In 2014, my Aunt Deb and I hiked from St. Jean Pied-de-Port to Los Arcos, caught a bus to Logrono and a train from Logrono to Sarria, then hiked the last 100 kilometers from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela. It rained a lot in 2014, but I finally had the opportunity to cross the Pyrenees (in 2013 we took the southern route through Valcarlos). What I really enjoyed though was spending the two weeks with Deb. She’s one of my personal role models and a woman I respect very much. She loves the outdoors and I enjoyed every mile we hiked together. She has a fantastic sense of humor, is quick to laugh, shares my love of occasional junk food binges, can hike 20 kilometers a day for weeks without seeming tired, and doesn’t mind getting up early. It was a fantastic journey and I’m so glad that she shared it with me.

But as Alan and I were discussing vacation options (such as Marrakech, a cruise from Venice to Greece, etc.) the husband mentioned that he was a little jealous of my trek in 2014 with my aunt. So I suggested that we do it again, the whole 800 kilometers. We figure that cruise lines will always be headed to Greece, that Marrakech will always be a short flight from France, but the ability and desire to hike 800 kilometers across Spain may wane over time. So we’re gearing up and going again in September/October 2015.

We’ve compiled a new equipment list based on our experiences in 2013 (see 2013 Equipment Review) hoping to learn from our first trek and make changes according to our own reviews of the equipment we chose for 2013. Our idea of “wear one, wash one” worked very well for the entire six weeks and we plan to stay with that idea except for socks. As we mentioned again and again in 2013, foot care is the most important issue on the Camino. Dry socks = happy feet. So we’ll bring extras!:)

If you would like to read more about our Camino 2013 experiences, see our Camino de Santiago page.

Clothing From the Ground Up

– Boots |

ALAN: I really liked my Quechua boots from 2013, but I wore them out before we even began planning the 2015 Camino and that particular model has been discontinued by Decathlon. My US size 13/ European size 48 feet make boot shopping a bit more difficult, so for our 2015 Camino I will be using Hi-Tec Eurotrek Waterproof  Walking Boots.  I’ve had good luck with Hi-Tec uniform boots in the past, so I am giving them a try for this trek. I wanted to stay with a more traditional boot and its ankle support rather than walking shoes.

TRACY: I love my Quechua Forclaz 500 Novadry Hiking Boots, they have over 1000 kilometers of Camino and, other than replacing the laces once, they are still in great shape. I will definitely be bringing these for Camino 2015 as they are well broken-in and extremely comfortable.

 – Socks |

TRACY: I still love my Quechua Forclaz 500 High Hiking Socks, but decided to invest in some new ones. I selected the Quechua Forclaz High 100 Hiking Socks but the truth is I just love the ones I have so I plan to bring two of each. The old aren’t showing too much wear — even after two treks on the Camino — so I think they’ll be fine for this trip. 

– Underwear |  

ALAN: Staying with my “wear one, wash one” approach I’ll be carrying two pairs of the same quick-drying underwear from Decathlon that I brought on Camino 2013. The Kalenji brand offers a synthetic fabric that is fast drying and moisture wicking.  

TRACY: I am also staying with my Kalenji brand underwear. They were great on Camino 2013, usually one of the first things to dry. For sports bras this year, I found a couple at the local market that offer great support and quick-dry, moisture wicking capability and come in brighter colors to make them easy to identity on a clothesline. Most of my clothing choices have to do with comfort, fit, quick-dry capability and the ability to quickly identify which stuff is mine on overstuffed clotheslines at the albergue. 

– Pants |  

ALAN: I’ll be staying the the lightweight 5.11 Tactical TDU nylon webbing belt – 1 1/2″ with Plastic Buckle.  Simple, lightweight, flat profile under my backpack’s waist belt.  Unlike a leather belt, this belt is fast drying if it gets wet.  From LA Police Gear.

– Bandana |  

ALAN: On Camino 2013 I brought along two bandanas, mainly intended to protect my neck on sunny days because all my shirts were collar-less. On the 2015 Camino I’m bring just one bandana, as I was always able to wash it in the evening laundry and it was dry by morning. Minuscule weight savings, but why bring an extra item I don’t need?  

