Things I learned on the Inca Trail

[MichaelC]

Four days in the Andes with porters isn't the same as 35 days in Spain, but there were still a few tricks that I picked up on the Inca Trail that will by applying to the Camino - some have been discussed before, and some haven't (I don't think), so here goes:

- Good socks are as important as having good boots! I used merino wool socks paired with silk sock liners. This combo really helped reduce friction on my feet, and I never had any issue with blisters or sore spots. The silk liners are super lightweight, so it was easy to carry more of them & rotate them daily, or even at lunch, while the merinos would stay drier and less stinky, and last longer.

- Merino underwear is pretty nice also, though it doesn't last as long as the socks.

- Speaking of stink, once those modern hi-tech shirts pick up a stench they keep them. I've read that bacteria get trapped in the microfibers, so that they smell nice and clean when they're dry, but start to ripen as soon as they're warm. The only way I've found to rescue them is to soak them in vinegar for a couple hours before washing them. I'll be avoiding them on the Camino!

- Every group of hikers we met were lovely and polite until the last day, when the main trail merged with an single-day trail. And then the peacefulness was destroyed. People lined up in the dark to be the first on the trail, they would jostle past you if you paused for a photo, and it seemed to turn into the Amazing Race. Everyone got pushy in the fight to get to the best and most iconic sunrise spots first. The 'race' seemed to drain all the spirituality out of the walk. I had to quit it, and let everyone pass, before I found my peace again. And I read about the occasional race for beds and the race for the pilgrims' mass, and I think: you can get your bed and lose your peace.

(Not making the Camino a race gets discussed a lot on here! This one is probably not a revelation to anyone at all.)

- We would have a big lunch, take a siesta, and then walk again until dusk. It was a nice pace. And while I have absolutely no idea what my own camino pace will be, I want to at least try a few days like this (rather than trying to check into an albergue by noon) to see if it feels right.

 

[Icacos]

Four days in the Andes with porters isn't the same as 35 days in Spain, but there were still a few tricks that I picked up on the Inca Trail that will by applying to the Camino - some have been discussed before, and some haven't (I don't think), so here goes:

- Good socks are as important as having good boots! I used merino wool socks paired with silk sock liners. This combo really helped reduce friction on my feet, and I never had any issue with blisters or sore spots. The silk liners are super lightweight, so it was easy to carry more of them & rotate them daily, or even at lunch, while the merinos would stay drier and less stinky, and last longer.

- Merino underwear is pretty nice also, though it doesn't last as long as the socks.

- Speaking of stink, once those modern hi-tech shirts pick up a stench they keep them. I've read that bacteria get trapped in the microfibers, so that they smell nice and clean when they're dry, but start to ripen as soon as they're warm. The only way I've found to rescue them is to soak them in vinegar for a couple hours before washing them. I'll be avoiding them on the Camino!

- Every group of hikers we met were lovely and polite until the last day, when the main trail merged with an single-day trail. And then the peacefulness was destroyed. People lined up in the dark to be the first on the trail, they would jostle past you if you paused for a photo, and it seemed to turn into the Amazing Race. Everyone got pushy in the fight to get to the best and most iconic sunrise spots first. The 'race' seemed to drain all the spirituality out of the walk. I had to quit it, and let everyone pass, before I found my peace again. And I read about the occasional race for beds and the race for the pilgrims' mass, and I think: you can get your bed and lose your peace.

(Not making the Camino a race gets discussed a lot on here! This one is probably not a revelation to anyone at all.)

- We would have a big lunch, take a siesta, and then walk again until dusk. It was a nice pace. And while I have absolutely no idea what my own camino pace will be, I want to at least try a few days like this (rather than trying to check into an albergue by noon) to see if it feels right.

I don't think the Camino will be the Camino without one or two smelly shirts, but I appreciate your tip of pre-soaking clothes in vinegar to remove the odor.

 

[grayland]

Four days in the Andes with porters isn't the same as 35 days in Spain, but there were still a few tricks that I picked up on the Inca Trail that will by applying to the Camino - some have been discussed before, and some haven't (I don't think), so here goes:...snipped.

Having done both...I would submit that really is no similarity between the
two. The Inca trail is simply 4 days of walking without a pack.
The Camino experience doesn't really start until the 2nd week.

 

[cher99840]

The Inca trail is simply 4 days of walking without a pack.

Curious here. Why without a pack? Are porters required? Sorry if my question is taking us too far off the Camino subject.

 

[peregrina2000]

Curious here. Why without a pack? Are porters required? Sorry if my question is taking us too far off the Camino subject.

