camino tips

[mama&son]

my mother and i are planing to walk the Camino(the french way) from late Sept. 2020 in to early Nov. 2020. we are already training to be prepared. when we leave my mother will be 75 years old and i will be 53 years old. we are planning for 46 days including going on to finisterre. i was just wondering if there were any pointers or things i should pay special attention to. thank you for any help given. BUEN CAMINO!!

 

[trecile]

my mother and i are planing to walk the Camino(the french way) from late Sept. 2020 in to early Nov. 2020. we are already training to be prepared. when we leave my mother will be 75 years old and i will be 53 years old. we are planning for 46 days including going on to finisterre. i was just wondering if there were any pointers or things i should pay special attention to. thank you for any help given. BUEN CAMINO!!

Lots of tips and advice all over this forum, and the search function works well for specific topics.
Buen Camino!

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Hi, and a warm welcome to the Forum.

Your question about tips and pointers is massively broad, but perhaps this will help you get started. Below is a link which also may be of help as you begin.

American Pilgrims on Camino's FAQs about a camino pilgrimage

The good news is, you are in a Forum with a wonderful group of people. Most are here to help people like you to achieve their pilgrimage goals. We can offer you encouragement, knowledge, and point you in the direction that will help you help yourself.

My suggestion to start is this:

1. Take a deep breath. Write down in large letters the reasons why you want to go on Camino. Place that piece of paper where you can see it every day. That way, if anxieties and fears threaten to overwhelm you as you plan, you can just take a few deep breaths, read what you have written, and focus on those reasons until the negative stuff fades.
2. Make a list of questions and concerns that you have.
3. Go to the Search Engine at the top of the Forum pages.
4. Enter the words or phrase that you want more information about. You will get a huge amount of information to explore.
5. If you find that you need help with anything, post a new thread so that your question or concern can be readily seen. If you post a question within someone else's thread, you won't receive as big of a response.
6. Remember that perfect timing as it relates to how you feel, scheduling, and day to day life issues, seldom align themselves perfectly. If one waits for such to occur, doing something like a pilgrimage will always be in danger of taking a back seat while you wait for that perfect alignment to happen.

The subject data base of posts is fat with information on all subjects related to Camino from fitness to equipment to lodging to transportation to blister prevention and care to . . .

 

[Geodoc]

You've got plenty of time. Just read the different threads, immerse yourself, learn, then experience.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I am a mother who has walked with one or both sons on several Caminos now and just returned 2 weeks ago from the most recent one. It is a true blessing to be able to walk with family members and I wish you an awesome experience as you walk together! Watch over your mama and protect her with the love you have!
Buen Camino when your time comes!

 

[Terry Callery]

Another website I stumbled onto was www.annieswalkers.com, which was full of sage advice by Annie, who has made a small business of taking others on the Camino as a guide and planner. The single best piece of advice came from Annie, who was adamant about getting hiking shoes or sneakers a size and a half larger than your actual size. I followed Annie’s advice and got a pair of size 12 ASICS (with gel innersoles) for my size 10½ feet—half a size more for my thick alpaca socks, which are very warm and which would wick the moisture away from my feet, and a whole size larger for my foot to swell. I also went with a second pair of running shoes, size 12 waterproof Columbias, which I would wear when it rained. I could switch from one pair of sneakers to the other when I felt rubbing that might turn into a blister. I learned to turn my socks inside-out halfway through the day to keep my feet dry. The other tip I faithfully followed, courtesy of Annie’s Walkers, was to put on a thin nylon sock liner. This not only wicks the moisture, but the rubbing now happens between the two pairs of socks and not so much on the foot. I followed the advice and got just one blister on my entire journey.

The next most important piece of gear after the running shoes was the backpack. After spending a couple of hours surfing the Camino blogs and Googling questions like “What is the best sized backpack to hike the Camino de Santiago?” I discovered there were several mentions of a backpack manufactured by Osprey called the Talon which was a 33-liter pack, just right for the 20 pounds I planned to take. “Take no more than 10% of your body weight” was the Camino commandment. So for me at 220 pounds, it would be definitely less than 22 pounds.

