- Time of past OR future Camino
- May 2023 CF
I have read that in 2019 there were no public restrooms between towns. Is there any update to this situation? I'm prepared for the worst news but it creates more weight and likely many embarrassing moments.
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Not to my knowledge.I have read that in 2019 there were no public restrooms between towns. Is there any update to this situation? I'm prepared for the worst news but it creates more weight and likely many embarrassing moments.
The towns on the Frances are close enough together that there will be a toilet opportunity in cafes/bars- buy a coffee, use the toilet.I have read that in 2019 there were no public restrooms between towns. Is there any update to this situation? I'm prepared for the worst news but it creates more weight and likely many embarrassing moments.
You really don't need to carry a whole roll for possible emergencies!Buy a roll of toilet paper, smash it flat, stick it in a plastic baggie
Half a roll?You really don't need to carry a whole roll for possible emergencies!
I usually have about a quarter of a roll or less - but I buy those big rolls from Costco!Half a roll?
Or for the ladies, how about using a mini day pad to catch drips; dispose at the end of the day?
You really don't need to carry a whole roll for possible emergencies!
I am currently on thé Chemin Le Puy and have a roll of biodegradable doggy poop bags. I started using them to pick up other people’s garbage, and emptying them in trash cans. The idea was to use them for myself au cas ou. I am sure some of what I pick up is dropped accidentally, but a LOT is not.An inexpensive lightweight option for the “nothing left behind” is a doggie poo bag. They come in rolls of about 12 bags and are very lightweight. You can get biodegradable ones. They can also be handy for Apple cores, banana peels, etc. just tie the top and drop in the next trash can.
Surely the conditions are supposed to adjust to me.....it's a pilgrimage. You adjust to conditions.
This is one of those topics that has been thrashed more thoroughly than a Benidorm Donkey but does still need some exercise.Perhaps one way to fund porta potties/public restrooms and a maintenance crew would be to charge just a few Euros more for the pilgrim credential and use this money for facilities where they are most needed.
'S funny innit. Those little recreational spots - Barbie, tap, bit of shade - used by the locals on their inclinational days - everybody tells everybody make sure you've "been" before we go. The kids and especially Grandma. But everybody also knows how to "go" with a bit of discretion - especially Grandma ( she's had some practice over the years) And anyway there's always Uncle Juan with a spade in the back of his quatro/quatro. And then along comes a pilg, finds a spot just off camino, just behind that brick built hearth, just out of sight....On longer, rural stretches one sometimes finds a "rest stop" with picnic tables, awnings, sometimes even BBQs but not a bathroom.
Couldn’t state this more stribngly I hope there are NEVER Porto potties on any Camino!! For goodness sake carry a ziplock and some toilet paper. Don’t leave your trace!The sanitation situation remains unchanged. Why would it change? Who would pay for that change?
The Camino Frances route is replete with cafes and bars complete with toilet facilities. If you want to use their facilities and don’t want to buy a drink just leave a €1 on the bar with a “gracias”.
If you have a specific health condition that might lead you to challenges there are many on this forum who have faced similar. Plan how you will deal with it and research “leave no trace”.
Except that one can end up with acid burns on intimate parts…Half a roll?
Or for the ladies, how about using a mini day pad instead to catch drips when neeeding to go on the trail, and dispose at the end of the day?
That and a little bit of water from a portable bidet (yes, they make them for camping) — or even a designated squirt bottle and all problems are solved. A little hand sanitizer and water to rinse that sticky feeling away… Bob’s your uncle.For women look into a kula cloth for when you have to go “in the wild”. It replaces having to carry tp, at least for #1 .
Drink more waterExcept that one can end up with acid burns on intimate parts…
Has anyone ever seen a U-bend video or blog or one of any of those other online expositions of Camino where the “hero” does what bears do? Doesn’t the entire online Camino experience mirror Dysney? No one ever takes a shit except Shrek. Wouldn’t it be great if all those bloggers didn’t edit out the “excuse me” bits.Go to the bathroom in the morning. Clean yourself to avoid rash in the heat of day. Carry toilet paper for emergency use. Use restrooms in bars (pay for it).This is not difficult.
