Managing electronics

[Kathy F.]

How do you manage the electronics you may take on your Camino?
Assume you are not taking obvious luxuries.
Phone? Tablet? Breathing device? Toothbrush?
What chargers do you bring? Batteries? Solar power?
What is our accumulated wisdom?

 

[Bradypus]

Two Android mobile phones - the one in active use being kept powered up but in airplane mode so I can use it as a camera or read saved documents without waiting for it to reboot. The other phone is backup. The active phone is kept in a waterproof pouch in the zipped pockets of my trousers. I do not carry paper guidebooks these days and losing a phone would be a significant problem hence the spare. One small external battery pack (5000mA) which in practice is rarely needed. A UK USB wall charger. An EU two-pin USB wall charger with twin outlets. A UK to EU socket adapter. Micro-USB and USB-C charging cables. I like to keep the EU wall charger and USB-C cable in an easily accessible pocket of my pack to take advantage of any opportunities to top up the phone battery during the day.

 

[dick bird]

You can buy a two-prong EU charger at the airport or Corte Inglés, possibly in an electronics store in your home country so no need for an adaptor (don´t be tempted to buy one from a bargain store in Spain). A charge pack is a good idea but a small one, enough to give one charge, should be enough in case of dire emergencies. Two phones? Some would call that excessive but if you want to be 100% sure you could buy a cheap, second hand unlocked model online and back up your main phone. But another way to back up all your travel documents is to scan them and email them to yourself and/or put them on a USB. Unless solar power rechargers have got a lot better lately, I wouldn´t bother - they are slow and heavy. That´s it for technology.

 

[Anhalter]

On my last Camino:
- Phone
- Earbuds
- Electronic Cigarette
- Charger with 2 outlets (sharing is caring)
- 1 long, 1 short cable

Phone was a bit sketchy, since battery life was technically good for a day of gps tracking, but i did not always manage to start my day with 100% charge. With my new phone i don't see any issues anymore since it is a lot more energy efficient. (old: Pixel 5, new: Zenfone 10)

Charger was a bit sketchy since something in the combination with the cables made it charge rather slowly. For my next camino i'll take a better combination for faster charging. A few times i did not have an outlet near my bed and had to charge during the day. I'd rather not sit around waiting next time...
Also not sure if i would take one with 2 outlets next time. Never really needed it.

The rest did its job well and i don't see a need to take anything else for my personal use case.

 

[woody66]

Hi Kathy!
On both my Caminos i took overkill when it came to electronics and never used 70% of it on my Frances due to having a far far superior phone that coped so amazingly well with my assistive tech!
I took but didn't use!
Cables for every item. (only used phone cable on Frances)
8 inch Samsung Galaxy Tab A (i took these i was going to write up my daytotal weight about 450grams i think ; but just voice messaged on Whatsapp as was knackered)
Wireless Mouse
Tablet Stand
Moko Foldable Portable Keyboard

4 Port Usb Charger (but was given a single Euro Charger while walking)
Anker Power Bank (always found a charge point ;phone has a two day battery use)

Plus the ones i used below.


What did i actually use and will take in May
Google Pixel 7pro its cable which fitted all three and Euro charger . (250grams)
Sony WI-XB400 Blue tooth earphones (35grams)
Rechargeable Head torch (79 grams )
Battery shaver (122grams)

 

[Bradypus]

Two phones? Some would call that excessive but if you want to be 100% sure you could buy a cheap, second hand unlocked model online and back up your main phone.

My spare phone is my old one which the current more capable model replaced. Being in the UK all new phones have been sold unlocked for several years now. I use my phone to book flights and ground transport during my trip. I don't usually book my return flight to the UK until I am a few days out from Santiago. So I may have limited access to a printer for hard copies. I usually have my travel tickets and boarding passes stored on apps. The peace of mind in having a backup instantly to hand feels worth the trivial extra weight and bulk of a second phone which I already own anyway.

