Chuck Cunningham
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Starting April, 15, 2017
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One of the hardest decisions I had to make was whether or not to bring my tent. Looking back now, I have no idea why I agonized so much over it. I have been going over the Cicerone Guide to Le Puy and they make tenting look like an excellent option on that particular trail. They make a lot of good points like there are many good camping areas with a lot of them along the river, you can stop almost anywhere when you are tired, even farmers along the way will let you pitch for a small fee, etc etc. I realize that I may miss out on some of the comraderie but I can stay in albergues from time to time for that or in case of inclement weather. I am excited now about getting going... amping would be putting it mildly. Now I am wondering about tenting along the Frances way from SJPP on west. Have any of you all done it? I would love to hear your experiences. I just weighed my ULA pack with air mattress, bag liner, down bag, etc and the total was 18 lbs. Very doable for me. I'm ready to lock and load, switch to full rock and roll and head out. LOL Thanks
I have no idea of what you mean by "camping out is not the way of the Way" and really don't think I need to know lest I start some kind of philosophical, esoterical debate.
One of the hardest decisions I had to make was whether or not to bring my tent. Looking back now, I have no idea why I agonized so much over it. I have been going over the Cicerone Guide to Le Puy and they make tenting look like an excellent option on that particular trail. They make a lot of good points like there are many good camping areas with a lot of them along the river, you can stop almost anywhere when you are tired, even farmers along the way will let you pitch for a small fee, etc etc. I realize that I may miss out on some of the comraderie but I can stay in albergues from time to time for that or in case of inclement weather. I am excited now about getting going... amping would be putting it mildly. Now I am wondering about tenting along the Frances way from SJPP on west. Have any of you all done it? I would love to hear your experiences. I just weighed my ULA pack with air mattress, bag liner, down bag, etc and the total was 18 lbs. Very doable for me. I'm ready to lock and load, switch to full rock and roll and head out. LOL Thanks
I have the Ohm 2.0 and love it. I have tried the Circuit and the small frameless one. They are all excellent for their intended purpose and for certain people. But the Ohm just "felt right" and it fits me good.Chuck, which ULA pack are you using?
Even though there are limited legal camp sites in Spain Ihave decided to bring my tent on that leg of my journey. I don't mind at all paying an albergue to use their grounds. I LOVE sleeping in a tent and love my privacy at night if at all possible. That still leaves many nights I will be staying inside mingling with the pilgrims, wouldn't want to miss that experience. Thanks for your input and knowledge. You are a valuable resource and I among others appreciate it.Wild camping in Spain is illegal. People do it, of course, but if someone breaks the law they take the consequences. There are very few campsites along the Camino Frances, and getting permission from private landholders difficult, in practical terms - mostly people live in the villages and not on their small holdings. So to find someone to seek permission is not easy, and we encroach enough already on private land without adding insult to injury. I have seen a few tents along the Camino Frances but it is not something I'd want to see encouraged, particularly with the numbers now walking.
You could seek permission to put up your tent in the grounds of albergues, but if you did, and used their facilities, then they would probably have to count you as an occupant of a bed for the purposes of the authorities (they are licensed only for specific numbers). So you would be paying the same as someone who is sleeping inside.
We carried a tent all along the Norte and used it very, very few times. Eventually we packed it up and sent it on to Ivar in Santiago.
Not to beat a dead horse but Chris at ULA is excellent to deal with. Sue to my size he had to make some modifications to my pack which he did at no charge , almost immediately and shipped out within a day or two.I have the Ohm 2.0 and love it. I have tried the Circuit and the small frameless one. They are all excellent for their intended purpose and for certain people. But the Ohm just "felt right" and it fits me good.
Notion,Hey Chuck you could send the camping gear forward to Ivar, and then do another of your crazy bumming around in Europe adventures.
Thanks to all of you who have responded. So this is my "tentative plan".One of the hardest decisions I had to make was whether or not to bring my tent. Looking back now, I have no idea why I agonized so much over it. I have been going over the Cicerone Guide to Le Puy and they make tenting look like an excellent option on that particular trail. They make a lot of good points like there are many good camping areas with a lot of them along the river, you can stop almost anywhere when you are tired, even farmers along the way will let you pitch for a small fee, etc etc. I realize that I may miss out on some of the comraderie but I can stay in albergues from time to time for that or in case of inclement weather. I am excited now about getting going... amping would be putting it mildly. Now I am wondering about tenting along the Frances way from SJPP on west. Have any of you all done it? I would love to hear your experiences. I just weighed my ULA pack with air mattress, bag liner, down bag, etc and the total was 18 lbs. Very doable for me. I'm ready to lock and load, switch to full rock and roll and head out. LOL Thanks
I just checked out Ivar's baggage storage site/link. His services are reasonable plus the delivery option is very nice. This IS good news.Hey Chuck you could send the camping gear forward to Ivar, and then do another of your crazy bumming around in Europe adventures.
