Drying clothes in cold weather

[Thetravelingfamily]

Hello All!

Our journey continues in Burgos in just 2 weeks! My concern is how difficult it is to dry our clothes in the colder weather if no sun shines?

On our last journey it was warm and we easily dried our clothes in the warmth of the sun With two children we have 4 sets of clothes to wash daily.

Let me know your thoughts from those that have traveled in cooler months.

Best!
Mandy

 

[whariwharangi]

If its cold ... hang it outside. When it freezes ... shake the ice out of it.

If its cool (not cold) then you won't sweat as much as when it is warmer. You can wear the same clothes on the walk for three days and more. The litmus test is when you can't stand the smell of it then its time to use washer and dryer. It helps if you avoid stuff like polypropolene that gets stinky fast. Merino wool can be worn for weeks without significant odour.

I travelled late October to early December. A lot of people hung their wet stuff on the heaters. That did nothing for the heating in the albergue (all the heat got dissipated in drying clothes) and made for an aromatic atmosphere. Some albergues forbade the practice.

Your body puts out a lot of heat. Its not very comfortable to put on clothing that is still wet from rain or washing ... however damp clothing that has been hung out to at least drain the excess water out will dry relatively quickly when worn. Just don't try it with blue jeans or similar clothes that don't dry easily.

 

[scruffy1]

2 children 4 sets of clothes every day? Seems a bit obsessive still if that's what you think is required many albergues have a washer/dryer - take mostly synthetics wash by hand and for two three Euro use the drier on wet days does not seem excessive.

 

[whariwharangi]

2 children 4 sets of clothes every day? Seems a bit obsessive still if that's what you think is required many albergues have a washer/dryer - take mostly synthetics wash by hand and for two three Euro use the drier on wet days does not seem excessive.

I was finding it quite expensive to wash and dry clothes. Typically 7 - 9 euros. That adds up to a significant part of a budget if you do that every day.

 

[scruffy1]

Very true but if you wash by hand and share a dryer-few pilgrims can fill a dryer with their own clothes and nobody should refuse to add four sets of childrens clothes so it should not be a problem especially if only on wet days.

 

[RobertS26]

One of the purposes of the Camino is to teach us what we really need to be happy. In America we use large amounts of electricity to heat our homes and dry our laundry. The Camino teaches us that we don't need to heat our bedrooms at night or use clothes dryers to dry our clothing. On the Camino, you learn to drape your laundry over your pack in the morning if it is not dry when you wake up. A tourist from America who is not familiar with the Camino may find it odd to see hikers walking with their underwear drying on their backpacks, but you learn quickly to accept it as a normal sight on the path.

 

[AshaDasi]

Hello All!

Our journey continues in Burgos in just 2 weeks! My concern is how difficult it is to dry our clothes in the colder weather if no sun shines?

On our last journey it was warm and we easily dried our clothes in the warmth of the sun With two children we have 4 sets of clothes to wash daily.

Let me know your thoughts from those that have traveled in cooler months.

Best!
Mandy

You might find it easier to allow the children to wear the same clothes for two (maybe three) days. Its an adventure, after all, and a bit of dust never really hurt anyone. The albergues generally have dryers, but you'll have to pay by the bundle and it all mounts up. They'll be wearing jackets if its cold, so they shouldn't get too dirty. Have a great camino!

 

[Metropolly]

This worked for me: three sets of underwear, three pairs of socks, three base layers, three cotton handkerchiefs. Each night wash the set you have worn, and hang them to dry. In the morning they will still be damp, so pin them on your pack or put them away, and hang them up again overnight alongside the newly washed ones you wore that day. While both are drying you can use the third set, and by the next day there will be another set dry

 

[peregrino_tom]

You should find there's less dust around, so you don't need to wash trousers/pants or shorts as frequently as in summer. The item you'll need to wash each day is your shirt. Underwear and socks - each day or every other day depending on personal preferences and whether socks are wet. You may want to do a machine wash and dry every four days or so - again depending on what you prefer. I make sure that doing my washing is one of the first things I do when I arrive at my lodging and get clothes hung up ASAP, preferably in any sunshine or breeze. Half an hour in a daylight breeze does more drying than the whole night on a line in a yard.
You may have things that are still damp the next day, so you need to have a way of carrying them on your back pack. Some people use safety pins, or just sit the item underneath the main pack straps. Be prepared for things to stay damp all day sometimes, but that is OK if you have a couple of walking shirts etc as the items will be dry by the following morning. Cotton takes a long time to dry, so other materials are better for your main walking shirts.