 

[dougfitz]

What I carry and how they are kept going:

• travel adaptor and USB power supply (four port)
• mobile phone and charging cable
• Android tablet (sometimes)
• CPAP. The power supply has adaptors for AS/NZ, US, UK and EU, but I only take one and use the travel adaptor.
• Camera and download/charging cable and a connector for my phone/tablet
• GPS (uses two standard AA batteries. I like to carry at least two sets of replacement batteries that I know I can rely on. I never seem to be able to find good ones when I am travelling.)
• Electric toothbrush (uses a single standard AA battery. A fresh battery will last a couple of months.)
• Fitness tracker and charging cable (a charge lasts for a week at home, but with the much larger number of steps being counted, the device needs more frequent charging on the Camino)
• Power bank

If I am carrying a tablet, in the evening I will download photos I have taken during the day and do some simple post-processing, select those I want to share with my family and on social media and download those. Otherwise I will use my phone for this, and accept the limitations of having a smaller device screen to work with.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I completely understand @Bradypus's concerns.
On my first Camino I just had my old Motorola phone. On Day 2 it died. And for the first time in my travelling life, I had zero backups. All of my email contacts, phone numbers,bookings, flight info and tickets, you name it..... .
My Spanish is extremely basic and with no phone I had no translator. I was staying in a room above a bar. No English, no computer. The only email contact I can remember is my sons, however he uses it very sporadically, nor does he have notifications set up. Nor had I backed everything up to my own system, or thought to email it to myself. (A very obvious - and useful - tip I learnt here on the forum ).
I did manage to find someone to assist me and eventually restore my phone to life, but it was a very long three hours. The first thing I did was create paper backups.!

So as to what I carry on Camino:
On the 1st: my phone and my Mighty (downloads from my sons Spotify, I've got over 1000 songs on my playlists and it weighs 22 grams). Plus EU charger and the Two cables required. Phone was used for photos, videos, to write WhatsApp's and to record the day here on the forum. Oh, and once actually as a phone!

On my second: my phone, my Mighty, my GoPro with two spare batteries and a charger, a power bank, 3 cables, plus my EU charger. If I had used the power bank during the day or was worried about security because the Albergue just had a USB port for charging, I would charge via the power bank.

I did not use maps or apps of any description with the exception of WhatsApp, & Google maps on one occasion.
I would however if I was to walk a less traveled Camino.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

Minimal. Less is more, at least that's what my back tells me.

I had a cell phone. A combination charger and battery/powerbank (with two EU plug adapters, because those disappear) with two USB ports (one for a friend!). A long charging cable.

And if you count it as an electronic, I also had an immersion heater so I could make myself coffee or something hot to drink. Card-carrying coil club member!

 

[J Willhaus]

Just my everyday phone and a charging cable with a euro adapter that has a plug and 2 USB charging ports. Old school ear buds (no airpods).

I do have a travel CPAP which requires a euro adapter. Last year bought an extension cord while in country with 2 outlets so hubby and I could both use it for our CPAP's. Used rubber bands to attach the bunkbed so we could both use it and only hog one outlet. (Me top bunk, him bottom bunk).

 

[Roland49]

I took with me:
- Android phone
- Sony ZV E-10
- extra battery
- mobile charger (3A)
- Sony battery charger
- 10kmAh powerbank (1 USB-C, 1 highpower USB-A, 1 lowpower USB-A)
- different cables for the devices

The powerbank was usefull, if a socket is not near you, I used it twice on my CP this year to help out a fellow pilgrim in need.

 

[Cecinunley]

How do you manage the electronics you may take on your Camino?
Assume you are not taking obvious luxuries.
Phone? Tablet? Breathing device? Toothbrush?
What chargers do you bring? Batteries? Solar power?
What is our accumulated wisdom?

I was very minimal compared to others my list
iPhone 10 with 6 foot cord (2meters)
Apple Watch with cord (1 meter)
Headlamp with cord (10 inches)
Beats earbud with cord ( 5 inches)
Universal charger 5 ports

Charged every night ran out of power only once on 42 days on the Frances. Phone was camera and did short videos every day of about 5-15 minutes. Uploaded to YouTube most days until ran out of memory and had to just record and edit back home. Phone was in airplane mode entire time and learned to use only wifi not data. First was scary and burnt through a lot of data then went wifi only and was fine. Never had battery backup.

 

[Dawsie]

Here is a slightly different slant on your query.
Elsewhere on this forum I had learned a very important lesson:

Don't take anything on a Camino that you aren't prepared to lose.

