What would you take out of your backpack?

[Rellrog]

I read through the topic on "big mistakes" and the winner, of course, is packing too much. My question is what did you bring that you wished you didn't? I'm in the process of doing my final pack since we will be leaving on March 12th. I notice that I'm adding items as each day goes by...and afraid it will be over the 10% of my weight ...the goal I set for myself.

 

[KiwiNomad06]

If you are leaving March 12th you need to consider that you might meet some cold wet conditions. It's more important to have layers to ensure your warmth and safety in bad conditions then it is to meet some arbitrary weight percentage in your pack. In my opinion of course - this is always controversial!
Margaret

 

[billbennettoz]

I have tech issues:

I'm self-employed and so will have to keep tabs on work while I'm away, so I'm taking my iPad. Then there's the charger. (I won't get the current iPad mini because there's a new model coming out soon.)

Then there's my iPhone.

But I also have a Nokia phone with €100 credit on it from a trip to Europe last year. How can I leave that behind? The credit runs out mid May, just when I'll be finishing my walk. But of course, if I take the Nokia then I have to take the Nokia charger. In total the Nokia bundle is 125gms.

Then there's my camera, a lightweight Fuji x10. And the battery charger and leads. That's 650gms all up. (I know, I can take photos with my iPhone, but I'm a filmmaker so even taking a small sensor camera like the Fuji is a huge compromise for me.)

All this comes to nearly 2kgs!! And I can't figure out what to ditch!

Perhaps I'm approaching this the wrong way and I should leave ALL of it behind...

 

[wayfarer]

I have tech issues:

I'm self-employed and so will have to keep tabs on work while I'm away, so I'm taking my iPad. Then there's the charger. (I won't get the current iPad mini because there's a new model coming out soon.)

Then there's my iPhone.

But I also have a Nokia phone with €100 credit on it from a trip to Europe last year. How can I leave that behind? The credit runs out mid May, just when I'll be finishing my walk. But of course, if I take the Nokia then I have to take the Nokia charger. In total the Nokia bundle is 125gms.

Then there's my camera, a lightweight Fuji x10. And the battery charger and leads. That's 650gms all up. (I know, I can take photos with my iPhone, but I'm a filmmaker so even taking a small sensor camera like the Fuji is a huge compromise for me.)

All this comes to nearly 2kgs!! And I can't figure out what to ditch!

Perhaps I'm approaching this the wrong way and I should leave ALL of it behind...

Forget the Ipad, your Iphone can cover all it can do. Unlock your Iphone and use the sim from the Nokia in that, that saves some weight and you still have your €100 credit.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Agree.
The iPhone can do it all. Once I managed to proofread a whole book on my iPhone.
That went well. I hope. :wink:
And you can take nice pics too. Think of them as another genre, Iphonography, or something.

 

[billbennettoz]

Unlock your Iphone and use the sim from the Nokia in that, that saves some weight and you still have your €100 credit.

Thanks Wayfarer (again!). My sim in my Nokia is a large one. Can it be cut down to fit the iPhone 5? If so, this is a very elegant solution, thanks! Bill

 

[billbennettoz]

Agree.
The iPhone can do it all.
Think of them as another genre, Iphonography, or something.

Thanks Susanna - I must admit that particularly with the iPhone 5, Apple have got their photography working really well, especially with Pro HDR app for high dynamic range shooting.

 

[lovingkindness]

... why not ditch the lot...then tell us about your transformation....

 

[billbennettoz]

... why not ditch the lot...then tell us later about your transformation....

Yep - seriously thinking about that!! Thank you!

 

[lovingkindness]

...sans bagage plus vitesse....

 

[billbennettoz]

...sans bagage plus vitesse....

... less luggage, more speed? Emotional luggage too... :wink:

 

[Susannafromsweden]

... why not ditch the lot...then tell us later about your transformation....

Yep - seriously thinking about that!! Thank you!

Please don't do that. If you get in trouble, you iPhone will save you.
My phone saved me quite a few times.

 

[billbennettoz]

Please don't do that. If you get in trouble, you iPhone will save you.
My phone saved me quite a few times.

If you don't mind me asking - what sort of trouble did you get into where your iPhone was useful?