 

[mspath]

Nothing carried on the Camino is ever TRULY clean or dry or tidy. Reality is a gradation of grey and damp and mess! Nevertheless we all learn to adapt.

Last December heavy wind, torrential rain and WET walking were the daily norm trudging west towards the sea. When I arrived soaked at the sleek Dumbria albergue the helpful hospitalero suggested that I dry all my wet kit on the slate FLOOR !! Since the floor was radiantly heated and I was the only pilgrim this was easy to do. I climbed into my bunk leaving puddles everywhere! By morning the puddles had evaporated and all was dry and ready to wear for my last walking day (and another wet one) out to Muxia and the immense rocks along the coast.

Margaret Meredith

 

[Kanga]

Kids don't usually sweat much so only wash the essentials - and only when it's really needed. No-one is going to care what they look like - olive green is a great colour! I'd take fine merino layers. They (a) are warm even when wet (b) dry quickly, (c) stay clean longer and don't smell and (d) don't shrivel up and burn when you dry them by putting them too close to a wood stove! The last was the fate of my very expensive synthetic socks.

 

[Metropolly]

Oh yes - forgot to mention: trying to dry your clothes in a microwave or over a cooking stove is a bad idea. I am the peregrina who graced the albergues of the Norte and Primitivo in ragged, singed nightwear. Clothes burnt, lesson learnt

 

[Deleted member 3000]

If it is raining, washed clothes will not dry. If you have the bad fortune to walk for days in the rain, consider walking in dirty clothes. It is better than wet clothes! When you find a dryer, spend the 3-4E to dry clothes; it is worth it. Last May I walked for 26 of the 31 days in rain, so I know wet clothes!

 

[Rebekah Scott]

A word to the wise: A lot of albergues don´t have dryers, or keep them only for their own use. Electricity has become exquisitely expensive in Spain in the last year, it is taxed heavily. If you do use a dryer, look it over for a little narrow drawer, usually at the bottom. Pull that out and empty the water from it. (the dryer at the muni in Viana is one of these).
Many newer dryers are condensing units - highly efficient and "green," but not very effective if you don´t empty the water out from the person before.

Lots of other driers go for an hour and just give you wet clothes that are toasty warm. That is what the dryer at my house does. That is why we do not use it -- it is a big waste. There are clothes lines outside and in, we use those, and folding racks. Yeah, it looks like Dogpatch around here on laundry day, but it beats the alternative.

(If your host says don´t use the dryer, that means don´t use the dryer. Not even you.)

 

[Silverton]

Could I add with a bitter chuckle--never try to dry your boots in the dryer either! A few years ago in the albergue of Los Padres Reparadores in Puente la Reina, I got down from my top bunk and delivered a broken-Spanish diatribe to an unfortunate (if that's the right word) Spanish guy who was talking loudly on his mobile phone (while charging it) in the laundry room next to the dorm--after 10pm. And his bootlaces were flapping around with the heavy clunks of his boots in the dryer!!

 

[naplesdon]

Rebekah, I am hoping to meet you this summer. As the son of a hillbilly from Cincinnati I think I might only be one of the few who will appreciate your "Dogpatch" comment. I am planning to pass your way around the end of June 2014.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Laundry day (or every day) at a Gypsy encampment:

 

[naplesdon]

Gypsy encampment or Dogpatch, what's the difference?

 

[november_moon]

We air dry most of our clothes at home and I find that colder weather isn't a problem, but wet weather is - clothes can take forever to air dry when the air is damp.

