Before I walked Stage 1 of the Camino de Santiago (from St Jean Pied de Port to Logroño), I scoured the internet for hours and hours to make sure my packing was on point. This here is a compilation of everything I researched and decided to bring on my own camino. Use this post as your complete Camino de Santiago female packing list, and save yourself the hours of research I already did for you.
I have one list that includes all the clothing items I brought and another for the rest–those small random items you’ll use every day. But before I get into that, I wanted to talk generally about how packing for a camino is very different than packing for other types of travel. That’s probably why you’re here, reading a blog about it.
You can pay for luggage transfer to your next accommodation if you need/want to every day, but many pilgrims try to carry their packs with them while they walk. Since you may not know where you’re ending up each day, luggage transfer can be challenging to coordinate. When you’re putting in an average of 10-15 miles a day, the weight of your bag becomes really important. Packing minimally is key.
Most advice about packing for the camino says to keep the total weight of your bag (not counting the weight of water you’ll carry) to 10% of your body weight or less. So if you weigh 150 pounds, your bag should weigh 15 pounds max. This can be quite challenging if you’ve never packed that minimally before. But believe me when I say, less is more.
Your actual backpack is important as well. You’ll want something lightweight, easy to carry long distances, and breathable. I had an Osprey backpack already that I used because I didn’t want to spend money on another one, but in hindsight it was too big and hot on my back. It wasn’t made for trekking, and I wish I splurged on a different model for my trip– something smaller with more ventilation. This is a similar bag to the one I have, but I would not recommend this exact model.
For clothing, you want things that are quick dry and odor wicking. You’ll be wearing things multiple times and mostly doing your own washing. Items that air dry overnight are musts. I didn’t bring anything that would not dry quickly or would smell after one wear.
Another thing to note about this Camino de Santiago female packing list– I did this trip in the spring (end of April, early May to be exact). I had great weather conditions. Sure it rained a bit and got a little chilly, but overall, weather was not a huge factor in what I packed. If you’re walking in the extreme heat of summer or closer to winter when it’s cold the whole time, you might want to adjust some items accordingly.
A little insight about me real quick. At the time of this trip I was 32 years old with no injuries or disabilities. Some folks might need to consider additional items I didn’t think to bring (are you on prescriptions or do you require a knee brace? things like that). I’m also someone who has a skin care routine at home and enjoys make up. But try to embrace the minimal lifestyle on the trail. It’s really not about what’s on the outside on a journey like this. Embrace the extra time you get when you simplify your daily routine.
Alright, now I’ll share my complete Camino de Santiago female packing list! I’ll break it down into a couple sections with bullet points, and I’ll try and link as many items as I can.
Clothing
- Kuhl leggings (rain resistant, good in different temperatures, nice pocket for phone) *here*
- Icebreaker joggers *here*
- khaki shorts *here*
- 3 pairs of merino wool socks from Darn Tough *here*
- 4 pairs of quick dry underwear *here* (it’s key that these dry quickly!)
- 2 merino wool bras *here*
- bathing suit (optional but I booked a spa treatment one day so I needed this)
- Keen hiking boots (I personally need ankle support but some people prefer to bring lighter weight shoes. If the shoes you bring don’t work out, there are many spots to buy a new pair.) *here*
- Teva hiking sandals *here* (to wear with outfits in the evening or for walking days when your feet need air)
- Havianas (for lounging around hostels, showering, wearing with outfits at night)
- Icebreaker merino wool t shirt
- Patagonia quick dry t shirt *here*
- long sleeve merino wool shirt *here*
- Colombia Freezer dress *here*
- compact waterproof jacket *here*
- maroon packable down jacket (for colder days or in the evenings) *here*
- scarf for visiting religious buildings or warmth (would still recommend this even though I didn’t end up using it… I got lucky with weather, but I only walked the first 100 miles. I think it would’ve come in handy at some point if I walked the whole camino in one go.) *here*
- beanie (I never ended up needing this, but I went in the spring and had good weather.)
- wide brimmed hat (string tie was so necessary on windy days) *here*
- buff (cute accessory for evening, can use as a mask, protects your neck from sun, can wear as a headband) *here*
- gloves (if weather during your trip calls for it)
- face mask (just in case)
Here are the outfit combos I could make using these items. For walking: my leggings with a black tee or long sleeve and my khaki shorts with any top. I would mix and match depending on the weather. I could use my packable down if it was cold in the early morning. Try to make sure the colors of your shirts mix well with the bottoms you bring. The only thing I couldn’t wear together was my leggings with my merino wool t shirt because the colors clashed. But everything else worked, and I could have worn that if I was desperate. The camino is definitely not about the fashion.
For times I was not actively walking: joggers and long sleeve for chilling at the hostel or sleeping in (on colder nights), dress for chillin/sleeping on warmer nights (or if I wanted something “fancier” for dinner in town). I could wear the dress with the packable down jacket or the scarf if I needed a layer of warmth.
That’s it for clothing. You don’t need anything special for sleeping. In fact, you’ll either sleep in your evening wear or you’ll sleep in your hiking outfit for the next day so you can just get up and go without much effort. Your outfits will double as your pjs too.
