suitable clothing

[tomishy]

hello everyone
I am very sorry if these are questions that have been asked and answered already. We are from Tasmania Aust.
My teen daughter and I walk end April 2019 and I am not sure about clothing. My daughter cant wear merino wool so wondering about alternatives and the other thing is jackets - any suggestions on coats that aren't too expensive avail in australia?
thanks again for any tips!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I don't like Merino either; it itches as much as other wool for me. As to the coat, plan on layering. If you take a heavy jacket, you will find that it is too much and you have no alternative. Instead, have an underwear layer (polypropylene works for me), a t-shirt, a long sleeve shirt, a lightweight fleece, and a rain repellent windbreaker. When it is cold, use all of them. When it is temperate, choose among them. Try to avoid single-use items like a vest. I love my vests at home, but on the camino they would be useless weight; the t-shirt or fleece will do the same thing. As a side note, if you take anything for its style, you probably will regret it. Pilgrims are very basic. They are pretty much an homogeneous blob of khaki, sometimes wrinkled and sometimes a bit odorous.

 

[Felipe]

April is a month of diverse and unpredictable weather in north Spain. Expect some rain (especially in the evenings) and moderate cold in the mornings and nights. But some sunny moments, too. Just before May, it could even become hot.
Paths will be sometimes quite muddy, so plan for good shoes or boots.
In general, is a good month for walking: acceptable weather, and the Camino will not be too crowded.

 

[Calvin & Hobbes]

I agree with falcon269. Two sets of clothes - all lightweight poly/silk or other non-cotton, breathable fabric. Cotton will absorb and hold moisture. Layer up as needed. I'd make one suggestion - the fleece should be full zipper. Mine was a pullover, which could be too hot when on or too cool when off. A zipper front would let me adjust comfort level easier. Also, convertible slacks worked well (zip-off legs to become shorts). There are numerous posts for what to take, each with its own preferences. Review several and decide what works best for you. Resist the temptation to take too much, and take no single use items (except maybe your toothbrush!)

 

[C clearly]

I'll put in a word for vests. I love my lightweight sleeveless down vest on the camino. I wear it often in the evenings and to bed (it would be too hot with sleeves). That allows me to take a lighter sleeping bag and and have "emergency" insulation for any cold periods during spring and sutumn. I have never needed it for walking but wouldn't go without it except maybe if I walked in July and August.

 

[Stivandrer]

Merino should not itch as the fibres are under 22 microns thick...

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Give a call to Cradle Mountain National Park to have a give and take with them about hiking clothes. You could let them know what you already have to see if that is suitable and find out what else you might need. And I bet someone there could refer you to a local outfitter that could give you more help.

 

[tomishy]

Give a call to Cradle Mountain National Park to have a give and take with them about hiking clothes. You could let them know what you already have to see if that is suitable and find out what else you might need. And I bet someone there could refer you to a local outfitter that could give you more help.

Great idea! thankyou so much!

 

[Dorpie]

April is a month of diverse and unpredictable weather in north Spain. Expect some rain (especially in the evenings) and moderate cold in the mornings and nights. But some sunny moments, too. Just before May, it could even become hot.
Paths will be sometimes quite muddy, so plan for good shoes or boots.
In general, is a good month for walking: acceptable weather, and the Camino will not be too crowded.

Sorry to give conflicting information but this wasn't at all my experience of setting out from St Jean in late April. I didn't see a drop of rain, or much mud and temperatures were regularly over 30 degrees. But as @Felipe suggests things can be very different (as indeed they were this year) so perhaps equip yourself with layering basics but be prepared to pick up extras as need be, there are plenty if stores along the way.

I should perhaps mention that I'm from the UK and so perhaps don't feel the cold like someone from warmer climates might.

Burn Camino,

Rob.

 

[TMak]

Agree with falcon 269 and Calvin and Hobbes. We did Camino in April/May this year and it was cool and wet. However, light layers were more than sufficient as described above, including a good goretex light rain jacket and rain pants. A stocking cap and gloves are also worth bringing as we wore those a lot of the cool morning starts. Buen Camino!

 

[domigee]

hello everyone
I am very sorry if these are questions that have been asked and answered already. We are from Tasmania Aust.
My teen daughter and I walk end April 2019 and I am not sure about clothing. My daughter cant wear merino wool so wondering about alternatives and the other thing is jackets - any suggestions on coats that aren't too expensive avail in australia?
thanks again for any tips!

