Help! First timer and daughter leaving Tennessee September 7th and still few questions

[Vivendo il Sogno]

1. Backpack Safety: As suggested, I plan on having all important personal documents/money on my person, but any way to protect backpack? Anybody ever just lock them to anything, even though a strap could be easily cut?
2. Pillow? Do we need one? Or should we just bring pillow case? The blowups look uncomfortable and expensive.
3. Do pilgrims sleep in clothes for next day or have something put aside just for sleeping, like shorts and t-shirt?
4. Will micro fleece be warm enough outer layer?
SO excited! But any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Pillows are generally supplied. My sleeping bag has a pouch for the pillow, so no pillow case is needed. Disposable pillow cases are supplied at about half the albergues.

Some sleep in the next day's clothes; some take sleepwear. Your choice.

You will need a waterproof outer layer, otherwise microfleece is adequate.

Buen camino!

 

[Anniesantiago]

1. Backpack Safety: As suggested, I plan on having all important personal documents/money on my person, but any way to protect backpack? Anybody ever just lock them to anything, even though a strap could be easily cut?
2. Pillow? Do we need one? Or should we just bring pillow case? The blowups look uncomfortable and expensive.
3. Do pilgrims sleep in clothes for next day or have something put aside just for sleeping, like shorts and t-shirt?
4. Will micro fleece be warm enough outer layer?
SO excited! But any help would be greatly appreciated!

1. Nawwww... it's doubtful anyone will steal your pack. Just don't put your valuables in it at night - keep them around your waist.
2. Just bring a pillow case if you're worried - but we all get pretty scrungy on the Camino and after a day or two, nobody cares.
3. Some sleep in their underwear; some sleep in tomorrow's clothes. I sleep in my underwear and the shirt I'll wear next day.
4. yes

Have a BUEN Camino!
Remember, if you aren't sure about something, just leave it home. You can buy anything you need along the Way.

 

[Albertinho]

We are more concerned about one or other fool of the ground staff at the airport puts drugs in our bagpacks . (This happens now and then here in the Netherlands)
So we have yellow fluorescent covers around the bagpack and the zipper is locked with a small padlock. We allways check them in . They are too big for the overhead lockers in the cabin.
If we should find something wrong or strange with the cover after it appears on the luggage belt,, we have it checked by the customs at the airport we arrive before we accept them. Fortunately never happened something during 2 times we flew with the backpacks.
Documents, camera etc we allways carry with us in a thin and light kind of backpack as cabin luggage.

Pillow. My wife uses a very light small pillow which you can put around your neck when you have a long flight .
I have an inflatable very light pillow. We use silk sleeping liners with a pillow compartiment so the pillow goes in there during the nights in albergues.

Cloths. We sleep in a thin T shirt specially brought for this purpose. We have tree sets of shirts, underwear and socks and every day after arrival my wife washes one set so next day we wear a clean set, one clean set in the backpack and one drying at the outside of the packs in the lovely Portuguese sun.If it rains there is a special compartiment outside the Osprey backpack to leave wet cloths .as soon as we arrive at the end of the day we dry it again. We allways have a piece of thin rope with us and some pegs.

Fleece vest. We carry fleece vests with us and a very thin( expensive!) short raincoat.
Specially in the morning in springtime it can be chilly so we wear the fleecevests and the raincoats but after half an hour till an hour we put them off .

Bom caminho

 

[oursonpolaire]

Others have given you good advice-- I would only add that you ensure that you keep your valuables (passport, money, camera, telephone) with you at all times, or under the watchful eye of your daughter (and you will do her the same favour when she takes a shower). Do not let your valuables hang carelessly off the arm of a chair-- never put tempation in front of an honest man (as a politician friend once told me!). The US group has a branch in Tennessee (http://www.americanpilgrims.com/about/local_tennessee.html) so you might want to be in touch with them for a chance to chat with a veteran pilgrim. I have run into a few mother/daughter and father/daughter pairs over the years on the Camino, and I have seen how it has been a wonderfual and extraordinary experience for them.

 

[Vivendo il Sogno]

Pillows are generally supplied. My sleeping bag has a pouch for the pillow, so no pillow case is needed. Disposable pillow cases are supplied at about half the albergues.

Some sleep in the next day's clothes; some take sleepwear. Your choice.

You will need a waterproof outer layer, otherwise microfleece is adequate.

Buen camino!

Thanks! YES, I do have nice rain jacket!

 

[Vivendo il Sogno]

1. Nawwww... it's doubtful anyone will steal your pack. Just don't put your valuables in it at night - keep them around your waist.
2. Just bring a pillow case if you're worried - but we all get pretty scrungy on the Camino and after a day or two, nobody cares.
3. Some sleep in their underwear; some sleep in tomorrow's clothes. I sleep in my underwear and the shirt I'll wear next day.
4. yes

Have a BUEN Camino!
Remember, if you aren't sure about something, just leave it home. You can buy anything you need along the Way.

