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Search 69,459 Camino Questions

A plea ...

ClaireL3

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
August 25, 2013
I just walked from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. It was an amazing experience but I wanted to share a few thoughts that stuck with me throughout my walk. Imagine living along the Camino, having to deal with “us” pilgrims month after month. The amount of toilet paper, rubbish/trash and discarded clothes that was left along the way was a blemish to the experience. It was not hard to put used toilet paper into a bag, and dispose of it at the first available bin/trash can. When I had to lighten my backpack, I left those items at an Alburge rather than on the side of the road. The times that I left the Alburges early in the morning, I tried to be consciences about the local people who were still asleep but on numerous occasions heard Pilgrims talking loudly or using walking poles without the rubber tips through the villages. It is their homeland and we are the visitors … please be courteous and respect the land we were so privileged to walk through.
 
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I just walked from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. It was an amazing experience but I wanted to share a few thoughts that stuck with me throughout my walk. Imagine living along the Camino, having to deal with “us” pilgrims month after month. The amount of toilet paper, rubbish/trash and discarded clothes that was left along the way was a blemish to the experience. It was not hard to put used toilet paper into a bag, and dispose of it at the first available bin/trash can. When I had to lighten my backpack, I left those items at an Alburge rather than on the side of the road. The times that I left the Alburges early in the morning, I tried to be consciences about the local people who were still asleep but on numerous occasions heard Pilgrims talking loudly or using walking poles without the rubber tips through the villages. It is their homeland and we are the visitors … please be courteous and respect the land we were so privileged to walk through.
That is all REALLY just common sense. Funny how we have to remind some folks about that though.....Thanks for the reminder....
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Yes totally agree...... during my travels in other countries I have noticed a lot of arrogance / expectations/ demands / rudeness by "visitors" ........ I have yet to walk in Spain but The Camino does not belong to us just because we call ourselves "pilgrims" ...... we are visitors and should walk in humility / gratitude and respect to the land / the people/ and other walkers..... surely that is the real lesson of the Camino ......
 
Unfortunately this particular plea will reach only a tiny percentage of prospective pilgrims as most will never read this forum. A better strategy is to ask anyone reading this to call litter bugs out when they witness it on the Camino. Granted, hard to catch toilet paper offenders in the act, but if you do, yell at them and insist they pick up their trash.

During my Camino I had to scold more than a couple fellow pilgrims, including a walking buddy, for leaving food wrappers, empty drink bottles and cigarette butts on the ground. Shaming someone is among the best deterrents available.
 
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Imagine what it will be like when the Golden Arches appear along the Camino............:(..........Vicrev
 
Sometimes the best way to elicit a behavioral change is to lead by example. I like to carry plastic bags and fill one up each day. I even do this on morning walks at home. Nor, do I leave an Albergue prior to lights on in the morning. I find these productive ways of sending a message.

Ultreya,
Joe
 
hello clairel3,

amen and well said. thank you for reminding everyone that we are guests in this wonderful country and that we should respect this beautiful country and the wonderful people we are so fortunate to have encountered.

buen camino to all. and may god bestow his blessing on us all.
 
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Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

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It's hard to tell someone to pick up their toilet paper if they have no place to put it except their pocket!!

Perhaps a better strategy might be to carry extra sandwich bags in you own "toilet kit." If you travel with someone who needs to stop by the side of the road to relieve themselves, offer a bag to them. That way, you imply that it is the proper thing to do (they know why, you don't have to tell them) and, if they don't have a bag, they may be more likely to pick up after themselves because you make it possible for them to do so.

My toilet kit consisted of a half roll of toilet paper, some sandwich bags, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. I used it only once because toilets were plentiful enough in the bars along the way (although often lacking paper), but I did end up giving a plastic bag to a pilgrim who was "man enough" to accept it.

It's nothing we really want to talk about, but it's considerate of the pilgrims who will come after us and the locals who call the area their home.

I blogged about an incident in one of my posts titled "No Defecar." You remember, the golf course near that creepy town??
 
Why do people need to be told about personal hygiene ? Either they don't care,or are just plain dirty........I know I'll get remarks like " One persons idea of hygiene is different to the next person".........You are welcome to walk with them !..........Its mostly about respect & consideration for other people & think about who has to clean up after them (someone has to)...............:mad:..............Vicrev
 
On one day when I was walking 32km, I counted 35 tissues on or near the trail.

