No tech!!!

[Joeninho]

OK. I did the C.P last year with every intention of not using my phone. However, my (grown up) stepchildren insisted I stay in some form of contact so I took my phone (from U.K), anyway I fell into the trap of using it for other things, from scrolling Twitter to booking accommodation (something I really didn't want to do). I'm doing the C.P again this year and I explained to my stepkids that I'm really not taking any technology this year. I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones to occasionally let them know I'm OK. My main question though, is it even possible to do a Camino in 2023 without any form of technology or communication? I assume, and would like to think it's still possible. I mean it went on for hundreds of years without it. I'm wondering if anyone has done it recently, and what experiences, both positive and negative they had. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Bom Caminho.

 

[WalkinRon]

Of course it's possible--you've got me considering doing it too! I would add that on my first and only Camino (so far) I sent many postcards and letters from several points along the way. An exercise for sender and receiver in patience! People were always happy to direct me to the post office. And, in every case, the post office worker was very friendly and quite helpful.

Buen Camino!

 

[C clearly]

I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones

is it even possible to do a Camino in 2023 without any form of technology or communication?

Of course it is possible. There are still many people (but very much a minority) who conduct their lives without cell phones. Try it at home for a month and see how it goes.

 

[good_old_shoes]

It is still possible, I'd say.

I'd bring a cheap phone without internet access though, maybe keep it switched off in the bottom of your pack - just in case of emergency to call for help (for yourself or someone else). If it has no internet connection and can't take photos, the risk of using it for anything else than emergencies is low.

A few years ago I met a young man who, to keep his loved ones informed, but without the need for direct communication via phone, sent a postcard home every day.

Maybe it doesn't have to be every day, but a postcard or letter from time to time can be a lovely, very personal way to show people at home that you're fine. Old school, and takes some time, but I think it fits to the pace of a camino.

 

[Lindsay53]

G'day Joeninho, it's certainly possible to walk the Camino without a phone, however I don't recall seeing any payphones along the way, even in the larger towns. I'm sure there must still be some but they will be very few and far between, probably not to be relied upon to book accommodation. But you can still limit your phone use. I told my family that I would be out of touch for long periods of time and would send them a message every week to ten days, stayed away from all social media (apart from a few progress posts on this forum) and had my phone switched off for long periods.

As long as you explain to anyone who may want to contact you that you will be out of touch, maybe set up some pre planned windows when you will have your phone switched on and discipline yourself with social media you should be able to have a relatively technology free Camino.

 

[trecile]

You could carry an Apple Air Tag or similar with you so that your family could know where you are. You would have to set it up ahead of time so that they could see your location.

 

[mspath]

Check out tve many other relevant posts in this earlier thread regarding a time apart from daily life.

 

[sun is shining]

I've walked the VdlP in 2019 without connected tech and had no issues whatsoever. My phone was switched on because I used it to take pictures but not connected to a mobile or wifi network. The first days were surprisingly hard (scrolling is *very* addictive) but that stopped pretty soon. Apart from that I used a very simple distance / albergue guide for daily planning and intuition when looking for places where to eat. No reading of reviews, no stressing about missing "un-missable" things, no constant contact with the outside world and its distractions.

I've explained my plans to family and friends before leaving and didn't give in to any discussions about it. It was very liberating and I subsequently continued the amount of time I spend connected. Really increased my ability to focus and be more present in the moment.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

OK. I did the C.P last year with every intention of not using my phone. However, my (grown up) stepchildren insisted I stay in some form of contact so I took my phone (from U.K), anyway I fell into the trap of using it for other things, from scrolling Twitter to booking accommodation (something I really didn't want to do). I'm doing the C.P again this year and I explained to my stepkids that I'm really not taking any technology this year. I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones to occasionally let them know I'm OK. My main question though, is it even possible to do a Camino in 2023 without any form of technology or communication? I assume, and would like to think it's still possible. I mean it went on for hundreds of years without it. I'm wondering if anyone has done it recently, and what experiences, both positive and negative they had. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Bom Caminho.

There are still working payphones in rural central Portugal, but not that many. It may be difficult to use them for long distance calls outside Portugal.

