Look behind you!!

[Tincatinker]

It seems to me that I am seeing more and more posts lately from people who have “lost” various items, from the crucial like credencials to the peripheral such as hats. We have seen posts about poles, cameras, necklaces, power adapters, sunglasses, guidebooks, even clothing.

I wonder if it’s people so focused on the prize, their goal, that they have lost all situational awareness. They stop walking, they put things down, they start walking again. They never look back, they never check “Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet and Watch”. Though how anyone can fail to notice the absence of an umbrella in the rain or a walking pole unless it was just an ornament stretches even my vivid imagination.

Every third Peregrino will have abandoned something somewhere. I think I could probably start walking from Roncesvalles with an empty backpack and be fully equipped by Pamplona and by Burgos I could probably open a store but how or why is this occurring?? Is it a (please pardon the language) “head-space” thing? That people are so wrapped into the experience that they have lost any perception of the process.

When that nice Galilean said “take up thy bed and walk” I’m sure the implication was “and make sure you have the rest of your stuff with you when you go”…

 

[J Willhaus]

It seems to me that I am seeing more and more posts lately from people who have “lost” various items, from the crucial like credencials to the peripheral such as hats. We have seen posts about poles, cameras, necklaces, power adapters, sunglasses, guidebooks, even clothing.

I wonder if it’s people so focused on the prize, their goal, that they have lost all situational awareness. They stop walking, they put things down, they start walking again. They never look back, they never check “Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet and Watch”. Though how anyone can fail to notice the absence of an umbrella in the rain or a walking pole unless it was just an ornament stretches even my vivid imagination.

Every third Peregrino will have abandoned something somewhere. I think I could probably start walking from Roncesvalles with an empty backpack and be fully equipped by Pamplona and by Burgos I could probably open a store but how or why is this occurring?? Is it a (please pardon the language) “head-space” thing? That people are so wrapped into the experience that they have lost any perception of the process.

When that nice Galilean said “take up thy bed and walk” I’m sure the implication was “and make sure you have the rest of your stuff with you when you go”…

It happens almost every year to us. We usually leave at least one charger somewhere along the way or lose a sock or something else... I have left things in the fridge I planned to retrieve or soap/shampoo in the shower...

 

[trecile]

I have noticed a lot more lost & found posts recently - mostly lost items. I have also noticed that many of the thread titles are not too descriptive. A title such as "Lost and Found" is not very helpful. (yes, that thread title was posted today, but was edited by a moderator to be more specific) It's best to say what the item is and approximately where you lost it in the thread title.

 

[dbier]

Someone has commented that a true hiker makes a 360 degree turn in place before walking away from any stop.

Which doesn't help much in a dark albergue...

 

[Turga]

The only thing I ever lost on a Camino was a half-full tube of toothpaste. I did consider making a ‘lost and found’ post but somehow I lost that thought.

 

[good_old_shoes]

Maybe it's also that people bring more expensive items and therefore are more attached to them?

All the times I lost/forgot towels, shirts, sandals, flip flops, socks ect. I simply shrugged or sighed or laughed because it had happened again, kept on walking, and looked for replacement in the donation boxes or cheap stores. I like to think that what I have lost/forgotten will be useful for someone else who needed it more at that moment (usually things that are really important I will not forget or notice so quickly that I can still return).

I guess when you lose a 200€ pair of prescription sunglasses vs a 5€ one or a 100€ branded shirt vs a 10€ one from decathlon, you have more motivation to get it back, I guess.

The only things I returned to get were my beloved wooden hiking staff and my water bottle.

I totally understand that one can get attached to certain items, no matter their financial worth, and you'll do a lot to get it back. But most of the times I wouldn't bother. At all.

Maybe I'm just too lazy!

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

Well...perhaps for those who report the loss, it may be a, "head space," thing. But for the unreported items, it may simply be a lightening of the pack exercise. I know I have not reported a number of things, including hiking boots with which I had I long history...but no more.

 

[howardd5]

It seems to me that I am seeing more and more posts lately from people who have “lost” various items, from the crucial like credencials to the peripheral such as hats. We have seen posts about poles, cameras, necklaces, power adapters, sunglasses, guidebooks, even clothing.