There will be future walkers who ask about their "packing list". Perhaps we all can do our part to suggest they carry a "toilet kit". Maybe this can be as important as plaster, wine bottle opener, earplugs.

Yes, we are visitors. Especially on the Camino, imposition of will could be left at home.
 
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There will be future walkers who ask about their "packing list". Perhaps we all can do our part to suggest they carry a "toilet kit". Maybe this can be as important as plaster, wine bottle opener, earplugs.

Good idea. It's always heartbreaking to see people treating any place with disrespect, and one of the worst things is seeing them consider anything as their toilet (in regards to leaving paper when they're done). It's a pet peeve of mine, especially in areas of conservation. I don't understand the mentality.
 
Good idea. It's always heartbreaking to see people treating any place with disrespect, and one of the worst things is seeing them consider anything as their toilet (in regards to leaving paper when they're done). It's a pet peeve of mine, especially in areas of conservation. I don't understand the mentality.

Hello laliibeans,

You are so right. It is a shame to see so much litters along the path of the camino frances. People seem to forget that we are guests in this country and as such should respect the laws and customs of this beautiful country. You would not throw litters in your front or back garden. Also there is no mother, wife or girl friend to go pick up the rubbish after you.

Peregrinos, enjoy your caminos but please no more litters on the ground.
 
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The amount of tissue paper across the Frances in July / August was really gross. We passed many pilgrims sitting down, relaxing under trees by the Camino, but while we would have loved to do just that sometimes we were never brave enough to do the same, thinking about all the human waste and paper around the place.

Another plea would be for pilgrims to stop using walking poles during the early morning through villages. Click Click Click. This was brought home to us when we stopped at 6.30 in Barbadelo for coffee (most expensive on the whole Camino at 2.30 Euros a cup btw) and the lady in the cafe was telling us that some very ill senior citizens were getting woken up early every morning by inconsiderate pilgrims and this was making their health even worse.
 
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the most annoying thing in my caminos are the click click click sounds of the walking poles with the metal tips. i don't for a moment think that you need walking poles on the way out of the pueblos. it is annoying to everyone, to the peregrinos themselves and to the inhabitants of the pueblo themselves. please refrain from using them until you are in the open path of the camino.
 
The click, click, click of walking poles annoyed me on the Camino, so I feel for the local population. I used walking poles, but always with rubber stoppers on the metal ends. This worked well for me, and I can't understand why other pilgrims can't do the same thing.

As for using the Camino as a personal bathroom and leaving toilet paper etc, again this is something I don't understand. Just hang on until you get to the next bar and use their facilities, after ordering something of course.

Trudy
 
This worked well for me, and I can't understand why other pilgrims can't do the same thing.
Understanding the motives of others is an ephemeral activity, and quite outside of one's control. When the clicking bothered me, I stopped for a few moments and let it pass, something that I was in control of. I just don't like compromising my contentment on the camino by getting irritated by things I cannot control. I can't understand why other pilgrims can't do the same thing.;)
 
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Just a note about walking poles....mine started out with rubber tips, but they wore through about a week into my walk. I didn't see a sporting goods store in Leon, and I missed all of the other major cities because I had to skip to O Cebreiro. I didn't like the noise either, but there was really nothing I could do, especially since they made it possible to finish my camino in spite of tendonitis.

Blessings,

Ruth
 
Just a note about walking poles....mine started out with rubber tips, but they wore through about a week into my walk. I didn't see a sporting goods store in Leon
Most "ferretrias" have tips for sale. And... they usually open well before any other shop!
 
Really, the only people who can do anything about the clicking (which annoys the heck out of me too) are the locals. They might be encouraged to put up a "no poles in town" sign? lol
 
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...... and the lady in the cafe was telling us that some very ill senior citizens were getting woken up early every morning by inconsiderate pilgrims and this was making their health even worse.
I am very sorry to hear this. However.....
This does not refer specifically to the click, click, click of walking poles, but I remember one morning creeping out of Santo Domingo de Calzada with my companion while it was still dark and trying to be as quiet as mice. There was some distance to walk to the outskirts of town and, as we are very slow walkers, we were passed by many pilgrims. We were astounded by the number of them who spoke loudly, seemingly without a thought, much less a care, of who might be trying to sleep in the houses we passed, people literally on the other side of the wall. I would venture to say that every one of the loud talkers was speaking Spanish. We were very surprised.
 
