The Ultimate Camino Packing List

Recently, mom and I have been hearing about more and more people who want to make the Camino plunge.  Some of whom our humble excursion even inspired!  Mom, being ever-organized, went so far as to put together a little living room seminar for future pilgrim inductees.  But for those who couldn't make it, I thought I would offer up the Ultimate Camino Packing List.  

All packed and headed to Arles by train.

Now, this one has a few women's things you fellas won't have to worry about.  And there are also some items that won't apply to certain people or that you might find superficial and useless (I will defend my miniature Chanel mascara to the bitter end!)  But never the one to shy away from full disclosure and honesty, I'm putting it all out there, iPad 2 and all.  So please take this list as more of a guided suggestion based on three months and nearly 1000 miles of experience as we tossed, bought, ditched, exchanged, re-bought, donated and renegotiated our way through France and Spain.

Also, if you'd like to read about our packing misadventures and clever finds, read "The Baby With The Bathwater" entry as we began the desperate plight to lighten our load in the days leading up to the big transatlantic flight.

Backpack Essentials:

•  Backpack
• Rain cover for backpack
• Small purse or day pack
• Hiking poles with duct tape wrapped around handles – you never know when you’ll need tape for repairs
• Stuff sacs for tight packing
• Quart and pint-sized Ziploc bags
• CamelBak bladder

Electronics:

• Camera
• Phone
• E-book with chargers – English books are rare finds (and usually bawdy romance novels only) and trust me you’ll go through your first book fast
• Adapter plug – you no longer need voltage converters for modern electronics
• iPad 2 – I bought this (lightest thing I could find) to write and post pics for you lovely folks, watch movies on occasion and listen to music (keep in mind we were on the road for three months), but I was the rare one.  It also served as my E-reader.

Clothes (easy to wash by hand and quick drying):

• Rain jacket and pants
• 1 pair nylon hiking pants and shorts
• 2 pair hiking socks, 2 pair liners, 2 pair undies, 2 bras
• 1 skirt/pants and extra shirt/blouse for town or, as I did, a dress 
• 2 short sleeve hiking tops
• 1 fleece-type jacket
• 1 long sleeve top
• Sun hat
• Gortex mid-level boots (recommend Lowa), shower shoes & sandals
• Small belt – for when you inevitably lose weight
• Lightweight scarf – I bought a souvenir one and it turned the most worn, ugly Camino outfits of mine into something verging on fashion, whether worn in my hair or around my neck

Hygiene (miniature sizes):

• Hanging toiletries bag so it’s easy to take into the shower (recommend Rick Steve’s)
• Bath gel
• Shampoo/conditioner
• Toothpaste/toothbrush
• Comb
• Deodorant
• Lotion/moisturizer for face & body – I went without for awhile & really regretted it, as the sun and dry air sucks your skin dry
• Insect repellent - I had scars from my first mosquito attack outside Arles for three months.  Buy over there where the stuff is so strong you might grow a third eye.
• Quick-dry towel
• Razor - bath gel makes good shave cream)
• Sunscreen
• Nail file
• Jewelry – trust me, a simple pair of studs and a small necklace will keep you from feeling as if you’ve turned completely androgynous
• Bed-bug repellent spray or tea tree oil
• SPF lip balm – I got mine with a touch of color in it
• Make-up – I had a miniature tube of mascara (in case of emergencies) and face powder.  Just having those two things brought me infinite joy.
• Sleep-ware
• Saline solution if wear contacts
• Tweezers
• Vitamins or Pills if you need them - at first I didn't, but quickly realized the food in Spain wasn't nutrient rich enough for all the exercise we were doing.

Misc:

• Sunglasses
• Contacts and/or Glasses
• Wallet or holder for passport, cash, credit card, medical cards, etc.
• Photocopies of passport & cars and index card with important number written on it
• Rubber bands - would MacGyver leave home without at least a few?
• Pen & small writing tablet - I just used my iPad

Laundry:

• Soap – preferably single-use Tide or Woolite packs
• Stretchy clothes line
• Clothes pins and/or safety pins
• Sink stopper
• Patience

Sleeping:

• Sleep sac or light weight sleeping bag (latter preferred)
• Travel alarm – you can also use your phone’s alarm
• Ear plugs & sleep mask – smartest investment you’ll make
• Head lamp – for the lights-out albergue policy both at night and in morning
• Toilet Paper – always keep extra on you!