 

[lovingkindness]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_telephone

...Before the invention of electromagnetic telephones, there were mechanical acoustic devices for transmitting speech and music over a distance greater than that normal spoken....The... acoustic tin can telephone, or 'lover's phone', has been known for centuries. It connects two diaphragms with a taut string or wire, which transmits sound by mechanical vibrations from one to the other along the wire (and not by a modulated electrical current)....

....in former times did peregrinos resort to this?

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Please don't do that. If you get in trouble, you iPhone will save you.
My phone saved me quite a few times.

If you don't mind me asking - what sort of trouble did you get into where your iPhone was useful?

I could write you a novel about that. :wink:
It helped me when I was lost, to find the way etc.
But the worst was a day when the trail was flooded. And I had to walk on the asphalt road instead.
There I was being followed by an exhibitionist, for hours. He stopped a number of times and got out of his car, and exposed himself.
I tried to ignore him. But finally he stopped and started to walk towards me. God I was scared!
Then I picked up my iPhone. It was like a magic sword.
When he saw it, he just turned around and got in his car and left.
So I'm not leaving home without my iPhone.

 

[billbennettoz]

Please don't do that. If you get in trouble, you iPhone will save you.
My phone saved me quite a few times.

If you don't mind me asking - what sort of trouble did you get into where your iPhone was useful?

I could write you a novel about that. :wink:
It helped me when I was lost, to find the way etc.
But the worst was a day when the trail was flooded. And I had to walk on the asphalt road instead.
There I was being followed by an exhibitionist, for hours. He stopped a number of times and got out of his car, and exposed himself.
I tried to ignore him. But finally he stopped and started to walk towards me. God I was scared!
Then I picked up my iPhone. It was like a magic sword.
When he saw it, he just turned around and got in his car and left.
So I'm not leaving home without my iPhone.

Oh my goodness - that seals it - I'M TAKING MY IPHONE!!!

 

[lovingkindness]

hmmm.... in such a plight of what avail would a piece of string and a good ol' rusty tin can be.................I can think of some

 

[camino-david]

I did meet a young girl who had never walked any long distance before and knew little about the camino, but at least she brought 4 summer dresses and looked gorgeous and brightened the day for all the men! Nevertheless she did walk over 900 kms to Santiago in her dresses.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

hmmm.... in such plight of what avail would a piece of string be and a good ol' rusty tin can? .................I can think of some

This is how I imagine my iPhone:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightsaber

May the force be with you.

 

[wayfarer]

Unlock your Iphone and use the sim from the Nokia in that, that saves some weight and you still have your €100 credit.

Thanks Wayfarer (again!). My sim in my Nokia is a large one. Can it be cut down to fit the iPhone 5? If so, this is a very elegant solution, thanks! Bill

A few things to check, which European country did you get the Nokia, if it was Spain I think you can go into a phone shop and have the data transferred onto a new mini sim with the same service provider, which should then fit your Iphone. There are phone shops all over the larger towns in Spain. I will check with my son in Spain.
If this does not work bring a USB plug and a cable for the Nokia, Iphone and maybe even the camera if it charges from a USB cable, this will save the weight of three chargers. When you use up all your credit post the Nokia back home.

 

[lovingkindness]

May the force be with you.

....and with you also...

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I did meet a young girl who had never walked any long distance before and knew little about the camino, but at least she brought 4 summer dresses and looked gorgeous and brightened the day for all the men! Nevertheless she did walk over 900 kms to Santiago in her dresses.

Did she make the coffee and do the dishes as well?!

 

[supersullivan]

I did meet a young girl who had never walked any long distance before and knew little about the camino, but at least she brought 4 summer dresses and looked gorgeous and brightened the day for all the men! Nevertheless she did walk over 900 kms to Santiago in her dresses.

Did she make the coffee and do the dishes as well?!

Oh Falcon, I hope you have asbestos underclothing for the firestorm that's coming your way. :wink:

Seamus

 

[lbpierce]

Well, I may be imagining this, or perhaps my math skills are weak, but out of 23 responses to the OP, I only found one that answered the OP's question.

