tips (mostly for girls)

[violet]

These are just a few things I figured out as I went along, and wished somebody had told me....

1. I took a small travel hairdryer and found it great for getting dampness out of clothes and sleeping bag, we had some foul weather, don't forget an adapter..

2. Safety pins are very handy, I used them for many things, including pinning my towel to the sheet of the bunk above me, it gave it a chance to dry and also acted as a curtain to stop passing people staring at me while I was in bed. (some people really do stare!)

3. Take out the insoles of your boots and get some sort of silicon gel ones instead, there is a fair bit of walking on hard pavement and rocks which are very hard on the feet. (I didn't do this and regretted it after 4 days).

4. Don't take any make-up with you, you will never wear it.

5. Don't bother bringing a roll of loo paper with you, I didn't come across any place with no supply. A small pack of tissues was plenty.

6. If you get small bits of grit in your boots stop immediately and take them out, even if you think they aren't a huge problem. Take out your insole and shake out your boot and make sure that the grit hasn't become embedded in your sock or insole. Those tiny pieces of grit could cause blisters on the soles of your feet, really painful and also quite likely to become infected as it is really hard to keep pressure off them.

7. Leave the high fashion flip-flops and sandals at home, get a pair of crocs or foam base flip-flops for the evenings, I ended up buying a pair half way through and my feet are still thanking me!

8. I picked up a pair of telescopic trekking poles in St Jean Pied de Port for E28, I was worried about an old knee injury, but didn't have one second of trouble, perhaps thanks to the poles.

9. Put loads of sunscreen on the backs of your knees to the left hand side as that is where the sun is coming from....saw loads of girls who had strips of burn behind their knees, very sore. Put it on your arms, legs and back of neck every morning when you are getting dressed, that way you won't be caught out later if a dull day suddenly brightens up.

10. Even on dull days wear a bandanna or something on your hair, you don't want to get burnt on your scalp, your hair will be in dreadful condition from the sun & wind, take separate shampoo and conditioner if your pack will allow.

11. Even if you are a very 'cold' person, you will be fine with a very light sleeping bag. We were given blankets in every place we stayed, and the dorms do get warm at night with all those sleepers!

12. Bring about 3 packs of compeed, it is very expensive in Spain! They also do a silicon stick thing which you should rub around and between your toes every morning before you put on your socks to prevent blisters between your toes.

Finally if you are using John Brierleys book, the maps are not quite to scale, neither are the elevation diagrams. For distances, trust the signs on the posts as you go.

Hope this will be useful to somebody. Buen Camino!!

[revrenjen]

Violet--
Thanks for your "girly" advice! While it is just us girls, I have wondered if any of you ladies have tried the She-Wee that Brierley mentions. I loathe going along the trail (the only time I have ever been guilty of penis envy!) but have wondered if this will make the only experience a little less trying.

[HuskyNerd]

"She-Wee"??? Not sure what this is, but if it equalizes for women the utility of the male appendage I'm all for it. I always felt sorry for the ladies who couldn't do their business from a standing position.

One man's mild quibble with Violet's excellent advice: I took a roll of toilet paper (loo paper) and was thankful many times. While I agree with Violet that every civilized place has a supply, the value of having your own roll is for the uncivilized places that don't.

[HuskyNerd]

(Oops . . . accidentally posted my reply before finishing)

Imagine that nature calls when you're 5 kms away from the nearest "servicio" (loo). That means you'll need to step off the trail and find a discrete place to do your business. Perhaps women only need a small packet of tissues over the course of 35 days, but guys. . . . take a whole roll!

[Covey]

HN........It is best not to ask about the ladies tube business and just thank our lucky stars that the Good Lord saw fit to equip us males in a far more satisfactory manner!

I think Violet must be French really cos the French and French Canadian ladies are the only ones I have ever seen carrying hair driers.

For me, there are two inescapable facts on the Camino. Firstly, the queues for the ladies loo are always much longer than the mens, and secondly, ALWAYS CARRY A LOO ROLL!!! For modern day pilgrims, there is no satisfactory alternative to a loo roll. None of the toilets ever have a bidet and neither do the toilets in bars have a ready to hand supply of grass or leaves.

Violets advice about stopping to get grit out of your boots is most important. With some of the thicker socks the grit works in to the weave, so you look carefully. Also, many ladies find carrying a sarong is very useful as it can act as a bunk sheet, shower screen, bunk curtain and general all round fashion thinggy!

[Covey]

For the intellectual Pilgrim: Works equally well for both male and female!

Sudoku Toilet Roll: Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games

[Nanonano]

Bit late to reply, but I used the She-Wee. It gives great relief! And it's very easy to use. God bless the inventor!

[Sophie Garcia]

whats a she-Wee ??????????????

[Nanonano]

Google and it will come up. It's a device for women to stand and pee. Comes in glamorous pink....

[Sophie Garcia]

Thats excellent...........now that I've finished the walk, and all the pees i did crouching lolololol )))))))))

[Nanonano]

Without going in too much detail. It's liberating and that for 6 pounds.

[revrenjen]

Thanks for the endorsement. Here's hoping they ship to the US.