Most helpful advice before and during Camino

[Annie Little]

The following is a list of advice I found helpful prior to and during my recent Camino :
* Start slow and build up your fitness
* Listen to your body and look after your feet .... ignore body and feet at your own peril
* Pack light
* Take light weight travel umbrella ( just don't forget you have it on that long hot day with little shade : it's not just for rain )
* Change inner soles to .... Superfeet green insoles before leaving home
* Vaseline for feet .... pure Vaseline available at pharmacy .... helps prevent blisters ..... toe socks also worked for me
* iPhone App .... trekright .... loved it !!!
* Rain gear Atlus poncho , gaiters , rain jacket
* Walk your own walk . Don't try to keep up with others .
* Don't fret . Just GO . Work out whatever comes up .
* Try to resist planning too much ahead ... the best laid plans can be thrown by the wayside
* Go without expectation
* Be aware of personal safety and keep passport / money / cards on you at all times BUT at the same time be open to great possibilities and interactions with others ...
* Listen to all advice and then chose what will work for you

THANKS to all who provided advice on this forum and during the walk


ULTREIA
Anne

 

[Dabo]

The following is a list of advice I found helpful prior to and during my recent Camino :
* Start slow and build up your fitness
* Listen to your body and look after your feet .... ignore body and feet at your own peril
* Pack light
* Take light weight travel umbrella ( just don't forget you have it on that long hot day with little shade : it's not just for rain )
* Change inner soles to .... Superfeet green insoles before leaving home
* Vaseline for feet .... pure Vaseline available at pharmacy .... helps prevent blisters ..... toe socks also worked for me
* iPhone App .... trekright .... loved it !!!
* Rain gear Atlus poncho , gaiters , rain jacket
* Walk your own walk . Don't try to keep up with others .
* Don't fret . Just GO . Work out whatever comes up .
* Try to resist planning too much ahead ... the best laid plans can be thrown by the wayside
* Go without expectation
* Be aware of personal safety and keep passport / money / cards on you at all times BUT at the same time be open to great possibilities and interactions with others ...
* Listen to all advice and then chose what will work for you

THANKS to all who provided advice on this forum and during the walk


ULTREIA
Anne

Thank you for the tidbit of trekright. It looks good but I didn't think wifi was in the trail. Please explain.

 

[Anamya]

Best advice I got beforehand, besides what was already posted, was to carry safety pins with me.

I used them for so many things! From fixing ripped pants to drying clothes that were still wet, it was awesome! and they weight nothing!

 

[Dabo]

Best advice I got beforehand, besides what was already posted, was to carry safety pins with me.

I used them for so many things! From fixing ripped pants to drying clothes that were still wet, it was awesome! and they weight nothing!

Best advice I got beforehand, besides what was already posted, was to carry safety pins with me.

I used them for so many things! From fixing ripped pants to drying clothes that were still wet, it was awesome! and they weight nothing!

You are so right, safety pins surely will be packed.

 

[Annie Little]

Thank you for the tidbit of trekright. It looks good but I didn't think wifi was in the trail. Please explain.

Once you download the app .... using wiifii ..... it then works offline while walking ..... was fabulous ..... helpful to know how far to go to the next village .... it tracks you while you walk and seemed accurate ..... on tough days helped to know next stop only a few kms

 

[Waka]

iPhone App .... trekright .... loved it !!!

I've looked into Trekright and wonder how this differs from Wise Pilgrim, also how was the battery life on the iPhone when using this App?

 

[Annie Little]

I am not sure about wise pilgrim .... dont think I have that but trekright must have GPS ... as each section it was able to tell me how many kms I had walked and how many left ... broke sections down to village to village .... also gave info about section difficulty and services but that info you can get many ways ..... it was the fact that it told me how far I had to go .... very helpful when walking alone and getting tired

It did not seem to affect my battery life .... only thing affected battery life was using google maps etc if I needed to .... I did not have a real prob with battery .... charged fully overnight and lasted all day

 

[Jaco Klynsmith]

Great tips. Will some of the shops in the villages offer anything one might need? I want to take as little as possible and just buy whatever I need. I always pack way too much.

 

[Waka]

I am not sure about wise pilgrim .... dont think I have that but trekright must have GPS ... as each section it was able to tell me how many kms I had walked and how many left ... broke sections down to village to village .... also gave info about section difficulty and services but that info you can get many ways ..... it was the fact that it told me how far I had to go .... very helpful when walking alone and getting tired

It did not seem to affect my battery life .... only thing affected battery life was using google maps etc if I needed to .... I did not have a real prob with battery .... charged fully overnight and lasted all day

@Annie Little, thank you for the info, can't hurt to give it a try.

 

[Olivares]

The best advice I received was how to take care of my feet-- the ritual I did every morning save my Caminos.

Not to compete with anybody...it was my Camino.

To NOT judge nobody's Camino-- whatever anybody carried or not carried, where they stayed or not stayed, talk or not talked, bus ahead or not bus ahead. NONE of my business and actually against everything the Camino is about.

 

[Annie Little]

Great tips. Will some of the shops in the villages offer anything one might need? I want to take as little as possible and just buy whatever I need. I always pack way too much.