I know there is one in the area that is most like a public square near us. I've never seen anyone using it. (So maybe it isn't working?) Among locals in less affluent areas, "dumb phones" -- no internet connection -- are most common. Smartphones are way less common than here in North America.

Idea -- you could pick up a very small, old-style dumb phone in any mall for about 20 - 30 euros, and have a basic SIM installed -- you'd still have phone use, but not be tempted by scrolling/Twitter etc. At the end of your trip, just give it to someone in Santiago, or take out the SIM, and leave the phone with other donations somewhere. Someone will use it.

 

[David with new Kit!]

I agree with the comments above re taking a phone and leaving it switched off.

If I were to twist my ankle I don't think I'd like to drag myself to the nearest payphone.

I'm all for a quiet Camino, but a plan b is sensible too

 

[VNwalking]

Flip phone with no internet is your middle way. It allows emergency connection, without the ability to be a portal of worldly noise.

The other option is to just put your phone in airplane mode...and leave it there. This is of course much harder.

A very worthy intention, @Joeninho. May you be successful!

 

[JabbaPapa]

I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones to occasionally let them know I'm OK.

These are vanishing at a fast rate all over Europe ...

My main question though, is it even possible to do a Camino in 2023 without any form of technology or communication? I assume, and would like to think it's still possible.

It's possible, yes, but sometimes inconvenient. GPS mapping apps are extremely useful, and even if you're not booking ahead (I only ever do so by rare exception), finding out by phone which places have beds after you get into town can be of help.

Possibly two alternatives though -- take the or *a* smartphone and simply delete every time-wasting app like twitter and so on, and just keep the phoning and stuff that's useful for the Camino, and lose everything else.

Or take a dumbphone, though that would leave you without GPS and whatnot.

Having said that, losing a smartphone or having it get stolen or suddenly stop working is not a Camino-ending experience, so that not having one to start with wouldn't be either.

 

[David]

I take my phone with me but leave it switched off. Family and friends are told to text in an emergency. Every evening I switch it on to check for messages then switch it off again.
Means I never have to charge it and if I have an emergency, well, there it is.

No surfing, no photos, no getting stuck into tech; for me Camino is time out and "no one can have two masters" - you just cannot fully be there if you are also in contact with back there.

As for you using your phone last time, well, ... don't do that this time. Leave it switched off and safely tucked away ... also, it will be so much more fun ... no using phone for planning or map checking, just doing, being, not knowing what comes next!

If you do decide to not take a phone, (how will you know if a family member has had an accident/illness?) .. every bar has a phone, every refugio has a phone.

 

[mspath]

During my first caminos my husband and I communicated when necessary by land-line telephone; since 2008 I carried a smartphone which also served as camera+computer on which I wrote my daily blogs then using Blogspot

Since we both were then in our 70's whilst apart we texted each other good morning, briefly cited our daily plans, and texted again at day's end. Simple, swift and efficacious this helped keep each of us in the other's loop although physically we were often on different continents.

While walking a phone and European assistance number 112 can provide invaluable emergency help. Luckily I have never personally needed such assistance, but over the years I have called 112 for other pilgrims who needed fast help and either had no phone or were unable to use a phone.

...In retrospect I would never walk without a phone. Carrying one may help save someone else's life. Furthermore I would never carry a computer or iPad; I like to travel light. However i always carried my full backpack.

Although I am no longer able to easily hike at 84 I still use a smartphone as my computer. All my posts here are written on the phone. I am using it now to write this.

 

[VNwalking]

All my posts here are written on the phone. I am using it now to write this.

Without a single typo, I might add. I wish I could say the same.
Brava. Margaret.

 

[John Sikora]

To put it quickly. It's not whether you carry tech, it's whether you use tech.

 

[dfox]

I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones to occasionally let them know I'm OK.

I had once required to use a public pay-phone in Finisterre to contact the bus company, but the owner/operator of the albergue where I would stay overnight did not allow me to use his cell-phone as I did not have a cell-phone. He advised me to use a public pay phone down the street.

The instructions to use the pay phone was written in Spanish, which I couldn't comprehend, also I had no Spanish coins (quarters) to pay for the service. I was stuck.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

The link below was found by doing a search for
turn smartphone into a dumb phone
but I'm sure other webpages can give you other tips too. Some tips show how to make the phone so inconvenient you won't want to restore anything until you get home. So the only apps you will probably want is phone, text and AlertCops (a useful 112 alternative). The advantage of using these tips is that upon restoration you have the stuff you need to make an emergency return home.

