Is it OK to keep your pack on your top bunk with you?

[Yumadons]

I prefer a top bunk (for privacy plus I have no trouble climbing up and down so can leave bottom bunks for those that need them). I would like to keep my pack up there with me to facilitate quiet packing up in the morning - early riser. Would prevent stealing too. But I've read on here you're not supposed to keep your pack on your bunk. Can I?

 

[falcon269]

Make a rope loop large enough for bunk posts, and hang your pack from the lift loop. Hospitaleros may ask that you remove a pack stored on the bunk.

 

[Leibniz]

Also - please pack up the night before! Your fellow pilgrims will be grateful.

 

[trecile]

I prefer a top bunk (for privacy plus I have no trouble climbing up and down so can leave bottom bunks for those that need them). I would like to keep my pack up there with me to facilitate quiet packing up in the morning - early riser. Would prevent stealing too. But I've read on here you're not supposed to keep your pack on your bunk. Can I?

No! No packs on the beds at all. A couple of reasons - they can be dirty, because often you need to place your backpack on the ground when you stop for a break. And they can carry bedbugs. I have seen hospitaleros briefly "confiscate" backpacks that they see on the beds.

 

[Yumadons]

No! No packs on the beds at all. A couple of reasons - they can be dirty, because often you need to place your backpack on the ground when you stop for a break. And they can carry bedbugs. I have seen hospitaleros briefly "confiscate" backpacks that they see on the beds.

Durn. Guess I’ll be joining the bottom bunk race.

 

[trecile]

Durn. Guess I’ll be joining the bottom bunk race.

You don't always have a choice in the matter! Some albergues assign bunks in numerical order as you arrive, so whether you get top or bottom is the luck of the draw.

 

[Felipe]

As said above.
Keep your valuables with you, not in the backpack.
Try to pre-pack as much as possible the night before. In the morning (if you are an early riser),take your backpack to the hall, and finish the packing there.
If you are worried about the crowds and the bed race, choose a less popular Camino. There are many...it is not only the Frances.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I wouldn't worry too much about your pack.
Just be sure to keep ALL of your valuables on your person, even at night in bed.
Money and cards in a money belt.
Phone, camera, etc, in the bed with you.
And frankly, I like the top bunk better.
More than once, I've been fine while bedbugs dropped on the pilgrim below me.

 

[alaskadiver]

Make a rope loop large enough for bunk posts, and hang your pack from the lift loop. Hospitaleros may ask that you remove a pack stored on the bunk.

This is what we do.

 

[Yumadons]

I wouldn't worry too much about your pack.
Just be sure to keep ALL of your valuables on your person . . .

I just like the convenience of having pack right there. To put away a guidebook I stay up reading, put on D.O. in am, etc. With pack on floor below, if you forget a single thing you have to climb down and get it.

 

[Yumadons]

This is what we do.
View attachment 56579

 

[Yumadons]

Still looks hard to reach from the top . . .

 

[alaskadiver]

I just like the convenience of having pack right there. To put away a guidebook I stay up reading, put on D.O. in am, etc. With pack on floor below, if you forget a single thing you have to climb down and get it.

Packs are dirty. Please don’t put them on the bunks. Plan ahead or just hop down. I don’t know what a D.O is but there’s nothing you can’t just leave in the bunk with you until morning.

 

[alaskadiver]

Still looks hard to reach from the top . . .

 

[alaskadiver]

The intent is to keep it off the floor and off the bed. If you don’t want to climb down then get a bottom bunk. Just deal with it. It’s not a big deal.

 

[Delphinoula]

It's like packing in the evening. O have a little clean bag with next days cloths and medis and what I need at night. Use it as my pillow then in the morning get dressed on the top take whats mine in the little bag. Get down little bag back pack and shoes minimum noice off I go. Worked realy well.

 

[Phil71]

I'll second (or third) sentiment above. NO packs on beds. End of. Because of dirt and bedbugs. Take what you need through the night and your valuables. Pack stays on the floor.

 

[Robo]

This is what we do.
View attachment 56579

Cool. Are most places OK with this approach? It's still kinda on the bed. As in...........bedbugs will easily transfer....