 

[backpack45]

I don't know what you are packing and not, but you might want to reassess your 10% goal--is that a reasonable figure for you? If you weighed 100 pounds, you would be allowing only 10 pounds, which is not enough for some of the conditions of the trail. (I carry about 18 pounds and I certainly don't weigh 180 pounds.). Instead of a percentage goal, a pound goal might be more workable.
Sort your pack's contents into "necessity", "nice to have", and "frivolous" and go from there. For example: You "need" your pack, and some outerwear for warmth; you might "like" to carry a journal; you "don't need" a week's supply of clothing. I hope you have done, or will do, some practice hiking with your loaded pack--that will tell you how much you can (reasonably) comfortably carry when doing the Camino.
Susan "backpack45" Alcorn

 

[Rellrog]

Thank you Linda and Susan. I am 150 lbs and was hoping to carry around 15 lbs. I am only using the 10% as a goal. I suspect I will be carrying about 17-18 lbs...at least a almost fully packed backpack is about that. The idea about separating out (or labeling) items as "essential" or "good to have" is a good idea and I will do that. My wife and I will be carrying our packs for a 10 mile walk tomorrow to test this weight out. That will, I am sure, change my present definition of "essential."

 

[MCVet]

Not sure really. I acknowledge that I brought too much stuff, but I used everything I brought. I guess I could've left the tablet behind, but it didn't weigh that much and was very useful.

My problem was having too much backpack. I could've probably saved two pounds or so had I gotten a 35 L instead of my 48 L and been just fine in regards to space. The only other option was not to carry as much spare food with me. I always had at least a 6 pack of tuna 'just in case', which only helped out once when I forgot to pack stuff for lunch. I at least didn't go hungry that day which would've been a problem because it was one of those long ones with not much in between.

 

[billbennettoz]

A few things to check, which European country did you get the Nokia, if it was Spain I think you can go into a phone shop and have the data transferred onto a new mini sim with the same service provider, which should then fit your Iphone. There are phone shops all over the larger towns in Spain. I will check with my son in Spain.
If this does not work bring a USB plug and a cable for the Nokia, Iphone and maybe even the camera if it charges from a USB cable, this will save the weight of three chargers. When you use up all your credit post the Nokia back home.

Hi Wayfarer - the SIM is French (Orange) so I can transfer in either Biarritz when I land, or in SJPP. I'm giving myself a day there to get over jetlag from Australia, before heading off. Hadn't thought of charging via USB - good idea, thanks! Bill

 

[wayfarer]

A few things to check, which European country did you get the Nokia, if it was Spain I think you can go into a phone shop and have the data transferred onto a new mini sim with the same service provider, which should then fit your Iphone. There are phone shops all over the larger towns in Spain. I will check with my son in Spain.
If this does not work bring a USB plug and a cable for the Nokia, Iphone and maybe even the camera if it charges from a USB cable, this will save the weight of three chargers. When you use up all your credit post the Nokia back home.

Hi Wayfarer - the SIM is French (Orange) so I can transfer in either Biarritz when I land, or in SJPP. I'm giving myself a day there to get over jetlag from Australia, before heading off. Hadn't thought of charging via USB - good idea, thanks! Bill

Bill, if the phone is french I would bring the Nokia, I think getting the sim sorted in France might be a little more complicated but if it works just post the Nokia home from StJPP.

 

[dougfitz]

To get back to the topic :? I reduced my backpack weight in a couple of stages.

• Roncevalles - left behind a second guidebook, and kept Brierley. I was also carrying Gitlitz and Davidson's The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago and figured out early on that at over 500gm, it wasn't a keeper.
• I posted my thermals, camping plate, and some other stuff home from Los Arcos. I started just before Easter, and this was the first place where the Correos was open after the Easter break.
• I cannot remember where, but I gave up rechargeable batteries for my camera and GPS, and just used alkaline batteries purchased as I needed them. The charger went too.

By that stage, I was pretty comfortable with what I was carrying, even if I could have removed a couple of other items should that have been required.

 

[Pieces]

wouldn't take nothing out. I brought just under 5 kg and used everything...

could have done with one more sweater though...

 

[Sue M]

Last October staying in hostels I found my one season sleeping bag much too hot and thought I'd have been better off with just a liner. Then my blisters started rotting because my feet were too hot encased in two socks and walking boots so I thought I'd have been a lot better off walking in sandals. I'm walking in June this year but I probably won't have the nerve to leave sleeping bag and walking boots behind!

 

[Kiwi-family]

Last October staying in hostels I found my one season sleeping bag much too hot and thought I'd have been better off with just a liner. Then my blisters started rotting because my feet were too hot encased in two socks and walking boots so I thought I'd have been a lot better off walking in sandals. I'm walking in June this year but I probably won't have the nerve to leave sleeping bag and walking boots behind!

