Pilgrim Tips & Packing List Camino de Santiago: What you need to know beforehand, what you need to take, and what you can leave at home.

This is a short, useful book with the occasional clever line or interesting anecdote to help you start preparing for your pilgrimage. Though the information could be found in forums or blogs, here it is gathered together for an easy read. A lot of the information is basic preparation for people who have never done or researched a long-distance hike before. If this is you, this book is for you, just don't buy the paperback like I did. Buy the cheaper kindle version.I do have one problem with the suggestions in this book. I have not hiked The Way before, but I disagree with the author's recommendation for footwear. Hiking boots are heavy! There are many who believe that the support that they provide actually increase the chance of injury from a fall because they restrict natural movement. Also, waterproof shoes never stay dry. They hold in water and sweat, then take forever to dry. This is why people who thru hike places like Pacific Crest Trail tend to wear trail runners now. These running shoes grip well, breathe, dry somewhat quickly, and are super light. The downside is that trail runners don't last as long, but they should last longer than the 780km of The French Way. Perhaps this form of shoe wear is just not popular in Europe yet or at the time the book was written (published in 2013). I'm currently deciding between trail runners and broken in hiking sandals for my walk this summer. This is just my opinion, as the saying goes "hike your own hike."Overall, I recommend that future pilgrims read this. Buen Camino!Update:I noticed on my Camino that most Americans under 30 were wearing trail runners, and were quite happy with them. My feet were happiest with socks and sandals. A great look I know, but hey I'm happy when my feet are happy. I suggest reading the book still. It was useful in prepping for my Camino, just remember to listen to your body and enjoy the journey.

Very helpful to plan packing list.

Yates and Hnatiuk's guide,  Pilgrim Tips & Packing List Camino de Santiago: What you need to know beforehand, what you need to take, and what you can leave at home. , is very helpful, practical, and down-to-earth. It is not, technically, a guide to the Camino. It does not suggest routes, or recommend facilities, or give distances and altitudes. Rather this is the guide you need to prepare for the trip. Read this when you're ready to start buying equipment and before you pack for the trip.The authors walk you through equipment choices, always stressing the desirability of minimizing the weight you carry in your backpack, and encouraging the potential pilgrim to simplify. They also address common concerns about such topics as vicious dogs (don't worry about them!), sleeping in the refugios (take earplugs), what to wear, what to pack, how to pack, and other advice about practical matters. The authors have walked the Camino multiple times, as well as done volunteer work with pilgrims. It's very clear that they know whereof they speak in this book - you really get expert advice.The authors have a sense of humor about the Camino that is refreshing. I particularly enjoyed observations like the following: Here it is advisable to let common sense, the least common of all senses, reign. They also provide a number of interesting, amusing, and illustrative anecdotes about pilgrims.The book is also a great reference guide. Rather than include quickly outdated information, it provides an extensive appendix of useful web sites. Recommended!

Thank you for making the task of packing and deciding what to take much less daunting. Look forward to putting it all into practice leading up to my Camino Frances 2024.

I found this guide very helpful because it addresses how to pack, how to choose a backpack, footwear, clothing, and all the other items that will be necessary for the Camino de Santiago. It answers many questions that new folks that want to walk The Way would have, like myself.This is not a guide that will show you which route to take, there are many, or what the mileage is between stages but a more practical guide of "how-to" do the essentials, prepare the items that you will need, and what to expect as you walk. Myths are dispelled and a common sense approach is used throughout the book. I love the little anecdotes from other peregrinos (pilgrims) that are sprinkled though the book. It helps to drive the point home to use common sense and pack light.You could find this information in the many forums that are out there but this book makes it so easy to get that same information that I wish I would have had it when I first started researching. It would have saved me a ton of time. Do yourself a favor and buy it. It makes for a great read as it is very informative but not in a dry manner, as sometimes guides can be. I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to do their own Camino de Santiago.

