Taxi in inclement weather?

[Kbierstube]

To save weight in my pack and limit discomfort, I'm considering of leaving my rain gear behind and cabbing it if/when inclement weather strikes; Sept 2017.

Can cabs (or other transport) be easily be found in most Camino towns? What's pricing like?

Silly notion or ??

 

[trecile]

How much does your rain gear weigh? Not counting my umbrella, which I use more for sun than rain, my rain gear weighs 7.2 ounces.

 

[Robo]

OK in theory...... What if it rains all day or for a few days in a row.
What if it starts to rain heavily when you are between villages. There are some sections where you would have to walk for an hour or two just to reach a village.
I would take the rain gear, even if it was only a very lightweight poncho..

With good rain gear it's quite pleasant walking in the rain.... Straight up and down rain at least

 

[Waka]

Leaving out ranger is not a good idea as the reasons above indicate. I only had 4 days of rain in 42 days of walking, but so glad I had the gear, it also makes a change walking in inclement weather, I found it exhilarating.
Be wise and pack the extra weight, you know it makes sense.

 

[natefaith]

Welcome to the Forum, @Kbierstube!

Probably wiser to find the lightest rain gear you can buy, and bring it along so you're prepared for whatever circumstance and live in the moment rather than scrambling for a taxi. Especially in Galicia, but in other parts of the country as well, inclement weather can strike at any time. If you're out on the trail, you may still have a couple (or more) hours to go before you reach the next village. Depending on the size of the next village, you/ they may have to call the taxi to come for you and it could be 10 - 20 minutes before it arrives.

If you need a taxi to come get you while you're on the trail, that could be even harder - cell phone reception can be dodgy where the trail is remote, and a taxi driver may or may not be able to reach you if the path is far away from the road.

So...I recommend you bring some rain gear so you can keep enjoying the Camino and any company you're with. Enjoy all the planning and Buen Camino!
Faith

 

[JabbaPapa]

The only absolutely necessary rain gear is the right pair of shoes (which you'll need anyway), a good backpack (which you'll need anyway), and a hat (which you'll need anyway).

Walking in the rain is a notion that sounds a lot worse than it actually is -- in fact, days with light rain can be the best kind of hiking weather.

If you're scared about getting your clothes wet, well many pilgrims use extreme lightweight plastic ponchos -- and whilst I'd not touch such things myself, they do seem to mostly work as advertised. They take up virtually no room, and weigh next to nothing.

Finally, I really would advise avoiding taxis in every and any circumstances except for such emergencies as illness, physical injury, or extreme exhaustion leading to complete inability to move forward.

 

[FeatherG]

To save weight in my pack and limit discomfort, I'm considering of leaving my rain gear behind and cabbing it if/when inclement weather strikes; Sept 2017.

Can cabs (or other transport) be easily be found in most Camino towns? What's pricing like?

Silly notion or ??

I'm not an expert Caminoer by any means, but I thought the whole point of it was to leave all/most 'creature comforts' at home, ... and experience how it's possible to enjoy life with 'alternative creature comforts' i.e. café con leche mid-morning with people you've never met before; sharing sticks down-hill, cause the knees are really feeling it; swapping stories/photos over dinner as you sip vino ... with again, ... more 'strangers'; 'singing in the rain' as you passed through woodland and mucky patches ... as it just felt right ... and so did others, ... cause they joined in!
Be positive, ... go with the flow, ... and don't worry about 'inclement weather'. Actually, the odd bit of rainfall can be quite 'refreshing' .... and the 'downpours' ... well, ... all part of the journey ... as is life. So, pack a poncho ... and join the trail ... you know you want to! Buen Camino

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Taxis are about 1 Euro per kilometer. They are easy to get in towns and villages, but much more difficult out on the trail. Imagine trying to describe where you are in Spanish when you are nowhere identifiable. Uber does not exist in Spain. Taxis phone numbers are posted everywhere! They want your business. When it rained 27 of 31 days on one camino, I would have spent the entire trek in a taxi using your proposed technique! Without any rain gear your pack may slowly become soaked in light rain, when you might be willing to walk. A wet pack is much more inconvenient than a pound of rain gear.

 

[John Sikora]

I thought about that as well, but in the end my poncho didn't weigh that much and in a perverse sense walking in three days of off and on and occasional pouring rain was one of the best parts. Story in point:

1) Standing under a tree (but no lightning, just pouring buckets of rain)
2) Dutch speaking (no English) couple shares the tree.
3) We both look up at the rain, whine a bit in our own languages. Sometimes you don't need a translation
4) Rain comes down harder
5) Pilgrim walks by, looks at us, and yells "Pilgrims are invincible and waterproof!!" and proceeds to disappear over the next hill.
6) Dutch couple and I look at each other, step out of the tree area, and just keep walking.

