For the Camino, my pack was basically stuffed with the same gear I used on the PCT with a few updates.   Total base weight was ~23 lbs.  I had a full camping setup that I never used.    That option (tent, poles, pad) cost 5 lbs and I had to carry that every day.   Will not carry it next time as it seems some combination of planning, walking to an extra town,  and/or begging will get a roof over your head.  

Here is my gear in stuff sacks out of the pack.   We will go left to right, starting at the top. 

Orange bag – Sleeping clothes, cold/rainy weather gear.

Silver bag – Electronics 

Blue – Sleeping bag – Zpacks ultralight quilt.  For temps down to 40 F it is perfect and I’ve been down to 20F in it (though rather cold)  Weighs about 1.5 lbs.   It is reaching end of life and I’ll buy another identical one next year. 

Jetboil Mini-mo – Best stove ever!   Sadly, never used it on the Camino. 

Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 person tent and poles – Tossed my old one due to leaks.   This is an updated version of the tent I used on the PCT.  Kind of big, but I like the space.  Didn’t use

Sleeping Pad – Prefer this over air mattress.   Actually used this  several times on the Camino when lounging.   

REI Shirt – Super versatile.   I would wear it in the mornings or use it as part of a layering in cold weather.  

Pack – Osprey 58.   Overkill for the Camino, but it is light and versatile.   Love this pack. 

Red Bag – Toiletries 

Blue bag – Clothes 

Green bag – I used to call this my “Accessory” bag, it is the bag I reach for when stopped and has all the misc stuff

Poles and Tips – Used these a lot.  Black Diamond Pursuit.   I prefer a cork handle and versatile grip locations.  Never failed me. 

Clothing was simple.  Merino wool and/or nylon active wear stuff.   I had a couple cotton undergarments that started to give me a rash.   That shit got tossed.  

Pile of shirts – 4 of them, one of which is a more “town oriented” shirt. 

Socks – 5 sets, mix of 1/4 size and a couple of crew size one.   Darn Tough, my permanent go-to. 

4 sets of boxers – Nylon or Merino.  Under that pile is a light weight all-in-one running shorts which I used frequently for laundry days or a warm hiking day.      

Zip on Shorts and Legs – So I didn’t like this setup, but had to deal with it.   The pants and zip on legs are two different colors.  Next time, I’m matching the shorts and carrying just one set of leggings which I rarely use anyway.  

Cold Weather and Sleeping gear.   Trick I learned from PCT is to wear thermals and sleeping socks in the sleeping bag.  I stay warm and the bag does not get nasty.  Serves as a base layer for really cold days.      

Base layer thermal pants – Used these occasionally during cold spells and for sleeping. 

Base layer thermal full length shirt – Didn’t use much aside from sleeping. 

Sleeping Socks – Used them at night

Hoodini lightweight rain cover – Didn’t use it once.   Kind of a lux item that really didn’t have a place in the pack.  Will ditch it next time. 

Rain jacket – Not sure the name on this one, but it was awesome.  Never leaked, the hood was excellent. 

Rain Pants – Heavy, Warm, and never used it.   I carried this thing due to my experience in Washington, where they kept me from freezing to death.   On the fence about this, will probably leave them behind next time. 

This bag had all the stuff I learned I need over time, but doesn’t have an obvious place in the other bags.  Over time if I need something on the trail, it typically makes its way into this bag and I replenish when necessary.  

Medical Stuff – Bandages, bandaids, Antiseptic, some Voltarin goop, etc. 

2 Filters – These are super light, in-line filters that I use with my hydration bag.   Can also be screwed on a smart water bottle.  Amazing device. 

Compression Tape – Oh yeah, I need it. 

Compression sock – Didn’t need, but I’ll always bring it. 

Headnet for bugs – Didn’t use, but I’ll always carry it. 

Misc bag – Small knife, sewing kit, zip ties, extra cords, wired earbuds, lukos tape.   As always, came in handy.  Joe used to fix a couple small tears.   

Water nozzle / Bite valve – Bought this in Spain because my old one is starting to leak. 

Buff – OMG, the best item ever.   I wore this thing constantly.  In the mornings to stay warm, during rainstorms I wore it under my rain suit.   It can be configured as a beanie for evenings.  

Crappy Fleece Gloves – Used them a few times. 

Couple bandanas – Tied on outside of pack to wipe sweat and to clean glasses.  

Misc bag – Duct tape, water flush cap (to back flush the filter if needed), extra batts for the headlamp. 

Toiletries bag.  Not going through this one in my detail.   I brought my pooper digger from the pct because it is awesome.   The rest of the stuff is obvious.  Definitely recommend gold bond powder for spots where abrasion is a problem.  

