Material and equipment to make the Way of St. James What to bring?

Considering that we will spend many hours together, choosing the right one is vital. Today we have a large number of models available. It must fit us perfectly, and it is important to distribute the load well. The volume of the backpack should be between 30 and 45 liters of capacity. It is also important that you have pockets and compartments that give us some play in everyday life.

Whenever we see a recreated figure or drawing of a pilgrim we see it with its typical staff, for something it will be. The canes are of great help not only to avoid injuries, but also to diminish and distribute the work to which we are subjecting our legs.

In many occasions they will pass many kilometers without you finding a source where to drink. At the moment you have modern canteens of little weight and easy transport. You can also carry the typical disposable plastic bottle but remember that for safety you can not wrinkle or fold, and please do not leave it lying anywhere.

More than recommended if you are going to stay in hostels. However, in many cases today's hostels have sheets and blankets for a fee. For hygienic reasons it is important to bring your own sleeping bag. We can choose depending on the climate a bag sheet or one of the modern fiber bags that we can find today, whose volume and weight are very small but that maintains a great calorie yield.

For tastes the colors. Boots or slippers? that's the eternal question and the usual discussion. Bearing in mind that we are going to carry a rucksack with a few kilos of weight, that we have to face stony terrain and long descents, our advice is boots. In addition today we have magnificent hiking boots that provide comfort, comfort and very good stability to the step.

Here's the trick. When we finish the hard stage and leave the hostel in search of supplies or to get to know a little better the villages we pass through, we can opt for light hiking shoes. These shoes also allow us to make the less complicated stages of the Way of St. James, those stages that run through the andaderos or roads in good condition.

A cros or flip-flops will make us a double or triple function. We will be able to use them as footwear of rest in the lodge, we will be able to take a shower with them and also they will be able to serve us as footwear of stroll by the town where we stop after the stage.

The best thing is to wear a pair of them, which are techniques to help perspiration. Quick drying so that after washing they are dry the next day. In winter it is possible that we need one more, because the clothes do not dry the same. It is also advisable to wear an additional T-shirt to serve as a T-shirt after the stages.

As with T-shirts, it's best to wear a pair of them or three. They have to be technical for the same reasons we mentioned before. In winter, Cordura trousers are probably a good choice.

Choosing the right socks is just as important as choosing the right backpack and footwear. They should not have seams, it is important that they evacuate the humidity well and therefore that they dry quickly. It would be advisable to bring three pairs to avoid problems.

It may seem like an unimportant choice, but nothing could be further from the truth. Confusing us can generate annoying scratches. As with the rest, it must perspire well, which is why it is highly recommended that they are not cotton garments and that they have no seams.

We will spend many hours in the sun, so it is important to protect yourself as best as possible. A cap, a headscarf or a hat will take care of it without overwhelming us or adding a noticeable weight or volume. Without forgetting that they will also protect us from the cold of the mornings.

Here as we have already commented previously the type of garment that we will have to take will depend on the time of the year. While in summer with a thin fleece lining is enough. In winter we will need one or several garments with a higher calorie content. The fiber garments give us a lot of game in exchange for little weight and volume.

As before, the market offers us a variety of garments according to each period. It is essential to maintain a good waterproof and breathable ratio so that we can wear it without problems for a long time in case of rain or to protect ourselves from the wind, as a short wind.

Gloves are one of those complements to our equipment for the Way of St. James that seem to have less importance. It's not like that, especially after being at the mercy of rain or wind for a few hours. We have gloves that can provide comfort without taking up space in our backpack.

The clothes and some of the articles that we are going to carry in our backpack when we do the Way of Saint James should be protected from humidity in watertight bags. No matter how much we protect the backpack from the rain, humidity always ends up in what we carry inside, and even more so if we have a long day ahead of us under the rain.

There are many backpacks that already come with this essential article. If this is not the case, we cannot miss it in our pilgrims' material.

In the darkness of the hostel, when all our companions are sleeping, we will need a flashlight that illuminates us, disturbing as little as possible. We will also be able to use the flashlight of our mobile phone. But the headlamp will be essential if we get up early to take advantage of the coolness of the morning.

If the rain gets any worse, we'll have to protect ourselves somehow. The layer if wide enough and long enough can do this job perfectly, but the wind is a problem for it. The umbrella may also be a good option, but it is more weight and volume. Rain pants are another good idea, but if the rain catches you all of a sudden... Besides, they don't usually perspire well when worn for a long time.

Tweezers to hang the clothes, even a small rope to prepare a personalized clothesline. Small carabiners to hang objects or clothes from the backpack. These objects barely weigh and give us a lot of play along the way.

When we finish the stage and get to know the village where we have stopped. When we go to buy something for dinner or to replace worn products, it is not too much to have a bag, preferably cloth. Another possibility is to take with us a fully foldable auxiliary backpack that can be used both as a bag and as a handbag for documentation when we leave the hostel.

The atmosphere that you live in a hostel with your fellow pilgrims is undoubtedly a unique experience that unfortunately can become a real torture when we go to sleep. And if we are unlucky enough not to fall asleep fast enough or, as they say, to have a light sleep, doing so can become an impossible task thanks to the thunderous snoring that is usually part of the soundtrack of these places.

Today mobile devices have become inseparable companions. But like any electronic device, the humidity and extreme conditions we may encounter do not usually suit them very well. This mobile phone case can be used to avoid a displeasure with this device.

When we talk about insect repellents we seem to have in mind the image of countries from other latitudes, or mosquito repellents that are usually used to protect babies or children from the annoying bites of these insects. But it would be a serious mistake to keep this image because not only they are exposed to the bites of mosquitoes, among other bugs.

Another good idea is to have a pocket blanket to provide warmth if we need it, especially in those shelters where the cold tightens.

Of course protecting ourselves from the sun is essential, so we can not miss the sunglasses. In addition, by wearing them, we also protect our eyes from the wind and the particles it carries with it.

The best thing would be to bring a single soap that serves both for our personal hygiene and for washing clothes. In some hostels we have laundry service that also includes soap, also in large cities we can find laundries where you can go if necessary.

In this section we have also advanced a lot, now we have towels of very low weight and volume, but with a pleasant touch. These, without a doubt, are a much better option than the adsorbent kitchen towel that many pilgrims used up to now.

With as many hours exposed to the sun as a pilgrim usually is, it is very important to protect oneself with sunscreen. Do not forget to apply it several times a day to maintain its effect. In this section we also have products designed for travel that does not have so much volume.

It's something to count on. We also ask that you carry a bag so that you don't throw used paper on the floor. On the Way of St. James there are points that have become real dunghills that need to be finished.

Although there will be many pharmacies along the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago, you should always carry a small first aid kit. In addition to the medicines that you usually take, you should carry at least plasters, plasters, gauze, scissors, tweezers, hypodermic needles, antiseptic, painkillers. And remember, only a doctor can prescribe medication.