Food on less traveled Caminos

[Frankybaby66]

Hi all, probably a question with many different answers, but here goes.
I've done several Caminos, but always ones that feature a cafe every now and then ( think Frances, Portuguese, Ingles etc)
I'm thinking of stretching myself to do one without similar infrastructure - either part of. Via de Plata, Lisbon to Porto, or the Invierno.
I know there will be some stages when I need to carry food, and am curious as to what other hikers found worked for them. Conscious that I could be carrying food for some distance in potentially high temperatures.
All input gratefully accepted.
Thanks in advance

 

[henrythedog]

Bread, firm cheese, nuts, fruit, biscuits, nutella. The bread’s not ideal if it has to go to day 2, but I don’t throw it until I’ve secured a fresh replacement.

A spork, tiny can-opener/ bottle opener from long-ago compo rations, a corkscrew.

Emergency tin of tuna and pack of instant noodles.

I never leave home - let alone go on Camino - without proper teabags to hand.

 

[mochilaverde]

Bread, manchego, small amount membrillo. If you are two people, a sandwich with tomatoes, an 80 g bag of arugula and a bit of balsamic syrup. The balsamic syrup can also be used to dress a salad with goat cheese at an albergue.

The Carretilla microwave meals are not bad. The Ensalada de Quinoa is tasty without heating.

I like to carry tupperware, a fork and a spoon, as well as a dehydrated meal. The tupperware saved me a few times in albergues (ahem, Xunta de Galicia) where there was a microwave and a hob but no pots, bowls or cutlery.

 

[J Willhaus]

Baby Bell Cheese, walnuts, instant soup packets, instant coffee, Ramen, as others said something to microwave in and a spork. If traveling with more than yourself, maybe in inexpensive small pot or pan that will clip to your backpack (look in an Asian store.) One set of young men carried a 2 person paella pan and used it as a kind of wok as well.

 

[André Walker]

In addition to the other suggestions: chorizo. The dried ones. They are salty and you can keep them good outside the fridge for a long time.

 

[Frankybaby66]

Bread, firm cheese, nuts, fruit, biscuits, nutella. The bread’s not ideal if it has to go to day 2, but I don’t throw it until I’ve secured a fresh replacement.

A spork, tiny can-opener/ bottle opener from long-ago compo rations, a corkscrew.

Emergency tin of tuna and pack of instant noodles.

I never leave home - let alone go on Camino - without proper teabags to hand.

All sounds good; doesn't carrying a jar of Nutella way you down somewhat though??

 

[henrythedog]

All sounds good; doesn't carrying a jar of Nutella way you down somewhat though??

A few tiny little ‘single serve’ packs - as often found at hotel breakfast buffets. If I can’t find Nutella it might be jam or honey. I need the option of something sweet.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

All sounds good; doesn't carrying a jar of Nutella way you down somewhat though??

You can get those individual portions too - like those jam packets in hotels. It's actually not a bad choice - you actually need the fat and sugar!

Remember we are long distance walking which is completely different to normal life. Figures often thrown around in the hiking world are 45-55% carbs (some of which needs to be sugar); 35-40% fats; 10-15% protein to fuel a through hike. Whilst a camino is not quite as intense, on any camino over two weeks long our needs are similar.

Many hikers carry a jar of peanut butter which seems crazy until you figure out the weight to fat & protein ratio which is way, way higher than just about anything else available. Protein and fat are key when walking long distance - most of the nut butters- peanut, almond, cashew, walnut, pecan, hazelnut etc are great. That said if you normally eat a lot of sugar or foods that are high in it (highly processed food, dried fruit are classic examples) you may also need sugar or you will 'crash'. A Sergeant I know often used to carry gummy bears, when one of his privates started getting grumpy he'd hand him a handful .... problem averted.

There's a heck of a lot more information online if you're interested. Gearskeptic has done a whole series on 'Performance nutrition for Backpackers' on YouTube for instance - fascinating stuff.

On Camino:

From home I carry a few packets of cupa soup and oatmeal, instant coffee and sugar. (Hate instant coffee but with a little sugar it's better than nothing). Plus 1x noodles (ramen) - you can always crunch on it as a snack, the flavouring packet makes a tasty cold soup.

