September/October

barryg · Jul 7, 2019

My wife and I are planning to walk from Pamplona in September or October and were wondering what the temperatures might be. I have looked up average temps and they seem to say that it can get down to the 20's (I use fahrenheit), which is pretty cold for me. Do we need to bring down jackets, for example? Is it more rainy in September?

And my wife would like to ask any other wives or females, what they would bring, what kind of equipment they carried or plan to carry.

Thanks for any help.

Warmly,

Barry

Deleted member 67185 · Jul 7, 2019

barryg said:
My wife and I are planning to walk from Pamplona in September or October and were wondering what the temperatures might be. I have looked up average temps and they seem to say that it can get down to the 20's (I use fahrenheit), which is pretty cold for me. Do we need to bring down jackets, for example? Is it more rainy in September?

And my wife would like to ask any other wives or females, what they would bring, what kind of equipment they carried or plan to carry.

Thanks for any help.

Warmly,

Barry

Hi, Barry. . .

I have been on Camino Frances twice during late September thru October. It is a great time of year for a pilgrimage

Maybe this will give you an idea of what will work during your time on Camino. Below is a list of my "closet" that I carry in my pack. Besides it being used during the Fall on the Camino last year, it is about the same as what I used to thru hike the Pacific Crest Trail and the Colorado Trail (most of which sits above 9,000 feet / 2743 meters in elevation. And for the thousands of other backpacking miles I have done.

Pants -- REI, Classic Sahara Convertible, Zip-Off Legs
Baselayer Top -- Smartwool or Patagonia Capilene, Lightweight, Long-Sleeve x 1
Baselayer Bottom - Smartwool, Lightweight
Hat - wool beanie
Windshell Jacket - Patagonia, Houdini
Insulating Layer -- Mountain Hardwear, Ghost Whisperer Vest
Socks -- Smartwool Phd, Crew, Light Padding x 2
Extra insoles x 1
Poncho --- ~~Zpacks, Cuben Fiber~~ Frogg Toggs Ultralite
Gloves -- North Face, polartec

The total weight is around 3.6 pounds.

The clothing that I wear usually consists of running shorts and a long sleeved synthetic and lightweight shirt. All of the clothing can be used in various layering configurations to provide a comfort range from 25F to very hot. This is just an example of how a layering system can be flexible and cover a wide temperature range which is more than sufficient for the time of year you are going over the Pyrenees and Galicia.

Gerrard · Jul 8, 2019

There is a thread on this Forum on what to pack. Its very good. My suggestion is pack very light. My wife and I carry maximum 7kg including packweight. Also you can buy anything you need on the Camino. Less is definitely better than more. The most important thing is your footwear. Again use this Forum and do your research. September is harvest season. Brilliant time to walk. My wife and I are also starting again from Pamplona in early September. Bon Camino.

tpmchugh · Jul 8, 2019

barryg said:
My wife and I are planning to walk from Pamplona in September or October and were wondering what the temperatures might be. I have looked up average temps and they seem to say that it can get down to the 20's (I use fahrenheit), which is pretty cold for me. Do we need to bring down jackets, for example? Is it more rainy in September?

And my wife would like to ask any other wives or females, what they would bring, what kind of equipment they carried or plan to carry.

Thanks for any help.

Warmly,

Barry

Last time I walked in September it was warmer than July had been. I have walked twice in September into October and it never got anywhere near freezing let alone below it (20F is well below the freezing point of 32F). In fact I would hazard a guess and say you were looking at Centigrade temperatures as there is no way the average is ever going to be that cold. The only problem with that time of year is the dark mornings that get darker with every passing day until sun does not rise until 8:30 ish. Can be a little chilly at 6 or 7 but nothing a decent fleece cant remedy. On one occasion, I got two days of rain and on the other, three days. But dont go by my experience. The coldest weather I ever experienced on the Camino was in mid May so you may assume the weather can be a funny old thing and soak you when you least expect it. But you will not freeze in sub zero temperatures

trecile · Jul 8, 2019

tpmchugh said:
Last time I walked in September it was warmer than July had been.

