The Ultimate Autumn Via Podiensis Packing List
My husband and I have hiked the Camino de Santiago (Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela), the Camino Portugues (Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela), as well as 800 miles on the GR5/GR59/GR145 (Hoek van Holland to Aosta, Italy).
On each of our treks, we hiked in the autumn and spring to avoid the busy and expensive tourist months of June through August. In September and October 2023, we walked the Via Podiensis (Le Puy-en-Velay, France to Irun, Spain) and the Camino Ingles (Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela).
Here’s my Via Podiensis pack list for this fall’s trek. I’m a female hiker in my late 40s and carry my own 9 kg pack, meaning I don’t have it forwarded by a luggage transfer service. For lodging, my husband and I typically stay in a private room in budget and midlevel accommodations. To learn more about our elevated midlife backpacking philosophy, check out our article here.
About Us
Darren and I left corporate careers in our late 40s after 20+ years each in agriculture science. We are semi-nomadic. We travel most of the year and maintain a small home in the Great Plains of the United States. We spend most of our travel time thru-hiking in Europe and winters in the Caribbean.
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Previous Packing List
In a previous post, I outlined my packing list for the Camino Portugues. There, I went into much detail on why I took specific items. This time, I’ll be touching on the highlights of each item.
My Camino Checklist
Osprey Kestrel Men’s 48L Backpack
Altra Men’s Lone Peak 7 Trail Running Shoe
Recovery Sandals
Trekking Poles
Poncho
Sweater
Merino Wool T-Shirts (two)
Merino Wool Hoodie (one)
Merino Wool Long Sleeve Shirt (one)
Patagonia Women’s Pack in Jacket
Kuhl Freeflex Dash Pants (two)
Kuhl Freeflex Cargo Short 10”
ExOfficio Underwear (three pairs)
Negative Sieve Bra Tops (two)
Smartwool Wool Socks (four pairs)
Women’s Woolx Merino Wool Pajamas
Silk Sleeping bag Liner
Travel Pillow with Pillowcase
Merino Wool Neck Buff
Thin Gloves
Wash Cloth
Hydro Flask Lightweight Water Bottle
Lingerie Bag
Laundry Soap Sheets
Grocery Sack
Woolite Clothes pins (ten)
Shelta Hat
Cheap Sunglasses
Deodorant
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Dental Floss
Sunscreen
Moisturizer
Soap
Hair Brush
Lambswool
Nail Clippers
First Aid Kit
Prescriptions
Journal, Pen and ink refill
Stretch Strap
iPhone and iPhone Charger
Fitbit
Dry Bags
My Via Podiensis Backpack
I’ve used the Osprey Kestrel Men’s 48L S/M backpack for over 2000 miles (3200 kilometers). It looks good as new three years later. A 48L backpack will fit in most overhead compartments of planes with a 2x2 or 3x2 seat configuration. If any plane is a 1x2 seat configuration, you’ll likely need to gate-check this backpack unless you can get it under your seat.
I fill the pack to about 40L and leave 8L to accommodate groceries or food on the trail. The bag fits me great and has no strange seams that rub into my shoulders or body. I have looked into getting a lighter-weight version of a 48L backpack, but at this time, I’m happy with the Kestrel 48 backpack.
My Via Podiensis Shoes
My footwear choice changes with each long thru-hike. On the Via Podiensis, I took one pair of trail running shoes, the Altra Lone Peak 7. The Via Podiensis is a mixed surface walk - with sharp stones, gravel paths, dirt trails, and some road walking.
In previous hikes, I’ve experienced blisters on my little toe. I had no blisters in the Altra Lone Peak 7 shoes. I believe this is due to these shoes having a wider toe box than most other brands of shoes, while the rest of the shoe is comfortably snug on my foot.
Since I walked in the fall, it’s a little drier than in spring, so I took no waterproof shoes. On three days of the trek, it rained significantly. I simply placed newspaper into the shoes, which dried quickly—within three hours.
I was pleased with these shoes. They lasted 900 kilometers (540 miles), so I did have to purchase replacement shoes in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to finish the trek to Irun and then the Camino Ingles.
I do wear carbon fiber arch supports in my shoes, recommended to me by my podiatrist. I like the Superfeet Hike Support Insoles - each pair lasts me 1000 miles.
