TerriMartin
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- March 2023
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I’m on the Portuguese central route right now. The past few days have been rainy, typical Spring weather, 90%+ humidity. This wasn’t obvious to me so in case someone else may benefit…if there’s rain in the forecast your wet clothes will not air dry! Not on a clothing line inside, not draped over an albergue bed frame, not on a clothing line that’s outside but under cover, and not hanging from your backpack as you walk!
The albergues, hostels and guest houses I’ve been have not been ‘air tight’ enough to stop the moisture from getting inside so even clothes left on top of the bed at night are damp by the next morning.
And yes, I brought quick dry synthetic clothing made for hiking or working out. If I could go back in time I’d not try to hand wash and air dry anything with this much rain in the forecast. I’d just look for a washer and dryer at an overnight lodging. And I’d call to make sure that the dryer is working before committing to staying there
I’ve not found that to be true. No working options from Vitorino dos Piães to Ponte de Lima. There were 2 laundromats in Ponte de Lima and then nothing working until Valença.Any of the towns you’ll pass through will have one or more laundromats where a couple of euros will see your damp clothes dried to perfection in the time it takes you to find and drink a coffee.
Yes, I found the same! Grateful for the lavenderia.I’m on the Portuguese central route right now. The past few days have been rainy, typical Spring weather, 90%+ humidity. This wasn’t obvious to me so in case someone else may benefit…if there’s rain in the forecast your wet clothes will not air dry! Not on a clothing line inside, not draped over an albergue bed frame, not on a clothing line that’s outside but under cover, and not hanging from your backpack as you walk!
The albergues, hostels and guest houses I’ve been have not been ‘air tight’ enough to stop the moisture from getting inside so even clothes left on top of the bed at night are damp by the next morning.
And yes, I brought quick dry synthetic clothing made for hiking or working out. If I could go back in time I’d not try to hand wash and air dry anything with this much rain in the forecast. I’d just look for a washer and dryer at an overnight lodging. And I’d call to make sure that the dryer is working before committing to staying there
I was told by someone who had walked the Appalachian trail (completely) 15 times that "the best way to dry clothes is to wear them (of course this isn't possible if it's too cold).I had that happen to me a couple of times on a few of my Caminos.
When my clothes weren't completely dry, I just wore the pants and/or shirt slightly damp and they soon dried just from being worn. Oh, well.
Socks were another matter. I put dry socks on in the morning and took the still damp ones out of the zip-loc baggie I carried them in, inside my pack, as soon as I got to the next day's albergue. They would finally dry.
In fact, very slightly damp socks dried enough by being worn that they didn't cause blisters. You just have to get a sense of when wet is too wet, I guess.
I actually found washing machines and dryers more trouble than they were worth in the long run. I did not plan my stops along the Way based on laundry facilities. I found it much, much easier to just wash by hand as needed.
I had an especially memorable bad experience involving laundry machines in the CP last October but that is for another day.
Body heat dries clothes…including socks…faster than you would imagine.I was told by someone who had walked the Appalachian trail (completely) 15 times that "the best way to dry clothes is to wear them (of course this isn't possible if it's too cold).
I did find an open laundromat in Arcade, right on the main drag, Oso Blanco. This was on…Thursday? Last weekI’ve not found that to be true. No working options from Vitorino dos Piães to Ponte de Lima. There were 2 laundromats in Ponte de Lima and then nothing working until Valença.
It would be wise to plan breaks around a laundromat location though. Just confirm!
Edit- the day of the week matters too.
I’m not sharing this to be negative, but to hopefully provide help to a future pilgrim. The daily clothes washing advice I read before leaving didn’t seem to account for humidity. Or this cooler Spring weather that (for me) doesn’t mandate daily laundry anyway. I assumed I’d need to do laundry everyday. But the more experienced pilgrims (and through hikers) I’ve met along the Caminho don’t even bother when it’s very rainy/humid
You do not want to feel my underwear after a hike as it’s drenched. Seriously.This illustrates a disadvantage to the approach of wearing your next-day's clothes to bed, and relying on daily washing and drying.