I had the same kind of experience - hot days on the Meseta in September, and much more pleasant temperatures in July. Cold at O Cebreiro in both August and September!

tpmchugh said:
it never got anywhere near freezing let alone below it (20F is well below the freezing point of 32F). In fact I would hazard a guess and say you were looking at Centigrade temperatures as there is no way the average is ever going to be that cold.

That was my thought too.

lt56ny · Jul 8, 2019

The easiest answer for me is you never know. I was on the CF twice at almost exactly the same time, late September/October I have had snow in Galicia and heat. 90F days on the Meseta one year and 40-45F with rain and strong winds in my face almost the whole time. Dave's list should serve you well during that time frame. Remember you are not walking very far from the next store that you can buy something you may need if the unforeseen arises.

C clearly · Jul 8, 2019

The same advice will apply to both you and your wife. You can choose different colours, underwear and hat styles, or she can throw on a silk scarf in the evening, but otherwise the advice is the same: light layers to prepare for all eventualities. The weather will probably be warm in the day and cooler at night. It will probably rain a few days, you'll have a cold wind one day, it will be hot and sweaty more often than cold. Probably. My equipment is good for all year, with minor modifications only for mid-summer or mid-winter.

Pick your "normal" walking outfit, for a dry day that starts cool and warms up to very warm. For example: underwear, socks, footwear, sun hat, light weight long trousers perhaps with zip-off legs, a short sleeve base layer, and light long-sleeve shirt. The long-sleeved shirt comes off whenever you get too warm. If it is getting cold or wet, pull something out of your weather protection items in #4 below.
Pick your evening wear: Clean socks and underwear. Maybe another similar pair of trousers (here's where different choices can be made. I have merino sweat-pants, others take leggings, others have a duplicate walking outfit. Usually you want a short-sleeve and/or long-sleeve lightweight base shirt (I take both and wear both often). Finally, you want something warm and cosy for the evenings - your body feels the cold when it is tired. You could take a medium weight merino or fleece jacket. I walk in cooler months, so I take a merino cardigan and a sleeveless down vest, which supplements my very light sleeping bag. If you are walking in the rain, make sure that you keep the evening outfit dry.
Decide what to sleep in - might be your evening outfit or some portion thereof.
Add the weather protection items: Buff, gloves, single-layer rain jacket, rain pants. I prefer the jacket and pants (over a poncho) because they serve well for cold and wind protection as well.
"Spares" - I take another pair of socks and underpants, and a silk scarf.

What I wear is totally determined by the weather and whether I am in walking mode or relaxing. I have enough for all conditions, but no real "choices" once I am on the camino.

My approach is entirely consistent with what @davebugg says. The big differences are the style of walking outfits (he likes shorts; I don't), and how we like to walk in the rain (he has a windbreaker but uses a poncho for serious rain; I like waterproof jacket and trousers); and finally I have an extra lightweight base layer shirt because I'm old and slow and hate being cold.

That's it!

RJM · Jul 8, 2019

Temperatures in the 20's F on the Camino in September and October? No way. I have never experienced any temperatures even close to that range while on the Camino during that time of year. Shorts and short sleeve shirts everyday when walking, especially in September and a fleece pullover to wear at night. That is it. The extent of my cold weather gear.

trecile · Jul 8, 2019

RJM said:
Temperatures in the 20's F on the Camino in September and October

Of course not. 20° refers to Celsius, or 68° F

Bodi · Jul 9, 2019

I have walked twice in Sept/Oct. Most recently I experienced very hot temperatures on the Meseta, e.g. 28C. The key is layering. I had two wool long sleeve T-shirts and one short sleeve athletic wicking T-shirt. I also had 2 pairs of quick drying Mountain Hardware pants, one of which had zip-off legs. I did have a lightweight down jacket which was handy for cool evenings. I had a poncho which covered me and my pack. I love having a scarf for cool mornings and on the plane and a buff which is great for heat (you can wet it), cold and wind. Autumn is a wonderful time to walk. Buen Camino!