This is not to say that the way is rife with light fingered nare-do-wells, but that accidents happen. Things get wet, left behind, mislaid, forgotten and simply broken.
Of course i took my Android phone, but i am old school and used paper maps and paper copies of passport, tickets etc.
For important things like boarding passes, I will not just rely on online access and will have done a screenshot grab of the QR code etc so it is still a cessible when offline later. Also Email to my partner waiting at home.
I was very strict about pack weight for my first Camino. I had recently rejected the solar panel which I used to carry on the outside of my backpack in favour of a small rechargeable battery pack. It was about the same weight but experience in the UK showed that the solar wasn't sufficiently dependable.
Phone would last 3 days when boosted by the battery pack.
Charge the battery pack wherever possible and dump its contents to the phone during the day while walking.
I had carefully selected an MP3 player which used a single AAA battery with cabled earphones. The battery lasts a couple of days and then the last of its charge gets squeezed out by doing service with my little torch.
The torch has a translucent sleeve that I added and slides down to make the torch suitable for night time use in an Albergue.
My watch was a cheap item.

I like the idea of a second backup phone, but much prefer paper, perhaps it is a side effect of my age.

 

[duncanwhyte]

.I have a quick charge phone, so it's easy to plug in at a cafe using the charger and an adapter. Charged in 30 - 45 minutes.

Generally your stage of walking is probably achieved by mid afternoon and most phones are still working by then. If you use airplane mode. So additional power banks and solar chargers are mostly not needed.

A useful addition would be a multi socket mains extension, so that if you find a phone charging at one mains outlet, you can use the extension to charge many phones.

The boiling coil is also very useful, and I've managed to make simple meals with them.

 

[Kitsambler]

Glass is heavy! Glass is the heaviest component of (almost) any electronics gadget. The bigger the glass, the heavier it is. So, a notebook is bigger=heavier than a tablet, a tablet is bigger=heaver than a phone, a big phone is bigger=heavier than a small phone. Remember ebook readers and solar panels have glass too.

I take:
iphone12 mini (unique)
Kindle ebook reader (phone screen is too small to read comfortably) (micro-USB)
Apple watch (unique)
Noise-cancelling earbuds (USB-C)
Anker (about the size of a pack of cigarettes)
a USB + USC Euro-plug adapter
and associated cables

 

[J Willhaus]

Here is a slightly different slant on your query.
Elsewhere on this forum I had learned a very important lesson:

Don't take anything on a Camino that you aren't prepared to lose.

This is not to say that the way is rife with light fingered nare-do-wells, but that accidents happen. Things get wet, left behind, mislaid, forgotten and simply broken.
Of course i took my Android phone, but i am old school and used paper maps and paper copies of passport, tickets etc.
For important things like boarding passes, I will not just rely on online access and will have done a screenshot grab of the QR code etc so it is still a cessible when offline later. Also Email to my partner waiting at home.
I was very strict about pack weight for my first Camino. I had recently rejected the solar panel which I used to carry on the outside of my backpack in favour of a small rechargeable battery pack. It was about the same weight but experience in the UK showed that the solar wasn't sufficiently dependable.
Phone would last 3 days when boosted by the battery pack.
Charge the battery pack wherever possible and dump its contents to the phone during the day while walking.
I had carefully selected an MP3 player which used a single AAA battery with cabled earphones. The battery lasts a couple of days and then the last of its charge gets squeezed out by doing service with my little torch.
The torch has a translucent sleeve that I added and slides down to make the torch suitable for night time use in an Albergue.
My watch was a cheap item.

I like the idea of a second backup phone, but much prefer paper, perhaps it is a side effect of my age.

Yes, I also carry a paper back up for everything and discard the paper as I go or use it as scratch paper.

 

[lt56ny]

Have a phone to call home and check where you want to go for a couple of days. I walk caminos now that have little infrastructure. A charger and that is it. I barely look at my phone and basically use it only to communicate with my wife and kids. My wife wants just a WhatsApp message when I arrive at night and when I leave in the morning to make sure I am still alive . (I am 69) Then you are there for yourself and to walk and hear the birds, and wind and see the beauty and smell the cow s#%t. That is all you need.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

If you are bringing a charger from home to use with an adapter to plug into outlets tape the two together. It is easy to pull the charger out but leave the adapter behind still plugged in.