– Rain Jackets |

ALAN: My biggest indulgence for Camino 2015 is a new rain jacket, a Quechua Rain Vest Forclaz 100 from Decathlon. Absolutely nothing was wrong with my previous rain jacket, I’ve worn it quite a bit after the 2013 Camino.  But I was always envious of Tracy’s more comfortable and flexible jacket and the new jackets comes with the three tangible improvements of 1.) being lighter, 2.) the ability to roll into a smaller bundle, and 3.) the rain hood (which I never used in 2013 because of my waterproof Tilley hat) can be rolled neatly away into its collar. My original jacket’s hood didn’t store and I worried about it becoming a “bucket” hanging unused on the back of my jacket and flapping in the wind. Like my previous rain jacket, this one has “breathable” fabric and underarm zippers to vent heat and attempt to minimize perspiration. Because of the increased comfort of the jacket I elected to not carry a long sleeve shirt like I brought on the Camino in 2013 and to use this jacket anytime I want long sleeves.

 TRACY: Though I still don’t like the color, my Quechua Forclaz 500 Men’s Hiking Jacket is so perfect for hiking in inclement weather that I just can’t bring myself to part with it. The vented sleeves are great to help with heat. That seems to be my biggest problem while hiking — I get hot fast and can’t seem to cool off. The material keeps water out even in a downpour — which I personally field tested in 2013. It dries super fast and when I’m not wearing it, rolls up small so it doesn’t take a lot of space in my pack. This is a must-have item for the unpredictable Camino weather.

– Hats |

ALAN: You couldn’t pry my Tilley T5MO hat away from me with a twelve-foot crowbar. Love that hat!  I really did wear it on the 2013 Camino trail each and everyday.  Great in the sun, great in the rain.  The firm brim protects my ears and neck from the sun unlike a “ball cap” style hat.

– On Person |

ALAN: I have a new pair of Ray-Ban New Wayfarer sunglasses with a fresh prescription for the trip. I swap between my regular prescription eyeglasses and the sunglasses into in a hard case as the conditions warrants.  On the 2013 Camino, absent rainstorms,  I worn my sunglasses almost non-stop in the daytime. There is a lot of bright light out walking the Camino for hours at a time, UV protection is a must.

My Seiko “Black Monster” watch with a lightweight NATO-style Monkey Swag 5 ring Zulu Strap was a “bomb proof” item in 2013 and will make the trip again in 2015. The “Black Monster” dive watch is waterproof, “tool watch” tough, self-winding (with no battery that might need replacing), has extremely bright lume that is readable all night long, and has a day and date indicator. The day-date function is especially helpful as it’s easy to lose track of the calendar in the low-tech world of the Camino. While some pilgrims enjoy finding a natural rhythm on the Camino away from watches and the structure of time in the “real world,” I like knowing when a train or bus will arrive, being able to estimate our arrival at an albergue, the time a restaurant starts serving the pilgrim meal, how soon is sunup, and whether it is Sunday since many businesses and sights in Spain are closed on the Sabbath. All of that said, there is a time-date-calendar on the iPod I am already bringing and a $10 digital watch would also perform the same functions. I’m just “of a generation” that wear and like good wristwatches.

TRACY: I never leave the house without a pair of sunglasses. Camino 2013, was very hard on my sunglasses. They came back to France beaten and scratched and were quickly tossed into the trash. For Camino 2015 I opted for a pair of the Orao Gavarnie Brown CAT3 sunglasses. They offer 100% UV protection, filter out harmful blue light and UV rays that are more intense in the mountains and are built for mid- and high-mountain activities. I also really liked that they were nice and dark which is perfect for me while I’m hiking in the bright sun as my eyes tend to be light sensitive. The best part is that they were only 5 Euro from Decathlon so I won’t feel guilty if I beat them up again.