We walked in September in sandals and did not take sleeping bags (just silk liners). We did, however, have thermal long johns and top, and a fleece jacket - and there were some nights that we used them.
Never regretted either of those decisions.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

the SIM is French (Orange) so I can transfer in either Biarritz when I land, or in SJPP.

Any French SIM either won't work in Spain or will incur huge roaming charges, unless Orange has recently integrated services from France and Spain. The same is true for Vodafone. A British Vodafone is a foreign phone in Spain, and the charges incurred are quite large.

You can get a SIM from Vodafone in Pamplona, where they will cut it to size and explain service in English. They close from Saturday noon until about 1000 on Monday.

 

[Rellrog]

wouldn't take nothing out. I brought just under 5 kg and used everything...

could have done with one more sweater though...

5 Kg is unbelievable ...nice going. I expect that the pack will get a bit heavier as I tack on food and water...oh well! I had a feeling that the desire to reduce the weight of the pack will be countered by the need for everything one brings.
I also expect that the weight may seem daunting during the first week, but become more manageable as the body gets used to it. We'll soon find out! Thanks everyone for the comments.

 

[Pieces]

well I walked both my Caminos with an injury that worsened by weight, talk about a great motivator...

Anyways, seems like my leg was finally fixed yesterday so maybe i WILL bring that extra sweater for my next hopefully less painful Camino

 

[billbennettoz]

Any French SIM either won't work in Spain or will incur huge roaming charges, unless Orange has recently integrated services from France and Spain. The same is true for Vodafone. A British Vodafone is a foreign phone in Spain, and the charges incurred are quite large.

Yes thanks I know - however the credit of €100 expires mid May, so I may as well use it up. (I got the sim in France last year - the credit lasts 12 months) I'll pick up a Spanish sim once I get to Pamplona.

 

[nreyn12]

Like others, I wish I hadn't brought a sleeping bag. However, since you are walking in March and April, you might want that extra warmth at night. The other thing I brought on my first walk was my full-sized pillow from home. I travel with it everywhere, and it squishes up really small, but it added another 500g.

The other thing I've since taken out is any extra weight added by packaging, meaning containers, wrappings, etc. And finally, I've streamlined my toiletries so a couple things do double-duty (washing clothes with a bar of shower soap).

 

[Rellrog]

Would love to have a pillow since I am used to sleeping with one. looks like I'll have to roll up something and use it. Haven't decided If I should bring my electric razor, a blade razor or go without shaving. With the former I will have to recharge every week or so...besides the extra weight. The problem with traveling this time of year is the concern for the cold...I will bring adequate rain gear, but the rain gear isn't very warm. Looks like layering is the only answer. We have hiking poles and will likely bring them. Sometimes I find the poles to be burdensome, even though they supposedly support 20-25% of your weight.

Strange to be packing so little. I am used to travelling and usually carry one large, one small suitcase, and a daypack for a 2-3 week trip. Now I'm travelling for 6 weeks and carrying a 35 liter backpack that will likely weigh 17 pounds. Can this really work?

 

[KiwiNomad06]

The other thing that at least one pole does if you have wet spring weather, is that it helps steady you in the mud or on slippery rocks. I had barely left Cluny last year mid-April than I retrieved my walking pole from my pack so I didn't slip in the mud. And this photo was taken on the Cluny route nearing St-Chapelle-en-Lafaye- where I made good use of my walking pole against the mud also!
Margaret

 

[dougfitz]

I had barely left Cluny last year mid-April than I retrieved my walking pole from my pack so I didn't slip in the mud.

I would definitely have my walking poles out of my backpack . In fact, they are only in it when I am in transit. Once I am walking, they are in my hands. I know people have them in their packs, but I can never fathom why.

Sometimes I find the poles to be burdensome, even though they supposedly support 20-25% of your weight.

I am not sure where this figure comes from. I figure that I can get around 5kg normally, up to about 10kg, of force on the pole when I am walking. Its a long way from 20% for me.

 

[julie]

Sometimes I find the poles to be burdensome, even though they supposedly support 20-25% of your weight.

It's not that the poles support 20-25% of your weight but that they can reduce the stress on your knees by up to 25%.

I would definitely have my walking poles out of my backpack . In fact, they are only in it when I am in transit. Once I am walking, they are in my hands. I know people have them in their packs, but I can never fathom why.

Me neither! Why add to the weight of your pack when you can put the poles to use and save your knees into the bargain?

