It’s time to break out the rucksack that hasn’t seen serious duty since we were snowed in a few years back for a week, and I used it to get groceries from the supermarket. Happy days…
Snow isn’t going to be a thing in northern Spain in September. I’ve been watching the BBC Weather app and checking up on the temperatures in Pamplona, Leon and Santiago. Pamplona hit 40°C earlier this week. Yikes. The prediction for when we get there – possibly next weekend – is 25°C and raining. Speaking as a good Scotsman I think I’ll take the rain over the heat.
I’ve been too busy lately with work and life. Today is the first serious thought I’ve put into packing. It not yet noon and I’m quite knackered from all the ‘do I take this, do I really need that, what if??’.
On the other hand, I have done this before and I know the important things.
Because my feet hurt and my knees hurt and my teeth hurt, I became obsessed with those things and ended up packing the evening before I left. No problem! It’s encouraging just how quickly you recall your previous adventures and you delight in keeping it simple and throwing things out.
Monday morning, I repack my pack (just in case) and it weighs 8kg. Result! That’ll do.
Here’s a pic of me and my stuff. Nothing much different from previous trips (see here and here). Other than the small white tub of Spanish Vaseline that I bought back in 2017. Slather that on your feet as a pre-emptive strike against blisters and all will be well.
The main hiking shoes are by Salewa and the secondary slobbing-about-the-hostel shoes are Merrell Strike (750g -superlight!).
So, all good. I remind myself of the scene from The Jerk that I referenced last time… ‘All I need is this remote control…’.