I wonder if it’s people so focused on the prize, their goal, that they have lost all situational awareness. They stop walking, they put things down, they start walking again. They never look back, they never check “Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet and Watch”. Though how anyone can fail to notice the absence of an umbrella in the rain or a walking pole unless it was just an ornament stretches even my vivid imagination.

Every third Peregrino will have abandoned something somewhere. I think I could probably start walking from Roncesvalles with an empty backpack and be fully equipped by Pamplona and by Burgos I could probably open a store but how or why is this occurring?? Is it a (please pardon the language) “head-space” thing? That people are so wrapped into the experience that they have lost any perception of the process.

When that nice Galilean said “take up thy bed and walk” I’m sure the implication was “and make sure you have the rest of your stuff with you when you go”…

I had lost( left) my walking shoes because a generally wear sandals, on the way to Najara and I asked the hospitality where to get another pair. She showed me into a room of left gear , there was a ton of everything , I found a nice pair of abandoned German walking shoe that were great and used them for years. If you need something ask at the albergue first

 

[Tincatinker]

Thank you @howardd5 for the reminder that in all the turmoil and change on Camino nothing really changes at all.

I wrote this in 2014:

Descending from Alto Perdon in 2012 I encountered a pair of boots, separated by about 200 metres, a pair of badly torn cargo pants on a fence a little further down and at the bottom a Burghaus rain jacket and a heap of other abandoned clothing. I spent the few k's into Uterga looking for a bin for most of it, and for a semi-naked barefoot pilgrim...

On reflection that was just my minor contribution to a fun thread. For those who are Friends of Alice https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...of-abandoned-walking-boots.26785/#post-215105

 

[Jim Porter]

It seems to me that I am seeing more and more posts lately from people who have “lost” various items, from the crucial like credencials to the peripheral such as hats. We have seen posts about poles, cameras, necklaces, power adapters, sunglasses, guidebooks, even clothing.

I wonder if it’s people so focused on the prize, their goal, that they have lost all situational awareness. They stop walking, they put things down, they start walking again. They never look back, they never check “Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet and Watch”. Though how anyone can fail to notice the absence of an umbrella in the rain or a walking pole unless it was just an ornament stretches even my vivid imagination.

Every third Peregrino will have abandoned something somewhere. I think I could probably start walking from Roncesvalles with an empty backpack and be fully equipped by Pamplona and by Burgos I could probably open a store but how or why is this occurring?? Is it a (please pardon the language) “head-space” thing? That people are so wrapped into the experience that they have lost any perception of the process.

When that nice Galilean said “take up thy bed and walk” I’m sure the implication was “and make sure you have the rest of your stuff with you when you go”…

The nice Galilean had four friends along with him. Lesson? Walk with a buddy who can keep you on track, perhaps?

 

[Anamiri]

It seems to me that I am seeing more and more posts lately from people who have “lost” various items, from the crucial like credencials to the peripheral such as hats. We have seen posts about poles, cameras, necklaces, power adapters, sunglasses, guidebooks, even clothing.

I wonder if it’s people so focused on the prize, their goal, that they have lost all situational awareness. They stop walking, they put things down, they start walking again. They never look back, they never check “Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet and Watch”. Though how anyone can fail to notice the absence of an umbrella in the rain or a walking pole unless it was just an ornament stretches even my vivid imagination.

Every third Peregrino will have abandoned something somewhere. I think I could probably start walking from Roncesvalles with an empty backpack and be fully equipped by Pamplona and by Burgos I could probably open a store but how or why is this occurring?? Is it a (please pardon the language) “head-space” thing? That people are so wrapped into the experience that they have lost any perception of the process.

When that nice Galilean said “take up thy bed and walk” I’m sure the implication was “and make sure you have the rest of your stuff with you when you go”…

In 2017 I left my poles behind. Realised as soon as the big door shut behind us, then had to wait for a pilgrim to come out so I could get back in.

 

[J Willhaus]

Phil left his phone in an albergue one year. We waited outside for some other pilgrims to awaken and they brought him the phone...