On stages that might not have any supplies:

In addition to the bread, firm cheese, (salted)nuts, fruit, biscuits, tuna and noodles (ramen) that @henrythedog carries, I carry dried fruit, Muesli or protein bars, and I normally have a Snickers bar or two, or some nut chocolate.

I also buy a small jar of tomato pesto, and some good crackers. Pesto can be used with the bread, the crackers, or the noodles. Ditto the cheese. I carry a teaspoon and a sharp knife (purchased from a supermarket), and sometimes one of those bamboo forks you frequently get with the salads. A microwavable container of some sort is useful, even if just a cup. I know a number of forum members also carry a coil to heat their own water - I don't (yet?).

If I use the supplies I obviously mix them out with whatever I can get at the time - sometimes simply for variety. For examples swapping couscous with noodles. The beauty of couscous is that you can cold soak it. I'll often swap the tuna for a chorizo/cabonossi. (The packaging is lighter too!). A few times I couldn't get coffee sachets but I could get hot chocolate. Not the same, but it's tasty!

Most of the Spanish supermarkets have the long life yogurt drinks. They don't need refrigeration and they are a good breakfast boost. You can sometimes get those dried pasta or rice meals.

Obviously a lot of these things come from my hiking days. I don't carry anywhere near as much food on camino as I would hiking but I would rather carry half a kilo more than risk going hungry. Basically, I carry enough food to cover myself for 24 hours.

If you look online (even dare I say it YouTube) you will find hundreds of ideas. Really it's just a matter of going into whatever supermarket you can find and looking to see what is light, halfway healthy, tasty and easy.

 

[Sirage]

That said you also need sugar or you will 'crash'.

That is debatable, and not established science. There are many people who don't crash if they don't eat sugar. Possibly if your normal diet has a lot of sugar you probably will need to keeping eating more. However if your normal diet has little or no sugar, you can walk all day without sugar and not crash. And on a good day you can walk from an early breakfast to a late lunch with no food at all. And that includes some of the more demanding parts of the Caminos.

@Frankybaby66 you might now be a bit confused.

 

[woody66]

A few tiny little ‘single serve’ packs - as often found at hotel breakfast buffets. If I can’t find Nutella it might be jam or honey. I need the option of something sweet.

I carried a couple of satsumas, some nuts, chocolate and my standby which was edible for a couple of days was bread with butter and honey!
I used the same source as you but in supermarkets i asked for mono doses; struck lucky with butter and jam but not so the honey!

 

[Frankybaby66]

That is debatable, and not established science. There are many people who don't crash if they don't eat sugar. Possibly if your normal diet has a lot of sugar you probably will need to keeping eating more. However if your normal diet has little or no sugar, you can walk all day without sugar and not crash. And on a good day you can walk from an early breakfast to a late lunch with no food at all. And that includes some of the more demanding parts of the Caminos.

@Frankybaby66 you might now be a bit confused.

I'm 64 years old . . . Confused is my default position

 

[Former member 115996]

There are some pilgrims (actually quite a few) who do not carry any food with them on the Camino, only enough liquids to drink - because they have fat tissue under their skin. If you are even slightly overweight, walking the longest distance on the Camino Francés (17 km without any bar) is not a problem, unless your doctor clearly tells you not to.
Had it been otherwise, the human species would not survive millions of years of evolution. If the early humans, who were hunters-gatherers, had not been able to walk 20-25 km without finding food or killing an animal, we would not be around today.

In case your reaction is "I don't go to Camino to suffer" my answer is, neither do I - quite the opposite

 

[Frankybaby66]

There are some pilgrims (actually quite a few) who do not carry any food with them on the Camino, only enough liquids to drink - because they have fat tissue under their skin. If you are even slightly overweight, walking the longest distance on the Camino Francés (17 km without any bar) is not a problem, unless your doctor clearly tells you not to.
Had it been otherwise, the human species would not survive millions of years of evolution. If the early humans, who were hunters-gatherers, had not been able to walk 20-25 km without finding food or killing an animal, we would not be around today.

