The Camino Capsule

Selecting the campervan capsule was easy, but what to pack if you’re going to carry everything on your back for a month? That was the challenge faced by the OH as he prepared his backpack for the final stage of his Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Last Autumn, he spent two weeks walking from St Jean Pied de Port to Burgos, this Spring he planned to complete the final two-thirds of the 850 kilometre walk from Burgos to Santiago.

There is an infinite amount advice on the Internet and in various guidebooks, plus packing lists and lively forums where the intricate details of products are compared, ranging from backpacks to socks. The backpack was sorted – a top of the range 50 litre Osprey that had passed the test last Autumn. I’d also converted him to the Eagle Creek Pack-it system, a range of zipped cubes and bags including some waterproof, which I’ve been using for years whenever travelling. He commandeered virtually my entire collection!

 

The objective was for the backpack to be as light as possible with nothing surplus to requirements. Rohan clothing was high on the packing list. The main clothing items were chosen on the rule of three principle – one to wear, one to wash and one for spare (or to change into at the end of the day, as the pellegrino can get pretty grubby tramping through the Spanish countryside). As he was setting off at the beginning of April there was the possibility of unfavourable weather, so a fleece and an outer waterproof jacket were extra to the items taken last year. He also decided to try out a pair of Rohan waterproof walking trousers and take a zip-off pair that would convert into shorts if weather permitted. Previously he’d taken a huge waterproof cape that engulfed both the walker and the backpack, but this time he’s in the Rohan Mountain Leader jacket. At this time of year it was essential to cover all types of potential weather conditions.

A few days before departure everything was set out on the bed and the backpack was organised, packed, weighed, unpacked, sorted again and repacked. It’s surprising how the small pack-it bags soon filled up with essential items – medicines, first aid kit, wash kit, and spare waterproof bag to keep wallet, passport and phone safe and dry. Three Eagle creek pack-its housed clothes, plus a shoe bag with the essential pair of Crocs, for relieving sore feet at the end of day’s twenty kilometre hike. Then there’s the smallest, lightest sleeping bag we could find in Decathlon, lightweight aluminium water bottle, guidebook, phrase book, solar charger for the phone and of course trusty swiss army knife. The whole lot weighed in at exactly nine kilos, just below the maximum target weight of ten kilos, including the compulsory St Jacques shell.

 

As I write this OH is about halfway to Santiago. A few people have asked why I’m not on camino too. I usually reply “Ce n’est pas mon truc” – I’ve always got the excuse of my work or the pets, plus I’m in charge of logistics and hotel bookings for when the going gets tough. Perhaps I’ll do it one day. I love the planning and organisation, plus the idea of diluting your life down to one backpack – it’s just the thought of carrying it all for twenty kilometres a day that puts me off!

Buen camino!