my Camino sleep system
Sleeping Sack
228g (9.8oz)
Sea to Summit Adaptor CoolMAX Liner
I would not have gone without this. It is so comfortable! I felt great sleeping in it every night without worrying much about the bed/sheet/blankets around me.
…Camino. For nights when I was worried I’d be a bit cold, I would just ask the Albergue hosts for a blanket. They always had a cabinet of them somewhere and I never had trouble getting one. If, by chance, there were no blankets, my plan was just to layer up my clothes/puffy/toque for sleeping. It’s ok to be a tad uncomfortable for one night if it means you don’t carry an unnecessarily heavy sleeping bag for the whole 1000km! However, I was never uncomfortable.
Headlamp
47g (1.7oz)
Nitecore lightweight LED
…thing to do to ensure I could be quiet if I got up in the night to use the toilet. As compared to a phone flashlight, I had more control over brightness and aiming. I could turn this on under my blanket and set it all the way to it’s dimmest, then cup it in my hand to create just enough light to get to the toilet without shining light on anyone else’s face. I did some walking in the dark, but I never actually used my headlamp when doing that. I always found there was enough ambient light from nearby towns, the stars, or the moon. However, your experience may vary here and if you want to walk in the dark, you may find you really need a headlamp.
Pillow #1
68g (2.4oz)
Inflatable Travel Pillow
You almost always get a pillow at the Albergues. If you are a non-picky sleeper, you probably don’t need to bring a pillow along (you could fold up your clothes in a pinch). I am a picky pillow sleeper, and I don’t sleep well without one (or two…), so I brought this along.
Pillow #2
108g (3.8oz)
Inflatable Camp Pillow
Sleeping Socks
57g (2oz)
Darn Tough Merino Wool Micro Crew Cushion
Permethrin
0g (0oz)
Permethrin Treatment Spray
This is not something I brought with me, but it is most relevant to the sleep system. Before leaving, I treated nearly all my gear with this stuff I treated my sleeping sack, pillows, pack (yes, your pack too! It sits next to the bed every night), buffs, and nearly all my clothes.
…applying it. Follow the instructions on this stuff very carefully. I never had any bed bug bites the whole trip. I never actually saw a bed bug, so I don’t know if it was just luck or the permethrin, but I’m glad I did this for the peace of mind.
Edit: After this site went live, I was informed of the ongoing question of whether this is actually effective treatment against bed bugs. I have not done a thorough review of the research/opinions out there. I am leaving this entry here for accuracy (since I did do this tretment) but I am appending this here to encourage people to do some research before using this, as it appears it may not be useful.