Bits & Bobs

[Covey]

Just a few thoughts on items worth carrying, and those that are not.

Needle & Thread. You need a couple of needles and 2-3m of a strong thread and if your trousers and jackets have lots of buttons, a couple of spare buttons of a suitable size. Needles also do blisters.

Toilet Roll. Start out with a roll and keep 1m folded up in your pocket and the rest in a plastic bag in your pack. Keep it in a plastic bag cos soggy loo roll is no use to anyone!!

Clothes Pegs. You need 6 and make sure they have a strong grip. It can get quite breezy in the afternoons and you don't want to find your laundry in the dirt.

Large Safety Pins. Normally found in baby shops!! and very useful for attaching things like towels to the outside of your pack to dry as you walk. Take 4.

Shower Gel. It is showers only in the albergues and hotels so use shower gel instead of solid soap, less messy and will also do as the soap for hand washing your laundry.

Sun Cream + Hat. As you will be out walking in the sun for 6 - 8 hours a day, high factor cream is essential. On the Camino Frances you only get sunburned on one side! A wide brim hat is essential.

Small Knife. You need a small sharp knife for peeling fruit and if you prepare food for yourself. Most albergues have kitchens and utensils, but few sharp knives! A fork and spoon is useful.

Torch A small torch. The new LED ones are useful but you do not need a searchlight, just enough to find your way from your bunk to the loo!

Mobile Phone Charger There are always Nokia chargers amongst fellow travellers, but not often other makes. The new "universal" USB connection standard will make life easier eventually as it will be useful to have one charger covering mobiles and digital cameras.

Notebook and Biro Surprising how often you want to write your address for a friend and nobody has pen and paper.

Cord A length of strong nylon cord about 3 or 4m capable of acting as boot laces or tying up a damaged pack or attaching items to your pack.

Spare Boot/Shoe Laces A spare pair of laces for your footwear.

Plastic Bags 10 large plastic food/freezer bags from your supermarket. Useful for keeping your loo roll in, or wet clothing etc. I keep my pilgrim and National passports in one in one map pocket, and my wallet in another plastic bag in the other map pocket. If your passports and money are safe and dry, it does not matter what else gets wet!

Medical Kit Ibruprofen, Immodium, some surgical wipes, Compeed, small scissors, band aids all in a small waterproof box. Box of matches

Laundry Soap 2 tablets of laundry soap. Albergues usually provide soap for washing machines, but just in case!!

Leave at Home!! Anything to do with SatNav. Notebook computers. Multiple guide books, cos one is enough! Maps (Just follow the yellow arrows!)
Tents, Anything that takes your pack over 10kgs. Dogs & Cats. Partners, Lovers and anyone who thinks the Camino is just a gentle ramble through the Spanish countryside.

[HuskyNerd]

Great list of small essentials that are easy to neglect. Thanks, Covey!

[Ange]

Am going in two weeks and just sat here racking my brains thinking of what else I might need - what a fantastically useful list to have stumbled upon at this stage - am now just off to buy clothes pegs, a torch and some freezer bags - think I have everything else!
Thanks :O)
Ange

[Covey]

I usually get my freezer bags in Sainsburys and they are about 12" square with self sealing tops. If you put clothes in them, then leave a small gap when you seal them and squeeze the air out and then close the seal. That reduces the volume considerably!

I put all my clothing in plastic bags and then don't bother to carry a waterproof pack cover.

Another very useful thing is a small net laundry bag with a zip closing. I think ladies often use them to put tights in to wash in a washing machine. I usually have one with all my toiletries in, and another which I use for socks etc if I share a load in a washing machine.

If you don't already have a pair, Crocs are brilliant for when you are not pounding the trail!