The electronics bag was basically unchanged from the PCT days.  Logitech’s keys-to-go is still the best keyboard I’ve found.   The grey thing next to the pens is a stand which combines with my iPad (not pictured).   I carried my old inreach so Alice could track my dot.  My battery was 10000 Mah.   Perfect size, used it all the time.   Various cables for my stuff was held together by a rubber cable organizer (or unorganizer, really).  There has to be a better cable solution, but I’ve not found it yet.  

Oh, on the lower right is a usb thingy that can be used as a WiFi hub and a NAS for storing data.  I used it a lot on the PCT, these days I just store movies on it.   Anyone can connect to it.  

Lastly are the things that were scattered throughout my pack.  Most of the discrete stuff was in my pack’s hood for easy access.    

Hoodless puffy from REI –  I’ve had this for years and it is still my go-to for hiking.  Light and durable.   Easy to layer.  I’ve a Patagonia hooded puff that I keep thinking is a better replacement but each time I’m ready to leave I switch back to this one.   

Pack Cover – From one of my old Gregory bags.   Works great and I used it a lot. 

Super light daypack – This also came from that same Gregory pack.   Used this thing often.  Joe bought something similar on the trip. 

Baggie of Remedies – Tums, Claritin, Ibuprofen, and whatever.      

Cheap Sunglasses – So I won’t cry when I loose/break them.

Wallet 

Passport and Camino stamp booklet

Headlamp – Used it a few times, never leave home without it.  This one uses 3 AAA batteries.   Some folks have rechargeable versions, but I prefer the batteries.  When I need this thing I don’t want it fail. 

Hydration bag – Been using this for years.   Have my filter inline, so the bag gets filled by whatever nasty water I find, and it gets filtered when I suck.   Great system, but I seem to be about the only one who has it setup this way.   Not sure why. 

Spare Glasses 

Spare AAA batteries – always stored with headlamp just in case.

Sunscreen – oh yes, use it all the time. 

Clipping thingy – It is called the Hero Clip.  This was a Joe find and it is a fantastic piece of gear for hanging the pack at the hostels.  Love it. 

Reward card for some Korean restaurant – Only 8 more stamps needed !  

Camino Shell – You get one at the start and strap on the pack.   

    

    

Joe woke up and called it off.  His left leg is really bothering him and he is worried the daily walks are making the damage worse.  It is the right call. 

I gave it a couple minutes of thought, then decided to bail with him.  Just won’t be the same finishing without my bro.  My pic of the number for the Taxi turned out to be weirdly well timed. 

While waiting for the cab, I caught this little video of an old soldier doing part of the Camino with his horse. 

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We called them and made the train to Madrid just in time this morning.   I left my Sriracha on the platform.

I am in the bar area right now updating my blog.  We fly out tomorrow morning.  

I have decided that today is new shoe day !   I have been stretching the life out of my old treads as much as possible, but the time has come to switch.   The old shoes have been worn smooth.  

I was going to toss them, but decided instead to leave them where hikers store their shoes.  May they remain there for the ages. 

Oh boy do these feel great.   It is so nice not to feel every rock I step on.  

Today was mostly a flat hike through farmland 

Saw a church

Saw a head 

Checked out a ruin

Made a video for Clair and Jamie 

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Ok, so kings and queens probably didn’t live in those ruins….but I’m sure some important people were there at one time or another and Grandpa’s are allowed to embellish.   

I was intercepted by my German friend Tom who slowed his pace a bit and had a chat.  He is 27 years old, has a technical degree and was working as a rough equivalent of a civil engineer on the railroad system.  He visited Thailand on vacation and something sparked.    

He is super fit, always smiling, and has a wonderfully positive outlook on life.  We talked all kinds of things.  Motorcycles (he has a 750 Suzuki GSX), relationships, sailing, hiking, and my own various adventures.  He has decided to change up his life.  After the Camino, he is joining the German Army for 2 years, then who knows what.  

His parents want him to stay home, but I don’t think you can keep a spirit like his locked up.  This boy is going to leave a positive footprint on the world.  I wish I could somehow check on him in the future, but alas, long distance hiking is usually like this.  You meet these bright sparks, share their energy for a while, then they drift off down the trail.   I am very happy for him.    

We split up and I hiked on into Castrojeriz. The town is dominated by an old ruin on top of the hill.  I didn’t have the energy to check it out, but it would make a good side trip. 

Walking into town I saw this sign with the number for taxis.  I don’t know why I took the picture, but it turned out to be serendipitous as I would find out later. 

I liked this sign

We checked into the hotel and had pizza for lunch.  It was soooooo good.  While munching on our pizza we had a chat with Jeff, a retired SoCal Gas dude from Bakersfield.  He recently retired and is kind of lux hiking the Camino.  He transports his pack due to a neck injury and is generally staying in the better hotels.  Nice guy. 

Joe and I did some planning for the next 5 days and started reserving spots.  