I agree with the others that washing undies and t-shirts daily is important, but pants/trousers don't need to be washed more than every few days. Even on the dampest days, quick-dry tees pretty much always dry overnight. The Target link below is for the type of tee that I like to wear for hiking and workouts and that I will be taking on the Camino. They dry in almost no time, but I like that they are partially cotton because that feels better on the skin.

http://www.target.com/p/c9-by-champ...sorted-colors/-/A-13669227#prodSlot=large_1_7

 

[colinPeter]

[quote="Kanga, post: 190152, member: 143.... I'd take fine merino layers. They (a) are warm even when wet (b) dry quickly, (c) stay clean longer and don't smell and (d) don't shrivel up and burn when you dry them by putting them too close to a wood stove! .....[/quote]
Hola Kanga,
By "fine merino layers" do you mean "under your shirt" or are you wearing the merino as your shirt?
Colin

 

[Kanga]

Both. Fine merino T-shirt with fine merino long sleeve shirt or cardigan over the top. I then wear a ultra light wind jacket (like cyclists use) over that or rain gear, depending in weather. That combination keeps me warm but allows me to shed clothes as I warm up while walking. I don't take a fleece - don't need it.

 

[Anniesantiago]

To be honest, I didn't read this entire thread.
But Laurie recently posted about how she wears the same clothes for several days.
There really is no reason to wash clothes every day.
Just underwear needs to be washed.

 

[Magnara]

Hello All!

Our journey continues in Burgos in just 2 weeks! My concern is how difficult it is to dry our clothes in the colder weather if no sun shines?

On our last journey it was warm and we easily dried our clothes in the warmth of the sun With two children we have 4 sets of clothes to wash daily.

Let me know your thoughts from those that have traveled in cooler months.

Best!
Mandy

Hi Mandy
We walked in Spain and Italy, both in cold weather. (Spain in Jan/Feb and Italy in Oct/Nov). Most of the places we stayed had heaters on for an hour or two in the evening, so the first job every day was wash, and lay the clothes on the heater. I wore ultrafine merino ( as my shirt), my husband wore hi-tech synthetic. This system worked fine for both. We hardly ever used a dryer or a washing machine. If it's cold you can wear your day clothes for more than one day, ditto your evening wear after your shower. So it is mostly socks and undies as a daily chore. If it's cold you won't be able to hang your clothes on your pack to dry during the day, so every afternoon it is check in, wash clothes, then shower and think about dinner.
Maggie Ramsay
The Italian Camino (Amazon)
Desert and Dust Down Under (Amazon)

 

[colinPeter]

...Fine merino T-shirt with fine merino long sleeve shirt or cardigan over the top...

We've been using "quick dry" trekking shirts (nylon/polyester) which often will dry indoors overnight.
What are the Merinos like to dry, will they dry overnight?
Col

 

[Kanga]

Yes, provided you roll them in a towel and stomp on it first. Do the same with socks. The wool is ultra fine or super fine (less than 20 microns) - brands I like are Ice Breaker from New Zealand or Hedrena from Oz.

 

[colinPeter]

Yes, provided you roll them in a towel and stomp on it first. Do the same with socks. The wool is ultra fine or super fine (less than 20 microns) - brands I like are Ice Breaker from New Zealand or Hedrena from Oz.

And you find them cool enough on a warm day?

 

[Cejanus]

I used only Merino t shirts (long & short sleeved for layering) in April and May last year. They are light, warm and so easy to wash. They dried very quickly. I got mine from Snowgum which has stores throughout Australia. When I head off to walk the Via de la Plata thats all I will take with a simple waterproof jacket I also bought from Snowgum. I walked in snow, and rain. I only walk in the cooler months as the heat does me in.

 

[Kanga]

And you find them cool enough on a warm day?

I strip down to just the t-shirt. Even when I sweat it's comfortable although dark colours show the sweat marks. But if it's a summer Camino (July) and likely to be hot I wear cotton or a linen shirt.

