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Luxury items

Mar Oregon

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Hoping to walk in 2020
Hi friends. I am constantly thinking about the Camino which I hope to walk in sept 2020. Lately I’ve been thinking about which luxury item, if any, I might want to bring along. Small musical instrument, tiny watercolor painting kit, music player in addition to a smart phone, comfy slippers, lightweight hiking chair?
Please tell me what you brought or plan to bring, and if it was worth the weight. Was it really valuable to you? Did it go all the way with you or maybe got dumped overboard after a very hard day. What can you (almost) not live without?
 
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Hi Mar,
I hope you are enjoying the forum as much as many of us "regulars" who participate.
I bring no luxury items except for a guidebook, which now is becoming almost a thing of the past with all the apps niw available.
Good luck in making your decision and I know you will get many comments to help you out. I do not think you would want to dump any of the items you mention, so I'd think twice about carrying any of them with you.
 
Hi friends. I am constantly thinking about the Camino which I hope to walk in sept 2020. Lately I’ve been thinking about which luxury item, if any, I might want to bring along. Small musical instrument, tiny watercolor painting kit, music player in addition to a smart phone, comfy slippers, lightweight hiking chair?
Please tell me what you brought or plan to bring, and if it was worth the weight. Was it really valuable to you? Did it go all the way with you or maybe got dumped overboard after a very hard day. What can you (almost) not live without?

Whatever you bring you will regret the extra bulk and weight ;)

If you find you have time on your hands and are wondering what to do (which is unlikely)
Talk to the next lone Pilgrim you meet..........
The best way I know to while away the time.........!

If I found myself alone and a bit lonely, I would sometimes spy a lone pilgrim having coffee, lunch or whatever, and 'quietly & politely' ask if I could join them.

99% were also walking alone and glad of the company.
Some great conversation ensued and often we might agree to walk together for a bit the next day or at least look out for each other at the next stop.

You will find your fellow Pilgrims are 99% very pleasant and friendly people.
Unlike what we might be used to 'back home'


There is nothing I can think of that I can't do without. Apart from comfortable/shoes/boots.

Try go the other way........and see how little you can pack :)

Afternote. No one is allowed to mention the Rice Cooker! ..............or the HairDryer..........or.........
Long stories .......... @Mar Oregon
:oops:
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
I did have a pink *********, The one Item that is not allowed to be mentioned (by Robo here) 😄
I used it every day and will take it with me the next time too. I saw quite many people have the same. Somehow it is considered as Bad or unworthy, like if you can't be a true pilgrim with this Item at all. Can't really see why. Have what ever you like, you are going to carry it yourself! 😊👍
 
I just did a quick check, from Pamplona to Atapuerca it is 2 hours by car. A friend came to have lunch with us on our Camino. We had walked from Roncesvalles, maybe ten days? Anyway, we gladly gave her 3kg of ‘essentials’ and never missed any of them. That spare extra 4th pair of socks. The gorgeous enamel plates and mugs. Fleece jackets... Basically, ‘just in case’ stuff that can easily be done without. Real luxury item? Swimsuit. Used it whenever there was the chance.
ps for Robo: what brand is your r@#% c*&#$er? !!! Mine is a Cuckoo! I will not be taking a cuckoo on any camino...
 
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I think you are attaching too much symbolism to the idea of an official "luxury" item. Don't bring any cherished item that you are not willing to lose. We all bring slightly different things, for various reasons and preferences. The idea of a luxury item is just a cute rationale for bringing something you want but don't need. I like to organize my belongings in several dry bags whereas others would consider them unnecessary.

Go ahead and bring anything, as long as you can carry it and won't be devastated if it goes missing.
 
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I think you are attaching too much symbolism to the idea of an official "luxury" item. Don't bring any cherished item that you are not willing to lose. We all bring slightly different things, for various reasons and preferences. The idea of a luxury item is just a cute rationale for bringing something you want but don't need. I like to organize my belongings in several dry bags whereas others would consider them unnecessary.

Go ahead and bring anything, as long as you can carry it and won't be devastated if it goes missing.
The idea of a luxury item is subjective, I would classify several dry bags as an unnecessary weight and bulk, for 1 would be sufficient.
 
Hi Mar
I can’t speak for the artists ., I’m sure they would have supplies ; some even knit but most of us know how extra unnecessary weight can have a detrimental effect on us over long distance.
Water weighs remember and summer walkers need a fair bit of it. My earlier caminos I tried taking a book but discarded it as there is so much nature to contemplate and camaraderie that by the time you ‘could’ be ready to read ; you’re all done in for the day.

