Preparing a Camino few years before.

[La Brique Jaune]

Hi To all,

I wanted to share something with the people who did not have done a Camino and wanted to do one after the Covid-Time.

My post it's not related with the covid, more about the incapacity of someone who want the make a Camino and don't have the opportunities to do it (full job,family obligation....etc). Many threads have the question : Should I go , can I go now during Covid or when i will over ? but it's really not the goal of my thread.

So....
You have never make a Camino and wanted to go but you cannot right now ? and your Camino will be in few years
The things (I did) you can do it's prepare yourself:

You can learn many things about the gear, you can can test your choices by waking near you live. Personalty, I read a lot before my Camino and my gear was on the spot.

You can also learn some language of the country your are going to. I was not typically good at school but I manage to learn some basics maybe because I wanted to learned it l and it's was not imposed. I had great conversations with locals and hospilateros and I had also some favors . I remember one hospitalero who said to me: to go do my things and after come back for paying, at the end of day it's was a gift. I understood he appreciated I asked him a bed in my basic Spanish. I really think you can speak some Spanish because you can make combinations of words and you will repeat these phrases each day.

The last one, It could be a thread by itself: Money*.
Yes the gear cost money. Before my Camino I read a lot about equipment and I check the sales regularly. I have also a Camino-Jar, I sell the things I did not use and put the money in. My opinion is: it's worth it to invest in good gear because the Camino it's a life changing experience and can not be repeated each year or sadly only one time for many people. I Had the perfect gear for me so I think I was focused on the real things and not distracted by issues of it. And I reuse some of the equipment I bought in my daily life.

In conclusion: It's not mandatory to have very good equipment, learning the language, know about the history of Spain....
but these will enrich your experience and help for the waiting.

I don't expect be on a Camino for the next years, but I connect with it almost everyday by learning Spanish.


*Please take in consideration it's only my opinion and based on my experience.


La Brique

 

[EL LECHERO]

There is a saying in Martial Arts...."It is always with you like water, sometimes it's boiling, sometimes it's not. But it is always there." That also is true for the Camino.......After all it is what makes life tolerable to have dreams and goals. My goal is Primitivo 2022!!!!
Bon Chance!

 

[David Tallan]

Hi To all,

I wanted to share something with the people who did not have done a Camino and wanted to do one after the Covid-Time.

My post it's not related with the covid, more about the incapacity of someone who want the make a Camino and don't have the opportunities to do it (full job,family obligation....etc). Many threads have the question : Should I go , can I go now during Covid or when i will over ? but it's really not the goal of my thread.

So....
You have never make a Camino and wanted to go but you cannot right now ? and your Camino will be in few years
The things (I did) you can do it's prepare yourself:

You can learn many things about the gear, you can can test your choices by waking near you live. Personalty, I read a lot before my Camino and my gear was on the spot.

You can also learn some language of the country your are going to. I was not typically good at school but I manage to learn some basics maybe because I wanted to learned it l and it's was not imposed. I had great conversations with locals and hospilateros and I had also some favors . I remember one hospitalero who said to me: to go do my things and after come back for paying, at the end of day it's was a gift. I understood he appreciated I asked him a bed in my basic Spanish. I really think you can speak some Spanish because you can make combinations of words and you will repeat these phrases each day.

The last one, It could be a thread by itself: Money*.
Yes the gear cost money. Before my Camino I read a lot about equipment and I check the sales regularly. I have also a Camino-Jar, I sell the things I did not use and put the money in. My opinion is: it's worth it to invest in good gear because the Camino it's a life changing experience and can not be repeated each year or sadly only one time for many people. I Had the perfect gear for me so I think I was focused on the real things and not distracted by issues of it. And I reuse some of the equipment I bought in my daily life.

In conclusion: It's not mandatory to have very good equipment, learning the language, know about the history of Spain....
but these will enrich your experience and help for the waiting.

I don't expect be on a Camino for the next years, but I connect with it almost everyday by learning Spanish.


*Please take in consideration it's only my opinion and based on my experience.


La Brique

A couple of other things beyond learning the language, researching and investing in your gear that can be done well in advance of any Camino:

Practice walking. Practice walking with your gear (as per OP's suggestion to get your gear well in advance). Ideally, practice walking with increasing duration and frequency. Before my 2016 Camino, I didn't practice walking at all and neither did my son. He really felt it in his feet. I really felt it in my knees. I did a lot more walking before my 2018 Camino, gradually working up to the point where I could walk three 20 km days in a row without feeling any ill effects (a long weekend). I knew then that I was ready. And I didn't have any of the physical problems in 2018 that I faced in 2016.

