Essential Equipment for the Camino

I've stayed in many youth hostels during my European travels. I have learned, from sad experience, that the most essential pieces of travel equipment are... ear plugs and a sleep mask. Without those... sleep is a virtual impossibility in a shared dorm room!

From the people who clatter into the room at 2 am after a night out at the clubs... giggling and whispering and stumbling into things and turning on lights... to the groggy travellers staggering into the room at 1 am after a delayed flight, massive suitcases in tow.... to the stentorian snorers who gasp and snort and sound like they are about to expire. Noise... lights... more noise... and yet more lights.

You see... travelers have this annoying habit of packing everything into separate plastic bags. And... in the middle of the night, they rustle through their myriad plastic bags, seeking their toothbrush or their pjs or... who knows what... rustle, rustle... more rustle, rustle... an eternal symphony of rustling! ugh!!! 

On my last trip to London in May 2019, my sister loaned me one of her sleep masks. One that has cupped eye coverings, so it's not pressing down on your eyes. It was blissful!! Super duper earplugs and an eye mask... I actually slept pretty good. Except... of course... when people were climbing up and down off the bunk bed... that shakes the whole bed and isn't restful. Sometimes it's better to be on the top bunk so you're the one doing the climbing!

It's not perfect, but it works. And from what I've been reading about the Camino... shared dormitories are de rigeur. Unless you want to pay $$$ for a private room. And... with 40 days (or so) to cover... I don't know that I want to spend $100 a night... every night. Maybe once in a while...

But for the regular run-of-the-mill stay in an albuergue (hostel/dormitory)... I'll be packing a serious sleeping mask and multiple sets of ear plugs... just in case some get lost along the way. It's these small things that make a difference. And I definitely want to have a good night's sleep while trekking the Camino.