Full time camper

[npak907]

Okay, I've read through some of the forums on sleeping bag vs. liner. Everyone seems to be referring to using one or the other in a hostel of some kind. I'm an Alaskan, the outdoors is in my blood. I'm sure at some point along the way i will stay in some hostels, especially if the weather doesnt seem to be on my side, but for the most part ill be outside. I fabricated a multipurpose hammock/tent to use so it should come in handy for the majority of my journey, trees or not. My question is, i'll be walking from September 7- October 20. What should i expect for the weather? I run hot generally so i'm thinking a 50*F sleeping bag with a light liner just in case. What are your thoughts?

 

[zammy]

Very few people sleep outdoors, I think it's because of the camnio spirit. walking togetehjr and sharing the experience of the hike in the evenings at the akbergues. If you camp you don't share. It's almost like walking by yourself, durng the day people form small packs, you meet every one while you walk and you get to see them at night, it's the true spirit of the camino / I don't think you'll like it to be like an outsider who doesn't sleep with everyone at the albergues and ratjer chose to remain by himself. Experiencing the group unity is one the unique qualities of the camino. You can hike and sleep outdoors on the AT or the PCT by in Europe it's diferent. MU advice- don't carry all the sleeping and cooking gear, this is not a hard trail but it's a unique one and you wull miss most of it by staying outdoors. (not so many campsites too...)
You will still need the services given by the albergues-washing clothes, showering, internet, cooking, place to leave your stuff and being able to go around the villages and enjoying a good beer and coffee with your fellow hikers.

 

[Abbeydore]

My question is, i'll be walking from September 7- October 20. What should i expect for the weather?

You'll have a lovely time npak; the weather: well expect anything, not likely to snow, but you never know. The weather in this part of Spain is very changeable, one can easily experience all 4 seasons in one day, so being able to adapt rapidly is an important consideration. There are 'bars' to help with getting warm/cool again too. It will generally be still warm.......the great thing about your walking time is the fresh fruit & nuts; And this will change as you walk from east to west; valleys to hills/mountains.

Buen camino
David

 

[sillydoll]

There is soemthing to what Zammy is saying - especially in small places where there is only one albergue and food is provided - these are the 'soul of the Camino.' But, there aren't many of these left as more and more albergues become commercial enterprises.

Many people camp, some people only sleep in pensiones or hostales, others only sleep in albergues, and others in a combination of the two.
Everybody chats on the paths during the day, share lunch or a cafe-con-leche, and many eat together in Cafe-bars or restaurantes at night. You won't lose out by spending a few nights in a tent!

Wild camping is legal in Spain but with some restrictions. You are not allowed to camp:
•In any urban area (these areas are prohibited for military or tourist reasons)
•Within 1 km of an official campsite
•On tourist beaches
•In the ‘Parques Naturales’

If you are sensible and ‘wild camp’ close to these areas have some sensitivity to the rules and you can camp almost anywhere in the countryside. It is illegal, however, to make fires so unless you have a camping stove, rather wait until you get to a café-bar for your daily fix of café-con-leche!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

In 2010 it rained 3 days in September and 6 days in October in Leon, something of the midpoint of the Camino. In Galicia in Santiago, it rained 8 days in September and 14 days in October.

It is likely to rain!

 

[npak907]

Thanks. Great advice. If I had to pinpoint my #1 pet peave it is not being able to sleep when I am tired... I hate snoring!! This is one reason i choose to camp. I know I will meet many people during the days and I can spend lunches with them. I have no official plan. If i'm with a great group of people then sure I'll stay and chit chat, but at the same time, have them join me! Camping is much more fun with people. Get a couple bottles of wine and some sandwich fixins and head into the trees. Again as i mentioned before I am from Alaska. If I dont get enough nights sleeping under the stars in Spain then I would be bummed out. I'll take the crickets over the snorers

 

[vagabondette]

If i'm with a great group of people then sure I'll stay and chit chat, but at the same time, have them join me! Camping is much more fun with people. Get a couple bottles of wine and some sandwich fixins and head into the trees.

