Everyone develops their own little gear tricks on the Camino de Santiago to make life easier. Sometimes it’s figuring out the best apps that show the amenities in each town. Or maybe it’s discovering how to call/text home for free using WhatsApp.

Sharing these nuggets of knowledge with our fellow pilgrims helps make all our experiences a little better. So, with that in mind, here’s a few tips from my own recent journey on the Camino.

Tip #1 – Pack Your Trekking Poles in a Mailing Tube

Some airlines allow your trekking poles to travel for free if you bring them as carry-on luggage. But, those airline policies don’t necessarily comport with TSA’s security guidelines. I’ve been to airports where they don’t bat an eye at my poles. And, I’ve also been to ones where the fickle employee running the X-ray scanner wanted to categorize my poles as a “potential weapon” and sent me scurrying right back to the airline counter to check them as luggage.

This disconnect always leaves me in a Catch-22. Should I check my entire pack so my poles are protected inside all my belongings? Or do I just risk letting the airline put them in one of those plastic bags they put car seats in, and hope for the best? This second option makes me super anxious. After all, what’s to prevent a baggage handler from tossing a giant 80-pound suitcase on top of my poles where they’ll end up hidden during a flight transfer or damaged beyond recognition?

With this angst in mind, my solution for the Camino was to purchase a cardboard shipping tube from my local office supply store. This white tube was long enough to store my collapsed hiking poles with some extra room for any sharp and liquid items I didn’t mind checking (i.e., mini swiss army knife, trial size shampoo, etc).

The outside of the cardboard tube provided space to write my name, address, and phone number. Plus, the tube was conspicuous enough to stand out for most baggage handlers to see. Using this method, my poles arrived in Spain without a hitch, while I carried the rest of my gear onto the plane.

Tip#2 – Bring Clothespins and Laundry Soap for the Camino

Walking the Camino is much different than being out on a wilderness trail. You’re able to shower daily, sleep in a bed, and are constantly around other people. So, despite walking in the same clothes day after day, there’s an expectation that you will smell presentable wherever you go. The only way for this to occur is by regularly washing your clothes on the Camino.

Basin washing 

The easiest option for clean clothes is to wash individual items in a basin. Many albergues have specific sinks set aside for this chore, and you will be expected to bring your own soap. When you’re done, there are clotheslines and/or drying racks available outside to hang them to dry. Make sure to bring a few clothespins too. The wind kicks up most afternoons, and you don’t want to be picking your freshly washed unmentionables out of the dirt (or the neighbor’s yard).

Laundry machines 

Basin washing is fine, but you’ll probably still want to take advantage of laundry machines from time to time. Many albergue owners are entrepreneurial sort of folks, and they’ll often offer to let you use their laundry machine for a few extra Euros. Once your laundry is clean, you’ll still need to let your laundry dry outside though, since drying machines are a rarity in Spain. On the plus side, the washer will thoroughly clean your clothes and wring the vast majority of the water out during the spin cycle. So, everything will take less time to dry on the clothesline.

Laundromats  

A handful of larger towns on the Camino have laundromats too. Unlike most American laundromats though, these tiny places usually only have 2-3 washers and dryers, and there isn’t always laundry soap available for sale. They also tend to be pretty expensive (5 Euros per load) because they were designed for larger loads of laundry. When I finished the Camino in Fisterra, I decided to wash my pack and all my gear using one of these laundromats. I felt it was worth the extra cost because I had a large quantity to wash and I wanted everything completely clean and dry again before I packed to go back home.

Tip #3 – Bring a Travel Size Stick of Body Glide

If you haven’t heard of Body Glide, it’s an anti-chafe stick that will become your best friend on the Camino. It looks like a stick of deodorant, but has the consistency of chapstick. You swipe it across any area of your skin that’s red or irritated from too much friction. Once applied, it creates a thin layer to soothe those irritated areas.

Body glide is great for treating “chub rub” (aka thigh chafing) as well as other parts of your body where your hiking pack or straps are irritating you – like the backs of your arms or lower back. Plus, it’s not all goopy like Vaseline or other alternatives.

My favorite use for Body Glide is as blister prevention on my heels and balls of my feet. I rubbed a layer of it on my clean feet in the morning before I put on my socks and hiking shoes. This reduced friction in some of the areas where I’m prone to hot spots.

