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In many french gites you are not allowed to bring your backpack to the sleeping areas
Did you tell the hotel why you were leaving? I hope so.Well people are still not careful. I still see people putting their backpacks on the beds. Not checking the beds or panels closeby. I stayed at a hotel in molinaseca just 2 weeks ago and lifting the bedblanket saw 3 bugs hiding. Disgusting - grabbed my bag and was out faster than you can say hfjæflydly.
I'm wondering what the difference is between putting a sleeping bag on the bed that is carried in your rucksack compared to placing your rucksack on the bed? Genuine question for my own information.Well people are still not careful. I still see people putting their backpacks on the beds. Not checking the beds or panels closeby. I stayed at a hotel in molinaseca just 2 weeks ago and lifting the bedblanket saw 3 bugs hiding. Disgusting - grabbed my bag and was out faster than you can say hfjæflydly.
I think the first reason not to put your back pack on the bed is basic cleanliness. Your pack has been placed on the ground, floors, etc., and is not very clean. Bedbugs might have come out at night and then hidden in external folds of your pack, for a ride to the next albergue. However, if so, they are perfectly capable of climbing up on the bed without your assistance.I'm wondering what the difference is between putting a sleeping bag on the bed that is carried in your rucksack compared to placing your rucksack on the bed? Genuine question for my own information.
I have been in Southern France hiking the Podiensis and have not seen or had a problem. Most gites take great care to have you separate from your shoes and packs and some don't allow your sleeping bags or liners as they provide sheets. I have been bit by bugs on other caminos in Spain so they do like me but again, no issues thus far in Southern France.Per Sky News France and particularly Paris is in the throws of a massive bed bug infestation.
The country is trying unsuccessfully to bring the situation under control prior to large sporting events to be held in the country.
How does this effect the Camino?
Clearly the bugs travel with people and pilgrims travelling from France, even if only having a lay over in Paris have the potential to carry the insects to their destinations in preparation for the Camino.
No doubt over the next few weeks the delightful parasites will be a point for discussion, scratching or pharmacy advice. If evident Pilgrims should consider treating their kit with repellent and carrying some so that they can treat gear while on the road.
I thought just the same.I'm wondering what the difference is between putting a sleeping bag on the bed that is carried in your rucksack compared to placing your rucksack on the bed? Genuine question for my own information.
My worry with leaving a backpack on the bed is that preexisting bugs in the bed can climb into my pack and then I transport them wherever. If my pack is kept away from the bed there is less chance of a bedbug having contact with my bag. Why would it travel across the room when my perfectly warm body is closer?I think the first reason not to put your back pack on the bed is basic cleanliness. Your pack has been placed on the ground, floors, etc., and is not very clean. Bedbugs might have come out at night and then hidden in external folds of your pack, for a ride to the next albergue. However, if so, they are perfectly capable of climbing up on the bed without your assistance.
So I don't think the bedbug reason makes much sense as the reason for not putting your pack on the bed. You shouldn't do that, but for general cleanliness reasons.
ADDED: It could be argued that all measures might help a bit if they reduce the number of bed bugs in the room where they get their nourishment. However, the most effective measures need to be based on a real understanding of bedbug science.
The bed bugs are as likely (or more) to be hiding in crevices in the walls or floors, than they are to be hiding under the covers, especially if the covers have been replaced each day. Further, bed bugs tend to hide during the day - they are not likely to come crawling out of the bed or crevices to get into your pack during the day even when you plunk it on the bed. (Keeping your pack on the bed at night, near your sleeping body, might be a higher risk.) In any case, your pack should not be on the bed, for reasons of cleanlinessMy worry with leaving a backpack on the bed is that preexisting bugs in the bed can climb into my pack and then I transport them wherever. If my pack is kept away from the bed there is less chance of a bedbug having contact with my bag.
Welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear that you had a bad reaction.Booking.com tells me it couldn't care less, so I won't be be trusting them again ever.
I know from friends in the accommodation industry that this can be a problem when transporting linen to and from commerical laundries. They now have to take extra measures to protect the clean linen or use separate vans to either pickup or deliver.Bag transport is an interesting one. The van driver goes from albergue to albergue and town to town, putting (squeezing?) all the bags together in the back of the van. Then who knows what happens until a couple of hours later when they are redistributed to a different set of albergues in different towns. Might be something to look at more closely if there's a Paris style infestation on the camino.
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