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Protecting your valuables

Maryimelda

Active Member
My son will walk the Camino Frances next April but of course as a nervous, doting mother I am thinking about all sorts of issues that could affect him. One thing that bothers me greatly is the issue of valuables like wallet, passport etc. Should he be sure to take these to the bathroom when he is having a shower and should he sleep with them on his person? Sounds pretty dumb I know but I don't want him to be too trusting and maybe get robbed. He and I were robbed in Rome some years back and I for one have been paranoid ever since. Any words of assurance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone.
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Bring your valuables with you to the bathroon: Never keep them out of sight. Put them in the bottom of your sleeping bag each night. As for my other "valuables", I do not use them on the Camino I have walked 4 times: Have never had any problems, and have never heard of problems. It is a special and good breed of people that do the walk, but my first 2 sentences still apply, just for good measure.

Edit: I should say that I have a waist purse for all those things, and it is easy to hang it in the shower/put it in my sleeping bag/hide it under my shirt. I do not expect it to be taken, but I do undertake preventive measures so nothing will happen.
 
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As they say, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". I kept my valuables in a ziplock bag in the same pocket of whatever pants or shorts I was wearing and always took it with me to the shower or bathroom, as well as slept with it in my sleeping bag. Not that I didn't trust everyone but, no reason to put temptation out there. Also, since I usually left early in the morning, it ensured that I wouldn't overlook it in the dark and walk off without it.
 
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Very easy and no worries actually, only heard of thievery in a large albergue in Leon perpetrated by homeless who had gained entry under false pretenses. First take a passport pouch: good for a passport and your credential worn unseen around your neck, hung off a hook while showering and as David g mentioned above in the bottom of the sleeping bag at night. Secondly, two credit cards, one in the wallet for easy access one in the pouch for emergency after loss or ATM malfunction, money? half in the wallet and half in the pouch and problem solved.
 
Some 'wrappering' around the things already mentioned is also worth talking about.
  • carry the least you can for the circumstances - the more valuable items you have, the harder it is to make arrangement for them to be secure.
  • remember, what is not on you is not secure - ever. So don't leave genuinely valuable items unattended. That does mean taking them to the shower, sleeping with them under a pillow or in the foot of your sleeping bag, etc. It also means not leaving them in your pack in a bar/cafe, when using a toilet, etc unless you are certain that there is no-one else around who might be tempted to take them.
  • don't expect other pilgrims to attend to your valuables. Its not that they are dishonest, it's just not their responsibility, and they might not do as good a job as you would expect them to do.
  • most importantly, don't discuss where you secure your valuables, what valuables you are carrying, when you visit a cashpoint to withdraw money, etc, etc. Letting other people know these details makes your own arrangements less secure.
 
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How old is your son?
 
My son and I will be starting the CF next April, also. April 11, from SJPdP to be exact. When and from where is your son leaving? I have also worried about the security of our valuables. Rick Steves sells a very good waist belt. You might check that out.
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Billy will start from SJPDP on April 7. He has a very good security belt but I guess I just need to know if he should be taking extra precautions.
 
Just tell him to carry his passport, credit card(s) and bulk of his money in one of those waist belt things they sell everywhere. He can bring that in the shower stall with him and sleep with it on his person. He can carry a second, smaller wallet in a pocket with the day's spending money (for coffee, meals, albergue etc) in it. More convenient than always digging in the waist pack and if you lose it, you've only lost one day's money.
Overall the Camino is quite safe and very few issues for concern security wise, especially for a grown man.
 
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Precautions are good and I have no issues at all with the comments and suggestions above. That said, on two long Caminos, I have never had an issue with security at all. I always leave my wallet, passport, iPhone / iPad in my backpack when showering. While sleeping those things are in a waist pouch or lightweight shoulder bag clipped to the bedpost. While walking, the phone and wallet with all my money & my credit card are in my pockets. I start my Camino with with half what I expect to spend and when that gets down to a couple hundred dollars, I top up at the ATM. As noted, I never worried and I never had a problem.

Finally, once your son hits 30, it may be time to stop worrying for him.
 
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@Maryimelda - so can you recall what you felt like when your parents tried to help when you were his age? I realise all our families are different, and as a parent I don't stop worrying. But I figured years ago that it was long past the time where I needed to hold their hands as my children make their way through the world. My daughters only need me to do that one more time each - on that walk down the aisle!
 