 

[annakappa]

Cool. Are most places OK with this approach? It's still kinda on the bed. As in...........bedbugs will easily transfer....

That's what I thought!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I just like the convenience of having pack right there. To put away a guidebook I stay up reading, put on D.O. in am, etc. With pack on floor below, if you forget a single thing you have to climb down and get it.

Well, MOST albergues won't allow it.
Considering all the cow manure on the trails, I absolutely understand.
Lots of suggestions as to hanging the pack from the bedpost or carrying a black garbage bag to put it in when on the bed...
Good luck

 

[alaskadiver]

Cool. Are most places OK with this approach? It's still kinda on the bed. As in...........bedbugs will easily transfer....

Nobody cares, in our experience.

 

[Dorpie]

Hi @Yumadons

I agree with the advice above but I wouldn't stress too much, you'll soon find a routine that works for you. Also albergues vary quite a bit so difficult to have hard and fast rules, some (like Roncesvalles) have lockers for bags, others might be so cramped you have to stow your pack under the bottom bunk!

My approach, especially when leaving early is to not touch my pack from getting into bed to leaving the dorm. My clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste for the next morning sleep with me, when I'm ready to go I roll everything up in my sleeping bag liner and quietly go to one of the communal areas to pack.

Buen camino,

Rob.

 

[Lirsy]

But I've read on here you're not supposed to keep your pack on your bunk. Can I?

No, You can´t!!

I am sorry for being so radical!

We all complain about bed bugs ... but many pilgrims forget to do what they can to prevent bed bugs!

Keeping your backpack as far as possible from the beds is the main action you can take to avoid the proliferation of bed bugs. The next action you can take is, once you have been bitten, put all your equipment (this includes your backpack and all your clothes) into the next albergue's dryer.

 

[Bradypus]

Keeping your backpack as far as possible from the beds is the main action you can take to avoid the proliferation of bed bugs.

The albergue in Salamanca on the Via de la Plata takes this very seriously indeed. Rucksacks are not allowed upstairs in the dormitories at all. Packs are left downstairs in plastic bins in special cupboards and only the items actually needed during the stay may be taken upstairs.

 

[domigee]

The albergue in Salamanca on the Via de la Plata takes this very seriously indeed. Rucksacks are not allowed upstairs in the dormitories at all. Packs are left downstairs in plastic bins in special cupboards and only the items actually needed during the stay may be taken upstairs.

I found the same in France on the via Tolosana a few weeks ago. Packs are left in large plastic crates downstairs, you take what you need in a small (provided) plastic box. Brilliant!
Since some of these gîtes were also the owners’ homes, it made a lot of sense.

 

[Raggy]

I picked up my albergue routine by following the example of some experienced walkers - Before going to bed, have your rucksack mostly packed. In the morning, slip out of the dorm quietly, taking any loose items and your rucksack to the communal area of the albergue. Point a flashlight at the floor if it’s dark in the room. Make two trips if you’re worried that you might drop something or leave something behind.
in the communal area, spend as much time as you like to rummage and repack to your satisfaction. But don’t have conversations until you have left the building.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I zip my pack inside my jacket and keep it up there with me.

 

[Mc Hein]

I prefer a top bunk (for privacy plus I have no trouble climbing up and down so can leave bottom bunks for those that need them). I would like to keep my pack up there with me to facilitate quiet packing up in the morning - early riser. Would prevent stealing too. But I've read on here you're not supposed to keep your pack on your bunk. Can I?

Hi, please, no!!! Bed bugs are mainly transported from one place to another hiding in backpacks (which you can't avoid), and hence backpacks should be kept in the box or on the floor

I prefer a top bunk (for privacy plus I have no trouble climbing up and down so can leave bottom bunks for those that need them). I would like to keep my pack up there with me to facilitate quiet packing up in the morning - early riser. Would prevent stealing too. But I've read on here you're not supposed to keep your pack on your bunk. Can I?

