Ruiz’s Pilgrimage 2017. Lugagge.

The logistic preparation for our pilgrimage continues. Today I’m going to speak about the luggage and backpacks for the stages. All the things I’m going to explain are pieces of advice based on my own experience. Of course, you can follow them or not, it’s up to you!

The transportation of our luggage (and by luggage I mean our suitcase) will be carried out by one of the many companies devoted to that. I know some people who look down on this decision; some of them are purists and some others are what I call ‘living-room Pilgrims’, who have never walked more than 5 km in a row.

Anyway, we don’t care about their opinion. We make our pilgrimage in our own way, in the end, it’s the Ruiz’s Pilgrimage, so we make the rules we feel like.

Luggage shouldn’t be more than a suitcase or large backpack of no more than 14 kg. We will pack clothes for six or seven days so we have clean and fresh clothes until we arrive in Bilbao, where we will do the laundry.

  Every morning we will leave our luggage at the hostel reception so the transportation company can pick them up and take them to our next accommodation.

   For the stages, we will carry a small backpack with some essential things, some necessary things and of course even a couple of unnecessary things.Here is my advice:

In our everyday backpack, we should include:

Rain gear. Waterproof raincoat, waterproof hat and leggings.

 Photography equipment. Mobile pone, camera, memory cards, batteries and chargers.

Suncare items. Suncream and hat.

Warm, dry, clean clothes, just in case we get wet.

Miscellanea. A knive, a rope, a torch, a map of the stage, the address and telephone number of the hostel.

Healthcare items. Cotton, bandages or plasters, merbromin and painkillers.

Food. Some sweets, dried fruit and nuts, and water.         

Money. Some cash and maybe a credit card.

Then, everyone can also put more things in the backpack, as long as their back allows them to do so!

Another essential element that we should never forget is our walking stick. It is indispensable. It gives us safety, it helps us walk and there is a moment when they really become a part of our body.
                        Buen Camino!