Buen camino
Annie
 
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My view is that things you need to record your pilgrimage the way you would like to are not luxury items. So being able to sketch (or even paint) might not be a luxury, nor might be an SLR camera. They will be your burden, but once you have become used to carrying them the rewards will be in the unique view that you will have captured.

If you are in any doubt, though, consider carefully what is really necessary. Perhaps we all carry things that are beyond the minimum, and being curious about why we did that is perhaps natural. But ultimately, none of us is you, and only you can know what value you are prepared to put on carrying something that adds to your load on every day of your pilgrimage.

My other observation, much the same as others have already made, it there is no dishonour is deciding to lighten one's load at any stage.
 
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My view is that things you need to record your pilgrimage the way you would like to are not luxury items. So being able to sketch (or even paint) might not be a luxury, nor might be an SLR camera. They will be your burden, but once you have become used to carrying them the rewards will be in the unique view that you will have captured.

Good point @dougfitz
 
My one luxury item isn’t really a luxury item - it’s an essential! That item is a pair of rubber washing up gloves - they go everywhere with me when I travel. They’re particularly useful for washing clothes in those outdoor albergue sinks. Here’s last year’s pair, flapping away happily on the clothesline at Albergue San Anton Abad at Villafranca Montes de Oca:

7BE211E8-D200-4AC3-BE77-C7A390615820.jpeg

BTW - The VGR texta-ed on the gloves is for Volunteers Green Room at the annual Sydney Writers Festival - an annual commitment and so much fun for me.


Cheers from Oz -
Jenny
 
Hi friends. I am constantly thinking about the Camino which I hope to walk in sept 2020. Lately I’ve been thinking about which luxury item, if any, I might want to bring along. Small musical instrument, tiny watercolor painting kit, music player in addition to a smart phone, comfy slippers, lightweight hiking chair?
Please tell me what you brought or plan to bring, and if it was worth the weight. Was it really valuable to you? Did it go all the way with you or maybe got dumped overboard after a very hard day. What can you (almost) not live without?
 
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My one luxury item isn’t really a luxury item - it’s an essential! That item is a pair of rubber washing up gloves - they go everywhere with me when I travel.
I have either taken a pair or bought a pair a couple of times. I don't use them for washing clothes, but for keeping my hands dry and warm on a cold rainy day. I have a thin pair of gloves underneath for insulation.:D:cool:
 
I will be walking my first camino September 2020 & plan to take my crochet so I was encougaged to see Oz Annie comment about knitting. I crochet small Teddy bears for a hospital & plan to take 50grams of wool which I will replace as needed & post the finished 50gms worth back to the UK. I hope 50gms is not to much of a luxury but if so I will leave it somewhere. If you see me doing my crochet please talk to me as I can do both at once.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Hi friends. I am constantly thinking about the Camino which I hope to walk in sept 2020. Lately I’ve been thinking about which luxury item, if any, I might want to bring along. Small musical instrument, tiny watercolor painting kit, music player in addition to a smart phone, comfy slippers, lightweight hiking chair?
Please tell me what you brought or plan to bring, and if it was worth the weight. Was it really valuable to you? Did it go all the way with you or maybe got dumped overboard after a very hard day. What can you (almost) not live without?
I brought silk pajama bottoms. I read somewhere that they are light in weight, which is true. Saved me from wearing my hiking pants and underwear to bed. Saved me from doing laundry often. I'd bring them again.
 
A few postcard size pieces of art paper and I used both sides. Kept in my pack - I use the bladder pocket to keep credential and papers flat. I chose just 7 half pans of watercolour plus a 'travel' paintbrush, kept in a plastic bag in my hiking trouser pocket. Water from my bottles so no real need for anything else although a soap-leaf container made a good pallet. If I was walking again I would probably carry the Cotman pocket box with my own choice of paints, but I was looking at cutting weight as far as possible at the time.
Initiated some conversations and a good reminder of a few places I chose to paint, but I did consider it my like to have not essential, so probably counts as a luxury.
 
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I always get a rash when "luxury" is mentioned, It is such a pumped up concept;
what pampering mechanism exactly are we starting when we say that word:

"it´s what we like to have but do not need.."
When one brings a ´luxury´ item, it will be likely not to be used and therefore be superfluous....

I find it spectacular when you have next to no luxury with you, real luxury will be what a remarkable good coffee will get you ( when you really, really need it), or kindness or a very good Albergue....
Or maybe it´s just me !?
 
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I find it spectacular when you have next to no luxury with you, real luxury is what a remarkable good coffee will get you ( when you really, really need it), kindness or a very good Albergue....

