Necessary gear

[Robert E. Spenger]

Forget BACKPACKING. For most residents of the U.S. this term conjures up
visions of a week or two in a wilderness area, carrying a complete stove and
cooking kit with enough dried food to last the whole trip. You will, indeed, be
carrying a pack on your back, but the difference is that you will be walking
across land that has been inhabited for thousands of years and has plenty of
bars, stores, and restaurants along the way.  If you are on the Camino Frances
only and traveling in high season, there is usually no need for tent and cold
weather sleeping bag. If you are starting from some more distant point and/or
are traveling during the winter months, then you will probably need more
equipment. Most pilgrims starting from St. Jean or Somport, or closer points do
not carry camping gear, just spare clothes, maps and guides, a washing kit, a
day or two supply of emergency food, and a liter or two of water. Many carried
other items of personal choice, but not considered necessary by everyone. For
example, as a typically "linguistically deprived" American, I carried French
and Spanish phrase books and dictionaries. I also carried a camera. I had far
too much weight of maps and guide books and mailed some of them home after the
first month. One French pilgrim needled me about carrying extra clothes and
indicated that I should throw them away. I wanted to ask him what he wore when
he washed the clothes that he had on, but my command of French was inadequate
to the task.

Leave your crampons, ice axe, climbing  rope, biners, and hexes at home unless
you plan a stop in the alps along the way.

Barry Sloan wrote:

> Hola,
>
> I will be trekking the Camino this July.  For those of you that have made
> the pilgrimage, what do you consider necessary gear?  For example, is a tent
> necessary?  Do you have a list of what you took and what you left behind?  I
> don't want to take too much unnecessary stuff but it feels strange to an old
> backpacker like me not to bring along my usual 40 to 50lbs of gear.
>
> Please advise.
>
> Barry