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Ahhh. Here's a topic I haven't read about on the forum for a while. I was also a longtime (many decades) cotton brief user. When I was researching the Camino for the first time, the recommendation I followed was boxer briefs - poly, silk, but not cotton. This is to avoid chafing, if nothing...
I once had a real dual Sim phone years ago. It seems few phones have this now. Be careful if they say they do. My current Motorola phone (Android) can accept 2 Sims, BUT, one of the slots has dual purposes. It is also the slot for an SD card. So, my phone can have either 2 sims or 1 sim + sd...
I had a similar issue when walking the Portugues this past September. For some reason, some businesses wanted a verification code for what I considered a rather small purchase. I had replaced my U.S. sim card with a Portuguese sim and couldn't receive the texts/verification code. My phone holds...
I don't want to discourage you, but yes, we have had difficulties. Leaving Porto on September 7, we thought we'd do albergues. Our 1st albergue on the Senda Litoral had 24 beds but tried to accommodate others in need. There must have been 40 pilgrims total counting those on floors. After that we...
We started on the Senda Litoral. Ubered from Esposende to Barcelos 3 days ago. We had sufficient sand and water and wanted something different. We're heading over Alto da Portelo tomorrow - definitely different from the flat coast.
If you're interested in sightseeing, this is what I did after my Frances camino 7 years ago. I had 2 weeks before my return flight. I took a bus to Porto and spent a few days sightseeing. Then I took a high speed train to Lisbon for a few days of sightseeing. Then I flew to the Azores (discount...
I'm trying Moab 3 mid non-Goretex (breathable) now. For my Frances in 2016 I wore low Merrell's. I don't know the model as the tags are worn to the point of being unreadable. They served me well and I had 0 blisters. Since then I've tried Moab 2s and Moab 3s mid breathable among other brands. I...
I had about 2 weeks to use before my return flight in 2016. I spent them in Portugal. I spent a few days each in Porto, Lisbon, and the Azores. Partly because it was more convenient and less costly from Santiago than other options I considered: Rome and Barcelona. I enjoyed the travel and...
Based on my personal experience, I would suggest something either that is part of the shoe or homemade. I walked the entire Frances from SJPdP in a pair of shoes that held up great. I'm still using them. I had no blisters the entire trip. My one and only complaint was that after walking several...
I agree that it's a problem. When I walked the Frances a few years ago, I estimated fewer than 10% of bikers gave warning. (Maybe not that few, but certainly not many!) I bike in the U.S. and always provide warning (bell and voice). Also, I am happy to give way to bikers on trails when hiking...
I also like the Oboz Sawtooth II for the toe space/width. I had never heard of them, but an REI salesperson talked me into trying them a couple years ago and I really liked them. At the time, I was wearing a low cut hiker. While I had them, I concluded I should be wearing a mid height shoe (in...
I agree regarding the weight issue. I used a 58L backpack my well-traveled son recommended before I ever researched the Camino or found the wealth of information on this site. Later, when I compared weights to smaller packs, I found only a few ounces difference, and mine includes a raincover...
This won't really address the issue of Compeed vs. hikers wool. But I'll offer how I avoided blisters as an inexperienced, but much researched hiker (thank you forum members!) on my CF. I'll preface it by admitting my 65 yr. old feet were in pretty good shape prior to the hike as I hiked, biked...
Joyce, I don't know how far you are interested in traveling to get to a trail. I see your a West Coaster. The KATY (Clinton, MO to near St. Louis, MO 237 miles) has been mentioned already. I've biked some rail trails but not hiked them. If you're not familiar with rail trails, they are very easy...
Hey CarylAnn, I envy you biking the CF. I debated trying that a few years back instead of hiking. I chose hiking at the time. I read the forum daily, but comment rarely. I am a recreational biker, both road an trail, so I thought I might impart some of my "wisdom" based on similar experiences...
I walked the same time as you, but in 2016. Lots of good advice here. I agree with the layering. Even on the cooler days I would start out with a couple of layers and be down to shorts and short sleeves later in the day. I wore a tech shirt and pullover fleece under a windbreaker shell on the...
I agree about the size suggestion. I take inserts along when shoe shopping. I use gel under original inserts for additional padding. This usually results in needing to upsize or maybe getting a wider shoe for me.
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