Headlamps

[Roe]

I have been reading many journals that previous walkers have published, in preparation for my spring walk. It appears that many begin walking no later than 6:00 a.m., some even earlier. It also appears that the sun does not rise until almost 8:00 a.m. Do most piilgrims walk in the dark? Does anyone not wait until daylight? What would be the reason for that? No one lists headlamps on their packing lists, but yet I've not read one journal where it was not used. Any advice from you previous walkers?

[unadara]

Roe
We walked Sep-Oct. Many listed lamps as essential for going to the toilet at night, finding way back to alberque after dark and walking in the morning. We brought 1 each, one had a head strap, mine one with strap detached (very light/small). Essential in my view. I would happily "kill" those those who use them to pack their bag in the am before leaving, though it is pitch black before lights go on. We always tried to have our bags ready to go with minimum of noise but others seemed to go out of their way, out to bathroom, back in, dressing, packing, rustling etc all with little light on shining at "me"..
We realised in the heat that we had to get up earlier, and it got earlier and earlier, 6 was ideal! I know it seems mad but by 12 i was half dead. So it depends, how far you want to go ? will you get hot sun ? With us it was not a race for a bed, this was never an issue, some days we were there first ? some days almost full, and always someone who left before you walked in after you. BUT bring a light, I didn't need spare batteries, I didn't like using it once I got walking as I develop good night sight, but need it to see signs and some of the paths are dark. Ideal was getting out to start walking at 7.30, just getting light, having had a coffee, but it was very rarely like that. Some nights we couldn't sleep and just waited to get on the road again. It was all wonderful though and the last week as we walked in the morning we walked into the waning moon on top of the hill-right into Santiago-amazing.

[HuskyNerd]

Una is right about the un-neighborly folk who rustle about in the morning, shining their headlamps into the eyes of sleeping people. Usually these are folks who are a) desperately worried about getting a bed at the next albergue, b) wanting to get walking before the sun is too hot, or c) planning to walk 35 or more km in the day. In the spring you won't need to worry about either "a" or "b," so if you're like me you can pull your sleeping bag over your eyes while others make a fuss in the morning with their crinkly bags and un-hushed voices and wait until the albergue is empty at about 07:00 and enjoy the place to yourself while you get up and get rolling in a relaxed manner. You'll see the early risers when you get to the next albergue a few hours after them and they're no smarter for having aroused themselves at o-dark-thirty. And in the springtime there's no problem with walking until 16:00 or 17:00 in the afternoon (or even later) and still getting a bed in most cases.

In addition to the above rant, a kudo: thanks to people like Una who get up early without making a peep. They pack their bags the night before, get up very quietly, don't flash their headlamps in others' eyes, and talk only in hushed tones when they're out on the street. I'm always surprised and grateful at the number of bunkmates who slip off in the morning without a hint.

[Roe]

Thanks, as always, for all the help!

[unadara]

Folks
This type of thread reminds me also of the feeling of how little we actually need in "life". The wonderful feeling, for me anyways! of not choosing clothes to wear, you are probably already wearing them!. The end of the bed (usually) had 1/2 items, toothbrush, tablets, tissue were all already in shorts pocket, the bag had to be stuffed back into its' sack, you can do this quietly. But to know that for 30 days you survive on so little and that anything you may need will probably be available along the route, I mentioned a Cork couple who arrived with little clue of what to wear or carry and the "wife" suffered! until she picked up shorts in pamplona, sticks in a "chinese" shop, we still don't know when? they bought the sleeping bags!
Travel light, walk at your own pace, and don't stick to the pre-arranged plan! This last part is hard when you travel with you partner!