Prefer not to carry a sleeping bag

[Viva Terlingua]

I would like to travel as light as possible. The albergues that offer private rooms, are sheets and blankets included? I also want to be flexible and avoid reserving rooms in advance. I realize it’s just a guess at this point, but if I do albergue private rooms, pensiones, and hotels, how available will rooms be?

Ps. I snore louder than anyone you have ever met, so for the sake of your fellow pilgrims please do not encourage me to stay in communal sleeping rooms.

 

[Anamiri]

I would like to travel as light as possible. The albergues that offer private rooms, are sheets and blankets included? I also want to be flexible and avoid reserving rooms in advance. I realize it’s just a guess at this point, but if I do albergue private rooms, pensiones, and hotels, how available will rooms be?

Ps. I snore louder than anyone you have ever met, so for the sake of your fellow pilgrims please do not encourage me to stay in communal sleeping rooms.

I guess it depends on the establishment - I generally found that rooms in albergues did not, but rooms in Casa Rural, hotels, apartments etc usually did.
Sometimes albergues did, but I never counted on that. Some offer disposable sheets for a small fee, the odd one supplied them for all.
Its hard to give an estimate of busyness, but May and September are likely to be busy. There is a graph on this site showing the pilgrim numbers. It pays to be flexible with accommodation, there may not be much choice in smaller places.
I take a very lightweight sleeping bag and liner.

 

[trecile]

Maybe take a silk liner? I'm normally not big on "just in case" items, but silk liners are very light, and you will then have the flexibility to stay in places that don't provide bedding.

 

[Rick M]

Virtually every time I booked a private room, whether a pension, hostal, Cr, or albergue, it came with bedding and towels. As for availability, it's generally just a question of money, as well as planning stays in towns that have facilities with private rooms. That said, lots of people are willing to pay for a private room, and the cheapest ones go first.

A down quilt weighs only a half kilo, and works everywhere. Alternatively, consider shipping your bag if weight is a big concern. I would not advise a first timer to rule out albergue living up front. You never know where you will go, or who you will meet.

It also depends on the time of year. In the busy season, private rooms sell out quickly, and you are going to want to book ahead. Sure you want to do that?

 

[andarapie]

If you are travelling in the summer, even in albergues, a sleeping bag liner would be fine (so long as you have a fleece or something similar for when the temperature drops down to 50 degrees F) and would weigh much less than a pound. Hostels and pensions will have sheets and blankets.

 

[Former member 99290]

Maybe take a silk liner? I'm normally not big on "just in case" items, but silk liners are very light, and you will then have the flexibility to stay in places that don't provide bedding.

I agree. I haven’t taken a sleeping bag on my last few Caminos. I’ve taken a silk liner instead. I guess it does depend on the season and the path but I figure I can always put on some extra clothes if I get cold. Hasn’t been necessary so far

 

[good_old_shoes]

A lightweight sleeping bag only adds 500grams. A silk liner maybe 150g. The Decathlon mummy silk liner weighs 110g for example. That's next to nothing.

I understand the wish for a lightweight backpack but this is really one of the items that is one of the basics, especially If you prefer not to make reservations. If you can't find a private room some nights, or the room you end up in is of questionable cleanliness, the liner will be very useful.

You can probably easily save 150g elsewhere to make up for it

Buen Camino and happy planning!

 

[malingerer]

SNORING? take earplugs, then YOU wont hear it! You can always dish them out to the sensitive! I use them no matter where I am , just to make sure I buy a bag of disposable ones at my chemist. It weighs nothing and the rewards are immense.

Samarkand.

 

[J Willhaus]

Private rooms have sheets and blankets and sometimes towels. Bring a small towel if you intend to stay in private rooms where you will share a bathroom with the rest of the albergue.

With the pandemic, I would call the day before to reserve your room depending on when you are walking. Last fall, booking private rooms was very popular while there was often bed space open in bunk rooms. More people felt the need to isolate themselves to prevent illness.. Also be aware that some places may put you in a 2 person room so specify if you want the room to yourself. You will pay more, but spare a roommate from your snoring.