Since you mention coffee, I always carry a very small electric coil water heater plus instant coffee I bring from France (do not like the Spanish instant) to have a first coffee in the morning while still in bed. And enjoy the spectacle of everybody else getting ready. Thus often I am the last one to leave - no hurry!
 
Hi friends. I am constantly thinking about the Camino which I hope to walk in sept 2020. Lately I’ve been thinking about which luxury item, if any, I might want to bring along. Small musical instrument, tiny watercolor painting kit, music player in addition to a smart phone, comfy slippers, lightweight hiking chair?
Please tell me what you brought or plan to bring, and if it was worth the weight. Was it really valuable to you? Did it go all the way with you or maybe got dumped overboard after a very hard day. What can you (almost) not live without?
Remember, everything is a luxury when you have to carry it for 500 miles over endless hills. Less is more on the Camino.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Hi friends. I am constantly thinking about the Camino which I hope to walk in sept 2020. Lately I’ve been thinking about which luxury item, if any, I might want to bring along. Small musical instrument, tiny watercolor painting kit, music player in addition to a smart phone, comfy slippers, lightweight hiking chair?
Please tell me what you brought or plan to bring, and if it was worth the weight. Was it really valuable to you? Did it go all the way with you or maybe got dumped overboard after a very hard day. What can you (almost) not live without?
Be sure the “luxury” item is worth it’s weight and worth carrying for 30+ days of 5-6 hours a day walking. If you send your pack ahead each day, bring what you want, otherwise your luxury items may be the reason you can’t finish. Having said that, I certainly enjoyed listening to others playing guitar during the days.
 
I'm really enjoying this post. I don't tend to carry luxury items but, like Strivander, I do like to 'luxury' myself very occasionally ... maybe a good meal just because (a rare thing for me), or buy a superb wine rather than my budget ones ...
But! I Do have a luxury item and it weighs nothing - a star map app on my phone .. those huge night time skies - just point phone and all is revealed!

And, thinking about it, I do carry something that adds weight but don't know if it is 'luxury' (as in weighs something) or 'fun' - I always take two laminated signs I have made and tie them up somewhere miles apart along the Camino, usually at the top of a hill where pilgrims stop, or entry to a town.. .. just a few grams ;)

always makes me laugh, and if that isn't a luxury in 2019 in Brexit Britain ... well .... ...

trouble ahead.ppp (527 x 760).jpg
 
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I don't bring anything I will not NEED.
Plenty to see and do on the Camino - lots of people to TALK to - no need for any extra weight in my pack.
I think I took a book on my very first Camino 13 years ago, but never opened it.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Well, I was adamant to be practical, keep the weight down and bring only what was NEEDED! However in Burgos I invested in a bottle of Pantene 3 min miracle all 300ml of it! I shared it out and it lasted until Santiago. It wasn’t just me who benefited and it was worth every gram 😂
For me the ULTIMATE LUXURY was being able to rent a ‘proper towel’. Never take your Non micro fibre towel for granted 😉
 
Personally, I get annoyed by people playing their musical instrument while walking near me. I don't much like the endless singing that some folks do either. I want quiet when I walk.

I try to be patient, and rationalize their noise as their fear that quiet will make them have to ponder their lives.

Take only what you won't mind losing.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I can see that some of the things the OP listed might give some personal pleasure. Of all those listed, I think that the lightweight hiking chair would be the least useful item. In 2 caminos, and even during the part of this last one when I was walking with an injury, I never once wished I had one.

Nor did I see another carrying (or using) one. Of course, some of you will now chime in that you carried one and really needed it!
 
And I see no one has yet commented that since Spain is a country with shops of all kinds in the cities and towns one passes through, whatever item we should think we are missing can probably be found rather easily. (Sorry, i'm sure you were all taking that as a given) The item I brought home at the end of my first Camino, still have and often carry or wear, is a tiny medal on a cotton string that was given to us by the nun at one of the big convent albergues.
 
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I have either taken a pair or bought a pair a couple of times. I don't use them for washing clothes, but for keeping my hands dry and warm on a cold rainy day. I have a thin pair of gloves underneath for insulation.:D:cool:
Top tip, linkster! Thank you!
Cheers from Oz -
Jenny
 
I brought my tiny travel watercolor kit and a small sketchbook. I loved taking time each day to sit and sketch/paint, and other pilgrims took time to find me to see what I was sketching that day. The paintings transcended language differences and I enjoy looking through my finished sketchbooks and reminiscing.
 
