Hiking the Camino - Get the packing list and light equipment for the trip

For many, a walk on the Camino is a mix of calm, routine and small everyday victories. It's long days on foot, a simple rhythm with breaks along the way and a focus on the essentials in the backpack. With a few, well-chosen items, comfort, hygiene and practical solutions often become more important than luxury.

A good starting point for the Camino is to pack according to the principle “use it often, carry it lightly”. Choose equipment that can be used again and again without requiring a lot of space or frequent washing. This is especially true for textiles, where limited washing options can make a big difference in everyday life on the route.

Think about a few sets of clothes, sturdy hiking shoes, and small things that make it easier to keep a simple routine. A quick-drying towel, for example, can save time because you can hang it up and let it dry while you eat or pack for the next stage.

When you walk many kilometers day after day, weight and volume quickly become crucial. Lightweight is not about missing something, but about choosing the right one. A towel in a lightweight design takes up less space than a traditional one and frees up space for other necessities. At the same time, it is an advantage that the equipment is robust enough for repeated use on a long trip, where it is taken out, put away and used again many times.

On the Camino, a towel can quickly become a bottleneck: it needs to be used frequently, and you don't always have the time or opportunity to dry it for a long time. Here, a quick-drying towel is practical because it can be ready again in a shorter time when it hangs airily.

One example is the Adventure Smart Towel , which is made from 100 percent natural cotton, is super absorbent and designed to be easy to carry. It also comes with an antibacterial treatment with Polygiene StayFresh technology and packaging that focuses on eliminating unnecessary wrapping.

Hygiene on a long hike is often about keeping things fresh for as long as possible, not about perfect conditions. Textiles that are used over and over can develop odors, and an antibacterial treatment can be relevant here. Polygiene StayFresh is a silver-based textile treatment added towards the end of the production process and is designed to prevent 99.9 percent of bacteria from growing on the textile. The effect has been tested in both real-world situations and laboratories and is stated to last throughout the product's lifetime.

When a towel can stay fresher for longer, it can also reduce the need for washing. This is practical on the Camino and can also mean you save water and energy when hand washing would otherwise be necessary.