Keeping weight down - Carrying Liquids.

[Pilgrim Drew]

Hey guys,

I haven't posted much but I am on here everyday following posts and I have learnt a great deal. I do not leave till mid September but I am slowly getting all my bits and pieces together. I have my bag and my boots which I am incredibly happy with and lots of other bits and pieces. My main concern is keeping weight down and I think that I have been doing really well.

I have realised that I will need to take some liquids and I can see this putting the weight of my bag right up so I was looking for some advice.

I wear contact lenses so I will need to take solution to store them in at the end of each day. The bottles that come each month are 350ml which lasts quite a long time. The bottle is quite heavy but it is something that I can not do without. Should I empty half the bottle to reduce weight and risk not having enough?

A big headache for me is washing myself and my clothes, I am just finding it hard to visualise it all with this being my first Camino. Reading through threads I have decided that the best option will be Lifeventure All-Purpose Soap. This is available in 100ml, 200ml and 350ml. Does anyone have any experience with this stuff? I want to ensure that I have enough to wash myself and my clothes for my trip but again I do not want to take 350ml if it is just going to be lots of extra weight.

Another is sunscreen. I always burn in the sun so I will be taking a high factor or total block sunscreen. Again, I am unsure how much I need to take to ensure I have enough to use it everyday but avoid a lot of weight. I am guessing that a small bottle will suffice as this is something I should be easily able to pick up along the way.

Sorry for the long post, I look forward to the replies. Loving this forum, it is so helpful. Thank you all.


EDIT: Also wondering what people usually do about toothpaste and deodorant? I usually use a spray but I am guessing a roll on would be best?

2nd EDIT: Also Vaseline. When doing hikes when I was younger I would always grease up my feet and my crotch parts to avoid rubbing. Any idea what size I should take to last my trip but not be too big and heavy?

 

[SabsP]

Hello,

Regarding contactfluids : no idea but no doubt somewhere here can help you out!

I bought myself a good old fashioned bar of Marseille-soap, good for body, hair and clothes. Hair will look awful and dry after five weeks but hey it isn't a fashioncontest! Smallest bar possible, lots of supermercados or tiendas on the camino to buy if needed.

Sunscreen , also smallest tube possible ( 50 ml more than enough ).

Deo : the only beauty luxury on Camino : I had a roller ( also 50 ml ).

Tootbrush : small travelthingy or you can just cut of end of normal sized toothbrush.
I got some samples of tootpaste from my pharmacist : 3 small tubes of 7 grams each got me going for five weeks.

Enjoy the preparations!!

 

[sulu]

Hi!
I'm with Sabine, don't forget that there are shops on the way and you can always buy another toothpaste etc.
Re contacts, don't know the answer, just wondered, any chance of you wearing an old pair of specs so as not to have to worry!!!? If not again there are pharmacies in Spain too, you don't really run a risk of running out of most things.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hello Drew and welcome.
Some ideas which might help you:-
Contact lenses, I used to use them, solution is I think vital. Check exactly how long your supplied bottle lasts, then leave some at home if you are able. Take the bottle or the paper that comes with it on your Camino. Then if you are beginning to run out find a pharmacy. They'll have some, or should know where you need to go.
For everything else we went into Boots and bought a mini travel bottle pack. A good squeeze of toothpaste to fill one of the round pots should last the Camino. Shampoo can go in both the small bottles.
You could buy a Boots mini travel spray bottle for your suncream. Don't try spraying it on but use the tube as a stick to apply suncream. Again check out how much you normally use and judge how much you need. If you run out a visit to the pharmacy will provide more.
Wash liquid went in a 50ml Boots bottle (same series) and a hotel bar of soap (or a piece cut off your favourite type) was all that was need for washing clothes. Terry just took a fairly worn piece of toilet soap when he was on his own.
Personally we need shampoo or soap that doesn't make us itch so didn't use LifeVenture or similar on our skin. Similar with the wash liquid.
As a rule of thumb - every 1ml weighs 1gm, every 1 litre = 1 kg. So keep the containers light and then take what you know you need.
Buen Camino

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Do you think that the deodorant will do something for walking for six hours in the hot sun? It won't stop the perspiration, and the perfume effect will wash away in thirty minutes. Settle for the daily shower!

