Leaving in 19 days - Last minute questions (cell memory, pillowcase, jewelry)

[momof34man]

I am leaving in just a few weeks. I have a few last minute things that I need to get some clarity on before I go. So, please bear with me if they have been answered already in an older post.

1. For those of you who have brought a cell phone as your camera: What did you use as a way to back up your photos when the memory on your phone was full? I have an Iphone 6. My cell is full of photos I need to download just from a few days away from home. (Visited my grandaughter, so I took LOTS of photos.) I know my phone memory will fill up on the camino even after removing apps.

2. Pillowcase - I am bringing my own. For those of you who have brought your own pillow case, did you spray it with permetherin? or were you fine without spraying it? I'm a little concerned with the chemical right on my face while sleeping.

3. Jewelry - Married folks.....did you leave your wedding band at home? or if you brought it, were there ever any issues with wearing it on the camino?

Thank you -

 

[Albertagirl]

I am not a married person, so I cannot express an opinion about taking a wedding band. But I lost what little jewelry I took with me last year: one pair of earrings and a small cross. They had no monetary value and very little personal value, so I don't really miss them, except that the cross was given me by a friend. This year, I shall be taking only a rough wooden cross from Mt Athos, which seems appropriate for pilgrimage and hopefully I won't lose it. But I would make one comment. If you never take your wedding band off, it might be safe to take it. But if you are used to taking it off - while you shower, or for hand washing your clothes or for any other purpose, leave it at home. You don't want to lose it. Your daily ritual is different in an albergue and the space that you occupy is not your own. Just don't risk it. If you decide to wear it then have to take it off - for a swollen finger for example - put it with your passport, fasten it to something with a safety pin. The other possibility is that your ring finger may shrink with the rest of you, if you lose a lot of weight while walking. A loose ring can easily slip off. Things, especially small things, behave differently on camino. I wonder if they have their own journeys to take? Is someone else wearing my little silver cross? I hope so, but you and your spouse will not feel that way about your wedding band. Buen camino.

 

[mspath]

Bringing your own pillow case from home is a nice idea, but there is no standard size /shape pillow in use along the way! Perhaps a light weight scarf would be a better solution for you. ...Walking in late autumn/winter I have never been bothered by bedbugs. Not yet.

 

[Chacharm]

If your wedding band has a loose fit, leave it at home. If it is one of those things you never/rarely remove - leave it on. I have an issue with hand swelling so I removed it the first time but since the condition is treated now I wore it the second time. I only take my earrings off to clean them so I wore them, too. On both Caminos. Otherwise, no jewelry.
I can't imagine my phone's memory filling up - but my guess is that if you download what you now have on to your computer or photo site and have an empty gallery you will be just fine with an iPhone 6.
A scarf works really well as a pillowcase. It is the only thing I don't spray down with permethryn.

 

[mcopeland]

A scarf works really well as a pillowcase. It is the only thing I don't spray down with permethryn.

What else do you spray? Clothes? Pack?
We leave the 20th, from St. Jean the 25th.

 

[momof34man]

If your wedding band has a loose fit, leave it at home. If it is one of those things you never/rarely remove - leave it on. I have an issue with hand swelling so I removed it the first time but since the condition is treated now I wore it the second time. I only take my earrings off to clean them so I wore them, too. On both Caminos. Otherwise, no jewelry.
I can't imagine my phone's memory filling up - but my guess is that if you download what you now have on to your computer or photo site and have an empty gallery you will be just fine with an iPhone 6.
A scarf works really well as a pillowcase. It is the only thing I don't spray down with permethryn.

I never take off my wedding band or my earrings, so I think I will go ahead and wear them. I will also not treat my pillowcase with permethryn either. Thank you for the insight Chacharm.

 

[Diane Kinney]

Hi,
I wore just a plain gold bands (my Grandmothers) and left my wedding and engagement rings at home. I also wore small earnings. No problem with any of it. I took my pillow case but did not spray it. I just liked having my own against my skin and never had a problem with a pillow fitting.
Can't help re the phone. I bring a Nikon with me but I also had my iPad and emptied my memory card most nights.
Enjoy.

 

[Rob the Slob]

I never wear my wedding ring when hiking: the combination of my hands warming up and even a light grip on my poles bends the ring completely out of shape. I get special exemption from my wife to leave it at home.