 

[Ianinam]

I see you plan your camino in May-June. Be aware this is the busiest time on the Camino and it is a Holy Year. Last year most albergues could only offer 50% of the normal capacity because of the Covid-regulations. I do not yet know whether these regulations are no longer mandatory, or - in case of a new Covid-wave - could become mandatory again.
I always take a light-weight sleeping bag; considering how often (?) the blankets in many albergues/pensiones are washed (once a week, once a month, once a season?) I prefer my own bedding.

 

[Elizabeth-o]

At the very least, pack and use a liner that you have treated with permitherin. (That's another topic.)

If you are concerned about getting cold, I might suggest that after you shower, put on the clothes you will wear the next day and sleep with them on. That will also help you to get out earlier without making more noise that might awaken fellow peregrinos. !Buen Camnino!

 

[Diana H]

I would like to travel as light as possible. The albergues that offer private rooms, are sheets and blankets included? I also want to be flexible and avoid reserving rooms in advance. I realize it’s just a guess at this point, but if I do albergue private rooms, pensiones, and hotels, how available will rooms be?

Ps. I snore louder than anyone you have ever met, so for the sake of your fellow pilgrims please do not encourage me to stay in communal sleeping rooms.

I was on the Camino in 2014. It was August into September and it was hot. I brought a very light sleeping bag with me - it was light, comfortable, etc. but it was still awkward and bulky. I never used it. I wish I had brought a silk or light cotton 'sack' instead. I could have sewed it myself and it would have been a good, packable solution to the sleeping bag issue.

 

[Jackieduda]

I would like to travel as light as possible. The albergues that offer private rooms, are sheets and blankets included? I also want to be flexible and avoid reserving rooms in advance. I realize it’s just a guess at this point, but if I do albergue private rooms, pensiones, and hotels, how available will rooms be?

Ps. I snore louder than anyone you have ever met, so for the sake of your fellow pilgrims please do not encourage me to stay in communal sleeping rooms.

I walked the camino in september- october and did fine with just a silk sleep sack. It is light, warm, etc enough for any indoor stay. ( when stuck overnight at an airport once or twice since then, i have found this sack very useful). During october it was cold a few nights, so i slept wearing a lightweight fleece jacket. In my experience, only hotels offer sheets, but all accommodations, including the most rustic places, cover the mattress with a bed sheet. Most places provided a blanket On cool nights

 

[Debbiecb]

I would like to travel as light as possible. The albergues that offer private rooms, are sheets and blankets included? I also want to be flexible and avoid reserving rooms in advance. I realize it’s just a guess at this point, but if I do albergue private rooms, pensiones, and hotels, how available will rooms be?

Ps. I snore louder than anyone you have ever met, so for the sake of your fellow pilgrims please do not encourage me to stay in communal sleeping rooms.

I took a silk liner walking in late April and all of May. There were times it was cold but I wore my clothes when needed, but 95 percent of the time I could ask for a blanket and they would give me one, so it wasn't a problem for me.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Not all private rooms have linens, though most will give them for a fee.
Not all albergues give blankets anymore either.
I certainly wouldn't travel without a sleeping bag, which some albergues require.
I've frozen in June WITH a down bag in Santo Domingo!
I suppose you could start without one, and then buy one. But it will cost you.
I'd take at LEAST a sleepsack.

And if you are traveling in May/June during this Holy Year after a pandemic, when the whole world, including Catholics and school groups, are chomping at the bit to walk, I certainly would book at least the first 4 stages and the last 100k into Santiago. Even the park benches might be taken!

 

[RJM]

If you plan on only staying in private accommodations the entire walk you will only need a sleeping bag liner and a backpacking towel.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have walked four of my Caminos in the April-May season. I always take a lightweight sleeping bag and have never regretted having it. Even so, there were times when I still felt the need to add my fleece for sleeping.

 

[JerryStroebele]

Muchas gracias for recognizing your snoring problem and mitigating the impacts to your fellow peregrinos. I have shared albergues with WORLD CLASS SNORERS and nobody else could sleep, despite using ear plugs. Buen Camino

 

[lt56ny]

Maybe take a silk liner? I'm normally not big on "just in case" items, but silk liners are very light, and you will then have the flexibility to stay in places that don't provide bedding.

