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  1. Stivandrer

    OK guys, what underwear?

    I use Merino in everything year round, so also on Camino. Icebreaker wear out too fast, now it is Woolpower Lite briefs.. They do not get hot in the summer and the heat and in winter a godsend...
  2. Stivandrer

    Walking Poles

    The WRONG strap solution is to keep your thumbs free if you fall ( heaven forbid). Ski instructors will tell you that the upside way into the loops will let you lose the grip on the handle and not risk a broken thumb, or even wrist, in the Wrong manner the strap will tie you to still have a grip...
  3. Stivandrer

    Non gortex hiking boots

    IF hot and sweaty feet is the issue, you might want to use the 1 hour rule: switch between two pairs of socks during the day, switch every hour, on the hour, turn socks inside out, place in noose on your rucksack, don fresh pair, repeat during the day.
  4. Stivandrer

    Walking Poles

    Always wondered why it is not easy to get into: I bet it is the rhythm. Take a stroll like you usually do, notice how your arm swings. Your hand will swing forward as the foot on the opposite side is put forward! Now put your hands lightly on the handles of your poles and repeat your already...
  5. Stivandrer

    Hi vis vests

    Listen, I walk early mornings and late nights when going to and from work in my own country. Of course I am wearing a hi viz vest and not on the back of my rucksack, because I am walking towards the traffic! -and several blinking lights and I do not care what people think.... Same procedure when...
  6. Stivandrer

    Quiet pole tips?

    I swish the tips in the wet grass at the side of the path to take away mud before donning the rubbers , and vice versa cleaning the rubber tips in the grass before taking them off and putting them in my pocket.. My Leki rubbers have lasted since 2014 and show no sign of wear. Only put on when...
  7. Stivandrer

    Charging phones/watch/earbuds

    - and you might want to charge the power bank, and then when you are walking, your phone. It is nigh impossible to watch your phone all of the time wile it is fully charging... Old albergues will have fewer power outlets, so your charging spot will probably be a distance away from you while...
  8. Stivandrer

    Stick stashers - a clever way to temporarily stow your hiking poles

    my Osprey Kestrel 48 has two long zipped pockets on either side for storing my Leki Vario Micro poles that colapses to38 cm. I use this option when packing for storing in the hull... Does other Osprey sizes have this as well ?
  9. Stivandrer

    No tech!!!

    My first was with a Nokia no smart phone. Home station was not satisfied with report sms and I did get lost once, So I have amped up, but the thing is on Fly and only open in declared windows of time, or in emergency... but plz do not do like this:
  10. Stivandrer

    Help! Pack too heavy! — CF Sept & Oct — Senior Woman

    I have to give up! there is no mention of the total weight of the proposed packing , nor of your own weight... No sense in being too shy about these details, you are amongst friends... The is no actual, official 10% rule, just a mere rule of thumb. Imagine you were of small stature and the...
  11. Stivandrer

    Solar chargers

    I think you are overshooting the mark, why use 12 v and 40 amps when all you need is 5v!? - or are you talking about film equipment plus a laptop to charge up as well? this is what a typical power bank needs: my power bank gets charged with a dirt cheap 14 x 14 cm solar power unit (on top of...
  12. Stivandrer

    How long should a pair of shoes last?

    sorrey for belates answer: I used Rotwand and Waxenstein. mid shafts..Soles could be resoled But they were too narrow in the end, so I returned to ECCO Biom Hike, just as they were phasing out this particular model...this has not a perfect sole, but has the fit and I bought 4 extra pairs of...
  13. Stivandrer

    Pack rain cover needed with Poncho, or no?

    Pack covers are usually coated on the inside with poly urethane (PU). Naturally, you can detatch your cover before taking off and make further rainproof using textile product. It has never failed with my Osprey.
  14. Stivandrer

    My First Hiking Shoe question

    First of all, shoes / boots must fit like a glove at first try, otherwise, keep on looking. Preferably try the biggest store in another town where they do not know you, if you are liable to be ashamed !! Use a lot of time walking in any shoe, just to excercise your ankles, your muscles, expand...
  15. Stivandrer

    Which poncho?

    I use a Fjällräven rain poncho in bright safety orange, its main feature is its breatheability, doubles as a rain/wind/night shelter.. downside: no sleeves, are open in the sides, takes wind easily, cost ! upside: specs are 5000 in and 5000 mm out in breatheability, hi viz if chozen in orange...
  16. Stivandrer

    Sleeping bag versus puffy blanket

    When the OP says May, I clearly remember days of sunny 25 C but mornings of Zero to two degrees centigrade. I had a thin as can be Deuter synthetic sleeping bag and there were some cold nights, only saved by the fact that as a Scandi, I always bring wool ! A liner would not have sufficed. I am...
  17. Stivandrer

    Shoes vs boots (again)

    My boots stay on, I discarded the ones where I could feel the potato sized stones on the slope at Zubiri through the soles and chose my old ones (next time around). You will have to make your own choice !!
  18. Stivandrer

    What shall I remove from my pack.... 🤔

    Leave it as it is ! Yes and include the headlamp headlamp bonus situations: finding the toilet in the middle of the night in an empty convent when you cannot find the switches -finding a votive tree before daybreak -or w the read light on avoid disturbing sleeping pilgrims 3 o´clock in the...
  19. Stivandrer

    Down quilt

    Sea to Summit TR I and II are down quilts and sleeping bags Excellent quality
  20. Stivandrer

    Do my feet change size as I age? Hiking boot sizing question

    Hah, welcome to another age - group. Our feet do splay out later in life. My eighteen yearold size was 43EU and is efter year 40 grown to 45.5 ! Now at 65, my feet have sensibly stopped oversizing... Another hypothesis is that if your last trip ended in wet boots/shoes and they were left to...

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