3 pilgrims need walking poles

[Lisakline]

Hello all! 3 friends are starting the cf on November on15 from sjpdp. We are not able to pack our poles on the airplane to get there. Is anyone finishing the camino and could send us their poles to the main hostel in sjpdp? I would be glad to send shipping money if needed! I can buy poles but i thought...if people dont need theirs anymore we can re use them.

 

[C clearly]

We are not able to pack our poles on the airplane to get there.

I assume you know that you can pack your poles together in a bundle and send them as a checked bag. Then carry your all-important backpacks into the cabin with you. Most likely your poles will arrive at your destination on the same flight as you do. If not, it is not a disaster, as you can replace them easily in SJPP.

 

[Cayou]

Lisa: There is a couple of Outdoor stores in Old Town that last i looked had poles at e10-12 each.

 

[trecile]

Lisa: There is a couple of Outdoor stores in Old Town that last i looked had poles at e10-12 each.

Boutique du Pèlerin is just down the street from the Pilgrim's Office.

Pilgrim's shop - Shop for the pilgrims of St Jacques de Compostela

Shop for the pilgrims of St Jacques de Compostela

www.boutique-du-pelerin.com

 

[isawtman]

Boutique du Pèlerin is just down the street from the Pilgrim's Office.

Pilgrim's shop - Shop for the pilgrims of St Jacques de Compostela

Shop for the pilgrims of St Jacques de Compostela

www.boutique-du-pelerin.com

I bought mine at the Decathlon in Madrid. It is very near the Attocha Train Station where you get the train to Pamplona

 

[trecile]

I bought mine at the Decathlon in Madrid. It is very near the Attocha Train Station where you get the train to Pamplona

Or, if they are arriving in Paris there are number of Decathlon stores there too.

 

[Vacajoe]

There is no “main hostel” in SJPdP, but rather dozens of accommodations! You may have to be more specific.

 

[Michelle G Daoust]

Hello Lisakline, enjoy your journey! My husband and I completed the Via Podiensis this past September (Le Puy to SJPP) and we did not want to check our poles after our walk (Returning to Canada). We left them at the pilgrims office in SJPP.…with permission. They were very happy to receive them and were happy to pass on to pilgrims who did not have any. Check with that office….who knows, the poles or other sets may be available. We bought them in a Paris at Le Vieux Campeur.

 

[Shades of Narnia]

I assume you know that you can pack your poles together in a bundle and send them as a checked bag. Then carry your all-important backpacks into the cabin with you. Most likely your poles will arrive at your destination on the same flight as you do. If not, it is not a disaster, as you can replace them easily in SJPP.

And, as well, we have found from our experience, as flight times get close, often the airlines offer free checking to reduce congestion in the cabin. We have taken advantage of that, for homeward travel, strapping our poles onto our packs to get them back home too.

 

[Lisakline]

Hello Lisakline, enjoy your journey! My husband and I completed the Via Podiensis this past September (Le Puy to SJPP) and we did not want to check our poles after our walk (Returning to Canada). We left them at the pilgrims office in SJPP.…with permission. They were very happy to receive them and were happy to pass on to pilgrims who did not have any. Check with that office….who knows, the poles or other sets may be available. We bought them in a Paris at Le Vieux Campeur.

Wow thanks very much i will check there!!

 

[Len Dacombe]

Hello all! 3 friends are starting the cf on November on15 from sjpdp. We are not able to pack our poles on the airplane to get there. Is anyone finishing the camino and could send us their poles to the main hostel in sjpdp? I would be glad to send shipping money if needed! I can buy poles but i thought...if people dont need theirs anymore we can re use them.

I was forced to check mine which were inside my backpack. My backpack arrived safely in Paris. But….. So, I’m siting in the Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada airport getting ready to board my flight and I see a women also boarding and part of her carry-on baggage is an Ikea metal shelving unit with collapsable metal poles??? Didn't seem fair!!!