In case your reaction is "I don't go to Camino to suffer" my answer is, neither do I - quite the opposite

I'm not asking about the Frances (see original post); I'm asking about doing some of the less-frequented routes with little/no infrastructure on some stages . . .
Interesting overview on the evolution of man though . .

 

[Lindsay53]

Chocolate, nuts, maybe salami and cheese. Along with water is all I carry for the long stages.

 

[ThatIrishGuy]

I only had to do it once but when my pack was quite stuffed already I got a couple of packs of sliced Salmon which is supposed to be good food. The packets are very slim and will slip down against the outer shell of even the most packed backpack.

 

[Pilgrim9]

Consider taking a supply of:

1. Fig Newtons [TM] (in a closed food grade polyethylene bag to keep the crumbs contained). Newtons are now available with various fruit paste fillings but I specifically suggest the fig-containing Newtons.

Newtons (cookie) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

If Fig Newtons cannot be found, just carry some dried figs.
I only eat one Fig Newton (or just fig) at a time then resume walking until hungry again. Too many at once might trigger hypoglycemia. Also I have read that the high fibre content can for some people cause digestive distress but have never experienced that myself.

2. One or more cold, wrapped baked potatoes with their jackets still on, and some salt packets.

3. Lots of water, obviously. I also always carry water sterilizing tablets, in case potable water is not available when I need it.

I agree with an earlier poster's suggestion to take a jar of peanut butter and a spoon. I always take a jar of peanut butter when travelling in less-developed lands such as e.g. India, Sri Lanka, etc.

These suggestions are based mostly on my experiences as a long-distance hot-weather cycle-tourist, plus, latterly, a foot-pilgrim.

I once tried dried dates as an en-route snack. That was a bad idea. They were so very sweet that after eating a couple, my blood sugar level skyrocketed, then nose-dived. I got the shakes and had to immediately stop and lie down for about 30 minutes.

 

[markie6]

Trail mix handy to have a stash. I've even taken Breakfast cereal dry to munch in emergencies when off the beaten track

Even on the vids I have watched of the VDLP .... being sensible and loading up on water and grub when you get the chance... you're never that far away from a village , town or shop

Just be sensible and realize the next cafe isn't 5k away like the CF can be

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

That is debatable, and not established science. There are many people who don't crash if they don't eat sugar. Possibly if your normal diet has a lot of sugar you probably will need to keeping eating more. However if your normal diet has little or no sugar, you can walk all day without sugar and not crash. And on a good day you can walk from an early breakfast to a late lunch with no food at all. And that includes some of the more demanding parts of the Caminos.

@Frankybaby66 you might now be a bit confused.

An excellent point, my post was poorly worded - editing it now

 

[MesaWalker]

We walked the Via Serrana and then Via de la Plata last fall. We always carried food "just in case." After carrying a variety of food for awhile (canned fish, bread, cheese, etc.) we ultimately settled on just dried fruit and nuts. The reasons: Compact, healthful, no meaningful packaging weight, doesn't go bad (cheese, bread) or melt (like chocolate), and keeps for weeks if necessary. It simplified our life considerably. Our primary choice was to eat in bars and restaurants, so sometimes we wouldn't touch the stash for days. It also doubled as snacks.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

We walked the Via Serrana and then Via de la Plata last fall. We always carried food "just in case." After carrying a variety of food for awhile (canned fish, bread, cheese, etc.) we ultimately settled on just dried fruit and nuts. The reasons: Compact, healthful, no meaningful packaging weight, doesn't go bad (cheese, bread) or melt (like chocolate), and keeps for weeks if necessary. It simplified our life considerably. Our primary choice was to eat in bars and restaurants, so sometimes we wouldn't touch the stash for days. It also doubled as snacks.

So does that mean that some days all you had for breakfast, lunch and dinner was dried fruit and nuts? Or were you fortunate enough to always find something open each day.