Hi, please, no! Bed bugs are mainly carried from one place to the next hiding in backpacks (which you cannot avoid), so no free access to the beds, please! Keep your backpack on the floor or better, in a box provided

 

[Yumadons]

Thx all for the info and ideas. Gonna go with rolling everything up in the pillow compartment of my sleeping bag liner (so I can’t forget something, cuz I will) and not touching pack til morning. Spraying pack with Sawyer pyrethrin spray.

My neighbors who walked the CF in 2013 got me thinking about it by saying alburgues don’t necessarily have a common area to pack up in, it’s just out the door into the darkness. I’m pretty stealth and use a tiny LED light that hangs around my neck so can block the light with my hand. Now if someone would invent flip-flops that don’t make that sound.

 

[c0484]

I prefer a top bunk (for privacy plus I have no trouble climbing up and down so can leave bottom bunks for those that need them). I would like to keep my pack up there with me to facilitate quiet packing up in the morning - early riser. Would prevent stealing too. But I've read on here you're not supposed to keep your pack on your bunk. Can I?

Yes, but it can be uncomfortable. If you are in the bottom buck you can put it under the bunk.

 

[trecile]

The albergue in Salamanca on the Via de la Plata takes this very seriously indeed. Rucksacks are not allowed upstairs in the dormitories at all. Packs are left downstairs in plastic bins in special cupboards and only the items actually needed during the stay may be taken upstairs.

They did the same at La Rectoral in Priesca on the Norte. Everyone was given a basket for the things to bring into the dorms, and backpacks went into lockers outside the dorms.

 

[geraldkelly]

You strike me as a first-timer (and apologies if you're not). I'll tell you why. Once you've been walking a couple of weeks you'll have your routine which works well for you and you'll realise that all the things you worried about when you were planning now seem trivial.

 

[trecile]

Bed bugs are mainly transported from one place to another hiding in backpacks (which you can't avoid)

That's why I spray my silk liner, inside my backpack, and all my cloth stuff sacks with permethrin - turning my backpack into a death chamber for bedbugs. They may get in, but they won't get out!
Someone recently posted a video of what happens when a bedbug is in contact with a permethrin treated surface. It doesn't repel them, and they don't die right away, but over the course of a couple of hours they slowly die.

My neighbors who walked the CF in 2013 got me thinking about it by saying alburgues don’t necessarily have a common area to pack up in,

I have found that most do have some sort of common area.
I have a waterproof silnylon bag that I use to take my things into the shower area. When I go to bed I use it for everything that I'll need in my bunk with me at night, and to get ready in the morning.

 

[AndyK]

The albergue in Salamanca on the Via de la Plata takes this very seriously indeed. Rucksacks are not allowed upstairs in the dormitories at all. Packs are left downstairs in plastic bins in special cupboards and only the items actually needed during the stay may be taken upstairs.

Brilliant idea! Hope a lot more albergues will take it up.

 

[Yumadons]

You strike me as a first-timer (and apologies if you're not). I'll tell you why. Once you've been walking a couple of weeks you'll have your routine which works well for you and you'll realise that all the things you worried about when you were planning now seem trivial.

Lol you got that right. First timer overplanner nerd. Packing now for 4 months out to include volunteer vet gig in Galapagos > hiking Machu Picchu > biking Mallorca > volunteer vet in Medina del Campo, Spain. Strategically diitching unneeded stuff as I go to culminate in walking the CF then exploring Portugal a little if I have enough time.

 

[Felipe]

Trust your fellow walkers. It is not as if you were in a non descript hostal with a bunch of strangers.
But always keep your valuables safe.

 

[Pam Scott]

I prefer a top bunk (for privacy plus I have no trouble climbing up and down so can leave bottom bunks for those that need them). I would like to keep my pack up there with me to facilitate quiet packing up in the morning - early riser. Would prevent stealing too. But I've read on here you're not supposed to keep your pack on your bunk. Can I?

No it's not allowed. If you have a rucksack liner you could take that up with you.

