Where to leave my pack upon albergue arrival?

[ilovelife]

Hi everyone,

Firstly, I am so grateful for the assistance people have been giving me by sharing their wisdom and advice with me in answering my many questions. For that, I feel I will be taking more than simply myself on my Camino.

My question: I'll be travelling by myself, so upon my arrival every afternoon to the albergues, will there be a safe place for me to store my pack if I wanted to explore the town/village/surroundings without my gear?

Once again, thank you for your input.

Antonio.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

will there be a safe place for me to store my pack

No. There are a handful of albergues with lockers, but in most cases you just take your chances. That is why you need a dry bag to take all your valuables with you to the shower, and you should have all your valuables with you at all times when you are out exploring. Used gear is not in high demand by thieves, who prefer watches, cameras, phones, and cash, so it is not too risky to leave it in the albergue. But there is a risk.

 

[quietwun]

Are there enough places with lockers to make it worthwhile carrying a lock, in your view? Small luggage locks are often too small for lockers I seem to recall.

 

[MeganG22]

Hey Antonio,
I know people talk about lockers, but I can't think of any albergues I stayed in that even have any :/ Not to say they don't exist, I'm sure they do, I just never remember any! I brought a small daypack that was easily rolled up when empty- and upon my arrival I would put my valuables into it and take it with me.
I was fortunate to have a walking partner so we would just shower at different times and watch our stuff, but I know some people bring a large ziplock plastic bag and take it into the shower with their valuables, so that's an option too!
There is always a risk, like Falcon said, when you leave your pack in the albergues, and luckily I didn't hear anything about theft while on my Camino- except for cash left lying about. But as long as you're aware and smart about your things, you should be okay. Just never leave anything that you know you can't live without or replace.

 

[RobertS26]

In reality, you won't be walking "alone" unless you absolutely refuse to make new friends. I too walked "alone" but I was rarely alone. Pilgrims are usually willing to help other pilgrims and I never had a problem asking somebody to keep an eye on my belongings. But, as previously stated, I would keep my passport, pilgrim's passport, credit cards, and money on my person at all times. This way you can drop your backpack outside cafes and churches without fear of losing anything important. The reality is that virtually everyone along the Camino respects pilgrims and their meager belongings. I would only be concerned in larger towns as Burgos and Leon, but those are often the towns where you grab a hotel room to take advantage of really hot showers and laundry services. Buen Camino.

 

[Maggie97520]

There are a few lockers in albergues on the Camino Frances, but the ones I saw had their own locking system (add a euro). I carried my valuables in a micro pack - everything else (dirty clothing, smelly backpack, damp towel, muddy shoes and thin sleeping bag) I left to chance. As it turned out, chance wanted absolutely nada of my belongings.

 

[Kanga]

The only things I guard are my passport, iPhone, and credit card (and any cash). They easily fit into a pocket or plastic zip lock bag for the shower. I've never used a lock, a locker or worried about leaving my pack outside bars, under bunks, in dormitories; wherever.
Yes, it would be a pain if my pack with carefully selected gear was stolen, but (a) I'm probably carrying too much anyway; possessions are a burden (b) who is going to bother stealing my handful of clothes and my filthy shoes (c) what's not replaceable?
It's sensible not to take diamond jewellery on Camino. Actually, the Camino teaches that diamonds are quite unnecessary for The Good Life.

 

[Alena]

The most valuable things I carried in a small bag around my waist (very convenient), so even though I had a company to leave my stuff with while taking a shower, for instance, there would have been no issue bringing it in the bathroom with me. I was carrying it most of the time anyway. When roaming the town/village as you mentioned, probably your valuables would be with you...I was staying at albergues with lockers a few times as well.

 

[Former member 32445]

I have a shoulder bag to carry said items, passport etc, the bag is NOT waterproof, am assuming there is a 'hook' or something to hang said shoulder bag when showering, or is the shower literally a cubicle with shower curtain!?!
Blessings
Blu

 

[george.g]

Hi Graham,
Falcon is exactly right except for valuables, your gear should be reasonably safe, but you do hear of odd bits of kit going missing from drying lines and the like, if you search this forum you will find odd reports of theft, despite all our faults most perigrinos are trustworthy.
As to showers, they vary a lot, if you take a small bit of wire bent into a 'S' shape you will be able to hang a bag/clothes in most places.

Regards
George

 

[Kanga]

Nappy pins have many uses. As does a bit of elastic. I carry both.

 

[hampshire!tim]

I used a waterproof waist bag (3l litre size I think) from Overboard. All valuables in there and with me at all times.

Lifeventure do a steel mesh wraparound for rucksacks. But heavy 2kg approx. So you can have some peace of mind at a price of carrying it. I took one but sent it on c/o Ivar as soon as I could, realising I probably wouldn't use it.