ALAN: For Camino 2015 I replaced my previous, two section Black Diamond Syncline Trekking Poles with a new pair of more compact, three-section trekking poles, Quechua Forclaz 500 Antishock Bâton Trekking Poles. Nothing was wrong with my previous Black Diamond poles, they were very sturdy and well designed, except that they only collapsed to 86 cm (34 inches) compared to 70 cm (27 inches.) It was amazing how awkward 16 cm (7 inches) of poles sticking up past the top of my backpack would hang-up on every doorway, luggage rack, and stairway I would try to walk through. Tracy, who had to witnessed me snag myself repeatedly on obstructions, encouraged me to go ahead and replace my previous trekking poles with something more compact.  I added to the new poles, like in 2013, Quechua Nordic Hiking tips for extra grip, to protect the floors of businesses and historic sites, and to muffle the annoying scraping of the regular metal tip.

I do not like nor wanted the “anti-shock” feature, I prefer the poles to be rigid without any “give.” But being 6’04,” I selected these poles for their maximum length up to 140 cm after I learned the “anti-shock” feature can be deactivated.  I normally set my trekking poles at of length of 130 cm, but I like adding the extra 10 cm of reach when walking a long, steep downhill stretch. I had never used trekking poles before Camino 2013, but I am now the biggest advocate. I appreciate the extra balance the poles offer (I am amazingly clumsy) and I believe it is true when they say the proper use of trekking poles will reduce your perceived backpack weight by 25%.

TRACY: While I considered purchasing new poles with cork grips I opted to keep the Quechua Forclaz 500 Light poles, I love the tri-section collapsing mechanism that allows these poles to fold down small enough to store outside the pack without getting caught on anything. I did opt to pick up a pair of Domyos fingerless gloves to help me keep my grip if it gets hot. I did take a tumble on Camino 2013 when I got to the base of a hill and was thankful that my hands did not slip and that the Nordic Hiking Tips stopped my fall from becoming an embarrassing slide across the rocks. As I do tend to be clumsy, I figured I would rather be safe than sorry and will wear my gloves this year. I think the addition of the Nordic Hiking Tips really made a difference last year, so I’ll be definitely using them again this year. Another incentive for using the poles is that my hands don’t swell as much during the day. 

Our Packs

– Backpacks |

ALAN: Staying with a winning backpack system system from the Camino 2013, the Quechua Forclaz 40 Air.  We wanted to travel as light as possible and wanted smaller backpacks to enforce the limits of what we could carry with us. However, with being 6’04” I wanted a bag with sufficient length to let me use the hip belt to help carry some of the weight.  With the 40 Air I achieved those goals with having 41 litres of capacity,  3.5 pounds (1550 grams) total weight. The “Air” in the description refer to the pack’s mesh back that allows extra air flow and cooling. A rain cover is supplied to keep the bag’s contents dry.  

TRACY: My old Forclaz 30 Air Hiking Backpack by Quechua was perfect for both my 2013 and 2014 treks across Spain. The pack had a 30 litre volume, weighed just 2.3 pounds (empty) and had the most amazing ventilated cooling system. While I still like the Forclaz 30, for our 2015 trek I decided to upgrade. I wanted to be able to carry all of my own gear. In 2013, Alan had to carry most of our hygiene items as I was unable to carry more weight. In 2014, I had a 12 litre daypack that I picked up in Roncesvalles that held all of my hygiene stuff, journal, cards, etc. But it didn’t fit inside the pack. I fastened it to the outside, but it left my pack out of balance. For Camino 2015, I wanted to be able to carry everything inside the pack to keep the pack balanced nicely and protected from wet weather. We went to the Decathlon in Perpignan and I tried on a variety of packs, I didn’t like the fit of Quechua’s new 40 litre pack. I decided on the Forclaz EasyFit 50 Litre Hiking Backpack over the 40 litre air for comfort. I would rather have a perfect fit with some extra room than one that is the perfect size but doesn’t fit well, even if it does weigh 1 1/2 pounds more than my old one. 

– Sleeping Bags |

We both decided to stay with a proven item from Camino 2013. The Quechua Sac de Couchage Rando 15°C Light XL. There is tons of debate in online Camino forums as to whether to bring a sleeping bag, or just a sleeping bag liner, or simply use blankets provided at some albergues. Tracy and I selected these light sleeping bags with matching left and right zippers that allows us to zip the bags together or use separately for Camino 2013 and they were great. The lightweight sleeping bags have a 60 degree F. (15 degree C) comfort rating and weigh about 1.7 pounds (760 grams) each.  The cinch sack allows this sleeping bag to collapse to a very small 8″ tall x 5″ diameter so it takes very little space compared to traditional sleeping bags. From Decathlon.