Body Glide has a whole line of products, including some designed for feet, cycle chafe, fragrance-free sticks, and a balm with pain reliever. I recommend purchasing the smallest size possible for the Camino. I didn’t see any stores selling this product in Europe. But if you run out of it on the Camino, Compeed also makes an anti-chafe stick, which you can find at many pharmacies.

Tip #4 – Pack a Bag for Groceries

If this is your first trip grocery shopping in Europe, be prepared to bring your own bag. Most local grocery stores have plastic bags, but they’ll charge you for each one you use. Knowing this little fact in advance, I brought a Chico Sling rePETe Bag with me each time I went shopping.

This super light re-usable bag was large enough that I could easily tote anything I needed for my resupply stops, whether I was buying groceries or a bottle of celebratory wine for the end of my Camino. It also worked double duty as my purse on the airplane and while I was sightseeing.

Tip #5 – Wrap Some Tape Around Your Hiking Poles to Identify Them

With so many pilgrims use trekking poles on the Camino, many albergues will request that you put them in a large communal pot or hang them on pegs to keep them out of the way. Of course, everyone’s poles look similar, so there’s a real risk that someone may grab the wrong set by accident when departing the next morning.

To ensure my poles looked distinct, I wrapped some bright green duct tape around the top of each shaft. This helped me quickly identify my poles and warned off those who brought similar looking poles. The duct tape served a second purpose too, as it was available for any minor repairs I might need during my Camino.

Tip #6 – Protect Your Electronics

Do you plan to bring your smart phone on the Camino? I definitely did! It served as my camera, audiobook and podcast player, phone, map, and much more. With so many critical purposes being fulfilled by this one device, I took extra pains to protect it from the elements.

When it comes to protecting your phone, a ziplock baggie does NOT cut it. It won’t keep your phone dry while you’re using it. And it definitely won’t protect your phone when you accidentally drop it. That’s why it’s worth spending a little extra money to get a waterproof and shockproof phone case. There’s plenty out there to choose from.

I used the Lifeproof FRE case. It was an expensive option, but the peace of mind with this quality product was well worth it. Just in case you’re wondering – yes, my phone is still in great shape, even after getting rained on and accidentally dropped several times.

Tip #7 – Pack a Pair of Sandals

Most people plan to bring a second pair of shoes on the Camino. That’s a smart decision. You’re going to want to let your shoes air out overnight and let your toes breathe. But, what type of shoes are best?

If you’re walking between May and October, I’d recommend a pair of slip on sandals. Many people chose some sort of hiking sandal with straps around the ankles (like Tevas). These sandals have the added benefit of being an alternative hiking shoe if your feet end up with lots of blisters from overdoing it.

The downside to hiking sandals though is all those extra straps can be a real pain. This is especially true if you’re just slipping them to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Merely ripping open the velcro will likely wake the people around you.

One alternative I’d recommend is Crocs sandals. I used Crocs Swiftwater sandals on the Camino. They had enough cushion to rest my sore feet, they looked decent in town, and they were easy to slip on at night. As an added bonus, they’re rubbery so you can get them wet and avoid the foot funk in the communal showers. Plus, they weigh hardly anything.

Tip #8 – Consider a Hands-Free Umbrella

If you read my earlier post about hiking the Camino in the Autumn, you know I was fortunate to only get two days of rain during the 26 days I was on the Camino. But, on the flip side, I had to endure a lot of unseasonably warm weather during those September afternoons. And that’s were my umbrella came in to save the day.

To prepare for the rain and the unrelenting sun on the meseta, I packed an ultralight hiking umbrella which I temporarily rigged up to my pack with a few small bungee cords. This umbrella only weights 8 ounces, but it provides a ton of protection when I need it. If you’ve never seen or heard of hand-free umbrella hiking, don’t let me convince you of the benefits. Check out this gear review by Erin “Wired” Saver, a veteran long-distance hiker and Triple Crowner.

My favorite comment about my umbrella on the Camino came on my second day of rain. Around dawn, the cloud cover was low and it was still pretty dark as I hiked along in the cold drizzle. I passed an older British man who loudly boasted to the girl walking beside him – “Now there goes a real Englishman. My countrymen are the only ones clever enough to bring a brolly hiking.” I have to admit it put a smile on my face – given that I’m neither English nor a man. But it still counts as a compliment, right?

Do you have any tips you developed on the Camino that are worth passing on too?  Leave a comment below.