First Aid: 

• Swiss Army Knife
• Body glide
• Whistle
• All of the following are very easy to obtain and need not be in large quantities:

o   Pain killers

o   Anti-biotic ointment

o   Band-Aids

o   Cortisone cream

o   Allergy pills

o   Antiseptic wipes

o   Large aids to arrest bleeding and treat wounds

o   Moleskin and Blister aids

Eating: 

• Spork
• Small water container – we used this for water when not hiking and leftover wine (not ashamed)
• Snacks
• Pepto-Bismol packets

Mini-Moon

My Camino Love and I have tied the knot.  On January 4th at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas (famed home of the Britney nuptials) we became official, and soon hit Highway 1 to cruise down the Pacific Coast so my hubby could get his feet wet in the Cali lifestyle.  He was hooked instantly.  Who wouldn't be?

I love a good road trip.  Not much else elates me in quite the same way.  Blame it on my reading "On The Road" at 10-years-old or repeated viewings of "Thelma & Louise" (minus the cliff dive), but I go nutty for AAA guides (I read all the highlights aloud, even the boring ones) and mini-coolers that fit between seats.  I have searched a long time for that perfect partner to sit by me in the front seat - feeding me chips as I drive, DJing the right music, flipping on my butt warmer when it gets chilly, massaging my shoulders when traffic is tense, not getting angry when I have to stop to pee a hundred times, taking pictures out the window as if everyday, even in the Nevada desert, is an African safari.  Hannes is that perfect co-pilot. 

Rather than give you a travel play-by-play, some highlights of our windy tarmac journey: 70-degree crystal-clear weather, gray whale sightings, being swallowed by redwoods at Henry Cowell State Park, crispy tacos in Santa Cruz, artichoke bread from Whale City Bakery, dolphins flanking us on a sunrise sea stroll in Carmel, the ethereal jellyfish at Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Campervan gypsies of Rio Del Mar, our legs dangling off a cliff as we ate veggie burgers at Nepenthe, the rock sculptures on the 17-mile-drive, red light kisses...  But perhaps the most memorable of all - the nirvana of all nirvanas - was The Ventana Inn & Spa.  Our one-night honeymoon splurge.

This bohemiam oasis, nestled in the happy redwoods of Big Sur and overlooking the sparkling Pacific, was beyond any daydream I'd had as I mapped out our trip.  Firstly, their smiling 'I-love-where-I-work' staff upgraded us to a suite, which for a girl who's been obsessed with hotels all her life - hell, I can even appreciate a good motel, scratchy towels and creepy truckers and all - was like telling a fat kid, "A slice?  Have the whole damn cake!"  There were two bottles of wine and gargantuan chocolate covered strawberries waiting for us in a luxury suite I can only describe as 'the place I want my ashes sprinkled.'  It consisted of an enormous room with a fireplace (equipped with a stack of adorable Goodwood fire log bags), king-sized bed (ahem) with clouds for blankets, an ocean view balcony, delicate hammock, the world's largest bathtub that opened to both the living room and bathroom (have they been looking at my 'Dream Home' Pinterest board?), plush bathrobes and a display of products that would make even the biggest mini product-hoarder (ahem) blush. 

The property is just as amazing.  The Japanese Baths were exquisite.  We went twice - once to toast champagne at sunset and again to watch the night sky with its endless possibilities.  The pool was relaxing (80-degrees, what?!)  And the breakfast scrumptious - oh how I love endless cups of rich coffee with fresh soy milk and an ocean view!  We even took the complimentary guided stroll around the property the next morning with Stephen from Big Sur Guides.  There were two other married couples with us on the hike who had been married 30 and 40 years... and they still held hands as they walked.  But then, who wouldn't want to hold hands in this place?  It just has that infectious Kumbaya ambiance that makes you want to grab the one you love tight. 

That night we had a picnic by our fireplace in our robes and then a swing in the hammock listening to the crickets trying to find their own Camino Loves.  I can't say I remember a time when I was happier and more at peace... except when I told my Belgian pilgrim that I'd love him forever with our Rastafarian minister looking over us and grinning.