 

[Vendee52]

I’m a first timer learning the ropes - prefer bottom bunk because I wear glasses and can’t see them without them on and there’s often nowhere to put them or anything when above! Stool or chair by bed = invaluable. Backpack on floor always - variable expectations everywhere- morning routine developing with each - but sleeping in next days clothes works extremely well - now to meet up with washing partner to share a load ....

 

[Yumadons]

I’m a first timer learning the ropes - prefer bottom bunk because I wear glasses and can’t see them without them on and there’s often nowhere to put them or anything when above! Stool or chair by bed = invaluable. Backpack on floor always - variable expectations everywhere- morning routine developing with each - but sleeping in next days clothes works extremely well - now to meet up with washing partner to share a load ....

Bueno @Vendee52! Stayed there (La Roche-sur-Yon) for the first stages of TDF last year. Better meet up with a Spaniard to operate those washing machines, they’re a piece of work. Bringing enough blenderized Zote soap to handwash the whole way. Hope they don't confiscate / jail me in South America thinking it's the other white powder.

 

[Raggy]

My neighbors who walked the CF in 2013 got me thinking about it by saying alburgues don’t necessarily have a common area to pack up in, it’s just out the door into the darkness.

I rarely experienced albergues that didn't have some indoor space apart from the sleeping area. Perhaps the albergue in Mombuey (Camino Sanabres) was just a barn full of beds, but most other places had at least a kitchen that you could use to get ready before going out.

 

[nycwalking]

Lol you got that right. First timer overplanner nerd. Packing now for 4 months out to include volunteer vet gig in Galapagos > hiking Machu Picchu > biking Mallorca > volunteer vet in Medina del Campo, Spain. Strategically diitching unneeded stuff as I go to culminate in walking the CF then exploring Portugal a little if I have enough time.

Forget the pack-on-bed-problem, you’re off to a fantastic buen camino.

Enjoy.

 

[Yumadons]

Forget the pack-on-bed-problem, you’re off to a fantastic buen camino.

Enjoy.

Lol @nycwalking isn’t this what most people pack for the Galapagos?

 

[easygoing]

It is respectful to keep your pack off the bed. I have one of the little yellow tote bags they passed out a year ago. In this I keep my toiletries bag, ear plugs, clean socks, underwear, a tank top, shorts and also my small head lamp for midnight needs. I call it My quick bag. My flip flops and silk liner are kept in the outside pocket of my pack When I arrive at the albergue I slip on the flip flops, throw my silk liner on the bunk and grab the tote bag and head to the shower. After washing out the days clothes, I hang the tote on the end of the bunk and head out to sight see. At bed time I change into my washed hiking top and my silk sleep shorts and place the shirt and bottoms in the tote. In the morning after folding my silk liner I grab my tote and backpack and head out to the common area. After brushing teeth and hair and changing into my hiking skirt the one bag goes into the backpack and I am ready to go. Any reading material fits into the tote too if desired.
What remains in my pack is emergency gear, my rain gear, down coat and my extra clothes ( silk dress, scarf, thin leggings and tee shirt) which are all in lightweight net produce bags or zpacks Cuban fiber bags. This method requires no unpacking of everything at night--just grab and go.
I have a Zpacks backpack with lots of pockets so my sunscreen, sunglasses and picnic items are stored outside the pack. I also have a small Gossmer Gear fanny pack (bum bag) for passport, credential, money that never leaves my person even when sleeping.
I have never understood all the prolonged rustling noise in the early morning which wakes me up. As already posted pack the night before and finish in the common areas.
And please NO plastic bags in the morning . They are surprisingly loud in the silence of early morning.
Instead I keep a small net gift bag for extras like Aleve and my light under my pillow.
My sweet husband used to refuse to stay in albergues until he finally adopted my system. Previously he would drive me crazy because he needed an extra bed just to spread out all his stuff and I was always waiting for him. Enjoy your Camino and do only whatever brings you joy.

 

[geraldkelly]

Lol you got that right. First timer overplanner nerd. Packing now for 4 months out to include volunteer vet gig in Galapagos > hiking Machu Picchu > biking Mallorca > volunteer vet in Medina del Campo, Spain. Strategically diitching unneeded stuff as I go to culminate in walking the CF then exploring Portugal a little if I have enough time.