 

[alipilgrim]

As far as your phone goes, empty all your photos off before you leave home, and you might consider going thru and deleting any music (unless you must have some), or Apps you won't use. It's quite surprising how much space these can take up. If you just delete them off your phone you can add them again easily after your Camino -iTunes keeps them stored in your account. You can find out which of your apps are the memory hogs by going into Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage > Manage Storage (at least on my 5S).

You might consider adding a Dropbox app to your phone, and upload your Camino photos to it during your walk. That way they are saved in the Cloud.

 

[momof34man]

As far as your phone goes, empty all your photos off before you leave home, and you might consider going thru and deleting any music (unless you must have some), or Apps you won't use. It's quite surprising how much space these can take up. If you just delete them off your phone you can add them again easily after your Camino -iTunes keeps them stored in your account. You can find out which of your apps are the memory hogs by going into Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage > Manage Storage (at least on my 5S).

You might consider adding a Dropbox app to your phone, and upload your Camino photos to it during your walk. That way they are saved in the Cloud.

I am in the process of deleting every unnecessary app on my phone. I wish I could remove the apps that Apple puts on my iphone automatically. I'll check my storage as well.

Have you used Dropbox along the camino? Did you ever have any issues with it not downloading? or not having enough memory?

I am also using Google docs for my guidebook. (Basically cutting and pasting information that I have found online about different places to stay, different sections of the camino etc.) I'm hoping that isn't a memory hog.

Thanks for the information Alipilgrim.

 

[LouiseEdin]

I used a silk scarf to cover my pillow. The Spanish pillows are a totally different shape from standard pillowcases

 

[Mysticl]

I uploaded all my pics daily to FB via whatever wifi I could find ... once I knew they were secure I stopped worrying about what would happen if I lost the ones on my phone ... if I ran out of space I deleted earlier photos .. knowing I had a backup online. As for jewelry I didn't take any but I don't wear it normally so no biggie ... I'd have absolutely no problem with a wedding ring tho ... no one is likely to jump you to steal the ring ... I took a pillow case as well ... silk went with my silk liner ... I didn't bother spraying it and I never saw a bedbug ...

 

[GettingThere]

Have you used Dropbox along the camino? Did you ever have any issues with it not downloading? or not having enough memory?

I used DropBox on the Camino to back up my photos (via the DropBox app which I installed on my phone before I left home) and it worked well. It had plenty of storage for me - although I didn't take as many photos as some might. I have about 50GB avaliable on DropBox, although you can pay for more if you think you'll need it. It worked well because whenever I could connect to wifi I uploaded my latest batch of photos - so it's good as a backup in case the worst happens and you lose your phone - that was my reason for using it rather than not having enough storage on my phone, although it would be good for that too if that's an issue for you. I did find that in some places the wifi signal was not strong, and so the uploading was a bit slow, but if you do it often enough and not wait until you have dozens to upload you should be fine.

One piece of advice I was given before going on the Camino was not to take too many photos - as always being behind a camera can be a barrier between you and the experience. I took that somewhat to heart and took fewer than I might perhaps have done otherwise. So that also made it easier not having thousands of photos to try to upload! Then again, there are times when I wish I'd taken more - some places I just didn't think to photograph which i now wish I had, so you have to find your own balance.

Only 18 days to go for you now - so excited for you - and envious! Buen Camino!

 

[Lucy Longpath]

I wore my wedding ring as I never take it off anyway so did not think about not taking it. I have one small gold ear ring which I rarely take off and otherwise no other jewellery. I took a muslin square to put on my pillow, and did not spray it. I thought this smaller and more flexible than a pillow case as it could be used as a bandage or a head scarf too. I did not take photos but will take some on the Puy Way this year with my iPhone. Not sure yet about storage.

 

[Deleted member 34316]

2. Pillowcase - I am bringing my own. For those of you who have brought your own pillow case, did you spray it with permetherin? or were you fine without spraying it? I'm a little concerned with the chemical right on my face while sleeping.

Don't get over concerned about the bedbugs in the spring - they usually show up much later, late summer or fall, after the vagabonds set off on their caminos and carry the insects from one albergue to another. Spring is quite safe, at least in my opinion.
I always take a very small pillowcase with a zip - I fill it up with dry clothes I have in my backpack, like a fleece or just some (clean) underwear. I would never spray my pillowcase with any chemicals. That's just my point of view.