 

[antjie]

I have read SO many replies on all the forums and am still not sure what to do! I am starting my journey mid May. Sleeping bag or sheet liner? Being light weighted in body mass, I am limited to what I take if I apply the 10% rule! Will be starting in SJPP.











["we travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us"]

 

[fortview]

I have read SO many replies on all the forums and am still not sure what to do! I am starting my journey mid May. Sleeping bag or sheet liner? Being light weighted in body mass, I am limited to what I take if I apply the 10% rule! Will be starting in SJPP.


Remember that feeling well! If you take just a liner, you will be able to use blankets.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

I know people have them in their packs, but I can never fathom why.

Ok I'm only guessing here.
Maybe because they are walking in a city and don't want to occupy too much space on the pavement?
Or they are just leaving the albergue and don't want to wake up the whole town?
Or have been hiding the poles in the pack in the night, and don't think there's any point putting them together before breakfast?
Or maybe they have an aching shoulder and want to rest or a while?

Or something?

 

[dougfitz]

I have read SO many replies on all the forums and am still not sure what to do! I am starting my journey mid May. Sleeping bag or sheet liner? Being light weighted in body mass, I am limited to what I take if I apply the 10% rule! Will be starting in SJPP.

Two points that might help:

• It is the nature of this forum for there to be different approaches that have been taken by individuals on their pilgrimage. Those of us who contribute can explain what we did, what time of year we walked, etc. We also offer different views, not all consistent What we cannot do is make a selection from among the many different approaches that is right for you - only you can do that. Worse, you won't know until you are underway whether they were good choices. Be as flexible as you can be, both in what you pack, and how you approach any changes you might need to make to your load. Be prepared to be a bit ruthless even after you start and figure out what you can do without.
• There is no such thing as a '10% rule', and even as a guide, it is not universally supported. What is almost universally agreed is that to travel far, fast or both, travel light. Travelling in May will make it a little easier to reduce the weight of your pack. You already have suggested one of the big compromises, and that is whether to carry a sleeping bag, or just a liner. My view on this is that it will limit you to using albergues that can provide blankets if you don't have a bag, but in May, that is less likely to be as big a limitation as it might be even a month earlier.

Regards,

 

[Deleted member 12253]

I think we all should leave our egos behind, also get rid of your crosses as soon as possible, result lovely days and nights on camino equals peace of mind, re: sleeping bags I would not leave home without it, I use light gloves to protect me from sun burn as hands exposed to sun with poles, also useful if early morning cold, sun glasses optional as you are walking west with sun behind you all day Buen Camino

 

[Pieces]

I have read SO many replies on all the forums and am still not sure what to do! I am starting my journey mid May. Sleeping bag or sheet liner? Being light weighted in body mass, I am limited to what I take if I apply the 10% rule! Will be starting in SJPP.

depends on how prone you are to freezing. Mid-may nigts get quite cold and albergues have stopped putting on heat and often the window is open...

I had several freezing nights in late june, Roncesvalles & Granon comes to my mind as being particularly bad and would I would not consider leaving my bag home that time of year...

mine is quite lightweight, 500 grams, and still even with blankets I was cold...

I also brought cheap knitted gloves as a matter of fact and used them on several occasions when the wind was biting too...

 

[nreyn12]

Would love to have a pillow since I am used to sleeping with one

No need to worry about a pillow, since they albergues provide them. (I've only found one albergue that didn't have pillows - the Benedictine monastery in Leon.) DO bring a pillow case along, though, to ensure you have something clean to put your head on.
Nancy

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

No need to worry about a pillow, since albergues provide them. DO bring a pillow case along, though, to ensure you have something clean to put your head on.
Nancy

Maybe we've walked different caminos, Nancy! On the Portuguese I found maybe 50% provided a pillow. On the Portuguese south, there are so few albergues you may need to stay in Fire Stations - they provide no mattress let alone pillows or bedding! However - as you rightly say, TAKE A PILLOW CASE. Then, if you've no pillow, you can make one up with spare clothing, towels, etc. from your back-pack.
Buen camino! And sleep well!

Stephen
http://www.calig.co.uk/camino_de_santiago.htm

 

[antjie]

Thank you everyone. I am traveling with an open heart and open mind and understand that the weather can be unpredictable. So being prone to freezing, I will add a sleeping bag to my pack - thanks Pieces!

