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1. Did anyone bring a water filter such as a Sawyer filter? I figured I could do without because I'd be walking through cities multiple times a day, but someone suggested it and I wondered if it could be necessary since I'd be drinking water from a different country for the first time?
2. In addition to my hiking shoes, I've been considering hiking sandals. Is it acceptable to wear street/hiking sandals into the shower and alburgues? Do people think it's rude to wear dirty street shoes indoors and in the shower? Because I would never do it in my own home and I was raised to never wear street shoes indoors. I'm thinking about bringing shower flip flops and leaving out the hiking sandals altogether.
3. I have my awesome lightweight rain jacket, poncho, and backpack cover. But how necessary are rainpants? Can I do without? Someone suggested I get dry bags for my sleeping bag and my clothes because the stuff can still get wet despite the cover and poncho. Is this true?
4. My sleeping bag is lightweight 1 lb 13 oz and rated 55 degrees F. I figured I'd be indoors every night in hostels. This is plenty warm, yes?
... 1. Did anyone bring a water filter such as a Sawyer filter? I figured I could do without because I'd be walking through cities multiple times a day, but someone suggested it and I wondered if it could be necessary since I'd be drinking water from a different country for the first time? ** also I'm thinking about bringing a water bladder such as a platy bottle. Should I bring a canteen instead? Such as a hydroflask? Or both?
...
2. In addition to my hiking shoes, I've been considering hiking sandals. Is it acceptable to wear street/hiking sandals into the shower and alburgues? Do people think it's rude to wear dirty street shoes indoors and in the shower? Because I would never do it in my own home and I was raised to never wear street shoes indoors. I'm thinking about bringing shower flip flops and leaving out the hiking sandals altogether.
...
3. I have my awesome lightweight rain jacket, poncho, and backpack cover. But how necessary are rainpants? Can I do without? Someone suggested I get dry bags for my sleeping bag and my clothes because the stuff can still get wet despite the cover and poncho. Is this true?
...
4. My sleeping bag is lightweight 1 lb 13 oz and rated 55 degrees F. I figured I'd be indoors every night in hostels. This is plenty warm, yes?
Also if you use a silk bag liner it increase temp by about 10 F.Thao,
No water filter needed. And like S Yates says, simple soda bottles work great and come in various sizes. Do keep tabs on distance to next water source (in map or guidebook) and carry just what you need. You'll get a sense of it as you go.
If you don't mind the expense of buying another sleeping bag, you could get one that is much lighter and even to a lower degree rating.
Definitely go with lightest possible and cheap flip flops or a pair of Crocs. Great for around town, in the hostel and to the shower if you think it necessary.
Rubbish bags work very well, and the money you save on dry bags (which are great too) could go to a better sleeping bag.
Buen Camino!
If you're in the US, trash compactor bags are great for liners for your pack and not rustle-y so you won't disturb folks in the albergues. I used those, and large zip-loc style bags in lieu of smaller dry bags.
Damien, I think your weights are off. Surely a trash bag cannot weigh a pound or so, a pound being 454 grams. Did you mean 57.9 and 91.3 grams? Otherwise I would consider having that digital scale checked or you will have a tough time getting under 10% of body weightOk, last year, being a freak about things, I actually weighed a trash compactor bag v. a standard trash bag on my digital scale. Standard trash bag (rubbish for you Europeans) purchased at Sprouts (30 gal, drawstring) weighs 579 grams. Standard trash compactor bags (Albertson's [Everyday Essentials] generic, 20 gal, twist tie) weighs a WHOPPING 913 Grams! That's a difference of 434 grams! Thats about 1/10 lb! Or about the weight of a toothbrush, 4 band aids, and 2 anti-diarrheal tablets.
I personally would not justify the anti-rustling noises of the compactor bags v. dental hygiene, first aid, and not having the shits.
This is meant to be funny. (But all weights were verified this evening).
Oh man, whoops. Just checked.... Yes I missed the decimal point on all of my factors... But that means the trade off is still accurate.Damien, I think your weights are off. Surely a trash bag cannot weigh a pound or so, a pound being 454 grams. Did you mean 57.9 and 91.3 grams? Otherwise I would consider having that digital scale checked or you will have a tough time getting under 10% of body weight
Yes, I'm sorry. It was supposed to be funny. A joke about obsessing about weight.I can't imagine what kind of stuff you'd be bringing that less than 20 gms would make that much of a difference.
I always think that the only airports that give you a hard time are those who like to think they are pwerful, and flex their muscles, and those who can make a buck. The others let you do as you please, and yet, where does trouble happen? Just sayingYes. I carried one put together and the TSA let that one go through, too. They were pacer poles which do look like they could be canes. But neither Orlando nor Paris gave me any trouble. Of course that was back before the latest Paris attacks, so it might well be different now.
@t2andreo Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply! This helped immensely!Thao:
If some of this is repetitive to above, please accept my apologies. Here are my recommendations from three Caminos, all walked in the April - May time frame. This includes two Camino Frances from St. Jean to Santiago.
