Spring is here, and that means vacation time is just around the corner. While a lot of people prefer to kick back someplace warm and sandy with a tall glass of something cool, some folks would rather hit the open road, waking up in a new place every morning with the promise of another day's adventure before them.
I'm one of the latter.
This April, I'm walking the Camino de Santiago: a 780 kilometer backpacking trek which starts on the French side of the Pyrenees Mountains and ends in Santiago Compostela, Spain. It's a long hike that, in order to complete it in the month's time I've allotted for it, demands I pack light and travel far every day. Save a few toiletries, odds and ends and a change of clothes, this list of 12 hardware essentials is the sum of everything I'll be schlepping along with me. No doubt, there'll be a few things on my list that'll serve you well on your own upcoming spring or summer adventures.
Everything collected here has worked great for me close to home, but how will it all hold up after a month of constant use on the road? I'll let you know just as soon as I get back in the second part of this two-part review. (Part two is here, now.)