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A pack is the one piece of equipment a pilgrim cannot put down. It is carried for six or seven hours a day, for weeks, over ground that rises and falls, in heat and in rain, and the difference between a pack that fits and one that does not is the difference between a pilgrimage and an ordeal. Everything else in the rucksack can be replaced in the next town.
The twenty below are grouped by the kind of pilgrimage they suit, not ranked against one another. A pack that is right for thirty days between albergues on the Camino Francés is the wrong pack for a single day at Lourdes, and the pack for a flight to Rome is a third thing again. Prices are the maker's own recommended price at the time of writing; where a specification could not be confirmed on the maker's page, that is said rather than guessed.
How large a pack a pilgrim needs
For walking between albergues and carrying everything, 30 to 40 litres is the range the sources agree on. American Pilgrims on the Camino names 33 to 40 litres as the most common choice, and a survey of around two hundred pilgrims found 67% carrying 30 to 40 litres, with an average of 35. Below that range are two other cases: 18 to 30 litres is enough for a day pilgrimage, or for a route walked with a luggage-transfer service carrying the main bag ahead. Above it, 45 to 60 litres is for camping or for a winter route with cold-weather clothing, and for very little else.
What the pack should weigh
A common rule of thumb holds that a loaded pack should come to about a tenth of the walker's body weight. The rule appears in almost every source on pilgrim packing, though its origin is not documented and the sources disagree on whether water and food are counted inside the tenth or outside it. Treat it as a target to aim at rather than a measurement to trust, and weigh the pack loaded before departure. An empty pack of under about 1.2 to 1.5 kg leaves the most room for what goes inside it.
What matters in the design
Four things separate a pilgrim pack from a bag that merely holds the same volume. A padded hip belt, because the weight belongs on the hips and not the shoulders. A ventilated back panel, because Galicia is humid and the last hundred kilometres are walked with a wet shirt. A rain cover, included or bought separately. And a women's fit where the maker offers one, which is a shorter torso, narrower shoulder straps and a differently shaped hip belt, not a colour change.
The mistakes pilgrims report
Pilgrims writing afterwards name the same four errors. Buying a 60-litre pack "just in case", which is then filled and carried. Choosing a pack with no hip belt, or never having the belt and torso length fitted. Loading the pack for the first time on the first morning of the walk, so that every problem with it is discovered on the road. And setting out without a rain cover.
Camino and Via Francigena — albergue walking (30–40 litres)
Ten packs for the ordinary case: a pilgrim carrying clothes, washing kit, rain gear and a sleeping liner between albergues for a week or more.
Osprey Talon 33 / Tempest 33
33 L · 1.26 kg men's / 1.20 kg women's · $205 at the time of writing · no rain cover included
The most-named Camino pack in the research, appearing in ten separate sources. This is the 2025 generation of the line; the older "Tempest 34" name has been dropped, so a pilgrim searching for that number will not find it. No rain cover is included, which is the one thing to buy alongside it.
Osprey Stratos 34 / Sirrus 34
34 L · 1.52 kg men's / 1.47 kg women's · $225 at the time of writing · rain cover included
A suspended mesh back and a panel-loading opening, which means the pack unzips along its face rather than being filled from the top. It came first among pilgrims in the survey of around two hundred walkers.
Osprey Exos 38 / Eja 38
38 L · 1.22 kg men's / 1.18 kg women's · $245 at the time of writing · no rain cover included
The lightest framed pack Osprey makes at this size, and named in nine sources. The frame is what transfers the load to the hip belt, so this is the pack for a pilgrim who wants a light bag without giving that up.
Osprey Kestrel 38 / Kyte 38
36–38 L · 1.85 kg men's / 1.76 kg women's · $220 at the time of writing · rain cover included
Sturdier than the Talon and Exos, with more pockets, and named in eight sources. The heavier build is the price of the extra organisation. Whether the hip belt carries pockets could not be confirmed on the maker's page.
Osprey Kestrel LT 35 / Kyte LT 35
35 L · 1.45 kg men's / 1.40 kg women's · $180 at the time of writing · rain cover included
A new line for 2026, and the cheapest Osprey here that comes with a rain cover. The maker does not state the torso range it fits, so this is one to try on rather than order blind.
Deuter Futura 32 / Futura 30 SL
32 L men's / 30 L women's · 1.35 kg / 1.33 kg · $190 at the time of writing · rain cover included
A mesh back and an included rain cover, named in seven sources. Deuter's "SL" marks the women's fit. This is the main alternative to the Osprey range for a pilgrim who finds Osprey's harness does not sit well.
Deuter Futura Pro 36 / Futura Pro 34 SL
36 L men's / 34 L women's · 1.59 kg / 1.53 kg · $230 at the time of writing · rain cover included
The back length adjusts, through the mechanism Deuter calls VariClick. That makes it the pack for a pilgrim who falls between two sizes and has been told by one shop that the torso is short and by another that it is long.
Deuter Trail 30
30 L · 1.12 kg · $155 at the time of writing · rain cover included
Narrow and stable, with a back panel that sits against the body rather than standing off it, and named in three sources. The narrow profile suits a smaller pilgrim and a pack that is not going to be overfilled.
Granite Gear Perimeter 35 (women's) / Perimeter 50
35 L / 50 L · 1.36 kg / 1.40 kg · $229.95 and $249.95 list at the time of writing, with the maker showing around half that · rain cover not confirmed
A lesser-known pick, and the value choice on this list when the maker's own discount is running. Whether a rain cover is included could not be confirmed. The 35-litre version is built on the women's fit; the 50 is the larger sibling for the camping case below.
