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They are strong enough, but the latching mechanism can become weak, so take a few extra ones.
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They are strong enough, but the latching mechanism can become weak, so take a few extra ones.Hi Falcon:
Are they strong enough to hold up your pack from bed posts?
A toilet bag with 4 plastic zip closing showerproof pockets. I can put my passport/credential/money/camera/phone/spectacles in there as well as my toiletries and it hangs up in the shower. Practical security solved.
Locker room style most of the time (but with dividing walls). Sometimes with a door/shower drapes to separate more.what are showers like at the albergues anyway? are they like ours at home with toilet and shower single occupancy or more like locker rooms?
Instead of buyng expensive travel towel I bought a microfibre tea towel ... exactly the same and it cost me 75 cents (weighs only 45g too!) But the one thing I wouldn't miss are my crocs .... ugly as hell but the most comfortable thing to wear both in the shower (if it looks a bit dodgy) and around town ... lots of air for my poor toes!
HI everyone!!
I'm thinking a large travel towel will be my luxury item. I rather enjoy being dry; somehow a tiny tea towel, shammy et al does not seem to me that it would do the job. Also I have long thick hair and it takes a long time for my hair to dry!! Ladies with long hair what do you all do about shampoo, conditioner?
I have long and curly hair and as I didn't use conditioner and mainly washed the hair with soap. I came to Santiago with my hair in a total mess. It had been in a pony tail most of the time was like one big dreadlock in the end. Not so funny to try to fix. Bought a big bottle of conditioner in Santiago and spent 2 hours with untangling the hair. Not recommended.HI everyone!!
I'm thinking a large travel towel will be my luxury item. I rather enjoy being dry; somehow a tiny tea towel, shammy et al does not seem to me that it would do the job. Also I have long thick hair and it takes a long time for my hair to dry!! Ladies with long hair what do you all do about shampoo, conditioner?
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/111227714025?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649A spiral immersion heater to make tea, coffee, cup-of-soup etc. Never travel without it.
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/111227714025?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
I just ordered this one on ebay for 3.50 euros amazon were 22.50 euros and they would not ship it to Ireland
Hi,HI everyone!!
I'm thinking a large travel towel will be my luxury item. I rather enjoy being dry; somehow a tiny tea towel, shammy et al does not seem to me that it would do the job. Also I have long thick hair and it takes a long time for my hair to dry!! Ladies with long hair what do you all do about shampoo, conditioner?
"Weighs hardly anything" stuff adds up to weighing a lot! I always travel with a sink stopper of some sort. I have a whistle built into the clip on my backpack as all newer ones do, but my son had to point it out! I learned to cut off the long unnecessary ends of straps and melt the ends so they don't fray. Every gram counts. I've had the same bright orange nylon shopping bag for 10 years, take it everywhere. I put it on the scale, but it didn't weigh enough to move it. Great thread, I got many ideas! Buen camino.OK peregrinos, this first-time pilgrim (leaving SJPdP on May 19) hopes to learn from your experience. What was the SINGLE smartest "unexpected" item you included in your backpack? Keep it to one item, please, and (may I suggest?) skip the basics. I hoping for examples of items I would NEVER have considered taking! Maybe even little "luxury" items that weigh essentially nothing but that greatly enhanced your Camino experience. Be creative, now!
I am cutting my hair before I leave. It is an unnecessary luxury. Wash and go for me!Hi,
I have long thick unruly hair that tends to get tangled. I don't think conditioner as luxury, so I carry a travel size one. I use the lush shampoo bar as an all purpose for everything else.
I carry a large size travel towel as well it's amazing how dry they can get things. And it's nice to use to be covered up after showering as well. I would recommend it. Everyone has different items they are willing to carry, but if you bring it and don't use it you can always leave it for a lucky pilgrim or conversely pick some thing up along the way.
Ash
Uh . . . . I guess I have a fear of being naked. My bad.Btw all items in your back pack represent fears that you have.......it is with the fears that you have in your live..... They only slow you down!! Take the risk
I will definitely take and use mine. One reason I read is to wind down, and after a day of walking I imagine I'll need to wind down and rest. As for sunglasses, I prefer not to damage my eyes with UV rays and later develop cataracts.The two most stupid things I packed: Sony ereader....... Yes I walked the Camino with an ereader and I have not used it once!! The other item was the sunglasses, also never used them.