Joe and I did our Mother’s Day calls, I got to do a short FaceTime call with Alice, Stephanie, Adam, Jamie, Claire, and all the sisters.  It was great to see them, but could not really talk much.  Too noisy and the lag makes it hard to say much. Called my Mom and sister who are doing well. 

Then we turned in for a nice quiet sleep in a real hotel room 🙂

We knew today’s hike was going to be a brutal 37+km, so we left before dawn.  The temp was like 36 F when we stepped out into the cold. 

First thing out of the gates is a long ~400 meter climb uphill on a gravel road.  Last night’s hail / rain combo has put a lot of water on the mountain and a bunch of it is flowing down the this road.  We were dancing around streams for a while. 

Most of the forest we walked through is a carefully managed tree farm.  They are mostly planting softwood trees in sections.  I stopped 4 times on this hill to remove a layer of clothing, then add a layer, then dig out my gloves, finally reducing a layer again.  No rain so far, just cold. 

 

Stopped in Barrios de Colina for some breakfast.  Our criteria for choosing was a place with a closed door and a heater, food optional.   It was cold today.   Turns out the food was pretty good.   Sally and Mel, sisters from down under, popped in so we had good breakfast conversation about the wine industry in New Zealand.  

Off again into the cold.  I took a few pictures, but to be honest, I don’t remember much besides stopping over and over again to add / remove layers.  We had a second smaller climb to deal with.  

Apparently there are some digs nearby for ancient humans who walked the area 300,000+ years ago.  Caught up with Sally and Mel admiring all the stuff.  They were surprisingly fascinated.  I took a picture and kept going.  

  

Had another 150m climb over the last of the hills.  There was a small cross at the top.  Pilgrims have been stacking rocks under it, so I added one of my own to the pile. 

A few k’s on, at the bottom of the hill, I stopped at a small cafe for a short break.  It was not raining yet, but it was coming.  I bought two beers and chatted with a young Japanese gal Hikuro for a few minutes.  She was all sad that her French companion had left the trail yesterday and she was alone again.  She was attractive, intelligent, and her English was pretty solid.  I told her she would have new friends in a couple of hours. 

I had pulled out ahead of Joe and figured he would be about 10 minutes behind.  Wound up my convo with Hikuro when I saw Joe coming down the street.  Joe was in determined hiker mode, eyes on the ground, maintaining his pace.   I stood in the street with my two beers in hand directly in his path.  He almost ran over me, heh.  

Back on the route, we stuck together for the next phase of our approach to Burgos.   

We passed a few more small villages. 

We walked the perimeter of a major airport, which took forever.  Off in the distance there was an industrial plant belching steam.  I spent the next 45 minutes examining it.  It is a big facility.  They had a few token windmills on the ridge above it, probably an attempt to go green, haha 

Bumped into a huge, orderly scrapyard next to the plant.  My guess is the plant is smelting alumina or steel.  The crazy thing is I saw dozens of semi truck bulk haulers rolling up one after another to a loading station.  It would dump a full load of some kind of ore into their trailer in 30 seconds, it drove off, and the next one moved up.  Very efficient. 

Well it started to rain.  

Joe’s phone was dead.  So I took the lead with my 25% charge.  We were both getting tired at this point.  He was concerned that we might miss the hostel on our way into town.    To ease his mind, I told him we didn’t need to worry about the hostel…..we had still had 6 km to go.  This did not brighten his mood. 

We went under an to an under pass and got some brief shelter while collecting ourselves for the next push.  It was a nasty graffiti covered, trashy spot.  It is hard to describe the feeling.  We are cold and tired.  Cars are wizzing by above us and we are surrounded by trash.  The only good thing is that it blocks the rain.  This is the bottom.  

We walked on for a bit through the rain and reach the outskirts of the city.  I stopped at another underpass and figured out where our hostel was….it was ANOTHER 4 km away.  It was here, in the depths of our misery, that we learned the app’s distance estimates do not distinguish the edge of the city from the center of it and Burgos is a big f’ng city.  

We spent another hour walking along and endless city park that parallels the river flowing through town.  In another time, this would be a pleasant walk.  

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Got to the hostel located downtown, which turned out to be a nice place.  

Joe had a horrible day.  His water bladder failed and leaked all over the interior of his pack.  His phone was dead, his watch died early in the hike, his legs were hurting from the unhealed shin splints, and we ended up walking what turned out to be 41km 1/3 of which was in rain.  

I felt ok, but was totally spent.  The only bright side was that the hostel was nice and I found a sporting goods store to replace Joe’s hydration pack.  

Joe went turned in early and I hung out drinking beer with a couple of kids from Oregon (George and ??) who were hiking with a really nice German dude named Tom.  George had wrecked his knee from pushing too hard and was going off trail, so today was his last on the Camino.  I turned in around 10:30.