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If it is becoming such a problem (and I am hoping not to have that experience when I walk next year), perhaps when a credential is issued, it could be issued in conjunction with a separate document - "Common Courtesies to Observe Along the Way". Maybe people just need to be reminded...

Take only pictures, leave only footprints...
 
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Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Most "ferreterias" have tips for sale. And... they usually open well before any other shop!
We use wooden poles so also need to buy new rubbers while on the Camino. Like with spare camera batteries we bring a spare set of rubbers from home and as soon as we use them we start to look for replacements. For anyone on the Primitivo the 'roperia' in Lugo, just through one of the gates, has a wide selection of rubbers of all sizes, and the most amazing selection of ropes etc.
 
If you go past the first row of trees in every forest of the Camino, you will find a forty-acre latrine! It is a problem that is partly hidden from view.

This is the reason I don't recommend camping on the Camino Frances!
 
Most "ferretrias" have tips for sale. And... they usually open well before any other shop!

I carried extra rubber tips for my pacerpoles-made sure to put them on when on hard stone surfaces to muffle the noise
Most "ferretrias" have tips for sale. And... they usually open well before any other shop!
 
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It's not campers who make 99% of the mess.
It is WOMEN!

I know its not the campers that make the mess, but this is the reason why I would never camp along the Camino Frances, after reading about it and then seeing it firsthand, I definitely won't camp out along the trail. I can deal with albergue living (I have five years sea time on ships) no problem, I'd rather sleep in an open bay room of bunk beds than sleep in a latrine field that smells of urine and scattered with TP.
 
As something who used trekking poles as needed throughout my camino, I never really understood the need for them early in the day on level ground. On climbs, they are helpful, and on steep descents they are invaluable, but walking down a street when you are fresh at the start of the day?

There were some days on the meseta I don't think mine left my backpack.

As for the TP problem, having so much about how bad it is in the summer, I am kind of glad I went in the spring and wonder what it will be like next fall (fingers and toes crossed).
 
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I know its not the campers that make the mess, but this is the reason why I would never camp along the Camino Frances, after reading about it and then seeing it firsthand, I definitely won't camp out along the trail. I can deal with albergue living (I have five years sea time on ships) no problem, I'd rather sleep in an open bay room of bunk beds than sleep in a latrine field that smells of urine and scattered with TP.

Ooooohhhh! Now I understand! ::cackling::
I agree!
 
Forty acre latrine ! Reading these posts,it seems the walk is becoming some sort of endurance test(dodge the parcel!) how disgusting ! We can talk about ways to fix this,the fact remains only a very,very small proportion of the total walkers are members of this forum..........It seems like the Spanish government needs to get hold of the problem by the scruff of the neck & do something positive, before it becomes a not to go to tourist attraction(wether you like it or not,it is a tourist attraction, to most walkers)........ Most walking tracks in other parts of the world dont seem to have this litter problem,is it because they are managed as a business?... or people take more pride of their environment?....some of the walkers are just untidy,dirty buggars ?...........must be a way to solve this problem !...............Vicrev
 
Really, the only people who can do anything about the clicking (which annoys the heck out of me too) are the locals. They might be encouraged to put up a "no poles in town" sign? lol

There should be a sign in each albergue and pension beside the door that when leaving keep the noise down for respect to the people who live in the area/village.
We have placed a noise restriction in our inner suburban hotel/pub for customers leaving that is " very strictly" enforced.
Because of this the whole neighbourhood treats it as the local meeting place for families.

Walking into SDC last year we were passed by a young couple having a very loud conversation and with the poles making that damn noise.
At the stop light i asked them did they know where they were ?
Got a funny look
Put the finger to my lips and then pointed at the sticks [ we were carrying ours in one hand] .
The looked at the other couples @ the crossing who were also carrying their poles.
They walked on in peace
* Later that night the young guy[25-30] leaving their albergue saw me having a beer in the best place .... San Clemente Square .
Thank you he said .......we got carried away in the rush , I got him a beer. * He then admitted that he had met the young girl the previous night at Arca.
They were good kids and actually talked about it before they came across us.
He was in a courtship one would say and he was very thankful when he realised where he was ....he only had 300 metres to go and did not realise it.
Maybe i was rude however i believe if we all pointed out these little things it might become a different walk for many.
 