It is not bad, just a fear. Enjoy itUh . . . . I guess I have a fear of being naked. My bad.
I use an ebook reader not only to read but also download my itinerary and relevant camino guide. Saves lugging around books which can add weight when you really don't need it.I will definitely take and use mine. One reason I read is to wind down, and after a day of walking I imagine I'll need to wind down and rest. As for sunglasses, I prefer not to damage my eyes with UV rays and later develop cataracts.
I have found that a carabiner often does not fit the size of the bunk post or chair rail. It will work if it is large enough.How about just a very light weight Carabiner to attach your pack strap to your chair or a post to slow down someone trying to take it. You can hang your pack away from bed bugs. And they have many other uses. Has anyone tried that? Issues???
This was my most useful "extra" too...a small jar of lavender/ sandalwood essential oils...a multi purpose deodoriser, post blister popping antiseptic, foot soak, "perfume", clothes freshener & sleep aid!!Forgot to mention . . . ear plugs . . . essential.
Also . . . . . tiny, tiny pot of lavendar oil .... relaxing, aid to sleep, and covering over those pilg smells!
Interesting thread. Having read all of this I'm imagining staggering into an albergue dusty, sweating and thirsty. The place is festooned with paracord, dental floss, bungee cords and duck tape. Peregrinos are poking each other with needles, one is having a bath in a zip lock bag (a must see), another is is smoking cigars, one even wearing a nappy (diaper). What sort of madness am I letting myself in for? Time to reach for the most important item. The one without which this scene from Hieronymus Bosch would be intolerable. In the land of Tempranillo.... a cork screw.
Stinkers they are!Lavender oil. I can not sleep in a room with the smell. Pilgrims what can your sleep aid can be somebody else nightmare, Buen camino
Try keeping a bit of a paper towel under the lush bar when you have the small tin, it helps from sticking. It is great stuff though.Two items I would not have wanted to be without in the heatwave in Spain:
- My Lush solid shampoo bar (or similar) for washing my hair, body and clothes (choose one without bits in) - but *not* in the round tin, as I couldn't get it out with wet or soapy fingers and it sort of got stuck inside! Go for the square tin or a slightly larger round one.
- My Spanish fan! Just a cheapo collapsible flap-it-out-and-fan-yourself one I got in a souvenir shop, but it weighs hardly anything and creates a lovely breeze when it gets too hot - and also kept flying things away! I will be bringing mine back again next time.
Looks like a great product. Which Lush soap to you use?Try keeping a bit of a paper towel under the lush bar when you have the small tin, it helps from sticking. It is great stuff though.
Just trying to understand this product as I have an interest in using it. ---Does it come in a "tin", and are there various types of soaps we can get? Which type would you recommend? Thank you.Hi there. I too am a big fan of the Lush shampoo products in a bar. On my camino this year I did take the small round tin. All you need to do is wrap the bar in a little bit of clingfilm and it will stop it sticking to the tin. Just rewrap after each use. Worked for me!
I got one in the men's section of Penney's (Primark) for €2. It's fleecy and has elastic with a toggle at one end to convert it to a beanie.A buff is a tube of thin material which can be used as a hat, scarf, hand warmer, towel, etc. Most useful piece of kit, and even available in camino design... (search for Camino Buff on here, which will take you to Beverley's post, on the Pilgrim Books board. There's a picture of one)
Most camping stores stock them.
My sarong was fantastic - I could sleep under or over it, wear it as a scarf, wrap, and you would look fetching in one!OK peregrinos, this first-time pilgrim (leaving SJPdP on May 19) hopes to learn from your experience. What was the SINGLE smartest "unexpected" item you included in your backpack? Keep it to one item, please, and (may I suggest?) skip the basics. I hoping for examples of items I would NEVER have considered taking! Maybe even little "luxury" items that weigh essentially nothing but that greatly enhanced your Camino experience. Be creative, now!
Not sure if its been said but my must have was a simple plastic hook thats hangs over a door - weightless - hung over shower door to hold clothes, toilet bag etc. Next time ill take two or three.
