New member doing Camino Frances in September

[tohams]

Hi...just introducing myself. My name is Thomas. I'm 35 years old and from Kansas City, Missouri. I'll be doing Camino Frances starting in September 2009. I've not yet booked my ticket, but have made quite a few purchases pertinent to the trip. Feel free to visit my blog: http://elcaminodethomas.blogspot.com.

-Thomas

 

[colinPeter]

Hi Thomas,
Welcome to the forum.

.... but have made quite a few purchases pertinent to the trip.

Yeh, made a few of those pertinent purchases myself. They sure add up when you're "kitting yourself out" for the first time. Good luck with your planning & enjoy the preparations.
Buen Camino.
Col

 

[WolverineDG]

Hi Thomas! I'm planning to go back to the Frances this September as well. When are you starting? Feel free to check out my blog. I walked from Logrono to Leon in September 2007.

Kelly

 

[mrbillyto]

Hi Thomas,
Just quick shout out from another newbie doing their first Camino in September! My flights are booked to fly Toronto to Paris on 03Sep09 and will be starting my Camino from St Jean Pied de Port on either 7 or 8 September. I am lucky enough to have a 6 week window so a few days in Paris are in order and then the train to SJPDP.
I like most on here it seems, have started a blog too...

http://mrbillyto.blogspot.com

Have you figured out when you are starting yet? I know what you mean about getting the gear for this trip. I pretty much started from scratch but like you, if I canI will spend the money on the better equipment so I don't suffer there!
Later,
Bill

 

[Portia1]

Welcome, Thomas. You will get lots of good advice here. I guess it's a good thing that I already had much of my equipment but that doesn't prevent yearning for newer stuff! So far my pack weight--all weighed and pretty much decided on--is 16.5# not including water and snacks. I set up an excel spreadsheet and tracked all weights of my equipment so I can pick and choose to see impacts. But I have now narrowed it down to a specific pack list. It's hard to trim but oh, so necessary. I have hiked about half of the AT and I know the pain of carrying too much. The last decision is whether to wear my hiking boots or to go for hiking/approach shoes instead. The jury is still out. After breaking my leg/ankle in five places on the AT, I am a little leary of walking that many miles in low shoes but I think my pack weight will permit it. Oh the decisions, decision!

I too will be starting in September--feet on the ground September 2nd to be precise. I purchased my tickets since the flights I wanted were beginning to fill up in blocks. Perhaps we will run across one another. Buen Camino!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

From an article on Earl Shaffer, a famous thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trail:

"In a way, Mr. Shaffer saved his most impressive achievement for last. Four years ago, on the 50th anniversary of his first hike, he once again hiked the trail -- which had grown around 100 miles, to 2,158 miles -- making better time than some people a third his age. He was two months shy of 80 at trail's end.

''I just like to walk in the woods and sleep on mountaintops,'' he said.

Mr. Shaffer, who selected the nickname Crazy One, was a throwback to an age of hiking before high-tech fabrics, featherweight packs and cellular phones. He wore long trousers, a flannel shirt and a pith helmet with mosquito net. He carried a rucksack from World War II.

He wore no socks because he got fewer blisters without them. He carried no sleeping mat, tent or stove, because of their weight."

All his equipment weighed about 8 pounds. So do not worry about taking too little!