I take 4 oz. of Camp Soap, and it lasts the month for laundry using 6 to 10 drops per wash. I take a bar of Ivory soap in a ziplock bag for body and hair, and often have to buy a bar of some soap toward the end of 30 days. Fels Naptha will get you clean if you like it! Cut the big bar in 1/2.

I use SportSlick instead of Vaseline, and a 3.8 oz tube is enough to lube my feet every day for over a month. If I were also doing thighs and armpits, I might need more. You can get petrolatum (Vaseline) at any pharmacy on the camino.

I take a dentist's sample of toothpaste, and it lasts over a month (I use a 1/2 pea size dollop on the toothbrush, and do not use a sink or water -- swallowing the "foam" from the toothpaste has not killed me yet!). If I ever run out, I can get toothpaste in hundreds of places on the camino. A travel toothbrush that pulls apart and stores in its own handle weighs the same as a 1/2 toothbrush, and keeps the bristles clean. If you get to the point of cutting a toothbrush in half to save weight, may I suggest that you cut the aglet off the end of your shoelaces as well??

My 2-liter hydration bag weighs less than two 1-liter bottles, and I do not have to fill it if I think I don't need to. I can drink without breaking stride.

You will lose at least a kilogram of weight in your first two days, so that will make up for a few extra ounces of pack weight at onset! Try to keep a little bit of perspective in keeping the pack weight down. Taking one liter of water instead of two at the beginning of the day, and refilling along the way, will cover a lot of minor indulgences in packing.

 

[Anniesantiago]

My suggestions:

Contact solution - buy the smallest you can find. Ask your eye doctor if he has samples he can give you to take - they often do. You can always buy more in Spain at any farmacia.

Deoderant - I took a crystal. You can buy travel sized deoderants also.

Toothpaste - travel size or just use salt

Bath Soap and Shampoo - Highly recommend Liggett's Shampoo Bar or any nice lathering soap to use for both. Shampoo is a thing of this century. Plain old soap (or even just hot water) works fine. My son's partner hasn't used shampoo in years on his hair - he just rinses it with hot water every day and it looks perfectly clean.

Laundry - Wait until you get to Spain and buy a bar of Fels Naptha. It is especially made for cold water clothes washing, which is what you'll be doing. Cut it into smaller chunks - maybe 1/4's - and share with other pilgrims. It is cheap and works GREAT for clothes washing.

Vaseline - carry a travel size. Plenty of chances to replace it in Spain.

I hope this helps.

 

[+@^^]

hay Drew
there are more chemists on the camino than stars in the Milky Way
and they are well stocked and the prices very good
start with small portion/ containers, and buy what you need as you go
.
its also fun learning how to ask for chemist stuff by acting it out/ drawing a pic
(hope you doint break out in hemorrhoids while walking the camino !)
.
for your chafing thighs, consider cycling type shorts?
.
re deodorant - i initially wanted to be like the pilgrims of old - no deo
i changed my mind after a few days - a spray of fresh pefume lifted my weary spirits at the end of a hard day

 

[Pilgrim Drew]

Thank you all for the replies, very helpful and lots to consider. I think I will go for smaller sizes if I can replacements along the way. I will head into boots and see what they have for me.

Does anyone know what those soap containers are called? I thought one would be a good idea to stop my bar getting squished.

@tamtamplin - I always used to use cycling shorts and Vaseline, so I was considering doing the same now. That said, I am struggling to find basic cycling shorts as they all seem to come with built in crotch padding these days.


Thanks again everyone.

 

[Tia Valeria]

..........
Does anyone know what those soap containers are called? I thought one would be a good idea to stop my bar getting squished. .......