My friend this is an awesome post. I will copy and take along the listHi Chuck - you walked into an unexpected minefield didn't you!
Tent questions always bring out strong reactions. All the negative reactions tend to be from folk who don't tent and they do tend to go for the legalese way of answering .... those who tent are all for it - the independence, the sitting out watching the night sky, the waking early in a natural way feeling fresh ... putting one's gear together and checking that no litter or disturbance has been left behind ..
So - there are many refugios who are happy for you to tent on their grounds (sometimes you may see four or five tents at a refugio!) and many places along the Frances where one can quietly camp without damaging crops or causing a disturbance. I have met many tenting pilgrims - many with dogs - and they ALL were having a lovely time and were relaxed and happy .. no time constraints, no rushing to get to a town .. they just sort of ambled along in a relaxed manner.
I have met tenters who, when in a city, have camped in unexpected places, city parks, hidden by bushes, river banks - here's a thing - hang a scallop shell on the tent so they know you are a pilgrim.
Take your camping kit Chuck, enjoy your pilgrimage your way ... by the way .. pack weight and so on - have you thought of a hiking trailer? https://www.radicaldesign.com/walki...lking-trailers/wheelie-iv-traveller.html#tabs
I was thinking of one of these but they are expensive so am just starting a project to see if I can make my own.
I guess that you will wild camp as well as refugio garden camp but here is a list of the campsites I know of
### Espinal ###
Albergue Camping Urrobi
http://www.campingurrobi.com/
42.972884 , -1.351969
Not actually in Espinal — about halfway between Burguete and Espinal.
### Puente la Reina ###
Camping El Real
http://www.campingelreal.com/
42.670942 , -1.823392
### Estella ###
Camping Lizarra
http://www.campinglizarra.com/
42.657266 , -2.016331
### Logroño ###
Camping La Playa
http://www.campinglaplaya.com/
42.471087 , -2.454752
### Navarrete ###
Camping Navarrese
http://www.campingnavarrete.com/en/
42.416213 , -2.551772
### Nájera ###
Camping El Ruedo
I don't have much detail about this one in my database. It's located south of the Camino, just before you cross the river.
### Santo Domingo de la Calzada ###
Camping Bañares
http://www.campingbanares.es/
42.442598 , -2.916495
### Burgos ###
Camping Burgos
http://www.campingburgos.com/
42.341786 , -3.657522
This isn't actually in Burgos - it's a few km to the east of the downtown area, south of the Camino
### Castrojeriz ###
Albergue Camping Camino de Santiago
http://www.campingcamino.com/
42.291041 , -4.131703
### Carrión de los Condes ###
Camping El Edén
42.335627 , -4.604448
### Sahagún ###
Camping Pedro Ponce
42.370869 , -5.041860
### Mansilla de las Mulas ###
Apparently there is a campground called "Camping Elsa" but I don't have any details on it in my database.
### Hospital de Órbigo ###
Has a municipal campground
42.466918 , -5.881251
### Monte del Gozo ###
Ciudad de Vacaciones Monte do Gozo
http://www.cvacaciones-montedogozo.com/EN/home.html
42.886806 , -8.493236
Note: The website doesn't mention camping, but it is available. Email them to inquire.
### Santiago de Compostela ###
Camping As Cancelas
http://www.campingascancelas.com/
42.889442 , -8.524195
Buen Camino!!!
In response to your question about having ever tried a trailer. Yes I have and really didn't like it much. It was a hassle when I had to go through some streams, ditches, etc. Personally I found it much easier to just use what ultralight gear I could afford and carry it. My pack , tent, air mattress, down bag and bag liner comes in at just under 18 lbs which you really don't hardly notice the weight after a week or so of hiking. YMMV ( Your Mileage May Vary)My friend this is an awesome post. I will copy and take along the list
of campsites. Such good news! Now I am totally amped. The description you give about camping ring so true with my spirit and previous experioences. I don't know why some talk about hiking the camino "your way" yet show so much distain for tenters and do their best to discourage it. I know many mean well but I really don't think many of the negative responders took the time to really investigate the possibility of camping and shoot from the hip with limited knowledge. Looks like you gave me a list of 15 sites or so. I am so glad about this you have no idea. Have a good day my friend.
If anyone is interested I got this down bag on ebay . You can get different fill weight. I got the 500gm one for $69.00 I have not field tested it yet but it seems substantial.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/232208862936?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=531419140374&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
"Hi Chuck - you walked into an unexpected minefield didn't you!"Yes I certainly did however it wasn't unexpected. I have been on this list long enough to know don my flak vest mmediately after posting. But ya gotta take the bitters with the sweets and thanks to people like you the good outweighs the bad and I glean a ton of good info.Hi Chuck - you walked into an unexpected minefield didn't you!
