So with no Camino this year, I am left to read up on the many Irish pilgrim routes and walking paths in Ireland. And there are many. With many of my favourite walking routes within reach from Monday, I have gone all out with a new day-pack, recommended by L over on Somewhereslowly.com. I had been looking for one for some time and the Alpkit Gnarl is just what I was looking for. At 15 litres, it holds enough space for a day’s walk and it has enough space for that water bottle. Now to sew that patch 🙂

With a date set for the Kerry Camino at the end of August, I won’t need a change of gear or a new equipment. The walking in Kerry is not what I am used to so I may change to a mid-ankle boot instead of a shoe for that trip.

With news that all albergues are disposing of blankets once they open, it got me thinking that my Sea to Summit liner just won’t do the job if I plan to keep staying in albergues next April. So I have reverted to my old friend, the sleeping bag..in this case, an Ayacucho Sirius 200. The last time I used one was 2016 when I walked the Camino to Finisterre. I left the bag in Santiago to save on weight returning home. Hopefully, 2022 I can use a liner again?

If you are thinking of walking one of the many Caminos de Santiago this year, now would be a good time to get your kit and bits and pieces in check. As Roy Keane once said “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail” and I would agree with him to a extent. Even I, after my many Caminos, am continuously looking to improve my kit.

Last week, Camino Society Ireland hosted it’s annual Information event in Dublin (You can read about it here). Lots of information was provided about the specific routes, the background, and the history of the Camino however there was good practical information provided on what to bring and what not to bring in your pack. What you bring is your own personal choice but the rule of thumb is you will be looking after your kit for the length of your Camino so try to keep it to a minimum.

So in this post, I am just going to go through my kit for my upcoming Kerry Camino in May and my Portuguese Camino in September and if you have any questions, please feel free to comment or email me at clearskiescamino@gmail.com.

Backpack – Lowe Alpine 35 litre Trail

I have used this for a number of Caminos. Lowe Alpine backpacks have served me well but that doesn’t mean that this will be the best fit for you. 35 litres is plenty of space for me and it gives me a rain cover. That said, there are many different brands out there – Osprey being the most popular. The right thing to do is to speak to someone in an outdoor store and get fitted. Never buy online!

Shoes – Salomon X Ultra GTX / Crocs Men’s Swiftwater River Sandal

Probably the second most important box to tick, in my opinion. We will get to the sandals in a second. I have walked with Salomon for 4 years now and love them. Some pilgrims like mid-ankle shoes, some pilgrims like sandals, some pilgrims prefer to walk with no shoes! Whatever your inclination, make sure you have a comfortable shoe before you go or else you will not enjoy yourself. Ensure that water doesn’t get into them or stones for that matter. The sandals are to wear after walking and to let your feet rest. You might not want to spend a whole lot of money on them. It might also be an idea to have waterproof sandals to bring into the shower.

Rain Gear – Helly Hansen Rain Jacket / Columbia Rain Trousers

I could count on one hand the number of days I have encountered rain during my 10 Caminos. It won’t stop me from bringing rain gear, however. Every time I enter Galicia, I have an irrational fear that the skies will burst open, even if the sun is out. But it is not only Galicia. You may also encounter rain, hail, or snow in April/May or Sept/October in most parts of Northern Spain. So it is worthwhile bringing along some kind of rain protection. Then we have the poncho v rain jacket debate…which I won’t get into. I wore a poncho in 2012 and the wind blew it off me. That was the end of that. The great thing about the rain jacket is you can wear it for everyday use during the year also.

Clothes

• Craghoppers NosiLife Zip off Trousers – perfect when it gets warm or when it gets cold.
• Craghoppers NosiLife Long-Sleeved Shirt
• Colombia Short Sleeve T-shirt
• RAB Micro Fleece – good to have a fleece to have an extra bit of protection in the morning or in the evenings.
• 2 pairs of Under Armour boxers & 2 pair of Bridgedale Sock – lightweight, quick dry – having 2 pairs means I will be washing each night.
• Jack Wolfskin Baseball cap – to keep the rays from the head!

Water Bottle – Contigo 720ml bottle

There are tonnes of ways to carry your water on the Camino. You can buy your water in stores as you walk thereby helping the local economy, you could carry a platypus, there are many pilgrims carrying nothing but 500ml bottles and refilling them in the fuentes. Now, I am not saying any of these are the right way but be sure you have enough water with you at all times. For me, I carry the above bottle, and it just about works. On the French Way, there are plenty of fountains and places to refill and on the Portuguese Way, the same applies.

Sleeping Bag – Sea to Summit Silk Stretch Liner – Mummy

Again, when it comes to sleeping bags, there are so many options. Your choice of sleeping bag will depend on the time of year. If you are walking in the summer months, a liner will be fine, however if you are walking in the winter months, a sleeping bag might be needed. Don’t forget, some private albergues will provide blankets if it is cold, some at an extra cost.

Wash kit – Microfibre Travel Towel / All Purpose Soap

The towel is 130cm x 70cm and is really light and fast drying. You hang it on the end of your bunk when you are done in the shower and in a few hours it will be dry. I used to use Dr. Bronner’s soap but I found it really messy. So I changed to Lifeventure. This soap covers all the bases – hair, clothes, body and you can bring it on the plane.

Others – anything I have left out

• Buff
• Several safety pins for hanging laundry – you can even hang the safety pins on your back
• Earplugs – for the albergue
• Cream for feet – I was recommended Gehwol by a Podiatrist and I haven’t looked back since.
• Blister kit
• Mobile phone, plug and charging cable
• Fitbit and charging cable
• Credencial from Camino Society Ireland
• Passport
• I carry a small over-the-shoulder bag which includes my credencial, passport, a small amount of money, debit card and phone.
• In my backpack, I have a clear plastic pocket envelope which contains the important things – copy of a prescription, boarding pass, contact details if my phone is lost/stolen

Download my packing list with links that may help you. For more tips, see my preparation page.