8 Ways You Can Turn Your Smartphone Into a Dumbphone

You think you want a flip phone, but you probably want a simple smartphone instead.

lifehacker.com

 

[joecollins]

OK. I did the C.P last year with every intention of not using my phone. However, my (grown up) stepchildren insisted I stay in some form of contact so I took my phone (from U.K), anyway I fell into the trap of using it for other things, from scrolling Twitter to booking accommodation (something I really didn't want to do). I'm doing the C.P again this year and I explained to my stepkids that I'm really not taking any technology this year. I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones to occasionally let them know I'm OK. My main question though, is it even possible to do a Camino in 2023 without any form of technology or communication? I assume, and would like to think it's still possible. I mean it went on for hundreds of years without it. I'm wondering if anyone has done it recently, and what experiences, both positive and negative they had. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Bom Caminho.

I do love this idea. I am looking forward to a very stripped down, minimalist experience. Like so many others, my family has strongly requested that I bring it with me.
That said, a question comes to mind. Would the pilgrims of old taken tech with them if it was available to them? Counter-factual I know. And I do have all respect for anyone striving for the experience of the pilgrims of old.
In the end, it’s your Camino. Make it your experience.
Buen Camino!

 

[Bradypus]

That said, a question comes to mind. Would the pilgrims of old taken tech with them if it was available to them?

How old? I walked my first Camino before digital mobile phones and the world wide web reached the general public. If either had been available then I would probably have made use of them as I do very gratefully these days.

 

[stevetay3815]

Of course it's possible--you've got me considering doing it too! I would add that on my first and only Camino (so far) I sent many postcards and letters from several points along the way. An exercise for sender and receiver in patience! People were always happy to direct me to the post office. And, in every case, the post office worker was very friendly and quite helpful.

Buen Camino!

I was forever sending postcards (put into an envelope for better assurance of delivery) to myself...keeping my diary entry accumulation to a minimum.

 

[joecollins]

How old? I walked my first Camino before digital mobile phones and the world wide web reached the general public. If either had been available then I would probably have made use of them as I do very gratefully these days.

I was thinking old old (technically speaking .) But your experience applies to my thought as well.

 

[Dion]

OK. I did the C.P last year with every intention of not using my phone. However, my (grown up) stepchildren insisted I stay in some form of contact so I took my phone (from U.K), anyway I fell into the trap of using it for other things, from scrolling Twitter to booking accommodation (something I really didn't want to do). I'm doing the C.P again this year and I explained to my stepkids that I'm really not taking any technology this year. I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones to occasionally let them know I'm OK. My main question though, is it even possible to do a Camino in 2023 without any form of technology or communication? I assume, and would like to think it's still possible. I mean it went on for hundreds of years without it. I'm wondering if anyone has done it recently, and what experiences, both positive and negative they had. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Bom Caminho.

 

[Pathfinder075]

You could grab a Sim Free Nokia 110 from Argos. It does phone and text, is dual sim (in case you want a local sim), has an MP3 player and will take a 32GB SD Card. Cost is about £40. Or you can get them on ebay for less.

You retain the contact possibilities, so your family can ring you, but remove the smart functionality that distracts you. I think the MP3 player functionality is ok, as I like to listen to music sometimes while walking.

 

[Dion]

Since the Camino is a part of your oversea journey and need some risk management to protect yourself,isn’t it?
I think it’s easy not to use it with some idea.

 

[Jim Bispham]

OK. I did the C.P last year with every intention of not using my phone. However, my (grown up) stepchildren insisted I stay in some form of contact so I took my phone (from U.K), anyway I fell into the trap of using it for other things, from scrolling Twitter to booking accommodation (something I really didn't want to do). I'm doing the C.P again this year and I explained to my stepkids that I'm really not taking any technology this year. I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones to occasionally let them know I'm OK. My main question though, is it even possible to do a Camino in 2023 without any form of technology or communication? I assume, and would like to think it's still possible. I mean it went on for hundreds of years without it. I'm wondering if anyone has done it recently, and what experiences, both positive and negative they had. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Bom Caminho.