I brought my tiny travel watercolor kit and a small sketchbook. I loved taking time each day to sit and sketch/paint, and other pilgrims took time to find me to see what I was sketching that day. The paintings transcended language differences and I enjoy looking through my finished sketchbooks and reminiscing.
Wow I had no idea some people feel having with you something you want but don’t ‘need’ is somehow against the pilgrim code. IMO this just seems a surprising idea, considering no one ‘needs’ to walk the Camino in the first place, but rather wants to do it. However I am not here to criticize how others want to make their way. If walking with only what you absolutely need for the journey makes it more special to you, then please do so with my best wishes. 🤗
That being said, thank you to Barbara and others who say they bring watercolors sketchbooks etc. Making art is a vital part of my life and I am hoping that doing some small watercolors along the way will bring me a bit of distraction from sore feet, perhaps conversation with people who may comment and treasured memories as I look thru the sketchbook long after the walking is finished.
By the way I was kidding about the hiking stool, but as I think about it more, I am considering bringing my lucky bowling ball, or perhaps my grandmother’s silver tea service for 12. Never hurts to be civilized. 😜
 
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I brought silk pajama bottoms. I read somewhere that they are light in weight, which is true. Saved me from wearing my hiking pants and underwear to bed. Saved me from doing laundry often. I'd bring them again.

Same here, I had light horts I wore only as pajamas. They could double as outdoor clothes in an emergency, but it was great to have something clean just for sleeping :)

I am considering bringing my lucky bowling ball, or perhaps my grandmother’s silver tea service for 12. Never hurts to be civilized.

A few days ago a forum member was discussing how to bring his butler... 🤣
 
I will be walking my first camino September 2020 & plan to take my crochet so I was encougaged to see Oz Annie comment about knitting. I crochet small Teddy bears for a hospital & plan to take 50grams of wool which I will replace as needed & post the finished 50gms worth back to the UK. I hope 50gms is not to much of a luxury but if so I will leave it somewhere. If you see me doing my crochet please talk to me as I can do both at once.
Care to share the pattern?
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
For me that counts as a necessity☺, the mask and a scarf rather than a buff.


I remember one particular year when five male pilgrims in group were laughing at me because I was wearing a sleep mask. And not laughing in a nice way but making fun at my expense.
Ah well, I survived but it was a textbook case of groupbullying.
 
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I remember one particular year when five male pilgrims in group were laughing at me becasue I was wearing a sleep mask. And not laughing in a nice way but making fun at my expense.
Ah well, I survided but it was a textbook case of groupbullying.
Bullying should not be countenanced under any circumstances. They're lucky you didn't accidentally shine your high powered LED torch in their faces on a night time trip to the bathroom!

Bad Pilgrims! :mad:
 
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A small, UBS powered fan.

I can't sleep when it is hot and most of the albergues I have stayed in have no fans or AC. I found a small UBS fan on Amazon that I could either plug into my phone charger or battery bank. Made so much difference between my first and second camino experiences.

M
 
I'm really enjoying this post. I don't tend to carry luxury items but, like Strivander, I do like to 'luxury' myself very occasionally ... maybe a good meal just because (a rare thing for me), or buy a superb wine rather than my budget ones ...
But! I Do have a luxury item and it weighs nothing - a star map app on my phone .. those huge night time skies - just point phone and all is revealed!

And, thinking about it, I do carry something that adds weight but don't know if it is 'luxury' (as in weighs something) or 'fun' - I always take two laminated signs I have made and tie them up somewhere miles apart along the Camino, usually at the top of a hill where pilgrims stop, or entry to a town.. .. just a few grams ;)

always makes me laugh, and if that isn't a luxury in 2019 ... well .... ...

View attachment 65967

So it is you! First time I saw one of these (between El Ganso and Rabanal I think), I cried with laughter! Got a photo somewhere!
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
So it is you! First time I saw one of these (between El Ganso and Rabanal I think), I cried with laughter! Got a photo somewhere!


Fantastic!!! A Camino pal has watched me putting them up a couple of times but this is the first feedback!! Brilliant - so pleased !!!! ❤ 👍👍

On my way down to Camino in ten days and, yep, taking two more with me (they seem to disappear, souvenirs I think).
 
Fantastic!!! A Camino pal has watched me putting them up but this is the first feedback!! Brilliant - so pleased !!!! ❤ 👍👍

I actually wondered about it a lot at the time. (Lots of time to do weird thinking isn't there)? I wondered where it had actually come from, as the sign is in English, but as it is very well made it must of been carried there. I wondered who on earth would carry such a thing! Now I know. I loved the way at first glance it looks official making you stop and read it!
 