 

[jeanineonthecamino]

The problem is - people finish in Santiago, Spain (generally speaking) and when they ship their poles from Santiago to SJPDP - it is crossing an international border and there are often issues with shipping internationally, even from within Europe. So - someone can offer to ship them to you - but you may not get them in time, if at all.

You could check your bags instead (not my preferred option). Or you can carry on your bags and pack all the poles together into one checked bag (that way you don't risk losing your gear other than MAYBE your poles). OR... you can do what I did and buy a cheap pair on arrival in Europe in your final flight destination city or in SJPDP. I flew into Paris and had time to kill in Paris, so I bought my poles there at a decathlon while waiting for my train to Bayonne.

It would be nice if a business started that collected them in Santiago and brought them to SJPDP for resale re-distribution so there would be less waste.

 

[jeanineonthecamino]

I was forced to check mine which were inside my backpack. My backpack arrived safely in Paris. But….. So, I’m siting in the Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada airport getting ready to board my flight and I see a women also boarding and part of her carry-on baggage is an Ikea metal shelving unit with collapsable metal poles??? Didn't seem fair!!!

That is the thing - they aren't allowed - but some people get away with it with poles. It stinks and is totally unfair. I hate when people say to just carry them anyway, knowing it is against the TSA rules. I would be the person who is forced to leave them behind or check them, which would not be my ideal way to start my vacation! Just depends on which agent you get checking your carry on bags.

 

[Dennis Pack]

Buy local ... Support those who make the Caminos possible.

 

[Tony Wray]

Hello all! 3 friends are starting the cf on November on15 from sjpdp. We are not able to pack our poles on the airplane to get there. Is anyone finishing the camino and could send us their poles to the main hostel in sjpdp? I would be glad to send shipping money if needed! I can buy poles but i thought...if people dont need theirs anymore we can re use them.

We arrived Sept 4th in Paris but out poles never appeared, got to Irun found two broom sticks next to a skip bin used them. No worries.

 

[RJM]

Whilst I applaud your spirit of recycling it's honestly just easier and probably more carbon friendly to just purchase trekking poles in SJPdP or Pamplona. The logistics of getting trekking poles to SJPdP at a specific place and time is dodgy at best. Not to mention what kind of poles will you receive and what condition will they be in?

 

[ChrisGall]

I bought mine at the Decathlon in Madrid. It is very near the Attocha Train Station where you get the train to Pamplona

I bought mine at the Decathlon in Pamplona. There was another shop near the Alda Centro Hotel (a few doors down) that had poles, and there’s also a pilgrim outfitter in old town Pamplona.

 

[peregrina2000]

I hate when people say to just carry them anyway, knowing it is against the TSA rules.

Sorry, but I just want to set things straight because I consider myself an honest, law-abiding person. I have carried on my poles for about 15 years, with TSA’s blessing. They KNOW I have the poles, and they tell me that collapsible poles are fine. You might of course find an agent who exercises his/her discretion to prohibit them, but I have gone through at least 15 US airports and to Spain with no problem. I do always have a Plan B just in case — get to the airport really early and have a way to check them. But so far that has not been necessary.

I think it’s fine if people want to check their poles, but I don’t think it‘s nice to accuse people of being sneaky or duplicitous when that’s just not the case.

 

[jeanineonthecamino]

Sorry, but I just want to set things straight because I consider myself an honest, law-abiding person. I have carried on my poles for about 15 years, with TSA’s blessing. They KNOW I have the poles, and they tell me that collapsible poles are fine. You might of course find an agent who exercises his/her discretion to prohibit them, but I have gone through at least 15 US airports and to Spain with no problem. I do always have a Plan B just in case — get to the airport really early and have a way to check them. But so far that has not been necessary.

I think it’s fine if people want to check their poles, but I don’t think it‘s nice to accuse people of being sneaky or duplicitous when that’s just not the case.

