electricity in the albergues?

[sally_M]

Hello fellow pilgrims,

My husband and I will be making our first pilgrimage in October, staring in Leon or perhaps a few days east of Leon. I use a CPAP breathing machine for sleep apnea and have been planning to carry it with me on the pilgrimage. Are there electrical outlets in the albergues? I imagine there might be only a few and that they might be at a premium if other pilgrims are charging cell phones and ipods. Or even if there is an outlet available, there might not be an empty bed available next to it. I'm wondering if I should bring an extension cord, or whether it is foolish to bring the CPAP at all. I definitely sleep better with it. It weighs about 3 pounds. I suppose I could use the baggage service to send it on ahead to each refugio if I get tired of carrying it.

Some other random questions:
1) I was planning to bring a thin, long-sleeved fleece, a long-sleeved quick-dry shirt and a thin rain jacket plus wool hat. Will this be warm enough for October, or should I bring a thicker fleece or wool sweater instead of the thin fleece? I'm thinking I might be able to buy a wool sweater somewhere along the way if it turns out that I need it?

2) I am planning to bring one pair of pants with zip-off legs plus rain pants. Should I bring a pair of shorts to wear when I wash the pants? I was thinking I could save weight by wearing the rain pants to dinner while my laundry is drying. Or I might bring long underwear that look like exercise pants. I wonder if I'd feel comfortable wearing those to dinner while my laundry dries. (I'm not highly fashion-conscious. I wear socks with sandals even when I'm not on the camino)

3) How many pairs of socks should I bring? I use a think liner inside a wool sock. Sometimes on long hikes I like to change socks mid-day to prevent blisters. I was thinking maybe 3 pairs of each?

I've been learning a lot from all the forum posts. This is great site. Thanks everyone.

Sally

 

[Szaboa]

I am also planning to go on my first Camino in October, and I also use a CPAP, so I will be following this thread with great interest.

I recently went back to the sleep clinic, and discussed my trip with the doctor that prescribed my CPAP. He recommended a new small and light machine that would charge up enough for 2 nights. The other option was to try a dental appliance, that had a 20% chance of not working for me. Either option would cost over $2,000 . So his third recommendation was not to worry about it for a month, and take a nap in the afternoon.

I think I'm going with the 3rd option, and packing extra ear plugs to give out to unfortunate people sleeping near me.

 

[sally_M]

Hi Szaboa,

I had to laugh at your last line! It did occur to me that fellow pilgrims might be willing to give up an outlet they had claimed if it meant not putting up with my snoring. ... then again, maybe there is so much snoring already, what's one more?

Sally

 

[cmkudija]

Unless he reconsiders, my husband will be lugging his biPAP machine - about 4 lbs - because he's so much better with it. On a walk with our local soCal Camino chapter in July, we learned that there are many sleep-apnea-afflicted pilgrims who bring their CPAPs or BiPAPs along. He's used a dental appliance in the past for general backpacking, but it somehow melted and deformed, and he has not procured a new set. Since we're leaving in a WEEK...the biPAP comes along. I would definitely appreciate hearing about needing extension cords - we will be bringing a travel 4-outlet adapter that's good for 240V input.

Meanwhile, I'm bringing my earplugs :wink:

 

[scruffy1]

There are usually some notmany but some outlets in the albergues, do consider bringing a multi-socket plug in, you know, a small adaptor to enlarge the wall plug to 4, most pilgrims need and use electricity nights to recharge a phone or an iPad or a small computer so there will be a rush for the juice.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hola Sally,
In response to your questions re clothing:-

I carry a second thin fleece and then layer it if needed. We had to source extra fleeces in May, 2 years ago, and they each weighed 500gms, giving me a combined fleece weight of 950gms :cry: This year we took 2 fleeces each (in May) one thicker, one thin combined weight 700gms (per person). I suspect similar there might be similar night temperatures in October and we were glad of them both evening and early morning.

Trousers; I took longjohns which could have been worn with my longsleeved shirt over and would have looked OK. In practise I found that sometimes I needed the longjohns under my trousers in the evening but never for walking. (If cold I walked with the overtrousers which were then easy to remove once it warmed up.)

If you are worried about washing; a very lightweight dress might be the answer with longjohns. Not the height of elegence but worked for me. Also the dress could double as nightwear and only weighed 180gms

Hope this helps you decide.
Buen Camino

 

[camino_rooky]

Hi sally_M,

my husband is bringing his cpap machine and because he had the same worry re availability of sockets we decided to prebook private accommodation with twin/double room to be sure although it is more expensive. Because its our first camino we are starting off with the Camino finisterre next tuesday and are only chancing an albergue on 1 night in Muxia. So we will be interested to hear how you get on as we may do longer sections in the future . Buen Camino !