 

[Plataman]

Hi all, probably a question with many different answers, but here goes.
I've done several Caminos, but always ones that feature a cafe every now and then ( think Frances, Portuguese, Ingles etc)
I'm thinking of stretching myself to do one without similar infrastructure - either part of. Via de Plata, Lisbon to Porto, or the Invierno.
I know there will be some stages when I need to carry food, and am curious as to what other hikers found worked for them. Conscious that I could be carrying food for some distance in potentially high temperatures.
All input gratefully accepted.
Thanks in advance

Ive walked five Caminos in all, the last three the Via Del Plata. There were a couple of places where there was no food available, ( usually arriving after hours or on a Sunday) , but overall I never found the availability of food an issue. I always carried a small bag of emergency snacks that would carry me through to the next day if necessary. A bit of planning and awareness can avoid a hungry night.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Other suggestions at this thread:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/solo-walkers-what-kinds-of-food-do-you-buy-at-grocery-stores.82729

 

[JerryStroebele]

I try to buy an ice cold Aquarius or Kas everyday at a bar and drink it on the spot. I also carry one forward from a tienda. These are electrolytes. I also carry just a little in dried form -- wafers or powder -- in case I can't find it in a can or bottle. I prefer a can over a bottle because it has a greater chance of being recycled after use. Buen Camino

 

[NicolaWyke]

You can get those individual portions too - like those jam packets in hotels. It's actually not a bad choice - you actually need the fat and sugar!

Remember we are long distance walking which is completely different to normal life. Figures often thrown around in the hiking world are 45-55% carbs (some of which needs to be sugar); 35-40% fats; 10-15% protein to fuel a through hike. Whilst a camino is not quite as intense, on any camino over two weeks long our needs are similar.

Many hikers carry a jar of peanut butter which seems crazy until you figure out the weight to fat & protein ratio which is way, way higher than just about anything else available. Protein and fat are key when walking long distance - most of the nut butters- peanut, almond, cashew, walnut, pecan, hazelnut etc are great. That said if you normally eat a lot of sugar or foods that are high in it (highly processed food, dried fruit are classic examples) you may also need sugar or you will 'crash'. A Sergeant I know often used to carry gummy bears, when one of his privates started getting grumpy he'd hand him a handful .... problem averted.

There's a heck of a lot more information online if you're interested. Gearskeptic has done a whole series on 'Performance nutrition for Backpackers' on YouTube for instance - fascinating stuff.

On Camino:

From home I carry a few packets of cupa soup and oatmeal, instant coffee and sugar. (Hate instant coffee but with a little sugar it's better than nothing). Plus 1x noodles (ramen) - you can always crunch on it as a snack, the flavouring packet makes a tasty cold soup.

On stages that might not have any supplies:

In addition to the bread, firm cheese, (salted)nuts, fruit, biscuits, tuna and noodles (ramen) that @henrythedog carries, I carry dried fruit, Muesli or protein bars, and I normally have a Snickers bar or two, or some nut chocolate.

I also buy a small jar of tomato pesto, and some good crackers. Pesto can be used with the bread, the crackers, or the noodles. Ditto the cheese. I carry a teaspoon and a sharp knife (purchased from a supermarket), and sometimes one of those bamboo forks you frequently get with the salads. A microwavable container of some sort is useful, even if just a cup. I know a number of forum members also carry a coil to heat their own water - I don't (yet?).

If I use the supplies I obviously mix them out with whatever I can get at the time - sometimes simply for variety. For examples swapping couscous with noodles. The beauty of couscous is that you can cold soak it. I'll often swap the tuna for a chorizo/cabonossi. (The packaging is lighter too!). A few times I couldn't get coffee sachets but I could get hot chocolate. Not the same, but it's tasty!

Most of the Spanish supermarkets have the long life yogurt drinks. They don't need refrigeration and they are a good breakfast boost. You can sometimes get those dried pasta or rice meals.

Obviously a lot of these things come from my hiking days. I don't carry anywhere near as much food on camino as I would hiking but I would rather carry half a kilo more than risk going hungry. Basically, I carry enough food to cover myself for 24 hours.

If you look online (even dare I say it YouTube) you will find hundreds of ideas. Really it's just a matter of going into whatever supermarket you can find and looking to see what is light, halfway healthy, tasty and easy.

I have not done this type of walking yet - but dates must be mentioned as a super food for hikers - as not only do they give an energy boost but also restore electrolytes lost through sweating.

