advice for first time walker

[Vivienne Yung]

Hi everyone! I am 21 from Melbourne and am going to Europe in 2 months, and I am planning to walk from Sierra to Santiago start of July. Just a few questions:

1. Is 100km doable in 4 days or should I set aside more time?
2. Will I be ok doing it with my 65L backpack that I'm taking with my around Europe
3. Do I really need to invest in good walking shoes, or are runners ok? And if I do, then what shoes are good that I can store in my pack when I'm finished with the walk? I don't really want heavy hiking shoes to carry for another 4 months after finishing the camino

Any advice would be great thanks!

 

[wayfarer]

Welcome Vivienne,
1. Yes it is doable in four days but five or six would be better to really enjoy it.
2. Depends on the weight of your pack. IMO you could leave un needed gear in Santiago with Ivars storage.
3. Runners would be ok IMO at that time of year, even good walking sandals would do.
Buen Camino.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/luggage-storage-in-santiago-de-compostela/

 

[Kiwi-family]

Exactly what wayfarer said!

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hi everyone! I am 21 from Melbourne and am going to Europe in 2 months, and I am planning to walk from Sierra to Santiago start of July. Just a few questions:

1. Is 100km doable in 4 days or should I set aside more time?
2. Will I be ok doing it with my 65L backpack that I'm taking with my around Europe
3. Do I really need to invest in good walking shoes, or are runners ok? And if I do, then what shoes are good that I can store in my pack when I'm finished with the walk? I don't really want heavy hiking shoes to carry for another 4 months after finishing the camino

Any advice would be great thanks!

Wish you well and a Buen Camino, Peter.

 

[Debra Andrew]

Hi Vivienne, I live in Geelong. I'm afraid I have no suggestions as I haven't walked yet, wishing a great time.
Good luck ....Buen Camino.

 

[samba]

Hi a

Hi everyone! I am 21 from Melbourne and am going to Europe in 2 months, and I am planning to walk from Sierra to Santiago start of July. Just a few questions:

1. Is 100km doable in 4 days or should I set aside more time?
2. Will I be ok doing it with my 65L backpack that I'm taking with my around Europe
3. Do I really need to invest in good walking shoes, or are runners ok? And if I do, then what shoes are good that I can store in my pack when I'm finished with the walk? I don't really want heavy hiking shoes to carry for another 4 months after finishing the camino

Any advice would be great thanks!

m on sanabres right now and older than you . So. Yes 25 a day doable for u but depends on terrain .65 litre too heavy . I like ankle boots or at least good walking shoes , extra shoes I hav sketchers or crocs . . Keep weight to under 10 kilos . Cheered from a Fremantle Australian .buen camino

 

[Vivienne Yung]

Welcome Vivienne,
1. Yes it is doable in four days but five or six would be better to really enjoy it.
2. Depends on the weight of your pack. IMO you could leave un needed gear in Santiago with Ivars storage.
3. Runners would be ok IMO at that time of year, even good walking sandals would do.
Buen Camino.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/luggage-storage-in-santiago-de-compostela/

Sorry what is the Ivars storage? Is it easy to transfer my main pack to santiago and just walk with a day pack, will my pack be safe?

 

[wayfarer]

Sorry what is the Ivars storage? Is it easy to transfer my main pack to santiago and just walk with a day pack, will my pack be safe?

Hi Vivienne, all the info is in this link below. Ivar owns and runs this website and forum and yes it will be safe. Leave everything in storage when you arrive in Santiago except what you need for the four or six days walk.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/luggage-storage-in-santiago-de-compostela/

 

[Dzyduck87]

Hi everyone! I am 21 from Melbourne and am going to Europe in 2 months, and I am planning to walk from Sierra to Santiago start of July. Just a few questions:

1. Is 100km doable in 4 days or should I set aside more time?
2. Will I be ok doing it with my 65L backpack that I'm taking with my around Europe
3. Do I really need to invest in good walking shoes, or are runners ok? And if I do, then what shoes are good that I can store in my pack when I'm finished with the walk? I don't really want heavy hiking shoes to carry for another 4 months after finishing the camino

Any advice would be great thanks!

1. Absolutely, 25km is doable even for a novice walker. You start walking every day around 8am, and the average person walks about 5km an hour. If you stop for coffee/lunch/breaks you can easily get into the next town by 3pm which is about right. Make sure to give yourself short days, your body and mind needs a break every now and then. I would recommend not planning out your stops too intensely as you may find yourself maintaining the pace of fellow peregrinos.
2. 65L is more than enough, I did most of mine with a school backpack, using my guitar strap as a waist strap until it broke in Sahagun. That being said, make sure your backpack has a top notch waist strap, the difference it makes is incredible.
3. Don't let anyone tell you that you have to have walking shoes, take a pair of light relaxing shoes and a pair of good, breathable runners. Sure, waterproof shoes are nice on rainy days, but they will give you blisters if you were them constantly and they are heaving to strap to your bag during the majority of the time when it is not raining. Honestly, the best advice I can give you is to maintain a budget that would allow you to buy whatever shoe you would feel would be more suitable as you're completing your walk. I started with waterproof, switched to crocs by Zubiri and wore my crocs virtually straight on through to Sahagun. Bought cheap runners in Leon and by the time I got to Finisterre my feet were nearly healed enough to wear my hiking shoes again, lol.