I've been researching online and talking to people I know who have walked the Camino in the past.
The most common tip is to pack LIGHTLY. I've heard that your pack should be 10% of your body weight. For me this is 12.5 lbs. I'm suddenly very happy I decided to bring a small daypack instead of a big camping pack. But even with a daypack (that weighs less than 1lb empty) I still have some essentials that are going to add up to 12.5 lbs quickly! Here's my packing list for what will be in my bag:
sleeping bag
towel
1 pair of pants
2 shirts
pajamas
3 pairs socks and underwear
toiletries
raincoat
jacket
small journal
camera
ear plugs
safety pins and sewing kit
moleskin and athletic tape
flashlight
2 water bottles
30 days wearing the same 2 outfits... I think those clothes will be ready to be burned when I finish!
My goal is to keep it at 10 lbs. I do not think this is possible, but I think if I have 10lbs as my goal I might end up with 12 or 13 in the end!
Besides packing I've been looking at towns along the way and places to stay. Unfortunately I don't have time to look up cool things to see in the different towns and villages, but I think lots of that kind of information will be passed amongst the pilgrims we meet along the way. I discovered that although the Camino can be done in 30 days, mostly it's done in 34 or 38 days. Luckily there are plenty of resources online, including the elevation for the different days, which will be very useful to know so we can push ourselves to walk further on days where it will be a relatively flat and easy hike.
I've gotten several prayer request and each one makes me more excited about this pilgrimage and about the opportunity to bring you and your intentions with me! If you haven't yet, please send your intentions as soon as possible as the week before I leave is going to be pretty hectic and I don't want anyone to get left out!
Happy Thursday everyone, remember, it's almost Friday! And Happy Independence Day to all my Belizean friends!