I had my passport, credit cards and travel information all together in a waist pouch which I wore all the time. I only took it off to shower and then as soon as I had dried myself put it back on again. When I was getting my self sorted to shower, I had a strong plastic bag in which I put my clean clothes to be put on after my shower and also a 'fanny bag' that I put my camera, cell phone and purse into. I also have an S-hook in my bathroom kit, so when in the shower, had everything together hanging from my own S-hook. That way after washing, drying, re-putting on my waist pouch and getting dressed all my 'goodies' were all together and I then put the S-hook back into the bathroom kit and made sure that I never left anything behind after showering. I also put the 'fanny bag' with camera etc in it at the bottom of my sleeping bag at night. The only thing I lost during my Camino was one sock that went to that place where one sock goes during a machine wash...
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
It is very much less crowded when your son is walking and that is to his advantage. I carried extra cash as the month before I was robbed in my own country while on vacation (Hawaii) but the police were excellent and everything was recovered. I used a waist pack for my valuables, keeping nothing re money/ identification in my pack, and slept with that waist pack. I would say use the the same caution as home plus extra. Your son should know that many albergues allow non-pilgrims to stay. Being a pilgrim is not a requirement of all albergues. I did encounter a few sketchy folks, but I live near NYC so sketchy I know . Use the same caution at home, plus a tad more. And no apologies needed for worrying about your son - I have three the same age and the worry stops when I'm dead (whether they like it or not). I walked solo, used precaution as mentioned - nothing was ever taken.
 
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I will say all of the above.

For myself, I carried one credit card readily available in my pouch, and then another one deeply ensconced in my backpack - not obvious unless my backpack was physically carried away and thoroughly searched.

Also, I used the strategy to only use ATMs when the bank in question was open - for fear of the rare but occasional 'swallowing' of your card and not being able of retrieving it.

annelise
 
MichaelSG said:
Finally, once your son hits 30, it may be time to stop worrying for him.
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30???? If I was 18 and my Mom posted this, I would be mortified....sorry Mom, God honest truth. "I don't want him to be too trusting"-- at 30 he is who he is. Let him learned his own lessons....

If he is interested in advice, I offer to have a plastic pouch and have valuables with him within sights at all times.
 
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ummm...as a mom to a 32, 30 and 24 year old...I will always keep and eye out on what they are up to / their lives etc.... maybe Maryimelda's son is not part of this forum, and she is asking for and getting fantastic advice which she can pass on to him. A parent doesn't stop being a parent because of their offspring's age. My 83 year old dad still asks that I let him know where I am and how I am doing when I travel and still gives me great advice to boot.
 
I was on the Camino in 2013 and 2014 and never had a problem with theft of any kind but I also took major precautions. I had the small purse that is like the "passport pouch" earlier mentioned that had space for cash and an ATM card as well as the passport (readily available at REI or the AAA travel shop). I also had a nylon waist pouch that I wore under my clothing and I kept copies of my important documentation (passport, travel documents, tickets, some cash and a credit card) to be a second level of security that would take care of my needs if my "passport pouch" were to be lost/stolen. When I went to the shower, I had a large (1 gallon size) ziplock plastic bag into which I put both pouches and took it with me into the shower. When I slept, both of those pouches were on my body, inside my bag. It wasn't particularly comfortable but I felt secure...maybe I am paranoid. I must say I never met any person who seemed like a thief but one never knows and to have your money, passport and documents stolen would certainly ruin your day. In Spanish they say "Más vale prevenir que lamentar" (Basically, "Better safe than sorry" but literally, "It's better to prevent than to lament"). As to your worrying about your 30 year old son...to me it is normal. Parents are their children's parents until they die and part of being a parent is to have a concern about their well-being and safety.
 
Jane and Saramago...excellent posts.
 
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I am amased at all the care some are giving re their belongings. I have always only "statshed" them away while in the shower, at the bottom of sleeping bag, backpag, where a person would have to search for them. Never thought of taking of of it with me. Then again, I never thought I woud develop a heel spur, so what do I know. Is this how everyone travels elsewhere, or just on the Camino?

I do find it convinient to have large pockets in my clothing (cargo pockets) to carry what matters most during the day. "Valuables" (passport, ATM, a CCard, reserve cash) on one side, daily cash and a cc in the other. And this is not to prevent thieves, but not to lose my own things. That way I don't risk droping the "reserve" when accessing daily cash. More and more albergues are offering lockers. He may want to bring a small padlock to take advantage of those in case they do not have them for sale or rent. I also photograph all ccards, passports, airplane reservations and store those on hotmail: always readily available, in case the Iphone dies on me.

Regading the age of Maryimelda's son ... looking at her name ... Mary Imelda ... I gather she is not from North American descent and may belong to a world where parenthood is for life. Not until the government deems one's child to be a so called "adult", which btw, is before the frontal temporal lobe is fully matured. And they want to let them vote at 16 here. Heaven help us ;0) Or perhaps he is not world travel savvy, or feels insecure for any other reason, or maybe she does. And it is all fine. This is a woman who cares. He is lucky to have her. And if our answers make her feel better, while he is rolling his eyes in his head, that is also just fine. And none of our business.

