable outfit for evenings in town
Backpack And Sleep
- A 20 to 30 liter backpack, nothing bigger
- Packed weight under 8 to 10 kilograms, or about 10 percent of your body weight
- A lightweight sleeping bag or a silk liner
- An inflatable travel pillow
- A reusable water bottle
- A quick-dry towel
- A phone or small camera for photos, with podcasts and music downloaded in advance for stretches with no signal
- A portable charger
- Headphones or earplugs for noisy albergue nights
- An eye mask if light wakes you up
- A way to withdraw cash, since some smaller towns past Burgos do not take cards
- A small journal
Footwear
- Comfortable shoes with a thick, breathable sole
- Hiking or running shoes broken in for at least a few weeks before you leave
- Skip waterproof shoes since they trap heat and sweat
- A backup pair of sandals or flip flops for albergues
Toiletries And Meds
- Travel-sized toothpaste, deodorant, soap, and laundry soap
- Sunscreen (easy to buy once you land in Spain)
- Allergy medicine, the local pollen is no joke
- Diclofenac cream for joint and foot pain, cheap over the counter in Spain
- Vaseline for blister prevention, plus moleskin as backup
- Ibuprofen and electrolyte packets
- Wet wipes or tissue for roadside bathroom breaks
- Instant pop-able ice packs, which we did not bring but wish we had, since ice is hard to find on the trail
- An ace bandage for sprains or swelling
"Ryan has to wear purple because the purple ones were the only ones that were eight dollars a piece, so we're gonna be matchy matchy cute on the Camino."
Size matters more than most pilgrims expect, since a bigger bag just invites you to fill it. Abby's 20 liter pack, hip belt included, came from Decathlon in France for a few euros, and that hip belt made a real difference on longer days.
Pro Tip
Express Bourricot, right beside the pilgrim office in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, will ship extra gear ahead to Santiago de Compostela for you. It runs about 70 euros per bag, and they hold it in storage until you arrive, so you are not stuck carrying a mistake for 500 miles.
Gear That Earns Its Spot
Hiking poles make this list even though Abby resisted them for years. They save your knees on the steep descents and you will regret leaving them behind by day three. Thankfully Abby already had hers, because an old sports injury flared up after our very first day on the trail, and her poles worked as literal crutches for the next few days.
Expect your husband to poke you in the butt with his poles multiple times a day.
Pro Tip
We picked up two lightweight aluminum poles at Decathlon for about six euros each, so do not overspend on this before you land in France.
The Total: 106 Euros
That whole Decathlon haul, poles, ponchos, quick-dry shirts, shorts, socks, and sunscreen, ran us about 106 euros total.
What We Are Leaving Behind
Skip the guidebook. Every town has a pilgrim office, and apps cover the route in more detail than a book you have to carry for 500 miles.
Skip extra clothing too. Since you will pass through towns daily, laundry is everywhere, and nobody on the Camino is judging your outfit repeats. Weight below 10 kilograms is not a suggestion. Your shoulders will hold you to it.
Pro Tip
If you do want to use a guidebook, read through it thoroughly before you leave and transfer your notes to Google Maps, a Camino app, or a simple notepad that takes up far less space than the book itself.
Money On The Camino
Card acceptance thins out fast once you pass Burgos, so having a reliable way to pull cash matters more than people expect.
If you are American, we recommend the Charles Schwab Investor Checking account. It lets you pull cash from ATMs almost anywhere in the world, and Schwab reimburses any ATM fees you rack up along the way. It makes cash for travel genuinely easy.
A Quick Weather Reality Check
Packing for the Camino de Santiago depends heavily on when you go, since the Camino Frances crosses several distinct climate zones over its 500 miles. The route climbs straight into the Pyrenees out of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, so mornings at that altitude run cold even in late spring or early fall. It then drops onto the Meseta, the flat, largely treeless plateau through Castilla y León, where the afternoon sun beats down with almost no shade for days at a time. Pack layers you can add before sunrise and strip off by noon, since one outfit rarely handles both extremes in the same day.
We hit 50 degrees Fahrenheit in mid-May, which caught us off guard after picturing sunny Spain. That may have been an unusually cool stretch, so check the forecast for your specific month before you finalize your layers. Either way, plan for cold mornings at altitude and exposed, sunny afternoons once you reach the Meseta, rather than packing for one climate the whole way.
Frequently Asked Questions About Camino De Santiago Packing
How Much Should A Camino Backpack Weigh?
A packed Camino backpack should weigh no more than 8 to 10 kilograms, or about 18 to 22 pounds. Most experienced pilgrims use a simpler rule and cap the weight at 10 percent of your body weight, so adjust that number based on your own frame. A 20 to 30 liter pack forces you to stay within that range without much extra effort.
Do You Need Waterproof Shoes?
We do not recommend waterproof shoes for the Camino de Santiago. Breathable shoes with a thick sole dry out faster after rain and keep your feet cooler over long, hot walking days.
How Do You Get The Compostela Certificate?
You get the Compostela certificate by walking at least the final 100 kilometers of the route, starting from Sarria on the Camino Frances, and collecting stamps along the way in a pilgrim credential. Pilgrims present that stamped credential at the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago de Compostela to receive the certificate.
What Should Beginners Pack?
Beginners should pack the same core essentials as any pilgrim: quick-dry clothing, broken-in shoes, a 20 to 30 liter backpack, and a light first aid kit for blisters and sore joints. You do not need specialty gear to start the Camino de Santiago, since pilgrim shops along the route sell anything you forget or decide you need later.
More From The Camino Frances Series
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