Oh for a poncho in Portamarin?

[Sarah80]

Currently in the albergue in Mercadoiro and have lost my rucksack cover somewhere between here and Ferrerios. It's been belting down here for days now and I don't even fancy my chances of making it to Portomarin (5km) without getting soaked tomorrow as more rain is forecast.

Assuming I can make it, does anyone know if any store in PM sells ponchos? Any old poncho will do (or backpack cover!)

 

[Deleted member 3000]

if any store in PM sells ponchos?

Yes. There are two stores up in the plaza.

 

[mspath]

Before you set off in the rain see if you can find a clean plastic garbage bag to use as a temporary solution until you find a poncho.

 

[t2andreo]

You can find bin (garbage bags) in the local tienda. Share with others in a similar predicament. Use one inside your rucksack to contain all your stuff, as a rucksack liner.

Take a second bin bag and make slits for the straps. Place this bag over the exterior of your rucksack with the opening to the bottom. There should be four strap holes/slits. Two at the upper shoulder, and two where the bag reconnects to the lower part of the rucksack.

Use some of the duck tape you SHOULD be carrying to reinforce the four slits you made to pass straps through. I usually cover the slit, place a second, overlapping layer over that, then "reopen" the slit using my pocket knife or the tiny scissor on my TSA-friendly multi-tool.

FYI, heavy gauge lawn and leaf bags, or contractor bags are more durable. If there is a ferreteria nearby (hardware store) try there. But, if you had to buy a box of say ten bags, you have spares to share with others. REMEMBER TO DISPOSE of used bags responsibly.

BTW, the largest bags also make good field-expedient rain coats to cover at least your torso and help keep the heat in, to prevent hypothermia in colder temperatures.

I hope this helps.

 

[SYates]

And don't forget to ask the hospitaler@ if they have any forgotten ponchos/covers ;-) Buen Camino, SY

 

[JohnCP43]

As t2andreo observed, this is another challenge that can be overcome with duct tape and garbage bags. On my first camino I even fashioned a set of rain chaps out of them. I looked kind of like a cross between the tin man from Wizard of Oz and Sir Lancelot but they worked and if one can ignore the stares of people you'll never see again post camino so much the better!