 

[Rellrog]

Great advice ...thank you. I will bring a pillow case.

 

[fortview]

A light sarong will also work very well as a pillow case, and is multi-functional . Can be used as a spare towel, cover up, extra layer, skirt when your shorts and trousers are wet.

 

[Rellrog]

Not clear what the difference is between reducing one's weight by 20-25% and reducing the stress on your knees by 20-25%. If that is the case, doesn't it also reduce the stress on your feet by 20-25%? If the stress on your knees and feet are reduced by 20-25% then isn't your weight reduced by 20-25%? Also, I am not quoting these percentages as if its made in stone...its just an estimate of about how much one is helped by the poles. How much depends on how much pressure one uses with the poles and one's weight.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

If the stress on your knees and feet are reduced by 20-25% then isn't your weight reduced by 20-25%?

Losing 20# would be the same as not carrying a 20# pack, but the effect of trekking poles is reducing the impact rather than reducing the weight. Imagine jumping. Your weight stays the same, but the impact is much more than simply standing. The poles reduce the impact stress, not the weight, and they reduce it for hips, knees, and ankles. It does move the stress to the shoulders and elbows, so keep an eye out of a bursitis feeling! A stave is not the same as two trekking poles. It make keep you from falling, but it does nothing to reduce impact. Trekking poles don't do much if not used properly. A pole tip plant on each step is required for the impact reduction. The three-legged waltz cadence reduces impact only on the step that matches the pole plant. Using them like Joost in "The Way" is worthless.

 

[peregrina2000]

I also apologize for going off-topic here, but one of the comments above about a pillow case is crying out for this heads-up -- I don't know about the size of pillow cases anywhere other than the US and Spain, but you can be sure that the standard US pillow case will not fit the standard Spanish pillow. Pillows in Spain are long and roly poly, whereas in the US they are rectangular.

Many private and public albergues now give out disposable pillow cases, which can be used multiple times. I always start my camino with one from a previous year and then replace as I go on. Or you can buy an inexpensive pillow case once you're on the ground in Spain. The problem is always making sure you remember to take it with you in the morning. :?

 

[fortview]

The problem is always making sure you remember to take it with you in the morning. :?

This is a really good point.... And back on topic , is the reason I didn't need to take anything out of my rucksack! Just kept leaving things behind :roll:
Even left my two water bottles in the bathroom one morning....

 

[Diegomartine]

the SIM is French (Orange) so I can transfer in either Biarritz when I land, or in SJPP.

Any French SIM either won't work in Spain or will incur huge roaming charges, unless Orange has recently integrated services from France and Spain. The same is true for Vodafone. A British Vodafone is a foreign phone in Spain, and the charges incurred are quite large.

You can get a SIM from Vodafone in Pamplona, where they will cut it to size and explain service in English. They close from Saturday noon until about 1000 on Monday.

Hi Falcon, so you are saying that I can use my Vodafone SIM in France with no extra charges?

That will be great!!!

 

[Sojourner47]

A light sarong will also work very well as a pillow case, and is multi-functional . Can be used as a spare towel, cover up, extra layer, skirt when your shorts and trousers are wet.

So will we now see lots of blokes on camino wearing sarongs??

 

[Sojourner47]

[quote="billbennettoz"
Perhaps I'm approaching this the wrong way and I should leave ALL of it behind...[/quote]

Yep. Leave it ALL behind.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

so you are saying that I can use my Vodafone SIM in France with no extra charges?

No, there will be roaming charges, I think.

 

[Dubbydub]

A light sarong will also work very well as a pillow case, and is multi-functional . Can be used as a spare towel, cover up, extra layer, skirt when your shorts and trousers are wet

So will we now see lots of blokes on camino wearing sarongs??

David Beckham loved his sarong

(famous British footballer)


http://www.google.ie/search?q=david+bec ... vVCtheM%3A

 

[whariwharangi]

My backpack is a 90L pack which I use for backpacking trips. It weighs 3.5 Kg. A 60L pack weighs half that much. Most exterior frame packs weighs less than an interior frame pack. If there is a next time, I will bring a smaller lighter backpack.

I brought one walking pole. It was nice to have going down hills. I could have done the walk without; there is nothing technical or steep on the camino. Most of the time it was tied on my pack.

