my Camino clothes

Pants

369g (13oz)

Prana Halle Pant

I wrote about my walking shorts in the ‘camino walking clothes’ section. These were my ‘non-walking’ pants. I only brought these two bottoms – one pair of shorts, one pair of pants. These pants are my favorite pants for all activities, and just regular life. They dry very quickly; they are stretchy and very comfortable. This specific model of them is ‘convertible’ to a short capris with some snaps. This is nice for increasing their temperature range.

Shirt

96g (3.4oz)

Icebreaker Cool Lite Sleeveless Tee

This shirt was exclusive a non-walking shirt. It was the lightest weight, most comfortable merino wool shirt I could find (same as the walking hoodie – it’s a merino blend to be better in hotter temperatures). The merino wool was chosen for smell reduction – I didn’t want to have to wash this shirt very often as, generally, I wanted to change into it immediately after showering. Since I brought the most limited possible clothing, I didn’t have much for options to put on if I wanted to wash this. Therefore, not sweating in it (hence the choice for sleeveless and breathable), and merino wool (to limit smell) was key.

Warm Base Layer

164g (5.8oz)

Mammut Klamath Base Layer

I’ll say upfront that this is one of my items I would not bring if I went again. I went back and forth when packing, and then brought this out of ‘fear of being cold.’ I didn’t wear this very often, and if I did wear it, I wasn’t wearing my other layers on top – so I didn’t need it.

I also used it as a pillow case in albergues where the pillowcases were those...

…paper-like disposable ones, but purely for a slight increase in comfort, definitely not required. However, if you go at a cooler time of year, or generally trend towards being colder, this is probably a good idea for you. I like this base layer a lot, and I use it often. However, it does not do well with smell (read: it stinks after you wear it). It is made of a polyester and wool blend called ‘polartec power wool.’ It looks like the exact base layer is no longer sold (it is not on the mammut website). I would probably bring a merino wool one if I was going to bring one and wear it often. Therefore, I’ve linked some good, warm, wool, base layer options. These are likely to be very warm, so shop according to your normal temperature needs.

Thin Puffy Jacket

238g (8.4oz)

Synthetic (PrimaLoft) Lightweight Puffy Jacket

A thin, very light puffy jacket is definitely something I would bring again. This is a synthetic (‘primaloft’) puffy jacket sold through a Canadian retailer and no longer available. Do your research on this one. I’ve linked the Patagonia nano puff, and micro puff as they both come up highly rated on gear websites for lightweight, synthetic jackets. You could also go with non-synthetic (just be wary that they don’t stay warm when wet). There are basically infinite options for these jackets. What I like about this jacket is that it’s very thin and very light for its warmth. Generally speaking, having a puffy jacket along is a great choice, so I would bring one – whichever one you have or choose.

Rain Jacket

391g (13.8oz)

Outdoor Research Women’s Aspire Jacket

You need a rain jacket. I didn’t even get rained on, and I still think you need one! Even if it never rains, this is a warm, windproof layer to add to your other layers. This Aspire Jacket has been a rock solid, ‘would not change a thing about’ it jacket. I love it so much.

Toque

34g (1.2oz)

Lightweight Fleece Toque

This is a super generic lightweight, thin toque. I don’t even remember it coming into my life. I feel like it was a hand me down of some sort. I have a number of warm hats like this, but this was my lightest/smallest one, and I didn’t feel I’d need a full-blown winter hat on this. This was the perfect thing.

Sandals

164g (5.8oz)

Cheap, lightweight flip flops

The ones pictured are $5, foam, cheap flip flops. I brought a slightly different pair with me on the actual walk, but those have since hit the dumpster (these don’t last long). They are a pretty important item though, because you really need to allow your feet to be out in open air.

You need to get your feet dry. I think this is key for blister prevention. I actually sat...

…outside at all my rest stops (café or park or whatever) and took my shoes off and switched to my flops to let my feet dry out for my short breaks. Also, in the evenings I’d try to get my shoes off ASAP and let them dry out, and stayed in the sandals for the evening. The downside of these cheap ones is that for some people they are painful around the toes. Obviously getting a blister from your flip flops is not a great move! If you are concerned this may happen to you, you should get a pair of sandals you are sure won’t bother your feet. There are some really lightweight options out there that may be more comfortable but they get expensive. I’ve linked an option for these as well. They are well reviewed for comfort…just expensive.

Buff(s)!

45g (1.6oz)

Buff ‘multifunctional headwear’

I did not use these much in the end. I tend to bring them along everywhere I go outside, since they are pretty versatile items. (Like, if you don’t own a couple…get some! They are great!) However, I think I eliminated most of my usual uses for them through the sun hoodie/hat combination (I usually use the buff to protect my head/neck from sun).

The other backup use is sort of a ‘final addition’ for warmth – you put it around...