 

[MeganG22]

I have a shoulder bag to carry said items, passport etc, the bag is NOT waterproof, am assuming there is a 'hook' or something to hang said shoulder bag when showering, or is the shower literally a cubicle with shower curtain!?!
Blessings
Blu

Just depends on the albergue! I showered in some that were individual stalls, some with tiny curtains that didn't stretch the whole shower doorway, some that were more like their own tiny room with a shower and bench, and some that had no curtain at all! I just experienced the lack-of-curtain in some Xunta hostels once I hit Galicia. Needless to say, those were super quick cleaning days....

 

[Former member 32445]

Just depends on the albergue! I showered in some that were individual stalls, some with tiny curtains that didn't stretch the whole shower doorway, some that were more like their own tiny room with a shower and bench, and some that had no curtain at all! I just experienced the lack-of-curtain in some Xunta hostels once I hit Galicia. Needless to say, those were super quick cleaning days....

I would say they are the albergue's to miss out on then...

 

[ilovelife]

No. There are a handful of albergues with lockers, but in most cases you just take your chances. That is why you need a dry bag to take all your valuables with you to the shower, and you should have all your valuables with you at all times when you are out exploring. Used gear is not in high demand by thieves, who prefer watches, cameras, phones, and cash, so it is not too risky to leave it in the albergue. But there is a risk.

I see. I should look for a waterproof fanny pack or little bag of some sort then to store my personal items if I have to take them into a shower room with me.

 

[ilovelife]

Hi Graham,
Falcon is exactly right except for valuables, your gear should be reasonably safe, but you do hear of odd bits of kit going missing from drying lines and the like, if you search this forum you will find odd reports of theft, despite all our faults most perigrinos are trustworthy.
As to showers, they vary a lot, if you take a small bit of wire bent into a 'S' shape you will be able to hang a bag/clothes in most places.

Regards
George

I am so amazed at the little tidbits of advice. What a great idea. Simple, adds such little weight to my pack, convenient and cheap to make. Thanks George for the hook idea. Fantastic.
Cheers,
Antonio.

 

[k1ypp]

We did carry a small lock and used it a few times, but most often, there is no locker. However, the pilgrims, for the most part, are a trusty lot and we had no trouble. There was one Korean woman that had her cellphone stolen from a charger the day before we arrived in Santiago. The charging station was very near the front door and it is suspected that someone from outside walked in and walked out with it. Jane mentioned it in her book, Women of the Way, I don't recall the name of the town at the moment.

We carried a Sea-to-Summit daypack that proved extremely useful. It collapses into a package about the size of a pack of cigarettes and only weighs 2.4 oz. (68 G). It is made of silnylon and holds 20 liters. We'd leave our packs at the albergue, then head out with valuables in our fanny packs and use the daypack to get groceries, treats, etc. It was also useful for carrying laundry. Since Jane and I are both writers, we were carrying a notebook computer to write on and that would go in the daypack as well. Check it out.

There will always be some level of theft on an expedition such as the Camino, but considering that around 200K people walk it every year, it has far less crime than any city of that same-sized population. Just keep your head about you and use the usual cautions and everything will be fine.

 

[Anniesantiago]

In reality, you won't be walking "alone" unless you absolutely refuse to make new friends. I too walked "alone" but I was rarely alone. Pilgrims are usually willing to help other pilgrims and I never had a problem asking somebody to keep an eye on my belongings. But, as previously stated, I would keep my passport, pilgrim's passport, credit cards, and money on my person at all times. This way you can drop your backpack outside cafes and churches without fear of losing anything important. The reality is that virtually everyone along the Camino respects pilgrims and their meager belongings. I would only be concerned in larger towns as Burgos and Leon, but those are often the towns where you grab a hotel room to take advantage of really hot showers and laundry services. Buen Camino.

On my first camino, I met 3 young people who had asked a newly acquainted "pilgrim" to keep an eye on their belongings while they showered.
All three returned to find the "pilgrim" gone, along with all their cash, credit cards, cameras, and other valuables.
Their Camino ended in Pamplona.

I never worry much about my pack, because I keep my valuables on my person.
But as you say, this is important to remember - unfortunately not ALL "pilgrims" are what or who they appear to be.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I used a waterproof waist bag (3l litre size I think) from Overboard. All valuables in there and with me at all times.

Lifeventure do a steel mesh wraparound for rucksacks. But heavy 2kg approx. So you can have some peace of mind at a price of carrying it. I took one but sent it on c/o Ivar as soon as I could, realising I probably wouldn't use it.

How did you snap your backpack belt with that waist bag?
That always seems a problem for me.

