Well, now that the sleeping bag issue has been dealt with, we move on to other things, like clothes. Needless to say, the Camino de Santiago is not a fashion show: my wardrobe will be limited greatly:
1 pair of shorts,
1 pair of pants (either cargo, or those funny ones you can zip off at the knees. Pockets are a must)
2 micro fiber t shirts (they wash and dry fast)
1 sleep shirt
1 long sleeve t-shirt
3 or maybe 4 pairs of underwear
2 sports bras
3 pairs of merino wool hiking socks so (I will always have one to wear, and one clean pair, and one extra)
1 Rain poncho (to cover me and my backpack in case of rain)
1 wind breaker
1 fleece sweater or similar if it gets chilly
1 pair flip flops (to wear in the shower and give my feet a "change of pace" at the end of the day)
1 pair hiking boots
1 hat
1 belt
One thing you may notice is that there are no jeans. You may find this odd, considering that is what I tend to live in. However, jeans and the Camino do not mix well: they are heavy, and take a long time to dry. One individual, who was unprepared to say the least, wore jeans and was thoroughly soaked in the rain. They did not dry, and having no reserve had to be worn the next day. Damp heavy cotton chaffs, and he spent the next couple of days walking like a bad case of saddle sores.
Now the Camino does not live by clothing alone, there are other things that I need:
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant (one individual I read about thought he would do without the 75 gms of a deodorant stick. He came to regret that)
basic sewing kit including safety pins.
basic first aid kit - I have added a few things to that like blister patches and a tensor ankle brace because my right ankle has a tendency to give out every now and again due to a high school volley ball injury. Out side of that, there are things like ibuprofen, Aleve, cold meds and Voltaren Now Spain is not a third world country: supermercado abound, and the farmecia carries things that pillheads can only dream of around here. Unfortunately when I need such things, I need them right nucking fow! And I don't want to go hunting for them when I mostly want to curl up and feel sorry for myself.
Sunglasses - apparently I need them. I wear glasses all the time: first thing in the morning I put them on, and last thing at night I take them off, but I don't use sunglasses regularly. go figure.
Soap - this could be a whole entry unto itself: Apparently the proper peregrina (me) should have one bar of soap that should do for body, hair and laundry. Then the debate began on what type of soap to bring on the Camino Forum, I never knew that soap was so important. First there was the boutique soaps, then the artisanal soaps. It seems that the proper peregrina must have soap that is eco friendly, carries only good Karma and be made of the farts of unicorns that were fed only organic granola. And here I am with Ivory Snow. Oh well.
microfiber towel - lightweight and fast drying.
prescription meds - 2 months supply
ziplock bags - these are useful for many things, such as keeping things dry, plus being repositories for used toilet paper after one has to answer a call of nature on the trail from the usual mod.cons. My research has led me to believe that drifting used toilet paper is a problem on the Camino, and it is considered good form to place such refuse in a ziplock bags and deposit in the next convenient trash receptacle.
Small trowel - for covering up evidence of the above.
Toiletries - soap falls under this category, but there is more to it than that. Firstly, I will not use bar soap on my hair. It is thick, curly, fine textured and longish. Therefore, unless I want to bear a strong likeness to Shrek the late New Zealand sheep who made a break for it and went unshorn for 5 years. so I will have conditioner and one of those travel size bottles will only last me a day. Also here comes chapsticks, hand sanitizer (see above) nail clippers (imperative to keep toenails trimmed)
Then there are electronics: The medieval pilgrim was not bothered by these modern trappings as the cellphone signal was not great in the 13th century. Granted, they had to worry about Black Death, small pox and how they were going to manage 500 miles or more in soft slippers. However, after a decade of being without a mobile phone, I bit the bullet and purchased a unlocked smart phone, and will buy a simcard for it in Europe where mobility is much, much cheaper than in Canada. I also have a small mp3 player to keep the beat, (this is much easier on battery usage than the phone. And as I have heard that electrical outlets are at a premium in the albergues, I have a small solar charger as well as an eu usb charge. I also have my blood sugar monitor. They all take the same charging cable so there is that at least.
Finally, I was gifted with a Lifestraw by Dan's niece, Michelle, for use in the unlikely event that I should have to drink out of a puddle.
You see, individually, none of these weigh very much, but all together, they add up. So I will be doing some careful consideration over the next few days.
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