Full cold can (or two) of beer that I can open and drink at some isolated spot (especially on less walked Caminos) enjoying the countryside and views in fullest. That's priceless. And when I drink it the empty cans weights nothing ;)
 
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I actually wondered about it a lot at the time. (Lots of time to do weird thinking isn't there)? I wondered where it had actually come from, as the sign is in English, but as it is very well made it must of been carried there. I wondered who on earth would carry such a thing! Now I know. I loved the way at first glance it looks official making you stop and read it!

Comedy installation street (Camino) art! ;)
 
Loving this thread! Had some smiles reading the answers :)
When I walked last year, a fellow pilgrim brought is SKATEBOARD - and ever since was known as the skateboard pilgrim or "What was that 'whoooooosh' passing by?"; plenty of hills along the way to use it and be the first at the next albergue ;)
I brought one rather thin book (yes I know, there are kindles - but I am one of those stubborn people who love paper :D ) and read maybe the first 2 chapters during that one time I got sick for a couple of days, was totally worth it ;)
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Loving this thread! Had some smiles reading the answers :)
When I walked last year, a fellow pilgrim brought is SKATEBOARD - and ever since was known as the skateboard pilgrim or "What was that 'whoooooosh' passing by?"; plenty of hills along the way to use it and be the first at the next albergue ;)
I brought one rather thin book (yes I know, there are kindles - but I am one of those stubborn people who love paper :D ) and read maybe the first 2 chapters during that one time I got sick for a couple of days, was totally worth it ;)

The Skateboard reminds me of a crazy Brazilian I met when walking back to France in 2016. He had just walked the Camino Portuguese to Santiago, when I met him near Melide he was walking to Rome! Thing is, he did not have a rucksack of any discription, he had a very large holdall which he strapped to a Skateboard and pulled along on a dog lead. He had to pick the whole thing up and carry it often!

Don't know if he ever made it to Rome though!

DSCN4151.JPG

DSCN4152.JPG
 
I love to sketch journal and took two small watercolor palettes, a 5X5 inch journal and pens and brushes. My only regrets were not taking a larger journal (5X8 handbook) and not sketching more. I am VERY happy I took
my art stuff. I have incorporated copies of the sketches into the scrapbook I made after my Camino. I also made 2 presentations to my local Camino group to encourage others to "Sketch Your Camino"
IMG_2067.JPGIMG_2095.JPGIMG_E2092.JPG
 
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Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
The only "Luxury" item I carried was a bottle of good 'ol USA BBQ sauce. Being from southern Arizona we're used to fairly spicy food. Spanish food, although very flavorful, is not spicy like we're used to. We found an American market in Leon that carries several varieties of real BBQ sauce. Granted I paid a lot more there than I would have at home but having that sauce really made the burgers much more pleasant. I carried that bottle all the way to Santiago and used every sniff. If food is important, you can't beat Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ to really help out a burger! :cool:;)😁

/EDIT/ almost forgot... I should have packed and carried my CPAP. That would've made every ones' Camino much more pleasant!
 
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If food is important, you can't beat Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ to really help out a burger!
This sounds like the start of a Vegemite 'discussion'. I once tried that stuff here in Australia, and have more respect for the integrity of my taste buds than to ever use it again!!
 
This sounds like the start of a Vegemite 'discussion'. I once tried that stuff here in Australia, and have more respect for the integrity of my taste buds than to ever use it again!!

I got donated a jar of Marmite on my last Camino by an Englishman who was carrying six jars. Just in case.

I found it either keeps Aussies away or sets them off ranting. I don't particularly want to keep Aussies away, but the ranting was amusing. I think they were jealous....
 
I got donated a jar of Marmite on my last Camino by an Englishman who was carrying six jars. Just in case.

I found it either keeps Aussies away or sets them off ranting. I don't particularly want to keep Aussies away, but the ranting was amusing. I think they were jealous....
Clearly a man of distinction, even if we might have different tastes. I always start with a spare tube of Vegemite in case I find another Australian in distress!
 
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Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
/EDIT/ almost forgot... I should have packed and carried my CPAP. That would've made every ones' Camino much more pleasant!
I have, and won't do it again unless I am travelling with my wife. I am a little fortunate that I can do without it for the month or so that I am away. I know there are other users where this is inadvisable, and they cannot avoid carrying it, but I can.
 
