A tent... your opinions please

[bardos]

I am thinking of bringing a tent, weight 2.7kg. Is it feasible to sleep in a tent on the camino instead of staying in albergues?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Most of the legal camping spots are at albergues or in campgrounds, which cost as much as an albergue. If you take a tent, a very lightweight one, or even a bivy, will be most comfortable to carry. At 2.7 kg, you have too much tent! You may want a sleeping mat as well, which will add additional weight. Carrying a tent in case you cannot find a bed is probably not a good idea. If you plan to camp a lot, then it will be worth the weight.

If you camp in unauthorized locations, NO OPEN FIRES. Drought conditions in Spain have made most of the country a tinderbox, and you are likely to see laws enforced that are rarely enforced.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Funnily enough I was thinking about this question this morning in the Pilgrims' Office. The number machine wasn't working so I spent the day ushering pilgrims in from the queue to the desks. I said hello to 400 odd pilgrims many, many of whom had rucksacks as they were arriving and going to the pilgrims' mass. How many had tents? None! I've no doubt some pilgrims do sleep under the stars from time to time but I think the number of pilgrims who carry a tent and associated gear all the way is very few indeed.

 

[Snake]

Bardos,

I have a poncho (.4 kg) that will double for a shelter. The poncho is large enough to cover me and pack. When deciding on which equipment you want to carry a long way, make sure

1) it is one you know you will use daily
2) it is super light weight
3) and it has multiple uses

Snake

 

[vagabondette]

Unnecessary unless your plan is to camp your way through the camino. Otherwise if it is for "just in case" it's 2.7 kgs you'll be cursing and regretting for 800 km.

 

[bardos]

Hi folks, thanks for replying. I am 66 years old, with bad knees. The thing is I cannot trust my legs and my body to always arrive at the right albergue and the right town at the right time. I would very much like to be able to set up a tent wherever I was tired, so yes, I would like to make myself independent of albergues, especially in a July walk. So yes, I would think to use it almost daily.

I have travelled a lot in my life, and I know the pros and cons of being weighed down. This tent thing is something I am debating in my head and I was/am looking for the input of others.

thank you.

 

[vagabondette]

well, if you feel you'll use it a lot, then go for it. Just remember that on the CF there are frequent towns so it's unlikely that you'll get stuck in the middle of nowhere as long as you pay attention to your body and your surroundings. If you feel you must take a tent, please try to find a lighter one. That tent alone will account for 1/3-1/2 of the total weight you should be carrying and that's a lot to give over to a single item especially considering the other gear you'll likely need to support using it (i.e. sleeping pad, sleeping bag, etc.).

 

[Sojourner47]

2.7kgs is far too heavy for a one man tent.
If you can afford it, look at something like Terranova Proton 1, double skin single hoop pole with groundsheet - 650grms.
My camino option B (option A the minimalist pack as outlined on another thread) for camping comes in at 5kgs all up without water/food. Including tent, sleeping bag, mat,etc.

 

[newfydog]

We carried a tent (1.7 kilos for two) on our first Camino. We used it a fair bit, and stayed in some wonderful unofficial campsites.

We frequently camp in France, where the every municipality seems to have a nice campground, and save the money for nice restaurants. Along the Camino, campgrounds are not so common, but discrete places to sleep are not hard to find.

I don't much like a crowded albergue. Were I to do a trip on the Frances in July, I'd really think about a tent. A really light one.

 

[Freetime]

If you are planning on a tent have you thought of a tube tent. Just a tube of plastic and some cord to string between 2 trees. If trees arent handy then you can use 2 hiking poles and tent stakes. A tube tent will cost less than $10 and weigh in at less than 8oz alone or 10oz with 4 stakes.

Sent from my Android using Tapatalk.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

save the money for nice restaurants

I view it as a personal failing if I don't spend more on food than shelter. :roll:

 

[ouroboros]

My husband and I will be splitting a two-man tent between us.
Ultralight Big Agnes FlyCreek 2...weighs in at 1.25 kg with footprint.
Split between two of us, that is a scant 600 odd grams each.
Worth it, I say! We'll be using it on the CF in October this year.
If you can take a bivvy or an ultralight tent, it might work for you.
Oh, to be fair, our sleep pads do weigh in at about 680 grams, so each of us will be
carrying an additional 1.28 kg of "optional" weight. (I don't consider sleeping bag
optional). My pack will weigh about 7.5 kg.