My previous shoes have had a heel drop of about 8 mm. This Altra Lone Peak is a zero-drop shoe. Since my feet are still adjusting to a zero-drop shoe, I’ve placed some of these soft 5 mm heel inserts in the shoe under my arch supports.
My only complaint about my new Altra Lone Peak 7 shoes is that I’ve modified the shoe with 5 mm heel inserts and my arch supports, so the shoe laces are too short. Short shoelaces seem to be a common complaint with Altra shoes, so I’ve replaced the original laces with some longer, heavy duty hiking shoelaces.
Since most accommodations will be in gites and hostels, I took Oofos recovery sandals, which will double as my shower shoes. I’ll be taking these recovery sandals on future treks, and only wish that someone made ultralight recovery sandals.
My Camino Trekking Poles
My trusty trekking poles will accommodate me again on this trek. I’ve been pleased with them. If I lost them or they were to get stolen, I’d look for the same brand and model again. I like how fast they adjust and the quality and fit of the handles.
I never take my trekking poles as carry-on luggage. My husband and I check our poles and pocket knives in a robust cardboard box when traveling.
My Via Podiensis Clothing
When we start our autumn Camino in Le Puy-en-Velay in mid-September, the daytime temperatures will be around 80 F, and the nighttime lows will be around 50 F. By the time we finish in Irun, and then do the Camino Ingles from Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela, the highs were in the lower 60s with lows in the 30s with frost.
With these conditions, I was prepared for the weather in this transitional season.
Hiking Pants
I took two pairs of Kuhl Freeflex Dash Pants. Due to the above-average temperatures in southern France in September and October 2023, I ended up not wearing them a lot until two weeks into the trip. Still, I’m glad I had two pairs of pants, as it was much cooler in the evenings.
Shorts
I hesitated bringing shorts for this trek and threw one pair of Kuhl Freeflex Cargo Shorts in my kit hours before we departed Kansas. I’m glad I had shorts, as it was over 80 F most afternoons the first month of the trek.
Shirts
My short-sleeved shirts were Men’s Smartwool Merino Sports Tees.
In addition to two short-sleeved merino wool shirts, I also brought one long-sleeved Men’s Smartwool merino wool shirt.
I also bought one Smartwool merino wool hoodie. I ended up wearing the short-sleeved shirts every day. In the evening, I would wear my hoodie over the shirt. I only wore the long-sleeved shirt when we went out to a nicer restaurant, and on the plane when it got chilly.
Jacket
My jacket is the Patagonia W’s Pack In Jacket. It’s been going strong since 2021.
Poncho
I prefer a poncho to a rainsuit. For me, rain suits are best suited for colder climates and gentle walks, not serious trekking carrying a 9 kg pack for hours.
We got our ponchos in Europe at Decathalon. Ponchos cost at least 50% less in Europe and come in bright colors with a reflective safety stripe. Be sure that your poncho covers both you and your pack. Our poncho folds down into its own zippered envelope for quick storage.
Another feature of ponchos is that you can drape them over your backpack when there is a slight mist. The draped poncho will help keep your backpack dry and eliminate the need to bring the backpack rain cover on your trek.
Sun Protection
Some other items I bring are a Shelta hat and cheap sunglasses.
My Via Podiensis Undergarments
Underwear
The underwear I’ve used for all my treks is ExOfficio underwear. It washes and dries quickly, lasts for years, and is ultralight. I take three pairs—one on, one for the next day, and one as a spare in case I lose one or can’t wash laundry for two days.
Bras
Let’s face it: most sports bras are super-thick and heavy. They are supportive of intense aerobic activities that involve running or jumping. Wearing a traditional sports bra for hours while hiking was annoying. ou get sweaty, and the bra gets wet while your Merino wool shirt dries. Traditional sports bras take forever to dry. Putting on a wet traditional sports bra is no fun.
For the last two hikes (Holland to Italy and this Via Podiensis), I’ve used Negative Sieve Bra Tops. These bra tops fit nicely, are lightweight, and dry after handwashing in under four hours.
I bring two bra tops (one on and one in reserve). No need to have three bras with these fast-drying bra tops.
Socks
I wear Smartwool hiking socks and bring four pairs (one one and three in the dry bag). I typically bring a variety of thicknesses as one’s feet might behave differently day to day in a transitional season like spring or autumn.