No need for tech gadgets.. I do not prebook accommodation. In 11 caminos, I have only had a problem once. The routes are very well marked with arrows and shells. Doing the camino is a great adventure and you have to take whatever the camino throws at you and solve it.

 

[Pathfinder075]

I think you can easily do a camino without a phone. Or you could use a basic phone, like the old Nokia 3310 from times gone by, then that would suffice. As long as you retain the ability to make an emergency call, and can receive texts and send them to your family, it would suffice. Any of the basic phones you can get that do that will be fine.

A phone is more there, in my view, for those oh sh*t moments, like you came across someone injured, or you fell and broke your leg in the middle of nowhere. Maybe reporting a crime. When I'm on camino i use mine for the basics and listening to music.

The other thing is most people who walk the mainstream camino routes will always be walking with lots of others. having an issue isn't a problem when others are around you. When you are off piste, on the lesser walked routes, especially the mountainous routes, that is when a phone could be very useful.

 

[Pilgrim Patricia]

A few years ago in Seville I got hopelessly turned around in the old town and couldn't find my hotel. I noticed a youngish man walking down the opposite side of the road, carrying a smart phone. I crossed over and asked him in my terrible Spanish if he could help me find the hotel. He was delighted to do so, and I figured there were a few benefits to my not having any tech: The young man got to help someone; I got to practice being willing to ask for help (a tough thing for independent me); and I got to my hotel safe and sound. A trifecta!

 

[David Tallan]

OK. I did the C.P last year with every intention of not using my phone. However, my (grown up) stepchildren insisted I stay in some form of contact so I took my phone (from U.K), anyway I fell into the trap of using it for other things, from scrolling Twitter to booking accommodation (something I really didn't want to do). I'm doing the C.P again this year and I explained to my stepkids that I'm really not taking any technology this year. I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones to occasionally let them know I'm OK. My main question though, is it even possible to do a Camino in 2023 without any form of technology or communication? I assume, and would like to think it's still possible. I mean it went on for hundreds of years without it. I'm wondering if anyone has done it recently, and what experiences, both positive and negative they had. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Bom Caminho.

It is possible, but I really wouldn't count on encountering payphones. You may need to send postcards. That's what I did on my first Camino before cellphones and Internet.

 

[JabbaPapa]

How old? I walked my first Camino before digital mobile phones and the world wide web reached the general public. If either had been available then I would probably have made use of them as I do very gratefully these days.

Same -- though I tend to be as minimalist as I can, and especially be in control of the device rather than the other way 'round.

It does help though if you were an early adopter of the tech and so learned to live with it bit by bit and organically over a period of decades as opposed to having it shoved into your hands with all bells and whistles already decided for you.

 

[JillGat]

Of course it is possible. There are still many people (but very much a minority) who conduct their lives without cell phones. Try it at home for a month and see how it goes.

I tried to go without a cell phone at home. I got lost and nobody could give me directions (they all use Google Maps). I went to get tacos at a food truck and their menu was a QR code on the side of the truck. Then I was invited to a friend's house, but she lives in a gated community and I didn't have the gate code and I couldn't call her to let me in. When I ended up on the other side of the wall behind her house, yelling her name without results, I realized it's really hard to go without a cell phone.

Not only that, but the one time I went hiking without a cellphone, I saw the biggest rattlesnake I'd ever seen. It was stretched out in the sun and let me walk right up. I couldn't take a picture of it and I knew no one would believe me. And they didn't.

You could probably do the Camino without a cell phone. But I challenge you to do it without an ATM card.

 

[Mycroft]

OK. I did the C.P last year with every intention of not using my phone. However, my (grown up) stepchildren insisted I stay in some form of contact so I took my phone (from U.K), anyway I fell into the trap of using it for other things, from scrolling Twitter to booking accommodation (something I really didn't want to do). I'm doing the C.P again this year and I explained to my stepkids that I'm really not taking any technology this year. I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones to occasionally let them know I'm OK. My main question though, is it even possible to do a Camino in 2023 without any form of technology or communication? I assume, and would like to think it's still possible. I mean it went on for hundreds of years without it. I'm wondering if anyone has done it recently, and what experiences, both positive and negative they had. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Bom Caminho.

