Your backpack on a pilgrimage: how heavy should it be?

In short: 30 to 40 litres is enough for summer. In spring and autumn you will want closer to 40 litres because of the warmer clothing.

There is a simple rule of thumb for backpack weight on a pilgrimage: no more than ten percent of your body weight, without water and food. At 70 kilograms that would be seven kilograms. With a litre of water and some food, you will then carry about eight and a half. For most people it shouldn't be more than that.

Where the weight is

Three things often weigh the most: the backpack itself, the sleeping bag and your clothes. A light 35-litre backpack weighs around one kilogram, and an older model can easily weigh twice that. With sleeping bags, there is often 500 grams or more between a summer and a winter version.

For clothes, the rule is: you wear one set and keep the second in your backpack. Wash daily. A third T-shirt is no use to you, but it costs you energy every day. Check each item on the kitchen scales and write down the weights.

How to pack properly

Heavy things belong close to your back, at about the height of your shoulder blades. Light things such as your sleeping bag go at the bottom, and whatever you need often goes at the top or in the lid pocket. Your rain jacket should be within reach. Pack everything in thin bags, as this keeps it dry in the rain and quiet in the dormitory.

Then adjust the hip belt properly. It should carry most of the weight, so that your shoulders don't have to. Test this on a long walk before you leave.

If your backpack is still too heavy

Go through our packing list again and cross off everything you packed just in case. On the way, you can post things home or ahead to Santiago. And if you have back or knee problems, you can have your luggage taken from albergue to albergue on the big routes. The costs for this are manageable.