Learn about the places you will be walking through. If you are going to be walking the Camino Frances and/or the Camino Aragones, I highly recommend The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: the Complete Cultural Handbook by David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson. Some will say it is better not to research at all, to know as little as possible, and let everything be a surprise. My opinion is different. If you don't know that something wonderful is there, you are relying on luck to find it. Your chances of finding it and enjoying it are much greater if you know it is there. So I like to do a lot of planning. Just don't commit to your plans. There are plenty of factors that you will only know on the day that are important to consider when making decisions. But research is good. You will still find that the Camino offers sufficient surprises. Related to this, any research into the culture you will find in Spain will enrich your experience. The more you know about Romanesque or Gothic architecture (see related threads in these forums), the more you will appreciate what you see. The more you know about regional cuisines, the more you will appreciate your culinary experience. And so on.

 

[judithrubenstein]

Hi To all,

I wanted to share something with the people who did not have done a Camino and wanted to do one after the Covid-Time.

My post it's not related with the covid, more about the incapacity of someone who want the make a Camino and don't have the opportunities to do it (full job,family obligation....etc). Many threads have the question : Should I go , can I go now during Covid or when i will over ? but it's really not the goal of my thread.

So....
You have never make a Camino and wanted to go but you cannot right now ? and your Camino will be in few years
The things (I did) you can do it's prepare yourself:

You can learn many things about the gear, you can can test your choices by waking near you live. Personalty, I read a lot before my Camino and my gear was on the spot.

You can also learn some language of the country your are going to. I was not typically good at school but I manage to learn some basics maybe because I wanted to learned it l and it's was not imposed. I had great conversations with locals and hospilateros and I had also some favors . I remember one hospitalero who said to me: to go do my things and after come back for paying, at the end of day it's was a gift. I understood he appreciated I asked him a bed in my basic Spanish. I really think you can speak some Spanish because you can make combinations of words and you will repeat these phrases each day.

The last one, It could be a thread by itself: Money*.
Yes the gear cost money. Before my Camino I read a lot about equipment and I check the sales regularly. I have also a Camino-Jar, I sell the things I did not use and put the money in. My opinion is: it's worth it to invest in good gear because the Camino it's a life changing experience and can not be repeated each year or sadly only one time for many people. I Had the perfect gear for me so I think I was focused on the real things and not distracted by issues of it. And I reuse some of the equipment I bought in my daily life.

In conclusion: It's not mandatory to have very good equipment, learning the language, know about the history of Spain....
but these will enrich your experience and help for the waiting.

I don't expect be on a Camino for the next years, but I connect with it almost everyday by learning Spanish.


*Please take in consideration it's only my opinion and based on my experience.


La Brique

I found this very cheering; gives me something to to geared to my future Camino.

 

[Tincatinker]

You will still find that the Camino offers sufficient surprises.

Like the opening and closing times of historic sites, famous restaurants and even tiny tiendas.

 

[David Tallan]

Like the opening and closing times of historic sites, famous restaurants and even tiny tiendas.

Especially tiny tiendas.

 

[La Brique Jaune]

Hi

I found this very cheering; gives me something to to geared to my future Camino.

Hi

I will give you some of my toughs , because the forum contain of lot information and it's not necessary to double the information . Also some of my gear choices enter in the biggest topics of the Forum (Water system, trekking poles, shoes, rain equipment) and these subjects need and have they own threads.

So, my thoughts are:
-You can solve one topic a the time: Shoes*, back pack, rain equipment, trekking pole or not.
I had no experience about hiking or walking but by reading and combining the different opinions I made my own idea. I think is important to be confident about ours choices of gear. I did not have the opportunity to test my gear but if you have it is great.

-I read and watched videos about the gear needed on thru-hike trails and adjust the info for the Camino because it's not a thru-hike. But rain is rain

- For myself, the backpack and the shoes (a lot of threads about it) are items worth speeding more the time. So when it’s about to buy theses take your time and choose them for your own body. (I saw couples with the same backpack). If you feel pressurized by the salesperson go way ! But them when you are in good mood and not tired. Do not choose by color or the look it’s does not matters. Your feet and your body are your friends, threat them well and they bring you to Santiago !

-When you are buying your backpack, you can bring something to put in and simulate the weight of the equipment like water bottles, sometime they have “bags” filled with sand. I suppose the salesperson will teach you how to setup your backpack. And maybe bring with you a paper with your criteria to not forget them.

- I was very happy with my choices of gear, and by the total weight of my back pack. I don’t remember if I made sacrifices but I think don’t so. I had kitchen scale and I weight everything, it’s allow me to compare the weight of items between them, make different combinations. Also one item can have multiple utilization (you can read/watch about ultralight packing). Using a Excel sheet and a kitchen scale allow to not forget to pack light. If your start light and you need something you can buy it in Spain.

The selection of equipment is exciting and it's began the process.

La Brique

 

[oursonpolaire]

@David Tallan has a point in reading up on the wider background and history of the Camino and of Spain (Gitlitz and Davidson is by my bedside). I have found that much more useful that researching albergues and restaurants. Having learned more of the life of the society around me, I was able to enjoy more of my encounters with our Spanish hosts and Spanish pilgrims. I continue to kick myself for not applying myself to my language studies...

 

[mspath]

While you are practicing walking keep this report in mind Partners Can Slow You Down

However you train, wherever you go Buen Camino!