That doesn't happen on a sunny day.

And once you get wet, you can't get wetter.

BTW, I did take a taxi for about 5 miles during a bad thunderstorm. Rain is one thing, being stupid about taking a risk is another. In most areas, taxis are pretty available. Cost is not that bad when you consider the other options. Also depending on the route, there may be a bus available.

 

[HighlandsHiker]

I thought about that as well, but in the end my poncho didn't weigh that much and in a perverse sense walking in three days of off and on and occasional pouring rain was one of the best parts. Story in point:

1) Standing under a tree (but no lightning, just pouring buckets of rain)
2) Dutch speaking (no English) couple shares the tree.
3) We both look up at the rain, whine a bit in our own languages. Sometimes you don't need a translation
4) Rain comes down harder
5) Pilgrim walks by, looks at us, and yells "Pilgrims are invincible and waterproof!!" and proceeds to disappear over the next hill.
6) Dutch couple and I look at each other, step out of the tree area, and just keep walking.

That doesn't happen on a sunny day.

And once you get wet, you can't get wetter.

BTW, I did take a taxi for about 5 miles during a bad thunderstorm. Rain is one thing, being stupid about taking a risk is another. In most areas, taxis are pretty available. Cost is not that bad when you consider the other options. Also depending on the route, there may be a bus available.

Fun story well told, John:0)).

 

[HighlandsHiker]

To save weight in my pack and limit discomfort, I'm considering of leaving my rain gear behind and cabbing it if/when inclement weather strikes; Sept 2017.

Can cabs (or other transport) be easily be found in most Camino towns? What's pricing like?

Silly notion or ??

Kbierstube - sometimes taxi numbers are written on the doors of tiendas and locals often can give you a number of a local service. Maybe a compromise....take a couple of those pocket-packet ponchos - very lightweight - and always use your pack cover too at the first hint of rain (because a backpack full of damp clothes is just no fun at all).

 

[Tia Valeria]

We have taken a taxi a couple of times in the past. We were advised that over 10kms the taxi can ask for the cost of reaching you at the same rate as the fare. That would make the cost 2€ per km. The price is from 2 years ago so prices per km may have risen.

 

[domigee]

To save weight in my pack and limit discomfort, I'm considering of leaving my rain gear behind and cabbing it if/when inclement weather strikes; Sept 2017.

Can cabs (or other transport) be easily be found in most Camino towns? What's pricing like?

Silly notion or ??

I once needed a taxi to pick up a sick peregrina. I didn't have a number so called the nearest albergue and explained the problem. It was lucky we were on that long stretch before Sahagun, accessible to cars. It is not always the case! It still took a long time in coming.
So, by the time your taxi comes, you'll be wet through anyway.
Pack a poncho or take an umbrella!

 

[obinjatoo]

To save weight in my pack and limit discomfort, I'm considering of leaving my rain gear behind and cabbing it if/when inclement weather strikes; Sept 2017.

Can cabs (or other transport) be easily be found in most Camino towns? What's pricing like?

Silly notion or ??

Silly notion? Downright dangerous! If you're not even willing to carry rain gear and believe a "taxi" will come to your rescue, I'm not sure this pilgrimage or any extended time outdoors is a good idea for you. This would create problems for other people.

 

[TKrene]

I thought about that as well, but in the end my poncho didn't weigh that much and in a perverse sense walking in three days of off and on and occasional pouring rain was one of the best parts. Story in point:

1) Standing under a tree (but no lightning, just pouring buckets of rain)
2) Dutch speaking (no English) couple shares the tree.
3) We both look up at the rain, whine a bit in our own languages. Sometimes you don't need a translation
4) Rain comes down harder
5) Pilgrim walks by, looks at us, and yells "Pilgrims are invincible and waterproof!!" and proceeds to disappear over the next hill.
6) Dutch couple and I look at each other, step out of the tree area, and just keep walking.

That doesn't happen on a sunny day.

And once you get wet, you can't get wetter.

BTW, I did take a taxi for about 5 miles during a bad thunderstorm. Rain is one thing, being stupid about taking a risk is another. In most areas, taxis are pretty available. Cost is not that bad when you consider the other options. Also depending on the route, there may be a bus available.

love this story. totally why we all love the camino, even in the rain.

