Leisurely Day Off

[HallOfFreedom]

I'll be honest, the actual walking portion of my Camino for the first 3 days was awful. Over-burdened and out of shape, that mountain took everything I had and more. The next two days were filled with painful reminders of what I'd been through, and I was not enjoying myself much.

But I replenished my Ibuprofen stock, got rid of excess baggage, and made a reservation in Puenta la Reina, and so my fourth day was slow-paced, pain-free, and rewarding. Truly yesterday was a gift from God and I'm glad I pushed on for it.

But today I have a cough and a couple uncooperative blisters, so I am just enjoying the day in PlR. Meeting many interesting and diverse people. God is good and Spain is beautiful!

 

[MTtoCamino]

Hall of Freedom
How are you treating your Blisters, where are they on your feet? I ask because I have some experience with mine & many others.

 

[HallOfFreedom]

One is south of my big toe, and the other is in the middle, front of the arch. My issue is they don't want to drain. I pulled a thread through them like every website and book says to, but to no avail

 

[SYates]

One is south of my big toe, and the other is in the middle, front of the arch. My issue is they don't want to drain. I pulled a thread through them like every website and book says to, but to no avail

Sigh! Big sigh! Honestly those writers should be ... No, take the thread out, it is the best way to get a nasty infection, especially when it is warm and moist. A thread is like a ladder for the germs to climb under your skin.

Instead clean/disinfect skin, take a pair of nail scissors, well disinfected, and make a small triangular cut in the skin of the blister. Do NOT remove the skin, just make a small cut big enough to drain it properly. Take some gauze or similar and press liquid out. If you are not allergic to iodine and have no thyroid problems you can use Betadine and a band aid or similar to give it some compression. Good luck, SY

 

[MTtoCamino]

sYates has described it very well! I am even more strict for cleanliness.
Wash feet first
use cigar lighter the kind like a mini blow torch To burn sissors or needle.
Have gauze & antibiotic cream next to you
Carefully cut or stab with needle use gauze to drain completely
Put on antibiotic cream.
I dress with mole skin

Some thoughts on why your getting them:
Too much slide in shoe make a spacer from any shoe soles you can find to build up the area effected do this by putting under existing foot bed.
Wear soft wool socks
Change every 2 hours
For hot spots look on fence lines for wool, yep start looking for sheep. Use it as another way to pad areas affected.
Drink more water!!
Just curious as I wore Keens, same type of issues until I found some "Sole" foot beds. But my building up reduced the blisters.

 

[newgabe]

A friend in Oz gave me a pack of "trekkers wool" for a Camino present.. clean high lanolin fleece strands.. yum! I am heading to Spain tomorrow to start walking by Thursday... my aim is a blister free month

 

[Lance Chambers]

One is south of my big toe, and the other is in the middle, front of the arch. My issue is they don't want to drain. I pulled a thread through them like every website and book says to, but to no avail

I wear a pair of thin sheer women's black stockings (ankle highs) next to my feet and wear my woolen socks over those. Never had a blister even though I did no training for the 113 kms I walked last year. I know that 113 kms is nothing but it is long enough to get blisters if you're not ready for it.

 

[trecile]

I wear a pair of thin sheer women's black stockings (ankle highs) next to my feet and wear my woolen socks over those. Never had a blister even though I did no training for the 113 kms I walked last year. I know that 113 kms is nothing but it is long enough to get blisters if you're not ready for it.

10 km is enough to get blisters!

 

[Joodle]

A friend in Oz gave me a pack of "trekkers wool" for a Camino present.. clean high lanolin fleece strands.. yum! I am heading to Spain tomorrow to start walking by Thursday... my aim is a blister free month

Have a wonder filled journey. I am behind you by one week. Buen Camino!!

 

[t2andreo]

You already passed Pamplona, a fine rest day spot, albeit rather early on in the Camino Frances. S0, considering where you are, heading west, consider a rest day at Logrono, Santo Domingo de la Calzadas, or Burgos. At each place, you can find interesting things to do and places to visit during the layover.

Farther down the road, you could well plan a extra day at Leon, Astorga, or Sarria. I regularly stay an extra day at Leon, as it is the regional capital, has a magnificent cathedral, and every conceivable thing you could need. Astorga has interesting architecture, history, and is the center of Spain's chocolate industry. Sarria is 111 Km from the Plaza Obradoiro in Santiago, in front of the Cathedral. The center of this square contains the "official" distance marker. Sarria also has everything a pilgrim could need, readily to hand.

As regards Sarria and the now opening, annual "peak season," I advise planning you earlier Camino stages to arrive at Sarria not on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. As many pilgrims start their Camino from Sarria, obtaining lodging CAN at times be difficult, especially during the summer season. However, if you arrive Monday through Thursday evening, lodging should not be a problem. But there are other considerations. Please read on...

Personally, I try to arrange my pace earlier on to arrive at Sarria from Tuesday through Thursday afternoon, as that avoids both the starting surge and resultant demand for bed space for people starting our, as well as the follow-on "wave" of pilgrims leaving Sarria each Saturday, Sunday or even Monday morning on their way to Santiago. This factors in the surge or "pig in a python" effect of a large number of pilgrims all leaving on what is routinely a five-day walk to Santiago. If you leave when everyone else does, then bed space will be comparatively more difficult to secure for the same five-days on your way to Santiago.