Tent questions always bring out strong reactions. All the negative reactions tend to be from folk who don't tent and they do tend to go for the legalese way of answering .... those who tent are all for it - the independence, the sitting out watching the night sky, the waking early in a natural way feeling fresh ... putting one's gear together and checking that no litter or disturbance has been left behind ..
So - there are many refugios who are happy for you to tent on their grounds (sometimes you may see four or five tents at a refugio!) and many places along the Frances where one can quietly camp without damaging crops or causing a disturbance. I have met many tenting pilgrims - many with dogs - and they ALL were having a lovely time and were relaxed and happy .. no time constraints, no rushing to get to a town .. they just sort of ambled along in a relaxed manner.
I have met tenters who, when in a city, have camped in unexpected places, city parks, hidden by bushes, river banks - here's a thing - hang a scallop shell on the tent so they know you are a pilgrim.
Take your camping kit Chuck, enjoy your pilgrimage your way ... by the way .. pack weight and so on - have you thought of a hiking trailer? https://www.radicaldesign.com/walki...lking-trailers/wheelie-iv-traveller.html#tabs
I was thinking of one of these but they are expensive so am just starting a project to see if I can make my own.
I guess that you will wild camp as well as refugio garden camp but here is a list of the campsites I know of
### Espinal ###
Albergue Camping Urrobi
http://www.campingurrobi.com/
42.972884 , -1.351969
Not actually in Espinal — about halfway between Burguete and Espinal.
### Puente la Reina ###
Camping El Real
http://www.campingelreal.com/
42.670942 , -1.823392
### Estella ###
Camping Lizarra
http://www.campinglizarra.com/
42.657266 , -2.016331
### Logroño ###
Camping La Playa
http://www.campinglaplaya.com/
42.471087 , -2.454752
### Navarrete ###
Camping Navarrese
http://www.campingnavarrete.com/en/
42.416213 , -2.551772
### Nájera ###
Camping El Ruedo
I don't have much detail about this one in my database. It's located south of the Camino, just before you cross the river.
### Santo Domingo de la Calzada ###
Camping Bañares
http://www.campingbanares.es/
42.442598 , -2.916495
### Burgos ###
Camping Burgos
http://www.campingburgos.com/
42.341786 , -3.657522
This isn't actually in Burgos - it's a few km to the east of the downtown area, south of the Camino
### Castrojeriz ###
Albergue Camping Camino de Santiago
http://www.campingcamino.com/
42.291041 , -4.131703
### Carrión de los Condes ###
Camping El Edén
42.335627 , -4.604448
### Sahagún ###
Camping Pedro Ponce
42.370869 , -5.041860
### Mansilla de las Mulas ###
Apparently there is a campground called "Camping Elsa" but I don't have any details on it in my database.
### Hospital de Órbigo ###
Has a municipal campground
42.466918 , -5.881251
### Monte del Gozo ###
Ciudad de Vacaciones Monte do Gozo
http://www.cvacaciones-montedogozo.com/EN/home.html
42.886806 , -8.493236
Note: The website doesn't mention camping, but it is available. Email them to inquire.
### Santiago de Compostela ###
Camping As Cancelas
http://www.campingascancelas.com/
42.889442 , -8.524195
Buen Camino!!!
Good advice. Thank you. Thought you would like the following thread and blog that was passed on to me by a forum member, bless her heart. I found it very inspiring.Just a note on camping in cities - nowadays just about all of our cities have refugees and asylum seekers living rough .. now, most of them are good people but there are a few one needs to be wary of, and desperate and penniless men can do desperate things - so take care in the cities .. better to walk through and back into the countryside I think.
Sounds tough but I'll get used to it!!!Cool - nice to get some genuine user feedback re trailers!!
By the way, the campsite at Puente la Reina ... you cross the medieval bridge at the end of town and go up the track opposite, only a hundred yards or so. It is a refugio and they also have a campsite but when you book in to the refugio they welcome you to camp in the garden - and here is the thing - it has a swimming pool!! (as well as great on-site pilgrim meals and a bar!!)
Buen Camino!
BTW I have taken notice of your "Combat Medic" badge. That is quite a calling my friend. Thank you for your service. Proud Viet vet here 1966-67 Patrol Squadron Four Skinny Dragons.Chuck, which ULA pack are you using?
