Carry a Bath towel? Sleeping bag? Rain coat?

[Roamin' Rob]

Do you experienced Pilgrims recommend taking your own bath towel? What about sleeping bag? We are not sure what the typical Albergue accommodations include. Our pilgrimage is July 27 - Aug 17 and not sure if a rain coat is needed or worth the (light) weight to carry.

 

[SeaHorse]

Albergues don't supply towels. Best take a small to pack, lightweight, quick dry tourist towel, not bath towel. Like this http://www.seatosummit.com/product/?item=Dry+Lite+Towel+™+&o1=2&o2=2&o3=273-42
Yes, you need your own sleeping bag. Some people say that just a sleeping bag (silk) liner is enough. Never for me. I used the bag and blanket even during a heat wave of over 30*C (all albergues I was in did have blankets, in some had to ask, but they all found them).
Typical accommodation includes a place on bunk bed, mattress, pillow, shower, WC (with paper), sink, mirror on the wall, sink for hand washing clothes (your own soap), clothes line (sometimes too short for everybody), some had sheets and pillow cases, some didn't (or you could by disposable ones for 2 euros). Washing machines + dryers were for fee.
I would take rain poncho. Can't realistically expect that there will be no rain at all in 20 day period.

 

[Jan_89]

Albergues don't supply towels. Best take a small to pack, lightweight, quick dry tourist towel, not bath towel. Like this http://www.seatosummit.com/product/?item=Dry+Lite+Towel+™+&o1=2&o2=2&o3=273-42
Yes, you need your own sleeping bag. Some people say that just a sleeping bag (silk) liner is enough. Never for me. I used the bag and blanket even during a heat wave of over 30*C (all albergues I was in did have blankets, in some had to ask, but they all found them).
Typical accommodation includes a place on bunk bed, mattress, pillow, shower, WC (with paper), sink, mirror on the wall, sink for hand washing clothes (your own soap), clothes line (sometimes too short for everybody), some had sheets and pillow cases, some didn't (or you could by disposable ones for 2 euros). Washing machines + dryers were for fee.
I would take rain poncho. Can't realistically expect that there will be no rain at all in 20 day period.

Absolutely agree with everything..
The rain poncho is good choice! Especially in Galicia - it could be very rainy, also in summer..

 

[Anniesantiago]

What SeaHorse said.

 

[MichaelSG]

What SeaHorse said. Sort of. As always, the need for a sleeping bag depends on your own personal insulation and tolerance for cold at night. I would never need a sleeping bag between early April and mid-October although there may be a day or two that I would have wanted one. A silk liner is plenty for me. My wife thinks differently for herself. Regarding the towel, a small camp towel is better than some big fluffy cotton towel by light-years. I prefer just using a small washcloth to bathe, then I rinse it out, ring it and use it as a towel too. It may take a minute longer to dry myself but I appreciate not needing to dry & carry the towel. They seem to be the most mentioned things that disappear form communal areas.

 

[Introibo]

As above, however... I took a sleeping bag but after the first week and the weather got above 10 c I was warm
enough with the blankets only. I slept a lot better as there was more freedom of movement. Also, we always
had to pay for washers and dryers. About €3 a go. Helps if you can pool clothes from a few people. It was a
lot colder when I went than you will have and so drying clothes was a problem if you didn't use a dryer.

Buen Camino

 

[Roamin' Rob]

The kindness of the Camino and its Pilgrims is evident by all the quick and informative replies. Thank you all very much.

 

[Mark Lee]

No bath towel. Lightweight, quick-drying synthetic backpacker's towel instead.
No sleeping bag needed. Just a lightweight liner, or something similar.
Two summertime Caminos completed.....total rain days for both? Two.
I found a lightweight, breathable rain jacket (I have a Columbia brand) was all I needed.
Cheers.