If you have a phone charged by USB-C I suggest bringing an extra cord or an adapter. You might have trouble finding a replacement cord. Maybe bring a long and a short cord.

We have at least one thread on Air Tags:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/apple-air-tag.76971/

 

[David]

Well, the easiest thing, medical devices aside, is to leave all the electronics behind, except for a mobile phone for emergencies.

It is a pilgrimage and the initial "boredom" of not being connected soon morphs into a calm joyful detached freedom and is an integral part of the process - you wouldn't take anything electronic into a monastery for a two week retreat? - a pilgrimage is the same.

I do take a smartphone but tell family and friends not to get in touch except for an emergency and therefore just turn my phone on for two minutes each evening to check - but doing first aid it can come in handy too, so I take a solar panel - works very well indeed - and no need to take a charger and fight for space on a wall socket.

This one - available on Ebay for a few pounds. I fasten it using nappy pins (diaper pins) as they lock shut so are secure. Even works (much slower) in stormy cloudy weather.

Portable 10W USB Solar Panel Power Bank Outdoor Camping Phone Charger UK | eBay

1 Solar charging board. Portable, small, light, durable, good quality. Using high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon battery, the conversion rate is high. Excellent low-light effect, high-gloss quality, high-quality tempered glass.

www.ebay.co.uk

p.s. Please don't get me wrong, I am not anti-technology. I have a 5G smartphone, a desktop pc. I have an online Camino shop, have just built and published a new website ... I Love the online world - is just that, to me, Camino is a pilgrimage, probably the only time a pilgrim can be completely detached from that world they have temporarily left behind - it is a blessing.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

If you are bringing a charger from home to use with an adapter to plug into outlets tape the two together. It is easy to pull the charger out but leave the adapter behind still plugged in.

Good idea! I've done this several times in my life. I usually bring an extra plug. Although next time I need one, I think I'll just see if I can find a charger/power bank with the Spanish plugs. And then get an adapter for when I'm back home!

is a pilgrimage and the initial "boredom" of not being connected soon morphs into a calm joyful detached freedom and is an integral part of the process - you wouldn't take anything electronic into a monastery for a two week retreat? - a pilgrimage is the same.

Absolutely! I look forward to spending some time traveling with minimal internet.
I may be moving soon and I think I will not get an Internet connection for my new home. I have a laptop and I can easily just go to a library or coffee shop when it's necessary to do Internet work. Too much time wasted on the Internet, probably on this forum as well!

 

[Rita Flower]

IPhone 11
Earbuds
Spanish plug and lead
That’s it
A reminder to check battery life. It can make a huge difference.
I had a new battery and my phone lasted all day without any problems. I often listened to stuff as I walked.

 

[peregrina2000]

Good idea! I've done this several times in my life. I usually bring an extra plug. Although next time I need one, I think I'll just see if I can find a charger/power bank with the Spanish plugs. And then get an adapter for when I'm back home!

After years of taping my adaptor plug to my charger (which made the charger sticky when I got home and took it off), I decided to splurge and buy a charger in Spain. Not sure why that hadn’t occured to me before. They are not expensive and a good investment, imho. I have loaned mine to numerous friends traveling to Europe and I use mine every year on the camino. Unfortunately, my electric coil doesn’t have a USB element, so the adaptor plug is permanently affixed to it. But that’s ok because I don’t use the coil anywhere but Spain!

 

[trecile]

Although next time I need one, I think I'll just see if I can find a charger/power bank with the Spanish plugs. And then get an adapter for when I'm back home!

I used this one that I bought on Amazon this year, and it worked great.

 

[J Willhaus]

Seems like we are always leaving the phone chargers somewhere. My husband even left his in Missouri last week. We do have a european phone charger that he got two trips ago when he left his on the Camino somewhere and had to buy one in Sahagun. Our first Camino we left our phone and Kindle charger and cords at Orrison and walked to Pamplona without any tech...and guess what...even though we were a little grouchy with each other over it initially, we were able to get new chargers in Pamplona.

