Camera

[Leslie]

I am planning to get two weeks on the Camino in April, most likely from Leon only.

But I look forward to having my new camera this time. The first time I walked I had a very old camera (10 yrs) and the second time it wasn't much better and both were film not digital. Last year for my birthday I bought myself a new cannon 10.1 and the shots from it are a great improvement.

Additionally this time I will be aware of using them on the net, something that never occurred to me before as this web site was my first.

So I might eventually finish the photos page!

[norske99]

Hi Leslie,

Are you planning to upload any of your photos to share with others during your walk on the camino? I am interested in doing that and wonder if anyone has done this? I have a website with a photo gallery and would like to upload my photos every few days where I can find internet access.

[Leslie]

No, just too much work at the end of each day. While walking I will have to check here - I stop spammers everyday - and I have a few other blogs and sites now. Also I like to get my photos safely on to my computer before I do anything with them.

Though I might upload some from my phone - I have not yet tried to use it to mail photos - that might be an idea.

What is/are you website?

[norske99]

My site is not up yet. I hope to have it going in a week or two so that I have time to debug it, install the photo gallery, etc. I will let you know when it is.

[Aloha!]

Aloha All!

Having hiked other long distance trails I quickly learned what is and is not important on a hike. Pack weight is much decreased with time, distance and experience. This hike is obviously going to be much different than the Appalachian 2200 miles or the Pacific Crest Trails 2600 miles -- both in distance and accomodations. So looking forward to not sleeping on the ground! (Though I do love it too.) Especially since we're going in mid September.

With that said, would those of you that "have gone before" be kind enough to list the items you feel are a necessity for that time of year. What would you not leave home without, wish you would have had, clothing you believe would be needed in the mountains, and clothing/gear needed in the accomodations? These type questions. Sure will help to sort through the four sleeping bags owned, three tents, pots, pans, pocketmail, camera, long johns, etc.

Thank you in advance for your words of wisdom.

Aloha! Ann

[annie]

Hi... the problem is not so much what to take as WHAT NOT TO TAKE! Be very disciplined, and don't assume that you will find anywhere to buy stuff you may have forgotten... if its specialist equipment you want, you can walk, in places, a couple of hundred km before finding somewhere.

Personally, I travel as light as possible. And that means 4-5kg in my pack only + a 2kg allowance for water. I wear one set of clothes, and carry a spare set + warm hat + sunhat + gloves + raincoat. I use dri-sacs INSIDE my rucksack which are brilliant and don't flap in the wind / blow away like I've seen some of the lightweight ruc-sac covers do. Carry quick drying gear and I would wash stuff by hand every night. And if I was wet after a day's severe weather, then I just had to hope my dirty clothes would dry a bit overnight, and wore the clean clothes overnight and put on damp clothes to set off again the following day. Personally didn't bother with pyjamas. Too much weight to carry. Just wore T shirt and pants, like most folk seem to. Real specialist wool socks are a boon as your feet never seem to get really cold in them no matter how wet they get. But they don't get too hot either...

Weigh everything before you go. Decide what to ditch. Be ruthless, but never compromise with safety. One of my favourite occupations was finding out what were other people's luxuries.... we all have them! Mind was my lipstick weighing a few grams... one guy was carrying the complete works of Shakespeare, one woman was carting along her hairdryer, and another had her hubby carrying all her lotions and potions... I told her it was her hubby who was her luxury!

One thing which many people forget is that there is quite alot of time spent on your own if you are walking by yourself. Books are a heavy luxury. Ipods must be great with downloads... I chose very small embroideries which only weighed in at about 70 grams but kept me busy all the way from le Puy to Santiago. I walked this distance in 3 'chunks' ... and by the time I reached my final chunk I laminated an A5 sheet of paper which I'd printed on in the finest print on both sides... I put on addresses I wanted, and insurance details, passport number etc, and also my favourite poetry and songs which I'd been meaning to commit to memory... and, all alone, I belted them out to myself as I walked. A baby pack of cards if you like playing can also be good.

On the Spanish side there is an excellent provision of pharmacies and you will 'hit' one at least every other day on balance, if not every day.... even the smallest village often has a pharmacy.

Things I would say are a MUST... a good water system. I like the ones you can 'swig' as you go along as its handier than having to get a bottle out all the time... specially if you are walking by yourself. And when its very hot just a sip every few minutes is so good... decent light weight poles... I prefer 2, but plenty of people use just one. The advantage with two is that your hands are not dropped by your side or your thumbs strung into your rucksac straps, and I personally think its better for the circulation. I always remember one lady had a very swollen hand on the side she didn't have a pole to hold, but her pole-holding side was fine... a good hat... one with adequate shade and preferably waterproof so on a really rainy day you can out it OVER your cagoule hood and that way you won't have any water in your eyes, nor dribbling down the back of your neck... good footgear... personally I don't carry extra stuff... one pair of good boots and one pair of walking sandals. I often swopped them about during the day to walk in and you do see quite alot of folk walking in sandals. I probably walk about 70% of my time in sandals and because I used 2 poles that seemed to make up for the lack of ankle support. I think far better to carry a second pair of footgear that you can walk in if your boots become problematical... and its amazing how many well-trusted boots do just that!

