Coping with rainy weather

[Frances Bat]

We set off next week from Sarria and I have been watching the weather forecast on yr.no and Eltiempo. It's looking pretty rainy for the first few days. I don't mind a bit of rain, but I was wondering about drying clothes for the next day, if I only have two sets of clothes with me. Has anyone experienced a run of rainy weather? Any tips for drying out?

 

[Vacajoe]

Our lightweight “tech” fabric clothes usually dried overnight inside the alburgues. If not, we hung them on the outside of our packs to air dry while walking between rain showers.

 

[Kanga]

It rained almost continuously for my last two weeks on the Sanabrés. After squeezing by hand to remove moisture, I would roll my washing in my hiking towel (one of those horrible plastic thingys) and tread up and down on the roll to squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Most people probably do that anyway. If there is an indoor place that is warm I use that initially. Then before going to bed I hang everything (in my case only underclothes and a top) from the struts of the bunk above me. So that my damp washing is hanging over me as I sleep. By the morning everything was always dry. It was probably my own body heat that worked. Plus quick drying fabrics.

 

[Frances Bat]

Thank you for the advice! Rolling clothes in the towel and treading/dancing on them is useful. Also I have a pair of quick-drying trousers that I'm not fond of, but looks like I should bring them with me.

 

[Marbe2]

It is good Frances that you do not mind a bit of rain...Galicia gets a lot of rain. This past February and March we hiked from Pamplona to Santiago. We only had three days when it did not rain, snow or hail! It rained everyday from Sarria to Santiago! On the other hand we started in Leon last year and only had inclement weather two days...unfortunately those were days we crossed the mountains.

Bring clothes you can layer as Kanga indicates. Some albergues have dryers or have a place to hang wash indoors. Many private albergues have these facilities and it may we worth an extra Euro or two to stay at them when you really need to dry out!

In Late February and March we often stayed in private rooms that had limited hours of heating. When the heat went on we made sure to put the clothes on the radiators. Some private places had blow dryers. I used them continually to dry my clothes a bit before trying to hang them out at night. Sometimes when my change of clothes is still damp the next morning and the weather is good, I pin them with safety pins to my backpack. I have even seen little homemade clothes lines hanging from the packs of a few pilgrims.

 

[Frances Bat]

Blimey - Pamplona to Santiago with just 3 clear days! That must have been a challenge. Going out whatever the weather though, that must have shifted your views of what can and can't be done in 'bad' weather.

 

[CdnDreamer]

I'm just back from walking the Frances from Leon with almost 2 weeks of rain. For part of the time, I was unable to wash and dry my clothes so I had my "walking clothes", the other set were my "dinner clothes" and then I just wore my long johns to bed. In the morning I put on my dirty walking clothes as they would be wet and dirty very soon anyways. I was walking every day until 5 pm so there just wasn't time to wash my clothes and get them dry. I learned to roll up my pants when it rained. I had a rain jacket and a $1.00 poncho. I could take off my poncho and roll down my pants and look halfway decent in restaurants. It was great when I rented a room with a heater and was able to wash everything I had with me!

 

[Marbe2]

Yep, Frances, the challenge last Camino was definitely the elements! First day out was quite pleasant. The second day we got 8 inches of snow within abt 4hrs and had to hunker down..did not make it to our intended goal. We began thinking, each day, it will be better tomorrow. Then we began a marathon of cold,windy,rainy days in the 30s Fahrenheit until we got another nice day leaving Longrono! We cherished that day! One day we walked for 6hours with a 75km headwind, with snow, hail and heavy rain between Astorga and Rabanal del Camino. Our poles were actually blowing up into the air as we took each step. It snowed as we climbed to Acebo
No one was on the trail...everyone stayed on the road. Thankfully, we got a wonderful day coming down from Acebo to Ponferrada. This is a steep downhill section...again we took the road. From Ponferrada to Santiago it rained everyday!
My waterproof rain jacket was no longer rainproof..we were soaked each and every day. We stopped more often to try and dry out and prevent hypothermia.
Nevertheless...it was a great Camino. We loved the people we met. Quality conversation with pilgrims from four continents. Kind, helpful proprietors for the most part and a couple of Camino angels to boot!

 

[hotelmedicis]

I agree with @CdnDreamer.
I experienced torrential, constant rain on the VDLP for weeks at a time. The trick is accepting that your walking clothes will be soaked through and through no matter what you do. So it's important to keep a dry set of clothing in your pack that is worn only after arriving at the albergue. Drying your wet clothes may or may not be possible depending on temperature, humidity, heating and access to a dryer. You may be putting on damp clothing the next day for your walk. See the articles and videos of National Geographic's long-distance hiker, Andrew Skurka who has much to say on the subject.

 

[Frances Bat]

Thanks everyone. I've got a better idea of how to cope, plus great respect for all you wet-weather pilgrims!

 

[Boanerges]

What about everyone's feet? Wet clothes arent much of a bother, but most summer pilgrims dont do heavy gortex shoes (for good reason). Any tips to avoid Trench Foot?

