sunnysmiles
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- This is my first Camino staring in STP July < 2015 >
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thanks TinkatinkerStart early, go slowly, wear a hat. Drink enough, but not too much water. Seek shade to rest in.
Bandana sounds like a good ideaTake a bandana to wear around your neck or head, and wet it with cold water as often as you can. You will be amazed at its refreshing qualities. Also, you might consider taking an umbrella with UV protection; this will lower the temperature by several degrees. Buen Camino
Buy a red bandana, they say you should enter Pamplona wearing a red bandana. I had an old red bandana which I use for walking and I brought it on my Camino. A spanish pilgrim remarked on it and told me about the Pamplona thing so I wore it in. I also soaked it in water during hot days and tied it around my neck to keep cool as Icacos said. Its also good on wet days to stop water running down your collar.Bandana sounds like a good ideawill be packing one of those!
Hi , as stated start early , take enough wather with you , wear a hat and don't walk to fast and keep the day's shorter .Hi everybody
I'll be staring out at SJPP next week and the weather looks like it will be around 35 celcius around then....Anyone got any tips for dealing with the heat( a first timer)?
Thanks
Because it's a lot cooler walking in the dark, rather than doing that last 4km at 2:00pm and you get to enjoy the whole show of the sunrise on the trail.Start walking at sunrise (really no need to walk in the dark..why?)
Yeah, but you are walking in the dark? You miss a lot of the sights walking in the dark. I did it two or three times on my first Camino before I realized how silly it was. Once, on the meseta stretch I could see a long string of flashlight beams behind me. Like a bunch small cars driving at night. It was the participants in the albergue race. I decided then no more night walking for me. Sure, I'd wake up when it was still dark, but I'd wait until those first few rays of light would peek over the horizon and then I would get to stepping.Because it's a lot cooler walking in the dark, rather than doing that last 4km at 2:00pm and you get to enjoy the whole show of the sunrise on the trail.
Hi everybody
I'll be staring out at SJPP next week and the weather looks like it will be around 35 celcius around then....Anyone got any tips for dealing with the heat( a first timer)?
Thanks
I'm glad that worked for you but the OP asked how to beat the heat. Outside of the forest coverage, I found walking by moonlight to be fairly easy. Also, at the top of that climb out of Castrojeriz, I thought the view back at the string of torchlights was nearly as cool as the sunrise moments later.Yeah, but you are walking in the dark? You miss a lot of the sights walking in the dark. I did it two or three times on my first Camino before I realized how silly it was. Once, on the meseta stretch I could see a long string of flashlight beams behind me. Like a bunch small cars driving at night. It was the participants in the albergue race. I decided then no more night walking for me. Sure, I'd wake up when it was still dark, but I'd wait until those first few rays of light would peek over the horizon and then I would get to stepping.
Oh, I dream of walking on the Meseta at night, or anywhere for that matter, under a full moon. There was a full moon when I was at Villar de Mazarife, but it was rainy, cloudy and cold then, otherwise I swear I would have gone out and walked under that moon..........walking by moonlight ............
If you have an old red bandana, as @wayfarer said he had, that's great. But if you buy a new one, be sure to wash it a few times before you wear it. In my limited experience, the dye on these bandanas is not colour fast, and you wouldn't want to wear your bandana, wet and sweaty, with the red dye leaching all down your shirt as you trek into Pamplona. People might worry that you'd been gored by a bull.Buy a red bandana, they say you should enter Pamplona wearing a red bandana......
When you get tired take fruit or dried fruit. Do not eat salt or salty foods during the day.Hi everybody
I'll be staring out at SJPP next week and the weather looks like it will be around 35 celcius around then....Anyone got any tips for dealing with the heat( a first timer)?
Thanks
Tincatinker said it all. I would also recommend early starts and finishes and shorter distances. A wet bandana is nice but I use a tubular neck wrap that has something that retains water sown in it. When put in water it swells up and I put it around my neck, helps me stay cooler all day. Push the fluids (WATER) even when not thirsty. Avoid alcohol and caffeine until you're done walking for the day. Buen CaminoHi everybody
I'll be staring out at SJPP next week and the weather looks like it will be around 35 celcius around then....Anyone got any tips for dealing with the heat( a first timer)?
Thanks
Hi MatinZ. Yeah I thought about booking Orisson.It looks like a lovley place to stop off at for the first nightThink about staying the night in Orisson instead of walking all the way to Roncesvalles.
(Then you would have to make a reservation!)
If you go over the mountain (instead of going through the valley over Valcarlos) it might not FEEL that hot because of the altitude, but your body still gets the beating of the sun all the same.