I admit to being somewhat of a Luddite. I don't have a phone and for years used an iPod while pilgrimaging to take photos, and check email occasionally--until someone at church walked off with my little darlin' at church last March. Apple stopped making iPods in May of last year, so thinking of years to come, I knew that after awhile, I would not be able to update the device. Instead I got a cheapo Moto smartphone (lots of swearing while trying to learn how to use Android), but without a subscription to a carrier, I can use it in essence like my iPod. So, as others above have mentioned, I can get online at the albergues in the evening, check my route for the next day, and sort my photos. I just got a personal beacon so I can send out a shout if somethings happens to me en route.
In any case enjoy your pilgrimage, and let the Camino provide.

 

[Joeninho]

You could probably do the Camino without a cell phone. But I challenge you to do it without an ATM card.

That's easy. (Well, at least in Portugal it is).

 

[Bradypus]

You could probably do the Camino without a cell phone. But I challenge you to do it without an ATM card.

I've walked from SJPDP to Santiago without using either. But it was quite a long time ago! Personally I have no regrets at the demise of travellers' cheques or having to carry a pack stuffed with banknotes to change in banks along the way. A pain in the posterior.

 

[edandjoan]

In 2012 on our first Camino we took our daughter’s iPod touch because our adult children said we were being irresponsible. We got a blog and at night we would write our day’s memories and if we had internet then we would post it. So they would know we were “ok”. We didn’t alway have an internet connection so if a few days went by and we didn’t post, when we would get internet there would be an email from one of our children wondering if we were “ok”. LOL.
The device only came out to journal and we never checked the news or weather. Upon arrival in Santiago the priest asked for pray from the Americans killed. We looked at each other with questioning eyes and knew we had to find out what was going on. Turns out it was the bombing in Libya.

 

[dougfitz]

Would the pilgrims of old taken tech with them if it was available to them?

I'm not sure there is any reason to think that they wouldn't have used whatever was available to make their journey easier. But what was the technology of the day that would have been affordable for individuals, portable enough to carry and able to be sustained and maintained for however long they needed to use it? What were the innovations and inventions that appeared in the Middle Ages and Renaissance that would have made a pilgrims life easier? There were no doubt many useful things invented over that time, but were they useful to pilgrims?

 

[JabbaPapa]

What were the innovations and inventions that appeared in the Middle Ages and Renaissance that would have made a pilgrims life easier?

Travel via canals ; the reintroduction of horse posts for changing horses and faster travel ; public transport ; renovation of the roads networks ; improved ship technology. There are probably others, but off-hand that's good to start with.

 

[Anamya]

For those who want to have the phone, but not use it much:
if you have an Android phone, youcan choose the battery option "Maximum battery saving". It will only allow phone calls go through (and it doesn't ring) plus a maximum of 5 other apps, which you select. Apps only update (like, with messages) if you open them. They won't beep.

For a camino, mine are camera, internet browser and WhatsApp for letting my family know where I am. Nothing else. And the battery will last up to 5 days if I don't use the phone much.

It's them very easy for me to only touch the phone when really necessary, like an emergency cab, a booking change.
And you can always reverse the battery mode back to normal once you are back to your usual life, and everything will be back there.

 

[Corned Beef]

I've walked from SJPDP to Santiago without using either. But it was quite a long time ago! Personally I have no regrets at the demise of travellers' cheques or having to carry a pack stuffed with banknotes to change in banks along the way. A pain in the posterior.

My first introduction to "tech" was punch cards which you loaded into the machine in an air conditioned room. If you wanted to run an "app" you'd go to an office with rows and rows of punch card operators in two banks. Ones to punch and ones to verify the punch was correct.

I miss those days

 

[VNwalking]

My first introduction to "tech" was punch cards which you loaded into the machine in an air conditioned room. If you wanted to run an "app" you'd go to an office with rows and rows of punch card operators in two banks. Ones to punch and ones to verify the punch was correct.

Same.
And if you made one mistake...


Fast forward four decades, and people have to ask if it's possible to walk without 'tech' .

Walking doesn't require any tech.
People made it to Santiago for a millennium without it well enough.