A plastic bag
Seriously, your soap should be fine and it will weigh next to nothing. Also the Boots mini kit comes in a mini zip lock so you could use that.
And if you were thinking of taking a universal plug try a circle of old car or motorbike inner tube instead. About 5cm diameter and very light. (Experiment at home, if it fits the bath it should be OK, it needs to overlap the plughole.)
Buen camino

 

[Tia Valeria]

TerryB says it is worth buying a Victorinox 'card' set. Ours has scissors, file, tweezers etc and is credit card sized. Great for cutting nails, sticking plaster etc. The little knife is extrememly sharp and was all he needed for cutting bread, oranges etc. Worth checking out if you can find one in the UK, easy to find in Spain in the bigger towns. The Victorinox lite/light may have a mini led torch.
Buen Camino from 'Tio Tel' as well as Tia Valeria

 

[annakappa]

Hello Drew - and welcome! Try and take the smallest size possible of anything. Take tubes instead of plastic bottles (they weigh less) in the case of sun screen. I decanter our regular shampoo into these mini-bottles that you find in hotels, or sometimes I have a few sample sachets too. I cut in half bar of soap for washing clothes. Leave the other half in the Albergue for other pilgrims! Start off with only half portions of anything, while you are still getting used to your weight on your back and gradually, as supplies run out, then buy fresh in Spain. By then your body is used to more weight. Anne

 

[Anniesantiago]

Oh yes, about sunscreen.

Latest reports link it to cancer... and being chemically sensitive, I never use the stuff anyway.

I wear a brimmed hat and a gauze long sleeved shirt to protect me from the sun.

I tried to post this story on my blog, but the photos wouldn't upload. On my first Camino in 2006, I found a pair of lightweight cotton pajamas in the Free Box in an albergue. I nabbed the shirt, left the cuffs intact, but split the arms from wrist to armpit to let the breeze in and wore that.

Later up the trail, maybe 3 days, I was standing in line waiting for a shower and a South American lady stood next to me. We both noticed at the same time and laughed.. she was holding the bottoms to the pajamas. She had cut them off to use for walking shorts!

 

[Br. David]

Hi - have you thought of getting a supply of disposable lenses? No liquid to carry, no cleaning - just a thought.

You don't need deoderant - no one needs deoderant, it is a marketing scheme to make you spend money and smell weird. What you need is to wash with soap at the end of the day. An anti-persperant is even worse - we are designed to sweat when exerting ourselves -stop that and you block the body from working properly, not a good idea.
You don't need shampoo either. Use your body soap and every now and again, if there is washing up liquid in the refuge, use a little of that.

Sandwich bags with a ziplock are great - the lightest containers you can find. Mini-bottle travel packs are great for liquids.

Don't worry about laundry. You can wash your smalls with your body soap, that is all you need to do. Every now and again you will find a refuge with a washing machine and can do the bigger items there.

It isn't a fashion show, everyone is doing the same thing, so don't worry too much about appearance and 'job interview' smartness - just keep those smalls clean and everything will be fine.

Camelbacks versus water bottles. A personal thing but I am totally opposed to camelback water packs (unless you are in a race). If you buy two 75cl plastic bottles of the cheapest supermarket water you will then have two containers, weighing less than a camelback, to refill.
How much you will put in them each day will be decided by the weather and how far it is between each watering hole, which you will find out the evening before.

Here's the thing - if you use a camelback you will drink as you walk and you will keep walking - no other creature on the planet does this (camels carry fat in their humps, not water).
If you have bottles - balanced on each side of your pack - you will stop to drink. You will turn and look back at where you have been. You can stretch those muscles. As you will have stopped you may speak to passing pilgrims, who may also stop. You may sit for a few minutes, take a break. Also, if you have a bottle you can offer a drink to someone else. For me it is bottles every time - and they are so much easier to fill too! :wink:

 

[LTfit]

Hi Drew,

I used that all-purpose liquid you mention for hair, body and clothes. Nothing else was necessary.