The albergues that offer private rooms, are sheets and blankets included? I also want to be flexible and avoid reserving rooms in advance

You didn't mention when you are walking which does make a big difference. You also did not mention your tolerance for cold. Blankets in albergues are hit and miss. I have stayed in hostels/Pensions and have always had full linens and blankets. I agree with Trecile about taking anything I "may" need. I have walked the Norte into the second week of November with just a silk sleep sack. On a few nights I slept in everything I had to stay warm and I was warm. If you are walking in summer I would go with a sleep sack only. If there is an odd night that is cold and you happen to be in an albergue and not a hostel then you may need to sleep in your clothes. You can always check the weather and see the temps that night and if it is too cold for you check into a hostel to be sure. If you want a "just in case" item. Then just in case it is going to continually be cold towards the end of your camino you are on the CF and there will be lots of opportunities to buy a bag.

 

[El Gordo]

I would like to travel as light as possible. The albergues that offer private rooms, are sheets and blankets included? I also want to be flexible and avoid reserving rooms in advance. I realize it’s just a guess at this point, but if I do albergue private rooms, pensiones, and hotels, how available will rooms be?

Ps. I snore louder than anyone you have ever met, so for the sake of your fellow pilgrims please do not encourage me to stay in communal sleeping rooms.

I think part of your answer depends on what season you travel. If warm summer i would recommend only taking a sleeping bag liner. If spring or fall then I would take a light sleeping bag as well.

In the Albergues they will give you bed liners for sheets in the dorms. But, in the private rooms they provide sheets.

 

[Bradtheknife]

I would like to travel as light as possible. The albergues that offer private rooms, are sheets and blankets included? I also want to be flexible and avoid reserving rooms in advance. I realize it’s just a guess at this point, but if I do albergue private rooms, pensiones, and hotels, how available will rooms be?

Ps. I snore louder than anyone you have ever met, so for the sake of your fellow pilgrims please do not encourage me to stay in communal sleeping rooms.

Hi Viva, It looks like there are already lots of responses. I did not travel with a sleeping bag. I took a thin cotton sleep sack that had been treated with permethrin. I tried to stay in private or semiprivate rooms as often as possible, but about a third of the time I ended up spending sleepless nights with snoring pilgrims.
Every facility I visited offered blankets, most offered sheets and towels. There was a single notable exception: the albergue in Roncesvalles. Of course, unfortunately, this was the first night on the trail. When I asked about a blanket, they literally looked at me like I was from Mars and it was the strangest question they had every been asked. It was odd as you would think this albergue more than any other would be prepared to help beginning pilgrims out and field unusual questions. To their credit in every other regard, they were absolutely outstanding. But I spent a very cold night, even wearing every single item of clothing in my pack.

 

[Ianinam]

There was a single notable exception: the albergue in Roncesvalles. Of course, unfortunately, this was the first night on the trail. When I asked about a blanket, they literally looked at me like I was from Mars and it was the strangest question they had every been asked. It was odd as you would think this albergue more than any other would be prepared to help beginning pilgrims out and field unusual questions. To their credit in every other regard, they were absolutely outstanding. But I spent a very cold night, even wearing every single item of clothing in my pack.

In Roncesvalles we are not allowed to provide blankets for hygienic reasons; in fact; we do not have them at all. We have 217 beds, washing 217 blankets on a regular base is impossible. And we do not want to get bedbugs, we take this problem serious and it is a lot of work to get rid of them.
Furthermore: since the last two years many other albergues do not provide blankets anymore because of Covid.
During my Caminos I slept in my lightweight sleeping bag and never used the provided blankets because I never knew when they had been washed for the last time: last week? Last month? Last season?

 

[simongx]

I walked the full Camino Francés in October-November 2021, staying a few times in private rooms in albergues. I noticed that even if bedding was not provided, it was available for an additional fee. I would therefore think that going without even a sleeping bag liner is possible. I would, however, say that this self-imposed limitation means that you will have to be a little less spontaneous.

This much in answer to the specific question. But allow me to add that during my camino, my sleeping bag was one of my most cherished items and I used it sometimes even in places where sheets and duvets were provided. Warm, comfortable and clean, my sleeping bag ensured that wherever I stayed, I could rest well at night. This is of course a personal choice (and weight is an absolutely valid criterion), but myself, even if I walked in the height of summer, I would still take a light sleeping bag.