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I first saw the Camino Frances in 2000, when I cycled from home in France. I started walking from home, a bit at a time, in 2009, after walking the Norte and Primitivo. I got a bus home from Castrojeritz last week because I couldn't cope with the squalor I found on the Camino itself. Every tree had its snowdrift of toilet paper and worse. Cups, bottles, sweet wrappers underfoot.
My decision was also influenced by the people who insisted on getting up at five in the morning in order to walk for two hours in the dark, and not caring who they woke in the process. It seems that they wish to go to bed at eight and for everyone to be silent for them, but they are unable to extend the same courtesy to others.
Many walkers were having a great sporting and holiday experience, but with no idea of the origins or intention of the, dare I say, pilgrimage they were undertaking. I attended Mass in Santo Domingo, with every albergue full. More than I could say for the church. How many of those people will be claiming a compostella?
Sorry, Saint James, but I won't be walking the rest of the Camino Frances.
 
I first saw the Camino Frances in 2000, when I cycled from home in France. I started walking from home, a bit at a time, in 2009, after walking the Norte and Primitivo. I got a bus home from Castrojeritz last week because I couldn't cope with the squalor I found on the Camino itself. Every tree had its snowdrift of toilet paper and worse. Cups, bottles, sweet wrappers underfoot.
My decision was also influenced by the people who insisted on getting up at five in the morning in order to walk for two hours in the dark, and not caring who they woke in the process. It seems that they wish to go to bed at eight and for everyone to be silent for them, but they are unable to extend the same courtesy to others.
Many walkers were having a great sporting and holiday experience, but with no idea of the origins or intention of the, dare I say, pilgrimage they were undertaking. I attended Mass in Santo Domingo, with every albergue full. More than I could say for the church. How many of those people will be claiming a compostella?
Sorry, Saint James, but I won't be walking the rest of the Camino Frances.


The reason why we love the GR65 Barbara , we will walk again from Le Puy very soon............and many , many friends of mine avoid the last 100km's of Camino Frances like the ***plague when returning .They just get the bus to Santiago and then start on a shorter , quieter way before home.

When in S/Domingo went to church , 20 people if that from all pilgrims and the town was full.
I had a freebie to all the museum etc [3] because i stayed in the Parador [ only because it was the last one left to try after a few years of walking]
I gave this pass with the Parador stamps to a young girl from Sweden because she was the only person in the church that turned up with her pack and was that buggered Granon was not possible. She was elated and humble ..so was i.

** Barbara, go back just before or after winter one year , it would finish a great journey and if you do i will give you the best place to stay in Muxia on us.

David
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I am not sure how the perpetrators are punished, but the Camino is about finding yourself, and if stopping helps you do that, buen camino.attachFull6387
Thank you, I know where I am. Your mileage may vary. Smiley or not, your reply was unhelpful.
 
Thank you, I know where I am. Your mileage may vary. Smiley or not, your reply was unhelpful.
I may be treading into a quagmire here, but IMO I don't think falcon269 meant this the way I think you have taken it. I did not take it that way. But falcon269 does not need me to defend him.
 
I'm a click, clicker and I realize it has to be annoying. So I'm going to find rubber tips for my poles this winter but then I don't know how I will deal without the dissonant sound while I walk.
On the other hand I'm a "religious" sachet carrier and pick up trash as I walk but one sachet isn't enough for any one day. You all can do the same SVP, but you shouldn't have to deal with papier hygienic that is very personal and should be the responsibility of the one who left their messy, stinky defecation for all of us to witness.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
There should be a sign in each albergue and pension beside the door that when leaving keep the noise down for respect to the people who live in the area/village.
We have placed a noise restriction in our inner suburban hotel/pub for customers leaving that is " very strictly" enforced.
Because of this the whole neighbourhood treats it as the local meeting place for families.

Walking into SDC last year we were passed by a young couple having a very loud conversation and with the poles making that damn noise.
At the stop light i asked them did they know where they were ?
Got a funny look
Put the finger to my lips and then pointed at the sticks [ we were carrying ours in one hand] .
The looked at the other couples @ the crossing who were also carrying their poles.
They walked on in peace
* Later that night the young guy[25-30] leaving their albergue saw me having a beer in the best place .... San Clemente Square .
Thank you he said .......we got carried away in the rush , I got him a beer. * He then admitted that he had met the young girl the previous night at Arca.
They were good kids and actually talked about it before they came across us.
He was in a courtship one would say and he was very thankful when he realised where he was ....he only had 300 metres to go and did not realise it.
Maybe i was rude however i believe if we all pointed out these little things it might become a different walk for many.
This is a good post. Thank you for sharing. Most people are ok with being coached as that young man. Others are not though.....
 
