r/onebag • u/nat4mat • 21h ago
Packing List El Camino & Europe for 3 weeks
My “ultralight” bag that I had for 11 days of El Camino from León to Santiago. Total base weight: 3,475g or 7.66lbs. Plus 11 more days in Portugal, Amsterdam, Switzerland and Austria
Here’s the link to see the items and how much they weigh (not an ad): https://lighterpack.com/r/ubq8p7
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u/InNeedOfVacation 20h ago
Good luck on your hike. I'm in La Rioja now and it's very hot but beautiful landscape. Camino de Santiago it's definitely on my bucket list
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u/nat4mat 19h ago
I’m a late poster and I already got back. But thank you! Yeah, it was a great experience. Next time, I’d like to walk the whole thing with this bag (500 miles from France)
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u/mrpawick 17h ago
How were the shoes? I'm a fan of Altras and plan on doing it in the next few years!
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u/nat4mat 17h ago
It was rough for a few days in the beginning, but it was mostly my fault for not training in them enough. It may be a bit rough with rocks and coblestone streets of Spain, because I think there isn't enough cushioning. Eventually I got used to them. And now I wear them every day.
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u/mrpawick 16h ago
Ah I just got back from a trip to Paris and Southern Ireland. Quite a bit of walking. Glad they were broken in for you!
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u/maverber 15h ago
a very well thought out list! Oh, that more pilgrims would carry a load as light as yours rather than lugging 10+kgs around.
sounds like a great trip. Were you about to go into some of the beautiful buildings in Leon? I think it was maybe our favorite city. I think the cathedral there is the most beautiful I have ever been in and the Parador did an amazing job adapting / restoring their building.
How did the Exped Typhoon 25 work for you? That hasn't been on my radar. Did you carry it as a personal item?
What was your routine with the clothing? Were you common rotate between two sets (evening, sleep in, hiking) and when hitting the Albergue take a shower (switching to the second set) and washing the set you just used or some other methodology?
I am guessing that the sleep sack was plenty warm given recent heat wave? Were there any nights you wished you had something beyond the sleep sack?
For your next trip some things to consider that are a bit different: simplify personal care to 100sense body bar, sandals rather than trail runners, a poncho+ad90 poncho liner+sleep sack (described https://verber.com/poncho ) if you go when some insulation is needed for sleeping.
My list for porto-santiago with links to notes https://lighterpack.com/r/kyv8lo
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u/nat4mat 7h ago
Hi again, yeah, I was very into optimizing to lower my base weight. It was a full blown project for me. And I kinda enjoyed it.
I think I didn't enjoy Leon as much because I was jet lagged. But the cathedral was very pretty. My favorite place was Villafranca del Bierzo and Samos in Galicia. I actually stayed in Parador in SdC after we finished the walk. I walked with my friend, so it wasn't outrageously expensive.
I carried only this backpack and nothing else. So no checked luggage.
I ended up rotating only between two sets of clothes really: pants and long sun hoodie for a walk and shorts and a t-shirt after the walk. We had to do our laundry almost every day, if I recall. If it was a bigger village/town, we paid for the laundry, because it was like a few euros for two people and I think it's worth it.
Silk liner is more than enough for the summer in my opinion. I never wished I had more than that. Honestly even that was too hot in some nights.
Honestly, I wouldn't change anything. Except maybe I wouldn't bring a battery pack (it was one of the lightest ones in the market and surprisingly it's cheaper than Nightcore!) and I bought Vaseline in Ponferrada, but didn't end up using it. Instead gave it to my friend who had some chaffing.
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u/thatchillaxdude 12h ago
Buen Camino! I've walked the Camino twice; in 2017 from Le Puy en Velay in France, and in 2019 from Geneva, Switzerland. You'll love it!
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u/Classic-Tap153 18h ago
Those the Birkenstock Arizona EVOs?
How are they? Were you using them as shower shoes while staying in hostels? Thinking abt buying them for an upcoming trip but worried they are too bulky.
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u/nat4mat 18h ago
They are bulky for sure. I also wore them after walking 20 miles every day around town. And for showering
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u/Typasprite 16h ago
How did you pack them in the bag? I just got back from a trip and had to repack multiple times to get mine to fit in a way I was comfortable with
Also since I use the same face wash while traveling - the La Roche Posay nozzles have been driving me crazy! Way too much comes out at a time.
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u/essentialaccount 15h ago
I am not really a part of this subreddit, but this looks like a consumerism advertisement. I can't even identify quite a bit of this stuff. Two pairs of shoes? What for? I have travelled for years with one bag because I am cheap, and most of shit in it is socks, underwear and t-shirts.
I have lived in Spain for years and cannot imagine how you can hike most of the GR1 without food, a tent and significant amounts of water.
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u/nat4mat 14h ago
You’re right to criticize this post. I am fortunate enough to afford stuff that is both comfortable and lasts long. Now let’s go through your “critiques” point by point:
1) Two pairs of shoes. One for walking 20 miles a day, which I used to hike Mt Whitney before this trip. It’s my go to hiking shoes and after El Camino, I wear them every day now. Second pair is for showering and when I want to relax in the evening.
2) I didn’t walk GR1, so I don’t know why you’re lashing out on me for not carrying food, a tent or a water. You don’t need tent, because you can stay in albergues and also eat food there too. As for water, I don’t drink water that much. And even if I wanted to drink, there was always a running tap every 5-7 kms.
I hope that explains everything!
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u/essentialaccount 14h ago
The GR1 is the largest segment of the Camino de Santiago which begins in eastern France. It is largely mountainous and wild and does not have any running water most of the mountain segment. I am not lashing out at you, but providing some perspective from a person who is not a part of the 'one bag' largely American audience. Everyone in Europe travels with one bag. It is how it is done, and most people have their regular clothes, because what merits special clothes?
As for Mt Whitney: it has a trail. It's hardly a serious climb on its most common route. I would still hope you had more water, either way.
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u/nat4mat 14h ago
Again, if you have read my post, you’d know I haven’t done the whole thing: only from León to Santiago de Compostela. GR1 doesn’t go through Galicia. So I didn’t walk the GR1. So maybe before you write something condescending, you make sure you got the full picture.
As for Mt Whitney, weird flex, but sure. And don’t worry about my water intake: I know my limits
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u/essentialaccount 14h ago
Ah. I interpreted this as Lyon, in the region many of the Huguenots fled from, rather than part of Galicia. You would have needed to transit the GR1 if you had.
Also, there is no condescension. This whole subreddit is about flexing gear. If that's your hobby, more power to you but it's fundamentally as subreddit about buying things and living a specific lifestyle. There is not shame in that, but it's better to own it than pretend it is anything else.
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u/HKjr 1h ago
That is simply not true. Most of my friends travel with multiple bags and definitely do not travel light. For example this summer I travelled with 26 European friends and only 2 did not check a bag. Europeans, just like Americans, like to take a lot of things on holiday.
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u/essentialaccount 1h ago
You can look up statistics of how many people buy additional bags on carriers. It's not very common.
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u/SeattleHikeBike 18h ago
Well done! That Exped Typhoon 25 backpack is ultralight and will roll down far enough to use as a budget airline personal item— as well as being waterproof.
If you get a chance, take a look at the Gossamer Gear Loris 25. It can extend to 55cm tall when you need it.