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Suggested Packing List Spain
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PUENTE'S SUGGESTED GEAR LIST
FOR 6-8 DAY ACTIVE TRIP MAY - SEPTEMBER |
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Wondering what to bring for your trip to Spain? Here is a basic list for 6-8 day walking trip at low to moderately high altitude. See additional notes below for general clarifications, colder weather, biking trips, day hikes, even some ideas about street clothes. If you have any questions about a specific trip at a specific date please contact us. See our MINIMALIST PACKING LIST for self-contained trips, too!
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| ACTIVE WEAR | VARIOUS FOR ACTIVITY |
| 2 pairs of shorts | sunhat |
| 1-2 pairs of long pants | sunglasses |
| 2 sleeveless shirts | suncream, high protection |
| 2-3 short sleeved shirts | socks, underwear |
| 1-2 long sleeved shirts | light to midweight boots |
| 1 polar fleece jacket OR sweater | |
| 1 rain-wind jacket | |
| OPTIONAL BUT USEFUL | SUNSCREEN, SUNHAT AND SUNGLASSES ARE ALL VERY IMPORTANT IN SPAIN! |
| (Ask for specific trip and see below) | |
| 1-2 cotton bandannas | |
| lightweight gloves | |
| lightweight hat or earband | |
| lightweight neck gaiter or similiar | |
| rain poncho | |
| vest: fleece, nylon or cotton | |
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| NON-ACTIVE WEAR |
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| Whatever makes you feel comfortable, maybe your active wear doubles as non-active wear. No formal or especially dressy clothes are necessary during our trips, though a casual skirt or dress can be a nice change from shorts or pants for women. Don’t forget swimsuit (summer and optional for Madrid in winter - ask us why!) and non-active shoes. | |
| OTHER THINGS | |
| -small backpack (large enough for food, water, rain-cold weather gear) | |
| -water bottle, capacity around two quarts or two one-quart bottles (folding recommended but standard canteen or water bottle also ok). We STRONGLY suggest carrying 1 ½ - 2 quarts of water. | |
| -jacknife, fork and spoon | |
| -eyeglasses or contacts if used, including extra pair | |
| -Any prescription medicine, enough for length of trip. Suggest you bring prescription or generic name. | |
| -Small first aid kit with familiar medicines you might need for personal use (respiratory ailments? stomach ailments? sore muscles or joints?) We will have first aid kit too, but if you already know what works for you it's better to have it with you than experiment on a trip with something new. | |
| OTHER THINGS, OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED SAME BASIS AS ABOVE | |
| -walking poles or cane. If you ski or snowshoe, two poles may feel more comfortable than just one. | |
| -plastic refrigerator container with lid, flat 7" square or round is a good size | |
| -folding plastic glass or cup, camping cup or mug also good | |
| -ziploc plastic bags or plastic bags and twist ties, various sizes. | |
| -10ft lightweight cord and 4-6 clothespins | |
| -detergent | |
| -small sewing kit including various sizes of safety pins | |
| -corkscrew, canopener (maybe on jacknife) | |
| -folding umbrella | |
| -travelling alarm clock | |
| -earplugs and eyemask (for plane and in case of street noise at some hotels) | |
| -small-medium size towel for swimming | |
| -washcloth (not always provided in European hotels) | |
| -electric convertor if bringing hairdryer or similiar (Spain is 220V and plugs are two round prongs) | |
| -soap or shower gel (not provided in ample supply in all our hotels) | |
| -flashlight (especially hiking trips where refuges will be used, useful for bedtime reading, too) | |
| -small compass (especially on biking trips if you plan to ride on your own, also good for exploring cities) | |
| -Ziplock bag with: some paper clips, rubber bands, postit-type notes, text highlighter, two extra pens, small or folding scissors (remember to put at least these in checked bag!). 1-2 large envelopes also handy if you like to collect postcards, maps or tourist information of any kind. | |
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| NOTES | |
| COLDER WEATHER / HIGHER
ALTITUDE: Above list can still be used as a guideline. In those cases
we suggest you bring just one pair of shorts and at least two pairs of pants, one fairly
warm and at least a bit water-resistant - three would be better late in October or early
in April. Delete the sleeveless shirts and one short sleeved shirt, bring an
additional long sleeved shirt (if it can be a technical, quick dry textile, all the
better!). If you get cold easily, lightweight long underwear, silk or technical textiles,