Bears use squirrels that don't lose hair, as wipes..... Environmentally friendly.Has anyone ever seen a U-bend video or blog or one of any of those other online expositions of Camino where the “hero” does what bears do?
I've personally had no problem with that..."a lit'l dab will do ya".. No, I'm not talking the old Brylcream advert. jingle.Except that one can end up with acid burns on intimate parts…
And reminded them when selecting a leaf avoid plants that had three leaves and were shiny...Has anyone ever seen a U-bend video or blog or one of any of those other online expositions of Camino where the “hero” does what bears do? Doesn’t the entire online Camino experience mirror Dysney? No one ever takes a shit except Shrek. Wouldn’t it be great if all those bloggers didn’t edit out the “excuse me” bits.
I remember with some affection the faces of some of my OB trainees as I guided them in the digging of a trench latrine and demonstrated how to squat over it and as I cautioned them on the value of good balance and core strength
Thanks for the link. I see you were the only one to focus on cost and possible solutions. I bet it is all doable and at a reasonable cost. If there's the will there's a way....This is one of those topics that has been thrashed more thoroughly than a Benidorm Donkey but does still need some exercise.
Try here for one exposition https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...ue-on-the-cf-in-particular.71818/#post-962958 or just stick "Portaloo" into the search engine, pour a glass of wine, switch your 'phone to "silent" and enjoy your evening
The problem is that there is no one entity that is in charge of the Camino. Each region has groups that are responsible for maintenance and signage, and some have more funds than others.Thanks for the link. I see you were the only one to focus on cost and possible solutions. I bet it is all doable and at a reasonable cost. If there's the will there's a way....
Thanks, but where it all falls down is that 90% or so of those who walk into Santiago start from near the 100km bar. I suspect they’ll be disinclined to bung €5 to provide for the random few that set out from stranger placesThanks for the link. I see you were the only one to focus on cost and possible solutions. I bet it is all doable and at a reasonable cost. If there's the will there's a way....
Personal mileage may vary as they say, but I’ve read this widely in different hiking and field-work guides: the pads were not meant to do this work and their materials do not protect against the acid, and so people who are more sensitive/allergic, inclined to rashes and hives and whatnot need to be forewarned That they should buy the lowest protection incontinence pads, not menstrual ones.I've personally had no problem with that..."a lit'l dab will do ya".. No, I'm not talking the old Brylcream advert. jingle.
Indeed. I once made the mistake of ducking into one near the church on the way up to Alto de Perdon after Pamplona and my eyes watered and I nearly threw up on my own boots! I had to open the door to catch a breath, and then prop it with my foot… I’ve never encountered such a thing before or since, but it certainly demonstrated a real hazard. Also: I like the term “Plastic albatross” — it’s perfect.I think porta-potties along the Caminos sound like an unsightly and "dirty" nightmare to me. I think I'd rather see the tp strewn along the trail behind bushes than catch a "wind" while using those plastic albatrosses dispersed along the trail; unsightly and probably not being taken care of properly.. I'm inclined to find my own bush and pack unmenionables out in a baggie...just saying.
P.S. On all of my Caminos I've never seen more than 2 or 3 poos left out in the open for all to see. I think the odds are slim.
Our first Camino walk was in 2001 and I saw lots of tp and some poo. It always seemed to be right next to the nicest shady tree along the way where I want to sit and have a snack. I think porta-potties at picnic grounds would be nice, but clearly it would be expensive to maintain and during the busiest seasons would be awful with the heat. It really is not all that difficult to do the LNT thing--carry doggie bags, some TP, hand sanitizer--and a plastic trowel for emergencies. There are probably others, but for $3.50 on Amazon, you can get yourself Coglan's Backpacker's Trowel. 2 oz.I think porta-potties along the Caminos sound like an unsightly and "dirty" nightmare to me. I think I'd rather see the tp strewn along the trail behind bushes than catch a "wind" while using those plastic albatrosses dispersed along the trail; unsightly and probably not being taken care of properly.. I'm inclined to find my own bush and pack unmenionables out in a baggie...just saying.