Rain - accept that you WILL get wet. If not from falling rain or snow, you will retain enough perspiration under rain gear and layered clothing to thoroughly soak your upper body and sometimes, your rucksack too. If your zip-off hiking / cargo pants are made of 100% nylon or polyester, they will dry very fast (< one hour). Also, I find that simply zipping off muddy lower legs and hand-washing them in a shower base or sink or even hosing off outside, followed by a good wringing, is an effective way to make one pair of pants go further. I usually wear one, and keep one spare.
I wear a lightweight (Sea to Summit) siliconized nylon poncho over my rucksack. However, I also use the rucksack cover that came with it. I wear a gore-tex rain parka with armpit vents (zippered). Typically, unless it is raining sideways (seldom if ever in Spain) My soaking comes from sweat. At least it is warm and wet (good). I would rather be soaked from sweat and WARM, than cold from rain and COLD. Cold and wet is NEVER a good thing.
If you walk in April, you WILL experience snow at elevations. There are several stretches of the Camino Frances that have peaks above 1,000 meters. Typically, snow is found into mid-May or beyond at these elevations. Even if it is clear and dry, low temperatures and a weather front moving in from the Atlantic Ocean can result in several inches of snow. Rain should be expected every day once you hit Galicia (after Astorga).
Shower shoes - if you do not wear flip flops or slides, or Crocs, it is highly likely that you will pick up a foot fungus early on. If your feet smell like cheese after being in an albergue shower yesterday, the chances are you have a common foot fungus today. All pharmacies sell powder or ointment cures.
I use Google Translate on my smart phone to develop a library of off-line translations I can use. When I showed the foot-cheese one to a pharmacist at Fromista, he almost fell 0ver from laughing so hard. Then he merely pulled a foot ointment from a card next to the cash register. It is a very common affliction along the Camino. Keeping your feet off the shower floors, and trying to keep them clean and dry all day is the best way to avoid this problem.
Many people swear by Crocs because they are lightweight and can be worn with pants, etc. around town giving your hiking shoes / boots time off. I started wearing cheap, light weight flip-flops, but being a large fellow, they were not adequate for street wear. I moved to pool / shower slides, until at least one of Rebekah's dogs turned one of them into a chew-toy at Moratinos in 2014. After than, I picked up a bright, frog-green / Wasabi colored pair of Crocs at the Crocs store in Leon. They were expensive, but no one will "Accidentally" make off with my Crocs. You can see me coming half a Km away! Now, it is part of my persona. I try to buy outerwear in a similar shade of green. I freaked out Bruno the Parrot in Hotel Garcas last year, where I usually stay in Lavacolla before the final walk into Santiago. I had the same yellow-green plumage as he did. He was fascinated!
Water bottles, etc - My recommendation is to NOT buy a water bottle or tube-drinking system. Consider the price, and the weight when empty. My last, Osprey bladder system weighed 11 oz. (312 gm) when empty. Too much to justify the relative convenience, at least IMHO.
Also, rigid water bottles are sometimes hard to fill from bathroom sink taps at albergues, hostals and cafes. The easiest, lightest, and most readily available way to carry water is in the ubiquitous .5 liter (500 ml) bottles, as it comes in the store. The bottles are available anywhere, already filled with safe water. They can be reused for a month or more, can be rinsed and reused until too dirty to use, and recycled at the end of the life-cycle.
I usually buy four bottles on my first arrival after flying to Europe. My preference is for Vittel. The plastic is rigid and the topes fit snugly. These bottles last for the full Camino. You can find several creative ways to carry multiple bottles here. Do not invest in relatively heavy, costly, bottle holders until you first read this forum.
Finally, you do NOT need a Sawyer filter, or any other filtration system on a Camino. You are never more than about 5 Km from a tienda (shop) or cafe / bar where you can fill your water bottles safely or buy fresh bottled water. The filter and tubing are just useless weight. Every gram adds up...
I hope this helps.
@t2andreo -- I think that's what I just bought -- does it have snaps along the side and can be used as a groundsheet/cover?I wear a lightweight (Sea to Summit) siliconized nylon poncho over my rucksack.
Thanks for letting me know your experience. It's much lighter (and more expensive) than the one I bought first, but I wondered about how well it worked since I haven't yet tried either of them. Didn't want to invest in something that wouldn't be adequate.I have that one, too, Seabird. It keeps the rain out, but your forearms will get plenty wet. Still, I like it because it's temperature neutral--you can wear it all day without getting sweaty. The only big complaint I have is that the visor on the hood thing is clearly designed for large men. I have to wear my hat under the poncho to hold it up enough to be able to see where I'm going.
@t2andreo -- I think that's what I just bought -- does it have snaps along the side and can be used as a groundsheet/cover?
Why do you also wear a gortex jacket underneath? Is it not adequate for keeping the rain out? I
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