For those of you who have never been before, take heart. You will meet the most wonderful people... see the most wonderful things. My only advice is try to pack a 'flexible mind' ... part of the Camino experience for me is not expecting things to be like home! There may be blisters and plasters in the shower basins!!! UGH! And there may be bed bugs ( not nice) and there will certainly be disturbed nights (snorers) and less-than-clean places. But hey!! You're a pilgrim, right? Chill. And enjoy.... I'm off again later in the year all being well. It gets into the system... when you're not 'on the road' you start to dream about it!

Finally. Try not to walk TOO FAR, TOO FAST, TOO HEAVY. The first time I went walking I had to take 5 days off in the middle for my feet to recover. BE CAREFUL at the start and listen to your body and you'll be surprised at just what you can achieve. I'm a bandy-legged middle aged walker with terrible pronation problems (despite specialist insoles, the 'roll' of my feet is never fully corrected) ... and for me the secret to happy walking has been to pare down the old rucksac to the very minimum. Ultreia & Good Luck.

OOOO you mentioned sleeping bags? I slept in the Refuges. You need one in Spain because blankets aren't always provided as they are in France. I used a 2/3 season. But mine is a Rab and I can recommend one if anyone hasn't bought their sleeping bag yet as it has feathers only on one half which hugely reduces the weight. From memory I think its less than 480g which is simply terrific. It may not be worth buying one if your'e just doing a small section, but evened out over several hundred km its really not so very expensive looked at that way. When it was hot I slept on the feather side. When it was cold I slept with the feather side above me. And it served me well... I was only cold all night the once at Manjarin up in the mountains!

[Aloha!]

Aloha! As a somewhat lightweight backpacker I've learned to pare down the weight pretty well. Getting better with each long distance hike. I'm kinda curious as to clothing for this trip. Currently I'm planning on wearing: cross country shoes, sock liners & light weight socks (or possibly 2x pr of liners), nylon underwear, zip off pants, sports bra, long sleeve light weight/aired hiking shirt & a hat (haven't decided exactly which one yet. Carried: "camp" shoes, 1x pr wool socks, 1x (poss 2) pr silk long johns (top and bottoms), 1x pr nylon shorts, Patagonia Puffball jacket (love it!), Frogg Togg Rain gear (love it!), mittens, beanie hat.

As for items carried, those are some of the things I'm debating. I'm not thinking I need stove, fuel or tent. I own four various sleeping bags but right now I'm looking at the warmest/lightest: still debating the pack but have several lightweight packs to choose from, Western Mountaineering Ultralight bag (prob w/silk liner), Petzl Tikka headlamp, a new 10mb camera, and who knows what else. Just never can tell.

Any and all advice/suggestions to the gear list are more than welcome. The biggest question is do I need to carry an alcohol stove or tent "just in case". Please say no. Planning on going hostel to hostel or, as I prefer to say, wine glass to wine glass. This will be so different than the previous long distance hikes where it was tent living and carrying all your own stuff. This is so....... LIGHTWEIGHT just to start!

Looking forward to hearing from those that have "gone before"!

Aloha! Ann

[annie]

Hi there... you sound exactly on the right track! You'll manage just fine without carrying a tent & stove (that'll put a smile upon your face by the sounds of things!)... You plan cross country trainers and thats what I used for lightness & they were just fine... my chosen hat was a Canadian Tilley which is wonderful & doesn't blow off even in the fiercest wind & is good in sun / wet. I guess most shops will know how to fit them if you can find one... but I think the general 'rule of thumb' is that it should feel tight only when there is room to slip in one or two fingers between the brim and your forehead.

Sometimes when its hot I wished I'd allowed myself a silk sleeping bag liner which I hadn't because it was 'extra weight' ! This was one 'luxury' I wish that I had taken. On the nights it was really cold I just wore everything & for the most part stayed warm enough... whichever sleeping bag you take you won't need a 4 season.... some nights it can get very hot when there are loads of people stuffed into a small room.

All your clothes choices sound just right. The silk long johns & polo neck are so lightweight & such a good defence against colder days. Nothing had really prepared me for how different it is walking through Spain to walking through France. Although one walks through very rural areas its rarely a problem to find something to eat & there are loads of little bars selling good coffee & people are generally very kind.

As with everything, 99.9% of the people you will meet will be genuine & lovely. But it always pays to be on guard. One guy I met last year had everything stolen in one largish town while he slipped back into the hostel to the loo having left everything outside 'for a second'. There are always opportunists & the usual rules apply in that you take care of the essentials like cards & passport & don't leave things around.