 

[NicolaWyke]

I try to buy an ice cold Aquarius or Kas everyday at a bar and drink it on the spot. I also carry one forward from a tienda. These are electrolytes. I also carry just a little in dried form -- wafers or powder -- in case I can't find it in a can or bottle. I prefer a can over a bottle because it has a greater chance of being recycled after use. Buen Camino

Jerry for the Aquarius - I kept a bottle and refilled it with a can. That way I did not need to drink it all at once. Only thing is the cans only have 330ml and bottles were 500ml I think.

 

[mkc]

Trail mix handy to have a stash. I've even taken Breakfast cereal dry to munch in emergencies when off the beaten track

Even on the vids I have watched of the VDLP .... being sensible and loading up on water and grub when you get the chance... you're never that far away from a village , town or shop

Just be sensible and realize the next cafe isn't 5k away like the CF can be

Well, last fall on the Via de la Plata, we were very happy to have a stash of emergency food. Shops have hours, siesta is observed, and the stages are long. We quit carrying cheese because it was so hot it got slimy. Dried fruit, nuts, and canned fish were mainstays.

 

[wynrich]

There are some pilgrims (actually quite a few) who do not carry any food with them on the Camino, only enough liquids to drink - because they have fat tissue under their skin. If you are even slightly overweight, walking the longest distance on the Camino Francés (17 km without any bar) is not a problem, unless your doctor clearly tells you not to.
Had it been otherwise, the human species would not survive millions of years of evolution. If the early humans, who were hunters-gatherers, had not been able to walk 20-25 km without finding food or killing an animal, we would not be around today.

In case your reaction is "I don't go to Camino to suffer" my answer is, neither do I - quite the opposite

I agree! My husband and I have done intermittent fasting off and on over the years and the best thing we learned from that is that it's not the end of the world if we go a time without eating. And we also learned it's really nice to start out walking at the beginning of the day on an empty stomach. But, I agree, this might not apply to everyone.

Added later: But I certainly would carry food if there won't be a cafe/bar/restaurant for dinner and probably lunch as well.

 

[J Willhaus]

One more thing I have found while camping this year. I bought tomato paste in a tube (like toothpaste). I did see it in Spain and it appears to be an Italian product. It is double strength concentrated and it has been great for making pasta dishes and soups.

In some albergues you will find a selections of leftover lentils, oil, salt sugar and sometimes dry pasta.

 

[Pilgrim9]

Another idea is to carry a package of dried meat. There are lots of varieties with their own local names around the world. In North America it is typically called jerky. Almost always available in outdoors stores and sometimes in regular grocery stores. Bit expensive in my opinion.

 

[grayland]

Great thread with excellent suggestions.
I suggest that newer pilgrims take a few notes.

 

[pjacobi]

How much water and snacks do you need on the Camino?

Practice hiking at home and you will learn your personal needs. Practice hiking especially at different temperatures which will greatly influence your water requirement.


-Paul

 

[AnneMarie1]

There are some pilgrims (actually quite a few) who do not carry any food with them on the Camino, only enough liquids to drink - because they have fat tissue under their skin. If you are even slightly overweight, walking the longest distance on the Camino Francés (17 km without any bar) is not a problem, unless your doctor clearly tells you not to.
Had it been otherwise, the human species would not survive millions of years of evolution. If the early humans, who were hunters-gatherers, had not been able to walk 20-25 km without finding food or killing an animal, we would not be around today.

In case your reaction is "I don't go to Camino to suffer" my answer is, neither do I - quite the opposite

Yes, but on the other Caminos, you can actually walk for a couple days or more before having access to any food. Towns are less frequent, and they often have only one little store or bar, and it may or may not be open if the owner's on vacation or just wants to be doing something else that day. Plus if something happens (sprained ankle or whatever), there won't be any other pilgrims coming behind you, and you're not on any well-trafficked roads, and you may or may not have phone reception.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I have not done this type of walking yet - but dates must be mentioned as a super food for hikers - as not only do they give an energy boost but also restore electrolytes lost through sweating.

I agree, but in my opinion - and experience - they really need to be balanced with something else not just taken by themselves on an empty stomach. (Mind you the same could be said about most dried fruit - it's why trail mix has nuts in it too)

I once tried dried dates as an en-route snack. That was a bad idea. They were so very sweet that after eating a couple, my blood sugar level skyrocketed, then nose-dived. I got the shakes and had to immediately stop a

My experience wasn't as marked as @Pilgrim9 , but I find that I'm much better off not eating them without some kind of carbohydrates as well.