might be a good idea. A vest is especially nice off-season, it gives a lot of warmth and flexibility for the space and weight it takes up in a suitcase. Early and late in the season or at higher altitudes it is VERY IMPORTANT that you bring a warm hat, something for your hands and probably for your neck. Your trip will be more enjoyable if you have the right clothes! BIKING TRIPS: Above list can be used as a general guideline, deleting the walking poles, boots and adding a low sports shoe with a good sole for biking and walking. Generally speaking, specific gear for biking will make you more comfortable but is not vital, so if you don't have bike gear, bring what you have. With one exception: After biking for years without biking shorts we discovered the huge difference in comfort. If stretchy lycra makes you uncomfortable physically or mentally look for cycle touring shorts that are like normal shorts but have a biking liner. Even better is a separate liner that has the padding in the right places (men's and women's models available) and can be used under just about any pants or shorts: bring two and wash one out each night. Please also think a little about the long pants you will use for biking. Pants can get caught in the chain so best choice is close-fitting leggings. If that kind of pants make you uncomfortable you will need a system to keep your pants out of the chain: roll up one leg? Stuff one leg in your sock? Use an elastic or metal band? Pants should also be a dark color because it is almost impossible to avoid grease stains, even without getting tangled up in the chain. Biking gloves are a great idea and helmets are REQUIRED for all bikers -- bring your own for best fit and comfort (let us know your head size if you don't have one so we can arrange a rental helmet). A small backpack is still a good idea when biking - the support vehicle will follow us but may not be right there when you want your jacket or a snack, especially if you want to do some side routes. DAY HIKES: We usually REQUIRE the following: Sturdy tie shoes with a good sole; a light to mid-weight over-the-ankle boot is always a good idea and is required for some hiking trips. Small-medium backpack (we strongly recommend lining your pack with double plastic bags to keep everything dry in case of rain) for day's gear. Sweater or polar fleece except in high summer at low altitudes. Sunhat except in the middle of winter. Rain gear (poncho or jacket) all year. Water bottle, at least 1 liter and 2 liters May-Sept and on all longer hikes. Lunch, we suggest "carbo-salads" or sandwich and fruit. Bikers MUST wear helmets - most good rental places will include with your bike. We STRONGLY RECOMMEND the following: Warm hat, earband, gloves and neck gaiter except in high summer at low altitudes, THIS GEAR REQUIRED FROM DECEMBER TO LATE MARCH. Extra pair of gloves or mittens in winter. Sunglasses and sunscreen year round. Extra socks and shirt, preferably also pants, all in a plastic bag. Post-hiking shoes (lightweight sneakers or sandals as you may have to carry during the day). Light jacket or shirt for summer. Bandanna or cotton scarf. Mini first aid (aspirin, bandaids). "Energies" or gorp (almonds, raisins, hard candies, chocolate, cookies, granola bars). Jacknife and spoon or fork (if bringing salad). STREET CLOTHES: Generally speaking, in Madrid, Barcelona or smaller places with a lot of tourism (Granada, Sevilla) just about any clothing is OK. Smaller, less touristy destinations you should be a little more conservative. That said, please remember that unusual or extreme clothing may draw unwelcome attention, even in the larger cities. You will already be quite visible due to language, coloring and body language, so it is better to tone down clothes a little. This recommendation is for both women and men, as some pickpockets target foreigners: the more you try to fit in, the better. So what is OK? Shorts are fine in most places but shouldn't be skin-tight and should probably be at least mid-thigh length for both men and women. Tank tops are OK for both sexes, though most Spanish men do not wear them. Shirtless is not OK except in beach towns, even then best on the beach and not in the grocery store. Pants are fine for women in all places, though if you will be spending a lot of time in very small towns at least one skirt or dress would be a good idea. Sandals are fine, though any shoes you bring should be very comfortable as you will probably walk a lot more than you expect, even off the trail. Women should think twice about high heels as many Spanish cities have cobblestone areas or artsy embossed pavement that can make walking in heels more of an adventure than the toughest trail. HOW MUCH TO BRING? How much active wear you bring depends on how you feel about doing laundry by hand, as most of our hotels will not have laundry facilities (see items under "OPTIONAL"). To help you plan what to bring, we also suggest you see our travel tip about layering HERE. And just a comment: at the end of most trips, people say they brought way too much and swear to bring less on their next trip! |
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| WHAT IS ALL THAT STUFF UNDER "OPTIONAL"? "Optional"
items are based on past experience. Please consider your own travel style and personal
needs as you may not want or need to bring everything listed (for example, do you get cold
easily, do you like a little more time in the morning, are you interested in orientation
and map reading). Yes, most of these things are available in Spain, but remember we will
be in small towns in rural areas and looking for some of these things may take time away
from having fun; why risk that if you can bring them from home? We suggest bringing
a refrigerator container so you can make fruit or vegetable salad for lunch for a change
from sandwiches. Save space by packing other things (folding cup, jacknife, detergent,
cord and clothespins) inside it. Some people bring sturdy zip-lock bags to use as a bowl
for salads instead of refrigerator container. Plastic bags also work for storing stinky
socks or not-quite-dry laundry. "Office supplies" maybe not necessary except for
the super-organized, though postit notes are great for reminders to retrieve
your passport from under the mattress or the room safe.
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