It sounds like a great adventure! I walked the Inca Trail once. Great experience. But the Camino's better!

 

[nycwalking]

Lol @nycwalking isn’t this what most people pack for the Galapagos?

Oh, but of course.

And, don’t forget that kitchen sink.

You can place your backpack in it for hygiene then use both as a pillow.

 

[geraldkelly]

That's why I spray my silk liner, inside my backpack, and all my cloth stuff sacks with permethrin - turning my backpack into a death chamber for bedbugs. They may get in, but they won't get out!
Someone recently posted a video of what happens when a bedbug is in contact with a permethrin treated surface. It doesn't repel them, and they don't die right away, but over the course of a couple of hours they slowly die.

I have found that most do have some sort of common area.
I have a waterproof silnylon bag that I use to take my things into the shower area. When I go to bed I use it for everything that I'll need in my bunk with me at night, and to get ready in the morning.

The chemicals are more dangerous than the bedbugs.

 

[Mera]

No! No packs on the beds at all. A couple of reasons - they can be dirty, because often you need to place your backpack on the ground when you stop for a break. And they can carry bedbugs. I have seen hospitaleros briefly "confiscate" backpacks that they see on the beds.

Also the bedbugs might travel with you all the way home.

 

[Yumadons]

The chemicals are more dangerous than the bedbugs.

Ugh I've sprayed so much RoundUp in my life I'm probably already on borrowed time

 

[lt56ny]

Thx all for the info and ideas. Gonna go with rolling everything up in the pillow compartment of my sleeping bag liner (so I can’t forget something, cuz I will) and not touching pack til morning. Spraying pack with Sawyer pyrethrin spray.

My neighbors who walked the CF in 2013 got me thinking about it by saying alburgues don’t necessarily have a common area to pack up in, it’s just out the door into the darkness. I’m pretty stealth and use a tiny LED light that hangs around my neck so can block the light with my hand. Now if someone would invent flip-flops that don’t make that sound.

NO NO NO TO BACKPACKS ON ANY BEDS!. They are dirty, you never know what you bag is sitting in when you stop anywhere and there can be bedbugs or other creeper crawlers along for the ride.
What I do is pack everything I can the night before. Leave out only what is necessary for the morning. For me that is just my toothbrush and toothpaste. Don't keep anything out in baggies that you have to put things away and zip up as they are noisy. Go do what you need to do in the bathroom. Roll up your sleeping bag and sleep sack and carry everything out to a common area where you can repack if you need to, get rain gear or warmer clothes if the weather calls for it. It is a whole lot more considerate that way. A hint that you may use. I use zip mesh ironing bags to organize all my stuff. I use about 5 other them. It makes packing and finding things alot easier. They are also not noisy at all.

 

[gloria lowe]

I can’t even imagine this overweight 70 y/o trying to get dressed in a top bunk. Some of these comments , in my opinion are ridiculous. No pack on the bed but how many of you have sat down in you dirty pants on the bed. Oh, the same pants you sat on the ground to have a picnic in. Cow poop now on your bed. Just answer the simple question.. please don’t put packs on the bed. They can be dirty. Everyone learns quickly.

 

[Davey Boyd]

The albergue in Salamanca on the Via de la Plata takes this very seriously indeed. Rucksacks are not allowed upstairs in the dormitories at all. Packs are left downstairs in plastic bins in special cupboards and only the items actually needed during the stay may be taken upstairs.

Same with the donativo gite in Le Puy!

 

[Raggy]

the same pants you sat on the ground to have a picnic in. Cow poop now on your bed.

I don’t think I’ve ever sat on a cow pat but I agree that many dirty things come into contact with albergue beds. I cringe when I observe someone fresh off the trail, joyously falling back onto a bed in their dusty shorts, sweat-soaked shirt, and filthy boots.
The urge to collapse onto a soft mattress at the end of a hard walk is probably more “primal,” than the thoughtless act of putting a rucksack on a bed. So good luck trying to educate a segment of the population to change that behaviour.