MaryImelda, he'll be fine. So will you ;0)
 
I backpacked through Europe in the mid seventies staying in youth hostals along the way and a veteran hiker explained to me then how to keep your valuables safe ie take them to the shower with you, at night roll your pants around your wallet, passport etc and put it in your pillowcase under your head. Never feel embarassed about doing this in front of others as you will feel at lot more embarassed if you loose everything. It was good advise and worked for me ever since and I pass it on to newbies every chance I get.
As to being worried about a thirty year old son, I have four sons aged between twenty eight and thirty six and I will worry about them when they are away 'till the day I die so I know how MaryImelda feels.
Edit. One girl I knew who travelled back then put her stuff in the bottom of her sleeping bag at night, she woke up one morning to find someone had slit open the sleeping bag and taken her passport and money so I don't hold with this method.
 
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Anemone del Camino said:
Regading the age of Maryimelda's son ... looking at her name ... Mary Imelda ... I gather she is not from North American descent and may belong to a world where parenthood is for life.
Click to expand...
I am sure there will be many North Americans who would reject the idea that as a nation, there is a cultural belief that parenthood is not for life, and be upset that you seem to be suggesting that.
 
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Look after your valuables on the Camino the same way as you would anywhere else. If I were sharing a dormitory in Australia or the USA or the UK or China or Timbucktoo, I would keep my passport, money, and cards in a security wallet or similar. I would keep them on me at all times, including when showering. The Camino is no different.
 
For the first time ever on the Camino Francaise, in all the years I have been walking, the stealing of personal belongings appears to have become an major major issue this year.

In the past I heard stories but only met one victim (a family had an off road pram stolen from reception in the municipal albergue in Burgos).

The robbers seem to be well organised, targeted, clever, leveraging off the good nature of the Camino Francaise to ill effect. I doubt it is pilgrims who are the quilty parties, beyond the normal petty thieft.

Here are some examples of robberies I came accross this year furing August to September, though some happened before I arrived. Some were reported in the local press.

- Pepper spray was released in the municipal albergue in O'Ceberrio, causing panic and mass evacuation. I believe €1,400 was stolen.

- All the albergues in Rabanal Del Camino were targeted at the same time early one morning as pilgrims began to leave.

- Electronics stollen en mass from an albergue just outside Pamplona.

- €200 stolen from the wallet of a friend in Finisterre.

- Backpack stolen from Korean pilgrim at Saint Jean Pied de Porte.

- Cash stolen from the bedroom of a pilgrim in the Monesterio albergue in Santiago. I was there at the time.

So incidents all along the Camino Francaise, focused in the main on cash for the most part, seem very organised and clever.

Equally the albergues seem to be very unaware of the issues, providing no guidance, even at the albergues affected. Some albergue owners still fo not admit to the existence of bed bugs for fear of impacting on their business. The same approach appears to being taken on stealing.

So:

- Carry your valuables at all time, bed, shower
- Secure your backpack to your bed post, etc.
- Don't leave your electronics charging all night.

I never felt the need to do this before except in the big cities and even then I was very chilled about it. Not anymore. Maybe this year was a once off, hopefully. Best be forewarned and aware and act accordingly.

Buen Camino
 
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I agree with been cautious. I heard and met people on the Camino who had monies or items stolen. While in Santo Domingo de la Calzada somebody stole electronics along with the charger from a fellow pilgrim while he was cooking. A woman walking in front of me was relating the story about 200 Euros stolen from her the night before at the albergue in Orbigo. Many here read about the two Korean pilgrims who had 1000 Euros each stolen while they were taking a shower soemwhere along the Meseta. Let's not even forget two years ago a Hospitalero in Logrono robbed the albergue of all the donations and dissapeared until he was caught at his hometwon somewhere near Barcelona. The Camino is not Nirvana and some may not there solely to walk.... Just be cautious, that's all.
 
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I sometimes wonder about how good advice can turn a subject matter into a crime watch scenario. The advice is keep your valuables safe by whatever means prudently suits you, but in all the time I walked on the camino never once did I hear of theft even though it does happen. I even had to walk many ks back to recover property and it was still there. Be aware, be safe, my 2 pennies worth. Buen Camino and enjoy.
 
It's an old formula. More peregrinos equals more people who see the Camino as an opportunity to make money. Some legally, others not so much.
There will be some that outright steal your property and others that will scam you of money via stories of being down and out, or lost their money or had it stolen and now need some cash just to get by, but will pay you back.
They see kindness or naivete as a weakness. You just gotta be careful.
 
What makes the Camino unique from other travel experiences I've had is the longevity and repetition involved. In addition, we pilgrims are constantly surrounded by good will and good folk of like mind along the way. As such, it's exceedingly easy to let your guard down at times, be lulled into a false sense if security, especially if you've been walking already for a couple weeks and have experienced no theft or security issues. Criminals and grifters are more aware of this than any of us and seize the opportunities.