Measurements? Either is fine - it'll make a change from the crocheted octopuses my daughter and I make!
For Jeff & JacTx and anyone else here is the pattern for the Teddy bear. To explain before I start crochet terms are different in the UK & USA. I am using the English double crochet (dc), 4.5mm hook & double knitting wool.

I use 3 colour 1st for the feet hands & head. 2nd for the trousers (legs). 3rd for the jumper (body & arms).

1st leg -make 10 chain using the 1st colour.
1st row 1 dc into 2nd chain 1 dc into each chain 9 stitches.
rows 2-6 - 1 chain miss 1st stitch 1dc into next 8 stitches
change to colour 2 and work 18 more rows fasten off.
2nd leg make as first leg but don't fasten off
work across 18sts for 8 rows.
Change to colour 3. Work 10 rows for the jumper.
Change to colour 1. Work 26 rows for the head. when folded in half this makes the back & front of the head.
Change to colour 3. work 10 rows for the jumper.
Change to colour 2. work 8 rows * then work 18 rows on 9 stitches. (leg)
Change to colour 1. work 6 rows fasten off.
join the yarn to * and work 2nd leg as before.
Make 7dc to the top 7 rows of the jumper for the arms work 12 rows
Change to colour 1. work 6 rows fasten off. make 4 arms.
sew up leaving a hole for stuffing. Turn to the right side, run a few stitches diagonally at the top of the head for the ears. Sew face with black yarn. stuff & oversew the hole.
 
Full cold can (or two) of beer that I can open and drink at some isolated spot (especially on less walked Caminos) enjoying the countryside and views in fullest. That's priceless. And when I drink it the empty cans weights nothing ;)
I’m not much of a drinker, and would never drink a beer, but I do enjoy the nonsense you beer drinkers talk. 🙃🙃
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
For Jeff & JacTx and anyone else here is the pattern for the Teddy bear. To explain before I start crochet terms are different in the UK & USA. I am using the English double crochet (dc), 4.5mm hook & double knitting wool.

I use 3 colour 1st for the feet hands & head. 2nd for the trousers (legs). 3rd for the jumper (body & arms).

1st leg -make 10 chain using the 1st colour.
1st row 1 dc into 2nd chain 1 dc into each chain 9 stitches.
rows 2-6 - 1 chain miss 1st stitch 1dc into next 8 stitches
change to colour 2 and work 18 more rows fasten off.
2nd leg make as first leg but don't fasten off
work across 18sts for 8 rows.
Change to colour 3. Work 10 rows for the jumper.
Change to colour 1. Work 26 rows for the head. when folded in half this makes the back & front of the head.
Change to colour 3. work 10 rows for the jumper.
Change to colour 2. work 8 rows * then work 18 rows on 9 stitches. (leg)
Change to colour 1. work 6 rows fasten off.
join the yarn to * and work 2nd leg as before.
Make 7dc to the top 7 rows of the jumper for the arms work 12 rows
Change to colour 1. work 6 rows fasten off. make 4 arms.
sew up leaving a hole for stuffing. Turn to the right side, run a few stitches diagonally at the top of the head for the ears. Sew face with black yarn. stuff & oversew the hole.
Thank you!
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
I habitually carry a jar of Vegemite whenever I’m travelling - tubes are not often available in the UK. I’ve lost count of the number of times a homesick Aussie has greeted me at breakfast, expecting to find a fellow expat.

Whilst I am English, I regard Marmite as pure poison but Vegemite is the food of the Gods.
 
Full cold can (or two) of beer that I can open and drink at some isolated spot (especially on less walked Caminos) enjoying the countryside and views in fullest. That's priceless. And when I drink it the empty cans weights nothing ;)
I’m not a drinker of beer wine or any other alcohol but for me, I relish a really cold Diet Coke on a hot afternoon or after a long day or at breakfast instead of coffee or... Hey we all have our addictions. Reminds me I have some neoprene fabric lying around. Maybe it’s time to fashion a double barrel can kuzie to pack a couple cans of my drink of choice.
BTW if you don’t know, a kuzie is a can sized insulating sleeve which helps keep your beverage cold and also gives you a better grip, cuz nobody wants to drop the last cold one.
As for vegimite or marmite, you may have my portion. You’re welcome.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
My luxury items were: Good cotton pillowcase, Kindle, pjs, and really good moisturizer. None are needs, but all were valuable and I would take them again. Next time, I will also bring a small bottle of hot sauce.
 
Better yet Dave is no reservation, just wandering in covered in dust and being given a room with a hot bath and cold cava...
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
My luxury item is a personal sello. After my 2016 Camino I regretted not having shared contact information with my fellow pilgrims and resolved to do better on my next Camino. So I had a personal self-inking sello made to facilitate that. It has the same portrait that I use for my avatar here (drawn by my wife) and above it says "Ultreia!" and below us my email address (because my phone number changes every Camino when I get a new SIM).
 
