S
simply B
Guest
Hello, all! (but most especially for newbies, and even the “old hands” here all held that wonderful status once!)
Though unable to spend much time here, I just now had occasion to quickly browse some of the new threads over the last few weeks. I see a remarkable uptick in folks putting out very general questions as to preparation and, if you will, “How to do the Camino”. I would like to simplify, as economically as possible, how to do this though this post will be still too long… and perhaps not to everyone's taste.
But, please, all you experienced folks - - please read through because this thread may need, over time, the comment of those who have special recommendations for threads they find immensely useful and true. I have set up this post so you can just pick a topic and list your “best/favorite” threads as candidates for exploration. (Not that there’s any obligation!) Okay, thank you! Now moving on…
There is NO “one-size-fits-all” answer to either prep or walking the Way. YOUR Camino starts when YOU begin planning it and YOUR Camino just continues as YOU walk it. How you handle each will comprise YOUR Camino. Still, there is a bewildering set of questions that you will/may have that weigh upon you…and you are looking for the RIGHT answer.
First… get over the concept of “RIGHT”, there will be something “WRONG” at some time and you will have to adapt. On the other hand, there will be times when things are better than “RIGHT”, you could not have planned for better…which is actually one of the beauties of the Camino. Now I’ll stop being philosophical and drill down to the novice’s categories for thought and research.
The “Search” function is the place to start. Pick a category from below. Put in your key words and explore the most recent thread entries first – because in some cases timing matters greatly: albergue openings/closings, the season you wish to walk in influences some of the categories, new services and products will impact others. (And I am limiting my comments to the Camino Francés because that is where I see the inquiries.)
1. Environment
Pick your season for walking the Camino and then check the historical weather for key locations along the route. You will pack for the climate and dress for the weather. Lots of good stuff here on the forum on “layering”.
2. Gear
Do NOT go crazy on gear. You want a well-fitted pack and comfortable shoes or boots with good socks. The amount of weight you put in the pack will influence the type of footwear you need but first it will impact your distance traveled per day. There is neither perfect pack nor perfect footwear for you here. Models change, reliability changes and you need to read several voices to hone YOUR selection process. All else than this is your source for excess weight.
One added thought about footwear. Whether you can believe it or not, your feet are NOT static in dimension. On a walk of more than a week or so they most likely WILL deform – the arch will flatten thus both length and width will expand. Plan on going a size larger when you test them out with a full pack on your back. They should feel comfortable – not overly loose but certainly not snug.
3. Training
Here’s a tip though its origin is lost to me: “Don’t walk the Camino before you walk the Camino.”
“Generally fit” is fine. So is “somewhat unfit”. If one is in prime condition there is a risk of blowing out early. I’d guess most experienced folks here have seen the carnage at Santo Domingo de Calzada or before where the super-fit crashed and burned by over-walking. (It’s not a contest or a race, BTW.)
Walk enough to get your body conditioned to the pack/footgear and socks combination then see what needs to be changed out.
4. Food/Water
This is no walk-in-the-park but let us remember that Spain is a first-world country. Any guidebook you might choose will have fountains, bar/meson/café clearly indicated and those are generally good indications for April through October. For winter Caminos, search the threads dealing with that topic. There are multiple threads on this. Stoves, vegan, gluten-free – all findable here.
5. Shelter
Those same guidebooks will reliably notify you of most albergues/hostels/casa rurales/etc. Actual availability of beds will depend upon seasonal crowding on the Way. If you wish to go during “peak” season, plan on getting away from the Brierley stages except for perhaps the larger cities that can handle the surge. Camping/Tents, yes, the topic is here and easily searched.
6. Communications
Albergue computers with fast internet connection were available a few years back. Now “wi-fi” (wee-fee) is more common to the detriment of the former. Anything you want to know about cell phone plans in Spain, how folks deal with blogging from any device is easily discoverable (just in the last few months’ threads) by use of the “Search” function.
7. Transportation
A very commonly updated topic here. Search by from whence you are departing AFTER deciding where you wish to arrive. Then check possible routes and fares via Travelocity, orbitz or similar. Several posters have done more than yeoman’s service in making this as simple as possible for in-country travel. Want to move a pack without carrying it, try “Jacotrans” as a search term.
8. Finance
Yes, there are ATM’s in Spain. The guidebooks show them and they are there. Recent threads abound from which to learn. My general rules are: a) Have a travel debit card completely divorced from my bank account. b) Have 300 euro in my pocket upon landing in Europe. c) Only use ATM’s during business hours. (If the card is “eaten” by the ATM, I can go in and retrieve it.) d) When I get down to 50-100 euro in my pocket is my time to start planning to get back to the 300 balance. e) A credit card is useful for "emergency" duty only in larger cities. It is useless in smaller towns.
How much cash you need is a function of how much you spend. How much you spend is particular to the way you wish to live on the road. For a "basement" level, I would think 30-40 euro per day would work - - without you losing too much weight! Multiple threads are here dealing with the topic. I’m cheap. I have done “basement” and I have gone “luxe”. The difference is 35 euro/day increase, at most. (But then, I am still cheap even at "luxe' levels!)
9. Medical
Again, Spain is a first-world country. Farmacias abound and they are staffed by people who generally handle almost any language and can provide almost any general need without a prescription. “Medical Insurance” is an oft-posted topic here with many threads. There are multiple specialized threads on diet (pick one) and specific conditions/medications.
10. Language
Get some Spanish, at least! It is always appreciated, even if just the pleasantries. But this, like the Camino entire, follows the general rule “The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.” Like everything else - - check “Spanish”, “language”, "lessons" or combination - - something will turn out for you in the “Search” function.
