C3 to Camino
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- (Sept 2018 planned)
For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
I read in another post where you said don't pack the "what ifs'. I just left Madrid, was there for one month, am back in the states and one of the things I'm doing is packing an extra suitcase full of all the things I can NOT find anywhere. Simple decongestants. Antacids. Some packaged hot chocolate (seems the only hot chocolate in Spain is melted candy bars) I will be taking some of the hot chocolate on the trail with me along with a few protein bars and jerky. I was completely shocked by the number of things I couldn't find in a huge city like Madrid. If you need any medicines, even allergy meds, take them. Benadryl (yes, its the brand, but I looked for generic as well) is non existent. I am also bringing back my own 1st aid kit as I saw hide nor hair of over half what is in my kit at any store or pharmacyYou got two years. Don't overthink it too much and also don't think you have to follow some sort of strict formula for pack weight.
Just pack as light as you can, don't bring "what-if's" and get in the best shape you can before you go.
cheers
Wow! Have we visited the same country? First, leave the hot chocolate home and drink Cola Cao. It's available in all the bars and most albergues that offer breakfast also offer it.I read in another post where you said don't pack the "what ifs'. I just left Madrid, was there for one month, am back in the states and one of the things I'm doing is packing an extra suitcase full of all the things I can NOT find anywhere. Simple decongestants. Antacids. Some packaged hot chocolate (seems the only hot chocolate in Spain is melted candy bars) I will be taking some of the hot chocolate on the trail with me along with a few protein bars and jerky. I was completely shocked by the number of things I couldn't find in a huge city like Madrid. If you need any medicines, even allergy meds, take them. Benadryl (yes, its the brand, but I looked for generic as well) is non existent. I am also bringing back my own 1st aid kit as I saw hide nor hair of over half what is in my kit at any store or pharmacy
Well, I never needed or packed any of the things you mention, so I can't speak on experience there. I do know that had I forgotten anything that I needed, I could have gotten it in Spain after I arrived. The portable farmacia in my pack consisted of a small bottle of aspirins and another of multi-vitamins (I don't pack what-if medicines either) and I drink coffee, not hot chocolate. I do know I could have literally landed in SJPdP in my underwear and within an hour been kitted out to walk the Camino.I read in another post where you said don't pack the "what ifs'. I just left Madrid, was there for one month, am back in the states and one of the things I'm doing is packing an extra suitcase full of all the things I can NOT find anywhere. Simple decongestants. Antacids. Some packaged hot chocolate (seems the only hot chocolate in Spain is melted candy bars) I will be taking some of the hot chocolate on the trail with me along with a few protein bars and jerky. I was completely shocked by the number of things I couldn't find in a huge city like Madrid. If you need any medicines, even allergy meds, take them. Benadryl (yes, its the brand, but I looked for generic as well) is non existent. I am also bringing back my own 1st aid kit as I saw hide nor hair of over half what is in my kit at any store or pharmacy
I presume that you are talking about using what is commonly known as from the skin out (FSO) measures. There are many reasons why this is a better way of measuring and comparing the effects of different loads than merely measuring the weight carried in the backpack. For a start, it measures the full load placed on the body irrespective of the nature of the clothing, boots, and other gear one is wearing or carrying outside of the pack. Pack weight alone does not do that. Using FSO allows for comparisons across seasons, for different clothing types, the effect of shoes vs boots, etc, etc which would not be valid otherwise.I've seen a few times that some people include the clothes that they're wearing in their "pack weight". That seems counter-intuitive to me, as I'm always wearing clothes, so always carrying that weight. In fact, it is likely that my Camino clothes will weigh less than my regular clothes. That being said, what is the rationale for including it in your pack weight please? I know it wouldn't amount to a big difference, but for some of the smaller women 10% of our weight is not much to begin with!
