I am 66 days out from leaving...

[SirRon]

I feel like I'm well prepared but I am the type who thinks "What am I forgetting?" haha. If you have any suggestions or advice of things to do before I leave, or reminders to not forget something, I'm all ears.

I am preparing physically for the trip. Walking a lot in my gear and with the weather finally getting warmer here in Georgia, I hope that helps me as well.

Thanks to all in the group who just by posting have helped me along the way.

 

[SabsP]

I feel like I'm well prepared but I am the type who thinks "What am I forgetting?" haha. If you have any suggestions or advice of things to do before I leave, or reminders to not forget something, I'm all ears.

I am preparing physically for the trip. Walking a lot in my gear and with the weather finally getting warmer here in Georgia, I hope that helps me as well.

Thanks to all in the group who just by posting have helped me along the way.

When you walk the CF you are always close to a shop or a farmacia when you need something.
Take into consideration that toiletry , sunscreen etc is cheaper in a supermercado than in a farmacia.

What I always take on a Camino is Omnifix tape. Works well to prevent hotspots.

Omnifix Retention Tape

Omnifix Retention Tape is made from a soft, non-woven flexible fabric coated with a non-sensitizing latex-free synthetic adhesive and is ideal for patients with hypersensitive skin and a tendency toward skin allergies

www.bandagesplus.com

Earplugs! Wether for the albergue or when you are staying in a private place.

Regarding noise : I always try to avoid spending a Friday or Saturday in a bigger Spanish town seeing it can be quite crowded with people staying up late ( even later than normal ! ) and having fun. Nothing against having fun but lack of sleep can wear you down when walking.

Happy preparations.

 

[Yoyo]

I suggest you write your phone number and email address on your Credencial del Peregrino, your wallet and anything else you can't afford to be without so that they can find their way back to you, should you ever lose them.

On the lock screen of my phone I have emergency contact information (phone numbers of two family members). The same info is also on a credit card-sized laminated printout in my wallet. If applicable, one could include medical data such as allergies or other conditions.



Have a wonderful camino!

 

[SirRon]

I suggest you write your phone number and email address on your Credencial del Peregrino, your wallet and anything else you can't afford to be without so that they can find their way back to you, should you ever lose them.

On the lock screen of my phone I have emergency contact information (phone numbers of two family members). The same info is also on a credit card-sized laminated printout in my wallet. If applicable, one could include medical data such as allergies or other conditions.

View attachment 143503

Have a wonderful camino!

Thanks!

 

[Former member 92300]

As long as you have good shoes/socks and any personal medications/medical equipment that you require... it really doesn't matter if you forgot something because you can buy pretty much everything you need in Spain. Perhaps not every day as some days you may pass through small towns, but as you pass through bigger towns/cities - you will be able to get what you forgot.

Just don't forget your Passport, Credit/debit cards, and if you want it - your phone/charger/EU adaptor plug. And yes - have emergency contact information in your documents. And while I don't carry a copy of my passport/cards... I do have them scanned and uploaded in a secure online file in case I need them.

(You can get shoes/socks there too - but maybe not that perfect brand that works for your feet)

 

[henrythedog]

Just keep walking daily, all you can do is try to be in decent physical condition. If you turned up with a credenciale, a credit card and a toothbrush you would be fine, so don’t worry about the other stuff.

 

[Vancouver Rose]

There are more places than I expected that didn’t take credit cards, making cash an absolute necessity. Thinking I would only need some cash and a credit card, I didn’t take a bank card which would have made buying Euros more affordable. I had to do it with my credit card which was definitely more costly.
On the physical front, I’d walked a fair amount beforehand in my Camino trail shoes, with my new poles, and a weighted backpack, but hadn’t trained on hills sufficiently. IMHO climbing the steepest, longest hills you can find at home beforehand will really serve you well. Despite my inadequate prep, I got to Santiago, but struggled physically a fair amount in the early days. Wishing you a heartfelt Buen Camino!

 

[K_Lynn]

I suggest you write your phone number and email address on your Credencial del Peregrino, your wallet and anything else you can't afford to be without so that they can find their way back to you, should you ever lose them.

On the lock screen of my phone I have emergency contact information (phone numbers of two family members). The same info is also on a credit card-sized laminated printout in my wallet. If applicable, one could include medical data such as allergies or other conditions.

View attachment 143503

Have a wonderful camino!

That is such a simple and brilliant idea! Thanks!

 

[mattythedog]

On the issue of prep, I read a lot on here about people going to great lengths to prep. I recently watched ‘Camino’ on Netflix, a selfie documentary by a Dutch guy who did the CF. At the start he touches on the subject of prep and his advice was to ignore all the advice as the Camino is your prep. Rather than being able to do steepness I think the most important thing to have is stamina, which is as much about mental determination as it is about ‘fitness’. I’m planning the CF in August / September but not giving too much thought to physical prep. I walked 41km/26m around Ullswater in the Lake District , (which is very up and down over unmade tracks), in one day in 2020 with no prep. It was a sponsored hike for Alzheimer’s uk so thinking of my mum kept me going and I was far from the tail end of trekkers. There are no stages of the CF even approaching that so I’m fairly happy I’ll manage
Buen Camino!

Power to you, Wandering Scot with a 26 mile day and a video under your belt to use as a basis for advice. I wish you a Buen Camino. In 8 Caminos I have met a few, very few, who completed the 500 mile CF with no prep. Running coach/triathlete, ex-olympic swimmer, physical trainer, US Marines, paramedic and a few others did it with no blisters, chafing pack straps, leg, joint or tendon issues. You are correct, stamina is very important, and I would add strength, flexibility, aerobic condition, walking on hard trails/pavement and familiarity with gear, along with local customs/laws/infrastructure to make the stroll across Spain more enjoyable.