I used a lightweight 35/40litre sac... & that worked out just fine. Internet access is pretty good en route & you should be able to use it several times per week... but its often sold in units of 15 mins & there are often lots of folk want to use the computers when theyr'e available.

Your Petzl sounds good... I used mine alot. I also took my whistle in case I fell off some mountain track when no-one was looking! And there is some marvellous stuff sold in the Chemists there which is a sort of silicon gel which was the most effective things when it came to blister prevention that I have ever used. If you can find any then its great... it lubricates and prevents chaffing. Goodbye talc & vaseline after finding that stuff!

Bon Voyage.

[annie]

oooh yes! I forgot to say a quick drying travel towel is a MUST. Also suggest you write your name on it in a big felt tip indelible marker so its big & easily visible... (as everyone else will have similar towels! And I like to keep my towel so no-one else mistakes it for theirs!)

I make do with one towel only. And I use the end with my name in large writing for my face. And the piece opposite for my hands. And everything else for anywhere else! And so far I've avoided tummy upsets.

[walker]

I take a cotton sarong for use as sheet, towel, skirt, shawl.
Annie, I see you walked from Le Puy. Did you sleep outside or stay in gites? I would like all possible hints and advice on that route. We will probably only have two weeks this June for walking. I have previously walked from St Jean to Santiago and from Leon to S. Thanks.

[annie]

Hi there... you learn something new every day. I never thought about a sarong doubling up as a sheet! Brilliant. Specially on hot nights. I'll remember that one.

The Le Puy route should pose no problems accommodation-wise in June. I suggest you find yourselves a MiamMiamDodo (google it... you can purchase them in advance from CSJ London... possibly on Amazon & places. I don't know, I didn't look. Or from main places like Le Puy when you arrive) its a guide with a page for stages and excellent help on accommodation en route... places to buy food etc etc. Most people use it. Miam MIam Dodo is now also available for the Arles route which is a very quiet route & far fewer pilgrims on it). I also like the TopoGuide GR 65 series to walk by (you can buy these in France, and in places like Stamfords in Covent garden London).... they go Le Puy - Figeac. Figeac - Moissac & Moissac to St Jean. (From memory). And do much the same and have a better map than the map in Miam Miam Dodo, (tho that one is adequate).

I have to say its alot more expensive walking in France. Accommodation and food are not as reasonable as in Spain. But the scenery is fantastic & the overall experience as wonderful but different to in Spain. I love all of it. I used gites in France for most of the walk. Blankets are provided. The French aren't quite so flexible as the Spanish & when a gite is full there's less flexibility for provision of mattresses etc. But someone will usually point you in the right direction of the next place. In June its not too much of a problem... but veer towards July and accommodation can start to become a bit more problematical and you might be glad of a bivvy if you can carry one. I walk alone and often I get 'squeezed in' but alot of folk book ahead and I never do as I walk to my limit each day and then stop.

If you do pass through Conques I do recommend that you stop there a night and try and manage it so you have 1/2 a day there. And if there is a 9.30pm visit to the 'Forest of Capitals' inside the Abbey with organ accompanment then don't miss it. They let you walk high up just under the capitals and its a fantastic experience. One church historian I met got wildly excited because he told me its so very rare to be able to do this and to get the capitals uplit too. It was a real highlight, and there's a delightfully quirky gite in Conques with a little provisions shop very near. I also love the TYmpanum (the carvings above the main door at the front) which are 800 years old, as fresh as the day they were carved and still have traces of paint on. But then I do get excited about that sort of thing & not everyone does...!)

Mondays... you're lucky to find anything open in France apart from bakeries first thing. So always stock up over a w/e. I'm afraid I can't really advise on tenting that route as I didn't take too much notice whilst walking of exactly where people were staying and if they had an easy time. I got the impression it ended up a mixture of camping & staying in gites, but perhaps some-one esle will read the thread and fill in on that.

Its a great route. No stages are that long really as long as you plan ahead there's nothing more arduos than what you've already done. Hope that helps. Have a great trip, Annie.

[walker]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply and tips. I would also like to hear more about the vaseline substitute for blisters. Can't remember where I read that there is a synthetic goo of some sort.

[shirley]

I haven't been yet but am enjoying the day-dreaming that goes along with creating my packing list for my walk this spring. I've noticed a few items that other's have suggested in the readings I've done that don't seem to have appeared on this posting yet, but sound like good ideas to me:

• needle & thread (for mending and also for draining blisters)
• spare glasses
• light-weight sleeping pad (in case there's no beds available)
• reflector bands or strips (so you are visible to traffic if you are an early morning starter)
• toilet paper
• pocket dictionary/phrasebook if not fluent in Spanish
• safety pins (for hanging still-wet laundry from your pack to dry as you walk)

Any comments from Camino veterans?
Shirley

[walker]

From my blister experience (I have a lot) I would recommend NOT draining with needle and/or thread. Use compeed and hope they dry out.
I did not need a mat. The two times I had to sleep on the floor, pilgrims who got bunks lent me their mats.