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Camino Primitivo - Sleeping bag or liner Oct 8-22?

SarahM

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Primitivo (Oct 2018)
Hi -

FLYING out Friday - last minute questions!:
1)
I've been packing and re-packing..and need to cut some weight down. I can cut off 2 pounds if I don't bring a sleeping bag, and just bring a liner instead. My liner is not silk - it's a sea to summit thermolite fleece reactor extreme -
So.... my question is - if I just bring a liner, do most alburgues on the primitivo have blankets that I can use for extra warmth? I hate being cold!

2)
I have a tiny (kitchen size) quick dry towel and a sarong. Is this sufficient? I don't want to bring my heavier bigger towel..and don't want to buy one more thing!

Thanks for your guidance.

Sarah
 
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Regarding blankets, most will. However, at this time of year (and especially given the mountainous terrain) I would always error on the side of safety. If you end up in a situation where you don't have a blanket you could find yourself quite uncomfortable.

For the towel, that is a matter of personal comfort / convenience. I carry a tiny backpacker's towel that soaks up an amazing amount of water and then dries quickly. I'm a 6'4" tall guy weighing two-hundred-and-too-many-pounds and it does fine for me. I know lots of people, though, who aren't happy with anything less than a giant beach towel!
 
Your towel strategy sounds like the norm in the traditional albergues I used on the Frances. I had a sarong too, which proved very versatile as wrap-skirt, picnic-cloth, sHoulder/head-wrap on cold nights, and very occasionally shower-wrap or towel. For warmth sleeping don't count on sufficient blankets being onsite ever night (or clean) With the liner you might be happy with a light down throw you could tuck inside with you when needed. Costco had these quite cheap last year. Less IS more! Buen Camino!
 
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Hi,

though I have not seen many blankets in the public albergues, I would rather take some long sports underwear with me than the weight of your sleeping-bag. You could also wear them if it is cold during the day, so they are of bigger use. In most of the private albergues I saw blankets. So going to a private albergue is an Option too.
 
Sleeping bag for sure. Ditch the sarong, it's a luxury. Assuming you are not really petite, try to get your bag to 8kg without water.
 
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This picture is a pilgrim four days ago that came unprepared and bought a bag. There will be too few opportunities to do that.. My towel is also used to block lights so I can get to bed early . Bring just enough.
 
Those without sleeping bags, whatever the time of year usually want all the windows in the Albergue shut. I enjoy fresh air and prefer to sleep with the windows open!!
 
I think the reason for keeping the windows shut is to keep vermin (and sometimes also thieves) out. Usually people from southern Europe insist on keeping the windows shut at night. When I lived at Malta I learnt that cockroaches fly during the night. and thus can enter your house.

People who do not freeze easily can take a liner and sleep with open windows. On my various Caminos I never made the experience that it depends on the sleeping bag you carry if you want to open the windows or not. But, David, if it makes you feel better, I do not object if you carry the additional weight of the sleeping bag (1,5 kg) compared to a liner and thermal underwear.

Do not take more than you really need. What makes your backpack heavy is your fear that you might need something. The Fleece liner the OP refers to is similar to the light weight sleeping bag I take on my caminos.
 
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