Handy; heavy. Convenience is always nice, but when you weigh everything, you might leave the bag behind, then some of the contents.I have bought this toiletries bag
Don't bother...Met Sillydol in a Confraternity of St James meeting in Jhb South Africa and she has got smart packing done to a T.....She was both entertaining, dynamic and full of knowledge...
I am debating taking a portable 10l basin made by Sea to Summit to avoid the washing queue, any thoughts??? :!:
Very good. Used a headlamp when we walked at the shoulders of busy roads in Portugal during our caminho Portuges to keep cars, trucks and busses away from us.One item I used every night to read for a few minutes and finding the bathroom when it was dark was a headlamp. In fact, I don't travel anywhere without a headlamp. You can find some very tiny and efficient ones with LEDs.
Shopping bag a wonderful ideaOut of all the items listed so far, for me Portia's reusable shopping bag would have been an excellent item to have had. I saw other pilgrims with them and although I have tons at home, it's something I never thought to take and quite honestly didn't see them in Spain. They were no doubt there, I just failed to find them.
My 2 "must" items that some folks might consider the basics were my Spork and my trusty Swiss Army knife. I learned about the Spork (from this forum) just before I left on my Camino and I had planned to take my basic Swiss Army knife but I upgraded it just before I left with several more accessories (that corkscrew on the new one came in handy many times along the way). These are 2 items were very useful and I carry them both on my daytrips
That's OK Mike - I don't drink Glühwein so I wouldn't have used it at all for that!
But, we found it very useful to make a hot drink before we left in the morning, especially in albergues with no electricity or no kitchens. Also when the kitchens were busy with people waiting to use a pot on the stove to boil water. I often had other pilgrims cups lined up next to mine wanting a cup of coffee before they left.
As a vegetarian I often bought a box of soup and heated it for supper, with cheese and bread it made a nourishing meal. And so quick to prepare.
Very countries in Europe provide a kettle and cups in the Hotel rooms (as they do in England) and I have always used it to make my own hot drink when staying in a hotel.
I also carry a whistle - with a little led torch attached.
Hey there Mars!! What I do is every time I see something that I like on the Forum I cut and paste it into a Word document on my laptop under different titles such as---Places to stay. things to take, Spanish words to learn etc....That way I can cull thru everything before I go and I will not forget all the good ideas from the other forum Folks.....Give that a try....Buena Suerte....if I ask really really nicely....
Can someone please put all of the suggestions into one list? So us newbies don't get sidetracked with all the other chat and have one Unexpected item list to look at and then perhaps as we go we can add onto that? I think it might be helpful to all
Pretty please .....
Take a very light 1L collapsible plastic bladder for wine. Reason: buying a small glass of wine is expensive - as much as a Euro or even 2 Euros, while whole bottles may cost only three or four. Also, when buying the pilgrim menu including wine, you may have leftovers. Most people carry water. I don't. I carry wine.OK peregrinos, this first-time pilgrim (leaving SJPdP on May 19) hopes to learn from your experience. What was the SINGLE smartest "unexpected" item you included in your backpack? Keep it to one item, please, and (may I suggest?) skip the basics. I hoping for examples of items I would NEVER have considered taking! Maybe even little "luxury" items that weigh essentially nothing but that greatly enhanced your Camino experience. Be creative, now!
Brilliant, I shall be taking your advice. It would be great for picnics in the middle of nowhere. I was thinking of using a wide mouth bottle for the job but that seems like a better idea and less space too.Take a very light 1L collapsible plastic bladder for wine. Reason: buying a small glass of wine is expensive - as much as a Euro or even 2 Euros, while whole bottles may cost only three or four. Also, when buying the pilgrim menu including wine, you may have leftovers. Most people carry water. I don't. I carry wine.
LEFTOVERS?Take a very light 1L collapsible plastic bladder for wine. Reason: buying a small glass of wine is expensive - as much as a Euro or even 2 Euros, while whole bottles may cost only three or four. Also, when buying the pilgrim menu including wine, you may have leftovers. Most people carry water. I don't. I carry wine.
How big was the carabiner? If it was less than 75mm I think the security guard was either over reacting, or wanted one himself and decided yours would do. I usually travel with one or two around 65mm - just pack them inside so the officious security people don't get ideas. I also use the chair leg or my leg as a temporary security strap.I used to always travel with a carabiner on my pack. In the CDG airport, as I was transferring terminals the Security took it away saying I could not have them.