I got new rubber tips in one of the many "Chinese bazaar" shops . They were too big but fitted perfectly over the old worn out ones , and cost a euro. Work just great :)
 
We just returned from the CF - walked from Pamplona to Santiago - carried our poles on level ground - used extensively on up and downhills -
we used Pace Maker Poles and they came with a special rubber tip - looked like an octopus multi-tips - they lasted the entire trip. We did bring
along an extra set but never used them. As for the toilet paper - if we kept our eyes on the path we didn't notice - unfortunately, our eyes did
wander - I am guessing the majority was from the ladies - don't know why they don't use a "Go-girl" or similar device and just let drip dry. I
am sure their undies were damp from sweat by the end of the day so why the need for tissue? I just posted a hints & tips of FaceBook - I guess
I need to edit that and add a comment about the toilet issue. http://dalenarlene.blogspot.com
 
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What's wrong with putting your wet (damp) tissue in your pocket? I had one pocket for clean tissue and another for damp tissue, and just threw away the damp tissues at the end of the day.

For crying out loud ..........!!! It's not that difficult.
 
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I'll second that !!!............:rolleyes:....Vicrev

I reckon they were lucky to get the vote.
Bring on the revolution....bar women from the Frences
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I admit that I don't inspect all litter closely, but I think most of the tissue ON the trail is discarded nose-wipe. Can't everyone just use their shirt sleeves to wipe their noses?:eek:

Some sources claim that sleeve buttons originated in the 18th century with Frederick the Great of Prussia who didn't like his soldiers spoiling their fancy uniforms by wiping their noses on their sleeves.

The toilet paper is usually behind the tree line, and, yes, it would make camping most aromatic...

An invention for kids to wipe their noses:
sleeve buddy.JPG
 
sexist remarks are not called for. peregrinos and peregrinas are equally to be blamed for the litters along the path of the caminos. there are many empty plastic water and soda bottles threw away by passing peregrinas/os without a care to the environment. also many plastic bags and food wrappers on the path of the caminos. of course there are the discarded toilet papers.

please be considerate. do not discard anything on the path of the caminos. pigs we are not. do not give the camino community a bad name.
 
sexist remarks are not called for. peregrinos and peregrinas are equally to be blamed for the litters along the path of the caminos. there are many empty plastic water and soda bottles threw away by passing peregrinas/os without a care to the environment. also many plastic bags and food wrappers on the path of the caminos. of course there are the discarded toilet papers.

please be considerate. do not discard anything on the path of the caminos. pigs we are not. do not give the camino community a bad name.

I thought people in Dublin had a sense of humour.
Must have been mistaken with the mother country
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I admit that I don't inspect all litter closely, but I think most of the tissue ON the trail is discarded nose-wipe. Can't everyone just use their shirt sleeves to wipe their noses?:eek:



The toilet paper is usually behind the tree line, and, yes, it would make camping most aromatic...

An invention for kids to wipe their noses:
View attachment 6389
Or just a good ole "farmer's blow!":D
 
sexist remarks are not called for. peregrinos and peregrinas are equally to be blamed for the litters along the path of the caminos. there are many empty plastic water and soda bottles threw away by passing peregrinas/os without a care to the environment. also many plastic bags and food wrappers on the path of the caminos. of course there are the discarded toilet papers.

please be considerate. do not discard anything on the path of the caminos. pigs we are not. do not give the camino community a bad name.

I disagree 100%
MOST men do not squat, pee, wipe, and walk away.
Most men I know just stand, pee, and shake.:rolleyes:

MOST of the litter is toilet paper, and MOST of that is left by women.
Also, I doubt many men are leaving tampons and sanitary napkins.

I can be sexist if I want to ::grin:: as I'm saying MY SEX is responsible for MOST of the litter along The Way,
at least the most disgusting type, toilet paper.

