Lists of Things To Pack For the Camino

[Tanya Yaksich]

Hi Covey,
Oh dear!! I am French though in Australia for 43 years. I have just had my long dark hair cropped short ( first time ever) and dyed blonde to hide the white regrowth. I won't need a hairdryer, but my eye pencil, lipstick and nail varnish are coming.
I will bring my fleece jacket as i'll wear it when i leave here as it is winter. I've repacked sooo many times. I still have 2 pairs of shoes, but i ditched the heels.. Maybe just my crocs for shower and going out will have to do.
What is a Technical t shirt?? Sounds like part of a mecano set.
Cheers Tanya

[Covey]

The Camino is no fashion parade nor an exercise in sartorial elegance!! In reality, we all tend to look "rumpled and crumpled" as though we had all dressed in whatever the local charity shop had on the day we passed by. Except the French...............! If you see a lady in colour co-ordinated clothing, a bit of bling and a dab of perfume, she is French

The men generally enjoy the Camino because we can wear comfortable clothing which last saw an iron weeks previously, and we can even skip shaving for the odd day or two without incurring the wrath of Senior Management. Smart is a word which can comfortably be consigned to the back burner until the Camino is finished.

However, after a couple of weeks one tends to think wistfully of a long hot bath, a crisply ironed shirt, a decent meal and not having to be back home before locking up time.

Most pilgrims take the boots/shoes they will be walking in and a pair of flip flops/sandals/Crocs for the evenings. Remember, if you are starting in Leon, then you have to carry everything for 300kms! Ditch the nail varnish cos its too heavy and only carry 1 inch of eye liner pencil.

One can become obsessive about weight when you have to carry it on your back. I have seen pilgrims who have shortened the length of their tooth brush to save weight!

A technical tee shirt is a "high wick" walking shirt. In the Army I only wore cotton shirts, but in reality, cotton is the worst material to wear on the Camino. It absorbs perspiration but retains it rather than evaporates it. The "technicals" are made from a mixture of man made fibres which allow the moisture to pass from your skin, through the material and immediately evaporated so you avoid walking in a wet tee shirt. I thought it was a load of nonsense when I was recommended to use them, but they are brilliant. The other advantage is that when washed, they take 20 minutes to dry rather than cotton teeshirts which take a lot longer. The downside is that a standard cotton teeshirt costs £5 and a Berghaus walking shirt can cost £25.

http://store.berghaus.com/webapp/wcs...Layers_false#2

The other problem with normal teeshirts is that they usually have a stiched seam across the top of your shoulders. This is where the straps of your pack are resting and the raised seam can rub under the pack strap and cause very painful sores. The technical shirts do not normally have any seams on top of the shoulders.

[HuskyNerd]

Hi Tanya ~
I totally agree with Covey about technical t-shirts. Cotton just doesn't work -- too cold once it gets wet and takes too long to dry after washing. Will be in SDC on July 25 so will miss you, sound like. May be next year!
Buen camino!

[Tanya Yaksich]

Touchee!
I will remove 2 of the perfume bottles and keep 1. I will also ditch the nail polish.
I must admit if i had not put weight on i would wear my old D.P.C.U's. They were fantastic in the bush in the heat. My son gave me a present of a shirt yesterday. I was suprised over the style. Now i get it. Vigilante Featherlite moisture management etc. I'll exchange my pure cotton sequined long sleeve shirt and take that instead.
I cannot remove the bling from my runners i super glued them on. I am feeling suitably drab already. Never mind, i'll survive. Thanks for all your info.
Tanya

[Covey]

When and where are you starting from this time?

[Tanya Yaksich]

Starting from Leon on th 3rd july, after a few days catchup with my sister in Madrid.

[Covey]

Last year I carried three "technical tops" and wore the fourth. Two are long sleeve and two short. The long sleeve are very useful when walking the Meseta. It can get very hot up there and you are walking in full sun all the time. Having long sleeves stops the arms getting too sun burnt.

You will probably need some sun cream with a fairly high factor number. No doubt from Oz you are used to the sun, but many of the Nordic nation pilgrims find the intense sun a bit of a problem at first.

You get a curious sun tan on the Camino. Usually your left side is browner than the right and the legs go a good colour, but because you wear socks, you end up with white feet! This is apparently is a problem for those Ladies who are planning of showing off their deep tan when they return home as the bright white feet look a little odd on the bottom of tanned legs.