I ended up wearing the thicker hiking socks mostly while hiking. The thinner pairs I would wear in the evenings in my recovery sandals, or in bed if the room was chilly.
Sleeping Gear
Pajamas
I anticipated that most accommodations would be chilly at night, so I decided to bring a pair of Harper FeatherTouch WoolX Merino wool pajamas with me.
Boy, was I wrong. With the unseasonably warm weather, I wore as little as possible at night since most places in France do not have air conditioning. It was only in late October that I started wearing the pajamas.
I’m still undecided on bringing Merino wool pajamas on future treks, but they are nice to have when you are in a dormitory situation and need to walk to another part of the building to use the restroom during the night. They are super soft and lightweight, but I’ll be overseeing the weather forecast before my next trek. If it’s going to be warm, I won’t take them.
Pillow
I’d read on several Camino forums about bad pillows on the Via Podiensis. We had only a few instances of bad pillows on this walk. The bad pillows we encountered were hard body pillows presented as head pillows and ancient flat pillows as thin as a towel.
Since I’ve suffered on and off over the years with a pinched nerve in my neck, I decided to bring a small down pillow (recommended by a previous physical therapist). The down pillow weighs under six ounces and compacts nicely inside a dry bag. I had such a pleasant experience on two treks with this pillow that Darren got one for himself.
Pillow Case
Since my pillow is a goose-down pillow and a little expensive, I’ve purchased a fun and bright pillowcase. This way, it reduces the likelihood that I’ll leave the pillow behind by accident, and the hostel will not think that I am stealing their pillows. The pillowcase can also double as an impromptu grocery sack.
Sleeping Bag Liner
We stayed in a few dormitories and hostels on this trek, so we brought a liner. I used mine five times in 60 days.
In the future, we may decide to get a simple ultralight bedsheet as we both find these sleeping bag liners to be a little tricky to get in and out of and a little confining.
My Via Podiensis Toiletries
I keep this kit as minimal as possible, as there will be frequent pharmacies along the way. On the Via Podiensis, we found fewer pharmacies than on the Camino Frances and Camino Portuguese.
My basic toiletries kit for this trek was Corpus Mini-deodorant, Sensodyne toothpaste (quickly replenished in Europe), toothbrush, dental floss, sunscreen, moisturizer, a small bar of body soap, a hairbrush, a travel-sized tube of mascara, and a pair of tweezers.
In My Via Podiensis First Aid Kit
I take one pair of nail clippers, ten lancets for draining blisters, a few bandaids, a few blister bandages, a few packets of alcohol wipes, one tube of antibiotic ointment, one tube of Benadryl cream, and two insect sting relief vials. We also took the contents of two Covid test kits with us.
On this trek, I was happy to have the insect kit and anti-itch cream as we did encounter one spider bite, one sweat bee sting, and a couple of fly bites along the route.
My Via Podiensis Personal Items
For each Camino, I bring a few personal items. These include a notebook, a pen and rollerball refill, and a yoga stretch strap.
Drinking Water Container
We found potable water accessible to come by on the Via Podiensis. We were glad we did not bring any water tablets or water filtration systems. I drink more water from a drinking container than from a bladder system.
I’ve enjoyed using the 32 oz lightweight Hydro Flask Lightweight water container. I like it as it keeps cold water cool for hours, it’s easy to clean, and I know that when it’s full, it is two pounds of weight.
iPhone and Charger
For navigation and communication, we use older iPhones and bring along an Apple charger that allows one to swap out the plug for a European plug.
Wrapping Up the Via Podiensis Autumn Packing Kit.
We continue to refine our kits after over 2500 miles (over 4000 km) of thru-hiking over the past two years. I hope you enjoyed learning about what I take with me on my walks in case you are considering a 30+ day through-hike in the fall.
With cooler weather, my goal weight for my backpack is 18 pounds since warmer clothes in a kit weigh more than summer clothing. I allowed two extra pounds for a complete drinking water container. With the above kit, I achieved my kit weight goal.
Some things I thankfully did not take with me on this trek were a stocking cap or a heavier jacket. The weather was unseasonably warm in September and October 2023. However, if we had continued to walk into November, we would have needed heavier gear, including a face buff, stocking cap, a winter coat, and crampons.
Happy thru-hiking!