 

[VNwalking]

volunteer vet gig in Galapagos

OMG. Envy.

Lol @nycwalking isn’t this what most people pack for the Galapagos?

Uh-huh.
Fortunately you can leave it all there and don't have to haul it over the Andes and across Spain.
Thanks for taking care of everyone down there, @Yumadons. And I hope it's not only dogs you'll be treating, but the native species too...
May you have a wonderful time!

 

[Delphinoula]

Hi Gloria
What does age and weight have to do with anything. Glad you are amused. And sorry for your imaginative hick ups.

 

[gloria lowe]

Hi Gloria
What does age and weight have to do with anything. Glad you are amused. And sorry for your imaginative hick ups.

My thought of me trying to get dressed on a top bunk. No sense of humor?

 

[trecile]

My thought of me trying to get dressed on a top bunk. No sense of humor?

Getting dressed in a bunk could be a comedy of errors at any size. I get dressed in the bathroom.

 

[FourSeasons]

Nobody cares, in our experience.

Most pilgrims will not say anything about how others store their belongings. It's hard to say if anyone cares or not. I don't think I would want to approach you and ask you to not hang your pack from the top bunk if I was the one sleeping below you.

Most just want to keep the peace then talk about you on the trail .

I agree, no packs on the beds.

 

[Albertagirl]

I have lots of stuff on or near my bunk at night, usually including all the clothes which I have washed that afternoon and anything that I might need in the night or first thing in the morning, but never a backpack: too dirty. It seems to me that most of the above posts assume that you can get your clothes dry before going to bed. This almost never works for me. I always walk in the fall: October-November, and often arrive at an albergue late in the day. This is what works for me, as a Canadian lady of a mature age. Clothing hung up in the late afternoon in November is almost never dry by bedtime. I festoon it all around my bunk, and do my best to retrieve and pack in the morning without disturbing anyone. Sometimes I lose things which fell off the bed during the night. If I don't use my flashlight to look around carefully, I leave something behind. For me, this is albergue life: challenging but worth it.

 

[alaskadiver]

Most pilgrims will not say anything about how others store their belongings. It's hard to say if anyone cares or not. I don't think I would want to approach you and ask you to not hang your pack from the top bunk if I was the one sleeping below you.

Most just want to keep the peace then talk about you on the trail .

I agree, no packs on the beds.

I walk with my husband so I know he doesn’t care. I was referring to the hospitaleros. That is what the question asked was referring to as I recall. And I’ll tell you my thoughts to your face. Gossiping about people behind their backs is not in my nature.
And I won’t mention the number of people who have seen our hanging technique and asked for help in doing the same thing.

 

[C clearly]

Keep your backpack off your bed. Keep your shoes and dirty trousers off the bed too.

The albergue in Salamanca on the Via de la Plata takes this very seriously indeed. Rucksacks are not allowed upstairs in the dormitories at all. Packs are left downstairs in plastic bins in special cupboards and only the items actually needed during the stay may be taken upstairs.

I do not understand the logic behind the Salamanca policy. They force everyone to use 2 single-use plastic bags that are not even tightly enclosed. Everyone takes sleeping bags and clothes up to the dorm, where presumably the bedbugs will climb on board. We bring the stuff downstairs, and carry them on to the next albergue. Two plastic bags per pilgrim used, and I doubt it is very effective against bedbugs.

Keeping your backpack as far as possible from the beds is the main action you can take to avoid the proliferation of bed bugs.

Aren't the sleeping bag and your night clothes even more attractive to the bed bugs?

I take a large airtight (i.e. bug-proof) bag to enclose my backpack at night, because bedbugs are most active at night in the dark when people are lying motionless and exuding CO2, which attracts the bedbugs. In the morning I brush off and shake that bag. You could even put it into another sealed bag for the day. All my night wear (and clothes that might have been exposed) are shaken and placed in another airtight bag and into my backpack. I know that I react to bedbug bites within a matter of hours (many people do not, and they need to rely on their companions to know if they have been exposed) so if I get itchy spots during that day, I know that my first destination in town will be to a hot drier for the items in my nightwear bag and then maybe again for my walking clothes.

