10 days without sleeping bag or liner?

[L B]

So unexpectedly I now have 10 spare days between my Europe travels at the beginning of September. I travel only with hand luggage (aka the trusty 40L hiking backpack) and I absolutely do not have space for a sleeping bag or liner which I would have no use for outside of the camino; however, the camino is calling. I don't worry about having a barrier between me and the bed as usually hostels offer those white disposable sheets.
Would it be a bad idea to go anyway, walk without these things and count on the albergues having blankets?

 

[Deleted member 36903]

Hello @L B, not all albergues have blankets. But in the hot weather that you might encounter in September a blanket would be too hot. Just my personal opinion but would advise having something between you and the bed. A silk liner (isn't expensive) takes up about the same space as two pocket-size packs of tissues and the weight is negligible. Buen Camino

 

[jsalt]

This is exactly why I carry a lightweight sleeping bag in my (32 litre) backpack, so I don’t have to use the albergue blankets. I don’t know how often they have been used on beds with no sheet between the blanket and the occupier of the bed. Get a cheap liner from a camping store.
Jill

 

[J Willhaus]

Agree with above. My husband used a sea to summit bag liner which is about the size of tennis ball when packed away. I used an old army poncho liner pinned together with safety pins which all packed away in a small stuff sack. Both were lightweight. I don't think in Sept. you will need a sleeping bag, but the yuck factor of sleeping on those scratchy disposable sheets or worse yet my skin being touched by those blankets (who knows when they have been washed or cleaned) is enough for me to want at least a liner of some kind.

 

[JennyH94]

Hi L B -
Not all the albergues have the white disposable sheets and pillows slips. I encountered only two on my just-completed short camino between Pamplona and Burgos. I concur with the responders so far - get yourself a cheap liner. You can just stuff the liner into your pack - it’ll fill those small air pockets and the small weight is well worth the convenience. Some of the fitted sheets covering the rubber mattresses at a couple of the albergues I stayed at hadn’t seen the inside of a washing machine for a while and were on the greasy and manky side - not the kind of surface that induces sweet dreams!
Buen Camino - take joy in every step.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Most albergues require you to have linens. You are not permitted to sleep directly even on the disposable cover they provide. You may find that you have to stay in hostales that provide bedding.

 

[jsalt]

Most albergues require you to have linens.

I am sure you are quite correct about this, but I have never ever been asked to show a sheet or sleeping bag when checking in; unlike the old UK Youth Hostels: if you couldn’t produce a sheet bag from you backpack, you were obliged to hire one before they checked you in.
Jill

 

[LGLG]

And also out of consideration for those after you... please use a liner. Mine is silk, so small the biggest risk i’ll lose it on the way!

 

[natefaith]

Welcome @L B. If you have a 40L pack yet no room for a sleeping liner, you might want to shed some weight before you start on the Camino. You can send a box ahead to the Correos post office in Santiago, or Ivar here at this Forum: http://www.casaivar.com/luggage-storage-in-santiago-de-compostela/index.html.

And like others, I'd recommend having a barrier between you and the albergue mattresses/ albergue sheets. A hospitalera was telling us recently that the two albergues she served at didn't have a policy of cleaning sheets daily. One had their hospitaleros wash sheets every four days, and one had their hospitaleros use a ruler to scrape off the sheets between washings. Apparently they expect pilgrims to be carrying their own liners and sleeping bags and not to sleep directly on the beds.

Enjoy your time. Buen Camino!

 

[Deleted member 32363]

Hello @L B, not all albergues have blankets. But in the hot weather that you might encounter in September a blanket would be too hot. Just my personal opinion but would advise having something between you and the bed. A silk liner (isn't expensive) takes up about the same space as two pocket-size packs of tissues and the weight is negligible. Buen Camino

I agree!!

 

[hotelmedicis]

See if you can buy an inexpensive fleece sleeping bag liner from any sports store. Decathlon, for example.

 

[november_moon]

I've never been asked whether or not I had a liner or bag when checking in, but I have seen hospitaleros check the beds in the dorms and take issue with those who havent put anything down to sleep on.

 

[Anamya]

Dear LB

As mentioned before, most albergues will request you to have your own 'barrier' to the mattress. Silk liners are extremely thin and light and may solve the issue. Mine are from Treksilk and look like the orange one from here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FA58VXW/?tag=casaivar02-20 . They also have smaller, cheaper options.

Another option, if you have the budget, is to stay in inns - you won't have to add anything to your pack and will probably have some little comforts (i.e. shampoo and soap, breakfast.).

 

[Susan6]

I have used a silk sleeping bag liner which folds up into it's own pouch about the size of a fist and weight is negligable. It is warm enough during summer and most of Autumn.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

If you look around you can find liners that have a built in pillowslip - turn the pillowslip inside out so the pillow is outside the liner and you have a nice clean cover to rest your head on.

If I can find mine I'll post a photo.

 

[Marbe2]

Welcome @L B. If you have a 40L pack yet no room for a sleeping liner, you might want to shed some weight before you start on the Camino. You can send a box ahead to the Correos post office in Santiago, or Ivar here at this Forum: http://www.casaivar.com/luggage-storage-in-santiago-de-compostela/index.html.

And like others, I'd recommend having a barrier between you and the albergue mattresses/ albergue sheets. A hospitalera was telling us recently that the two albergues she served at didn't have a policy of cleaning sheets daily. One had their hospitaleros wash sheets every four days, and one had their hospitaleros use a ruler to scrape off the sheets between washings. Apparently they expect pilgrims to be carrying their own liners and sleeping bags and not to sleep directly on the beds.

Enjoy your time. Buen Camino!

You indicated 10 days to walk. Where to where? You may not be going to Santiago. So sending to Ivan may not be an option. Correos.es (post office in spain) allows you to send a bag ahead to many towns. You can pick it up from 3 days to two weeks at no extra charge.