 

[kmrice]

Probably wiser to find the lightest rain gear you can buy, and bring it along so you're prepared for whatever circumstance

My experience with "the lightest rain gear you can buy" was disastrous.

Before my first Camino, I looked into ponchos and rain jackets extensively, and thought they were awfully heavy. I then discovered super light weight ponchos, the kind you carry in your glove compartment for emergencies. They were so light, about 1.3oz, and cheap, that I bought a dozen and gave three to each of my two sons, my wife and myself.

They worked great - until it rained. Then, one day, in Galicia, in an area nowhere near any town and without any cell coverage, we were hit with heavy rain, driven nearly horizontal by roughly 30 knot winds. The ponchos lasted, maybe, 15 seconds before they were torn to shreds. Having three each did not help; 3 x worthless = worthless. We were soaking wet and in serious danger of hypothermia. I don't know how the story would have ended had a local family not taken us in, let us dry off, fed us, given us coffee, and driven us to a bar about 10 kilometers away which rented us a room.

You may not get rained on while walking the Camino. If you do, it might be a pleasant change on a hot day. On the other hand, it might be cold, no matter when you walk, and, without rain gear, you may be in serious trouble. Hypothermia can and does kill. My advice is to be prepared.

We now carry Packas, a sort of combination poncho and rain jacket which can be mounted on our packs like pack covers, and put on like a jacket in a moment if it rains. Mine weighs 11.5 ounces, and which is weight I am happy to carry.

 

[kmrice]

And once you get wet, you can't get wetter.

But, you can get colder, and hypothermia can and does kill. My advice is to be prepared.

 

[natefaith]

My experience with "the lightest rain gear you can buy" was disastrous.

Before my first Camino, I looked into ponchos and rain jackets extensively, and thought they were awfully heavy. I then discovered super light weight ponchos, the kind you carry in your glove compartment for emergencies. They were so light, about 1.3oz, and cheap, that I bought a dozen and gave three to each of my two sons, my wife and myself.

They worked great - until it rained. Then, one day, in Galicia, in an area nowhere near any town and without any cell coverage, we were hit with heavy rain, driven nearly horizontal by roughly 30 knot winds. The ponchos lasted, maybe, 15 seconds before they were torn to shreds. Having three each did not help; 3 x worthless = worthless. We were soaking wet and in serious danger of hypothermia. I don't know how the story would have ended had a local family not taken us in, let us dry off, fed us, given us coffee, and driven us to a bar about 10 kilometers away which rented us a room.

You may not get rained on while walking the Camino. If you do, it might be a pleasant change on a hot day. On the other hand, it might be cold, no matter when you walk, and, without rain gear, you may be in serious trouble. Hypothermia can and does kill. My advice is to be prepared.

We now carry Packas, a sort of combination poncho and rain jacket which can be mounted on our packs like pack covers, and put on like a jacket in a moment if it rains. Mine weighs 11.5 ounces, and which is weight I am happy to carry.

Good points, learned from hard experience. Thanks for sharing, @kmrice. I use a Marmot Precip jacket and then a waterproof backpack cover myself. I haven't used ponchos before but that certainly sounds like a dangerous situation you were in.

 

[trecile]

We now carry Packas, a sort of combination poncho and rain jacket which can be mounted on our packs like pack covers, and put on like a jacket in a moment if it rains. Mine weighs 11.5 ounces, and which is weight I am happy to carry.

Packas are great. A couple that I walked with last year had them.
Since I like to make my own gear I made something similar to a Packa, called a Parcho. Mine weighs just 7.2 ounces, and kept me dry on the 2-3 days that I needed it last year.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

My experience with "the lightest rain gear you can buy" was disastrous.

Nobody said the least expensive and light you can buy. It still has to be quality. Altus and Mac in a Sac rain pants work very well together, are quality and relatively light.

 

[Anniesantiago]

To save weight in my pack and limit discomfort, I'm considering of leaving my rain gear behind and cabbing it if/when inclement weather strikes; Sept 2017.

Can cabs (or other transport) be easily be found in most Camino towns? What's pricing like?

Silly notion or ??

Taxis are generally found in most villages.
Check at the local bar.
Not sure about this year, but last year they ran between 1 and 1.50 euros per kilometer.
That is for the TAXI, not the seat, so you can share and split the cost.
Local buses are another option and are MUCH less expensive.
Check at your albergue to see if there are buses.