Sleeping bags for Camino Ingles?

[Chilli beanz]

We are first timers planning to walk the Camino Ingles in a few weeks. I've heard different things about whether you need a sleeping bag if you are staying in the albergues. Is there central heating, or is it more basic than that? We weren't planning to bring bags but perhaps that's a choice we will live to regret. Would appreciate any advice based on lived experience

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Not a lot of central heating, mostly small heaters they turn on during the evening and then off at night. I would bring the sleeping bags.

 

[Denise O'Callaghan]

hi there! I have the same problem. Are you walking in mid-April?I doubt there is any heating as accommodation is pretty basic I hear, and the forecast seems rain every day! We've never done this before so I was hoping to take a sleeping bag 'inner' with a fleece blanket for extra warmth. rather than a sleeping bag which is so bulky. but will this be warm enough? I can't sleep if cold! Have been given so many 'tips' am utterly confused! plus having to carry everything is quite daunting. I also need practical advice for a fit-ish 70 yr old! Denise

 

[Chilli beanz]

Yes, walking mid April to arrive in Santiago on Good Friday (we hope). I was told by one person at a practical pilgrim day in London that there is no need for a sleeping bag at all - the hostels have blankets and this person jettisoned their bag on day two (!)- but I've since read elsewhere that not all hostels provide blankets. Perhaps fluffy pyjamas and a liner would do it? (I'm an optimist)

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Yes, walking mid April to arrive in Santiago on Good Friday (we hope). I was told by one person at a practical pilgrim day in London that there is no need for a sleeping bag at all - the hostels have blankets and this person jettisoned their bag on day two (!)- but I've since read elsewhere that not all hostels provide blankets. Perhaps fluffy pyjamas and a liner would do it? (I'm an optimist)

Chilli, follow that advice and you risk some cold nights. Cold nights mean terrible sleep, which equates with dragging your feet the next day.

April can still be cold, May 2013 was freezing cold. And not all albergues have blankets, let alone clean ones.

Also remember that after walking such distances, sometimes in the rain, the cold, you will be tired, and your body naturally colder.

And leggings as well, to wear as pjs. Cut on things like flashlight, diary, buff.

 

[Mike Savage]

I agree. when I walked the Inglés in October 2015 I don't recall any place with heat and the most people we had in an albergue at one time was 6 of us. I know at least two or three nights there were no blankets to be found. On the positive side it only rained about 50% of the time.

Mike

 

[Peadarmac]

We are first timers planning to walk the Camino Ingles in a few weeks. I've heard different things about whether you need a sleeping bag if you are staying in the albergues. Is there central heating, or is it more basic than that? We weren't planning to bring bags but perhaps that's a choice we will live to regret. Would appreciate any advice based on lived experience

Hello Folks,
I'm heading back to the CF for my 4th Camino this September and on the advice of friends I am leaving behind my sleeping bag and have purchased the attached :

http://www.capelcamping.com/columbia-omni-heat-sleeping-bag-liner-c2x15786691

It is very very light and packs down really small into a small compression sack.My friends swear by it as it is lined with reflective material that retains your body heat.Anyway I'll know for sure come September !!
BUEN Camino
P

 

[Tia Valeria]

We needed a light, summer weight, sleeping bag on the Ingles in early May. The albergue did not have blankets and we would have been cold without them. We did not carry liners, so saved on pack weight that way.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

http://www.capelcamping.com/columbia-omni-heat-sleeping-bag-liner-c2x15786691
P

My driving winter jacket is made of this material and I love it. Only drawback is that the outside fabric is delicate and rips easily, but then so does the fabric used for the Double Black Diamond duvets. The price certainly is right.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola

The albergues on the Camino Ingles DO NOT HAVE BLANKETS. It is very cold in the evening in Galicia at the moment and this is set to continue with more rain forecast. Come prepared.

I was also talking with a Pilgrim yesterday who arrived on the Camino Ingles - there are some changes to the route not included in some of the recent commercial guidebooks. My advice - no matter what Guidebook you have - take the CSJ guide as well.

Buen camino

John

 

[whariwharangi]

You are allowed to be uncomfortable on the camino. (Some would even insist on it)

You won't die if you don't have a sleeping bag.

Albergues require that you have your own bedding. For most of us, that means a sleeping bag. You could bring a double sheet to fold and lie between the folds. That and a down quilt. Sleeping bags are better at keeping the critters out.

Try it out before you leave home.

Heating on the Frances was a mugs game. Some albergues turned off the heat and things got cold by morning. Some had the heat on low. One had the heat on at 37C and we roasted all night. A big problem was pilgrims drying their laundry on the heaters ... taking what feeble heat there was.

 

[Chilli beanz]

Thanks for the solid advice. Though we hope to take hardship in the spirit of things, I'm very grateful to be spared cold, sleepless nights.

 

[Chilli beanz]

hi there! I have the same problem. Are you walking in mid-April?I doubt there is any heating as accommodation is pretty basic I hear, and the forecast seems rain every day! We've never done this before so I was hoping to take a sleeping bag 'inner' with a fleece blanket for extra warmth. rather than a sleeping bag which is so bulky. but will this be warm enough? I can't sleep if cold! Have been given so many 'tips' am utterly confused! plus having to carry everything is quite daunting. I also need practical advice for a fit-ish 70 yr old! Denise

Hi Denise,

Having just finished the ingles this week, if you were my mum (fit woman in her late sixties) I would say:
1) for a more comfortable experience, you could skip the pilgrim hostels and enjoy a full night's sleep without the bedsprings creaking all night with couples canoodling. You could then also jettison the blanket, liner, towel and many toiletries, as even a basic pension will provide them, lowering the weight you have to carry.
2) our feet took a real pounding on the roads and the road walking would certainly be tough on my mum's joints - I would advise her to consider splitting some of the sections into two days, not because of the distance or hills, but because of the surface. Those sections would be betanzos to bruma (the day with the big hill), and potentially also bruma to sigueiro (long, mostly flat, with sections of road/track).

As to the temperature, we were blessed with warm days and no rain, and my friend survived the first night in a pilgrim hostel (in Pontedeume) with a liner and hostel blankets. After this, we were overtaken by faster walkers and the pilgrim hostels were always full by the time we arrived, so we stayed in bnb's, hostels, etc. We were relieved about this really - that first night in Pontedeume helped us appreciate the luxuries of privacy and hot water

Have a great walk!

 

[Karen21]

Hola,
I walked the Camino Ingles in the first week of April (before the Easter crowd).

The Albergue in Pontedeume has no heating - so we preferred a Pension since we were soaking wet.
The Albergue in Betanzos has heating, Hospital do Bruma as well, both nice and cozy. You can ask for a blanket in Bruma, don't know about Betanzos. The municipal albergues use disposable sheets.
in Sigueiro there are only private Albergue , but with sheets blankets.

I carried a lightweight down sleeping bag (450g only) and loved it.

Buen Camino!