YMMV, but I stopped bringing them after that.
For security, I always put the chair leg of the chair I am sitting in through a shoulder strap or the clipped waist belt to deter a would be thief. On daypacks I use a small clip http://www.rei.com/product/811687/nite-ize-stainless-steel-s-biner-size-1-package-of-2
Connect one side to the zipper and the other to another zipper, a d ring or another part of the pack. This stops pickpockets from opening the pockets easily without your knowledge. Plus it is a good zipper pull.
Rambler
Good to know, since my skin is very dry to begin with!My view on LUSH soap.
Bought it, took it, used it and then got rid of it! Dried out my hair and skin.
LEFTOVERS?
What is this leftovers business?
There aren't any leftovers!
Regds
Gerard
This is a great product for any bar soap. You can hang it to dry after your shower, but you will want a plastic ziplok bag to hold it in your pack.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GXZOEO/?tag=casaivar02-20
Dennis, where did you get your power adapter?I carried a business card, I find it easier than trying to have someone write down email or web site info. It is especially nice if it is raining. I included the line in my talents, "Dragon Slayer." I figured it was a medieval route and there was always a chance of a dragon popping up. When people would see how old I looked they would usually draw the conclusion that I must be a retired dragon slayer. it was a great conversation starter, I never had difficulty engaging people. Hint: don't print cards on ink jet printers, the colors run if wet, use a laser printer.
Other useful things we carried was a three way power-outlet adapter so we could share outlets for charging things. (If you do carry one, be sure to carve your initials into it so everyone knows you're not stealing it.) Also, be sure to carry a headlamp, having a hands-free flashlight is a must.
In places that had "questionable" pillow cases we would use a spare tee shirt as a pillow case over the pillow.
Lots of good ideas in this forum, keep it up!
Dennis, "K1"
They now also make a small lockable version of this. Brilliant - we just bought them. Look for 'S-biner micro lock'........On daypacks I use a small clip http://www.rei.com/product/811687/nite-ize-stainless-steel-s-biner-size-1-package-of-2
Connect one side to the zipper and the other to another zipper, a d ring or another part of the pack. This stops pickpockets from opening the pockets easily without your knowledge. Plus it is a good zipper pull.
Rambler
I used the same bag last year. It's very compact and convenient and lighter than any others I've seenI would, if there was anything left to get rid ofin fact the small size weighs no more than my former toiletries bag and also holds most of the contents of my first aid bag - the rest go in a ziplok bag in the side pocket of the pack - so all in all I have saved a few grammes ... but the weight/comfort ratio is an individual thing. I'm happy with it.
Very cool! What a great idea. Maybe I will try to think of a similar thing only smaller (reduce weight LOL). Thanks for sharing.This is a variation on the great business card idea; it involves some effort (or considerable, depending on what you have on hand) but it might catch someone's fancy. On my first Camino, I wished for a pack of postcards from home since pilgrims ask about each others' homelands (when we're not talking blisters, etc). As it happens, I was part of a group that had organized a national conference a couple of years earlier. Among our promotional items, we created little cards with hometown photos (that talented staff members took) on one side and conference info on the other. We still had some now-useless cards so before my next Camino, I put my contact info on appropriately sized sticky labels for the cards. I asked my new friends to choose their card; they loved the bright images! My one regret was I didn't include my phone number because I thought that wouldn't work in Spain. Turns out it was the one near-constant way I could be contacted. Here's a photo of the cards I still have left for my next Camino! (The company that made these cards is MOO, not that I'm advertising for them.)
The carabiner was a standard climbing carabiner and WAS on the outside of the pack. It was one I dropped on a climbing trip, so he had better not try using it for its intended purpose or it might fail. Climbers never use a carabiner they have dropped onto a rock from any distance out of fear that it could have a hairline crack.How big was the carabiner? If it was less than 75mm I think the security guard was either over reacting, or wanted one himself and decided yours would do. I usually travel with one or two around 65mm - just pack them inside so the officious security people don't get ideas. I also use the chair leg or my leg as a temporary security strap.