 

[letendre]

My husband and I will be splitting a two-man tent between us.
Ultralight Big Agnes FlyCreek 2...weighs in at 1.25 kg with footprint.
Split between two of us, that is a scant 600 odd grams each.
Worth it, I say! We'll be using it on the CF in October this year.
If you can take a bivvy or an ultralight tent, it might work for you.
Oh, to be fair, our sleep pads do weigh in at about 680 grams, so each of us will be
carrying an additional 1.28 kg of "optional" weight. (I don't consider sleeping bag
optional). My pack will weigh about 7.5 kg.

In my opinion, the tent is not usefull because :
- camping is expensive in Spain
- there are a few campingsite and they are far of the camino
- when you sleep in a tent, you are not with the others peregrinos

The accomodations and albergues on the camino are many and cheaper than camping.

My wife and me have walked the camino in 2010, then we have hiked again this year. But the way is always changing. Now many news albergues, pensions, casa rural are along the track.

I must say : Old peregrinos of this forum, your advices about places for sleeping are not really updated ...

Dont be afraid, leave your home and turn the corner of your street quietly
The spanish people will make everything for you : desayunar, comer, dormir, beber etc.

Buen camino

 

[julie]

I am 66 years old, with bad knees. The thing is I cannot trust my legs and my body to always arrive at the right albergue and the right town at the right time.

The right albergue is the one that you find when you are ready to stop. They are so frequent on the Camino Frances that there is no need to push on. Perhaps your knees would appreciate your leaving the tent at home.

Of course, if you prefer to stay in a tent, that's a different matter. However, your knees would probably appreciate a lighter tent than the one you have at the moment.

 

[robertt]

I could sum up my own views on occasional camping by saying:
Le Puy route, probably. Camino Frances, possibly.

 

[k-fun]

My husband and I carried a Hubba-Hubba (4 lbs) two-person tent with space for equipment. It was such a luxury for us. We stayed both in private campgrounds and at albergues on our CF during Sept and Oct 2011. At albergues, we enjoyed the privacy of the tent as well as the camaraderie of other pilgrims; in private campgrounds, I enjoyed the moments of solitude. In all, we camped 17% of the time. Next time, I will do more stealth camping.

My husband has used a Hennessy Hammock when hiking solo. This weighs about 1lb and is great for camping when there are trees, which might be difficult to find on the Meseta.

 

[amado]

I brought an ultra-light tent (1 kg) when I walked/ran the Camino barefoot (mostly) in Mid-July to the first week of August 2010. I used it whenever there was a lawn in an Albergue or when the Albergues were "completo." I was glad I brought the tent since my most comfortable sleep was when I used the tent. The first time I used it was on the lawn of the Albergue in St. Jean Pied de Port. I prefer to sleep alone inside a tent than to sleep in a dormitory where I had difficulty sleeping due to the snoring all around me. I am also a heavy snorer and I was wakened in Roncesvalles by an Italian pilgrim who told me that he could not sleep due to my snoring. I found it difficult to go back to sleep because the Italian pilgrim also snored loudly! The tent became very handy especially during the last week in the Galician region when the Albergues were often full by mid-day (I usually walked up to 4 to 5 pm). When I arrived in O'Cebreiro, all the albergues were full - other pilgrims had to continue walking to the next village. No problem for me - I just pitched my tent at the grounds of the church near the cemetery. This also happened in Triacastela. I am used to sleeping alone and value my privacy. I also enjoy sleeping in a tent. I didn't have to rush to the next Albergue, worrying if there will still be a bunk for me. Ther were times that even if I had a bunk, I just gave my bunk to a late-comer and gladly pitched my tent outside the Albergue. Unfortunately, not all Albergues had lawns or backyards where I could pitch my tent so I had to bear the discomfort of sleeping in a dormitory.

The nex time I walk the Camino, I will still be bringing an ultra-light tent even if there are new Albergues on the Camino and it won't be necessary to bring a tent. I still prefer to sleep alone and I cannot afford a hotel.