 

[Chizuru]

We always do an 'emu bob' before we leave any place that we stay and a 360-degree look around us for left objects and rubbish when we walk away from a stop. That usually works, but I once left my poles behind on a day that was so full of pain that I could barely think straight. I can't fathom how I was walking without them for a full km before I noticed that they weren't in my hands. My darling husband dashed back to get them. That was the day I walked 29 kms that took 9 long hours.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

We have seen posts about poles, cameras, necklaces, power adapters, sunglasses, guidebooks, even clothing.

Don't forget towels.

 

[Richard Smith]

I have seen people forget their backpack, and then comment the walking seemed easier

 

[Dan McNerney]

A good practice is when get up walk a few steps and then look back where you were sitting. Also look back on the trail often to see the scenery you are missing.

 

[TheHills]

It seems to me that I am seeing more and more posts lately from people who have “lost” various items, from the crucial like credencials to the peripheral such as hats. We have seen posts about poles, cameras, necklaces, power adapters, sunglasses, guidebooks, even clothing.

I wonder if it’s people so focused on the prize, their goal, that they have lost all situational awareness. They stop walking, they put things down, they start walking again. They never look back, they never check “Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet and Watch”. Though how anyone can fail to notice the absence of an umbrella in the rain or a walking pole unless it was just an ornament stretches even my vivid imagination.

Every third Peregrino will have abandoned something somewhere. I think I could probably start walking from Roncesvalles with an empty backpack and be fully equipped by Pamplona and by Burgos I could probably open a store but how or why is this occurring?? Is it a (please pardon the language) “head-space” thing? That people are so wrapped into the experience that they have lost any perception of the process.

When that nice Galilean said “take up thy bed and walk” I’m sure the implication was “and make sure you have the rest of your stuff with you when you go”…

"Testicles"
One can lose those? Well I never!!

 

[David Tallan]

Though how anyone can fail to notice the absence of an umbrella in the rain or a walking pole unless it was just an ornament stretches even my vivid imagination.

Some of us are more absent-minded than others. I really should have been a professor like my dad. I'm one of those people who always walk with poles and never carry them. I figure it is their job to carry me rather than the other way 'round. Notwithstanding that, I have left them behind after stopping at the bar and had to have someone call me back or returned myself bashfully after a while when I finally notice.

 

[David Tallan]

For those who are Friends of Alice

"Friends of Alice"? I've heard of "Friends of Dorothy" and "Friends of Bill W" but this is a new one to me.

 

[trecile]

"Friends of Alice"? I've heard of "Friends of Dorothy" and "Friends of Bill W" but this is a new one to me.

Maybe he's referring to going down rabbit holes?

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Don't forget towels.

I'm guilty of that. I was on the meseta and had to ask if I could buy a used towel from the bar that had lodging above it where we stayed the next night. The owner sold me a small fluffy hand towel for €5 as there were no stores around. It was better than nothing after a shower. I used it the test of the way to Santiago.

 

[makingtrax]

It seems to me that I am seeing more and more posts lately from people who have “lost” various items, from the crucial like credencials to the peripheral such as hats. We have seen posts about poles, cameras, necklaces, power adapters, sunglasses, guidebooks, even clothing.

I wonder if it’s people so focused on the prize, their goal, that they have lost all situational awareness. They stop walking, they put things down, they start walking again. They never look back, they never check “Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet and Watch”. Though how anyone can fail to notice the absence of an umbrella in the rain or a walking pole unless it was just an ornament stretches even my vivid imagination.

Every third Peregrino will have abandoned something somewhere. I think I could probably start walking from Roncesvalles with an empty backpack and be fully equipped by Pamplona and by Burgos I could probably open a store but how or why is this occurring?? Is it a (please pardon the language) “head-space” thing? That people are so wrapped into the experience that they have lost any perception of the process.

When that nice Galilean said “take up thy bed and walk” I’m sure the implication was “and make sure you have the rest of your stuff with you when you go”…

My friend always utters....got the 3 Ps....purse passport and phone.. everytime we left after a nightstop....and we always looked back to be sure we left no rubbish behind...