P.S. On all of my Caminos I've never seen more than 2 or 3 poos left out in the open for all to see. I think the odds are slim.
Yes, as I've complained before, it is mostly WOMEN, peeing on the trail and leaving their tp behind.I think porta-potties along the Caminos sound like an unsightly and "dirty" nightmare to me. I think I'd rather see the tp strewn along the trail behind bushes than catch a "wind" while using those plastic albatrosses dispersed along the trail; unsightly and probably not being taken care of properly.. I'm inclined to find my own bush and pack unmenionables out in a baggie...just saying.
P.S. On all of my Caminos I've never seen more than 2 or 3 poos left out in the open for all to see. I think the odds are slim.
A roll of doggie doo bags is a very useful addition to your kit. Minimal size and weight but large number of bags. Good for unfinished pieces of food also.Buy a roll of toilet paper, smash it flat, stick it in a plastic baggie in an easy to reach spot in your pack. Also, if you have any small compost bags, bring those along, as it’s a handy solution for disposing tissue. Drop the baggie off in the next town. Minimal weight.
Try not to get them mixed up though.A roll of doggie doo bags is a very useful addition to your kit. Minimal size and weight but large number of bags. Good for unfinished pieces of food also.
Campers' toilet paper rolls. They come in a plastic clamshell, they have no center tube, and they serve in airports, bars, restaurants, etc. etc. etc.Buy a roll of toilet paper, smash it flat, stick it in a plastic baggie in an easy to reach spot in your pack. Also, if you have any small compost bags, bring those along, as it’s a handy solution for disposing tissue. Drop the baggie off in the next town. Minimal weight.
Also be careful with briars...And reminded them when selecting a leaf avoid plants that had three leaves and were shiny...
I never saw any porta potties my 61 days on the CF last fall! Always used facilities at bars and bought something.I have read that in 2019 there were no public restrooms between towns. Is there any update to this situation? I'm prepared for the worst news but it creates more weight and likely many embarrassing moments.
You're new here, so you haven't seen the dozens of discussions about the barbarians who leave their T.P. visible from the trail along with the reason for its use. On Camino Francés, the longest stretch without a village is seventeen kilometers.I have read that in 2019 there were no public restrooms between towns. Is there any update to this situation? I'm prepared for the worst news but it creates more weight and likely many embarrassing moments.
I always carry a roll of squashed t.p. It will come in handy.Buy a roll of toilet paper, smash it flat, stick it in a plastic baggie in an easy to reach spot in your pack. Also, if you have any small compost bags, bring those along, as it’s a handy solution for disposing tissue. Drop the baggie off in the next town. Minimal weight.
Likewise.The Camino isn't a wilderness hike. Unless you have a sudden and urgent problem you should be able to make it to a town with a toilet to empty your bowels. I have thus far on 6 Caminos never had to go "off trail."
If course I carry necessary supplies if I can't make it to a bathroom.
The rest rooms between towns are called Trees. Just be careful if you need one. A dig and bury your own waste policy is a good one. I only got caught out once and was seconds from disaster so I can provide an extra tip. Don’t buy any freshly squeezed orange juice from roadside vendors who leave their oranges in the sun; enough said.I have read that in 2019 there were no public restrooms between towns. Is there any update to this situation? I'm prepared for the worst news but it creates more weight and likely many embarrassing moments.
Bushes, walls, etc I find work very well.I have read that in 2019 there were no public restrooms between towns. Is there any update to this situation? I'm prepared for the worst news but it creates more weight and likely many embarrassing moments.
Oh my god the rolls of tp in Spain are small. I don’t know the OP’s needs and it was just a suggestion. The tp is also nice to have on hand for other things like a runny nose.
I thought it was rabbitsBears use squirrels that don't lose hair, as wipes..... Environmentally friendly.