…your neck while wearing your jacket/toque/hood, and it helps keep the heat from your neck in, making you warmer. However, it never got cold enough for me to need this use-case. If you run a little colder, you may use this option more often. (The merino wool one is nicer for this).

I ended up using one as a mini pillow cases for my inflatable pillow…which isn’t really required. I used the softer blue one (it’s merino wool) to cover my eyes while sleeping (it isn’t always all that dark in the albergues…also napping during the day). However, I have since taken to using my ear-cover (see below) to double as an eye cover, so the buff really wasn’t needed. Would not bring both of these if I went again, but would probably bring the merino wool one for the ‘in case it was cold’ option.

Ear Cover

17g (0.6oz)

Buff coolnet UV+ headband

I have this unfortunate thing that happens when cool air passes over my ears – it gives me a slight jaw ache just below my ears. It is most prevalent when I bike, but also comes up when walking/hiking if there is even a slight cool wind. I have taken to wearing a thin covering over my ears to prevent this issue. I didn’t want it to be a ‘warm’ ear cover, so I looked for the lightest weight option I could find. As I said above, I started using this as an eye cover while sleeping and an ear cover while walking. Yay dual-use items!

Sports Bra

51g (1.8oz)

Patagonia Barely Bra

This is the exact same bra as I wrote about in my ‘walking clothes’ section, so I’ve repeated the same text here. I’ve gone through literally dozens of sports bras throughout my various activities. I never had one that I really loved… they were always just ‘fine.’ Then came the Barely Bra! This bra is amazing.

The shoulder straps don’t cause issues or irritation under backpack straps. It is...

… super light, super comfy, and dries fast when you hand wash it. (You can remove the slight padding in the cups). I have since pulled the padding out entirely and just don’t even use it anymore. Depends on your comfort level. Regardless, LOVE this bra. I own two and they are basically the only ones I wear. Seriously though, if you’ve generally struggled with finding sports bras that rock – try this one! I kept my ‘walking bra’ and ‘not-walking’ bra separate (I brought two of the same bra and used one for walking and one while I was clean/showered after walking.

Walking Socks (pair #2)

57g (2oz)

Darn Tough Hiker 1/4 Sock Cushion

In my ‘walking clothes’ section I mentioned a pair of socks that I brought to walk in. I brought three total pairs of walking socks. I purposefully brought three different kinds/weights of socks as well. My thought process was that this would give my feet a different experience every day, and would give any friction spots or hot spots a ‘break’ by rotating through the three pairs every three days.

So, wear one pair, wash them that night, wear pair #2 the next day, wash them...

…that night, wear pair #3 the next day, wash them that night. Repeat. You never wear dirty socks. On my longer walking days (I did a very small number of 40km days), I changed my socks halfway through the day. This is all in the name of foot care and blister prevention. I did not get any blisters on the whole walk. Related to these socks specifically, I like them a lot. These are a thicker sock than the other Darn Tough ones I brought. They provide more cushion, but also will make your feet hotter. A good compliment to the other socks I brought. They take longer to dry.

Walking Socks (pair #3)

28g (1oz)

Icebreaker Merino Multisport Light Mini Socks

I’m a big fan of sleeping socks for camping. The Camino isn’t really camping, but I brought sleeping socks anyway. They are a nice option for increasing warmth while sleeping. I also thought they would be a nice option to hike in if the weather turned cold on me. I did not end up using these socks. I don’t think I would bring them if I went again. As with other warmth items though, if you generally find you are usually cold, these are a good option for you to have along.

Underwear (x3)

40g (1.4oz)

ExOfficio Give-n-Go Sport Mesh Bikini Brief

I elaborated on my underwear thoughts in my ‘walking clothes’ section, so check that out. This is here to say that I brought three additional pairs (for a total of 4 pairs) of underwear. This was enough to always have a clean, dry pair to wear. I could have probably gotten away with 3 pairs total.

Dress

125g (4.4oz)

Lightweight flowy dress

I did not bring this with me. I actually picked it up about half way through the walk from one of the ‘hiker boxes’ at an Albergue. I was really early to the Albergue that day and it was hot – I wanted to wash ALL of my clothes (since I had a long afternoon of drying time available).

I threw on this dress so as not to be naked while doing my laundry. I decided to keep...

…it along with me. I took to putting it on after showering so I could take some time to get fully dry and cooled off before changing into my other non-walking clothes. It wasn’t really crucial, I think I could have gotten by without it, but it was a luxury I was really enjoying, so I accepted the extra weight and kept it. Since this isn’t something I bought, I don’t actually know anything about it. I’ve linked the closest thing I could find online to illustrate the concept.

Next: The Electronics...

[Note that all amazon links are ‘affiliate links’ (paid links) to help me pay for the site. This is the language they asked me to use; ” As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”]