Camino de Santiago de Compostela

[desleigh]

Hi all. Please accept my apologies if this question has been answered but I haven't been able to find it.

I am in Brisbane, Australia and looking to buy pure silk thermals / base layers ( long johns, long sleeve vest etc ) for my Camino in October 2011 and an up coming trip to the Andes in Peru. I have visited all the "Mountain Shops" I could find in my city, however no-one stocked them. David Jones only has 2 items, a vest and along sleeve top, not what I was really after. I already have merino wool which I find slightly itchy. I also have bamboo which is beautifully soft but does not dry quickly - much experience of this from the Indian Himalayas.

After some internet research I have come up with these 2 sites

http://www.silkroad88.com/womens-silk-tops-10-c.asp

expensive but I think good quality & light weight.

http://www.silkyshop.com/Silk%20Long%20Johns.html

much cheaper but I am not sure the silk is the lightest / warm factor for The Camino and lots of items are out of stock.

Does anyone have any other ideas of where I might search?

Thank you for you help in advance and Buen Camino

[Annros]

There is a company called Silkbody based in NZ. I have seen their clothes for sale in Stockholm, Sweden, so surely they would have a store in Australia as well.
I haven't bought anything from this brand, so I can say nothing of the quality. But I definitely recommend silk for base layers. I always get mine from a shop in Stockholm called Sidenselma, but I don't believe they sell overseas.

http://www.silkbody.co.nz
http://www.sidenselma.se

[KiwiNomad06]

desleigh,
I bought some silk thermals in New Zealand from nznature. I didn't wear them on my Camino, but they seem to wash and wear well when I choose them on colder days here at home ( eg today I have the top on- and feel very cosy!)
Their online page is http://www.nznature.co.nz/Silk-Thermal-Long-Underwear_88.aspx and I have found their online service within New Zealand to be excellent.
Margaret

[desleigh]

Hi again & thankyou all for your input. Looked at all the websites, very interesting. Margaret that nznature.co site is wildly amazing! so many beautiful things & oh i saw some beautiful stones & jewellery. i practice lapidary - stone cutting - at least once per week so am crazy about my stones. not to mention i have a collection of sea glass gathered off the beaches in Malaysia & Australia, one day I'll wire them all up into something beautiful. I will pass that site onto another freind for various reasons.... sorry off topic.... so as I said I looked at all the sights & in my rush to get things done I ordered earlier today from the English site I found. Almost dissapointed now but it will all be fine. I shall let you know when I recieve my goodies what I think. Again thank you both Margaret & Annros for your time to write to me. P.s, I am sitting here darning the holes in my merino thermals....

[falcon269]

Too late to help, I suppose:

http://ww2.sierratradingpost.com/terram ... ng~d~15%2F

[vjpulver]

Try: http://www.Wintersilks.com

I always pack silk thermals and undergar,ments when I travel. They are sturdy (like good porcelaine, they appear delicate and lovely, but are very strong actually - the tensile strength is amazing). They are extremely light weight so do not add bulk and they wash and dry quickly and easily. I have a couple silk t-shirts that look sophisticated as outerwear and they also are good as sleepwear.

I used to work on the flightline, repairing fighter aircraft (in my US Air Force days) up in cold, snowy upper Michigan. That's when I discovered silk thermals. Now I incorpoarete them into almost all my travel wardrobes and wear them daily. On Camino, I took two, one light-weight one in black with a boat neck and elbow lengths sleeves and a slightly heavier one that is rose-colored with a u-shaped neck and elbow length sleeves .

Buens Camino to you...

"Ginn"
May 2009

[Kitsambler]

I love Wintersilks too. Don't know if they ship to NZ, but you may not be the only one with this question. The lightest weight silk longjohns (the sort that are too transparent to be worn modestly in public) are absolutely perfect for spring or autumn walks. They weigh next to nothing and give you an additional 15-20 degrees F of comfort.

Don't leave home without them!

[CaminoGen]

Wow! Thank you for the link to Wintersilk. Where were you 4 months ago when I was shopping for my Camino? Silk that does not put holes in your pockets. Love it.

[Annros]

This might be an interesting fact for you silk wearing ladies and gentlemen:
Silk should not be laundered in ordinary modern detergent! The enzymes are no good for silk fabric.
Maybe everyone else knew this already - but nobody told me until the age of 40.

Instead, an oil based old fashioned soap should be used. Savon de Marseilles is one example, but there are others. They can be made of olive or palm oil, as long as they only contain traditional ingredients.

Now, the useful thing about this type of soap is that it is not only natural but also multi-purpose. When I travel I bring a small bar and use it on my clothes (any material), myself, even my hair. No need to carry around lots of water in the shape of shower gels or shampoo. Soap is compact, light and hand luggage friendly.
Some people dislike soap because the box tends to become a bit messy. But instead I keep it in a small mesh bag, which I hang and let dry while I do other morning chores. Another way to lighten my backpack with a few grams.

Sorry if this post is off-topic, as it is no longer an answer to Desleigh's question. But I thought it might be useful to someone planning the Camino.

[desleigh]

Again thank you all for your time in replying, it is much appreciated. I am glad I asked the question as it seemed I wasn't the only one looking for info. So even if I have already ordered my silk thermals the replies have been helpful to others. I have now looked at all the websites and see there are many lovely & useful things on the market. Annros thanks for the tip regarding the soap too, most helpful. I had been wondering about my shampoo etc. I use a high quality organic shampoo with lots of essential oils (http://www.purist.com & it's is the Alchemy Brand). I thought it would be good for hair, skin, clothes & silk. The matching conditioner is so thick that I find I only use a wee bit & would therefore be carrying only 2 small bottles. Still 2 small liquid filled bottles are some extra weight to carry. 225ml bottles & the shampoo only half. I love how this conversation has gone from silk to stones, to aircraft maintenece to haircare!

Happy days to you all!!

[sharon w]

Desleigh, if you can do without conditioner it would be less to carry. I only used shampoo. (Wearing a hat during the day keeps your hair in place!)
Sharon

[Summermoon]

Hi This is a very good website - http://www.nznature.co.nz - for silk themals

[Francescalignumvitae]

Hi,

Am heading out in a few weeks; was hoping to find silk thermals / base layers in UK; anyone have some good net tips / suggestions?

Thank you!

Francesca

[falcon269]

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/terram ... rFamily=42

[Tia Valeria]

Hi,

Am heading out in a few weeks; was hoping to find silk thermals / base layers in UK; anyone have some good net tips / suggestions?

Thank you!

Francesca

Rohan do very lightweight base layers and are bringing out leggings this week. Long sleeved tops and also vests and pants (briefs) are already available in the 'Ultra Silver' range. I already have both the latter and am waiting for the leggings to come in. Expensive but excellent. You can check them out here http://www.rohan.co.uk/Category/Detail/WomensBaseLayers. Online orders can be sent to store (free) if you have one near you, or else are couriered (paid service) and have to be signed for. Just tick the right box at checkout.

[Francescalignumvitae]

Hello All,

Thanks for the thread and helpful tips. With some silk thermals will feel a bit more confident about heading out late September...getting close now!!

Blessings,

Francesca