Kelty Redwing Traveler 40
42 L · 1.6 kg · $179.95 at the time of writing · rain cover not confirmed
A clamshell opening, meaning the pack unzips fully and packs like a suitcase — useful for a pilgrim who will be moving on and off trains and buses as well as walking. The Redwing line is named by two Camino sources. Whether a rain cover is included could not be confirmed. The link above is the 40 L listing; the same pack is also sold through a parent listing that covers both the 40 L and 50 L sizes.
Longer, camping or cold-season pilgrimages (44–48 litres)
One pack for the case the 30-to-40-litre range does not cover: a tent, or a winter route.
Osprey Talon 44 / Tempest 44
42–48 L · 1.51–1.62 kg · $240 at the time of writing · no rain cover included
The larger Talon, and the pick of forum posters walking the Via Francigena with some camping, where the accommodation between towns is thinner than on the Camino Francés. The extra ten litres are for a tent and a sleeping bag, not for spare clothes.
Budget — under about $130
Two packs for a pilgrim who is not going to spend two hundred dollars on a bag.
Kelty Asher 35
35 L · 0.79 kg · $109.95 at the time of writing
Light and cheap, and the lightest pack in the walking range here by a clear margin. No hip-belt pockets are listed, which matters more than it sounds when a phone and a snack have to come out without stopping. Stock on Amazon has been mixed, so check availability before setting a departure date by it.
Teton Numa 45
45 L · 1.68 kg (3.7 lb) · $129.99 at the time of writing · rain cover included
The cheapest pack here with a rain cover included. At 45 litres it is larger than most pilgrims need, which brings back the "just in case" problem named above — the discipline has to come from the packer rather than the pack.
Day pilgrimages and luggage-transfer days (18–26 litres)
Five small packs: for a shrine visited in a day, and for routes walked with the main bag sent ahead.
Osprey Talon 22 / Tempest 22
22 L · 1.08 kg men's / 1.03 kg women's · $175 at the time of writing
Named best overall daypack by both CleverHiker and Switchback Travel. It is the same harness as the Talon 33 in a smaller body, so a pilgrim who has walked a Camino in the larger pack knows how this one will sit.
Osprey Daylite Plus
20 L · 0.585 kg · $80 at the time of writing
The pack for a day in Rome, Lourdes or Fátima: light, small enough not to be a nuisance in a basilica, large enough for water, a rain shell and a missal. It holds 4.6 stars from 3,768 ratings on Amazon as of 28 September 2026.
Deuter Speed Lite 21
21 L · 470 g · $85 at the time of writing
The lightest framed daypack on this list. Under half a kilogram empty, which is the point: on a luggage-transfer route the day pack is carried every hour of every stage.
Osprey Hikelite 26
26 L · 0.82 kg · $135 at the time of writing · rain cover included
A mesh back and an included rain cover at day-pack size, which is uncommon. The 26 litres take a picnic and a fleece as well as the essentials, so this is the choice for a long day walk rather than a shrine visit.
Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Day Pack
20 L · 72 g · $49.95 at the time of writing
It folds into its own pouch and weighs less than a bar of soap. This is not a walking pack but the spare bag: the one taken out for a shrine day, or for the afternoon in Santiago after a walking stage, while the main pack stays at the albergue.
Flying to the pilgrimage — carry-on and anti-theft
Two packs chosen for the journey to the shrine rather than the walk itself.
Osprey Farpoint 40 / Fairview 40
40 L · 1.48 kg men's / 1.47 kg women's · $200 at the time of writing
The carry-on pick across the sources: 40 litres is the standard cabin-bag allowance, and the pack opens flat like a case while keeping a proper harness for the walk from the station. The Farpoint is the men's fit and the Fairview the women's. An older generation of both is still sold and carries more reviews.
Pacsafe X 25L
25 L · 1.0 kg (2.2 lb) · $179.95 at the time of writing
An anti-theft pack for crowded basilicas and for Rome, where pickpocketing around the major churches is a real and constant problem. The maker lists lockable zips, cut-resistant materials, RFID-blocking pockets and an anchor strap for securing the bag to a fixed object. Formerly sold as the Metrosafe X 25L. The maker states a 16-inch laptop sleeve while this listing states 15 inches; whether it has a hip belt could not be confirmed.
Packs worth knowing that cannot be linked here
Several packs named repeatedly in the research are not sold on Amazon and so appear without a link. The REI Co-op Trail 40, at $159, is named by four Camino sources and is sold only by REI. The current Gregory Zulu and Jade lines are not on Amazon in the United States, though Gregory is the fourth most-recommended brand in the sources. Cottage makers — Gossamer Gear, Hyperlite Mountain Gear, ULA — sell direct, as does Decathlon with its Forclaz and Quechua ranges, which are the cheapest serious packs in Europe and widely carried on the Camino. A pilgrim shopping in person in France or Spain will meet the Decathlon packs first.
Further Resources
- The Catholic pilgrim's packing list — everything that goes inside the pack, and what to leave at home
- Camino Francés guide — the classic route, 780 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, and the terrain a pack is chosen for
- Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage guide — the cathedral, the Pilgrim Mass and the Compostela
- Camino on a budget — what a pilgrimage costs, gear included