 

[makingtrax]

The only thing I ever lost on a Camino was a half-full tube of toothpaste. I did consider making a ‘lost and found’ post but somehow I lost that thought.

Or was it a half empty tube....that makes the loss a little easier to bear!

 

[VNwalking]

Is it a (please pardon the language) “head-space” thing? That people are so wrapped into the experience that they have lost any perception of the process.

Just no mindfulness - probably lost in the moving forward.

In 2017 I left my poles behind. Realised as soon as the big door shut behind us, then had to wait for a pilgrim to come out so I could get back in.

Confession time. I left my poles behind one morning, preoccupied by plans to meet a friend who was to join the camino that day. Sadly I'd just walked out of an inhospitable albergue in Fromista, which had a gate that locked shut. I realized it right away and had to wake the super grumpy owner at 7AM. Understandably, he was not very pleased.

I also left my credential behind in a private room on the Invierno. I can only think it had slipped onto the floor between the two single bed mattresses - so a room scan wasn't much use. Now I look under the bed.

 

[amrmeaner]

It seems to me that I am seeing more and more posts lately from people who have “lost” various items, from the crucial like credencials to the peripheral such as hats. We have seen posts about poles, cameras, necklaces, power adapters, sunglasses, guidebooks, even clothing.

I wonder if it’s people so focused on the prize, their goal, that they have lost all situational awareness. They stop walking, they put things down, they start walking again. They never look back, they never check “Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet and Watch”. Though how anyone can fail to notice the absence of an umbrella in the rain or a walking pole unless it was just an ornament stretches even my vivid imagination.

Every third Peregrino will have abandoned something somewhere. I think I could probably start walking from Roncesvalles with an empty backpack and be fully equipped by Pamplona and by Burgos I could probably open a store but how or why is this occurring?? Is it a (please pardon the language) “head-space” thing? That people are so wrapped into the experience that they have lost any perception of the process.

When that nice Galilean said “take up thy bed and walk” I’m sure the implication was “and make sure you have the rest of your stuff with you when you go”…

Lost stuff

These are few things you can do to help you stop losing gear and also have it returned to you if you do leave it behind.


1. Try to putting things together when you stop for a rest.


2. Try to put thing on the side you are leaving from. For example if you are on a bus or train put you poles, bags on the aisle side.


3. When ever you leave a place also have a mum’s look around to make sure you have not left anything.


4. Label everything with your name and email address.

 

[Elainesnider]

It seems to me that I am seeing more and more posts lately from people who have “lost” various items, from the crucial like credencials to the peripheral such as hats. We have seen posts about poles, cameras, necklaces, power adapters, sunglasses, guidebooks, even clothing.

I wonder if it’s people so focused on the prize, their goal, that they have lost all situational awareness. They stop walking, they put things down, they start walking again. They never look back, they never check “Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet and Watch”. Though how anyone can fail to notice the absence of an umbrella in the rain or a walking pole unless it was just an ornament stretches even my vivid imagination.

Every third Peregrino will have abandoned something somewhere. I think I could probably start walking from Roncesvalles with an empty backpack and be fully equipped by Pamplona and by Burgos I could probably open a store but how or why is this occurring?? Is it a (please pardon the language) “head-space” thing? That people are so wrapped into the experience that they have lost any perception of the process.

When that nice Galilean said “take up thy bed and walk” I’m sure the implication was “and make sure you have the rest of your stuff with you when you go”…

I learned the hard way after forgetting to look back twice. Now I am in the moment more consistently.

 

[Bradypus]

They never look back, they never check “Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet and Watch”.

I usually use that very same chant as I check my pockets for my valuables whenever I start walking after a break. Probably because as time goes by I grow more like the Blessed RC every day - at least in circumference. Though if a biopic is ever made of my life I will argue strongly that Gregor Fisher would be a better match.

 

[Elainesnider]

Agree 100%

 

[Camijen58]

One coat, a catholic scapular and a raincoat sacrificed to the Camino. When I find myself missing them, I am reminded of the nature of attachment...

 

[David61]

Forgot half a bag of Babybel cheeses in a fridge in 2019, I still miss those cheeses to this day, dammit to hell!