 

[ranthr]

Except from money, passport, creditcards, my most valuable thing on the camino is my backpack, not the content. But I still leave it in the refugios, outside a bar etc. Once on the way to Ruesta on the Aragones a car stopped, and the driver offered to bring my backpack to the albergue, and after a long warm day I did not hesitate at all. The same happened to a fellow pilgrim and he asked me later on if I was afraid not to find my bp when i arrived. well, I gave it a thought, but I felt like a queen walking the last 6 km without my 12 kg on my back.
Last spring I met a young man on the Norte who had lost all his things in an albergue in France. Someone had broken in during the night and stolen all the luggage from the locked lockers. The police had given him a small backpack to continue with.
Well, my point is, anything might happen, but you will relax more and more in the watching as you move on. You can meet up with bad people there as anywhere else, but being on the camino make you less afraid of that. You might have to share beds with a unknown person but you cannot trust him your backpack?
I will certainly be more aware at airports since I was robbed once on my way back from a camino. After that I made securitypockets inside all my trousers.

 

[hampshire!tim]

Annie

>How did you snap your backpack belt with that waist bag?
>That always seems a problem for me.

Yes, it was not the most comfortable. Seems designed for the buckle to be at front and pack would then be in small of back. Obviously conflicts with rucksack so I either wore the waist bag at left front and buckle tended to be on back of right hip, or more frequently I fastened the waist bag around the top of the rucksack through the hand loop (waterproof bag so no problem belng exposed). Not ideal but the bag itself was great (takes iPad mini plus camera, docs, passport money)

 

[StuartM]

There was one Korean woman that had her cellphone stolen from a charger the day before we arrived in Santiago. The charging station was very near the front door and it is suspected that someone from outside walked in and walked out with it.

When I'm travelling I've started using an external battery pack now. I charge the pack when I'm in a hostel and keep the phone with me. I figure people are less likely to swipe just a battery. The pack will charge the phone many times before it needs recharged itself, I just hook it up in my bag while I'm on the road for an hour or two. It uses the same mini-USB connection as my phone.

 

[ManyMiles2Go]

Hi Graham,
Falcon is exactly right except for valuables, your gear should be reasonably safe, but you do hear of odd bits of kit going missing from drying lines and the like, if you search this forum you will find odd reports of theft, despite all our faults most perigrinos are trustworthy.
As to showers, they vary a lot, if you take a small bit of wire bent into a 'S' shape you will be able to hang a bag/clothes in most places.

Regards
George

Great idea, George!! I will definitely remember that on my next (hopefully) Camino!!

 

[Olivares]

Sadly, you see postings every now and then about stolen valuables at Albergues when bags were left unattended. I still recalled the pilgrim who took her Euros (a considerable amount....) to the shower but left them unattended just outside the stall while showering and they were gone. Also, the pilgrim who was cooking and left electronics charging (Santo Domingo de la Calzada albergue) and also had everything taken (including the charger...). A plastic, lightweight, zippered bag can be the most valuable item you should carry!

 

[mspath]

...A plastic, lightweight, zippered bag can be the most valuable item you should carry!

One useful technique is to sleep with that plastic lightweight bag (filled with your MOST important items) tucked beneath your feet within your sleeping bag.

MM

 

[quietwun]

Money, cards, documents do well in your pillowcase too, though I think I might balk at sleeping on a tablet or phone.

Many sleeping bags have small security compartments suitable for small items.

 

[Kathy F.]

I walked solo for 40 days and never had anything stolen. I had my iPad, phone, camera, and the usual passport, credit cards and money. When I returned from my Camino, I realized that my most valuable possessions, the ones that would have been irreplaceable, were my credencial, my journal, and, at the end, my Campostella.

What a change in perspective!!

Anyway, I flung a very lightweight string bag over my back and carried my "valuables" in it when I wandered around town at the end of the day, when going to communal meals, when hanging out a convent's plaza, whenever my backpack would be out of my sight.

In the shower, I put my valuables in a zip loc bag and took them into the shower with me. A waterproof bag with a loop to hang would have been better (next time). Also, a lightweight plastic hook to put over the curtain rod or wall of the shower (although this would not have possible in all showers). Maybe a suction cup one will work better next time? Hmmmm.

I did pay attention when I had to charge my electronics and took a three way outlet converter so I could share the "power."

I trusted people and learned to trust myself and my judgement.

No one ever wanted my backpack full of dirty clothes, 35 euro cent emergency dry soup packet, and very used sleeping bag.

Kathy

PS - Actually, one day I almost had my pants stolen. Too long here but I blogged about it - "Jeremiah Johnson . . . " I think is the title. It's on my blog, www.kathyfootenotes.wordpress.com.

 

[Roger Andout]

One useful technique is to sleep with that plastic lightweight bag (filled with your MOST important items) tucked beneath your feet within your sleeping bag.

MM

Excellent idea