I read in another post where you said don't pack the "what ifs'. I just left Madrid, was there for one month, am back in the states and one of the things I'm doing is packing an extra suitcase full of all the things I can NOT find anywhere. Simple decongestants. Antacids. Some packaged hot chocolate (seems the only hot chocolate in Spain is melted candy bars) I will be taking some of the hot chocolate on the trail with me along with a few protein bars and jerky. I was completely shocked by the number of things I couldn't find in a huge city like Madrid. If you need any medicines, even allergy meds, take them. Benadryl (yes, its the brand, but I looked for generic as well) is non existent. I am also bringing back my own 1st aid kit as I saw hide nor hair of over half what is in my kit at any store or pharmacy
I've asked for generic names and still came up empty. Benadryl in particular. The only diphenhydramine I came across was in a sleep aid and it was 50mg over the usual 30. As well, Benadryl makes a liqui-gel capsule that is a great topical to use on any bite or sting (you cannot easily get it anywhere outside the U.S.. I had a package with me and they still couldn't find it at 3 different pharmacies. Maybe because it was brand?). It's highly concentrated so one capsule will take care of many bites or stings as well as it being an oral antihistamine. I keep it in my 1st aid kit. The Camino trip wasn't planned, I decided to go after arriving in Spain, so didn't have most of my hiking supplies. Though my Spanish is awful, (one of the reasons for going to Spain was to work on that) I can usually come up with the right words as it's all latin based. I will check the site you've provided a link to. I've been kind of surprised by the Spanish diet, thought it was a little healthier than what I've found. Though I enjoy trying different things, especially local fare wherever I am, I don't really care for the cola cao or the traditional Spanish warm chocolate pudding, both are thickened sugar with chocolate flavoring. Ick!. I make what I carry (it's not just store bought cocoa mix) and I only need hot water. I usually carry a protein mix as well for a quick meal replacement. I've enjoyed the Spanish coffee as it's quite stout like, tiny buggers with quite the flavor and kick. I know that unlike on the AT in the U.S. the municipalities are fairly close together, but again, I just prefer to be prepared for self sufficiency with a few good quality supplies, some for comfort, others for handling minor emergencies.Wow! Have we visited the same country? First, leave the hot chocolate home and drink Cola Cao. It's available in all the bars and most albergues that offer breakfast also offer it.
Farmacias are extremely well stocked up, perhaps it was a matter of not being to explain what you were looking for? And they have a lot of this stuff ober the counter. They sell Pepcid, Nexium, Zantac. They sell Benadryl, Allegra, etc. As well. Take a look at www.espanasalude.org, they list all sorts of meds found in Spain. As for foot care, they also have it all. Farmacias have to be the most common type of business on the CF. Meds, and most other items are not on the shelves as they are in North America but that does not mean they do not carry them.
There are many places that I have not wanted to leave. I do tend to immerse myself in my surroundings. When there is language difficulty I do it as best I can. And I look forward to just enjoying the journey. Of course, being comfortable makes it all the more enjoyable.May I then suggest to go with what you need, not what you know, and discover the world? And truly discover rather than revert to what you know, or think you know? You may never want to go back to whereever home is.
I read in another post where you said don't pack the "what ifs'. I just left Madrid, was there for one month, am back in the states and one of the things I'm doing is packing an extra suitcase full of all the things I can NOT find anywhere. Simple decongestants. Antacids. Some packaged hot chocolate (seems the only hot chocolate in Spain is melted candy bars) I will be taking some of the hot chocolate on the trail with me along with a few protein bars and jerky. I was completely shocked by the number of things I couldn't find in a huge city like Madrid. If you need any medicines, even allergy meds, take them. Benadryl (yes, its the brand, but I looked for generic as well) is non existent. I am also bringing back my own 1st aid kit as I saw hide nor hair of over half what is in my kit at any store or pharmacy
Kitted with handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit waiting for arraignment?I do know I could have literally landed in SJPdP in my underwear and within an hour been kitted out to walk the Camino.
Really can't sweat the small stuff. C'est la vie......
That too, I suppose. Houdini the cuffs, stash the DOC orange and duck into the nearest outfitter shop there, and like superman out of a phone booth, step out and onto the Camino....Kitted with handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit waiting for arraignment?
Why do I see the weight of the bottle counted in total carry weight but not the water?
Why do I see the weight of the bottle counted in total carry weight but not the water?
Well, as @Anemone del Camino says, there is no exact science in guessing what weight you can comfortably carry for 800 km. For water, would you count the weight at first filling, or at noon? Often people who quote the weight of their packs also say "without food and water." There is not much value in comparing our water weights since it weighs what it weighs, and we still need it.Ok, along this same line... and I hesitate to publicly ask this because I'm sure that there's something obvious that I'm missing, but how about water... one of the heaviest and most essential items that we carry? I understand clearly that there are plenty of opportunities to fill up along the way but even half a liter weighs a lot! Why do I see the weight of the bottle counted in total carry weight but not the water?
You might find that this is a practice that originated in the hiking community, where I have often seen references to 'bare pack weight' indicating that this weight excludes consumables (food, water, fuel, etc). This allows pack weights to be compared in a consistent way. It is not a perfect solution, which is why I prefer the FSO approach that I mentioned earlier.Ok, along this same line... and I hesitate to publicly ask this because I'm sure that there's something obvious that I'm missing, but how about water... one of the heaviest and most essential items that we carry? I understand clearly that there are plenty of opportunities to fill up along the way but even half a liter weighs a lot! Why do I see the weight of the bottle counted in total carry weight but not the water?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?