ALAN: Buddha help me! This is where I made certain I would not suffer like I did in 2013!  I made a grave error and brought the cheapest sandals I found expecting to only wear them at the albergue.  What I found after a day’s had hiking is I needed the arch support of serious “after hike” footwear. We didn’t realize that we would often want to sightsee, go to a restaurant, explore a town, but we wanted to rest our feet from our boots. For Camino 2015 I purchased online a pair of men’s Teva Tanza sports sandals with its solid nylon shank and footbed for solid arch support.  If I wasn’t able to find good sport sandals I would be carrying a pair of running shoes.  For me, it is worth the extra weight of sport sandals or running shoes to have to have comfortable and supportive ‘end of the day” footwear for Camino 2015.

TRACY: On Camino 2013, I made a huge mistake when it came to end of the day footwear. Not realizing the importance of a well made sandal, I originally started with a basic pair of flipflops. By the time we reached Carrion de los Condes, I was having some real problems. Thankfully we found a sports store and I purchased these Chiruca sport sandals. The arch support made so much difference that I rarely had foot problems the rest of the trek. Though I still love a cute pair of flip-flops, they just don’t cut it for 800 kilometers of hiking.

– Cameras  |

ALAN: Damn, I really am a “camera guy,” I can’t believe I’m doing this. In 2013, it was difficult for me not to bring the DSLR on the  Camino. Afterwards we found we took the majority of our 2013 Camino photos with an iPhone rather than the compact cameras we brought. So for Camino 2015, I am going to continue with my efforts toward minimalism and just bring my iPod 5 with build-in camera, its charger with “2 pin” European plug, ULAK protective case, and My Bunjee “leash” as my total camera gear. Traveling “fast and light” is Tracy and my retirement motto, so I am going the next step with leaving Canon DSLR, Olympus PEN camera, and waterproof Olympus TG-820 at home. The iPod will double as a “palm top” computer and a wifi communication device to share our progress on Facebook. I will be using the Google Photo app to back-up my photos while en route.

TRACY: In addition to the iPod Touch 5 with it’s sleek new charger and the new Bunjee “leash” and after much deliberation, I have decided to also bring along my small Nikon Coolpix AW100 waterproof/shockproof camera and six memory cards. Alan picked up a smaller, lighter charger and two extra batteries (bringing the total to five). The final decision was made when we both realized that the iPod camera is fine but doesn’t do well in low light. The AW100 has a “museum” mode that I really love in my big Nikon. It takes a pretty decent photo even in extremely low light. The one thing we both wished we had last time was a few more photos of the interiors of churches we visited.

– Other Essentials |

ALAN:  The Streamlight Stylus Pro LED Flashlight from Police Gear. A 5.3″ x .6″ (134 x 15 mm) mini flashlight weighting 1.64 oz (46.9 g) with 48 lumens output and 6.25 hours runtime powered by two “AAA” alkaline batteries. On Camino 2013, Tracy and I never found a  flashlight to be really necessary, but having one was genuinely helpful a few times in 2013 and at 1.64 ounces I’m going to “be prepared” and bring it along once more.

ALAN:  A Pilgrim’s Guide To The Camino de Santiago, St. Jean – Roncesvalles – Santiago (2015 Edition) and A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Finisterre, Santiago – Finisterre – Muxia by John Brierley. Very comprehensive English language Camino guides with directions, maps, history, advice, and even spiritual insights. In 2013, we used this book to set up our next days hike, to make notes, to find our way through the larger cities, but most often to find out how many kilometers to the next town with an albergue. For Camino 2015 we are adding A Village to Village Guide to Hiking the Camino De Santiago: Camino Frances: St Jean – Santiago – Finisterre by Anna Dintaman and David Landis a new 2014 Camino guidebook which Tracy saw on her 2014 Camino with her aunt.  It has different organization, explanation of history, topographical style maps, and sometimes additions and omissions of albergues and hotels along the way. (Whether albergues are open or closed is a “moving target. So much so that the Pilgrims’ Office in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port hands out a list of the most recent albergue informatiion.)  While the Brierley book would suffice, we like the added history and culture commentary and having as much travel information as we can, so I accepted the additional 12 ounces (3/4 pound – 340 grams) of the Dintaman-Landis guide for a total of  26 ounces (1.6 pounds – 747 grams) of guidebooks. The nicest feature of the new book is the listing of amenities at an albergue, things like washers/dryers and wifi. Books are heavy, so a decision to carry 1.6 pounds of guidebooks while I am reducing my clothing from 4 socks to three, jettisoning a long sleeve shirt, going to a water bladder, getting a lighter raincoat, using shampoo bars, and using my iPod camera as my sole camera is a reflection of the value we place on the guidebooks.  