Hi! I didn’t even know about merino hiking wear when I walked my first camino.... so don’t worry!
What works for me is layers. A camisole (or vest), a short-sleeve t-shirt, a fleece and something rain-proof. (Either jacket or poncho). In Winter I added a long-sleeved top and leggings.
For the bottom layer, either shorts, trousers or in my case a skirt.
Saw me through all sorts of weather, from snow to heat wave
In April I would take 3 sets of socks (instead of 2) as they may not dry overnight if it is raining.

 

[Deleted member 75649]

I have worn my Kathmandu polar fleece vest with leggings on both my camino s and loved it. I wore it to bed with a tshirt and sometimes on its own.

 

[Mark T17]

I agree with Helen above, I'm from Sydney and love Kathmandu shops. They usually have good xmas sales which will fit in with your April Camino. Layer up with their hiking t shirts, fleeces and a gortex shell (non-padded) jacket. I don't recommend taking cotton clothes because they wont wash and dry overnight in the albergues.

 

[gerardcarey]

Check out Decathlon. If no shop in Tassie their products are available on line.
Budget prices, reasonable quality,
Regards
Gerard

 

[Camino Chrissy]

hello everyone
I am very sorry if these are questions that have been asked and answered already. We are from Tasmania Aust.
My teen daughter and I walk end April 2019 and I am not sure about clothing. My daughter cant wear merino wool so wondering about alternatives and the other thing is jackets - any suggestions on coats that aren't too expensive avail in australia?
thanks again for any tips!

I walked the Frances in mid April thru mid May. I too, cannot wear merino although I have tried it. My layers were wicking tshirt, long sleeve micro fleece 1/4 zip, then top layer of a very lightweight poly filled puff jacket. These three worked very well in all temps and I peeled them off as needed as the day warmed up.
I also had an inexpensive, very lightweight Frogg Toggs rain jacket/pants. I do not trust Gortex jackets for potentially long days of heavy rain....I prepare by "expecting the unexpected"!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

any suggestions on coats that aren't too expensive avail in australia?

I don't know about Australian availability but I recommend for you a jacket like the Marmot PreCip. Why? Because it can also be used as a windbreaker in town without looking too geeky like a frogtog-like jacket or a poncho. What helps this is that the hood rolls down into the collar and so isn't flopping around on your back. This also keeps the hood from filling with rain if you prefer hiking with a wide brimmed hat over hood use. In reviews of the PreCip I fail to see mentioned whether the front zipper is one way or two. Two would allow up to open from the bottom and top at the same time giving you more ventilation while preventing the slides from being blown open. I can't remember if the jacket has this feature. The weight, stuff size and cost are points in this jacket's favor. It gets great reviews. I use a similar product and find it a good compromise for rainwear.

YouTube id: cSQ5p57QuRE

 

[Sandra Riordan]

hello everyone
I am very sorry if these are questions that have been asked and answered already. We are from Tasmania Aust.
My teen daughter and I walk end April 2019 and I am not sure about clothing. My daughter cant wear merino wool so wondering about alternatives and the other thing is jackets - any suggestions on coats that aren't too expensive avail in australia?
thanks again for any tips!

Hi I am also from Tasmania and have purchased all my gear from local outdoor shops in Hobart. There is also a Camino meetup group in Hobart that could offer you suggestions. But basically if you don’t like merino there are plenty of alternatives that can be purchased locally and some are a bit expensive I just wait for the sales.

 

[J F Gregory]

April is a month of diverse and unpredictable weather in north Spain. Expect some rain (especially in the evenings) and moderate cold in the mornings and nights. But some sunny moments, too. Just before May, it could even become hot.
Paths will be sometimes quite muddy, so plan for good shoes or boots.
In general, is a good month for walking: acceptable weather, and the Camino will not be too crowded.

My wife and I have experienced snow in mid-April in Galicia. April weather is unpredictable.
Felipe said it best, light layering with a light rain jacket will keep you warm even in the snow. You can always add or take off layers to be comfortable.

 

[Paul J W]

Personal approach to clothing (as a minimalist but not compromising on safety):
1 lightweight (thin) layers - remember when not wearing you are carrying;
2 tracksters (or equivalent) for leg wear - warm, can be rolled up, don’t cling when wet and dry quickly;
3 peaked cap - for shade and shelter;
4 lightweight gloves;
5 undergarment(s) and socks - maximum three: one to wear, one clean, one drying out(!) AND safety pins for clothes pegs;
6 lightweight waterproof top;
7 ALWAYS carry survival bag - wherever, whenever - you never know. . .
Finally: 8 you are highly unlikely to be in such a remote location that there will not be an opportunity to buy any item en route - market places are ideal for snapping up extras/replacements.