cbarua said:
Would someone please describe what you would put on to walk on a 6 degree Centigrade day with freezing wind and rain
The coldest, rainiest, windiest day I walked was the stage up to O'Cebreiro and down the other side (entering Galicia). The morning started out OK, but then degenerated into fog as I got higher up the mountains. Then a light rain began, followed by heavier rain with fog and wind. Of course, I had my pack on, along with the following:
1) REI Cotton Hat (probably the only cotton item you should have in your inventory, if even that).
2) REI synthetic T-shirt.
3) North Face synthetic polo-type outer shirt.
4) ExOfficio travel underwear.
5) North Face synthetic travel pants (zipped off the legs and wore as shorts - your legs will dry faster than cloth will).
6) Two pairs of socks, and my boots.
7) Bicycling gloves.
8. ExOffico Neckerchief.
9) Zip-up poncho with hood and sleeves (went over the pack).
On the whole, I kept warm enough as long as I kept moving. That was a hilly stage, so I generated quite a bit of heat by my exertion. To help keep warm, I'd stop at bars to soak up the heat, and I also drank hot coffee spiked with cognac. I had a bit of trouble with my poncho on the trails that cut along the sides of hills - the wind sometimes blew up and blew my poncho off my pack, until a pilgrim tied the poncho's tail into a knot to keep it in place. On the way down, I stopped at a restaurant and had a hot meal of beef, fries, and a great potato soup (and vino). That meal really kick-started me, and I was good to go until I made the albergue.
If you encounter those kinds of conditions, you may want to join a group of pilgrims and walk with them. I mainly walked alone, although I encountered folks along the way and we would walk together for a time (and by that stage, you will probably have made some friends, or at least be known to other pilgrims). It's certainly a morale booster to walk with a friend in conditions like that...indeed, at the restaurant one of my Spanish friends helped me order, and that was a godsend, since I was so tired I could barely remember my Spanish. :arrow:
EDIT: Please note that it was August when I walked this stage, and the conditions in the Galician mountains was as I described. If you walk during other seasons, then adjust your clothing accordingly...