BTW When I was tramping thru Spain the trailer was a huge inconvenience when trying to use public transportation esp. getting on and off the crowded buses. There! Have you had enough yet !!! j/kIn response to your question about having ever tried a trailer. Yes I have and really didn't like it much. It was a hassle when I had to go through some streams, ditches, etc. Personally I found it much easier to just use what ultralight gear I could afford and carry it. My pack , tent, air mattress, down bag and bag liner comes in at just under 18 lbs which you really don't hardly notice the weight after a week or so of hiking. YMMV ( Your Mileage May Vary)
Look me up - send a PM on the forum and it triggers an email.Notion,
I am planning on another crazy European tramp post Camino Hopefully a visit to the British Isles this time around
I see that rumors of the bra and knicker thief are not exaggerated fabrications. I should be okay as I try not to go drag in foreign countries.We spent quite a few days at Camping As Cancelas in Santiago itself. It is in the suburbs, but there is a bus (and not a long walk to the main bus station). It is quite luxurious (with pool), and a cheap alternative to accommodation in the centre. I've almost gotten over having my bra and nickers being pinched off the clothes line hanging beside our tent.
BTW Thanks for the camping heads up. Sounds like a great stay.I see that rumors of the bra and knicker thief are not exaggerated fabrications. I should be okay as I try not to go drag in foreign countries.
BTW I have taken notice of your "Combat Medic" badge. That is quite a calling my friend. Thank you for your service. Proud Viet vet here 1966-67 Patrol Squadron Four Skinny Dragons.
That sounds like an excellent list of gear. I went with a Lightheart Gear Duo mainly because I like to take my dog along while camping in the US. It about 2.3 lbs so a lot heavier than yours. I think EE quilts are the best. I didn't feel like pringing for one right now for my European Vacation. But your pack weight is to be envied. When are you leaving and what route are you taking? What ULA do you have? Zpacks makes a cuben pack but I haven't heard much good about them... seem from some users that they are not too rugged.Thanks.... kudos to you as well, brother. I was a Dustoff medic attached to the 57th Med Detachment, Air Ambulance. Then when assigned back to Germany, was with the 2/421st Air Ambulance out of Schweinfurt.... "Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere".
I agree that Chris is terrific to work with. I've been to the ULA manufacturing location/headquarters/office in Logan, UT. several times and worked with Chris on some modifications to my packs from ULA. He is as gracious and patient and accommodating in person as he is on the phone. He is very young looking, yet he swears that he isn't a youngster.
Thanks for the feedback on the Ohm. The one thing that I love about ULA packs, aside from their comfort and extremely light weight, is the fact that I just forget about the fact that I am wearing one while backpacking or hiking. They just FIT so darn well.
Oh, and I am also bring my tent and plan to do a fair bit of outdoor sleeping. Between my ZPacks tent, my Enlightened Equipment quilt-bag, and my air mattress, I am below 3 pounds of bedroom kit. My base weight is about 11 pounds (1.4 kg and 4.9 kg respectively). Including my tent is not an issue to me, especially when I compare my base weight to some of the others I read about
... by the way .. pack weight and so on - have you thought of a hiking trailer? https://www.radicaldesign.com/walki...lking-trailers/wheelie-iv-traveller.html#tabs
There's also a bag available from the same company on Amazon with goose down.If anyone is interested I got this down bag on ebay . You can get different fill weight. I got the 500gm one for $69.00 I have not field tested it yet but it seems substantial.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/232208862936?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=531419140374&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Come to think of it I did look into an EE quilt but it was going to take like 4-5 weeks at the time to receive which would cut it dangerously close to my departure time but I will definitely get one before my next great adventure. I had Jacks'r'rbetter quilt with the horizontal baffles and the down shifted real bad. I had to shake it back into place several times a night to stay comfortable. You don't have that problem with the EE due to the vertical baffling.That sounds like an excellent list of gear. I went with a Lightheart Gear Duo mainly because I like to take my dog along while camping in the US. It about 2.3 lbs so a lot heavier than yours. I think EE quilts are the best. I didn't feel like pringing for one right now for my European Vacation. But your pack weight is to be envied. When are you leaving and what route are you taking? What ULA do you have? Zpacks makes a cuben pack but I haven't heard much good about them... seem from some users that they are not too rugged.
Come to think of it I did look into an EE quilt but it was going to take like 4-5 weeks at the time to receive which would cut it dangerously close to my departure time but I will definitely get one before my next great adventure. I had Jacks'r'rbetter quilt with the horizontal baffles and the down shifted real bad. I had to shake it back into place several times a night to stay comfortable. You don't have that problem with the EE due to the vertical baffling.
That sounds like an excellent list of gear. I went with a Lightheart Gear Duo mainly because I like to take my dog along while camping in the US. It about 2.3 lbs so a lot heavier than yours. I think EE quilts are the best. I didn't feel like pringing for one right now for my European Vacation. But your pack weight is to be envied. When are you leaving and what route are you taking? What ULA do you have? Zpacks makes a cuben pack but I haven't heard much good about them... seem from some users that they are not too rugged.
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