Bedding

[Wayfarer1]

So I'm walking for the first time at the end of May and I'm coming from NZ. I'm wondering if I bring a sleeping bag with me, it's quite a chunky piece of equipment, but I've also heard various reports about what the accommodation offers in terms of bedding, is it worth me bringing it?
Thanks, and excited for May!!

 

[Former member 92300]

If it is big and bulky - I suggest getting an inexpensive down bag or throw. They are much lighter and pack smaller. It can be cool at night and not all places have one. Weather can vary - I had a very cool June/July and was cold without a blanket. You just never know what the weather will be. Even the warm months can have cold fronts.

If you are a warm sleeper, may be less of an issue.

 

[J Willhaus]

A lot of this depends on where you are staying. If you are only staying in hotels, then bedding and towels are provided. If you are staying in albergues (rooms with bunkbeds) you will need either a sleeping bag or at the minimum some kind of sleeping bag liner.

 

[Vacajoe]

If your current bag is too large for travel, search out a Decathlon sporting goods store in your arrival city. They will have inexpensive appropriate bags and liners for the weather conditions in a Spain. This will save you the hassle of lugging yours all the way from Australia and give you the opportunity to gauge the weather you’ll be facing (unusually warm? Cold?) as you start your Camino rather than trying to guess it three months ahead of time.

 

[Keith H]

Just going to agree with everyone else above. If you have the time then hitting up Decathlon for an inexpensive alternative is a good idea. We don’t really have the equivalent type of store in NZ

 

[lt56ny]

Just going to agree with everyone else above. If you have the time then hitting up Decathlon for an inexpensive alternative is a good idea. We don’t really have the equivalent type of store in NZ

Decathlon sells a good and inexpensive and light bag. The one I have is for a temperature of 15C and I walk in late fall and it is perfect for me. The OP would probably be just fine with a silk sleep sack that weighs nothing. If I was walking that time of the year that is what I would use.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

So I'm walking for the first time at the end of May and I'm coming from NZ. I'm wondering if I bring a sleeping bag with me, it's quite a chunky piece of equipment, but I've also heard various reports about what the accommodation offers in terms of bedding, is it worth me bringing it?
Thanks, and excited for May!!

If you are quick and nip down to The Warehouse then you can buy this! https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/s/twl/product/R2675508.html available for $17.50 until the 7th February.

- Warm enough for May on the Frances.
- Cheap enough that you can donate it to a local charity after you finish so that there is no chance that you will bring bed bugs home in your sleeping bag.
- Light enough (500 grams) given the cost that it can earn a place in your backpack.
- Cheap enough that you can throw it away if your bedbugs are really bad and replace it with a similar cheap bag locally.

Edit: You haven't mentioned and no one has asked if you prefer to be warm at night or cooler.

If you prefer to be warm then a silk sleep sack will not be warm enough for you. It wasn't for me. I left St Jean on the 14th May and initially there were lots of very cold nights, some with snow on the ground or frosts. I also took a down sleeping bag that cost me over $200 and I used that in the beginning and the sleep sack later in June and July.

I was in Katmandu, Barry's Point Road, Takapuna on Thursday and they have a flash sale on at the moment as a result of the floods and end of season and their cheapest silk sleep sack is $180. Silk is nice but it is expensive.

 

[Keith H]

Somehow I totally didn’t think of the Warehoyse as an option

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I am not sure where in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland you live but if close to the North Shore then Katmandu Barry's Point Road has some trail shoes and boots at a good price as part of their clearance sale, ending Tuesday or Wednesday.

You can probably also get other Camino stuff there at good prices at the moment.