You will need to scan the documents and then save them on your computer as pdf document(s). Then link your Kindle to the computer and copy the file(s) into its Documents folder.
It's called a zip tieI don't know what this is, but it sounds really useful! What do I ask for at the hardware store?
Actually if you use a tip of something pointed you can reuse them over and over,there is a little tab you pull back just a smidgeThese things... however I must confess I think they would have limited use on the camino and they are "once only use" items.
What do you use for sink stopper? I read somebody made one, but didn't quite understand how? It will be difficult to do laundry without one!I always travel with a sink stopper of some sort.
You are right. They are re-usable. The best solution seemed to be a glasses-repair mini-screwdriver.Actually if you use a tip of something pointed you can reuse them over and over,there is a little tab you pull back just a smidge
Very good. Used a headlamp when we walked at the shoulders of busy roads in Portugal during our caminho Portuges to keep cars, trucks and busses away from us.
Together with a fluoriscent safety vest.
my STRONG STONES from my GRANDCHILDREN....yes they were extra weight.....but they kept me Safe and Brave https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/998131_385388664900148_461642620_n.jpgOK peregrinos, this first-time pilgrim (leaving SJPdP on May 19) hopes to learn from your experience. What was the SINGLE smartest "unexpected" item you included in your backpack? Keep it to one item, please, and (may I suggest?) skip the basics. I hoping for examples of items I would NEVER have considered taking! Maybe even little "luxury" items that weigh essentially nothing but that greatly enhanced your Camino experience. Be creative, now!
Cindyjo,Helpful posts! I took a portable solar charger for my iPhone when I walked the Camino Frances in 2012. I'll take it again when I walk the del Norte in June 2014. I just charged my phone while I walked. I never had to hunt down an outlet or wait in line to charge my phone. I also never walked off leaving my phone plugged into a wall at the Albergue.
Cindy, I'd love more details about your portable solar charger for you iPhone. Thank you!Helpful posts! I took a portable solar charger for my iPhone when I walked the Camino Frances in 2012. I'll take it again when I walk the del Norte in June 2014. I just charged my phone while I walked. I never had to hunt down an outlet or wait in line to charge my phone. I also never walked off leaving my phone plugged into a wall at the Albergue.
Thank you Cindyjo!Rosemary and Alyssa, I am attaching the website for the solar panel I used. I believe there are others available at REI and other sports stores, but after some research this one seemed to be the best for my use. The panel folds in half flat so it is easy to pack when not in use and then opens to hook on the back of your pack. I had holes drilled in the top of mine, but I now see that they actually come with eyelets. This charger will also charge a small rechargeable battery for emergencies when there is no sun. I kept one for a back up. Here's the website: http://www.suntactics.com/ I just purchased a kayak and will take it kayak camping too.
Compression tightsOK peregrinos, this first-time pilgrim (leaving SJPdP on May 19) hopes to learn from your experience. What was the SINGLE smartest "unexpected" item you included in your backpack? Keep it to one item, please, and (may I suggest?) skip the basics. I hoping for examples of items I would NEVER have considered taking! Maybe even little "luxury" items that weigh essentially nothing but that greatly enhanced your Camino experience. Be creative, now!
I too have a solar charger for my iPhone and sons Gopro camera hope it works for usHelpful posts! I took a portable solar charger for my iPhone when I walked the Camino Frances in 2012. I'll take it again when I walk the del Norte in June 2014. I just charged my phone while I walked. I never had to hunt down an outlet or wait in line to charge my phone. I also never walked off leaving my phone plugged into a wall at the Albergue.
The Missals we use in our Fort Worth, Texas church are also printed in Spanish and English. When Bonnie and I make our Camino, we'll be sure to tuck one in our gear.A small booklet called "Libro de Oracion Comun" published by the Catholic Truth Society. It includes the Order of the Mass and a number of prayers in both Spanish and English. As my Camino started on Palm Sunday I knew I would be going to church in Spain several times in addition to Sunday services, and I wanted to be able to join in with the prayers. The booklet was perfect and small enough to easily fit into a pocket. I got in some practice in advance by finding recordings of prayers on YouTube and reading along with them.
The vocabulary picked up in this way also came in handy in other contexts, e.g. if you know "Cordero de Dios" means "Lamb of God" you can always find lamb in menus.
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