 

[Homely]

I did a ten day walk in the middle of nowhere once, I had a stove, lots of pasta etc. Met a couple of blocks who did the whole walk with just a large sack of porridge and a pan to boil the water.

 

[Sirage]

I'm not asking about the Frances (see original post); I'm asking about doing some of the less-frequented routes with little/no infrastructure on some stages . . .

Some more data about less-frequented routes.

Last year I conducted a food experiment.

I walked the Mozarabe (620 km. It was a busy day if I saw more than a few other pilgrims, often none) then onto the Via de La Plata, and then the Sanabres. About 9 weeks and carried no food except on 3 long days when bars etc were not open when I started, not expecting anywhere during the day and food might not be available when I arrived.

On about 3 occasions things didn't pan out and I went 23 hours (breakfast to breakfast) without coffee and food. No suffering occurred although I was pleased when the bar opened the next morning.

 

[DeansFamily]

On more remote or unserviced stages on Caminos less frequently walked, it's essential to firstly do your homework on Gronze or other information sites and identify where exactly you'll need to provide yourself with dinner, breakfast and possibly lunch. It's no good just turning up and assuming there will be a bar, cafe or tienda to provide. Always in our backpack are a lightweight plastic bowl, lightweight camping cutlery and a lightweight plastic cup. I buy a small paring knife and corkscrew when I arrive as we always fly with carry on only. A minimum we carry on any distance walk is muesli bars (2 to 3 each) and porridge oats.
For a lightweight portable dinner dry pasta, chorizo or tinned tuna (with ringpull) and cheese are filling and can be cooked in a microwave if no stovetop is available. Or if you want something light that is prepared an empanada (packaged correctly) does the job for us. Throw in a block of chocolate for dessert and you shouldn't go to bed hungry. Our go to breakfast is porridge as it's lightweight, nutritious and keeps us going till lunch. It can be made with just water and can be boosted with an apple or dried fruits and nuts. Lunch can be as convenient as cheese, jamon and an apple. It's totally up to your personal likes and anticipated appetite, but be aware that appetite can vary depending on how cold or hot it is and how you respond to exertion. Don't overthink it but be aware that every item increases your pack weight and that has an effect on your walking ability. I find it quite exciting to stay at locations like these. The challenge make them more unique and rewarding. Enjoy and don't stress too much, you have a wealth of information on this post to choose from.

 

[brian560]

Hi all, probably a question with many different answers, but here goes.
I've done several Caminos, but always ones that feature a cafe every now and then ( think Frances, Portuguese, Ingles etc)
I'm thinking of stretching myself to do one without similar infrastructure - either part of. Via de Plata, Lisbon to Porto, or the Invierno.
I know there will be some stages when I need to carry food, and am curious as to what other hikers found worked for them. Conscious that I could be carrying food for some distance in potentially high temperatures.
All input gratefully accepted.
Thanks in advance

My standard VdLP breakfast diet was a coffee sachet brewed in an albergue microwave BYO collapsible S2S cup. Bead and banana eaten under a tree. Lunch was bread, tuna and tomato, again eaten under a tree.

 

[Pilgrim9]

My standard VdLP breakfast diet was a coffee sachet brewed in an albergue microwave BYO collapsible S2S cup. Bead and banana eaten under a tree. Lunch was bread, tuna and tomato, again eaten under a tree.

I like bananas and tomatoes but find they don't travel well. How do you carry them?

 

[brian560]

I like bananas and tomatoes but find they don't travel well. How do you carry them?

I just buy what I need for the next day from whatever store I can find. One problem in small towns is that small loaves of bread are hard to find in the afternoon (pre siesta) or evening (post siesta).

 

[MethaV]

That is debatable, and not established science. There are many people who don't crash if they don't eat sugar. Possibly if your normal diet has a lot of sugar you probably will need to keeping eating more. However if your normal diet has little or no sugar, you can walk all day without sugar and not crash. And on a good day you can walk from an early breakfast to a late lunch with no food at all. And that includes some of the more demanding parts of the Caminos.