I brought a -10C sleeping bag as I was there in November and early December. I was warned that many albergues did not have heat. While that was true in places, in many others I was roasting in just a sheet liner. I was in the bag a couple of times but never zipped shut. There were blankets that I could have used. 3 lbs - a +10C sleeping bag would likely have been enough at 1 lb. A down quilt might have been a better option.

I brought Teva sandals for use as shower sandals and night shoes. The weather was too cool to dry the cloth sandal straps and I ended up buying shower sandals. I wore the shower sandals in the albergue and usually wore the boots for outdoors stuff because it was too cold or it was raining to make Tevas practical.

 

[whariwharangi]

Consider the cost of doing laundry ran from 6 - 9 euros ... you could bring just one set of clothes to wear. When the clothes become unbearable :wink: , buy another set and toss the old ones. I'm not sure if you would break even on costs ...

 

[jeff001]

I would take out anything that allows you to carry more than 1.5L of water. If you have it you will be tempted to fill it and carry unnecessary weight. There are very few places where you would need more than that except in the dead of summer and in those places you can pick up an extra bottle when you need it. 1L=1Kg

 

[ekas]

I think it's all about knowing your body's limits. I toted along 27lbs (15% of my body weight) for three months and felt no physical wear (aside from the first 5 days). The only things I brought that I never used were medical supplies others wouldn't leave home without (needle & thread, band-aids, disinfectants, etc.) The one thing I abandoned early on was my 2nd 1liter bottle. However I did see other people hauling things I would never take... novels, laptops, 1.5L shampoo bottles, musical instruments, sleeping mats. I think if you're walking for a shorter amount of time it's easier to trim down the supplies.

The best thing to do is pack everything you have laid out and try walking in it for a few hours a few days. Just walking a few minutes a few days won't give you the right results. Once your body feels wear reason will kick in and help you get rid of supplies you don't need :wink:

 

[annakappa]

Consider the cost of doing laundry ran from 6 - 9 euros ... you could bring just one set of clothes to wear. When the clothes become unbearable :wink: , buy another set and toss the old ones. I'm not sure if you would break even on costs ...

Where did you ever pay more than a few euros (3 at the most) for doing a load of laundry in a washing machine - that is, if you didn't wash by hand? Anne

 

[dougfitz]

Where did you ever pay more than a few euros (3 at the most) for doing a load of laundry in a washing machine - that is, if you didn't wash by hand? Anne

When I walked in 2010, 3 euro was the minimum that I paid for a machine wash and dry. I would ask where you found laundry facilities where it could be done for less. I would love to know.

The maximum I paid was 7 euro in a private albergue in Fromista, and the best value was at La Faba, where the hospitalero washed, dried and folded my laundry for 3 euro. Everywhere else, machine laundry at that price was self-service.

 

[annakappa]

Where did you ever pay more than a few euros (3 at the most) for doing a load of laundry in a washing machine - that is, if you didn't wash by hand? Anne

When I walked in 2010, 3 euro was the minimum that I paid for a machine wash and dry. I would ask where you found laundry facilities where it could be done for less. I would love to know.

The maximum I paid was 7 euro in a private albergue in Fromista, and the best value was at La Faba, where the hospitalero washed, dried and folded my laundry for 3 euro. Everywhere else, machine laundry at that price was self-service.

What I meant Doug was that I have always found that the going rate for a washload was €3 in a washing machine, rarely more - never between 6 to 9 euros as whariwharangi stated. Anne

 

[whariwharangi]

Consider the cost of doing laundry ran from 6 - 9 euros ... you could bring just one set of clothes to wear. When the clothes become unbearable :wink: , buy another set and toss the old ones. I'm not sure if you would break even on costs ...

Where did you ever pay more than a few euros (3 at the most) for doing a load of laundry in a washing machine - that is, if you didn't wash by hand? Anne

I travelled late October to early December. Days were short and nights were quite cool .. no sun left at the end of the day ... and often there was rain. Most nights it would have been impossible to get clothing dry if it was washed by hand. The cost was washer and dryer.

There was a lot of competition for space to drape towels and socks over the radiators ... which did nothing for the heating, the aroma, and the humidity.

and yeah the cost ... it was 4.40 to wash in the Galacian xunta albergues (exact coinage in 2 euro and .20 coins) ... and that included soap. Dryers cost a euro to start and usually needed two to finish.

In Fromista my recollection is that it was 9 euros and the hospitaliero did it for me (I did share cost on this one with another person)