World Youth Day USA Guides International Pilgrimage Leaders Guide | Page 52

would make their church and country proud to

will provide on-site. While receiving the official

have them as their representatives.

WYD backpack is a great perk that comes with
registration (and will be a wonderful memento

Pilgrims will also walk a great deal during

of the journey), the quality, size, and design of

World Youth Day, so travelers should bring

the pack may not fir your pilgrims’ needs (and it

sturdy, well broken-in shoes along with foot

is difficult to assess these factors until arriving

care or blister kit available at the local drug

in Poland). In addition, there will be hundreds

store. The weather in Poland in the summer

of thousands of identical Kraków 2016

ranges from hot to humid and damp and rainy

backpacks in use during the World Youth Day

(and sometimes within the same day); because

events, so the likelihood of it being picked up

of that, it is good for leaders and pilgrims to

by someone else is very high. It is better for

check the forecast so that they can bring

pilgrims to bring it home as a souvenir. The

appropriate clothing for the weather conditions

unique WYDUSA or local bags will also make

they will encounter that week. Pilgrims should

it easy to identify the group in large crowds.

wear layers because of the fluctuating weather
patterns; this will be especially important for

Some features that pilgrims ought to look for in

the Saturday walking pilgrimage and overnight

a good backpack for this trip include: sturdiness

vigil experience (possibly going from a warm

to withstand the demands of a pilgrimage;

day to a cool night, returning to warm

pockets for water bottles that they can reach

conditions on Sunday morning).

when the pack is on the back; lots of
attachment points for tying things on or

Another suggestion would be to pack extra

hooking in carabineers; a good size to be able

thin socks (which can take almost no space

to carry supplies (food, blankets, devotional

and wash/dry quickly); wearing two at once

books, radio, etc.) for the week; and a sternum

can also limit the formation of blisters, as

strap so the shoulder straps don’t slip off. A

socks rub together instead of the skin.

belt strap can be a huge help in transferring the
weight of the full backpack from the shoulders

The WYD Backpack vs. Your Own

to the hips. Most pilgrims can also use their

Pilgrims are encouraged to bring their own

own backpack as their carry-on for overseas

backpacks or one from the WYDUSA store

flights. They can also purchase, in advance, one

(though these are smaller than other options),

of the official WYDUSA slingback backpacks

rather than rely on the backpacks that Kraków

available at www.wydusa.org.
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