 

[colinPeter]

I strip down to just the t-shirt. Even when I sweat it's comfortable although dark colours show the sweat marks. But if it's a summer Camino (July) and likely to be hot I wear cotton or a linen shirt.

Thanks! Might have to try some, they sound great.

 

[naplesdon]

The Icebreaker merino wool t-shirts I got from REI are great. They are thinner than cotton t's and dry faster as well. They also seem to absorb less body odor, if that's possible.

 

[backpack45]

Not much to add to the good advice already given, except to say that I have worn Ex Officio undies, and they can be washed, wrung out well in a towel, and put back on shortly (no pun intended!) thereafter. As long as you have dry layers on top, the underwear dries while on you. (You might try this at home before on the Camino.)

 

[Harington]

And you find them cool enough on a warm day?

Yes: warm when it's cold, and cool when it's hot. I take several layers of merino. They are expensive, but after three long Caminos - the best.

 

[Thetravelingfamily]

You might find it easier to allow the children to wear the same clothes for two (maybe three) days. Its an adventure, after all, and a bit of dust never really hurt anyone. The albergues generally have dryers, but you'll have to pay by the bundle and it all mounts up. They'll be wearing jackets if its cold, so they shouldn't get too dirty. Have a great camino!

Thank you! Yes, I was thinking they may be able to wear their clothes twice as long as they don't get wet or muddy from snow or rain. They wouldn't mind missing a shower or two. Keep your fingers crossed that I find a dryer at times LOL

 

[Thetravelingfamily]

Not much to add to the good advice already given, except to say that I have worn Ex Officio undies, and they can be washed, wrung out well in a towel, and put back on shortly (no pun intended!) thereafter. As long as you have dry layers on top, the underwear dries while on you. (You might try this at home before on the Camino.)

Nice advice. Thank you!

 

[Thetravelingfamily]

Hi Mandy
We walked in Spain and Italy, both in cold weather. (Spain in Jan/Feb and Italy in Oct/Nov). Most of the places we stayed had heaters on for an hour or two in the evening, so the first job every day was wash, and lay the clothes on the heater. I wore ultrafine merino ( as my shirt), my husband wore hi-tech synthetic. This system worked fine for both. We hardly ever used a dryer or a washing machine. If it's cold you can wear your day clothes for more than one day, ditto your evening wear after your shower. So it is mostly socks and undies as a daily chore. If it's cold you won't be able to hang your clothes on your pack to dry during the day, so every afternoon it is check in, wash clothes, then shower and think about dinner.
Maggie Ramsay
The Italian Camino (Amazon)
Desert and Dust Down Under (Amazon)

Thank you! That was very helpful. That is similiar to our routine last time and I will head your advice on the clothes

 

[Thetravelingfamily]

2 children 4 sets of clothes every day? Seems a bit obsessive still if that's what you think is required many albergues have a washer/dryer - take mostly synthetics wash by hand and for two three Euro use the drier on wet days does not seem excessive.

Thank you. Yes, on our last trip the kids got pretty dusty as they are running ahead playing, maybe because they are closer to the ground LOL The other two sets would be from my husband and I. We however were less dusty but still washed our clothes daily. So, 4 sets includes the whole family. We may not have to wash everyday with the weather being colder now, possibly on days when we do not see rain or snow. Thanks again!

 

[Thetravelingfamily]

Could I add with a bitter chuckle--never try to dry your boots in the dryer either! A few years ago in the albergue of Los Padres Reparadores in Puente la Reina, I got down from my top bunk and delivered a broken-Spanish diatribe to an unfortunate (if that's the right word) Spanish guy who was talking loudly on his mobile phone (while charging it) in the laundry room next to the dorm--after 10pm. And his bootlaces were flapping around with the heavy clunks of his boots in the dryer!!

funny!

 

[Anniesantiago]

What are the Merinos like to dry, will they dry overnight?
Col

One of my pilgrims gifted me with a merino short sleeve shirt and I've been hooked every since! It is warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather.
You can wear it for many days longer than a regular shirt.
It almost seems to self-clean itself when hung up overnight.