Hi friends. I am constantly thinking about the Camino which I hope to walk in sept 2020. Lately I’ve been thinking about which luxury item, if any, I might want to bring along. Small musical instrument, tiny watercolor painting kit, music player in addition to a smart phone, comfy slippers, lightweight hiking chair?
Please tell me what you brought or plan to bring, and if it was worth the weight. Was it really valuable to you? Did it go all the way with you or maybe got dumped overboard after a very hard day. What can you (almost) not live without?
When packing, I decided any cosmetics or lotions were luxury items. The only lotion I carried was sunblock. Didn't take long before the very dry, arid conditions started doing a thing on my skin. My fingers cracked and it looked like my heels were about to (no! not my feet!). Also had a serious case of lizard skin on my legs. What I thought was a luxury item became a medical necessity. I picked up some good lotion/cream at a pharmacy for my hands and feet (the legs were going to have to wait). It was a small tube, easy to replace at another pharmacy. However, I would have started out with a tube of restorative cream from home to avoid, as much as one can, the dryness.
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Since you mention coffee, I always carry a very small electric coil water heater plus instant coffee I bring from France (do not like the Spanish instant) to have a first coffee in the morning while still in bed. And enjoy the spectacle of everybody else getting ready. Thus often I am the last one to leave - no hurry!
I actually have a French press mug and bring my own ground coffee, along with the coil.
 
Three season sleeping bag.....?....

.....comfy and warm to snuggle into where- & whenever....

Bulky luxury it sure is.... ;
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Three season sleeping bag.....?....

.....comfy and warm to snuggle into where- & whenever....

I'm a backpacker of old and I've always liked being warm and comfortable at night, so I've always been prepared to carry whatever is necessary for that.

My luxury is my knitting. It's something I do for pleasure and yarn and needles for sock knitting weighs around 120g.
 
I have discovered a new luxury on the Camino! Depending the period of the year you are walking you have the luxury to walk completely solo in the low periods of the year. It might rain every day but it is so peaceful.

I have sleep in alberguay we're I was alone I walk days without seeing anyone.

At the begining I did not enjoyed it but after many days in that situation I felt rested and very calm appreciating the moment. Especially in the forest... Even in some village people are surprise to see me at this time of the year and are happy to share few words even a coffee. In some cases people were giving me water bottles and sharing places to see.


All in all I am back home and did spend a wonderfull time without stress of finding a bed or been rush by anyone... I wish you the luxury of having 10 to 15 days like that we're the Camino is to you probably like it was 100 year's ago.

The special Camino cafe we're close there was no transportation services offert nobody saying they did 40 km yesterday and they are doing 45 km today... Nobody telling you they did 39 caminos before this one. Nobody telling you you backpack is to small or to big or you walk to slowly... And ... Nobody walking with brand new technical clothes and carring just a bottle of water and a GPS for the day. Nobody telling you they prefer poncho to rain coat or this boot to this shoe brand...

It was like entering in a medidation state without realising it. (Sorry for my english) I think for now on I will only go back to the Camino in the very low seasons.

I hope you will keep this as a secret ...

My peaceful luxury
 
I have discovered a new luxury on the Camino! Depending the period of the year you are walking you have the luxury to walk completely solo in the low periods of the year. It might rain every day but it is so peaceful.

I have sleep in alberguay we're I was alone I walk days without seeing anyone.

At the begining I did not enjoyed it but after many days in that situation I felt rested and very calm appreciating the moment. Especially in the forest... Even in some village people are surprise to see me at this time of the year and are happy to share few words even a coffee. In some cases people were giving me water bottles and sharing places to see.


All in all I am back home and did spend a wonderfull time without stress of finding a bed or been rush by anyone... I wish you the luxury of having 10 to 15 days like that we're the Camino is to you probably like it was 100 year's ago.

The special Camino cafe we're close there was no transportation services offert nobody saying they did 40 km yesterday and they are doing 45 km today... Nobody telling you they did 39 caminos before this one. Nobody telling you you backpack is to small or to big or you walk to slowly... And ... Nobody walking with brand new technical clothes and carring just a bottle of water and a GPS for the day. Nobody telling you they prefer poncho to rain coat or this boot to this shoe brand...

It was like entering in a medidation state without realising it. (Sorry for my english) I think for now on I will only go back to the Camino in the very low seasons.

