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  1. J

    Winter Bedbugs

    Before I departed for Europe and the CF, I sprayed the inside of my pack, sleeping bag and liner with Premetherin, which I purchased at REI. I had no problems.
  2. J

    Best Albergue in St Jean?

    That looks like a good idea. Get a head start on one of the most difficult stages to make it a little easier the next day.
  3. J

    Umbrella & Travel Gear for early Spring / Late Winter

    BTW, IMHO, carry only a back pack cover to keep it dry. Do not carry a poncho. As others have said, you will experience rain and wind. Ponchos do not behave well in high winds. Another thought, I always wore a light-weight, long sleeve shirt next to my skin and a short sleeve shirt on top of...
  4. J

    Umbrella & Travel Gear for early Spring / Late Winter

    I used a pair of bicycle gloves on the CF to prevent sunburn on my hands. A number of pilgrims commented that they wished they had done the same. The gloves do not weigh very much and I was very glad I took them.
  5. J

    sarria to santiago

    Hi Kanga, apologize for my incorrect inference of your remarks. Sorry that your husband had problems with his Merrells. In his same post where Merrells were recommended, the author recommended that one purchase shoes that are least one-half to one-size larger. This is due to the two pair of...
  6. J

    sarria to santiago

    I think you will note that I recommended that she strongly consider the Merrells. Since you are a regular on here, you are more than likely aware of a lengthy post a number of years ago in which a pilgrim from the UK, who worked at the equivalent of REI, recommended Merrells. I greatly...
  7. J

    sarria to santiago

    I strongly recommend that you consider Merrell Moab Ventilators. They are non waterproof, but will dry quickly if you get them wet. REI sells them in the US. Buy at least one size larger than normal. Your feet will swell and you should be wearing merino wool socks with silk liners...
  8. J

    Water bottles or water bladders??

    I did both - carry a Camelback and water bottle. The Camelback was easy to fill each morning and easier to sip some water from along the CF. The bottle is easier to fill from the spigots along the way. On the second day out from Roncevalles, we hit some rather warm weather in mid April. I ran...
  9. J

    First Camino in July/August

    I would bring bike gloves and wear them to prevent sunburn on your hands. I walked the CF this April/May and a number of my fellow pilgrims remarked that they wished that they had similar gloves. The gloves will not add much weight and you should not have to carry them in your back pack in any...
  10. J

    Crowded Hostels in Late May from Sarria

    I am sorry that I cannot remember the name, but there is a very nice albergue about 4 or 5 km on the other side of Sarria that seemed to be very nice. I recall that it had a swimming pool and a nice tavern to purchase some libations. Maybe someone can help with the name.
  11. J

    Single Greatest Threat to Failure

    Very good point about the daily wear and tear on one's body. Now I know why professional athletes, such as baseball players, have such a difficult time at the end of the season. Walking the Camino with a heavy pack is a grind. When I went to sleep each night while on the Camino, I was sure...
  12. J

    Being a "Camino addict" while partner/husband is not at all .

    I have the same problem. I walked the CF in April/May this year, without my wife, who went to Africa for about a month without me. I honestly believe she does not feel up to the physical challenge = we are both in our 70's. I have resorted to a steady diet of "lobbying" her to allow me to go...
  13. J

    I'm Off Then

    Buen Camino Scruffy. If you recall, we communicated sometime ago about Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M football. Well the Aggies and the Tide play again in a little more than one week, while you will be on the Camino. I can safely say that the beat down that the Tide put on the Aggies last year...
  14. J

    Hotels actual in SJPdP

    This will probably be a highly controversial comment. I stayed at the Beilari earlier this year, based on good reviews. I was very disappointed. I did not think it was very clean and I did not like the pilgrim meal in the evening.
  15. J

    Aussie or Euro vs US sunscreen

    I agree with the posts regarding the fact that I found sunscreen to be expensive in Spain. Next time I will take two, carry on sized tubes of sunscreen. I went through one quite quickly. I also strongly recommend that you wear a pair of padded bike gloves on the Camino. The gloves protected...
  16. J

    Best time of year to do Camino Frances?

    Started the CF on April 11 and completed in 36 days on May 16. It was a good time of year, except for a few days of rain. The rain was not so bad; it was the mud and clay. The soil in the part of the Camino I was walking was freshly graded, but not compacted. I quickly was carrying an...
  17. J

    Packing Help

    Mainly because I could have mounted the GoPro on my backpack. I also used my I Phone to listen to my playlist, so it was inconvenient to keep switching the phone to use it as a camera. Also, I think the GoPro is better at videos and wide angle shots. I also don't think you need to buy a sim...
  18. J

    Ease of getting to SJPdP

    My son and I arrived at CDG on April 9, in the midst of an ATC strike. We had planned to fly easyJet to BIQ. That flight was cancelled. We found an SNCF train that left from the CDG terminal to BIQ a couple of hours later, arriving in BIQ at about the same time as the flight would have. The...
  19. J

    Packing Help

    I found the phone to be the most important item I carried.
  20. J

    April-May Trip Report

    Thanks for the report. I just finished the CF in 36 days, probably a few days ahead of you on the Camino. My question is in regards to your feet. Did you find that your feet absolutely ached at the end of the day? Mine did and I am wondering if the 152 muscles in each foot were not in the...

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