The resort city of Palma on the Spanish island of Mallorca is home to magnificent historic buildings, palm-shaded promenades and sweeping golden beaches.
04.08.2023 - 17:51 / cntraveler.com
When I started packing for the Camino de Santiago this summer, I didn’t want to get things wrong—after all, the stakes are a bit higher than a day hike when you’re packing for a month-long trip.
The Camino de Santiago is a Catholic pilgrimage across Spain to Santiago de Compostela. I planned to walk the French Way, a 480-mile route that starts in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, and ends in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Because I was walking in June and July, the weather wasn’t cold enough to need any heavy outerwear or a sleeping bag. In addition, frequent cafes, bars, and restaurants reduced the need for carrying food and water.
Although I did plenty of research ahead of time, nothing can replace the expertise that comes from taking the journey yourself. Now that I’ve completed my pilgrimage, I’m already planning my next one. And while there were plenty of things I won’t bring again (the extensive medical kit could’ve stayed at home), these seven items are ones I was very happy to have on my Camino de Santiago packing list, and will absolutely pack the next time I make the pilgrimage.
I wanted a backpack I could continue using as a carry-on bag or for day trips after the hike. I settled for the Osprey Tempest 30. It was the perfect size for my trip, allowing me plenty of storage compartments without being so big as to tempt me to overpack (the rule of thumb is to carry no more than 10 to 15 percent of your body weight). On the trail, I found the stretch mesh front panel pocket to be extremely helpful for stuffing snacks or wet items, and the zippered hip belt pockets made my sunscreen and disposable camera easily accessible.
I debated between packing these running shoes or Hoka’s Speedgoat 5. Hokas seemed to be a favorite among Camino pilgrims, and I ran into plenty of Speedgoat fans along the way as well. While I loved the Speedgoat, I ended up going with the Clifton 9s because of the bigger toe box and the cushioned base. They held up across all the terrain I took them through, from gravel to pavement and cobblestone.
The use of trekking poles is a topic of debate among avid hikers. Always the cautious packer, I opted for a pair of lightweight flash-carbon poles—a choice I did not regret. The flash carbon material reduces the weight of the poles without sacrificing durability. As I trekked up the steady inclines of the Pyrenees from France to Spain, I was grateful for the added boost my poles offered. Later, when going down one of the most demanding descents of the Camino from the symbolic Cruz de Ferro, I was again grateful for the stability they offered on terrain that could easily have caused a sprained ankle.
Sun protection is important to me, but instead of reapplying sunscreen every two
The resort city of Palma on the Spanish island of Mallorca is home to magnificent historic buildings, palm-shaded promenades and sweeping golden beaches.
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The narrow path weaved along the side of a vertiginous promontory carpeted with ferns and the occasional cluster of buttercups and purple hollyhocks. Wispy tendrils of fog dissolved, and the June sunshine warmed my back as I stood on a wind-sculpted granite boulder and peered into the Atlantic Ocean's cobalt depths. The cries of gulls mixed with the sound of waves crashing against the rocks, releasing cascades of salt-charged spray. I could still see the fingernail outline of the creamy beach we'd traversed earlier, where plovers scuttled from the incoming tide.
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