Early planning and some questions

[jo webber]

Hello everyone. This forum has been so much help already, I have read and read and read.

We plan on walking next year in Sept and Oct. I have no experience hiking with a pack, lots of hikes and camping but no back pack. Now I have my pack, Osprey Mira 34L which is great and fits well. My hiking sandals are getting broken in with no issues. And because I am excited most of my gear has been purchased. Now, once the weather cools I can begin practice hikes.

My thinking is to walk without a pack until I can do 10 miles easily, then wear the pack and gradually increase the weight. Total weight is 13 lbs. without water or food. I weigh 108 lbs. To complicate matters I have compressed disks and a bit of scoliosis in my spine. And a pinched sciatic nerve. So training is very important. Do you think this would work well? Oh, I will be 63 yrs old when we head out.

Here are the items in my pack.
pack & 2 wash cloths for padding 40 oz

clothes packed 32 oz
pants
long sleeve shirt
sports bra
socks
heavy panty hose
extra socks (1)

warm stuff packed 20 oz
long sleeve shirt
socks
heavy pantie hose
silk scarf
beany hat to keep ears warm
light merino wool sweater
heavy wool sweater
gloves

bathroom kit, full 16 oz
toothpaste
tooth brush
deodorant
soap for everything
nail file/ clippers
lava rock for feet
towel
dipper pins
cord for clothes line

sunglasses +
meds +
cap, rain coat. Shovel, TP 13 oz

sleeping stuff, in dry sack 32 oz
sheet, silk liner
blanket, fleece bag liner
ear plugs,
caftan for shower curtain & sleep wear (could also wear out)

Foam sleep matt 20 oz

Miss stuff 16 oz ( a guess)
headlight flash light
med suplies – compseed, sewing stuff, kleenex
waist pouch – packed (phone, cig, lighter, passport, $ & cards)

shower shoes / can also wear out 16 oz

Do in need a lock for lockers?
Am I missing anything important?
Am I bringing thing I should leave behind? (we live in a climate where 110F in the summer is normal and at 75F we feel cold.)

Thank you so much in advance.

 

[TomS]

We were in your shoes a year ago and walking without a back pack first was good advice that we took. We got up to 15 miles (after 10 miles it gets harder) then reduced miles and added a almost full backpack and gradually increased miles from there. Many people will reply what you need or don't need but once you walk with a back pack you will realize that you need to keep that pack as light as possible. Best of luck.

 

[Albertagirl]

Hello everyone. This forum has been so much help already, I have read and read and read.

We plan on walking next year in Sept and Oct. I have no experience hiking with a pack, lots of hikes and camping but no back pack. Now I have my pack, Osprey Mira 34L which is great and fits well. My hiking sandals are getting broken in with no issues. And because I am excited most of my gear has been purchased. Now, once the weather cools I can begin practice hikes.

My thinking is to walk without a pack until I can do 10 miles easily, then wear the pack and gradually increase the weight. Total weight is 13 lbs. without water or food. I weigh 108 lbs. To complicate matters I have compressed disks and a bit of scoliosis in my spine. And a pinched sciatic nerve. So training is very important. Do you think this would work well? Oh, I will be 63 yrs old when we head out.

Here are the items in my pack.
pack & 2 wash cloths for padding 40 oz

clothes packed 32 oz
pants
long sleeve shirt
sports bra
socks
heavy panty hose
extra socks (1)

warm stuff packed 20 oz
long sleeve shirt
socks
heavy pantie hose
silk scarf
beany hat to keep ears warm
light merino wool sweater
heavy wool sweater
gloves

bathroom kit, full 16 oz
toothpaste
tooth brush
deodorant
soap for everything
nail file/ clippers
lava rock for feet
towel
dipper pins
cord for clothes line

sunglasses +
meds +
cap, rain coat. Shovel, TP 13 oz

sleeping stuff, in dry sack 32 oz
sheet, silk liner
blanket, fleece bag liner
ear plugs,
caftan for shower curtain & sleep wear (could also wear out)

Foam sleep matt 20 oz

Miss stuff 16 oz ( a guess)
headlight flash light
med suplies – compseed, sewing stuff, kleenex
waist pouch – packed (phone, cig, lighter, passport, $ & cards)

shower shoes / can also wear out 16 oz

Do in need a lock for lockers?
Am I missing anything important?
Am I bringing thing I should leave behind? (we live in a climate where 110F in the summer is normal and at 75F we feel cold.)

Thank you so much in advance.

@jo webber
I am not sure why you think you need a sleep mat, as you are not otherwise set up for camping. Your rain gear, just a raincoat, seems a bit skimpy to me. How will you keep the contents of your pack dry? You are not going to need a shower curtain. If you change your heavy panty hose to tights or long johns, they would do for night wear with one of the shirts and save the weight of the caftan. I didn't see underpants on your list. Did I miss something? Your first aid supplies seem a bit skimpy, considering that you are not used to backpacking and your feet may complain. I suggest that you re-evaluate this item after you have done some training. Otherwise, you seem to me to be doing pretty well for a fall camino. Others may see excess in some of your gear or clothing, but you know what you need to keep warm. Once you have done a few walks with the weight on your back you will know if you need to cut further. Buen camino.