When I DO wash it, which is only once a week, it dries fine overnight.

I'm in love with merino clothing!
Expensive, but worth every penny.

 

[scruffy1]

Anniesantiago got it right - Merino Merino Merino!!! I am approaching the age which younger people define as Old Fart and cannot abide synthetics-everything 100% cotton or wool shirts, even jeans, and down to the unmentionables-so what if takes longer in a dryer somewhere. The Merino base keeps you warm meaning you need very little else in Spain -a fleece will usually do it- and the material never ever develops that weird aroma that synthetics tend to create. Costs much more but keeps forever and won't wear out. Nothing better.

 

[Christine15]

This worked for me: three sets of underwear, three pairs of socks, three base layers, three cotton handkerchiefs. Each night wash the set you have worn, and hang them to dry. In the morning they will still be damp, so pin them on your pack or put them away, and hang them up again overnight alongside the newly washed ones you wore that day. While both are drying you can use the third set, and by the next day there will be another set dry

I did exactly the same, 3 sets of clothing and rotated, if not dry then on the pack and get going. Very normal on the Camino.

 

[Hedley49]

I was finding it quite expensive to wash and dry clothes. Typically 7 - 9 euros. That adds up to a significant part of a budget if you do that every day.

The simple solution I used last year was to get together with other Pilgrims when my gear needed washing/drying to make up a full load and share the cost between us.

 

[mikevasey]

A vote for merino as well, I took 2 baselayers on the Frances in November 2010. I would alternate them every day, they got washed 3 times with my other kit and that was once probably too much. They had the added quality in cold weather of stopping my midlayers and coat from ponging. I used a cycling company tops- Endura's- BaBa range. cheaper than Icebreaker and from my experience of both just as good.

 

[marysol]

for a autumn/winter/spring Camino with wet weather I would consider bringing a travel hairdryer. Minimum weight, but can do the trick. It may not completely dry your clothes right away, but it’ll take considerably less time to do so. Also: is a must for long haired people walking in the winter: getting a cold is way worst than carrying 200 grams of a mini-hairdryer.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

consider bringing a travel hairdryer

After a rainy day, so many hair dryers were plugged into the albergue at Cee that it blew the circuit breakers and power was out for three hours! What works for one may not work for the many...

 

[NavyBlue]

Hello,

if you wash by hand and share a dryer

Generally discouraged by albergues : hand washed clothes would not be spin-dried and would have to stay forever in the dryer.

 

[marysol]

After a rainy day, so many hair dryers were plugged into the albergue at Cee that it blew the circuit breakers and power was out for three hours! What works for one may not work for the many...

well, of course it takes a minimum of common sense. Taking turns should have been a natural collective decision in those conditions...

 

[MTtoCamino]

One of my pilgrims gifted me with a merino short sleeve shirt and I've been hooked every since! It is warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather.
You can wear it for many days longer than a regular shirt.
It almost seems to self-clean itself when hung up overnight.

When I DO wash it, which is only once a week, it dries fine overnight.

I'm in love with merino clothing!
Expensive, but worth every penny.

Annie I am assuming you have light colored merino in the summer? Just curious...

 

[Anniesantiago]

Actually, I use a charcoal grey merino teeshirt.

 

[MTtoCamino]

Actually, I use a charcoal grey merino teeshirt.

Do you have a vendor or place to find them?

 

[Anniesantiago]

No, one of my clients gifted me. I can ask her.

 

[MTtoCamino]

No, one of my clients gifted me. I can ask her.

If you can, a very nice woman I walked with is doing the Portuguese this August. I would like to find one for her. You are more than welcome to private message

 

[Cejanus]

Try
www.snowgum.com.au
I bought very lightweight 100% merino t-shirts from them? Brilliantly and dry in no time. Also come in some great colours and also short and long sleeved.
Best decision I made when purchasing gear.
Travel well