I was likely most vulnerable at the places I felt safest, especially if I had been drinking a few beers after a long, hard walk. The one major theft issue I experienced was at a sleepy little albergue in an apparent ghost town in the Meseta. Pilgrims were tired, hot, but relaxed, we all dined together, many drank wine into the late hours. By morning several pilgrims awoke to realize they'd been robbed. An older, seasoned world traveller who slept one bed over from me lost all his cash because he left his money belt under his bed, rather than in his bed close to his body. I escaped theft because I held to a simple rule the entire way: my cards, passport and vital docs never left my body or my sight. Ever.

It is often said, "The Camino will provide." Unfortunately, petty criminals say the same thing.

Use common sense and listen to your instincts.
 
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I just completed the Frances to Muxia and Finisterre. I also spent 2 weeks as hospitalera in a parochial Albergue.
My thoughts are: leave the electronics at home. They are a security hazard and more importantly a distraction. BuT tthat is another discussion.
I used a waist belt type passport pouch that I wore all the time and took with me to the shower. However, on 2 occasions, I inadvertently left it in the shower and both times they were returned to me untouched. Plain dumb luck? Yes. Watched over by guardian angels? Yes. Or maybe the good folks of Spain and beyond are not out to steal us all blind? Yes.
This does NOT in any way negate my stupidity. But less really is more.
 
Yeah, that is a possibility when using one of those waist belt pouch type things. I would always run it through a belt loop of whatever pants or shorts I brought in the shower with me to change in to. A sort of reminder not to forget it.
 

Hi and thanks for your input. I know that it sounds strange for a mother to be shadowing her 31 year old son on the Camino but there are a number of reasons for this. Firstly he has Asperger's syndrome though not in a very serious form, so I do feel better being close by if anything goes wrong. He is extremely travel savvy and has travelled in Europe twice before as well as North America, New Zealand and far and wide here at home in Australia. Another reason for me going with him is that I have only driven the Camino in the past and it was always my dream to walk it, but sadly age and mobility issues have caught up with me and I would never be able to do the walk. My son has long wanted to do it as well so he very kindly asked if I would like to shadow him across the Camino and catch up with him in the bigger cities for a night here and there. (I think he might like the idea of having someone to do his laundry along the way!!!) As this is the closest I will ever get to making the pilgrimage, I was not going to refuse his invitation.

My question about security of valuables stems mainly from the fact that I have been robbed in Rome some years ago and the fallout from the robbery was a nightmare. I certainly would not like to see that happen again. Still as bad as it was, it has never stopped me from travelling and I make the journey from Australia to Europe every year now and with my lessons learnt I have never had any cause for concern since then.
 
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Thank you to all those parents who understand my concern for my son. I hope the knockers understand a little more of my reasoning now that I have explained it more fully above. Maybe I should have explained it all in my original post, but I didn't feel that it was anybody's business but mine. Having said that now you all know why I am going with him and be aware too that I will only see him every five or six days so it is not as though I will be waiting at every refuge every night to babysit him. The reason I asked the question and not him is because he is not confident enough in his writing ability to pose such questions himself. Again thanks to all for your good advice and tips.
 
Marymelda, you have no idea how close I came to asking if perhaps had some sort of autism or other form of challenge. A cousin of my has 2 grown up children with different kinds of autism, so I have learned not to judge. One is doing his PhD at MIT despite, or perhaps because, of his Aspergers. Clearly he is way beyond what the vast majority of people are able to think and resonate but other issues may creep up. Her younger son has a fairly functional for of autism but she has taught all of us who surround her or them about the challenges that come with the condition not to blindly judge. Issues can include something as basic as not tolerating holloween costumes due to texture.

Only you can judge what your son is able to deal with and how, where he may get in trouble. But I think we were given hints and tips that may help him, and the rest of us, on the Camino. Then again, I have NEVER taken my wallet to the shower, nor slept with it in my bed. I just tie a bag with those belongings to one of the bed bars. Then again, until last month I had never been truly incapacitated healthwise other than by simply being tired.

Again, you be the judge, the coach, the advisor. And, I don't have to tell you not to only hold your son's hand unless you are walk him down the aisle ;0) Be his mom any way you see fit.
 

Thanks for your understanding. I do have an older son who is severely autistic and hasn't ever been able to speak amongst a million other problems, but this one is nowhere near as severe in his condition and he is never happier than when he is walking for miles and miles on a daily basis. He uses the time to "clear his thoughts" which is his own expression, so between his love of walking, his love of meditation and his uncanny gift of direction, I am sure that he will make it to Santiago and when he arrives at the cathedral, I will be the proudest mother on earth.
 
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Speaking for myself, yes, this is how I travel everywhere. I try never to leave my valuables unattended where others can steal them. I don't leave my handbag sitting on my chair in a restaurant when I go to the rest room, for example.
 
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