There are definitely places to buy your needs .... not so much in smaller villages .... St Jean , Pamplona , Burgos, Leon , Astorga for sure .... some smaller places I noticed had a shop with a few items but I can remember which smaller villages

 

[Annie Little]

The best advice I received was how to take care of my feet-- the ritual I did every morning save my Caminos.

Not to compete with anybody...it was my Camino.

To NOT judge nobody's Camino-- whatever anybody carried or not carried, where they stayed or not stayed, talk or not talked, bus ahead or not bus ahead. NONE of my business and actually against everything the Camino is about.

I agree ... NOT judging is great advice .... some still do it though .... seems silly to me .... I think by nature human beings ARE judgemental ... some can control the urge to judge better than others ..... but on Camino I felt no urge to judge at all .
Actually this may sound weird but the pain from the blisters was welcome as my mind could focus on nothing else.

ULTREIA
Anne

 

[Kent Davis]

For someone who might instinctively feel different about the thoughtful advice provided I was a contrarian for the following reasons;
start slowly - went up and over the pyrnees the first day
put Vaseline on your feet - seemed to me that Vaseline would cause more friction which is what you are trying to mitigate
use poles - could not get comfortable with
don't book ahead - wanted predictability at night time
travel with a lightweight structured pack - loved the Osprey 50 because of its extra padding and support around the waist
be a minimalist with what you pack - wanted more comfort
take short strides while climbing - fitness was built before the walk

You have both physical and mental issues to cope with on the trip so you need to do what is best for your situation, even though what has worked for scores of others may indeed be effective and time tested. Make sure you get your plan right for you.

 

[Annie Little]

My final sentence said : Listen to all advice and then chose what will work for you ..... it didn't hurt that I listened to it all and then worked out that which worked fir me

 

[Annie Little]

Pyrenees : yes that works for some in one day and many others get injuries starting with one full day UP

vaseline : I was told 1. Def use Vaseline 2. Nono don't use it ..... so I didn't and got blisters and then thereafter and my feet loved me fir it

Poles .... most advice said take them .... they were a godsend for me ... but I understand others might not like them

Yes and that's right ... listen to what others say but then work on your own plan .... my post was just sharing not saying anyone should do what I did .... shared what worked fir me as others did before me and I got some good advice out of it .... blisters are a contentious issue I found .... it is definately not one solution works for all as I discovered .... very much individual trial and error

Booking or not booking another contentious issue . I did both ... liked both for different reasons ..... liked knowing where I would stay before arriving and having my own room BUT also liked the spontaneity when I didn't book .... double edged sword for me

Cheers
Anne

 

[Kent Davis]

Annie; I think your topic was a very good one because it offers empirical info to interested parties and you provided actual insights; have no objection to any of the advice you offered.

 

[Olivares]

To NOT let a minor discomfort develop further. Take care of minor frictions and such IMMEDIATELY.

STRETCH before and after walking. It ELIMINATED plantar fascitis for me. Best advice ever.

READ about the route the night before. I witnessed so many pilgrims going by remarkable architecture, outstanding historic sights, incredible Camino history with no notion of what an incredible thing they had just missed completely. An example:

- Clearly visible from the Camino Frances there is a medieval roadside cross pole from where criminals were hanged and left as a warning to pilgrims passing by. Do you remember seeing it?

- The birthplace and tomb of the Saint Patron of Civil Engineers is on the Camino Frances. As a matter of fact if you walked the whole Camino Frances you walked over two bridges he helped construct himself. Do you know who is this Saint and where are the two bridges?

- The oldest and most magnificent baptismal font in all of Spain is fully accessible to visit along the Camino. A 12th Century Spain's heritage priceless jewel. Did you get to see it?

- Clearly visible from the Camino are the ruins of a 9th Century monastery in the middle of a wheat field. These ruins were at one time one of the principal religious buildings in Spain and IN these ruins you will find the tomb of the FOUNDER OF THE CITY OF BURGOS. Do you remember seeing it?

- Just BEHIND a very iconic sight along the Camino Frances there are the ruins of a medieval hospital buildings and cemetery that provided assistance and lodging to weary pilgrims. Do you remember seeing it?

- You walked over many old Roman trade stone roads numerous times and even crossed many bridges built under the Roman Empire to sustained their gold trade. Can you recalled just three such places?

- You will walked by the place where they found the earliest human beings in Europe (1.2 million years ago). A UNESCO Patrimony of Humanity World Heritage Site. Did you notice the excavations going on? Clearly visible from the Camino.

- You walked under and across (yes-- under and across) a monastery considered the best medical institution of its time in Europe. Later closed down by the Church when it was found out some Monks were actually doing medical experiments with many sick Pilgrims. Do you remember this place-- you cannot miss it.

-- You will walked by the spot where this town and nearby villages used to burned witches at the stake -- huge sign STILL left by the Church as warning. In what town is it located? You cannot miss it....or did you?

Some people took Brierley....I took (kindle) " The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago" by David Gitlitz and Linda Davidson. It completely took my Camino to another level.

 

[Older Guy]

The best advice before was what I got from this forum on Camino "customs." Don't put you pack on a bed. Make sure you bring your own towel, wash cloth, bag to hang valuables in when you shower, flip-flops to wear in the shower, ear plugs, etc..

The best advice on the tail was from fellow pilgrims and tourist information offices.