Eating & Drinking Gear

Rob,

Bring a very light 'Waiter'-type Swiss knife which has the basic knife, can opener and corkscrew (for the vino!). You're all set. No need for a spoon/fork, plate, mug, stove, etc. -- makes the backpack heavier. On the road you'll most likely have a bocadillo and you don't need a spoon/fork for that. In some refugios with kitchens there will most likely be utensils for the use of pilgrims.

The only disadvantage of the Waiter Swiss Knife is it doesn't have scissors.

Mark Mulingbayan

Hi !

I always had yoghurt for breakfast, and I bought a little bag of tea-spoons in a Supermercado along the way. They do not weigh anything, and you can throw them away after use (very good from a health point of view).

Of course, if you are into environmental issues - and like yoghurt, a light plastic tea-spoon could be nice to bring, and you can wash it along the way. A yoghurt with muesli can get you a long way before the boccadillo-lunsj, and is more healthy than a croissant.

I also brought a little knife good for both bread and vegetables/fruit/cheese and so on. Of course, a wine/can opener is also nice to have, depending on how much you make your own food instead of getting the menu in the nearest bar/restaurant.

It seems that you are well prepared, and good luck with the remaining planning. Just remember that a lot of stuff that weighs very little each piece, will still add up to some weight inside the backpack !

Buen Camino !!!!!

Liv

Eating tools

Hi all,

I have got a dinky little combination eating tool kit which folds down to the size of a medium sized penknife. It includes a spoon, fork, knife and bottle opener. You can buy them in camping stores, at the Automobile Assoc. outlets, most airports have them on their travel goods stands. Mine fits into a little case that can be looped onto a belt.

I always take a small plastic plate - lately I have used the lid of an ice-cream container as they are flexible. Useful to place the bocadillo on and cut into sections if necessary. I found that some bocadillos were so tough I could hardly bite into them and my friend John broke his front teeth biting onto a bocadillo!

Being a vegetarian I often buy fruit, bread, cheese, tomatoes and other salad ingredients along the way and make my own 'sandwiches'. My experience of refuge kitchens has been that very few have utensils and some don't have kitchens at all.

The one other item that I always recommend is a small, spiral immersion heater and a cup. Very useful if there is no kitchen and even if there is one, you don't need to wait for a pot of water to boil to have your early morning hot drink. Most cafe-bars don't open until after 9am and if you are an early bird, it is great to have a hot drink before you leave. Also useful to make a cup-of-soup at night if there are no cafe bars or other facilities.
We were the envy of many pilgrims on the camino and often had a long queue of cups waiting to use the heater. Just a hint - if you take one, add an extra length of electrical cord - they are usually quite short and plugs are often high up on a wall or down near the ground.
If you take a metal cup, get a fair sized one rather than a dainty one. I was able to use mine to boil 2-minute noodles, tinned vegetables etc in as well as water for drinks.
Don't forget a plug for Spain!
Sil

I would highly recommend a cheap plastic mug and a spoon. i bought granola and yogurt, and got to enjoy my breaky anywhere on the trail., i was an early starter. i didn't check my luggage so i bought a knife with a bottle opener in STJPP
dawn