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  1. gml

    Vodafone - Setting for crossing from Portugal to Spain

    With roaming on, the data on my Portuguese Vodaphone sim still stopped working when I crossed the bridge into Spain (I didn't test the phone function). Now I use an international data-only sim from a company called Keepgo. There is no monthly fee: you pay only for the data, and the data never...
  2. gml

    Sick of Merino! Bamboo instead?

    When merino tops (short- or long-sleeved) start to fall apart, I keep wearing them as base layers. There's no noticeable difference in their warming/insulating qualities, and the holes don't show when I'm wearing something over them. When these old friends eventually give up and fall off of me...
  3. gml

    Permethrin

    I sprayed my sleeping bag and backpack with Permethrin and was still bitten by bedbugs.
  4. gml

    Share your backpack choice with your body info!

    DyanTX's advice to find a store where you can try weighted packs is exactly right! I spent an afternoon trying on nearly every pack in the store, weighted at about 20 lbs., and narrowed it down to two choices. Then went back a day or two later and test-drove each candidate for about 30-40...
  5. gml

    How can I buy an Altus poncho/jacket in the US?

    Using my Altus day in and day out on the C. Portugues last fall, I found that it got wet on the inside, too, but I was never sure whether it was leaking from the outside or whether it was self-inflicted condensation from inside. I suspect the latter, because my pack was always dry whereas my...
  6. gml

    How can I buy an Altus poncho/jacket in the US?

    In case you can't find one anywhere but the pilgrim's store in SJPP and you need to consider its weight and dimensions as you pack at home... StellarB, above, mentioned that his/her Altus is 326 grams (size not specified). For comparison, the L/XL (biggest you could ever get) is 435 grams in...
  7. gml

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

    When you reserve your poncho at Boutique du Pelerine, be sure to tell them your size and gender. I am a medium-sized woman and I told them my height, but when I arrived in late September, I found that they had reserved a L/XL size for me because they thought I was a man, based on my name. They...
  8. gml

    People with Altra Lone Peak shoes

    I didn't try ankle-lock lacing (wasn't aware of it) and I may have been too quick to dismiss the Altras because I hadn't considered walking a camino in running shoes as opposed to light hikers, like my old Salomons, that seem to have more stability and a good solid base for stones. All of the...
  9. gml

    People with Altra Lone Peak shoes

    I'm about the walk the CP, too, so I'm interested in your switch of footwear. I would have guessed that the cushy Altras would be ideal for the hard stony surfaces. What advantage did the Hoka Stinsons have? I'm having a hard time figuring out the best shoe for this walk! (Walked before in...
  10. gml

    People with Altra Lone Peak shoes

    I tried on Altra Lone Peaks and loved the cushioning, but on a downhill slope (big fake rock in the shoe department) my toes squished against the front of the shoe. Has anyone had this problem and overcome it with tighter lacing in the mid-foot or in some other way?
  11. gml

    Waterproof shoes

    I've walked twice in early October (CF and Le Puy) and didn't encounter rain more than one or two days on each route. My gortex shoes did keep out the water, but never did I trudge through a whole day of relentless rain, so I'm not sure I needed waterproof shoes. If you have some flexibility in...
  12. gml

    sock cleaning

    I wore a very thin synthetic liner sock under Smartwool hiking socks. Vaseline got on the liners , but never the wool socks, and it was pretty easy to wash the liners each evening. Hot water and soap took out most of the grease, and I didn't care about whatever residue was left. Never had a blister.
  13. gml

    Help with shoe sizing

    Of the three pairs you describe, I vote for the size 9s -- snug all around (not tight, I hope), but room for the toes to spread out, no sliding forward, no pinching toe box. Smear a thin layer of Vaseline on your feet and between your toes each morning to reduce friction, stop immediately to air...
  14. gml

    Pole Tip Protectors - A Serious matter - There are tips and tips

    Why?
  15. gml

    Foldable hiking poles in carry-on baggage

    It's true that so much depends on the airport and the people on guard. Your mention of pocket knives reminds me of checking in at the Pamplona airport and realizing that I had forgotten that my small Swiss Army knife was in my pants pocket. In the past, I had forfeited one or two such knives in...
  16. gml

    My draft winter Camino Frances packing list

    I would add laundry soap and a universal sink stopper.
  17. gml

    Has anyone else have the lining material of their Hokas disintegrate?

    It would have been a long journey. I purchased the shoes in California and I live in Toronto.
  18. gml

    Has anyone else have the lining material of their Hokas disintegrate?

    A couple of years ago, I bought a pair of the previous season's Hoka Ones on sale. Within a couple of weeks, they became worn in exactly the place that yours did. I used them for running on gentle terrain every couple of days, so there was no reason for their quick disintegration. Shortly after...
  19. gml

    How long should a pair of shoes last?

    I have had two pairs of Salomon Ultra GTX shoes with the "no tie" laces and have not had a single problem with the shoes or the laces. In pair #1, I walked the Camino Frances, and in pair #2, I walked the Le Puy route, and both pairs had enough life left in them after those walks to serve me for...
  20. gml

    Poles or no poles

    I highly recommend using poles. Besides improving balance on rocky and steep terrain, they distribute weight so that the arms and upper body are taking some of the stress from the legs and knees. With poles, I have less fatigue and I walk with a smoother rhythm and a faster pace because I can...

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