Just realize that most people won't have gear to camp and you'll probably have to camp most nights a KM or two (at least) from the nearest pilgrim hangout and you can't even have a fire to entice people so I'd not count on having a whole lot of company at your camp site.

 

[newfydog]

Ain't the internet grand? You've got people who have not even done the Camino giving you advice.

i have camped out there and loved it. It would soothe your Alaskan soul.

 

[npak907]

Ain't the internet grand? You've got people who have not even done the Camino giving you advice.

i have camped out there and loved it. It would soothe your Alaskan soul.

YOU THE MAN!!! The Internet is a blessing and a curse at the same time. Yes people, I appreciate your opinions but do not give me advice that you have heard from an uncredited source. I would much rather people with personal experiences share their input. If i wanted to get wasted and party all the time I'd go to Cancun.

 

[Abbeydore]

Yes lunch time eating is easy, but dinner we missed out on a few times causes a lot of places don't open till 8pm & we needed our beauty sleep......so went to bed hungry or eating sandwiches,

We are camping in a weeks time withe our dog, bikes & dog trailer.....in a two man tent, here's my other 'tent'

 

[duncan pm]

Now that really is sublime - awesome abode!
Really you will meet many, many people - even those one meets whilst walking disperse then regroup as some go to albuergues or hostales. Nonsense to say the experience wouls be diminished - it would be different and no lesser. Camping along the camino broadens experience, heightens awarenss and has much to recommend it above running away to a brick box for the night to suffer the sound of snoring1
I absolutely commend it as true in every way to the spirit of the camino.

 

[vagabondette]

I'm going to guess that two of the responses above were aimed at me... :roll: I'll just say to not make assumptions about people's experience. No, I've not walked a camino trail (yet) but I've walked similar trails and have thousands of miles under my boots and scores of nights under the stars in my past so I am not making statements based on nothing but rather based on my experience in similar situations... If you don't want opinions from people who you might deem unworthy of giving them, you probably shouldn't post on a public forum.

 

[ffp13]

I enjoy camping and I snore, I guess that I should just crawl back into my brick box ?

 

[Tia Valeria]

I cannot comment on the actual camping, but as far as a hot meal is concerned it is often easiest to eat during the day. We had lunch (menu del dia) most days, 13.00 - 15.30 is usual Spanish time, and then a light evening meal early (to suit our timing). Many bars serve raciones when meals don't start until 21.00.
Others have camped along the Camino, I could be tempted but these days hostals are more my line.
Buen Camino.

 

[dazzamac]

I met a young man from Poland who was camping most nights. His strategy was to stay in an albergue every few days so that he could have a hot shower, wash his clothes, etc. This was especially true in the cities as he found camping places difficult to come by near the cities.

I met him on the trail one morning, I coming from the albergue and he coming down from where he had camped the night before. He told me that he had spent the evening watching a family of hawks hunting. On the other hand, he had to contend with litter and worse just off the path - usually at the spot he thought most suitable for camping. We were walking in September and towards the end there was frost at night. He woke to find ice on the tent but said he'd slept comfortably.

With his accommodation on his back, he had the freedom to wake when he wanted, walk pretty much as far or as little as he wanted and stop for a siesta in the middle of day without worrying someone else was beating him to a bed.

 

[bikergal]

Last year my husband and I biked the Camino and camped almost every night in an established campground. We met many other bikers doing the same. This year I walked the Camino and spent every night in an albergue. I have to say that I enjoyed both experiences but definitely preferred the albergues because of the sense of community that pervaded them. It is YOUR Camino, do what feels right to you as long as it doesn't inconvenience others!! And enjoy the hike

 

[Abbeydore]

Last year my husband and I biked the Camino and camped almost every night in an established campground. We met many other bikers doing the same. This year I walked the Camino and spent every night in an albergue. I have to say that I enjoyed both experiences but definitely preferred the albergues because of the sense of community that pervaded them. It is YOUR Camino, do what feels right to you as long as it doesn't inconvenience others!! And enjoy the hike

so why not hikergal :wink: