Behind the Albergue Door: Inspiration Agony Adventure on the Camino de Santiago

to be worrying about money all the time. If you are on your own the minimum is probably the same (couples don’t save anything on dorm beds) but the mid-range amount probably increases to €40-50 per day if you stay in a few hotel rooms by yourself.
    So, while they aren’t exactly paying people to hike the Camino (unless you choose to squat in an abandoned building to sell fruit and provide awkward physical encounters – see the section The People That You Meet for more information), it is still far cheaper than it would normally cost to travel in Europe.
    Packing List
    Although I’ve already discussed some of the things we took with us and how much our bags ended up weighing, here is a more specific list to use for reference. Remember, of course, that we did the Camino in the fall when it was much cooler than most times of the year. Also, when it comes to toiletries we carried shampoo, Laynni’s conditioner, a bar of soap plus a small container of liquid laundry soap while some people carried just one multi-purpose soap for body, hair and clothes. On the other hand, there were people carrying all the same stuff as us plus a variety of lotions, pills and makeup. So that is an example of how you can be more, or less, extreme in your minimalism depending on your priorities.
    Clothes (Dean)
    Jacket
    Toque
    Gloves
    Hat
    Hiking pants
    Rain pants
    Shorts
    Thin pajama pants
    Merino wool long-sleeved shirt
    Merino wool hiking t-shirt
    Cotton evening t-shirt
    Quick-dry underwear (2)
    Hiking socks (3)
    Small ankle socks
    Hiking shoes
    Flip-flops
    Added along the way
    A second long-sleeved merino wool shirt since I started hiking in one after it got colder
    An actual waterproof jacket/poncho that fit over my backpack and went down to my knees
    Clothes (Laynni)
    Her list was similar to mine except for the following:
    Sarong
    Bras (2)
    Tank top and shorts to sleep in
    Long underwear
    Vest
    Laynni bought a cheap (but large) poncho (and seriously debated acquiring a small umbrella but never actually went through with it)
    Other
    Sleeping bags
    Toiletries (everything in the smallest containers possible, plus scissors and nail clippers)
    Watch (with alarm)
    iPod, cord and ear buds
    Camera (with charger and extra battery)
    E -readers, cord and AC adapter (that also worked for the iPod)
    Flash drive (for sharing photos with other pilgrims)
    Power adapter (2 round pin European style)
    John Brierley guidebook (tore out the relevant pages each day and carried them in my pocket)
    Ear plugs
    Headlamps
    Sunscreen
    Water bottle
    Wallet
    Small valuables bag (passports, bank cards, Visa, Mastercard, health cards, driver’s licenses, insurance card)
    Photocopies of all of the above (we also scan copies and email them to ourselves)
    Medical kit (band-aids, antibiotics, disinfectant, oregano oil, painkillers, Imodium, Pepto-Bismol, tensor bandage)
    Small sewing kit
    Folding knife
    Mini multi-tool knife
    Bandana
    Notebook and pen
    Several Ziploc bags and a couple garbage bags
    Things we took and never used
    Combination lock
    Deck of cards
    Compass
    Matches
    Filipino house-boy

Rachel
    Yeah, Rach el is made up, too. But wait until you see what she gets up to!
    ****************
    Rachel Harrington is a 34 year old Londoner with curly hair and a nice smile. She prefers not to wear much makeup, which is fine because her body never fails to turn heads. She’ll be turning 35 while hiking the Camino and was recently “downsized” from her job as a pharmaceutical rep. She was given 2 months’ severance pay and her boyfriend of 6 years, Chad the IT Guy, just told her last week that he still loves her, he’s just not IN love with her. But he might be in love with the new temp at his office and, frankly, owes it to himself to find out. They have a lot in common, he said, like doing ecstasy and things like that. Rachel hasn’t done much hiking but a few of her friends hiked the Camino a couple years ago and told her it would be a great way to “figure out her life”. And with the cost of gym memberships these days she thought, hey, why not?

    To M & D, Lizzie, Adam, Brandi K
    I guess I’m really doing this
    On Sun, Sep 30 at 7:04 PM, Rachel Harrington wrote:
    Well, here I am, in some little town in France ready to start the Camino tomorrow. Looking at my backpack and wondering how I ended up here. Seriously, I’m supposed to hike 27 kilometres up and over a mountain tomorrow. Why? Not sure. Oughtta be interesting,