 

[dick bird]

At the risk of stirring up another controversy, and derailing the the thread, you don´t need to use a GPS on most (I emphasise ´most´) camino routes. Until 5 years or so ago GPSs were almost unheard of. By all means download a track in case you go off-trail, but even if that happens, and you miss the trail, retrace your steps or get the help of a friendly local. You can turn your phone off while you are walking. This will reduce battery and data usage and probably enrich the experience in many unexpected ways.

And as many people have already pointed out, there is a healthy supply of functioning phone chargers for sale in Spain. Just don´t buy a cheap one.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I agree completely, with the rider that to date I have only done two short caminos - the Inglés and the Primitivo ( with the Verde variant). The only remotely tricky part with the caminos was the entrance to the Verde, and because of excellent guidance here on the forum I knew exactly what to look for and found it without any difficulties.

As I mentioned above for those trails lesser walked I would definitely consider an app.

 

[C clearly]

I decided to splurge and buy a charger in Spain. Not sure why that hadn’t occured to me before.

If you might stop somewhere in North America en route to/from the Camino, the combo of home charger plus adapter is a good idea.

 

[Bradypus]

Until 5 years or so ago GPSs were almost unheard of. By all means download a track in case you go off

I think they have been in widespread use for much longer than that. I bought my first handheld GPS receiver in 1997.

 

[dick bird]

I think they have been in widespread use for much longer than that. I bought my first handheld GPS receiver in 1997.

I should have been more precise - they weren´t widely used by pilgrims and certainly not as apps in mobile phones until quite recently. The first time I saw one being used by a pilgrim was on the Norte in 2015 and the person using it was regarded as a harmless eccentric. I also think you would agree that one can (and many people still do) negotiate the more popular caminos without the aid of apps or a GPS for finding their way. Electronic guidebooks are a different matter, brilliant inventions.

 

[LesR]

How do you manage the electronics you may take on your Camino?
Assume you are not taking obvious luxuries.
Phone? Tablet? Breathing device? Toothbrush?
What chargers do you bring? Batteries? Solar power?
What is our accumulated wisdom?

Lots of good advice - and comprimises between weight, comlexity, security, etc...

I would add just one thing - better to buy a charger that fits EU power points than take a travel adapter with you. Travel adapters have a tendancy to be left behind, and an EU charger is not expensive and less likely to be left behind.

 

[Kiwi-family]

That charger and of course a cable, mini Bluetooth keyboard (seen above folded up and ready to use) and iPhone SE.

But I also take a pair of socks to knit and a journal with art supplies!!

 

[MassNative]

How do you manage the electronics you may take on your Camino?
Assume you are not taking obvious luxuries.
Phone? Tablet? Breathing device? Toothbrush?
What chargers do you bring? Batteries? Solar power?
What is our accumulated wisdom?

I took a universal power adaptor, using just the European prongs, with a single USB-C fast charger port and two USB-A ports.

I carried a large external battery pack, android phone with USB-C and a Hearing Aid recharging pack micro-USB. The hearing aid recharger also has a built-in battery that is good for about 3 recharges of my hearing aid (Only one aid, I am deaf in one ear)

I prioritized keeping the external battery charged up, so I could always power the phone during the day if needed. In reality, I always had all three charged fully every night, using three cables off the power adapter.

I left my FitBit home to avoid having to charge it. The biggest downsize if that decision was the awesome "watch-band sunburn" on my left wrist the first week of walking. I will probably bring it next time!

 

[Sidknee]

Hola @Kathy F.

have simplified my electronics down to:
- iPhone
- Garmin watch; and
- small power pack

This means I only need to take a 4 USB outlet/plug (bought one in Paris) plus 2 cables:
- Garmin watch cable: and
- a single multi-plug cable (micro, USB-C, Apple Lightning).

I use the 4 plug adapter so that others can also plug in to the spare sockets.

As an aside, there are plenty of stores along the various Caminos that sell cables and electronic “stuff”. You’re never more than one town away from one.

Bought a solar charger 7 or 8 years ago. Carried it on 2 Caminos (approx 3k km), never used it once. Now confined to the box of Camino Stuff I thought I’d need but never used. We should start a thread on that stuff….