 

[Tincatinker]

They were great. We really enjoyed them

 

[David61]

They were great. We really enjoyed them

I knew it!!

 

[AnaZ]

This could be also the way some people are. Scuba diving you see some people that ties things to their bodies and still comeback to the boat with something left behind. Others may keep their items loose in their pockets and never miss a thing.
I have a brother that makes keys duplicates on a monthly basis because everyother week they get left somewhere.

 

[spwalker]

I wonder if it’s people so focused on the prize, their goal, that they have lost all situational awareness.

Having just finished the Francés, I think you have a point, and it's a general one: people are just focused on Getting It Done. An example would be the crowds ploughing past the Castro do Castromaior, completely uncaring that there's a major archeological site a few metres away. We read the Brierley book so we knew that there was something worth the detour to explore, here and in other places.

 

[Smash123]

Some of my favourite stories from my Le Puy pilgrimage involve things people lost. It demonstrated how close-knit the pilgrim community on the Podiensis is/was. I got a text from a host saying he had found my eye mask in my bed, and he had tied it on Elizabeth's bag. She was having her bag transported, and somehow he tracked that we were staying in the same gite the next night. Another time I found a beautiful blue toque on the trail. "Well, you're not going to find your owner lying here" I thought. So I picked it up intending to make inquiries in the next town. A very fast hiker was passing me, and I asked him if I could put the toque on his pack, so others could see it. He took it, and further on, Lionel saw it and said "That's Martine's toque, she's up ahead". So toque was reunited, AND I got to hear the story about that. Another day I was walking with Pascal, and suddenly she spotted someone and gave a cry of joy. It was a pilgrim who had transported her glasses from the last gite where she had left them. There are more stories, and I love them.

 

[dbier]

Having just finished the Francés, I think you have a point, and it's a general one: people are just focused on Getting It Done. An example would be the crowds ploughing past the Castro do Castromaior, completely uncaring that there's a major archeological site a few metres away. We read the Brierley book so we knew that there was something worth the detour to explore, here and in other places.

Um...just an observation on assuming motives.

When I walked Sarria to Santiago, I and my husband had the energy to tour the Castro. Lovely site. I also took the detour to Vilar dos Doñas, even though it was closed.

OTOH, as I've noted elsewhere, on the Primitivo, I did not have the energy or the relief from pain to go even a meter off trail. I was, indeed, focused on "getting it done," because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have finished. I was doing this for religious reasons, not for "sightseeing."

 

[Texas Walker]

The nice Galilean had four friends along with him. Lesson? Walk with a buddy who can keep you on track, perhaps?

The nice Galilean was not the guy with the 4 friends, it was the guy who had been lying on the bed that had 4 friends.
(edited for clarity)

 

[bergmannfamily]

Having just finished the Francés, I think you have a point, and it's a general one: people are just focused on Getting It Done. An example would be the crowds ploughing past the Castro do Castromaior, completely uncaring that there's a major archeological site a few metres away. We read the Brierley book so we knew that there was something worth the detour to explore, here and in other places.

Our camino frances and fisterra was just over 1200 km long as we spent time exploring almost every extra site mentioned in Brierley. It made days tiring but wonderful. May he rest in peace.

 

[Smash123]

Um...just an observation on assuming motives.

When I walked Sarria to Santiago, I and my husband had the energy to tour the Castro. Lovely site. I also took the detour to Vilar dos Doñas, even though it was closed.

OTOH, as I've noted elsewhere, on the Primitivo, I did not have the energy or the relief from pain to go even a meter off trail. I was, indeed, focused on "getting it done," because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have finished. I was doing this for religious reasons, not for "sightseeing."

I am sure you didn’t mean to imply a binary of reasons for which people choose to do a pilgrimage, I.e., that it’s either religious or sightseeing, but that is how your post comes across. A bit dismissive of anyone who is not religious doing a pilgrimage for any number of reasons. I believe the OP was (perhaps incorrectly) conjoining things lost or left behind with pilgrims not being present in the moment. Which, I think, is what he is a bit disturbed about. Being in pain, sticking to your planned route or any other experience (even losing things) doesn’t inherently detract from being present in the moment.