Thanks, Anniesantiago! SO much to think about these last few days! I DO keep telling myself that I can find pretty much anything I might possibly need that I didn't pack once there. That helps!

 

[Vivendo il Sogno]

Others have given you good advice-- I would only add that you ensure that you keep your valuables (passport, money, camera, telephone) with you at all times, or under the watchful eye of your daughter (and you will do her the same favour when she takes a shower). Do not let your valuables hang carelessly off the arm of a chair-- never put tempation in front of an honest man (as a politician friend once told me!). The US group has a branch in Tennessee (http://www.americanpilgrims.com/about/local_tennessee.html) so you might want to be in touch with them for a chance to chat with a veteran pilgrim. I have run into a few mother/daughter and father/daughter pairs over the years on the Camino, and I have seen how it has been a wonderfual and extraordinary experience for them.

It will help that my daughter and I can look out for one another and stagger showers and such! Oh, I thanks for the Tennessee Branch link!!! This has been on my bucket list for a few years now, before the popular movie, even. I can't think of a better person to walk 500 miles with, and we both need it! Thanks again for your help!

 

[Vivendo il Sogno]

We are more concerned about one or other fool of the ground staff at the airport puts drugs in our bagpacks . (This happens now and then here in the Netherlands)
So we have yellow fluorescent covers around the bagpack and the zipper is locked with a small padlock. We allways check them in . They are too big for the overhead lockers in the cabin.
If we should find something wrong or strange with the cover after it appears on the luggage belt,, we have it checked by the customs at the airport we arrive before we accept them. Fortunately never happened something during 2 times we flew with the backpacks.
Documents, camera etc we allways carry with us in a thin and light kind of backpack as cabin luggage.

Pillow. My wife uses a very light small pillow which you can put around your neck when you have a long flight .
I have an inflatable very light pillow. We use silk sleeping liners with a pillow compartiment so the pillow goes in there during the nights in albergues.

Cloths. We sleep in a thin T shirt specially brought for this purpose. We have tree sets of shirts, underwear and socks and every day after arrival my wife washes one set so next day we wear a clean set, one clean set in the backpack and one drying at the outside of the packs in the lovely Portuguese sun.If it rains there is a special compartiment outside the Osprey backpack to leave wet cloths .as soon as we arrive at the end of the day we dry it again. We allways have a piece of thin rope with us and some pegs.

Fleece vest. We carry fleece vests with us and a very thin( expensive!) short raincoat.
Specially in the morning in springtime it can be chilly so we wear the fleecevests and the raincoats but after half an hour till an hour we put them off .

Bom caminho

Now THAT sounds a bit scary about the drugs. Didn't I see a movie to that affect once?! Thanks for the pillow and sleeping clothing advice, and all else! People on this sight have been SO, SO friendly AND helpful!

 

[Vivendo il Sogno]

Thanks for all of the helpful suggestions. Still adding and removing from the pile. I guess I will be second-guessing till we leave for the airport on Monday! Yikes! It is NOW less than a week away! Doesn't EVEN seem real!!! Will be glad just to be sitting on that plane!

 

[CaptBuddy]

I had heard of backpacks swiped from bus luggage compartments, so I had some concern for that, but generally no where else.
For my own peace of mind I carried two large carabiner clips; one to fasten my pack to my wife's pack, and the other to fasten them to a pole or rail in the compartment.
My theory was that if someone grabbed it on the run, and it did not move, they would drop it for another.
Used it once. Probably just paranoia on my part.

 

[Vivendo il Sogno]

I had heard of backpacks swiped from bus luggage compartments, so I had some concern for that, but generally no where else.
For my own peace of mind I carried two large carabiner clips; one to fasten my pack to my wife's pack, and the other to fasten them to a pole or rail in the compartment.
My theory was that if someone grabbed it on the run, and it did not move, they would drop it for another.
Used it once. Probably just paranoia on my part.

So funny. I actually thought of doing the same thing with mine and my daughter's packs. So, you never used it that way, though? Thanks of responding!

 

[Albertinho]

I had heard of backpacks swiped from bus luggage compartments, so I had some concern for that, but generally no where else.
For my own peace of mind I carried two large carabiner clips; one to fasten my pack to my wife's pack, and the other to fasten them to a pole or rail in the compartment.
My theory was that if someone grabbed it on the run, and it did not move, they would drop it for another.
Used it once. Probably just paranoia on my part.

We did the same with the carabiners to connect two packs to each other .nothing wrong with that

 

[Albertinho]

Now THAT sounds a bit scary about the drugs. Didn't I see a movie to that affect once?! Thanks for the pillow and sleeping clothing advice, and all else! People on this sight have been SO, SO friendly AND helpful!

It can happen ! Happen so many strange things nowadays so be prepared .
It is the reality of life . Hope it does not happen to you. The cover also is a good protection for your pack. Have you seen how the airport groundstaff handle your luggage ? And at the same time it is a raincover for your pack and if yellow fluorescent, ait gives a good sight to cardrivers ,aproaching you from behind as happened to us many times during our walks in Portugal