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  1. RuediG

    Suggestion to Ivar and the dangers of giving medical advice

    @ivar I wouldn't get upset if medical advice on this page was banned (or if any medical advice involving prescription meds was banned), but it seems a lot of people would. My suggestion would be that as a minimum the "front page" of the "medical advice section" in this community should carry a...
  2. RuediG

    Vaseline on feet?

    A side note: I have no blister problem and don't use Vaseline against blisters. My socks are cheap Walmart socks who just happen to work great for me. I do use Vaseline, though, because I tend to get cracked skin, both on the heels and the bottoms of my feet. ( This happens regardless what type...
  3. RuediG

    Martigny to Sembrancher

    You can look at (and printout) the official Swiss topographical map. You can also select (under Open Menu) and print the section you are interested in with a scale of 1:25,000 or 1:50,000. (In the Menu you'll also find a Maps Displayed option. You can choose to display the official hiking...
  4. RuediG

    Any small but good thermos flasks?

    Are there any good light-weight ones? Sigg looks good, but hauling an extra 310gr / 11 oz.. day in day out just for the pleasure of a morning cup of coffee seems excessive.
  5. RuediG

    Four more days until SdC - and no motivation anymore to continue ...

    I have no idea why you're feeling the way you're feeling. And my only camino experience comes with two m's, as in cammino (that is, Italy: 500km on the Dovadola - Assisi - Rome route.) The thing that really surprised me was that for me the end goal turned out to be a lot less important than the...
  6. RuediG

    Shoe features, with and without a pack

    Thanks, davebugg. That's very helpful info. I'm ok with the shoes I have, but my partner will need new ones, so we'll follow your shoe fitting guidelines for that. BTW, I'm 135lb., so it should be possible to wear a pack in trail runners. I love your homemade rock plates. Not sure I want a...
  7. RuediG

    Shoe features, with and without a pack

    Interesting. I never thought of that. So I could use the in-soles of the ISO for normal use, and when I go on extended asphalt, I take them out and put in a pair of gel-inserts instead. Is that what you are suggesting?
  8. RuediG

    Shoe features, with and without a pack

    Thanks to all. That's helpful feedback. A few more thoughts - Lateral support - I think we're doing ok on that. Do a lot of barefoot running in soft sand, so our ankles are quite flexible and strong. Extra padding - that's definitely something to think about, as well as the stiffer sole...
  9. RuediG

    Shoe features, with and without a pack

    I just finished 500km on the Dovadola-Assisi-Rome cammino. The first part were mostly rough trails, made even harder by cold, wet weather. The second part included several stretches on asphalt. Overall I was very happy with my trail runners (Saucony Peregrine ISO) on any surface. Great shoes...
  10. RuediG

    How long do your shoes last?

    Not every model of a brand is born equal. Out of which model of Salomons did you get 2,000 miles??? I want a pair.
  11. RuediG

    Non-Catholic on the Camino

    It's good to remember that you're on something that once was mostly a very Catholic pilgrimage route for those venerating a particular Catholic saint. But with its 300,000+ pilgrims in 2018, of which only 1/3 were there for mostly "religious" reasons, something has obviously changed. Some...
  12. RuediG

    Long Hikes. . . Romance vs. Reality

    This is one of very few threads on this forum where I've read every post. Thanks to all!
  13. RuediG

    Tuscan Region Safety

    Re. mace, be sure to check on the laws in the countries that you'll be visiting. European countries consider such sprays a weapon. In some countries, you need a license, others check the exact ingredients, etc. And you cannot take it on a plane.
  14. RuediG

    End of the day sandals

    I'm taking a pair of trail runners and a pair of Keen's Newport for hiking. I'm very comfortable in the Keen's, even on uneven and rocky paths. They are heavy, but I'll use them as end-of-day sandals and shower sandals as well.
  15. RuediG

    SIM card confusion

    With the Samsung J7, you're in luck. That "dual SIM" model has three slots. But (buyer beware!) not everything that is advertised as "dual SIM" has an additional dedicated memory card slot. Some just have one "SIM" slot plus one "SIM/Memory dual function" slot. (I've owned both kinds of phone.)
  16. RuediG

    SIM card confusion

    Very true. And not all DualSIM phones have three slots - some advertise themselves as DualSIM but only have two slots, which means that the memory card slot can be used as a SIM slot. Which means that you can leave your normal SIM card in, and when you travel you take out the memory card and...
  17. RuediG

    SIM card confusion

    Just wondering (and maybe a little off topic): Do phones in the US have multiple SIM card slots, or just one? (My Samsung A6 has three slots - two for SIM cards, and one for external memory.) When I go to another country, I just add their SIM card without removing my "home" SIM card. No problem...
  18. RuediG

    Via Francigena - March/April 2019

    You need to be aware of what different countries allow. Here is an outline for most European countries http://momgoescamping.com/wild-camping-laws-europe/ with a bit more specific information about Switzerland https://www.myswissalps.com/campsites From what I read elsewhere, wild camping in...
  19. RuediG

    Trail Runners on the asphalt.

    A Marathoner friend told me how he found his shoe: after various models didn't work out, he finally bit the bullet and went to an (expensive) specialist store. They looked at his gait, then told him which types of shoes would work for him. Their final advice: "try out any of the shoes in the...
  20. RuediG

    Men's convertable hiking pants

    I'm realizing that no piece of equipment is completely perfect. The trick is to stay flexible, and sensible. (And I don't feel good about accumulating the perfect top line equipment that costs more than 90% of the world's population make in a year...)

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