Buen Camino

 

[roving_rufus]

Minimal - phone with charger (I have one with 2-pin so no adaptor) and cable. I don't tend to use map app/gps alot -even on less travelled routes so my battery life on my phone is decent, that it doesn't need charged daily. I also carry headphones with a USB connector as newer phones don't have an audio jack, and the USB connector means I don't have to charge earbuds.

Truthfully I don't want to hang around watching my stuff charge!

Also if I am on a little travelled route I bring a kindle as it can be a long night in an albergue alone. (Not so needed on CF or CP for instance). (Others might tell me to use the phone which is fine for occasional use but I don't love reading on my phone, and in France camping it was more tricky to charge stuff so the kindle saved phone battery)

 

[Lindsay53]

For me a Eurpoean charging plug with leads for my phone, kindle and Garmin watch, nothing else electronic. Last time though, I lost my watch charger on the plane and could not find one in Seville anywhere. Bought a cheap watch that did the job, and half way through the kindle cable gave out so I had to read on my phone which I don't really like. Not big issues though.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Another electronics hint, if you are bringing anything that uses AA or AAA batteries make sure you are carrying spares equal to what you use at home. For example, I brought a point and shoot camera and electronic devices like this need to feed power quickly and so you need lithium or alkaline batteries. I finally ran out but for several days walking though small villages I could only find carbon zinc batteries. These are good for flashlights and toy rabbits beating drums but not for the quick power draws needed by cameras. I would only get a day's use out of them instead of two weeks with the alkaline ones.

[In response to me saying tape chargers and adapters together.]
Good idea! I've done this several times in my life. I usually bring an extra plug. Although next time I need one, I think I'll just see if I can find a charger/power bank with the Spanish plugs. And then get an adapter for when I'm back home!

Thanks for saying "Good idea" but you've got a better one thinking outside the box, buy the European wall charger there and then use it at home with an adapter. I'll do that on my next trip.

And thinking about the tape, bring duct tape with you for repairs and whatnot. Roll some around your poles.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

I used this one that I bought on Amazon this year, and it worked great.

buy the European wall charger there and then use it at home with an adapter. I'll do that on my next trip.

I really like the combination charger and Powerbank from Anker that I use now ( although I wish it was smaller) But it does have North American-style plugs.

What I am not finding is a European version of that combination charger and powerbank from any company. I'm sure it's there somewhere.....?

And P.S. @Rick of Rick and Peg , I always bring duct tape wrapped around something. An old-time backpacker friend of mine taught me that trick. It's a really good idea. I've repaired so many things while traveling.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Two Android mobile phones - the one in active use being kept powered up but in airplane mode so I can use it as a camera or read saved documents without waiting for it to reboot. The other phone is backup.

I have my Windows Phone, and a backup Android device (not technically a phone) -- the latter being used for WiFi stuff mainly, which works quite well.

It's a good idea to have a couple of handheld devices as @Bradypus suggests instead of just one, even if simply as a safety net precaution.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@Stephan the Painter, the combination charger/ power bank is readily available here in Europe - including an Anker unit. Some are even a ‘travel accessory’ complete with interchangeable heads so you can use the same unit in the EU, England or the USA. Eg
“The perfect travel set: FORCELL 5in1 multi-charger. Equipped with integrated ports: USB-C, iPhone port and a power bank. Allows wireless charging.
Built-in charging cables “etc. That was was advertised on a local supermarket website (Kaufland), I’ve also seen them in numerous electronic shops.
No idea as to weight, quality etc

 

[Kiwi-family]

I have my Windows Phone, and a backup Android device (not technically a phone) -- the latter being used for WiFi stuff mainly, which works quite well.

It's a good idea to have a couple of handheld devices as @Bradypus suggests instead of just one, even if simply as a safety net precaution.

Off to weigh 73 pieces of paper with all my route instructions printed out (or however many it would be) and a phone. The lightest option will win (assuming I can find an incredibly inexpensive second phone)

 

[dougfitz]

I think they have been in widespread use for much longer than that. I bought my first handheld GPS receiver in 1997.

