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  1. MechEngr69

    Liner versus sleeping bag

    My pack was 7.5 kg, and I brought only a polyester fleece sleep sack, and a pillowcase to encase my very light down jacket to use as a pillow. I used an albergue blanket every night, and at the Samos Monastery on April 30, 2015, I needed and borrowed a second one off of an unoccupied bed. I’m...
  2. MechEngr69

    Generic long distance walking question

    Hi VWZoo! Here's what works for me. I order three pairs of hiking shoes on line, have them delivered, and then see how they feel at home at different times of the day, different socks, etc. This allows more time to evaluate them than in the stores. I keep the ones that feel the best, and return...
  3. MechEngr69

    Plugs for phone charging

    Hi! For U.S. Pilgrims I prefer to bring a Tri-plex 110 volt adapter, a.k.a. triple adapter plug, connected to my adapter plug that allows a U.S. 2-prong plug to fit the European outlet. Then, two other U.S. Pilgrims can plug their USB voltage converters, a.k.a. chargers, into my Tri-plex...
  4. MechEngr69

    Day 1

    I passed through León on April 24, 2015 on my way to SdC. I did not book any albergues in advance, and never encountered one without a vacancy. I did reserve a bed in SdC before I departed from the U.S. If you're planning to spend the night in Portomarín, I recommend Albergue Novo Porto...
  5. MechEngr69

    Hi I am 70 years old and I'm going to attempt my first Camino in April 2017

    Hi Gerhard! I was 69 when I arrived in SdC on May 5, 2015. It was an amazing walk and I hope yours is the same. My pack was 7.5 kg, and I brought only a polyester fleece sleep sack, and a pillowcase to encase my very light down jacket to use as a pillow. I used an albergue blanket every night...
  6. MechEngr69

    Over 65

    Hi Oztraveler! I walked from St. Jean to Burgos departing on 9/25/14 when I was 67. Then returned to walk from Burgos to SdC departing 4/17/15 when I was 68. My 10kg backpack was 13 percent of my weight. I did no extra training to supplement my normal every-other-day 2-mile run. I got lucky with...
  7. MechEngr69

    Help contacting Samos Monastery

    I stayed at the Samos Monestario on April 30. 2015. The dormitory was less than half full. Yes, it was cold since the afternoon temperature was 13 C (56 F). But it wasn't as cold as camping. However, the bathroom had two large (looked like 100 gallons each) water heaters which relieved any worry...
  8. MechEngr69

    a few questions before starting in late June

    Hi! 1) My guess is that you should plan for 17 days from Leon. It’s normally 13 days, but I have added 4 days in the event that you’ll need some shorter days due to your knees. 2) A lightweight rain jacket or parka would be a good idea. Galicia can be rainy in summer. (I have not been there in...
  9. MechEngr69

    Advice needed- Villafranca- Santiago in 6 days?

    Hi! In early May I walked from Trabadelo (10 km west of Villafranca del Bierzo) to Monte de Gozo (5 km east of Santiago) in 6 days. I arrived in Santiago at 8 AM on day 7. The 6-day distance was 168 km (104 miles) so my average was 28 km/day (17.4 miles/day) with a 9 kg (20lb.) pack. I’m 6’-1”...
  10. MechEngr69

    How many rest days did you take & where did you take them?

    I walked the Camino Frances in two steps: 1) SJPdP to Burgos last fall with one rest day in Pamplona, then 2) Burgos to SdC this spring with a half day rest by taking the bus from Mansilla to Leon, and another bus from Leon to La Virgen del Camino (walked only 16 km, or 10 miles that day). For...
  11. MechEngr69

    Sleeping Bags?

    Ross, do a distance trial at home to see how many km you and your wife can walk in two hours. If you can do 5 km per hour, you should be able to walk 30 km per day on the flat stages. That's only 6 hours per day not including breaks. Burgos to Astorga (10 stages in the Brierley guide) is 230 km...
  12. MechEngr69

    April-May Trip Report

    Jessalk: Excellent report; you get a gold star! Re. Rain: I did the St. Jean Pied de Port to Burgos stages last fall starting on September 25th with only a couple of rainy days. This spring I started in Burgos on April 19th and arrived in Santiago on May 5, 2015. I was expecting to walk in the...
  13. MechEngr69

    1st Timer - Santo Domingo de la Calzada to S.D.C

    ". . . Or can I do it myself without any spanish language?!" Cat, I concur with Whariwharangi. Pick a city east of Santiago from where you want to start walking, based on your plan to reach Santiago in 16 days. I’m assuming that 2.5 weeks does not include travel time to the start and return at...
  14. MechEngr69

    Sarria to Santiago accom

    Can't do a 30km day- tried once and it was a spectacular fail ;) The weather over the last two days has been a little spotty, but generally ok- ponchos have mainly been draped on the bags, not necessarily on our selves. Today was quite chilly, but yesterday was worse :) Fingers crossed it's...
  15. MechEngr69

    Sarria to Santiago accom

    The following are listed in Brierley's guide. I looked up the websites. Best of luck to you! 1: Belante or A Brea Peruscallo: Lugar de Molino de Marzán, Barbadelo, Sarria, Lugo Contacto/Información:679438077/adm@molinomarzan.com Morgade: CASA MORGADE http://www.casamorgade.com La reserva se...
  16. MechEngr69

    Road walking

    John Brierley's guide lists the number of km each on paths, secondary roads, and main roads. Out of 33 stages, there are only two areas that have more than 5 km along a main road: 1) 8.9 km from Larrasoana to Cizur Menor in stage 3 at Pamplona, 2) 4.7 km entering Leon in stage 20, and 8.5 km...
  17. MechEngr69

    Irish solo female travelling 21st April

    Aoife, I'm assuming that you will start in St. Jean Pied de Port since you are flying into Biarritz. Since you will likely be walking in some rain, I recommend taking waterproof hiking shoes and waterproof gaiters. Some people hate waterproof shoes since they do not breath as well as shoes with...
  18. MechEngr69

    2 more weeks...last random questions (hopefully)

    Hi! On rainy days I recommend wearing a waterproof parka, waterproof pants and gaiters. I bought a pair of Trekmates gaiters that are only 8 inches high, but high enough to keep water from running into my trail running shoes. If you are wearing boots, you may not need gaiters if your pants are...
  19. MechEngr69

    2 more weeks...last random questions (hopefully)

  20. MechEngr69

    Washing the clothes and washing urself....

    In 2014 I used small hotel-size bars of body soap that I stored in a tamper-proof pill bottle, 1 3/4" dia. x 3" long (4.5 cm dia. x 7.6 cm long). This way the wet bar will sit upright and not stick to the round container. (You can cut off the tamper-proof catch if you like.) In most shower...

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