Getting Ready for Santiago

Okay, so I needed some stuff. How hard could it be?--some boots, a pack, a sleeping roll. You know--stuff. Well, I had no idea. Consider this: boots. The first sales guy I visited said, "Well, you have to have all leather boots for such a long trip." Another said, "You got to get the 'vibram' sole." Another said, "Get the Gortex GTX--it breathes better." And, of course, another cautioned, "Whatever you do, don't get the all leather boots." I was shown three different ways of tying the laces on the boots by three different people--all of whom insisted that their way was the only way to tie laces. Packs. You can't get just any pack; you have to get a 55 to 80 liter pack with a padded waist strap. I went to three different stores. Everyone agreed, the best pack was the Osprey--made in Utah where the mountains are. So I asked them each, "Do you own an Osprey pack?" All three replied "NO!--they're too expensive!" ($390) All three owned a "Mars" pack from REI outfitters ($199). I bought one. I'll just give you one more taste--socks. You can't just wear plain, white gym socks. You have to have special hiking socks. But it doesn't stop there. Some people swore by "Smart Wool" socks. Others claimed that acrylic is the only way to go. Still others advised "Thorlo"--a blend, of course. A guy at Whole Earth on Mockingbird confirmed that only a fool would walk without socks woven with silver threads--no, really--silver. And you have to have sock liners to "wick" away your sweat. By the way, everything has to "wick"--your outer clothing, your socks, your underwear--no kidding, your underwear. Including my Canon 7.1 megapixel camera (don't ask about the other suggested cameras), I've spent close to $2000. Do you think the Medieval pilgrims needed so much stuff?

Surely the walking won't be this confusing.