This is not an absolute solution (there is none). It is a risk-reduction technique that avoids constant use of insecticides. It is very helpful to understand how bedbugs behave, where they live, and what kills them.

Finally, I agree that

this is albergue life: challenging but worth it.

 

[Donna Sch]

Lol you got that right. First timer overplanner nerd. Packing now for 4 months out to include volunteer vet gig in Galapagos > hiking Machu Picchu > biking Mallorca > volunteer vet in Medina del Campo, Spain. Strategically diitching unneeded stuff as I go to culminate in walking the CF then exploring Portugal a little if I have enough time.

Medina del Campo is a nice wee town. The bar at Hostal Doña Alicia does a really good lunch. One of the best we had on the Levante.

 

[nidarosa]

My walking companion has a 'night bag', a drybag with everything she might need to get ready to sleep and ready to walk - toothbrush and paste, eye mask, ear plugs, night/walking top, foot cream, socks etc - which she rolls up and clips to the bed during the night. That way it is bedbug proof, as they can't get in, and all she has to do in the morning is unclip it, take it to the bathroom and get dressed and ready, then go back to the dorm to pick up the sleeping bag from the bed and the backpack from wherever, leave the room and pack up. Same routine whether she is in a top or bottom bunk, and it works so well I have started doing it myself! I tried to hang my pack off the bed at one stage but it was just to faffy to get to anything while it was hanging there. I have another bag with shower stuff, clothes line/safety pins etc, the only thing that crosses over is the toiletries bag which goes in the night bag after my shower. No pack on the bed! And please, no damp clothes hanging around the bunks either! It's bad enough some people want the windows closed!

 

[Raggy]

I do not understand the logic behind the Salamanca policy.

The policy might not prevent the spread of bedbugs, but I think that storing boots and poles by the entrance and storing rucksacks in lockers rather than allowing them into the tiny dorms has a few benefits. It keeps dirty things away from bunks and it ensures that the dorm isn't filled up with large luggage.

If the albergue allowed early risers to leave early, it would have the added benefit of allowing them to exit the dorm without creating a disturbance for later risers.

I've got mixed feelings about the Salamanca albergue. It felt like Singapore to me. Clean, modern, convenient ... but the folks in charge fear that the pilgrims might descend into barbarism if we're not kept in check. Don't expect all of the rules to be logical. Just be obedient and never forget that you're being watched. Perhaps I was just unfortunate to encounter a Martinet of a hospitalero.

 

[Albertagirl]

The policy might not prevent the spread of bedbugs, but I think that storing boots and poles by the entrance and storing rucksacks in lockers rather than allowing them into the tiny dorms has a few benefits. It keeps dirty things away from bunks and it ensures that the dorm isn't filled up with large luggage.

If the albergue allowed early risers to leave early, it would have the added benefit of allowing them to exit the dorm without creating a disturbance for later risers.

I've got mixed feelings about the Salamanca albergue. It felt like Singapore to me. Clean, modern, convenient ... but the folks in charge fear that the pilgrims might descend into barbarism if we're not kept in check. Don't expect all of the rules to be logical. Just be obedient and never forget that you're being watched. Perhaps I was just unfortunate to encounter a Martinet of a hospitalero.

In 2017, stayed in the Albergue de peregrinos Casa de la Calera Salamanca Jacobea, copying the printing from their sello. I do not remember it like this at all. I don't remember any lockers and I never left my pack outside of the dormitory on the VdlP. Maybe there was a major change in policy. My memories of the Salamanca albergue were pleasant and friendly, except that we were all crammed into one small room, maybe to save cleaning for the hospitaleros; we were two women, who did not enjoy the heat of the crowded room and the loud snoring of most of the male inhabitants. One of the men who couldn't sleep in that setting asked a hospitalero to be moved and was put into a second dormitory alone. Maybe the experience of later hospitaleros gave rise to a revision of policy and regulations. I just do what the hospitaleros direct, but others who try to get conditions changed for their convenience may sometimes go too far, pushing the hospitaleros to bring in new regulations.