The back side of the Osprey Talon has a design feature that creates a vertical “air chimney” which is trademarked as “Airscape,” a construct of foam ridges and mesh which keep the pack from holding moisture against your back. Another trademarked feature is the “ergo pull” hip belt closure and the “biostretch” mesh-covered shoulder straps, making this a very comfortable pack to wear. It really seemed to give and mold right to my body.

The harness had a number of adjustable back lengths, with a “rip it and stick it” Velcro attachment. There were mesh pockets on each side where I kept a water bottle and my pack rain cover for easy access. There was also a flat pocket inside the top flap where I could store my Apple iPad mini, making it easy to get to and pull out when I saw a photo opportunity. Altogether, the Osprey Talon 33-liter pack at $129 (along with the necessary waterproof backpack rain cover which was another $35) from REI was perfect.

Choosing raingear turned out to be a bit trickier. Having done lots of sailing on the coast of Maine, I had used neoprene raingear that was really waterproof. But for sailing, you are just sitting in the cockpit. Walking on the Camino, you can get sticky and wet if your raingear doesn’t breathe. I decided to buy a pair of ultra-lightweight Frogg Toggs, which are made out of polypropylene and have a micro-breathable construction that lets air molecules in and keeps water molecules out. This was a good choice since the outer shell also doubled as a windbreaker and as snow gear. If it were snowing, I could wear the Frogg Toggs pants over my Nike running pants along with a pair of polypropylene long johns, and I would be warm and dry. The best thing was that the rain gear from Frogg Toggs weighed only one pound for both jacket and pants. I usually kept the jacket in an outer backpack pocket for easy access. After much experimentation, I went with a Maine yellow sou’wester fisherman’s rain hat for head cover. It was the only thing that kept moisture from going down the back of my neck, and the brim in the front stuck out just enough to keep rain droplets off my glasses. I saw hundreds of pilgrims as I walked the Camino, but not a single one wore a neon yellow sou’wester. Anyone want to buy some fish?
From "Slow Camino" by Terence Callery

 

[Nan]

my mother and i are planing to walk the Camino(the french way) from late Sept. 2020 in to early Nov. 2020. we are already training to be prepared. when we leave my mother will be 75 years old and i will be 53 years old. we are planning for 46 days including going on to finisterre. i was just wondering if there were any pointers or things i should pay special attention to. thank you for any help given. BUEN CAMINO!!

 

[Nan]

My daughter n I walked the frances in 2017. I was 75 and she was 53. I did not do any training other than my usual morning walk. We had a fantastic time. After Estella we usually sent our packs on. She was usually way, way ahead of me but waiting at different places with a beer or wine for me. I would ask her how do you know I’m not lost? Her reply ... I always check with walkers ‘have u seen an old lady on the way?‘ We found most albergues or hostels had rooms with 2 beds. No blisters, no aches or pains. Walked every day. Didn’t have time for rest days unfortunately. we bussed it to finesterre. Would do it again in a flash. Buen Camino. You will love it.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

My daughter n I walked the frances in 2017. I was 75 and she was 53. I did not do any training other than my usual morning walk. We had a fantastic time. After Estella we usually sent our packs on. She was usually way, way ahead of me but waiting at different places with a beer or wine for me. I would ask her how do you know I’m not lost? Her reply ... I always check with walkers ‘have u seen an old lady on the way?‘ We found most albergues or hostels had rooms with 2 beds. No blisters, no aches or pains. Walked every day. Didn’t have time for rest days unfortunately. we bussed it to finesterre. Would do it again in a flash. Buen Camino. You will love it.

Wow, I'm a decade younger and have walked caminos every year for the last five with absolutely no ailments.
You give me hope that I may have at least ten more years left in me to continue "carrying on"!

 

[cbacino]

my mother and i are planing to walk the Camino(the french way) from late Sept. 2020 in to early Nov. 2020. we are already training to be prepared. when we leave my mother will be 75 years old and i will be 53 years old. we are planning for 46 days including going on to finisterre. i was just wondering if there were any pointers or things i should pay special attention to. thank you for any help given. BUEN CAMINO!!

Do you walk now on a daily basis? Try walking 10 miles with a 10-pound pack, every day, rain or shine, for a week and see how you feel.