We believe a good Camino guide is invaluable. There is always discussions in the Camino Forums about whether or not any guidebook is even needed on the well-marked Camiño Francés trails. That’s a reasonable consideration since our guidebooks weight more than one and a half pounds in backpacks we are trying to keep under twenty pounds. There is a wonderfully concise Camino Frances’ “pdf” guide with less than a dozen pages that can be downloaded at  http://www.caminoguide.net/  to save weight and space over carrying a guidebook. On previous Caminos we met people without guidebooks, to either save weight or “we were told we wouldn’t need one.” Those people were always at a disadvantage to planning their nest day’s route and we met several pilgrims who mistakenly took a wrong branch of the trail or didn’t know where next albergue might be. There are other guidebooks out there, but Tracy and I like the annually updated John Brierley’s guides, with all their quirks, so these will be our guidebooks for Camino 2015, (stripped of the surplus “pre-trip planning pages.”)

Tracy and I are trying something new for Camino 2015.  We are each bringing an inexpensive (€5.00) Geonaute On-Night 50 Headlamp (17 lumens, 15 meters range, 120 grams weight) for a single morning’s use on the first day of the Camino when we climb the Napoleon Pass over the Pyrenees Mountains from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles.  This day’s distance is 25.1 km (15.6 miles), but the guidebook adjusts that distance to 32 km because of the 1,390 meters (4,560 feet) accrued climb.  Our intention is to leave our hotel on the morning of Day One at 5:00 am (2 1/2 hours before the 7:28 sunrise) and take advantage of the paved surface out of Saint-Jean to Orisson while hiking with headlamps.  Normally, we start hiking in the early dusk when the morning twilight allows us enough visibility to safely walk, about a half-hour before sunrise.  But Day One is a challenging first day on the Camino and we wanted to get a couple of extra hours in the cool early morning.  It will also be two days after the full moon with moonrise at 9:25 pm the night before and moonset not until 9:24 am.  Between the 17 lumens headlamps (not a lot of light), paved roads, and a (hopefully) clear sky with a nearly full moon, we hope to get a head-start for our first day. Once in Roncesvalles we intend to leave the headlamps on the “free to a good home” table of abandoned surplus equipment left by pilgrims who realized they overpacked after hiking over the Pyrenees.

– Kiara’s Camino Collar |

TRACY: I carry this everywhere we travel. I put it together for her when we were planning our first Camino. We lost her before our start date so I carried it on my pack while on Camino 2013, and again for Camino 2014 and Turin in 2015. It’s become something of a talisman for my travels and I will find the perfect place on my new pack for it.

– Water storage |

Personal Items:

– Passport, Camino credencial, cash, credit cards |

ALAN: It was easy to purchase our Camino credentials in Saint Jean Peid-de-Port, so pre-purchasing a credential isn’t necessary. While our non “Chip and Pin” ATM cards and American Express cards worked well on Camino 2013 and we have upgraded all of our credit and debit smarts to “smart cards” with chips for Camino 2015. I carry my cards and cash in a nylon wallet in the zipper pocket of my pants so it is always with me as we travel.

– Rosary |

ALAN: It’s a very well traveled Rosary that will be returning to Santiago de Compostela.

– Toothbrush, toothpaste, anti-perspirant, disposable razor, nail clippers, comb and brush |

Items such as toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and such are easily replenished as we go through big towns. Oftentimes, even in small towns and some albergues have mini-markets with travel bottles of all necessary hygiene items.