 

[m108]

The albergue in Salamanca on the Via de la Plata takes this very seriously indeed. Rucksacks are not allowed upstairs in the dormitories at all. Packs are left downstairs in plastic bins in special cupboards and only the items actually needed during the stay may be taken upstairs.

Yeah, I experienced that two weeks ago. And I survived .... In fact, I like this system. When I want more freedom and comfort, I sleep in a room / hotel

 

[SSojourn]

I prefer a top bunk (for privacy plus I have no trouble climbing up and down so can leave bottom bunks for those that need them). I would like to keep my pack up there with me to facilitate quiet packing up in the morning - early riser. Would prevent stealing too. But I've read on here you're not supposed to keep your pack on your bunk. Can I?

9 out of 10 let meCamino Francis

 

[Raggy]

In 2017, stayed in the Albergue de peregrinos Casa de la Calera Salamanca Jacobea, copying the printing from their sello. I do not remember it like this at all.

Yes. We're talking about the same albergue. I was there in November 2017.
A couple of pilgrims who had stayed there in previous years had told me about the albergue's policy regarding rucksacks. Perhaps the hospitaleros during your visit didn't enforce it.

I stayed a couple more nights in Salamanca at an Airbnb, which was comparable in price (considering breakfast was included), less restrictive, and more comfortable. The host is called Raúl. I recommend it to anyone who wants to spend time in Salamanca.

Raúl's Profile - Airbnb

www.airbnb.co.uk

 

[jerbear]

It really does not matter to me if your rude. As long as I am not. New peeps are the worst. They have no clue. I saw 4 peeps come into albergue. All wanted to soak there feet. So into the kitchen they go in a little line. Took large salad/ pasta bowls and commenced to soak there feet. And one bowl for the soaking of socks and underwear. When finished one person emptied out the bowls. And put them back into the cupboard. Not washing them out.

I prefer a top bunk (for privacy plus I have no trouble climbing up and down so can leave bottom bunks for those that need them). I would like to keep my pack up there with me to facilitate quiet packing up in the morning - early riser. Would prevent stealing too. But I've read on here you're not supposed to keep your pack on your bunk. Can I?

Just be aware, only a very small % of walkers are on this forum. We do not own the trail!!!! Some one will inform you about your pack. So put it on your pack bed and wait. Some one will most likely chew you a new one. Very embarrassing he. So sneak it in if you wish under you jacket as suggested BUT be prepared for the camino police to get ya. Lol the things we worry over bc
Mods if this is too...opinated feel free to remove.

 

[trecile]

So into the kitchen they go in a little line. Took large salad/ pasta bowls and commenced to soak there feet. And one bowl for the soaking of socks and underwear. When finished one person emptied out the bowls. And put them back

Ewwwwww!!

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Ewwwwww!!

Indeed!

 

[C clearly]

n 2017, stayed in the Albergue de peregrinos Casa de la Calera Salamanca Jacobea, ... I do not remember it like this at all.

I was there in spring of 2017. The procedure was quite a production, involving everyone unpacking their backpacks on a couple of benches in the common area, plastic bags, etc. However, the hospitaleros were very nice, and they were clearly just following rules.

I think that storing boots and poles by the entrance and storing rucksacks in lockers rather than allowing them into the tiny dorms has a few benefits.

Certainly. But they went well beyond that.

 

[FourSeasons]

I walk with my husband so I know he doesn’t care. I was referring to the hospitaleros. That is what the question asked was referring to as I recall. And I’ll tell you my thoughts to your face. Gossiping about people behind their backs is not in my nature.
And I won’t mention the number of people who have seen our hanging technique and asked for help in doing the same thing.

The question just asked if it is okay, no mention of hospitaleros. In truth I particularly would not want someone’s dirty pack hanging around my bottom bunk. Some people come off as gruff and kind of a badass. I would not approach such people. The gossiping remark was a joke. A joke!!!!

 

[trecile]

The gossiping remark was a joke. A joke!!!!

I definitely understood it to be a joke.