[Tanya Yaksich]

Would have loved to stay another week, unfortunatly i could only get a months care for my husband. Maybe next year sounds good. Buen Camino to you too.
( If the volcano starts off again and the airport closes i would have to stay, Hmmmm)

[Tanya Yaksich]

I don't do suntanning! I can get that out of a bottle. I prefer nice old skin than leather wrinkled old skin. I am used to the sun, but i always wear a hat and long sleeves.

[Covey]

A German teacher I walked with last year always wore a long ( down to mid calf) skirt to walk in and a long sleeve shirt. The skirt was thin cotton and had two large pockets at the front. Seemed very comfortable and she said it was very cool to walk in. Most seem to walk in the zip-off convertible trousers/shorts which seems to be the standard gear for both male and female pilgrims. Hat is a must, shades optional.

[Tanya Yaksich]

It seems The Camino is more a fashion parade than you think. Just look at all the talk of Gortex, Altus, fancy hiking boots, superlight backpacks and sleeping bags, etc. There does not seem to be very many poor or on a budget Pilgrims, most of my gear is hand me downs.

[Covey]

One wonders how the Pilgrims of yesteryear ever made it to Santiago, and they had to walk across Europe to get there.

However, in the British Army we had a saying "Any fool can be uncomfortable!"

Would not have done for me at all, they had not invented Gin then!!

[Tanya Yaksich]

Did you ever fill your water bottles with port?? I had 2 on my webbing with water and 2 on my pack with port.

[Covey]

A bit too warm for Port! Anyway I have some '63 and '70 vintages next time you are in London town.

[Tanya Yaksich]

Sounds delightful. I'll bring a couple from my collection.

[Khal]

Funny question....anyone bring Pajamas with them?

[Covey]

Not funny at all as it is a serious practical question.

Life in an albergue is a little out of the ordinary, especially if you never went to a boarding school. When you arrive at the albergue and grab a bunk, the next thing is a shower. What to wear? Da ladies do not appreciate a phalanx of Y-fronts in close proximity to their personage so swimming shorts seems a suitable alternative. I actually walk in a pair of swimming shorts which look very like a normal pair of shorts.

At bedtime a similar problem arises. In high summer it is usually very warm in the albergues so I sleep in an older pair of swimming shorts. I carry a set of base layer tops and bottoms (often called long johns) which I sleep in if I do a September start where it is cooler at night.

Some men (usually the older generation) will have pyjama bottoms, but most men wear some form of sports shorts which do not alarm Da Ladies too much.

[Khal]

Another question...I'm heading to the camino in a few days. Do I really need a sleeping mat?? I will be bringing a sleeping bag. But, to cut down on space and weight I'd rather skip the mat. Will I really be without a mattress? Suggestions please! Thanks!

[Covey]

Sleeping mats..... At least 40% of pilgrims carry sleeping mats, and 39% wonder why they bothered. They are useful for sunbathing in an albergue garden, but I have never carried one, and never wished I had!

[HuskyNerd]

I'm part of Covey's 1% who carries a mat - and am glad I do. I like having my high-tech, collapsible, super lightweight mat with me because a) in the off chance I get caught without accommodation I have a backup plan, and b) I like to take a snooze occasionally along the trail and am not that keen on lying down in dust and/or thorny weeds. I also take an inflatable pillow that fits nicely into the head of my super lightweight sleeping bag. Plus I never hike w/o an emergency foil survival blanket which I will never ever use until I really need it. Everything but the foil blanket is pricey, but it's good gear and lasts for years.

[Covey]

Even I carry an emergency foil blanket, though I doubt I would ever need it in July/Sept on the Camino Frances BUT for those who walk early in the year ie March through May the weather can be very unpredictable especially on high ground.

Last year and this year there were heavy late snow falls in areas of northern Spain which caught out many a pilgrim. Apart from the cold, the snow covered up the yellow arrows! The clothing requirements are a lot more difficult to assess in early spring as temperatures can range from below freezing to very warm and the weight limits we all aspire to in our packs are difficult to hit if you have to carry clothing to cover all eventualities.

[Leslie]

I also carry a mat - however mine is as light as possible and cheap. It never lasts to the end of the route, but I like to lie down and snooze sometimes in the afternoons under a tree somewhere. I have never been very good at getting to albergues early... or getting out early either, but this year it is a lot busier.