I hope that this helps! (But, if it does not, it will be weeks before I can come back to see if I have been flamed!)
B
Though unable to spend much time here, I just now had occasion to quickly browse some of the new threads over the last few weeks. I see a remarkable uptick in folks putting out very general questions as to preparation and, if you will, “How to do the Camino”. I would like to simplify, as economically as possible, how to do this though this post will be still too long… and perhaps not to everyone's taste.
But, please, all you experienced folks - - please read through because this thread may need, over time, the comment of those who have special recommendations for threads they find immensely useful and true. I have set up this post so you can just pick a topic and list your “best/favorite” threads as candidates for exploration. (Not that there’s any obligation!) Okay, thank you! Now moving on…
There is NO “one-size-fits-all” answer to either prep or walking the Way. YOUR Camino starts when YOU begin planning it and YOUR Camino just continues as YOU walk it. How you handle each will comprise YOUR Camino. Still, there is a bewildering set of questions that you will/may have that weigh upon you…and you are looking for the RIGHT answer.
First… get over the concept of “RIGHT”, there will be something “WRONG” at some time and you will have to adapt. On the other hand, there will be times when things are better than “RIGHT”, you could not have planned for better…which is actually one of the beauties of the Camino. Now I’ll stop being philosophical and drill down to the novice’s categories for thought and research.
The “Search” function is the place to start. Pick a category from below. Put in your key words and explore the most recent thread entries first – because in some cases timing matters greatly: albergue openings/closings, the season you wish to walk in influences some of the categories, new services and products will impact others. (And I am limiting my comments to the Camino Francés because that is where I see the inquiries.)
1. Environment
Pick your season for walking the Camino and then check the historical weather for key locations along the route. You will pack for the climate and dress for the weather. Lots of good stuff here on the forum on “layering”.
2. Gear
Do NOT go crazy on gear. You want a well-fitted pack and comfortable shoes or boots with good socks. The amount of weight you put in the pack will influence the type of footwear you need but first it will impact your distance traveled per day. There is neither perfect pack nor perfect footwear for you here. Models change, reliability changes and you need to read several voices to hone YOUR selection process. All else than this is your source for excess weight.
One added thought about footwear. Whether you can believe it or not, your feet are NOT static in dimension. On a walk of more than a week or so they most likely WILL deform – the arch will flatten thus both length and width will expand. Plan on going a size larger when you test them out with a full pack on your back. They should feel comfortable – not overly loose but certainly not snug.
3. Training
Here’s a tip though its origin is lost to me: “Don’t walk the Camino before you walk the Camino.”
“Generally fit” is fine. So is “somewhat unfit”. If one is in prime condition there is a risk of blowing out early. I’d guess most experienced folks here have seen the carnage at Santo Domingo de Calzada or before where the super-fit crashed and burned by over-walking. (It’s not a contest or a race, BTW.)
Walk enough to get your body conditioned to the pack/footgear and socks combination then see what needs to be changed out.
4. Food/Water
This is no walk-in-the-park but let us remember that Spain is a first-world country. Any guidebook you might choose will have fountains, bar/meson/café clearly indicated and those are generally good indications for April through October. For winter Caminos, search the threads dealing with that topic. There are multiple threads on this. Stoves, vegan, gluten-free – all findable here.
5. Shelter
Those same guidebooks will reliably notify you of most albergues/hostels/casa rurales/etc. Actual availability of beds will depend upon seasonal crowding on the Way. If you wish to go during “peak” season, plan on getting away from the Brierley stages except for perhaps the larger cities that can handle the surge. Camping/Tents, yes, the topic is here and easily searched.
6. Communications
Albergue computers with fast internet connection were available a few years back. Now “wi-fi” (wee-fee) is more common to the detriment of the former. Anything you want to know about cell phone plans in Spain, how folks deal with blogging from any device is easily discoverable (just in the last few months’ threads) by use of the “Search” function.
7. Transportation
A very commonly updated topic here. Search by from whence you are departing AFTER deciding where you wish to arrive. Then check possible routes and fares via Travelocity, orbitz or similar. Several posters have done more than yeoman’s service in making this as simple as possible for in-country travel. Want to move a pack without carrying it, try “Jacotrans” as a search term.
8. Finance
Yes, there are ATM’s in Spain. The guidebooks show them and they are there. Recent threads abound from which to learn. My general rules are: a) Have a travel debit card completely divorced from my bank account. b) Have 300 euro in my pocket upon landing in Europe. c) Only use ATM’s during business hours. (If the card is “eaten” by the ATM, I can go in and retrieve it.) d) When I get down to 50-100 euro in my pocket is my time to start planning to get back to the 300 balance. e) A credit card is useful for "emergency" duty only in larger cities. It is useless in smaller towns.
How much cash you need is a function of how much you spend. How much you spend is particular to the way you wish to live on the road. For a "basement" level, I would think 30-40 euro per day would work - - without you losing too much weight! Multiple threads are here dealing with the topic. I’m cheap. I have done “basement” and I have gone “luxe”. The difference is 35 euro/day increase, at most. (But then, I am still cheap even at "luxe' levels!)
9. Medical
Again, Spain is a first-world country. Farmacias abound and they are staffed by people who generally handle almost any language and can provide almost any general need without a prescription. “Medical Insurance” is an oft-posted topic here with many threads. There are multiple specialized threads on diet (pick one) and specific conditions/medications.
10. Language
Get some Spanish, at least! It is always appreciated, even if just the pleasantries. But this, like the Camino entire, follows the general rule “The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.” Like everything else - - check “Spanish”, “language”, "lessons" or combination - - something will turn out for you in the “Search” function.
I hope that this helps! (But, if it does not, it will be weeks before I can come back to see if I have been flamed!)
B