I have a walking outfit that can stay somewhat dirty until laundry facilities or weather are good. I have an evening/night outfit that stays fairly clean as it is not exposed to trail conditions. This way, I do not need to wash daily except for underwear and socks. Underwear will dry reasonably well within a couple of days. My socks do too, although thicker ones might not. They can be tucked into the sleeping bag at night for a final drying session.
I do wonder what that laundromat ’bad experience’ was as I’m going in October.I had that happen to me a couple of times on a few of my Caminos.
When my clothes weren't completely dry, I just wore the pants and/or shirt slightly damp and they soon dried just from being worn. Oh, well.
Socks were another matter. I put dry socks on in the morning and took the still damp ones out of the zip-loc baggie I carried them in, inside my pack, as soon as I got to the next day's albergue. They would finally dry.
In fact, very slightly damp socks dried enough by being worn that they didn't cause blisters. You just have to get a sense of when wet is too wet, I guess.
I actually found washing machines and dryers more trouble than they were worth in the long run. I did not plan my stops along the Way based on laundry facilities. I found it much, much easier to just wash by hand as needed.
I had an especially memorable bad experience involving laundry machines in the CP last October but that is for another day.
You are correct!You do not want to feel my underwear after a hike as it’s drenched. Seriously.
I am a little curious as well. It's true that laundromats are not to be found in every village, but in all the towns of any size, they are readily available and generally pretty convenient to use. I have been able to find one every couple of days on the Frances, and my success rate at the laundromat has been 100% over several Caminos. A first time pilgrim from NA will find them a little puzzling to use since the payment is often from a central payment machine, you do NOT add soap (that's automatic), and the dryers are absolute demons. 6-10 euros for a wash and dry is totally worth it for me, and there is nearly always a place to get coffee while you wait. After the first time figuring it all out, I had no trouble with them at all.I do wonder what that laundromat ’bad experience’ was as I’m going in October.
Yeah- I didn’t have any “bad” laundry machine experiences with the exception of the cost was higher than I prefer to pay. But we’ll worth it considering truly clean clothes help restore my energy especially if hand washing for several days beforehand. Sadly- in the laundromats they have different size capacity machines with correlating prices and inevitably the smaller machines are in use and I usually don’t want to waste time waiting for them to become available - so it costs me more. I love that they include the soap so I don’t have to worry about that too. I guess that could be a problem if you have sensitivities to some soaps. A fee took a little time to figure out how to use (especially some in albergues)…I am a little curious as well. It's true that laundromats are not to be found in every village, but in all the towns of any size, they are readily available and generally pretty convenient to use. I have been able to find one every couple of days on the Frances, and my success rate at the laundromat has been 100% over several Caminos. A first time pilgrim from NA will find them a little puzzling to use since the payment is often from a central payment machine, you do NOT add soap (that's automatic), and the dryers are absolute demons. 6-10 euros for a wash and dry is totally worth it for me, and there is nearly always a place to get coffee while you wait. After the first time figuring it all out, I had no trouble with them at all.
Body heat dries clothes…including socks…faster than you would imagine.
Good comments here.I would pin my too-damp-to-wear-I-don't-want-to-get-blisters socks on the outside of my pack and they would dry that way.
I had a terrible experience in a too hot dryer in Urdaniz, Spain, which was the first time I'd used one on a Camino and had no idea the temp was turned up so high. It shrunk the zipper on my jacket, and shrunk the bottoms of my pants/trousers. I was surprised as they were synthetics; I'd have expected that more if my items were of cotton or wool.I had an especially memorable bad experience involving laundry machines in the CP last October
And… In my one experience with a laundromat in Arcade the dryer was about 500° even on the lowest setting.I am a little curious as well. It's true that laundromats are not to be found in every village, but in all the towns of any size, they are readily available and generally pretty convenient to use. I have been able to find one every couple of days on the Frances, and my success rate at the laundromat has been 100% over several Caminos. A first time pilgrim from NA will find them a little puzzling to use since the payment is often from a central payment machine, you do NOT add soap (that's automatic), and the dryers are absolute demons. 6-10 euros for a wash and dry is totally worth it for me, and there is nearly always a place to get coffee while you wait. After the first time figuring it all out, I had no trouble with them at all.
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