Walking in social media silence is a huge blessing. Detox.

And. A smart phone can do a lot without access to the internet, some of which are essential. In one package you have:

• A camera
• A library of books
• A map and navigation tool
• A phone, to stay in touch with loved ones
• A way to get help in an emergency
• An alarm
• A torch

It 'just' requires discipline.
Easier said than done.

I'd say, take the phone and use the opportunity to play with finding a way to say 'Sorry, nope' to the addictive impulse to get another hit of dopamine from the stimulus pipeline called the internet.

 

[dougfitz]

My first introduction to "tech" was punch cards which you loaded into the machine in an air conditioned room.

This seems a relatively narrow conception of what 'tech' might mean, limiting it to information and communications technologies. It seems to me that there is a vast range of technology that we use everyday as pilgrims that we would not consider being without. Some of these might rely on ICT developments to enable them, but there are many other technologies involved. A couple that come immediately to mind are:

• clothing and footwear - we rely a range of either new materials or old ones given modern treatments to improve their utility. Moisture wicking clothing, waterproof and windproof garments, footwear with modern materials replacing leather are all advances of the last century or so.
• packs that over just the last few decades have transitioned to using modern fibres that are both stronger and more durable than the canvas used by their predecessors.
• 'paper' currency that has been made increasingly difficult to counterfeit, improving the trust we can place in it.
• and in a similar vein, credit or debit cards that give us access to our personal bank accounts wherever we are in the world - a development in the adult life of many of us.

It think it would be more interesting to find things where modern technologies might have made little inroads into our lives. My candidate for this catergory is bottled wine. Not the wine, but where corked bottles are still the dominant packaging approach, that seems little changed for some considerable time.

In the meantime, the pilgrim walking without 'tech' will be wearing homespun cloth made from wool sourced from sheep raised in their local area, wearing felted rabbit fur or woollen hats and carrying a wooden framed pack made from animal skins. I suspect that their diets will be limited, and they will drink some form of ale or beer rather than rely on local water supplies. Wine might be readily available as well. There will be no refrigeration to prevent food loss, and poor storage techniques will increase the risk of dangerous contamination being present in grains, fruits and vegetables stored in cellars. Rodents will be prevalent, as well as insects such as pantry moths in various stages of their development. Whether or not these are seen as useful sources of nutrition would be interesting.

 

[David Tallan]

Travel via canals ; the reintroduction of horse posts for changing horses and faster travel ; public transport ; renovation of the roads networks ; improved ship technology. There are probably others, but off-hand that's good to start with.

Responding to:

What were the innovations and inventions that appeared in the Middle Ages and Renaissance that would have made a pilgrims life easier? There were no doubt many useful things invented over that time, but were they useful to pilgrims?

I'm not sure how much travel by canals would have improved the medieval or renaissance pilgrims' experience, had they chosen to use it because I'm not so sure how much of it was actually available on camino routes. If I recall correctly, the Canal de Castilla, the main canal I am familiar with that coincides with some Camino routes, was only completed shortly before railroads came in, which would put it as a fair bit post-medieval and renaissance.

I'd be very interested in what public transport options became available during the middle ages or renaissance.

 

[David Tallan]

Don't drop the box!

My first introduction to "tech" was punch cards which you loaded into the machine in an air conditioned room. If you wanted to run an "app" you'd go to an office with rows and rows of punch card operators in two banks. Ones to punch and ones to verify the punch was correct.

I miss those days

 

[David Tallan]

In the meantime, the pilgrim walking without 'tech' will be wearing homespun cloth made from wool sourced from sheep raised in their local area, wearing felted rabbit fur or woollen hats and carrying a wooden framed pack made from animal skins.

I think a framed pack is "tech", whatever the frame and pack are made from. If you really want to go lower tech, you wear a satchel rather than a backpack.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

I think a framed pack is "tech", whatever the frame and pack are made from. If you really want to go lower tech, you wear a satchel rather than a backpack.

Thread detour warning...

This reminds me of my now-departed father, who started working as a Canadian geologist in the 1940s. He had, and swore by, a "Trapper Nelson" pack which my brother now has. It is military-green canvas, with a wooden frame and a large rectangular open bag attached to the frame, but removeable, so you also could lash an oddly shaped item onto the frame, and carry something that was otherwise pretty difficult to carry on foot.