Porters are required, they carry the food, all the cooking equipment, tents, but I carried my own pack. The numbers entering the trail are limited, I think, to 500 a day, but well over half of those are porters! I had a group of four walkers, and there was the guide, and then six or seven porters!!! They did the cooking, too. And the truly amazing thing was how we would get up and start walking after breakfast, leaving the camp site with the tents up, nothing packed up, etc. Inevitably, the porters would catch up with us, get ahead of us, and have everything set up before we got there. And they walked, every one of them, in flip flops. You have to do a lot of soul searching when you see 50 year old men carrying at least 100 pounds up and down these trails for your convenience, but that's another story.

I loved the Inca trail, but even better in many ways was the hike to Choquequirao, accessible only by foot, with some killer 5,000 ft elevation gain days but OMG amazing to be there in the ruins, just you and your guide and the porters. Sorry also to have gone off topic, but in the past I have had PMs with several people about these walks in Peru, so I assume that the moderators will tolerate a little of this. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[cher99840]

Thank you Laurie. If/when I decide to do this trek, I'll be talking to you again.....but I'll PM

 

[MichaelC]

I agree, I think the experiences are going to be completely different. There are still a few things that cross over, though ... like having good socks! It's kind of funny that the Inca Trail forums were full of discussions of which were the best sock. Here I see lots of discussion on packs, rain gear, hiking poles, and the right shoes or boots - but I'm surprised that there's so little discussion on socks. It really does make a difference.

 

[cher99840]

@MichaelC, what was your conclusion regarding the best sock?

(Never mind, rereading the original post, I see the answer.)

 

[grayland]

Actually, there have been many in depth threads on socks and liners.

I did not do a search..but they are there and are worth researching.

I fully agree that blister prevention starts with socks and liners.

 

[peregrina2000]

Actually, there have been many in depth threads on socks and liners.

I did not do a search..but they are there and are worth researching.

I fully agree that blister prevention starts with socks and liners.

Yes, there are lots of sock threads, and as is usually the case when it comes to gear, we can all give each other a lot of suggestions about what works best for us, but in the end what works for you will have nothing to do with our recommendations but just what works for your own feet, which are unique in so many ways. That doesn't take away from the value of these posts, because they give you a range of options to try out.

MichaelC recommends silk liners, I hate them. They just didn't do anything for me in any way. So I just go in socks -- after years in Smart Wool, I've discovered Icebreakers and I think they are superior in terms of durability. Whereas my Smart Wool wear through in 6 weeks, I wore my Icebreakers from Valencia to Santiago and then again last year on the Olvidado. Still looking good!

I think the one thing that is impossible to predict is how much your feet will swell. Any pre-camino training is unlikely to get your feet to their maximum Camino swollen size, unless you walk for consecutive days with a pack on your back for hours a day. Shoes that I wear comfortably with a mid weight hiking sock when I hike here at home become too tight for me unless I reduce the thickness of my sock on a camino.

No doubt socks are an essential part of the gear -- the wrong socks for you can lead to lots of blisters, and what I usually see is that the socks are too thick and the feet have swollen, thus producing blisters. Lots of things to experiment with but it took me about 10 years on the camino to get my perfect combination! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Maya2]

I had a similar experience to Michael on the Inca. Some people collect experiences and other actually let them imprint. Nothing to do but let those in a hurry get their photo and move on.

I'm a night person, so on the Camino I was usually the last to leave. When the Spanish napped, I napped. While I had to stay in a hotel a few nights, it was nice to have a quiet bed and a room to myself.

Liners don't work for me either, but I'm with you on the vinegar. Absolutely a wonderful cleaner.

 

[tploomis]

Having done both...I would submit that really is no similarity between the
two. The Inca trail is simply 4 days of walking without a pack.
The Camino experience doesn't really start until the 2nd week.

On the other hand there are similarities between doing the Camino and sitting in a wheelchair in a nursing home.

 

[Icacos]

Best socks: Fox River (MEC), no liners, lots of Vaseline.

 

[MichaelC]

I really favor the 100% merino socks. I tried a pair of smart wool ones too, but they didn't last as long. The merino socks are lightweight, yet comfy. And they are still going strong two years on! And while I liked using the silk liners on the Inca Trail, I never use them on day hikes - so I honestly don't know how I will feel about using them for 2 1/2 months.

The Inca gear that I think I will use again on the camino:

Merino Wool Hiking Socks - as stated above.
LED Mini Flashlight - 3.4 ounces. This goes with me on every adventure now.

