May/June Camino wet weather gear

[Donna Sch]

Planning on a Camino Madrid/Salvador/Primitivo combo next year. When it gets wet, what is typical? Drizzle all day? Windy wild weather? Cold and exposed? Or something akin to a wet British summer?
I have a Paramo poncho and one of their fleeces but would a rain jacket be better? We have a lot of gear in this house having done past Feb/Mar Levante/Invierno and Jun/Jul VDLP so I can cover lots of possibilities but I want to keep it light.

 

[wayfarer]

In northern Spain I wouldn't travel any time of the year without wet gear.

 

[dbier]

When next year ?

Although in Galicia, it hardly matters...

In late September on the Primitivo, it rained hard and cold 1 day, lighter the next, and dripped consistently on a third several days later.

 

[Anhalter]

In 2019 it was snowing at cruz de fierro at one day beginning of June, in May 2022 i walked in 35°C in Rioja, this year in May i had days of pouring rain and 7°C on the Primitivo.
So yeah, you can expect pretty much every kind of weather.
Personally i prefer jacket and kilt over poncho, but i know lots of people that are happy with a poncho so take what you prefer.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Planning on a Camino Madrid/Salvador/Primitivo combo next year. When it gets wet, what is typical? Drizzle all day? Windy wild weather? Cold and exposed? Or something akin to a wet British summer?
I have a Paramo poncho and one of their fleeces but would a rain jacket be better? We have a lot of gear in this house having done past Feb/Mar Levante/Invierno and Jun/Jul VDLP so I can cover lots of possibilities but I want to keep it light.

Well , certainly for the Salvador /Primitivo (and the early stages of the Madrid?) you're very much in the mountains. So anything goes. You could experience all of the situations you've envisaged. Remember that the latter part is in Galacia, so torrential downpours are very much on the cards. (As is beautiful weather ) Plus Mist/fog of course. On the Hospitales in July last year the Mist rolled in, and the temperature dropped by over 10 degrees in about 10 minutes flat - rather a shock to the system. In the mountains the weather just seems to roll in so fast - and you just never know when that light misty rain is going to get seriously heavy, seriously fast.

Both have their pro's and cons, go with whichever system you prefer best.
Personally while I used to always rear raincoats, I found in Spain that a poncho was better because I could don it in seconds flat (and it covers my pack). I love not having to take off my pack to put on my jacket.
That said, a poncho is not as good a protection against wind...