[Covey]

Whats with all this snoozing under the trees business?? Should we open a new thread to discuss the advisability of mid afternoon naps? My worry is that if I have an afternoon snooze, I might not wake up again! Mind you, at my age, waking up every morning is a bit of a bonus and as it is a bright warm sunny day in London Town and I have a day off, I shall pull on the walking shoes and do a 30km training walk down the Thames Pathway which follows the river through London and out to the west. Sadly(sic) there are no hills but plenty of pubs to encourage one along the way.

The other good news is that the £/€ exchange rate is improving which means that I might be able to afford the price of a Gin & Tonic (or even two)in Logrono in September. That is of course assuming that Europe does not go into economic meltdown by then.

[Leslie]

Whats with all this snoozing under the trees business??

until I reached a certain age i would never have slept during the day - a sign of weakness i would have thought. Things have changed and I love my mid-afternoon nap if I can get one. Recently I read somewhere that having a snooze during the day help work productivity and memory - so that makes me feel much better about this "weakness" I have adopted.

Also while on the Camino I could easily have a sleep at 3/4 in the afternoon and be out for the count again around 10 and sleep well all night. Though i do have to add i am not one who would have any problem sleeping at night - however the Camino showed me that I could sleep almost anywhere. There was only one night where it was a problem - sharing a room with someone who had a few beers and feel asleep before me and was very loud snoring. I ended up going downstairs and sleeping on the floor. Wonder why my ear plugs did not work that night as they normally did.

[Tanya Yaksich]

Ha Ha ,
What a bunch of Geriatrics we all are. I admit to an occasional arvo siesta. It's called a power nap, or, a Granny nap. I say i'm charging my batteries.
And like Huskynerd, i also have my wuss mat. It adds a wee bit of comfort. I like the sound of your gear better Huskynerd, so maybe we can swap. I also carry an emergency blanket which i had to use once. There's not much feedback from returning Pilgrims is there!!
Cheers Tanya

[Covey]

They are all still asleep under a tree somewhere along the trail!!!!!

[Tanya Yaksich]

Covey,
I so enjoy your sense of humour.

[dutchee]

After reading through all of this, here are a few items I'm wondering whether or not to bring:

Nail clippers
A small lightweight shovel to use in burying toilet paper
A swim suit
A Spanish phrasebook (I've studied Spanish but I'm far from fluent)

[HuskyNerd]

Hi Dutchee --
If you can get nail clippers on your flight it's worth it to have them. If you can't without checking your pack then you can find them at the myriad of drug stores along the way.

You'll discover that in remote stretches of the camino just off the trail there are little mounds of toilet paper covering you-know-what. While it's polite in outdoor hiking to bury your human waste it's uncommon on the Camino because few people have shovels and in most cases there's a village near enough that an outdoor potty stop is not necessary.

There are a couple of albergues with pools. If you don't want to swim in hiking shorts or modest underpants bring a swimsuit. I had one with me on my last camino, though, and never did use it. The albergues with pools are few and far between and the added weight of a swimsuit is an annoyance.

In my opinion if you've studied some Spanish relearn some key phrases and leave the phrasebook at home. It's extra weight and you'll learn more if you don't have a crutch. Most phrasebooks don't seem to contain camino-specific words anyway. Use your Spanish first for practice in every albergue or cafe and, if you can't be understood your hearer may switch to English to help you out. Remember that in Navarre and Galicia the "Spanish" language (Castilian to be precise) is not the local dialect and your Spanish may occasionally be answered in Basque or Galego. You'll notice in these regions that road signs in Castilian are sometimes crossed out with spray paint and the local language is substituted in graffiti.

[Laurah]

Pros and cons of a sleeping bag/tent or a bivy. I'm thinking bivy.
Opinions?

"It seems The Camino is more a fashion parade than you think. Just look at all the talk of Gortex, Altus, fancy hiking boots, superlight backpacks and sleeping bags, etc. There does not seem to be very many poor or on a budget Pilgrims, most of my gear is hand me downs."

Tanya-I am on a budget too. Compared to most I am poor. I'm scouring to find a bivy and good back pack i can afford. (I'm not lugging my heavy 4 person tent with me!) I'm using my tried and true fave pr of hiking shoes i've had for 4 years, and a pair of sandals i got at Kmart 2 years ago...(both are perfectly good shape and comfortable). I am budgeting how many Hostels i can stay at. ...worst part is i've no idea how i'm gonna come up with $1,000 (+)for airfare ($2 if my daughter joins me)!!
So, I hear ya sister!