Similar framed packs may have developed simultaneously in Europe, but for North America, for many decades, the Trapper Nelson was the first framed pack. We all owe Lloyd Nelson, its developer, a lot of thanks!

https://patentpending.blogs.com/patent_pending_blog/2005/01/the_trapper_nel/comments/page/1/#comments

 

[VNwalking]

This seems a relatively narrow conception of what 'tech' might mean, limiting it to information and communications technologies

Oh, come on, Doug.
Look at the OP and don't be so darn pedantic.
Info tech was what the original question was about, and if you'd read it you'd have understood that.

 

[dougfitz]

Oh, come on, Doug.
Look at the OP and don't be so darn pedantic.
Info tech was what the original question was about, and if you'd read it you'd have understood that.

I have looked at the OP, which clearly does not do any such thing. It is only those who see the only 'tech' as information technology that have taken the same narrow approach as you did. Here is the text:

without any form of technology or communication?

I suggest it is perfectly reasonable where the OP has asked about 'any form of technology ...' that other forms of technology were contemplated, otherwise they might have been more specific about that.

 

[Lindsay53]

I have looked at the OP, which clearly does not do any such thing. It is only those who see the only 'tech' as information technology that have taken the same narrow approach as you did. Here is the text:

I suggest it is perfectly reasonable where the OP has asked about 'any form of technology ...' that other forms of technology were contemplated, otherwise they might have been more specific about that.

Doug, the context makes it plain the OP is talking about communication technology, not clothing or footwear or modes of transport.

 

[dougfitz]

I'm surprized at the number of people who use the Humpty Dumpty defence from Alice in Wonderland:

“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less."​

I have never considered 'tech' to be a synonym for information and communications technology or its variants, and I hope I never lose sight of the many areas of technology in which humans have been innovating and inventing over all our history.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I'm not sure how much travel by canals would have improved the medieval or renaissance pilgrims' experience, had they chosen to use it because I'm not so sure how much of it was actually available on camino routes.

There were and are many more pilgrimage Ways than just the Spanish ones. Waterways in France were certainly used for travel in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. The major canals are later than the Renaissance, but the canal lock is a 15th Century invention.

 

[VNwalking]

I'm surprized at the number of people who use the Humpty Dumpty defence from Alice in Wonderland:

“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less."​

Exactly what you're doing. In spite of the OP's context that makes the question perfectly clear, meaning smartphone, or indeed any phone.

However, my (grown up) stepchildren insisted I stay in some form of contact so I took my phone (from U.K), anyway I fell into the trap of using it for other things, from scrolling Twitter to booking accommodation (something I really didn't want to do). I'm doing the C.P again this year and I explained to my stepkids that I'm really not taking any technology this year. I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones to occasionally let them know I'm OK.

 

[Kirkie]

I'm surprized at the number of people who use the Humpty Dumpty defence from Alice in Wonderland:

“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less."​

I have never considered 'tech' to be a synonym for information and communications technology or its variants, and I hope I never lose sight of the many areas of technology in which humans have been innovating and inventing over all our history.

Today, me will live in the moment unless it is unpleasant, in which case me will eat a cookie.
Surprise.

OK. I did the C.P last year with every intention of not using my phone. However, my (grown up) stepchildren insisted I stay in some form of contact so I took my phone (from U.K), anyway I fell into the trap of using it for other things, from scrolling Twitter to booking accommodation (something I really didn't want to do). I'm doing the C.P again this year and I explained to my stepkids that I'm really not taking any technology this year. I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones to occasionally let them know I'm OK. My main question though, is it even possible to do a Camino in 2023 without any form of technology or communication? I assume, and would like to think it's still possible. I mean it went on for hundreds of years without it. I'm wondering if anyone has done it recently, and what experiences, both positive and negative they had. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Bom Caminho.

You ask: is it possible? Of course it is. It simply takes a firm agreement that the communication will be from you to whomsoever. You have a phone, keep it to yourself till you choose to connect.
I offer this oblique bit of zany wisdom:
from the cookie monster:

 

[dougfitz]

Exactly what you're doing.