I found this book to be easy to read and I liked the format. If you have never backpacked, you will find it very useful. If you are an experienced backpacker and traveler, you probably don't need this book.I agreed with the writer on packing light, but we differed on a few subjects. I found my headlamp to be very useful for packing my stuff. Some pilgrims don't arise till late and it's nice to pack up without turning on the overhead light.Also, do pack a LITTLE emergency food, especially for day 1 if you are going from St. Jean to Rosensvalles. It's a long day and starting out with some snacks is a great idea, as, yes, there ARE stores in Spain, but there are some long stretches without any stores.

Packing for any journey is nerve wrecking but when you're trying to decide on what is truly essential for an 800 km trek across the top of Spain, good advice is definitely needed.As the popularity of the Camino De Santiago has increased, so too has the number of books and websites offering help and services. I have read several, as a "Camino addict", and after 4 Caminos myself i have finally found the single book i will be recommending to those about to embark on this journey themselves.S Yates writes in a style that is easy to read, reflecting the practical and sensible advice that she has written about, accumulated as a very seasoned pilgrim. She also avoids being superfluous while being super informative which is a real blessing. Planning to walk the Camino can be a challenging task and the last thing an overloaded mind needs is too much information which later transpires to be useless facts and figures!What is needed is concise and relevant information on what you can really expect on the Camino, a journey which for many will be the trip of a lifetime and "Pilgrim Tips & Packing List Camino De Santiago:What you need to know beforehand, what you need to take and what you can leave at home" does exactly what it promises. It describes what you can expect on your journey and what to be prepared for.It offers advice on everything you can think of, what is truly necessary and what can be left behind in order to get the most out of your Camino safely and comfortably.But S Yates also goes a little further than just detailing the issues. The author offers practical and sensible solutions as well, making you aware of possible issues but guiding you to cope and this is where i felt the book became invaluable.Naturally there is the expected advice on first aid for blister's and Camino etiquette etc, but there is also reassuring advice for members of the LGBT community who might be nervous of what to expect. There is advice too for vegetarians and vegans with both practical and Spanish language tips in dealing with maintaining this lifestyle in a challenging environment. The list of advice is thoughtful and qualified and definitely not just for first timers!S Yates really has written thoughtfully for the many types of pilgrims and pilgrimages, offering a wealth of knowledge that is relevant for everyone. As an A to Z of what is needed in preparation and on your trip, S Yates offers the definitive no-nonsense guide that is essential reading.

Excellent booklet made the mistake of buying on kindle first when on this occasion the paper book was the better option. I did buy the paper book in the end. I hope the guidance is good as apart from a couple of things I have followed the recommendations. My rucksack all in weights in at just over 6 kilos. The book is an easy read with a few anecdotes to make you smile. Also it shows ways of saving those all important grams. Even recommending men grow a beard thereby saving having to carry shaving gear. I have bought a couple of things which I have had to send back as the weight quoted was wrong. It makes you be very aware of weight.

This book doesn't give you an exhaustive packing list (although there is a web address where you can download an editable pdf file for your own use). What it does give you are sensible comments based on hard experience. Even if you don't follow the guidelines they certainly provide food for though and make you reconsider what you really do need to take. The main thing is to keep the weight down (hence my corny headline).At the back of the book are some really useful addresses and websites.If you're planning you Walk this is a useful companion, even if you're a seasoned pelegrino.

What can I say and where do I start?This book is a diamond, it is well written, informative a simply put; packed with some of the most usefull information you could need!My partner and I are walking the Camino de Santaigo in the first two weeks of August 2013, not as a true pilgrimage but as an opportunity to bring us together as we spend a great deal apart and this book has been a blessing!I look forward with genuine pleasure to updating this recommendation on our return. If you are even remotely considering doing 'The Way' then this has to be top of your list of reading material.Buena Camina!

I would recommend this book+++. The author writes particularly about the Route Frances & I am planning on walking the Route Ingles but despite this, I found it a really useful book. All the packing information & tips can be applied equally to any of the Camino routes and the Route Frances specific content gives you information to think about. I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to any newbie planning on walking any of the routes or to anyone walking the Route Frances.