The equation is this; assuming you want to arrive at Santiago (also not on Friday or Saturday afternoon to avoid the surge at each night's stop), and working backwards from that, backing up five-days, the optimum window to arrive at Sarria, stay one-night and continue on to Santiago would be arriving at Sarria on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. These are relatively easy days to obtain lodging at Sarria, and you also avoid getting swamped at Santiago on the back end. If you arrive at Sarria on these three days, and leave the following day for your five-day walk to Santiago, you would normally arrive at Santiago on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday.

After Sarria, it is a surge or push to get to Santiago. It seems to affect people like a magnet. You will not want to stop the farther along you get. however, if you have medical issues, DO take your time. St. James is not going anywhere anytime soon...He will still be there when you arrive.

I hope this helps.

 

[mcopeland]

A friend in Oz gave me a pack of "trekkers wool" for a Camino present.. clean high lanolin fleece strands.. yum! I am heading to Spain tomorrow to start walking by Thursday... my aim is a blister free month

I have some lamb's wool but haven't figured out how to use it.

 

[mcopeland]

I'll be honest, the actual walking portion of my Camino for the first 3 days was awful. Over-burdened and out of shape, that mountain took everything I had and more. The next two days were filled with painful reminders of what I'd been through, and I was not enjoying myself much.

But I replenished my Ibuprofen stock, got rid of excess baggage, and made a reservation in Puenta la Reina, and so my fourth day was slow-paced, pain-free, and rewarding. Truly yesterday was a gift from God and I'm glad I pushed on for it.

But today I have a cough and a couple uncooperative blisters, so I am just enjoying the day in PlR. Meeting many interesting and diverse people. God is good and Spain is beautiful!

Agree! It is starting to get easier. We just went through Puente la Reina and are at Manera. You will probably pass us tomorrow. Get some ibuprofen gel too.

 

[soozansings]

You already passed Pamplona, a fine rest day spot, albeit rather early on in the Camino Frances. S0, considering where you are, heading west, consider a rest day at Logrono, Santo Domingo de la Calzadas, or Burgos. At each place, you can find interesting things to do and places to visit during the layover.

Farther down the road, you could well plan a extra day at Leon, Astorga, or Sarria. I regularly stay an extra day at Leon, as it is the regional capital, has a magnificent cathedral, and every conceivable thing you could need. Astorga has interesting architecture, history, and is the center of Spain's chocolate industry. Sarria is 111 Km from the Plaza Obradoiro in Santiago, in front of the Cathedral. The center of this square contains the "official" distance marker. Sarria also has everything a pilgrim could need, readily to hand.

As regards Sarria and the now opening, annual "peak season," I advise planning you earlier Camino stages to arrive at Sarria not on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. As many pilgrims start their Camino from Sarria, obtaining lodging CAN at times be difficult, especially during the summer season. However, if you arrive Monday through Thursday evening, lodging should not be a problem. But there are other considerations. Please read on...

Personally, I try to arrange my pace earlier on to arrive at Sarria from Tuesday through Thursday afternoon, as that avoids both the starting surge and resultant demand for bed space for people starting our, as well as the follow-on "wave" of pilgrims leaving Sarria each Saturday, Sunday or even Monday morning on their way to Santiago. This factors in the surge or "pig in a python" effect of a large number of pilgrims all leaving on what is routinely a five-day walk to Santiago. If you leave when everyone else does, then bed space will be comparatively more difficult to secure for the same five-days on your way to Santiago.

The equation is this; assuming you want to arrive at Santiago (also not on Friday or Saturday afternoon to avoid the surge at each night's stop), and working backwards from that, backing up five-days, the optimum window to arrive at Sarria, stay one-night and continue on to Santiago would be arriving at Sarria on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. These are relatively easy days to obtain lodging at Sarria, and you also avoid getting swamped at Santiago on the back end. If you arrive at Sarria on these three days, and leave the following day for your five-day walk to Santiago, you would normally arrive at Santiago on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday.

After Sarria, it is a surge or push to get to Santiago. It seems to affect people like a magnet. You will not want to stop the farther along you get. however, if you have medical issues, DO take your time. St. James is not going anywhere anytime soon...He will still be there when you arrive.

I hope this helps.

Pig in a python. Perfect image!

 

[Devon Mike]

I wear a pair of thin sheer women's black stockings (ankle highs) next to my feet and wear my woolen socks over those. Never had a blister even though I did no training for the 113 kms I walked last year. I know that 113 kms is nothing but it is long enough to get blisters if you're not ready for it.

Exactly what I use too. No blisters here either when I walked over 1,000kms on the Camino last year wearing ladies' ankle stockings under my smartwool socks in my Merrel Moab mid-height boots.

 

[domigee]

I have some lamb's wool but haven't figured out how to use it.

If you feel you're getting a 'hot spot' but BEFORE it turns into anything like a blister, put some lambswool on the affected area, on your foot, held in place by your sock.
I hope it helps.
Buen camino