I wish you all the best for your camino.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

But allow me to add that during my camino, my sleeping bag was one of my most cherished items and I used it sometimes even in places where sheets and duvets were provided. Warm, comfortable and clean, my sleeping bag ensured that wherever I stayed, I could rest well at night. This is of course a personal choice (and weight is an absolutely valid criterion), but myself, even if I walked in the height of summer, I would still take a light sleeping bag.

I feel the same way as you do about my lightweight sleeping bag as I normally walk in April-May. The only time I didn't bring it, but instead borrowed a Sea to Summit stretchy liner from my son was on the Le Puy route in June and I stayed in gites that always seemed to have adequate sleeping temperatures.

 

[Viva Terlingua]

With the pandemic, I would call the day before to reserve your room depending on when you are walking. Last fall, booking private rooms was very popular while there was often bed space open in bunk rooms. More people felt the need to isolate themselves to prevent illness.. Also be aware that some places may put you in a 2 person room so specify if you want the room to yourself. You will pay more, but spare a roommate from your snoring.

And if you are traveling in May/June during this Holy Year after a pandemic, when the whole world, including Catholics and school groups, are chomping at the bit to walk, I certainly would book at least the first 4 stages and the last 100k into Santiago. Even the park benches might be taken!

I am booked through Uterga right now and plan on seeing what the situation is once I start walking to see how necessary reservations are going to be.

 

[Viva Terlingua]

A lightweight sleeping bag only adds 500grams. A silk liner maybe 150g. The Decathlon mummy silk liner weighs 110g for example. That's next to nothing.

I understand the wish for a lightweight backpack but this is really one of the items that is one of the basics, especially If you prefer not to make reservations. If you can't find a private room some nights, or the room you end up in is of questionable cleanliness, the liner will be very useful.

The weight is really not an issue for me. I don't like sleeping in a sleeping bag very much. I do it when hiking in the wilderness but I find them too confining as I roll around a lot when sleeping and don't like to sleep on my back. One of the ways lightweight sleeping bags keep the weight down is by keeping the bag small. Mummy shaped instead of the old rectangular shape. So they are even more confining.

 

[malingerer]

SNORING? take earplugs, then YOU wont hear it! You can always dish them out to the sensitive! I use them no matter where I am , just to make sure I buy a bag of disposable ones at my chemist. It weighs nothing and the rewards are immense.

Samarkand.

this was intended as a help to people like myself with heavy snoring partners, like I have She is unable to use a CPAP machine and could outdo the dawn patrol in DISNEY'S JUNGLE BOOK. It is not just a question of separate beds either, if I didn't love the woman it would be separate rooms! we live far apart at the moment but she gets my bedroom when she comes to visit. I am an early riser anyway so I can be up and full of coffee by the time she makes a rising. I think snorers need more sleep than I do because I don't think they get quality sleep! Medical diagnosis is more valid than pilgrim's comments anyway, but I also carry Jakeman's lozenges in the belief that a clear air passage is important and I have COPD ! i AM BEGINNING TO SUSPECT I MAY DO SOME NASAL WHISTLING MYSELF Final comment: My next solo trip will see me taking the tent as the ultimate solution even if i can afford a room

Yours in sympathy

Samarkand.

 

[good_old_shoes]

The weight is really not an issue for me. I don't like sleeping in a sleeping bag very much. I do it when hiking in the wilderness but I find them too confining as I roll around a lot when sleeping and don't like to sleep on my back. One of the ways lightweight sleeping bags keep the weight down is by keeping the bag small. Mummy shaped instead of the old rectangular shape. So they are even more confining.

If you know anyone who can sew a straight line: it is very easy to sew a rectangular liner in your preferred size.

A simple lightweight duvet cover can also be used as a liner (I sometimes use a very cheap IKEA duvet cover that way in summer (at home, but would also work for a summer Camino now that I think about it!) Has no zipper or buttons, so it's really similar to a liner. 5 Euros cost. It's wider than a standard travel liner (140cm vs 90!) and therefore doesn't feel as confining. Cotton, 550g. You can probably find something similar but more lightweight if you choose microfibre instead of cotton.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

A simple lightweight duvet cover can also be used as a liner

A very clever idea.