It's an exhausting day, no shade to speak of AND not that many places to fill up your bottle.
35 Degrees? Ask anybody.... Don't underestimate that first day
Whilst obviously this is important during the hot season, many many times in this forum I've noted the advice to have a good 'glug' of water first thing in the morning (regardless of the day's temperature) before starting your day's walk.... I started every morning by drinking 1/2 to 1 liter of water before I even left the albergue.
BUT.... In several postings I've also seen the advice to try at least ONCE to night walk because (weather permitting) it is fabulous to walk under the stars. I've no idea what the Spanish night sky is like, but having walked under the night sky in Chad & Switzerland, I could SO recommend it!Yeah, but you are walking in the dark? You miss a lot of the sights walking in the dark. I did it two or three times on my first Camino before I realized how silly it was....I decided then no more night walking for me. Sure, I'd wake up when it was still dark, but I'd wait until those first few rays of light would peek over the horizon and then I would get to stepping.
When you get tired take fruit or dried fruit. Do not eat salt or salty foods during the day.
Hi everybody
I'll be staring out at SJPP next week and the weather looks like it will be around 35 celcius around then....Anyone got any tips for dealing with the heat( a first timer)?
Thanks
Done a few night walks in the woods myself in the past, and yeah, that would be a cool thing to do at certain locations on the Camino Frances on clear starry nights. The more flat sections away from the highways and perhaps not on the more hilly sections where you risk busting your arse or injuring an ankle or leg. It would have to be a section where you aren't spending the whole time looking at the ground avoiding holes or loose rocks, etc. That would be counterproductive of enjoying the stars and the scenery.BUT.... In several postings I've also seen the advice to try at least ONCE to night walk because (weather permitting) it is fabulous to walk under the stars. I've no idea what the Spanish night sky is like, but having walked under the night sky in Chad & Switzerland, I could SO recommend it!
Suzanne
If you can get sun repelling shorts I had a pair made by Columbia I think and at least they kept me cool. I had the misfortune of wearing cotton 3 quarter lengths the first day and let's just say I feel like I had enough chaffing for everyone walking the camino said:Chafing can be a serious problem in hot weather - especially if like me you are overweight. Far worse than blisters in my experience. Salty sweat in cotton underwear can be very abrasive - especially along seams and hems. Used to be a major problem for me. I now wear very thin lycra cycling shorts (without the chamois pads) which reach well down the thighs. Skin-tight fit means that there are fewer areas where skin rubs against skin. The material also wicks away moisture quickly. Smearing vaseline on problem areas also helps.
All good advice above. The one thing I would add is to take some electrolyte tablets with you to add to your water. It is so improtant to stay hydrated.
From my own experience, I would disagree.
When you get hot, you sweat a lot, and you need to replace these salts. If you just drink loads of water without replacing salts, its not enough. I found that out the hard way in the Cantabrian mountains many years ago. I'd drunk lots of water but still felt dreadful, nauseous, vomited, went cold and felt disorientated. I later read that too much water can be as dangerous as too little sometimes.
When my children were small, I was told by my doctor, that a good cheap rehydration fluid could be made by adding a pinch of table salt and a teaspoon of sugar to a glass of water. It definitely does not contain all the salts you need to replace, but it leaves you feeling so much better that you can then eat a proper meal and get the other salts you need from your food.
We used to walk in the mountains of Oman in the Middle East quite frequently, with temps in the mid to high 30s in the afternoon. For lunch, we always started with a small bottle of very sweet fruit juice, followed by a bag of crisps. Never got dehydrated on any of these walks. A couple of weeks ago, I walked 32 km (more than I had intended) to Cee. It was warm but overcast to begin with, then the sun came out later. I had a bag of unsalted nuts and raisins for lunch, along with some chocolate. On arrival in Cee, I started to feel nauseous and cold. I lay on my bunk for a short while, feeling miserable. Thankfully, I suddenly realised that I was dehydrated. A mug of water+salt+sugar tasted wonderful, so I had a second and within 10 mins I was fully recovered.
...and people will still swear you only walk early in order to get the bottom bunk next to the window!"...I realized how silly it was."
Silly? We loved leaving just before the sun rises. The dark has its own sights, sounds and smells that should be appreciated. Being out on the trail as the sun begins to rise behind you, watching the changing the colors of the world right there in front of you is magical. The many shades of pinks and purples slowly painting the landscape, shadows becoming light, trees becoming distinguishable against the lightening sky, birds beginning to sing and fly about, and before your very eyes the sky turns an amazing robin's egg blue and your long shadow begins to lead you down the trail? Okay, call me silly. Sometimes I skip, so I guess it must be true.