Took a stick deodorant and never used it (see Falcon's comment) so I am ditching it this time around.

Water bottles vs. Camelback discussion continues...IMHO it all depends on which Camino you are doing. I used 2 x 0.75L bottles on the Francés and that was perfect as I could fill up along the way without difficulty (either in cafés or fountains). This time I'm off to do the Via de la Plata and stops are more infrequent, little water along the way and temps will be high so I did invest in a water bladder.

Enjoy preparations!

Cheers,
LT

 

[Deleted member 3000]

If the Platypus bite tube prevents you from looking at the scenery, by all means leave it at home.

 

[Sagalouts]

Hi Drew
the best advise I ever read was by the sage that is Br David-make 2 piles one your kit the other your money-then double your money and halve your pack.
but for what it's worth here is my blaggers guide to the Camino.don't believe other Europeans and international's that say the chemists in Spain are cheap, for the English they are very expensive they run a monopoly and charge the earth, I use denture tabs £1 in England £7 in Spain,get down your local pound shop and stock up with antiseptic cream and anti hist good for mozzie bites and hay fever
(strange pollen in spain) zipped clear bags you will need for Stansted airport for liquids ( £2 charge if their not zipped)
Chaffing-don't wear cotton kecks lycra or a mix will do,wear shorts or swimming shorts (more air round the bits that chaff)
sun protection-I have carried one solid block of 50+ for 3 camino's now good for the bits that get the sun-ears back of neck, nose cheekbones and knees and wear long sleeves where poss-plus lip balm all from pound shop.
always always check out the stuff left behind at the Albergue's you won't believe the ammount of stuff thats left behind, Roncesvalles is like a giant chemist's shop plus giant dressing up box.most albergue's have a first aid box full of stuff you can use
I see that you are a 22/23 year old in your final year of a Photography course,why not write a blog and post your pics as you walk-the link to mine and many others are below.
I remember my first Camino-the doubt's the fears the nervous anticipation-chill, trust me you are going to have the time of your life.
Ian

 

[Pilgrim Drew]

Again thank you for the very useful replies.

I was only going to use deodorant as I had read a lot of threads about people complaining about smelly people! I sweat a hell of a lot from my pits (think of that Lynx advert where the guy keeps fish alive under his armpits) even without exerting myself so it is just something I am conscious of. I think I will take the advice and ditch the deodorant though, hopefully a shower each day will be enough.

I have opted for a Camelbak as I drink a ton of water and is something I have always preferred for the ease of use.

@ Br. David - That is a great idea regarding the contact lenses, I hadn't thought of that at all. I will drop by my opticians and see what they can do for me.

@ Sagalouts - I have started looking at different underwear shorts which take away the moisture and are longer in the leg which will stop rubbing. Quite cheap from M&S too. I was actually planning on doing a blog as I don't want to have much contact with home, so it is a way for them keeping track of me and knowing that I am safe.

@ LTfit - What size bottle did you take of the all purpose cleaning soap?

Thank you all again for the help.

 

[TerryB]

We have been checking to see if the Victorinox card we have is still available. There are several types now and some don't have the scissors. Ours is now called the 'Victorinox Jelly Swiss Card'. Currently on this Amazon page. The others are there too if you search the Amazon site.
Buen Camino
Tio Tel

 

[LTfit]

Hey Drew,

Just checked my 'supply' drawer with equipment for my upcoming Camino and I see that I bought the 200 ml bottle of Lifeadventure All-Purpose soap. Last year I bought 2 small bottles but couldn't find those this time around. Think that I'll separate into 2 smaller bottles in case I forgot one in an aubergue as I did last year!

And guys, I'll make sure that I look around while biting on my hose :wink:

Cheers,
LT

 

[Pilgrim Drew]

@ TerryB - I do have one of those somewhere, it was a gift from my ex girlfriends parents but it has been put in a draw as I had no need for it until now. I will hopefully track it down.