– Shampoos, soaps, conditioner |

ALAN: On Camino 2013, I used one of the Lush brand shampoo bars and really didn’t care for it, afterwards I said that if I were to do it again I’d skip the shampoo bar. Alright, I’m going eat my words and try a shampoo bar again for Camino 2015.  I like the idea of a compact package and not carrying the surplus water in a shampoo bottle. On this trek I will be trying J.R.Liggetts Shampoo Bar and hoping to have better luck than with the Lush product.

TRACY: I really liked the Lush shampoo bar that I had with me on Camino 2013, but Lush doesn’t have the Irresistible Bliss shampoo bar, but I found one called Brizillant that will do the trick, I ordered three this time. I am also bringing along three of Lush’s Jungle conditioner bars as well. To help them last this time I also purchased two of the small metal tins. 

– Sun block |

ALAN: Sun block is an essential to have hiking the Camino. The Spanish sun is bright, especially on the Meseta.  I used sun block nearly everyday while on Camino 2013, and using the sunblock and wearing a hat I had no sunburns at all. I like the cream based Garnier – Ambre Solaire Bébé à L’ombre sun block with a SPF 50 with both UVA and UVB protection.  The handy 50 ml size tube should be enough for the entire trip and being a children’s sun block it has the bonus of no scent or extra ingredients.

TRACY: I have a spray sunblock by Hawaiian Tropic as well as a tin of the intensive Nivea cream that will be making the trip with me. On Camino 2013 it seemed that my feet did so much better if I gave them a quick massage with the intensive lotion before going to bed. Foot care is so extremely important while hiking the Camino that even the extra bit of weight will be well worth it in the long run.

– First aid kit with blister treatments, antiseptic, anti-diarrhea, pain pills, and lip balm |

We learned while on Camino 2013 that Compeed blister bandages are amazing and a MUST carry.  The pain killers we had with us in 2013 were very much appreciated, by others as well as ourselvesl. We never had call to use the anti-diarrhea meds, but better safe than sorry. Alan prefers a chapstick-style lip balm, where Tracy prefers her Carmex.

– Safety pins |

So many fine uses, as safety pins, for popping blisters, and serving as clothes pins. For Camino 2015 we’ll bring twice as many safety pins as we think we may need. They were especially useful as clothes pins.

– Toilet Paper |

This was a good call for 2013 and will be an essential for 2015 as well. Amazing how often an albergue’s rest room would run out, especially the women’s restrooms.

– Notebooks and Pens |

ALAN: I’m carrying an orange Rhodia Rhodiarama Pocket Webnotebooks with two pens for my journal.  The notebook is 9.5 x 14.0 cm (3 ½ x 5 ½”) with 192 lined pages and weighs 5 ounces (144 grams.) I intend to make comprehensive notes so I can write detailed blog posts of our experiences on the trail after we return. The notebook is very similar to the Moleskine notebook I used on the previous Camino. I’m making a point of bringing two pens since in 2013 since I lost one along the way.

TRACY: In 2013 and 2015, I brought along mini Moleskine ruled notebooks, but Alan found me a beautiful journal for our 2015 trek at a local book store. I was only planning to bring one pen with refills but I remembered that I lost my pen near the end of the hike in 2013, so I picked up a backup as well while at the book store that uses the same refill cartridges.

– Travel towels |

The Quechua Serviettes randonnée is compact just 50″ x 16.5″ (120 cm x 42 cm), 3.7 ounce (106 grams), and is a fast drying, microfiber towel. Nothing better for utility and saving space and weight.

Alan’s backpack at departure weighed in at 19.8 pounds (8.98 kilograms)

My goal for Camino 2015 was a backpack under 20 pounds. I’ve attempted to reduce several items (the long sleeve shirt, one pair of underwear, one pair of socks, one bandana, compact camera with batteries and charger, reverting to a lighter hydration system rather than metal water bottle, shampoo bars rather than liquid shampoo, lighter rain jacket) and adding only an additional guide book and a headlight for use on the first day only.

Tracy’s backpack weighed in at 20.0 pounds (9.07 kilograms)

My goal for Camino 2015 was  pack under 20 pounds — pretty close — it would be nice to have it at the 15 pound range again, but I’m determined to carry all of my own stuff this time!