@Frankybaby66 you might now be a bit confused.

I normally walk all day without eating, or just eating some fruit, and never any adderad sugar. A nice but not too big breakfast with coffe will do. Vegetables and fish or meat in the evening if possible.
As I'm addicted to coffe I aleays bring instant coffee which nowadays is rather ok. If no hot water avalable, mix it in cold water, preferably shaken in a small plastic bottle and you have a nice cup of Greek frappé.
Buen Camino

 

[Dilbin]

Hi all, probably a question with many different answers, but here goes.
I've done several Caminos, but always ones that feature a cafe every now and then ( think Frances, Portuguese, Ingles etc)
I'm thinking of stretching myself to do one without similar infrastructure - either part of. Via de Plata, Lisbon to Porto, or the Invierno.
I know there will be some stages when I need to carry food, and am curious as to what other hikers found worked for them. Conscious that I could be carrying food for some distance in potentially high temperatures.
All input gratefully accepted.
Thanks in advance

Hi. Regardless of how busy or quiet a camino is you can always venture off grid. Whether 10mtrs or 100mtrs magic and tranquility awaits. I've met waterfalls, Stags, Squirrels and silence and the magic is I get to choose where to sit, eat and rest. The simpler the food the more freedom I've had. Bread/cheese/ water and chocolate always tastes better when in nature.
I'm only making suggestions based on experience. On caminos I have had great fun at cafes and rest stops en route with other pilgrims and I've also enjoyed climbing to waterfalls etc for alone time.
My best advice in relation to food is keep it refrigerated until morning and place in the very centre of back pack. It will stay cooler until lunch.
In September two of us will walk from Almeria. I travelled on the train there from Granada this year and the scenery alone has me sold so plenty more adventures await. Whether park bench, cafe or hilltop I'm sure the bread will taste the same Buen Camino, Daniel

 

[Simperegrina]

I see an unfathomable absence of recommendations of that superfood: a large bar of Milka!

In addition to this superfood, I usually have some crackers or a baguette, some sliced cheese (unexciting but it does travel ), mandarins, a banana and some nuts

 

[Sirage]

I see an unfathomable absence of recommendations of that superfood: a large bar of Milka!

Indeed, the wonderful world of personal superfoods.

Even the sugar enthusiasts (or course I am not one of them ) don't seem to be shouting about your beloved energy source. Perhaps they are not happy about the dubious nature of the fat content.

If I were to take a chocolate bar, my superfood preference would be one which includes a pure source of cocoa butter and just a hint of sugar.

 

[JennyH94]

I second Grayland’s post … this is indeed an excellent and very helpful thread.

As well as some of the items posted above, I always make sure to have one of the Isabel brand salads in my pack -



They’re a great standby and they’re really tasty. They’re also readily available at most supermarkets and tiendas.

Cheers from Oz -
Jenny

 

[steve392]

This is a great thread.
Can I take it a bit further and ask how people they are storing their food?
I know many use zip lock bags and small plastic containers, but what other suggestions are out there?
I'll kick it off. I use a soft collapsible cool bag. It's great for the more temperature sensitive food items and weighs next to nothing. It's big enough (approx 4.5ltrs) for a full days food if needs be but collapses down when only half full or not needed.

 

[Frankybaby66]

How much water and snacks do you need on the Camino?

Practice hiking at home and you will learn your personal needs. Practice hiking especially at different temperatures which will greatly influence your water requirement.


-Paul

Not all albergues are in villages/near bars, shops etc. OP was probably badly worded: was sort of asking about snacks AND things to eat for dinner

 

[C clearly]

Can I take it a bit further and ask how people they are storing their food?

I carry food that does not require cool storage. For eating within a few hours, I might have a bocadillo, soft fruit, yoghurt, or a special item that I was able to purchase. Depending on the weather/temperature conditions, I might carry some yoghurt or Baby Bel cheese for a day or two. Otherwise, my emergency supply consists of nuts, ramen noodles, canned tuna, whole grain crackers, oranges, apples, banana.