Magellan's first handheld unit was introduced in the late 1980s. Friends of mine were using the first generation of the Garmin eTrex a decade later, and I bought my first handheld unit in the mid 2000s.

I was happy to be seen as @dick bird's harmless eccentric, and still am. I have kept a GPS record of my longer walks for the last 15 years, as well as geo-tagging my photos. On my first camino, I carried a photo tagger, which was not up to the task of reliably tagging photos over the course of a walking day. That camino is the only one for which I don't have a full .gpx track.

More, as @dick bird suggests, one isn't needed to navigate the camino. On the camino, I have walked most of the recent ones without relying on the GPS for navigation. As for the suggestion that a camino app is somehow different from using a dedicated GPS unit, that is an interesting position. Clearly these integrate a wide range of services already available on one's smartphone in one place, and that is an advantage for those who might not have the skills to find information in separate apps. But one is still, in most of these, relying on their GPS functionality.

 

[henrythedog]

Off to weigh 73 pieces of paper with all my route instructions printed out (or however many it would be) and a phone. The lightest option will win (assuming I can find an incredibly inexpensive second phone)

You can print on both sides and it doesn’t all have to be A4 sized.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Off to weigh 73 pieces of paper with all my route instructions printed out (or however many it would be) and a phone. The lightest option will win (assuming I can find an incredibly inexpensive second phone)

Compare with half of the paper weight as you will be discarding pages as you go.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Compare with half of the paper weight as you will be discarding pages as you go.

Oh no, I scribble so many things on my papers I can't bear to part with them! My kids will have to throw them away one day!

 

[Stephan the Painter]

@Stephan the Painter, the combination charger/ power bank is readily available here in Europe - including an Anker unit.

I’m sure you’re right,. I can’t imagine that these aren’t Available in the EU.

I.E., This is a combination charger, which you can plug into the wall and use as a normal charger, but also has a battery inside it, and serves as a power bank when it’s not plugged in. So you don’t have to bring along an extra charger.
In case you misunderstood my question.

I can’t find any on the Spanish Amazon site or the Anker EU site.? But it’s difficult to search from these things from a different continent, because my results are always skewed in favor of North America.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Yep, understood - but didn't find it on Amazon but 'local' websites - for example electronic shops and supermarkets, bear in mind it's in German so might not be so obvious.

 

[AlwynWellington]

How do you manage the electronics you may take on your Camino?

2016 camino the first - carried:
tablet - android 11" and phone - sim ex UK with Euro data included - USB micro B socket
camera - Nikon 12 mega pixel - USB micro B socket
charger - 4 sockets and cables - about 20 watts all up
all up weight about 1.3 kg

I didn't know about wattage (= volts x amps) this trip.
Multi socket chargers were relatively primitive at this time and wattage output did not support charging much more than one device (despite having several sockets).


2023 camino the fourth - carried
tablet - android fold 6" x 6" and phone - sim ex UK with Euro data included - USB type C socket
camera - none
power bank - 10,000 watts - recharge tablet almost twice over
charger - PD, QC and 2 x 3.1 amp output sockets - 65 watts
all up weight about 0.6 kg


Since 2016 this world had changed on three major fronts
a) connectors and cables all type C
b) chargers now available with PD, QC and 3.1 ampere output sockets - multidevice capable
c) cables now braided - almost unbreakable

I chose android devices for GPS and other sensors and for the offline map app (OSMand) and the ability to plot and save my own routes as required.

 

[CA_Pilgrim]

How do you manage the electronics you may take on your Camino?
Assume you are not taking obvious luxuries.
Phone? Tablet? Breathing device? Toothbrush?
What chargers do you bring? Batteries? Solar power?
What is our accumulated wisdom?

The only electronic devices I brought were a phone, earbuds, and battery pack (for charging during the day). They were easy to charge at night with with a USB cable & power converter. No need for a voltage adaptor. I did find a short 3 foot extension cord useful in some situations.

Personally, I'd leave the tablet and electric toothbrush behind, it's just unnecessary weight. Same goes for an electric razor (for men). If you need a breathing apparatus, by all means bring it. Nix on the solar charging device. Just a gimmick. A small compact battery pack is much easier to manage and provides enough power (for me) to charge the phone all day, even when using a tracking app all day.