...and people will still swear you only walk early in order to get the bottom bunk next to the window!
A mug of water+salt+sugar tasted wonderful, so I had a second and within 10 mins I was fully recovered.
Thanks again everybody for all the advice. So excited
Oh dear ..looks like it might get up to 40.yeah I think early start is a good idea.I would suggest taking some extra caution and avoid walking mid day during the next few weeks.
http://www.thelocal.es/20150702/spain-set-for-new-heatwave-from-friday
This means leaving early, stopping early, drinking plenty, and staying out of the mid day sun
Make sure you put sunscreen on the back of your legs if your wearing shorts. As you're walking west I found the sun was always at my back so might save you a painful afterthought.Hi everybody
I'll be staring out at SJPP next week and the weather looks like it will be around 35 celcius around then....Anyone got any tips for dealing with the heat( a first timer)?
Thanks
Hi everybody
I'll be staring out at SJPP next week and the weather looks like it will be around 35 celcius around then....Anyone got any tips for dealing with the heat( a first timer)?
Thanks
yes enjoy it..I love the heat I guess cause I have Mediterranean blood in me.Hi everybody
I'll be staring out at SJPP next week and the weather looks like it will be around 35 celcius around then....Anyone got any tips for dealing with the heat( a first timer)?
Thanks
I agree with the early start; the birds and roosters are great before sunrise. Salt supplement is helpful along with all the water. Broad-brimmed hats with ties are great.Hi everybody
I'll be staring out at SJPP next week and the weather looks like it will be around 35 celcius around then....Anyone got any tips for dealing with the heat( a first timer)?
Thanks
Bandana, lots of water, go slow, treat yourself kindly.Hi everybody
I'll be staring out at SJPP next week and the weather looks like it will be around 35 celcius around then....Anyone got any tips for dealing with the heat( a first timer)?
Thanks
Protect the lips if possible with a high sun factor. The very freguent use of a water bottle can irritate "burnt" lips and cause infection. I had that problem. Pray for cloud cover and shadeHi everybody
I'll be staring out at SJPP next week and the weather looks like it will be around 35 celcius around then....Anyone got any tips for dealing with the heat( a first timer)?
Thanks
Hola!I've been walking from SJPdP since last Wednesday (Orisson very wise advice!) and the heat has been very difficult (and I'm from sweaty D.C!) I joined up with a small group that began leaving very early, like 4am, which I thought was insane but have quickly come to appreciate avoiding the extreme heat. Honestly, we're sleeping very little anyway because of the heat (and snorers!) so rather than sit there sweating in bed with eyes open, we walk. Our shaded trek in cooler temps to San Juan de Ortega today was wonderful relief. Actually needed a fleece for the first time. So...I agree with the recommendation of starting early ( and hydrating, of course!)
If you wear your bandana, silk scarf etc. With your hat/cap over it and drink enough water it will be wet in no time. All the timeTake more then enough water with you. To keep your head and body cool just soak a kitchen cloth (pref of cotton) in water and put it on you neck. Keep a hat on! Use sundcreen! And........
Buen Camino!
Once we arrive (typically about 12) if the alburgue is open we check in, shower, hand wash that day's clothes, get lunch, then nap! If I don't nap I just hang out in the town square, mingle with pilgrims, or stroll around bigger cities. Journaling and planning the next day takes some time, and mass if it's available. The afternoons tick by quickly, and if they don't, it's quite a gift to have nothing to do! Buen Camino!Hola!
And what do you do after the walk, let's say from 11AM to 10PM if I may ask? Sorry but can't imagine either naps, drinking, sight-seeing or eating or all of these together every single day to SdC...
Hola!
And what do you do after the walk, let's sayCamino's. 1AM to 10PM if I may ask? Sorry but can't imagine either naps, drinking, sight-seeing or eating or all of these together every single day to SdC...
4:00 am! dang that's early.....I've been walking from SJPdP since last Wednesday (Orisson very wise advice!) and the heat has been very difficult (and I'm from sweaty D.C!) I joined up with a small group that began leaving very early, like 4am, which I thought was insane but have quickly come to appreciate avoiding the extreme heat. Honestly, we're sleeping very little anyway because of the heat (and snorers!) so rather than sit there sweating in bed with eyes open, we walk. Our shaded trek in cooler temps to San Juan de Ortega today was wonderful relief. Actually needed a fleece for the first time. So...I agree with the recommendation of starting early ( and hydrating, of course!)
The albergue door in León doesn't open til 6am, so we're "forced" to sleep in tomorrow. Hooray!4:00 am! dang that's early.....
not for me, baby....lived too long on early schedules in the real world
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