I tried to stay on top of my laundry each day (or every other) so I never had to worry about running out of options or smelling too bad. After arriving at my accommodation, I would shower off that day’s sweat and put on a clean evening outfit that I would also sleep in that night. Then, I would grab whatever needed to be washed, hand wash it with Dr. Bronners, and get it hung up ASAP so it would be dry by morning. In the morning I would change into my hiking outfit and spray my evening outfit with a little Febreeze before packing up. I think I paid for a laundry service maybe once? Plus, the merino wool items stayed smelling fresh for multiple wears, so that helped.
Everything Else You’ll Need:
- Kindle (sorry physical books–you take up too much space)
- journal and pen (for documenting important reflections on your journey)
- wireless headphones (when I sweat or move a lot I feel like the Airpods don’t stay in, so I opted fo a cheap pair that went around my ear instead.)
- all chargers
- European adapter
- power bank
- 2 x sunglasses (one for when my contacts are in and one prescription pair)
- eyeglasses and contacts/solution
- jewelry (not necessary but if you do want to bring something to feel cute keep this minimal)
- hair ties and clips
- hair brush
- baby powder (to use as dry shampoo if needed)
- toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
- small mirror (sometimes there’s not a mirror easily accessible for getting ready)
- razor
- Q-tips
- nail clippers
- tweezers
- panty liners and/or pads and/or tampons
- feminine wipes (used to freshen up if needed and for peeing on the trail in emergencies)
- zip lock bags (I had these in case I had to pee in nature to carry out my waste.)
- kleenex
- vitamins (of your choice. I had vitamin b and c.)
- ibuprofen
- electrolytes (hard to find on the camino. I drank one a day when I got to my accommodation.)
- stevia (my personal preference for coffee)
- refillable water bottle (I didn’t feel the need to carry tons of water because there were frequent chances to refill. Except going to Roncesvalles–that was a long hike with few facilities. Maybe bring an extra that day.)
- laundry line with clips
- Dr. Bronners (for doing laundry)
- travel sized Febreeze
- fanny pack (for things you need easy access to on the trail like phone, lip SPF, headphones, sunglasses, money, Camino passport)
- tote bag (for evenings to fit your kindle and journal)
- day pack if you are going to send your bag ahead each day
- Kingcamp lightweight blanket (not every hostel offers sheets or blankets) *here*
- sleeping bag liner (some places do not offer sheets)
- eye mask for sleeping *here*
- travel credit and debit card (I use Chase Sapphire Reserve for credit and Charles Schwab for debit because they reimburse ATM fees.)
- EUROS (some places are cash only)
- don’t forget your passport!
- quick dry towel (some places don’t offer towels) *here*
- make up: also not necessary but keep it minimal! for me I brought powder, concealer, and mascara.
- shampoo bar *here*
- body wash bar
- face wash bar (bars instead of liquids if you’re doing carry on only.)
- spray in conditioner (saves you a step in the shower and also acts as a protectant from the sun)
- deoderant
- face moisturizer
- face SPF
- Aquaphor lip balm/SPF
- hand sanitizer
- SPF for body
- band aids
- mini scissors
- hikers wool
- moleskin
- Compeed
- headlamp (I didn’t use this, but it’s a good idea to have for safety reasons or if you start hiking before sunrise.)
- waterproof backpack cover *here*
- Hiking poles (CANNOT CARRY ON, so consider buying once there if you’re doing carry on only. I think you need hiking poles regardless of your fitness level.) *here*
- travel locks (some places have lockers but not all) *here*
- I also had a toiletry bag and packing cubes to help keep this all organized.
I tried to only bring things that I was going to use every single day, and I think I did a really good job with these items. I wish I didn’t have to bring a towel, sheets, or blanket, but like I mentioned, not all hostels offered those. They were necessary to bring and were used.
In terms of the first aid kit, there’s tons more you could bring but that weight adds up fast when you start bringing balms and pain relief sprays and that kind of stuff. You know your body and what issues will be most common for you, so try and bring stuff you know you’ll use. A lot of the first aid stuff can be purchased on the camino as needed. I figured I’d get blisters at some point, so that’s why I packed hikers wool and Compeed ahead of time (I used both).
Jewelry and make up are unnecessary, so only bring what you need to feel ok every day and leave the rest at home. Embrace your natural beauty on the trail 🙂 Keep the shower stuff to minimal steps as well. Simplified everything is going to work best in terms of lugging things around to bathrooms and such.
Writing out this Camino de Santiago female packing list was much more fun than I thought it would be, and now I want to get all this stuff packed up again to walk Stage 2. If you found this post helpful, be sure to save it to Pinterest to help others find it too. And let me know in the comments if you have any questions 🙂 Buen Camino to you! You’re in for an incredible journey!
Update March 2024: I finally wrote my guide to stage 1 of the Camino including route, highlights, challenges, basic info, costs, where I stayed, etc. If you’re searching for a packing list, then you’re probably fully into the planning stages of your own Camino. I think you would find this post helpful, too 🙂
***Walking Stage 1 of the Camino de Santiago***
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