Len Dacombe
Len from Canada
- Time of past OR future Camino
- April/May 2015 & September 2015
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10 kgs ? What's inside ? Everything but the kitchen sink ?okay, I have a question... I'm starting from SJPP on April 9th. I have my pack weight at about 10 Kg. I was hoping to add my small camera and Garmin GPS to the mix, but am wondering if I should leave the GPS at home. Any thoughts?
I will be carrying my iPhone6 and will likely throw a Spanish SIM card in it, so in theory I could use the Camino App as a GPS .
I'm arguing with myself on what else I should take out of the backpack.
I would take one. Evenings and mornings can be cool.Will I need long sleeved base layer shirts in early April??
I guess I was thinking of the times when I'm in the cities where the markings are more subtle and I might veer off course. That's all. I'm not married to the idea and now that I'm down to weight reduction I guess it's going off the list.Len, what use do you expect to get from the GPS? If you are walking CF, you will have many many arrows showing you the way, plus many pilgrims in front and back of you so you will not get lost. I have never used a GPS, so I really don't understand what adavantages it may bring, especially since the Camino does not follow main routes, but often goes through private land, fields, forest.
You may find that the iPhone will eat through data like locusts in a wheat field. Regular use of Maps ran up an ATT bill over $600.
You don't need GPS unless you have fun using it.
I would take one. Evenings and mornings can be cool.
Either ;0) As long as it's light and dries quickly. In other words, I would not depend on wool socks since they are thick and can take a long time to dry.Thanks. Secondary question. Merino wool or synthetic?
Hy, I prefer merino wool. I use icebreaker MERINO and these are doing great for me. Wish you a Buen Camino, Peter.Thanks. Secondary question. Merino wool or synthetic?
@Len Dacombe, I carry a camera, smartphone and GPS. Sometimes I have used the GPS for navigation, but I would not rely on it in the cities and some major towns along the CF. It is difficult to pick up enough satellites in narrow streets to give you a good fix.I guess I was thinking of the times when I'm in the cities where the markings are more subtle and I might veer off course. That's all. I'm not married to the idea and now that I'm down to weight reduction I guess it's going off the list.
Synthetic dries faster. To me, merino wool does not itch any less than other wool.Merino wool or synthetic?
There were probably far more conversations with the locals for a start. It is not difficult to imagine that there was much less farmland and more forest. There would have fewer pathways linking smaller villages. Once on the right path leaving a village, this would have meant less confusing options, etc, etc.It's a mystery to me how people accomplished this walk for hundreds of years before Google Earth.
I must confess to being somewhat of a gear geek myself, and I understand your desire to bring a GPS. However, in this case I find myself in agreement with the overwhelming majority of pilgrims who have walked the Camino -- a GPS is simply not necessary for wayfinding, and if you're that much into the GPS as glorified toy, I feel that you'll be missing part of the Camino experience. But it's your Camino, and if having the GPS along is important to you, then go for it. I'm not sure which eTrex model you have, but mine uses AA batteries and will barely last a full day of continuous use without needing a fresh set of batteries, so be prepared for that burden and expense, or if you have an internal rechargeable battery, be aware that outlet space for chargers is limited in many albergues.I've been playing with a new handheld GPS for a couple weeks and it serves a similar purpose for me as do the Camino books and this forum for that matter. It's a way that helps me imagine, plan for and anticipate the trip in advance. Playing with maps is my idea of fun and I know I can't carry a complete set of topos on such a long route. It's a mystery to me how people accomplished this walk for hundreds of years before Google Earth...
okay, I have a question... I'm starting from SJPP on April 9th. I have my pack weight at about 10 Kg. I was hoping to add my small camera and Garmin GPS to the mix, but am wondering if I should leave the GPS at home. Any thoughts?
okay, I have a question... I'm starting from SJPP on April 9th. I have my pack weight at about 10 Kg.
I will be carrying my iPhone6 and will likely throw a Spanish SIM card in it, so in theory I could use the Camino App as a GPS .
I have one of those too!!!GPS? Here is a picture of mineWith me since 1960.
1. Have you seen this: http://www.ecamino.eu/the-mobile-app/ ?...I'm down to 9.3 Kg, now not counting water and snacks (and the Brierly Guide Book). It's too bad the Brierly Guidebook isn't available on PDF, his Map book is??? The new Camino App doesn't contain the same information as far as I can tell.
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Question: I have seem that pepole have taken along a "Day Pack" for those times when you want to leave your lareger pack at a hotel etc. Is it worth taking one? I have once which is 316 grams but I don't want to add it in if all I'm going to do is carry it for no reason?
I do have this App on my iPhone. I don't think it has all of the location background info in it , unless you have to click on each waymark in the maps. You may have to have cellular data turned on for this App to be really useful on the trail. Hence my quest to explore a spanish sim card.1. Have you seen this: http://www.ecamino.eu/the-mobile-app/ ?
2. We carried a little roll-up daypack we got at Walmart for about $6 or $8. It rolled up into a ball about the size of an orange. We used them a few times while shopping or sight-seeing in the big cities on our rest days, and also carried them on the plane with snacks and a warm shirt so we wouldn't have to get our big packs down from the overhead luggage bin -- same on the bus from Madrid to Pamplona and SJPdP.
Hy , I prever Merino wool . Wish you well and a Buen Camino , Peter .Thanks. Secondary question. Merino wool or synthetic?
There is very little that one needs! I don't think a GPS is necessary, but neither is a smartphone, nor a tablet. If you carried any of these, it is because you made the choice that it was valuable to you to use that device to make a record, keep in touch with your family, etc, etc. I wouldn't carry a tablet, but I wouldn't be recommending that one shouldn't nor making a value judgement that someone who carried one didn't need to use it. Beyond explaining the pros and cons, there is a bit of 'to each his own' here.Len, like the others, I advise you to leave the GPS. You won't need it on the CF.
Len, like the others, I advise you to leave the GPS. You won't need it on the CF.
You seem to be working on dropping the weight on your pack. Continue. SY suggested that you post your pack list here and we can offer suggestions - feel free to do so, lots of people do.
If you have your iPhone, why do you want to take a camera also? I thought the iPhone took beautiful pictures? Consider the weight of any chargers/batteries, etc.
I took a day pack for exactly the reasons you suggest - something to use during the day when your pack is laid on your bunk! I used a free string bag I got as a promotional item at a fair. Worked for me.
I bought a Spanish SIM card - it wasn't expensive. I suppose it saved me some money but I used it only once or twice during the whole trip. I never had to navigate with it and made only two in country phone calls.
Buen Camino!
You will find a wealth of advice on this across the forum, and the basics don't change. Make sure you are carrying your valuables (cash, cards, phone, camera, passport, credential, etc) at all times, and there is then low risk leaving the backpack unattended. Some places on the CF (2010) had lockers. I didn't see any lockers on the CI and Camino Finisterre last year, but I wasn't really looking.How safe are your backpacks when left in an Albergue?
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