So how did my gear get on after my Camino? In this post, I will tell you how the kit I brought fared and if it needs any improvement.

Backpack – Lowe Alpine 35litre Trail – I loved this pack. It served me well. It didn’t cause me any problems. I suppose the only issue I had, was with the zip-tie to close the pack itself. The two ends of the tie had a habit of going missing inside the pack and I had to go looking for them which caused me angst.
Trail Shoes – Meindl Philadelphia GTX trail shoes – Fine but not cut out for more than one Camino. They were comfortable and I had just the one minor blister. But they were battered by the time I finished up. I left them in Burgos and have since bought a new pair of Salomon X-Ultras.
Something for the rain – Berghaus rain jacket and Columbia rain trousers – Not used. The weather was superb save for a freak shower in Belorado.
Contigo 720ml water bottle – I loved this bottle, a little pricey but will do me for many more Caminos.

Clothes:
Columbia zip off trousers – No issues until I left the bottom half of the trousers in Belorado. An error on my behalf. So they need replacing.
Socks – 2 pair of Quechua socks and 1 pair of Smartwool – Perfect. No need to make any changes.
Underwear – 3 pair of Under Armour – Under Armour is a top class brand. I won’t be changing from them. I may reduce the number of socks and briefs to 2 on my Celtic Camino.
Baseball cap – Jack Wolfskin – Great, I wore it all the time.
Buff – Random buff I bought in Santiago in May – Not used
Sandals  – A cheap pair useful for airing the feet in the evenings – Great for the evenings. As I have said, they don’t need to be expensive. Just as long as your feet are comfortable after your day’s walking.
Craghoppers long sleeve shirt – Great. I wore this in May and it is perfect. Quick dry and great protection against the sun.
Helly Hansen t-shirt & T-shirt purchased in Santiago in May – Same as above. I may drop one t-shirt next May.
North Face fleece – Great in the morning, but it got warm very early. I had the fleece off before noon most days. 
Towel – 1 quick dry Microfibre towel – Ideal and essential that it is quick dry. I have this particular one 2 years now. I won’t be changing any time soon.
Sea to Summit – Silk liner sleeping bag – Used every night bar my first and last. It fits in my hand and it takes less than a minute to pack away. It’s perfect.

First Aid & Blister Kit:
Blister kit with a selection of compeed and plasters. – I used this once, but I make sure I bring it every year. Essential
Gehwol 75ml Foot cream – Used every morning and evening. 
Deep heat – Not used
Earplugs, perfect for those noisy albergues! – Oh boy, these were used, I can’t imagine a Camino without earplugs!!
Hand cream – Very handy to have.
Wash kit including All purpose soap 100ml – I just love the Lifeventure 100ml all-purpose soap and use it for every Camino. I always have some left over when I return home. At less than a tenner, I will stock up on some more.
Safety pins for hanging up laundry – I might return to pegs next time. I had lost a lot of the pins by the time I reached Burgos.
Toothpaste & Toothbrush – Goes without saying

Electronics:
Phone, charging cable & adaptor- My mobile phone was very battery intensive and I used it to take photos and keep in touch with those at home. Naturally, the battery would die sooner than later. I brought a cable and adaptor which just didn’t do the job so I was left two days with no power and no photos. I did, however, buy a Spanish adaptor so I have that for future Caminos.
Fitbit & charging cable – No issues with the Fitbit, but the number of steps I had walked was just not important on these ten days! I may leave it behind next May.
Small over-the-shoulder bag – For all the essentials, it’s good to have one instead of taking off the bag everytime you need something.
Wise Pilgrim guidebook – Well worth a look! 
Passport
Pilgrim passport – Supplied by Camino Society Ireland

So what do you reckon? Is there anything you would add or take away from that list?

Hi folks, I’ve slightly updated my packing list for my meseta Camino in just over 20 days. The main additions are new trail shoes and a change in rain gear. I’ve changed my blister kit too. Check it out in the “Packing List” tab above.

Eureka!

Ahem…sorry if I scared anyone with my opening line there but I may have cracked the one quandary I have left with my kit…the rain jacket. And it was purely incidental.

After yesterday’s rains, I woke this morning to discover my phone was unable to charge. So I needed to bring it to the local phone repair store to have it checked out. There was a possibility that the charging mechanism was water damaged, although I hoped that wasn’t the case. So I brought it to the store and the guy behind the counter had a look at it. After waiting 5 minutes for the phone to turn on, I saw the charging icon. It was just a false alarm. Phew! That will teach me to leave my phone cover at home while it rains!

While leaving the shopping centre, my brother and I passed a new Regatta Great Outdoors store and decided to check it out. I have been on the hunt for a more effective rain jacket since yesterday so maybe…just maybe..they may have something in stock. The brother was looking for hiking trousers as well and he bought his first pair of zip-off trousers and quick-dry socks. I will have him on the Camino in no time 🙂

While he was making his purchase, I asked one of the guys working there if he has any hi-end rain jackets in stock. He had Craghoppers, DareToBe and Regatta (obvs as it is a Regatta store!!). My ears perked when he mentioned Craghoppers. There was a good selection in stock and I tried on a few. Of the lot, the Kiwi Classic was the best and with a 10% sale, I bought it. So now I have another jacket to test and if it doesn’t do the job, I have 30 days to bring it back and get my money back. Win-win. My only concern is that it is slightly heavier than the Helly Hansen. We will wait and see what it is like on my next hike on the Grand Canal next Saturday, the 3rd.