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Have you considered using ziploc bags instead of dry sacs? They are inexpensive, waterproof, extra-ultra lightweight, easily replaceable and see-through.
I, too, am afraid of unleashed dogs on the camino. A trick I found very effective is to spread out your arms holding your trekking poles - guaranteed to silence any barking dogs, at least long enough for you to get away.
Me too. Poles help me maintain my balance, especially when crossing streams. However, I discovered another unintended use of poles, and that is to ward off barking dogs. Apparently you can enlarge your physical image - as viewed by the dogs - by stretching your arms holding the poles. It worked...
Canada has a lot to offer in terms of outdoor activities, sadly Camino-style trekking is not one of them due to the lack of infrastructure such as albergues and restaurants. If one has to bring along a tent and freeze-dried food, it's an entirely different kind of experience.
Personally, one of the things that draws me to the Camino is serendipity - the idea that you never know where or when you'll end up at the end of a day. I have never booked in advance in any of my five Caminos (2015-2019). Of course, things might have changed post-pandemic.
I would say, don't bother...unless you are doing it as a personal record of your trip. Much of the scenery along the Camino is pretty much the same and, quite frankly, rather monotonous. Besides, Google has already done it...
Imagine how quickly your "weighing nothing" stones can pile up over the years. Nonetheless, I think your idea of a stone "exchange" does have merits -- if the stone is picked out of the same pile.
On my last Camino, some idiot had spray-painted the word "LOVE" all over the place, which is far worse than littering since those can't easily be removed/erased.
For me, a big part of the Camino is the experience of a culture different from my own -- people, language, food, scenery, etc. The Bruce trail just doesn't do it for me.
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