I hope you will keep this as a secret ...

My peaceful luxury
I agree with you!
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
I've seen pictures of at least one person doing a camino with his personal cello!
I brought a rather heavyweight pair of jeans...not a rational move. My pack was 23 lbs., but I got used to it. And, every cold day I wore them, every chilly evening they felt so warm and substantial. It was a conversation piece as well. People were flabbergasted that I could get them washed and dry etc... yes, it was silly, but I really enjoyed them (and 3 years later, still have them)
 
I have discovered a new luxury on the Camino! Depending the period of the year you are walking you have the luxury to walk completely solo in the low periods of the year. It might rain every day but it is so peaceful.

I have sleep in alberguay we're I was alone I walk days without seeing anyone.

At the begining I did not enjoyed it but after many days in that situation I felt rested and very calm appreciating the moment. Especially in the forest... Even in some village people are surprise to see me at this time of the year and are happy to share few words even a coffee. In some cases people were giving me water bottles and sharing places to see.


All in all I am back home and did spend a wonderfull time without stress of finding a bed or been rush by anyone... I wish you the luxury of having 10 to 15 days like that we're the Camino is to you probably like it was 100 year's ago.

The special Camino cafe we're close there was no transportation services offert nobody saying they did 40 km yesterday and they are doing 45 km today... Nobody telling you they did 39 caminos before this one. Nobody telling you you backpack is to small or to big or you walk to slowly... And ... Nobody walking with brand new technical clothes and carring just a bottle of water and a GPS for the day. Nobody telling you they prefer poncho to rain coat or this boot to this shoe brand...

It was like entering in a medidation state without realising it. (Sorry for my english) I think for now on I will only go back to the Camino in the very low seasons.

I hope you will keep this as a secret ...

My peaceful luxury
i too like my alone time and while I don’t mind talking to people once in a while, I really enjoy my own company. Good for you listing this pleasure as a luxury. Oh! I won’t tell anyone. Just like a secret meadow that is only yours.
 
Please tell me what you brought or plan to bring, and if it was worth the weight
I met a a French pilgrim named Marie who has walked many Caminos with her donkey called Jose. Given the choice my luxury item next time would be a donkey 🤠
 

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When packing, I decided any cosmetics or lotions were luxury items. The only lotion I carried was sunblock. Didn't take long before the very dry, arid conditions started doing a thing on my skin. My fingers cracked and it looked like my heels were about to (no! not my feet!). Also had a serious case of lizard skin on my legs. What I thought was a luxury item became a medical necessity. I picked up some good lotion/cream at a pharmacy for my hands and feet (the legs were going to have to wait). It was a small tube, easy to replace at another pharmacy. However, I would have started out with a tube of restorative cream from home to avoid, as much as one can, the dryness.

This is a reminder that when you are packing, remember that Spain is not a 3rd world country and any item you genuinely need can be found there. There are stores like Decathlon at the beginning that have everything, and shops all along. e.g. I began with no hiking poles - bought one in SJPDP. Gloves at a small "everything" store along the way. Pharmacists helped me with creme for my feet, refill of rx drug, etc. I also went to an ER, recommended by an albergue, and received an rx for an extra night's stay when I really needed it.
 
I don't much care whare I'm going, but I am interested in whare I have been. So I have a small very cheap cell phone that I use as a GPS unit that only records where I have been. It is in my pack so I can't see it. How can anyone get lost on the Camino?
 
How can anyone get lost on the Camino?
While you might have thought this was a rhetorical question, it nonetheless deserves an answer. It happens, and if you really did want to know, here is one story about how it happens: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/to-be-lost-on-the-camino.58961/.

I know that I expect to get a little lost any day, and also have some strategies about how to deal with that. Of course, one might naively think that this will never happen. And if you are walking a well travelled route at a busy time following a stream of pilgrims, you would be unlucky to get lost. But even on the CF, there are ample opportunities to miss a turn, or to make the wrong choice when the signs are unclear.
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
How can anyone get lost on the Camino?
Depends on how you define "lost." A walk for 100 m down the wrong road doesn't really mean you are lost. How about 5 km down the wrong road so that you are not sure where you have gone wrong, and you want to figure out how to get back to the camino without backtracking the whole way?
 
I met a a French pilgrim named Marie who has walked many Caminos with her donkey called Jose. Given the choice my luxury item next time would be a donkey 🤠
I think I met this same French woman on the Le Puy camino in 2018. She was staying at the same gite and always walks with her donkey...unfortunately I only captured her "backside" in my photo. 😊
 

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The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.

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