Except the TSA webpage does not differentiate between hiking poles that are "collapsible and in your carry on bag" vs "not collapsible and in your carry on bag". It simply says hiking poles are prohibited in carry on luggage with the same disclaimer that is listed for all prohibited items that the "final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint". Yes - TSA officers use their discretion - as is posted on the website. https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/hiking-poles. The website clearly states that they are not permitted in carry on. Some people always manage to get them through security - other people get the same exact poles confiscated under the exact same circumstances, in the exact same airports, but with a different TSA officers. I have seen many poles being removed from carry on bags at security checkpoints along with other items that are clearly listed on the TSA website as prohibited items for carry on. And yes - sometimes they are in a side pocket and other times they are completely inside the bag when they are being removed.


And I didn't accuse anyone of being sneaky or duplicitous. I just think it is wrong to knowingly tell others to not follow the written, posted, TSA regulations. You want to risk your poles being confiscated - go for it. Just don't tell others to do the same. Honest and law abiding citizens "bend the rules" all the time. Heck - I am an honest, law abiding citizen, and I don't always stay under the legal speed limit. But I do know that I am not following the laws or regulations when I CHOOSE to drive a little faster than I am supposed to or bring something in carry on that I know might be confiscated. But I don't go around telling people that they should speed or disregard TSA regulations.

Back to hiking poles - I do think TSA needs to change the rules. Afterall - "walking aids" such as canes or crutches ARE permitted if they are presented correctly to the TSA agents as walking aids.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have carried on my poles for about 15 years, with TSA’s blessing. They KNOW I have the poles, and they tell me that collapsible poles are fine.

Laurie, the word "collapsible" applies to most poles, but if I am not mistaken, you carry on Black Diamond Z-poles. They seem to be the only brand that gets through TSA regularly with success. A friend of mine had the Z-Diamond poles on our Camino and their "bungee cord" collapsing style breaks down a bit smaller than most other standard telescoping style poles. I only once got my standard poles through security(must'a been a miracle), but now I just buy cheapies after I arrive on Camino, and leave them in Santiago as I do not prefer to check luggage coming or going.
On my recent Via Francigena I used an awesome sturdy wooden stick I found so never needed to purchase poles after all.

 

[peregrina2000]

Except the TSA webpage does not differentiate between hiking poles that are "collapsible and in your carry on bag" vs "not collapsible and in your carry on bag".

That’s a very good point. I confess I haven’t looked at the TSA website for years and years, I’ve just been relying on my experience. I will have to ask the TSA people at my airport about the clear disconnect between their. practice and the written rules.

 

[C clearly]

Except the TSA webpage does not differentiate

Exactly. The generalized public message needs to be simple and conservative. The differentiation is done at the level of the individual agent, as also clearly stated.

I didn't accuse anyone of being sneaky or duplicitous.

Your accusation was not direct, but it was implied in your loaded language, even in the following sentence

Some people always manage to get them through security

And the following quotes clearly imply that other people are doing those things that you claim not to do. If anyone has taken that cavalier approach to airport security regulations, I certainly don't recall it.

I just think it is wrong to knowingly tell others to not follow the written, posted, TSA regulations.

Just don't tell others to do the same.

I don't go around telling people that they should speed or disregard TSA regulations.

People on the forum are NOT sayng those things.

Surely we can provide information about the requirements and practice without unnecessary antagonism or polarization.

 

[Walkalong]

If the poles are required for mobility then they are no different than a cane or other aid.

After leaving my poles home, I've carried Decathlon aluminum poles (the ones that whistle in the wind) through security at least 7 times. Questioned only once, when the supervisor clarified
or confirmed the rule for the novice security staff.
If you really need your poles then play it safe and have a doctor's note explains that they are needed for mobility, and a back up plan as Laurie suggested. Or get the Decathlon poles.
Hopefully the whistle will be entertaining, as it was for me on the maseta last week.
buen camino