And because I'm planning on starting from Le Puy in early May, and am sure to be cold:

Silk glove liners. Great if you want warmth but don't want to wear a full glove. 0.8 ounces.
Icebreaker leggings. Very comfortable, and lightweight. 9.6 ounces
Icebreaker top. ditto. one pound

I live in the tropics, so will probably be bringing a lot more base layers and warm clothes than the average pilgrim. It's the only way I will survive the French spring.

@peregrina2000 - I've liked every Icebreaker product I've tried. Their boxers are good too! I'll have to check out their socks. Their products really do last a long time.

 

[Rolees88]

[QUOTE = "Icacos, post: 263938, miembro: 20485"] Mejores calcetines: Fox River (MEC), sin forros, mucha vaselina. [/CITAR]
jajaja de acuerdo : )

 

[P Rat]

Thank you Laurie. If/when I decide to do this trek, I'll be talking to you again.....but I'll PM

Hi Cherr, the Inca trails are mostly (if not all) guided. It is not possible to walk them independently. But: the guide is a wealth of knowledge and we wouldn't have wanted todo it any other way! I ahven't done a cmino yet, but I imagine the Ince trails to have many more steps too than most of the Caminos.

 

[P Rat]

After reading indeed lots of posts on socks on this forum we decided to do our pre camino walk on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail. 160 km over 4 days. Reasonable flat (rail trail right!). We are not new to multi day hikes, pack and all but not the endless days of a Camino. And just wear whatever hiking sock we have, be it smart wool or some other material. Never had issues, whatever we wore. But, we heeded the advise of multiple experts on super long distance walking and we bought the sock liners and the thicker socks. And then freak week happened. Unusual high temperature end of spring....we walked 40 km-days in 40 degrees C....never had blisters before and couldn't count them that week! That many! Needless to say I am a little nervous and can't decide whether we were overthinking the whole sock issue and should go back to what we used to do or put the misfortune down to the high temperatures. (I'm sure that didn't help!) Anyway...que sera sera. Not blaming anyone off course, just sharing my dilemma

Yes, there are lots of sock threads, and as is usually the case when it comes to gear, we can all give each other a lot of suggestions about what works best for us, but in the end what works for you will have nothing to do with our recommendations but just what works for your own feet, which are unique in so many ways. That doesn't take away from the value of these posts, because they give you a range of options to try out.

MichaelC recommends silk liners, I hate them. They just didn't do anything for me in any way. So I just go in socks -- after years in Smart Wool, I've discovered Icebreakers and I think they are superior in terms of durability. Whereas my Smart Wool wear through in 6 weeks, I wore my Icebreakers from Valencia to Santiago and then again last year on the Olvidado. Still looking good!

I think the one thing that is impossible to predict is how much your feet will swell. Any pre-camino training is unlikely to get your feet to their maximum Camino swollen size, unless you walk for consecutive days with a pack on your back for hours a day. Shoes that I wear comfortably with a mid weight hiking sock when I hike here at home become too tight for me unless I reduce the thickness of my sock on a camino.

No doubt socks are an essential part of the gear -- the wrong socks for you can lead to lots of blisters, and what I usually see is that the socks are too thick and the feet have swollen, thus producing blisters. Lots of things to experiment with but it took me about 10 years on the camino to get my perfect combination! Buen camino, Laurie

rs till we did our

 

[sharonmonty]

Porters are required, they carry the food, all the cooking equipment, tents, but I carried my own pack. The numbers entering the trail are limited, I think, to 500 a day, but well over half of those are porters! I had a group of four walkers, and there was the guide, and then six or seven porters!!! They did the cooking, too. And the truly amazing thing was how we would get up and start walking after breakfast, leaving the camp site with the tents up, nothing packed up, etc. Inevitably, the porters would catch up with us, get ahead of us, and have everything set up before we got there. And they walked, every one of them, in flip flops. You have to do a lot of soul searching when you see 50 year old men carrying at least 100 pounds up and down these trails for your convenience, but that's another story.

I loved the Inca trail, but even better in many ways was the hike to Choquequirao, accessible only by foot, with some killer 5,000 ft elevation gain days but OMG amazing to be there in the ruins, just you and your guide and the porters. Sorry also to have gone off topic, but in the past I have had PMs with several people about these walks in Peru, so I assume that the moderators will tolerate a little of this. Buen camino, Laurie

I had a similar experience. It was a wonderful trip. My first Camino this year and can’t wait. Not expecting to compare but the Inca trail made me brave!