And I'm standing by that opinion.:D
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
I disagree 100%
MOST men do not squat, pee, wipe, and walk away.
Most men I know just stand, pee, and shake.:rolleyes:

MOST of the litter is toilet paper, and MOST of that is left by women.
Also, I doubt many men are leaving tampons and sanitary napkins.

I can be sexist if I want to ::grin:: as I'm saying MY SEX is responsible for MOST of the litter along The Way,
at least the most disgusting type, toilet paper.

And I'm standing by that opinion.:D
I am standing and applauding!:D
 
hello annie,

i guess i can not argue with you on this particular topic, as i can not accuse you of being sexist.
 
I'm headed out of Los Arcos for Logrono, having started in Tours on 10/10.

The most prominent manmade feature of the landscape in these parts is toilet paper. Does falcon really believe that this is the result of men and women wiping their noses?

It's disgusting.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
On my one Camino, so far, on the Camino Portuguese, I carried a small plastic garden trowl (small hand held shovel) to dig a "cat hole" if I needed to defecate. Fortunately, I didn't need to use it. Does anyone else carry a small shovel for this purpose?

Also, I brought a supply of sandwich bags for the purposes described in previous posts here.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I disagree 100%
MOST men do not squat, pee, wipe, and walk away.
Most men I know just stand, pee, and shake.:rolleyes:

MOST of the litter is toilet paper, and MOST of that is left by women.
Also, I doubt many men are leaving tampons and sanitary napkins.

I can be sexist if I want to ::grin:: as I'm saying MY SEX is responsible for MOST of the litter along The Way,
at least the most disgusting type, toilet paper.

And I'm standing by that opinion.:D
And, I'll shake to that!!!
 
The tissue on the trail is generally kleenex. Back in the woods, it is not.

I never carry actual TP (too bulky), I carry tissues (discrete in my pocket) (Kleenex) and use accordingly. That said I would never leave either on the ground!
 
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I never carry actual TP (too bulky), I carry tissues (discrete in my pocket) (Kleenex) and use accordingly. That said I would never leave either on the ground!

Its too simple this walk , like most things in life.
Go to the loo before you depart @ 6.30...........any earlier wasting your time on the way...........
Stop when you see a cafe, have a bloody short black or a long white and go to the loo...............is that too hard ?
If it is then you have not listened to previous advice .
 
Somewhere way back on this topic the suggestion was made to start to regulate your need to 'go' to a time suited to the Camino. Being creatures of habit maybe this is a good idea, although easier for those of us only changing 'clocks' by an hour or so. I find that it takes a couple of weeks to revise my timing, but fortunately it has always seemed to fit in to my Camino days without resorting to the woods.
 
I had to stop (really emergency stops) and do number 2 in the woods some times during the Camino as my stomach could not handle the food I had there. Being multi intolerant to food is really hard on the Camino. But I always went deep into the woods where no one seams to go/pass by, made a hole as good as could and covered it up with dirt/stone/grass/leaf and the toilet paper I put in my plastic bag in my backpack.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
It could be worse. Here in Central Oregon some guy burned his toilet paper and ended up burning up an entire forest.
 
I did my Camino in April and May of this year and, besides a few tissues and bits of tp, I saw nothing like what has been described in this thread. Sure, I detected some odours at times, but I did not investigate them, nor did I go behind what looked like some very convenient walls. I guess I was fortunate that I didn’t need to - emphasis on 'need to'. The most garbage I saw was at the Belgium pilgrim’s memorial, and this I cleaned up.

I believe the Aussies years ago (correct me if I am wrong; it’s been known to happen) suggested to the Spanish government that ‘long drops’ be built along the way for the pilgrims to use. They were told where to go with their idea.

Where I live there is a general rule that you “Pack Out what you Pack In”. To a very large extent this rule is adhered to. In addition, there are signs to remind people.

People – okay, to a large extent, women – need to be educated here, and I believe we will agree that it is not the people/women who already read this forum who need to be educated. Therefore, I suggest (and I am not the first person to do so on this Forum) that there be notices in all offices where pilgrim passports are handed out, stipulating the rules of the Camino, with an emphasis on ‘bathroom etiquette’. And reminders put up in albergues along the Way, again with an emphasis on bathroom etiquette, and yes, aimed at women (pun intended). Has this route been tried?

Unless steps are taken to educate people, it is futile to lament continually this problem on the Forum (note unsplit infinitive!).
 
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