Buen Camino!

 

[ellsea]

1. Flickr auto upload over wifi
2. Yes, absolutely! and with Permethrin. Would do again. The pillows provided are really grubby, and I saw many people using them without pillowcases.
3. Can't comment on the wedding band, but I wore my earrings the whole time - I never take them out, so I didn't worry about losing them.

 

[Scott Sweeney]

We sprayed our back pack and sleeping bags. I don't like using chemicals but admittedly there are times they are needed. I'm not sure I'd want my face buried in treated fabric but that is how I feel. Removing wedding rings, I'm not sure why you would want to.

Enjoy your Camino.

 

[N.I.G.E.L]

I personally did not take my phone when I was on the Camino, I just couldn't see the point in taking it, plus all that fuss about charging etc, and the extra weight (yes I know, it's only a few 100 grams) but only just this and only just that and before you know it your carrying way too many kilos in your pack.
Pillowcase, well I used to use a tee shirt to pull over the pillow, but a pillowcase is lighter, plus if your away for a long time then a pillow case will dry quicker after washing than a tee shirt that's for sure, I also didn't use any sprays, maybe I've been lucky but I've never had any trouble with bed bugs etc.
Jewelry, I'm a guy so jewelry isn't really an issue, but I am married, so I wore my wedding ring like I always do, as for your question about issues on the Camino with wearing your wedding ring, ??, I'm at a loss to understand this question ??, WHY would there be.

 

[dougfitz]

I don't like using chemicals but admittedly there are times they are needed. I'm not sure I'd want my face buried in treated fabric but that is how I feel.

You should not treat clothing and equipment that comes into contact with moist areas of your body with permethrin in any case. I would not treat underwear, sleeping bag liners or pillow cases.

I wore my wedding band, which I rarely take off anyhow. But I can understand why you might want to leave behind an engagement ring or other jewellery set with a precious stone that might get damaged or lost, or has other special significance such as a family heirloom.

 

[november_moon]

I took a pillow case and didn't have any trouble putting it on pillows. The pillows were longer than the standard US pillow cases, but that was all - they aren't like the German pillows, which are big and square.

 

[bunnymac]

I have always used tea tree oil as a bedbug repellent. I put a couple of drops on my sleeping bag (and in my pack) before I pack up in the morning. It also works really well as an antiseptic and as a treatment for other types of bug bites. I also always use a mummy bag which negates the need for a pillow case.
There are plenty of internet cafes along the way and albergue with computers and internet access to help deal with your photo issues.
I have also always worn wedding band/engagement ring/eternity ring. I take a sealed shoelace and loop my rings onto it and wear them around my neck when the need arises.
Buen Camino

 

[Toreld]

I am leaving in just a few weeks. I have a few last minute things that I need to get some clarity on before I go. So, please bear with me if they have been answered already in an older post.

1. For those of you who have brought a cell phone as your camera: What did you use as a way to back up your photos when the memory on your phone was full? I have an Iphone 6. My cell is full of photos I need to download just from a few days away from home. (Visited my grandaughter, so I took LOTS of photos.) I know my phone memory will fill up on the camino even after removing apps.

2. Pillowcase - I am bringing my own. For those of you who have brought your own pillow case, did you spray it with permetherin? or were you fine without spraying it? I'm a little concerned with the chemical right on my face while sleeping.

3. Jewelry - Married folks.....did you leave your wedding band at home? or if you brought it, were there ever any issues with wearing it on the camino?

Thank you -

Hola,

I am also preparing for The Camino and
yesterday I bought a 64 GB memory for my cellphone to store all my pictures.
That is plenty of space for pictures.
Then I do not have to wory about my cellphones inner memory space.

 

[Chacharm]

What else do you spray? Clothes? Pack?
We leave the 20th, from St. Jean the 25th.

Oh yes - I spray everything. Bedbugs love everything that fits tight to your body - seams. A young girl on Camino asked me to look at her bites because she didn't know what they were - and they were a perfect trace of her panty lines and bra lines. The sight made a lasting impression on me. I also had a friend who came home with them in her suitcase and the trouble and expense in getting rid of them freaked me out.