 

[M2ME]

I am sure you didn’t mean to imply a binary of reasons for which people choose to do a pilgrimage, I.e., that it’s either religious or sightseeing, but that is how your post comes across. A bit dismissive of anyone who is not religious doing a pilgrimage for any number of reasons. I believe the OP was (perhaps incorrectly) conjoining things lost or left behind with pilgrims not being present in the moment. Which, I think, is what he is a bit disturbed about. Being in pain, sticking to your planned route or any other experience (even losing things) doesn’t inherently detract from being present in the moment.

I’m sure they « didn’t mean to imply a binary of reasons for which people choose to do a pilgrimage ». What I got from the original post is that each persons personal experience of the Camino can be influenced by a variety of different things. In this case time and fatigue. I didn’t get any sense that those walking for non religious reasons were being dismissed.

 

[David Tallan]

I’m sure they « didn’t mean to imply a binary of reasons for which people choose to do a pilgrimage ». What I got from the original post is that each persons personal experience of the Camino can be influenced by a variety of different things. In this case time and fatigue. I didn’t get any sense that those walking for non religious reasons were being dismissed.

I don't think that was the main purpose of the post, which I think was just what you got from it. Nevertheless, I can see what M2ME was reacting to. Specifically:

I was doing this for religious reasons, not for "sightseeing."

Those quotation marks can certainly come across as disparaging or dismissive.

 

[dbier]

My apologies. I was not intending to be dismissive. I did, however, (mis?)read the poster as implying that people focused on "getting it done" were somehow incorrect in their Camino practice.

 

[howardd5]

I am sure you didn’t mean to imply a binary of reasons for which people choose to do a pilgrimage, I.e., that it’s either religious or sightseeing, but that is how your post comes across. A bit dismissive of anyone who is not religious doing a pilgrimage for any number of reasons. I believe the OP was (perhaps incorrectly) conjoining things lost or left behind with pilgrims not being present in the moment. Which, I think, is what he is a bit disturbed about. Being in pain, sticking to your planned route or any other experience (even losing things) doesn’t inherently detract from being present in the moment.

????

 

[BarbaraW]

As someone described by a fellow pilgrim as having “a special talent for losing things” I feel qualified to contribute.

For Camino earlier this year I made myself a robe to sleep in. I bought special lightweight silk, tie dyed it, made a pattern, made bias binding from offcuts and sewed a rather fine garment. It took many hours, looked and felt wonderful, and weighed just 75 grams. In Porto, I found myself in what was most definitely not a pilgrim hostel. Mine was the last bunk in a room already occupied by three smart young men. As I tucked myself up at 9pm they pamped and preened in the adjoining bathroom and went off on the town, smelling delicious. Around 4am they returned, obviously trying very hard not to disturb the old lady in their midst. I got up at 5am for an early train. Grateful for their consideration I gathered my belongings in the dark and went into the hall to pack.

That afternoon I discovered that my robe, and an expensive bar of solid shampoo/conditioner which had taken some effort to source, were no longer with me. I mused, hard, on the nature of attachment, and slept in my base layer.

At the next albergue I found that my base layer was missing, leaving just two walking outfits. It was Sunday. In the only clothing shop open, I indicated that something was needed to cover myself for the night. The lady brought out the biggest fluffiest heaviest pair of pyjamas imaginable. I asked for something smaller. Out came a pair of babies pyjamas covered with ladybirds. I resigned myself to spending Monday morning in the shopping malls of Ponte de Lima.

That evening while i was eating dinner at an outside table, a pilgrim who’d been at the previous albergue suddenly appeared, and with a flourish produced my base layer. It was a big Camino angel moment and I don’t know which of us was more pleased!

It's still a mystery how I managed to lose my comb before combing my hair one morning, but it was fun trying to find a replacement (5 shops: only big heavy hair brushes; Chinese store: choice of 17 different types of comb). The original comb appeared four days later, mostly toothless, inside my passport in my money belt (???).

Advanced lessons in not losing things would be welcome……..