 

[Kiko]

If you want to go lightweight which is what I am currently doing then:
Half a trekking towel....seriously!
Silk liner only....there's always blankets and I've not been cold so far
Raincoat.....yes

Minimum weight = maximum smiles

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Seahorse says that albergues do not supply towels and that machine wash and dry is free. Not so, at least all the time. More albergues, private ones, are offering full bedding and ath towel, but don't count on it. As for laundry some will wash for free and charge for drying, others 3 € a piece, others 5€ to dry only. What I have notice last month is that soap seems to be included now, including automatically dispensed by the machine.

So yes to a microfiber camping towel but you may have a few days of luxury.

 

[jpflavin1]

Do you experienced Pilgrims recommend taking your own bath towel? What about sleeping bag? We are not sure what the typical Albergue accommodations include. Our pilgrimage is July 27 - Aug 17 and not sure if a rain coat is needed or worth the (light) weight to carry.

Robert:

I do bring a quick dry microfiber towel. It is lightweight and quick drying. I have never seen towels in a non private Albergue. I would never walk without a sleeping bag or rain gear. I spray my sleeping bag with premethian (sp.). If it is hot, I sleep on it opened. Rain gear in Summer would be light weight versus heavier for other seasons.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Hi, Anemone. Just to point out that Seahorse actually said:

Washing machines + dryers were for fee.

 

[jdpiguet]

Galicia is green. Sometimes VERY green. In most of the cases, green means water.
And some (surely bad twisted) minds are saying that this water is coming from the sky...

So, in order to avoid risks, I would recommend to take a rain protection.

Buen Camino,
Jacques-D.

 

[SeaHorse]

Seahorse says that albergues do not supply towels and that machine wash and dry is free. Not so, at least all the time. More albergues, private ones, are offering full bedding and ath towel, but don't count on it. As for laundry some will wash for free and charge for drying, others 3 € a piece, others 5€ to dry only. What I have notice last month is that soap seems to be included now, including automatically dispensed by the machine.

So yes to a microfiber camping towel but you may have a few days of luxury.

Not FREE, FEE!!!

 

[petro]

I took a sarong which I used as a towel. Some albergues offer towels for rent for 1 euro - big fluffy white ones! When that was on offer I always jumped at the opportunity to spoil myself!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Not FREE, FEE!!!

Yes,pudgypilgrim already pointed my mistake out.

 

[Stivandrer]

Everybody will tell you to bring a towel, be it cotton or micro fiber!
In particular heed the advice of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy ( Douglas Adams) in which you are instructed to :

a) Always bring a towel , and
b) Don´t panic -

- both are sound advice;
-only when you are walking the Camino, the Universe will NOT break down.
You might think it is, but it´s only you wobbling under the load !!

Buen Camino....

 

[Suzanne S.]

As part of "everyone," I say, "bring a towel--and bring a larger one than you think you will need." I brought a 12" x 18" microfiber camp towel and could not get dry enough to pull my sports bra on over my damp body (okay, TMI, but true). I walked in May and June (just got home), and it rained twice. I used my rain jacket once, but I used my light weight sleeping bag almost every night.

 

[Coleen Clark]

Galicia is green. Sometimes VERY green. In most of the cases, green means water.
And some (surely bad twisted) minds are saying that this water is coming from the sky...

So, in order to avoid risks, I would recommend to take a rain protection.

Buen Camino,
Jacques-D.

FROM THE SKY????? Who are these wild and ca-razy guys?
I am taking a camp towel also. I try out all my equipment as I buy it, and the micro towel took quite a long time to dry me. Pat. Pat pat. Pat pat pitty pat pat. But on the plus side it dried quickly after I hung it up!
As for the sleeping bag vs. liner debate, I vote liner. My sleeping bag let me down. I was sleeping on a cot in my sleeping bag next to my sister's hospital bed. I had my Iphone timer set for every two hours to give her pain meds, and when the timer beeped at 2am I reached over to shut it off before it could wake her. Instead, the cot tipped sideways and I slid off that thing like a fried egg on a Teflon pan. To make matters worse, I landed with the zipper under me and my arms inside. All I could do was giggle and wiggled out like a caterpillar. You would too. I know you would.
I have a very nice silk liner that feels good on the skin and warm enough for me.

 

[Roamin' Rob]

Thanks, Pilgrims. (I'm not even John Wayne!)