That's true, but at least I am using a meaning consistent with the word's English language meaning: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technology.
.

 

[Stivandrer]

My first was with a Nokia no smart phone. Home station was not satisfied with report sms and I did get lost once, So I have amped up, but the thing is on Fly and only open in declared windows of time, or in emergency...

but plz do not do like this:

 

[Annetom]

OK. I did the C.P last year with every intention of not using my phone. However, my (grown up) stepchildren insisted I stay in some form of contact so I took my phone (from U.K), anyway I fell into the trap of using it for other things, from scrolling Twitter to booking accommodation (something I really didn't want to do). I'm doing the C.P again this year and I explained to my stepkids that I'm really not taking any technology this year. I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones to occasionally let them know I'm OK. My main question though, is it even possible to do a Camino in 2023 without any form of technology or communication? I assume, and would like to think it's still possible. I mean it went on for hundreds of years without it. I'm wondering if anyone has done it recently, and what experiences, both positive and negative they had. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Bom Caminho.

Take a mobile with Polar Steps. that way family can follow you and know that all is well.

 

[Dawn Gibson]

OK. I did the C.P last year with every intention of not using my phone. However, my (grown up) stepchildren insisted I stay in some form of contact so I took my phone (from U.K), anyway I fell into the trap of using it for other things, from scrolling Twitter to booking accommodation (something I really didn't want to do). I'm doing the C.P again this year and I explained to my stepkids that I'm really not taking any technology this year. I assume there are some payphones still in existence, or I could possibly use accommodation phones to occasionally let them know I'm OK. My main question though, is it even possible to do a Camino in 2023 without any form of technology or communication? I assume, and would like to think it's still possible. I mean it went on for hundreds of years without it. I'm wondering if anyone has done it recently, and what experiences, both positive and negative they had. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Bom Caminho.

Today, me will live in the moment unless it is unpleasant, in which case me will eat a cookie.
Surprise.

You ask: is it possible? Of course it is. It simply takes a firm agreement that the communication will be from you to whomsoever. You have a phone, keep it to yourself till you choose to connect.
I offer this oblique bit of zany wisdom:
from the cookie monster:

View attachment 153498

I was fundraising when I did the CF so I updated on my just giving page every few days. And I just put the link to it on FB. I didn't have any apps which helped (it's too easy to open and app and before you know it you're doing scrolling FB etc!).

Several pilgrims I met were sending a group email every week or so. They would do that from a cafe or albergue computer.

It's so lovely that people are concerned about you, but if you do their bidding are you losing some freedom? You were ok last time and there's plenty of help on the Camino if you need it, so they don't need to worry.

Buen Camino, whatever you decide

 

[AnaZ]

This seems a relatively narrow conception of what 'tech' might mean, limiting it to information and communications technologies. It seems to me that there is a vast range of technology that we use everyday as pilgrims that we would not consider being without.

100% agree.
Even attaching a string between 2 cans for communication is a form of tech. Never mind all this modern materials we use for just about everything.

When I first read the OP it affected me more than it should, I have a phone by my side 24/7.
Husband and I actually considered doing the Camino with just our phones and bank cards. The thought was attractive for a moment but being both engineers, felt that we would miss the overplanning and over thinking of every single item we could take along. It also felt that would be somehow irresponsibly wasteful to just buy stuff and discard it daily.
To compensate for the over-thinking at least for now, I'm thinking I will stop the planning once I board the plane. I'll fight the urge to make reservations to albergues and/or restaurants, we'll walk until we stop and stay where there is room.
By the way the postcard option is wonderful even if you're surgically connected to your smart phone. I love sending a post card to my brother from everywhere I travel. The text is usually: I'm here and you're not.
It's a little sister kinda thing.

 

[VNwalking]

surgically connected to your smart phone

Can I steal this phrase?

To compensate for the over-thinking at least for now, I'm thinking I will stop the planning once I board the plane. I'll fight the urge to make reservations to albergues and/or restaurants, we'll walk until we stop and stay where there is room.

This sounds like the perfect balance. One way to make that easier is not to stay in towns that end stages in all the guidebooks, but a bit before or after that. There's often plenty of space even when it's crowded elsewhere. And often those places are smaller, so you miss the party scene. An added advantage.