@ LTfit - Thank you for looking, very helpful of you! Is this the stuff you used? http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000LN7DVA/?tag=casaivar-21 Guessing it was good if you are using it again, so I assumed it was good enough for clothes, body and hair? I think I may follow your lead and buy two smaller bottles.

I am far too eager for this adventure to begin. Virtually have everything I need for my trip already, going to be a very slow couple of months!

Thank you again for the help.

 

[Anniesantiago]

One reason to consider taking bar soap instead of liquids is flying. You will not be allowed to carry on your pack if it has liquids in it. You'll either have to dump the soap or check the backpack.

Same goes with even tiny blades, as my friend discovered when she flew home to Wales from Portland. Luckily, I was there to mail her blade home or they simply would have confiscated it.

I bought an inexpensive blade at the ferreteria in SJPP.

 

[Pilgrim Drew]

One reason to consider taking bar soap instead of liquids is flying. You will not be allowed to carry on your pack if it has liquids in it. You'll either have to dump the soap or check the backpack. Same goes with even tiny blades, as my friend discovered when she flew home to Wales from Portland. Luckily, I was there to mail her blade home or they simply would have confiscated it.

For that reason, I bought an inexpensive blade at the ferreteria in SJPP.

The other reason is spillage.

I was planning on checking my backpack anyway as I assumed that it was too big to be considered hand luggage. I need liquid for my contacts too. I have a cheap cover for my bag when I check it in to protect it.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Cool. You can also pay a few Euros to have it completely enclosed in plastic at the Santiago airport, so I wonder if other airports have that service. Sounds like you have it covered. lol

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Probably an equivalent multi-use soap product in the U.S.:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss? ... 1308840429

I have used it for dishes, body, hair, and laundry. Woolite probably does the same thing for a lower price.

 

[LTfit]

Yep that's exactly what I have. Grab it at that price cause I paid E5,99 here in Holland for the 200 ml size! Did a decent job for everything except my socks but heck, nothing would have gotten them clean. I apparently kick up quite a bit a dirt when I walk!

Glad you brought all this up - it's got me organizing myself which is necessary as I leave in about 2 weeks!!!

Falcon - I've been looking all over but can't seem to find the SportStick here in The Netherlands. Any suggestions? (looking for a less messy alternative for vaseline).

 

[Deleted member 3000]

SportSlick is mostly Vaseline, so it is not less messy except that it is in a tube (and I have petrolaturm in a tube, too). As a matter of fact, the silicone in it repels water, so makes sock washing more difficult. It is mostly in the liner socks, which I like to allow to build up the lubricant, so I mostly use washing machines for the liner socks, and the machines generally win the battle against grime. The salt build up in the liner socks is a negative, I agree.

Talc is a water-repelling lubricant, so many find it neater and just as effective as Vaseline. Consider talc.

I am going to skin-test this stuff:

http://www.amazon.com/Novagard-Lubricat ... 083&sr=8-1

Silicone grease is available in the UK, but not this particular brand.

 

[Br. David]

If the Platypus bite tube prevents you from looking at the scenery, by all means leave it at home.

:lol: - it is to do with not stopping to drink and therefore not including a breather into the drinking moment, not being able to turn your neck :roll: :lol:

@sagalout (love that name!) I agree with everything you say, especially the pound shops!

Actually, I agree with everything I've read - great thread this! :wink:

 

[+@^^]

this is starting to go a little off-topic
but
during the day its fine to be a pilgrim
at night, when you walk out into the balmy summers evening. its not
.
if you still smell like the unwashed masses
(and youre still wearing your crocs)
its impossible to feel just a little special and fresh
.
i walked a bit with this Basque Spaniard dude
and my un-camino-like resentment and envy rolled in
he carried with him a black scarf (used otherwise as a kimono)
and he wore some exotic parfume
.
he looked like he had stepped out of the Camino Fashion Magazine
.
there is no need to look and feel frumpy

 

[Br. David]

That ok to be a pilgrim during the day but not at night .. is that a Vampire thing?
:shock:

 

[+@^^]

@Bro David
vampires do not need to carry all their liquid needs with them
the other unwitting pilgrims do it for them
so im all for a little unscheduled night-time biting
.
naturally only between willing participants

 

[Tia Valeria]

One reason to consider taking bar soap instead of liquids is flying. You will not be allowed to carry on your pack if it has liquids in it. You'll either have to dump the soap or check the backpack.