 

[Marbe2]

I use hiking goo or plain vasoline to help keep my feet from sweating. Sweating wasn’t an issue for me in winter. I prefer non gortex shoes. They dried much faster during the night. No matter what shoe I wear, when it rains all day, my feet get wet. I carried an extra pair of Soxs, or two, and aired my feet out out and regreased my feet. I take 5 pair of lite liner sock liners on the Camino now, but rarely wear a second thicker sock! At night, I made sure my feet were clean, and nice and dry before turning in. I tried to dry my shoes using a blow dryer, or paper inside the shoe to absorb the dampness. Despite only three dry days on a long journey..I got no blisters.

 

[CdnDreamer]

I wore hiking shoes that were not gortex but most days my feet did not get wet. Some days the rain was very light and didn't penetrate my shoes. There were only a couple of days that my feet were soaked, but I was moving all the time so my feet were warm. I didn't know about Trench Foot - but a quick look online seems to suggest it happens when your feet are cold and wet - usually from standing around in the cold below 60 degrees F. You shouldn't have to worry about that in the summer in Spain.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Has anyone experienced a run of rainy weather? Any tips for drying out?

The collective decision by the pilgrims at the albergue in Cee was to plug in hair dryers and use the air dryers in the toilet. It took four hours to restore power after the main electrical panel fried...

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

Thank you for the advice! Rolling clothes in the towel and treading/dancing on them is useful. Also I have a pair of quick-drying trousers that I'm not fond of, but looks like I should bring them with me.

You can also use newspaper for this same purpose, dispose of it afterwards and alleviate the weight in your pack

 

[Former member 49149]

We set off next week from Sarria and I have been watching the weather forecast on yr.no and Eltiempo. It's looking pretty rainy for the first few days. I don't mind a bit of rain, but I was wondering about drying clothes for the next day, if I only have two sets of clothes with me. Has anyone experienced a run of rainy weather? Any tips for drying out?

If it is of any consolation, my source in Pamplona said today: “Now that summer has finally arrived...”. A long way from Sarria I know, but the same latitude. Not a guarantee of rain free, but certainly better than recent times.

 

[Boanerges]

I didn't know about Trench Foot - but a quick look online seems to suggest it happens when your feet are cold and wet - usually from standing around in the cold below 60 degrees F. You shouldn't have to worry about that in the summer in Spain.

I was being a bit facetious about the trench foot. I recall vividly encountering a graphic picture in my high school World History textbook of the feet of WWI soldiers stuck for months in trenches, and it popped into my head as I was typing.

I start in Astorga a week from today, and the long term forecast looks a bit damp. By contrast, on my last camino from SJPP, it rained only once the whole way--a light drizzle near Villafranca that lasted about 10 minutes.

 

[Frances Bat]

Thanks for the words of hope, Kirkie.

If it is of any consolation, my source in Pamplona said today: “Now that summer has finally arrived...”

 

[JAL]

I recommend an umbrella. If it is not too windy, you can keep your top half pretty dry. Rain pants and Sealskinz socks for bottom half.

 

[Rainey]

I'm just back from walking the Frances from Leon with almost 2 weeks of rain. For part of the time, I was unable to wash and dry my clothes so I had my "walking clothes", the other set were my "dinner clothes" and then I just wore my long johns to bed. In the morning I put on my dirty walking clothes as they would be wet and dirty very soon anyways. I was walking every day until 5 pm so there just wasn't time to wash my clothes and get them dry. I learned to roll up my pants when it rained. I had a rain jacket and a $1.00 poncho. I could take off my poncho and roll down my pants and look halfway decent in restaurants. It was great when I rented a room with a heater and was able to wash everything I had with me!

Very creative of you.

 

[Former member 49149]

We set off next week from Sarria and I have been watching the weather forecast on yr.no and Eltiempo. It's looking pretty rainy for the first few days. I don't mind a bit of rain, but I was wondering about drying clothes for the next day, if I only have two sets of clothes with me. Has anyone experienced a run of rainy weather? Any tips for drying out?

Be sure to give a few words on your Camino, Frances. Sounds like you are either already or soon to be walking. Buen camino!

 

[Frances Bat]

Thanks everyone! We have just done our first day. We walked from Sarria to Ferreiros and have just eaten our meal at the nice restaurant below Albergue Casa Cruceiro. Lots of low cloud during the walk but no rain so far. The sun has just come out. It is good walking weather.

 

[Marbe2]

Thanks everyone! We have just done our first day. We walked from Sarria to Ferreiros and have just eaten our meal at the nice restaurant below Albergue Casa Cruceiro. Lots of low cloud during the walk but no rain so far. The sun has just come out. It is good walking weather.

Great startFrances! Do let us know how it goes. I have eaten there stayed there and liked there food too!

 

[Hansel]

Thanks everyone! We have just done our first day. We walked from Sarria to Ferreiros and have just eaten our meal at the nice restaurant below Albergue Casa Cruceiro. Lots of low cloud during the walk but no rain so far. The sun has just come out. It is good walking weather.

Well done, daft question, guess you have wifi, be dark or getting dark there, enjoy tomorrow,
Bill

 

[Marbe2]

WiFi worked fine when we stayed there n 2017

 

[Hansel]

WiFi worked fine when we stayed there n 2017

Might have to take a phone to stay in 2018 !
Bill

 

[Frances Bat]

Today it has rained on and off all day. We survived and even perhaps enjoyed it. One more fear faced down... Thanks for the forum support!

 

[Frances Bat]

We went from Palas de Rei to Melide.