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  1. Gringazolana

    Recent Smelly Pilgrim Test

    The company referenced above is called “Wool&” or “Wooland” and they give you a $30 gift certificate if you wear one of their dresses for 30 days straight, or $100 if you make it 100 days. Of course you can wash it as many times as you like. I became a merino wool convert! Their men’s line is...
  2. Gringazolana

    Any tips from fellow sufferers from vein problems?

    Compression stockings are my best friend and constant companion for the last couple decades (multiple vein surgeries in both legs). They are available in different strengths and usually require a prescription, unless you get them online (maybe Amazon?). You can get them with open toe or closed...
  3. Gringazolana

    Packing List Final Review. Starting in a week! :)

    Adding to the chorus for at least a sleeping bag liner. I stayed in private rooms in albergues that provide bedding but some places looked kinda sketchy so I slept in my liner on top. They are lightweight and don’t take up a lot of room, so worth it!
  4. Gringazolana

    Need help deciding to bring or not to bring

    I am Team Sarong! Last year I used mine as: a towel, headwrap, instant skirt, shawl, scarf, pillow cover, mattress cover, and one time as an extra layer inside my sleeping bag liner.
  5. Gringazolana

    Bathroom stops on the camino for female Peregrinas

    That bathroom was amazing, no? Everything except wiping you afterwards!
  6. Gringazolana

    Albergue pillows

    I brought a scarf and tied it around the pillows at night.
  7. Gringazolana

    Pack Cover Failure

    Get an Altus poncho-jacket that covers you and the pack. (Just don’t throw away the little stuff sack so you can compress the giant thing in your pack again!)
  8. Gringazolana

    Folding up an Altus?

    Trying to do this on my phone, so apologies if it posts twice! I can’t figure out how to fold up my Altus poncho. Is there a separate pouch that it stuffs into, or does it fold in on itself? (I have the Atmospheric H30.) When I whipped it out and put it on a couple days in a gale, I was...
  9. Gringazolana

    Shoes for Sarria to Santiago in May

    Last May I wore Topo Mountain Racer trail runners, and I took a pair of lightweight (plastic) Birkenstocks for evenings. There was only one or two days where my ankles were unhappy; yes, I used hiking poles. Also, I did “half stages”, slow walking and lots of attention-deficit stops to check out...
  10. Gringazolana

    Topo Wearers!

    Hi! I normally wear a (ladies) size 10 1/2. My first pair of Mtn Racers were a men’s size 10. Unfortunately I wore them out in about six months. On Camino I wore the same thing, but in an astonishing men’s 10 1/2, with wool stockings and compression hose underneath. (I was sized into both pairs...
  11. Gringazolana

    What should I do about a phone?

    If your iPhone 14 is locked like mine is, you will not be able to add a Spanish eSIM to it. (I have AT&T). I ended up taking an old phone, one of my kids’ castoffs, and putting an Orange SIM in it in Spain. I also brought my fancy new phone for the photos. Yes, it was inconvenient to have 2...
  12. Gringazolana

    Question about phones and SIM cards in Spain

    Hey US phone peeps! I bought a sweet new iPhone to take awesome pictures on Camino earlier this year, only to discover that my carrier (AT&T) has it LOCKED until I finish paying it off —in a couple years! My phone has only eSIM capability, and without unlocking it, I couldn’t purchase a pre-pay...
  13. Gringazolana

    Minimal but comforting packing list

    BYO compeed because it’s MUCH more expensive in Camino. Also, I became a fan of adding electrolyte mix to my water. And don’t forget lip balm and moisturizer with sunscreen!
  14. Gringazolana

    Wearing glasses when it rains

    My son said he would definitely stick me in a nursing home when the time comes if I tried to bring this with me! (I really did buy one.) Also, it is pretty bulky and takes up space that could be occupied by something truly useful, like a bottle of vino tinto. I ended up getting contacts and now...
  15. Gringazolana

    "Itchy" backpack straps

    I know exactly where you mean. My Osprey bothers me only on one side! I wrap a bandana around the strap right there. It’s a little extra padding, also good for that pesky runny nose or whatever.
  16. Gringazolana

    Lesson learned: must unlock phone to use a European SIM Card (My Fail)

    Yep. I bought a new iPhone for my Camino so I could take good photos, then learned that I couldn’t actually use it as a phone! Ended up taking two phones: my son’s old (unlocked) phone for communication and my new one for photos. Not the best set-up, but it worked.
  17. Gringazolana

    My Camino shopping

    Decent vegan options plus craft beer. Everyone is happy!!
  18. Gringazolana

    My Camino shopping

    I love my hat, that I paid five bucks for on Temu.
  19. Gringazolana

    Favourite Socks

    I wear high compression knee-high stockings every day. For walking, I either top them with medium compression wool knee-highs from Sockwell or wear the wool ones alone. Darn Tough padded knee-highs in cold weather. Change socks at lunchtime. Change from trail runners to Birkenstocks as soon as I...
  20. Gringazolana

    Fans on the Camino

    If by some fluke the name GRINGAZOLANA were taken, I would have been Mafalda!! 🥰

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