 

[MCVet]

A four pronged outlet expander thing was the single best thing I purchased on the Camino as far as walking goes (I bought some pretty awesome souvenirs...) and other peregrinos always appreciate more outlet space.

Oh but yah, some albergues seem to have been built before the 19th century, as they'll have one outlet in perhaps the entire albergue. There is one albergue with *no* electricity (you do everything by candlelight) but I believe there's only one, and it's not one of the 'traditional' ones.

 

[sally_M]

Thanks to all of you for the input. I am heartened to hear of other pilgrims carrying CPAPs. I will definitely look for an outlet expander once we get to Spain. And Tia, thanks for the advice. I went out to the Goodwill store today about bought a thin wrap-around skirt. It even comes close to matching my shirt and long-johns.

 

[grayland]

I am not sure that there are "many" pilgrims with cpap machine as I have never seen one on the Camino. That, of course, means only that "I have never seen one"....not that they are not there.
But, I feel pretty sure they are not very common.

 

[soch]

I am not sure that there are "many" pilgrims with cpap machine as I have never seen one.
That, of course, means only that "I have never seen one"....not that they are not there.
But, I feel pretty sure they are not very common.

CPAP Machines
I've never seen nor heard of these either. But quick trip to __
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_airway_pressure
will dispell some of the mystery.
soch

 

[grayland]

I am not sure that there are "many" pilgrims with cpap machine as I have never seen one.
That, of course, means only that "I have never seen one"....not that they are not there.
But, I feel pretty sure they are not very common.

CPAP Machines
I've never seen nor heard of these either. But quick trip to __
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_airway_pressure
will dispell some of the mystery.
soch

Actually, I do know what a CPAC machine is and have seen them.
I meant to say that I have never noticed anyone using or carrying one in an albergue on the Camino. :wink: They very well may be there but I have not seen them.
I do think that having access to a electrical source close to your bunk could be a problem in most places...a long extension cord would not be practical,
Many of the newer private albergues now have an outlet at every bunk so they would work out very nicely.

 

[Brendan Cadogan]

I am not sure that there are "many" pilgrims with cpap machine as I have never seen one on the Camino. That, of course, means only that "I have never seen one"....not that they are not there.
But, I feel pretty sure they are not very common.

I will also be travelling in October with a CPAP. For a reasonably priced portable one go to http://www.eu-pap.ie/transcend-auto-portable-travel-cpap-machine.html.

 

[MTtoCamino]

I have seen them & they make others happy. In case you can't get a wall outlet snoring is just part of the experience, unfortunately so is bad behavior. Remember water off a ducks back. Folks tend to be rude first 2 weeks & then it gets better, in my experience the rude seem to disappear.

 

[Tincatinker]

@Brendan Cadogan are other reasonably priced portable ones available?

 

[Brendan Cadogan]

I was looking at various types and the one in question seemed to fit the bill for me. I have to wait until I am finished the Camino before I get around to buying one. My current CPAP weighths 2.25 kilos.

 

[Brendan Cadogan]

I lightest I could find is located at http://www.cpap.com/productpage/transcend-ezex-cpap-machine-somnetics.html . Weight is 15 ounces. It is not one I would choose as I require a humidifier

 

[Brendan Cadogan]

The cheapest I could find is located at http://www.cpap.com/productpage/apex-xt-fit-cpap-machine.html.

It is best to shop around for what you need. Prices on the website in question is in US dollars.

 

[grayland]

@Brendan Cadogan
You actually reactivated an old thread from 2012 and some of the earlier posts are likely to be less than valid now.

As an example...I had posted I had not seen the machines on a Camino.
I now have actually seen them on several occasions. Some seem small, light and compact...others would not be something I would want to carry every day.
I seldom recommend baggage transfer,except in the cast of physical requirements.
But I would think having the machine transported would ease the burden.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

While I've prescribed them I've never heard one in action; some wives have complained to me that they (?mask) are noisy...but then so is snoring, so...
some albergues have rooms to which they assign those who snore, so if your machine might get socks tossed at you in the middle of the night you might ask if there is a place you could sleep that would not disturb others...me personally, i think anyone who complains about noise at night needed to walk a little further in the daytime.

 

[KinkyOne]

me personally, i think anyone who complains about noise at night needed to walk a little further in the daytime.

And maybe not taking the afternoon nap