Geodoc
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- CF 2018 (across Pyrenees, then Sarria to SdC), CF 2019 (SJPdP to Finisterra & Muxia), CI 2019
I just wrapped up 900 km on the Camino from SJPdP to SdC, then on to Finisterra and Muxia, and here are a few things I learned along the way and thought I would pass on to others.
- The quality of the service of the albergue/bar/cafe is usually best when it's run by those who were Peregrinos themselves. This doesn't mean a purely for-profit place is bad, but it just seems to be friendly/more service oriented toward Perergrinos when run by a former Peregrino.
- Newer albergues are usually better than older albergues, especially for the digital Peregrino. Showers are usually roomier and have space for you and your valuables (preferably in a dry-sack of some sort), and aren't covered with mold. Newer albergues also usually have lockers - a very useful commodity (and if they have them, use them).
- Before arriving at O Cebriero (sp?), book a bed either before it or after it. Don't be one of the many peregrinos scrambling back to Laguna de Castilla hoping for a bed.
- Seriously considering booking places after Sarria, but two days out. I had to scramble for a room one time in Palas de Rei - the town was packed!
- The Wise Pilgrim app is great (but could be improved by adding the location of picnic areas). If you carry a phone, it reduces the weight of carrying a guide.
- Put your name and contact info (e.g., email) on your credencial AND on your phone (thank you Rachel from Switzerland and anonymous Spanish dude on bike who found my phone and returned it to me - long before I even knew it was missing).
- Europeans use WhatsApp - get it.
- Pilgrims menus are WAY too much food. A half-menu usually works well (and aids in getting rid of the excess pounds/kilos around the waist).
- Gadis (the supermarket) usually has small bottles of red wine (vino tinto) - usually 350ml, which is better for drinking alone.
- If you buy a large bottle of wine, loudly announce that there's free wine - you'll make friends (lots of friends!).
- The Tilly Air-Flow hat is a awesome. Even on the Meseta, when temperatures exceeded 40C, and the only shade you'll find is what you're carrying, it worked well. The vents under the top allowed heat to escape and air to flow over the noggin. I think I consider this the American Express of hats - don't leave home without it.
- Pacer Poles are amazing. Lightweight, sturdy, and ergonomic. Saves ankles on those treacherous stretches, and saves legs/knees on those steep stretches. Also, you don't wind up with the walking stick tan on your hand (i.e., there's no pale line where any straps were wrapped around your hand).
- The only cure for heat rash is less heat.
- Check EVERY bed you plan on sleeping in for bed-bugs. EVERY bed, every time before even putting your sleep sack down.
- Carry traveler's health insurance for those unexpected visits to the medical clinic on Sunday morning at 6:30 for the antihistamine shots for those bed-bug bites.
- Paper sheets are okay, but real sheets are sooooo much better (usually found in newer albergues).
- Plastic water bottles are okay, as long as you use them for as long as they'll last. Be sure to get a sturdier bottle (not the cheapo ones usually found in vending machines).
- Cerveza sin alcohol is a lifesaver at the end of a long, hot day. No alcohol to dehydrate you further, just that nice crisp, refreshing cold taste of beer (and it didn't matter the brand - they all taste good but I'm partial to San Miguel).
- Johnny Walker Red is only 13 Euros at Gadis. Holy smokeroonie Batman!
- Stop several times a day and take off your boots/shoes and socks. Dry those feet out, especially on hot days. Blisters are no fun.
- Use an anti-friction cream on your feet to prevent blisters. I used "Glide" but Compeed also has one out and can be found in most Farmacias.
- Merino wool t-shirts are amazing. No or little odor, even after a long day of hiking. Decathalon sells some for less than 20 Euros (discovered after someone stole my good Merino wool t-shirt off the drying rack in an albergue in SdC).
- If you wear Merino wool clothes, the Alluret wash bag works great - it's for delicates, but also serves as a dry bag when packing valuables into the shower.
- Laundry sheets are okay, but concentrated laundry soap (a la Sea-to-Summit) works better.
- Rain gear is important - a good rain coat/poncho system (ideally, one that vents the armpits - my bad on that one) and a rain kilt work well. Be sure to keep it accessible (note to self, do NOT bury rain kilt at the bottom of the pack where it can't be easily extracted, or even found, during a rainstorm).
- Croc sandals are lightweight and worked well after a day of hiking.
- If you suffer allergies/are chemical sensitive to fragrance laden soaps, bring your own blanket (a lightweight down one works well).
- Layer - lightweight layers work better than thick, bulky clothing. I only needed all four layers once, but it was REALLY needed then, and was damned glad I had them (t-shirt, Merino wool hoodie, lightweight travel shirt, and lightweight rain jacket).
- Hide your valuables, particularly your money. A combo of a money belt, hidden wallet, and money clip works well.
- If you want something, and it doesn't exist, DIY. I refuse to put water inside my pack (e.g., water bladder) but I'm not flexible enough to reach around and pull a water bottle out of the pack side pocket, so I jury-rigged a contraption consisting of a rigid tube, a flexible tube, and a couple of rubber o-rings to allow me to sip water on the go (rigid tube through hole poked in bottle cap, held in place by o-rings, and flexible tube from rigid tube, through pack straps, within easy reach of mouth).
- Talk with people. Walk with people. Spend time alone.
- Don't miss the Meseta. It's beauty is worth the time spent on it.
- Sunscreen - minimum SPF of 50. Apply before 10 AM to both arms and the back of the legs. Reapply as needed.
- Sunglasses - keep them handy (and don't lose your clip-ons - immediately put them in their case any time you go inside - do NOT set them on the counter, anywhere, ever).
- Training - do hills. Lots of hills. I was fortunate, in that I had a small mountain close to home (2 miles up and 1000' of elevation gain - I climbed it twice a day for several weeks - well worth it).
- If you can't do hills, do stairs.
- Train with all your gear.
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