Same goes with even tiny blades, as my friend discovered when she flew home to Wales from Portland. Luckily, I was there to mail her blade home or they simply would have confiscated it.

I bought an inexpensive blade at the ferreteria in SJPP.

Flying in the EU - liquids as cabin baggage have to be in bottles of no more than 100cc each and fit in a given size of clear plastic zip lock/similar bag. The Boots pack is far smaller than the actual allowance. If taking as cabin baggage you have to carry it in your hand through all the checks and then put in your bag/pack before boarding.
No problem if it is checked for the hold. Small knives in hold baggage are OK too.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I see he is flying from the UK now.
I was thinking he was flying internationally.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Didn't mean to make you blush Annie.
The problems with checking packs, poles etc on flights is one of the reasons we are so glad that it is easier for us to use the ferry.
Buen Camino for 2012

 

[renegadepilgrim]

Medical supplies are exempt from the liquid limit in the US....for instance, if I feel like traveling with my usual 300ml size contact solution, I can. It's considered a medical supply. They will usually test it to make sure it's contact solution, which is fine.

I took one 100ml travel size bottle of contact solution. I ran out the day before Santiago, after five weeks of walking. Contact solution in Spain is EXPENSIVE!!! I paid almost $15 for a rather small bottle that would have cost me half in the US.

You can also check with your eye doctor and see if they have contacts you can wear for a week, then toss out. Mine are supposed to be like that, but I prefer to take mine out each night and let my eyes rest.

 

[brawblether]

This has been such an excellent read, thank you all! Particularly loved the "cutting your toothbrush in half" suggestion.

I'm a complete greenie when it comes to long walks (20kms as a one off, no probs, no experience with longer) and so I'm curious as to the Vaseline comments. Is chaffing a guaranteed for everyone? (I take it it helps with this...) If you (I'm a girl...not sure if that make s difference!) walk in knee length shorts then I can't think what will rub.

 

[lynnejohn]

No, not everyone has a chafing problem.

I had only one chafing irritation in my first caminos from the interaction of bra straps and backpack. Since then I have a very expensive non-chafing bra and that problem was eliminated. The other thing though is pay attention to our inner upper arm - at times that will rub on the side of your backpack strap that goes along your side - take care to adjust it properly - if it makes contact, cover it or your arm. The lesson is, walk many times with a full pack before you go to identify the "hot spots" in your clothing, footwear and equipment, otherwise no amount of vaseline or sports stick will be enough.

And I agree with all of the others - every item you mentioned can be bought in Spain, so just bring "sample sizes" and replenish as needed.

Go well and safely, and buen camino!

 

[vagabondette]

For those who do want to carry liquids (i have to have hair conditioner and lotion or I start going nuts) I suggest the collapsible water bottles. I have several from Vapur (http://vapur.us/store/4l). I like them because 1) they're different colors for different items, 2) they're much more lightweight than a conditioner/lotion bottle, 3) they're unlikely to come open in your bag and make a mess, and 4) they get smaller as you use your supply so you aren't carrying around a bulky 3/4 empty bottle.

These are also an option for people who want to have an extra bottle that doesn't take space just in case they need more water on certain days.

 

[constanttrek]

For what it's worth - I am a big fan of deoderant on the camino. Actually, I really wish it was compulsory. But there you go, a personal opinion, no more, no less. Toss it if you will but do remember someone will be sleeping on the bunk next to/on top of/beneath you. Oh - and if you ditch the deo? Definitely not IN the bunk