On stages when I think I need to carry extra food, my backpack becomes very full, so I would have trouble accommodating the bulk of a cool bag. I do try to keep all my food in one dry bag, for convenience and cleanliness, but at least that bag can be contoured/fitted into the limited space available in my pack. There are other items that I prefer to carry in my 31 L pack.

Unless you are carrying ice as well, I'm not sure how effective the cool bag will be. I wonder if wrapping in a down quilt or an item of clothing, in the middle of the pack, will work as well.

 

[Anthony Rocco]

Hi all, probably a question with many different answers, but here goes.
I've done several Caminos, but always ones that feature a cafe every now and then ( think Frances, Portuguese, Ingles etc)
I'm thinking of stretching myself to do one without similar infrastructure - either part of. Via de Plata, Lisbon to Porto, or the Invierno.
I know there will be some stages when I need to carry food, and am curious as to what other hikers found worked for them. Conscious that I could be carrying food for some distance in potentially high temperatures.
All input gratefully accepted.
Thanks in advance

For nutrition sake, bring a trail mix of nuts, raisins,date and other items that will give you sustenance. My buddy puts in a generous supply of M&Ms in his trail mix. Keeps him from getting cranky. Beyond that, it's a matter of what keeps YOU going with a special emphasis on carbs. I prefer cookies.

 

[pjacobi]

Not all albergues are in villages/near bars, shops etc. OP was probably badly worded: was sort of asking about snacks AND things to eat for dinner

You can also practice packing a meal at home. Gradually work up your distance to walking at least 8 hours with a break for a packed lunch. When you can do this comfortably on both Saturday and Sunday, then you are in good shape for the Camino.

Don't wait until Spain to try this!


-Paul

 

[C clearly]

You can also practice packing a meal at home.

This is a brilliant idea for those who have never thought to pack a lunch at home before!

(I think the OP was wondering about foods to carry for a day or two when fresh food is not available. A slightly different situation.)

 

[Frankybaby66]

Some more data about less-frequented routes.

Last year I conducted a food experiment.

I walked the Mozarabe (620 km. It was a busy day if I saw more than a few other pilgrims, often none) then onto the Via de La Plata, and then the Sanabres. About 9 weeks and carried no food except on 3 long days when bars etc were not open when I started, not expecting anywhere during the day and food might not be available when I arrived.

On about 3 occasions things didn't pan out and I went 23 hours (breakfast to breakfast) without coffee and food. No suffering occurred although I was pleased when the bar opened the next morning.

You're not selling it to me as a strategy

 

[Camino Chrissy]

We normally carry lunches if there is nowhere to stop at a bar, consisting of a fresh loaf of seeded bread, a wedge of Manchego cheese, tuna, nuts, a big Valor dark chocolate bar w/nuts, peaches or banana, and a cheap roll of butter type cookies w/chocolate centers.
If we are staying in a private room we sometimes choose to eat in and have pasta salads in plastic tubs with added chopped items. I really like fizzy white wine, so I buy a bottle and a bag of ice that I store in the bidet all evening. After a warm day walking it is so refreshing and there is plenty of ice left over for glasses of cold water.

 

[Sirage]

You're not selling it to me as a strategy

I am not trying to sell anything to anyone. I was presenting some information that others may or may not find useful or fits with their beliefs about food. You could give it is some more thought and look for other sources of information, or not.

There are alternative ways to space meals to the compulsory snacks of confectionary or commercial trail mixes et al every hour or two. And I am not talking here about Tour de France levels of energy.

Overall my experiment worked well for me and I will use it on all future Caminos. I regularly walk 20 - 25 kms over mixed terrain without food until after the walk. (Also 80 km bike rides at touring pace.)

Perhaps I might be a bit more attentive, or not, to possible days of unplanned fasting. It gets down to how I feel at the time. Sundays for example are often days of food places being closed when you want them open. I might deem some of them probable days of fasting (for 23 hrs).

 

[steve392]

Unless you are carrying ice as well, I'm not sure how effective the cool bag will be. I wonder if wrapping in a down quilt or an item of clothing, in the middle of the pack, will work as well.

No need to carry ice in these bags. That wouldn't be a good idea. It's actually a lunch bag that is very common here in Australia, where it's hot. Cool bag may not be the best term for it, more of an insulating bag. But they do work very well and protect your food.