 

[paleoirish]

I'm wondering if you need a heavy wool sweater? I understand that you are from a warm place, my thinking is that you could carry two lighter wool sweaters and layer them for colder days/nights. Also wearing a shirt over a light wool sweater is a great way to increase warmth so perhaps think about which way you may layer things?

I don't see any tee-shirts mentioned? You may be warmer than you expect once you are walking. I'm planning on a short sleeve and l.s. tee with a l.s shirt for sunburn or as a wind break. I haven't done the Camino yet... Like yourself I'm in the planning/getting fit phase

I'm guessing that your "shovel" is one of those tiny little poop trowels? good idea! As far as I know a lock for a locker is unnecessary.

 

[MTtoCamino]

4 things to always have

1. Your funds/Passport
2. The ability to stay dry
3. The ability to stay warm
4. The ability to fix feet

If you prioritize your equipment, clothing to enable you to maintain the last 3 your camino will be very comfortable.

 

[jo webber]

Thank you all, very good advise. I can leave the caftan at home and don't need to buy a lock.

The underwear is missing as I don't wear them. The panty hose are the underwear and keep me warm. They also work to keep my feet happy. I have walked miles and miles with the hose and socks, never a blister in hiking shoes.

I haven't quite figured out what I should take for first aid. I plan Compseed and a couple of bandaids. There will be my medication, although it won't weight much.
The rain gear will be a raincoat that also covers my pack ( I did not explain well).

From reading other threads, wearing my clothes for the next day to sleep in would work well.

I have one t-shirt. Wearing the light wool under a shirt is a great idea. I looked at jackets, they are all bulky or weigh more than the sweaters.

Off to sort out my packing - again. So much to learn and I am very greatful for this forum and the people here.

 

[C clearly]

The sleep mat should be the first thing to go - you do not need it and you can save a pound right there! (Unless you need it for some reason related to your back.)

You didn't mention what clothes you expect to walk in, so it is hard to know what all the layering options are. In your pack you have 2 long-sleeved shirts, a light merino sweater, and a heavy merino sweater. I can't imagine you ever wearing all of them at once, which tells me that it is probably too much! I think that a light jacket/windbreaker would be more useful than a heavy merino sweater. You could put that over 3 layers: t-shirt plus long-sleeve shirt plus the light merino (reserving one long-sleeve shirt for the evening.) You might also do this with your raincoat, but I don't know if the style would be comfortable in dry but cold and windy weather. Your list grouped "cap, rain coat. Shovel, TP 13 oz" which makes me wonder if your rain coat is too flimsy. A good waterproof jacket is important. It should not be bulky; even if it weighs as much as your sweater, it will be more versatile.

When worn with the layers I suggest above, a merino wool buff and lightweight gloves will provide a lot of warmth, and be more flexible than a heavy sweater as conditions change during the day.

At 16 oz, your shower shoes are rather heavy, unless you think they might be alternate walking shoes. For comparison, my slip-on plastic shoes weigh only 6 oz and I wear them out in the evenings, with socks.

You haven't included walking sticks (essentially, I would think, with your back problems).

It is great that you have time to train - daily walking is the key! You might not have time for long walks every day, but an hour is an excellent habit to develop. Then you can add the occasional longer walk, gradually increasing those distances. You might want to start earlier with a backpack, even if it has almost no weight in it. I almost always wear a day pack as I go about my daily activities, so it is "normal" to me.

Enjoy the preparations!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I would also leave the sportsbra home and use bras you use daily at home, and bring 2. Leave the lava rock and the clothes line.

Yes to the travel lock as more and more albergues have lockers and add some sort of body glide for feet and other areas where chaffing may occur.

Silk liner, fleece liner, blanket and sheet sound excessive to me. 1 liner with the blanket (instead of sleeping bag I assume?) is plenty. You may want to add a pillow case though.

 

[jo webber]

Thank you. Ok, the matt stays home - to be replaced by walking poles. Having never used poles I will get some here and learn to use them properly. Then get poles when I arrive in France.

The sports bras are the only type I can wear as the area of my back that has damage is right where the band goes. However they are very light weight. One of the sweaters can stay home. Just the fleece bag liner and the silk liner will go with me.

Many things yet to sort out. I do want my lava rock, it keeps my feet happy. Just weighed the rock, 3 oz. Maybe I can leave it at home. My long sleeve tops are very light, thin t-shirt types and there will be 1 short sleeve t-shirt. The one wool sweater is very thin and soft, the other one is heavier and will keep me warm. When I wore both together in London (in Oct) I was plenty warm during the day, at night I needed a jacket in addition.

The learning will really begin when we start walking here. Wearing the clothes I plan to take, walking at different temperatures, up and down hills. I am very glad to have so much time before I go.

We camp in the desert in the winter. It can be 70F during the day and 40F at night. I layer and unlayer and relayer often.

 

[MTtoCamino]

The thing is you have the basics I did not see how you are carrying water. But the bottom line is we all take items or loose items along the way we have to replace or donate. As the shopping in Spain for basics is great. The gear like back pack, sleeping bag, good quality usually in the bigger towns.
If you loose your towel like I did go to any grocery store the little dish towels dry quick. I left my fleece prior to Ocebrio & had a time trying to replace it. But I was blessed & got along. Just remember you can replace every thing if lost as long as you have funds. Priority #1