Securing Valuables.

[Trekster]

Last year on the camino I slept with my valuables in the toe of a lightweight sleeping bag and never had a worry. The downside was that I would twist and turn and get tangled up in the sleeping bag.

This year I'm considering a small fleece blanket and an inflatable pillow. I'd appreciate advice from those who walk the camino without a sleeping bag on how to secure valuables. Thanks loads.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Last year on the camino I slept with my valuables in the toe of a lightweight sleeping bag and never had a worry. The downside was that I would twist and turn and get tangled up in the sleeping bag.

This year I'm considering a small fleece blanket and an inflatable pillow. I'd appreciate advice from those who walk the camino without a sleeping bag on how to secure valuables. Thanks loads.

That's the million dollar question.
I have a down blanket also.

This year, I heard of at least 2 people having items stolen from the footbox of their sleeping bags when they got up to use the toilet in the night. And one person on this forum reported having his money belt taken right out from beneath his pillow as he slept! Sheesh! The thieves are getting bold!

This year I bought a cool bra from THE CLYMB that has a zippered pocket in the front. So at night, I'll put my cash, cards, and passport in it and sleep on it (literally).
I also bought some fleece longjohns with zippered pocket in the leg so I can use that as well.

The only valuables I'm taking are my cards, cash, passport, and iPhone.
For bigger items, I have no idea how people will secure them.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

"This year I'm considering a small fleece blanket and an inflatable pillow"

That is not permitted many places. You cannot sleep on the mattress for reasons of hygiene. At a minimum you need a sleeping sack or linens that are a barrier between you and the mattress.

 

[wayfarer]

This problem will probably be approached differently by male and female pilgrims depending on what they wear. I always keep my valuables in the cargo/zip up pockets of my walking pants, I then roll these up and put them in the pillow section of my liner or in the pillow case of the bunk if provided. This has worked for me since the '70s with no losses. On many occasions I had to talk to younger hikers who would hang their pants off the end of the bed with their wallets sticking out, young and trusting, I would tell them that they didnt know me and even that if I appeared nice I could be gone with everything in the morning, this shocked a few of them but probably saved them a lot of hassle in the long run.

 

[Al the optimist]

Last year on the camino I slept with my valuables in the toe of a lightweight sleeping bag and never had a worry. The downside was that I would twist and turn and get tangled up in the sleeping bag.

This year I'm considering a small fleece blanket and an inflatable pillow. I'd appreciate advice from those who walk the camino without a sleeping bag on how to secure valuables. Thanks loads.

I don't have a sleeping bag, but do have a liner with a pillow hood. I put things there in a dry bag under the pillow. If I ever had to go to the bathroom in the night I would take the bag with me. Fortunately time has not caught up with me yet in this regard,.

 

[Kanga]

This just undermines that there seems to be an influx of professional thieves at work. Pilgrims don't steal from each other. I guess it was inevitable that the easy pickings in albergues would come to notice sooner or later. We have a "Neighbourhood Watch" scheme operating in my suburb; is something similar needed on the Camino?

 

[Trekster]

"This year I'm considering a small fleece blanket and an inflatable pillow"

That is not permitted many places. You cannot sleep on the mattress for reasons of hygiene. At a minimum you need a sleeping sack or linens that are a barrier between you and the mattress.

I should have mentioned that I have a piece of permethrin treated Tyvek. Thinking of some of those mattresses, well...yikes!

 

[fernandezr]

Last year on the camino I slept with my valuables in the toe of a lightweight sleeping bag and never had a worry. The downside was that I would twist and turn and get tangled up in the sleeping bag.

This year I'm considering a small fleece blanket and an inflatable pillow. I'd appreciate advice from those who walk the camino without a sleeping bag on how to secure valuables. Thanks loads.

Though I mentioned this before on another thread, I keep my valuables either in my "hang around the neck" REI wallet and/or in a small nylon pouch that fits around my waist with an elastic belt. The valuables are enclosed in a Ziplock bag inside of the nylon pouch (so they don't get soaked with sweat) and the whole thing is worn under my clothing. The nylon pouch with Ziplock inside contains things mainly for an emergency like: a Visa card, emergency cash and copies of my passport, flight tickets, health insurance and a certified copy of my birth certificate. I take my valuables with me in the shower in a sealed plastic bag. When I sleep, I have the nylon pouch around my waist and the wallet either around my neck (don't like this because it sometimes gets twisted) or inside my pillow case. So far I have had no problems. In the cities be very careful of the pickpockets because they are VERY talented. One had her hand in my pants pocket and I didn't even feel it; I only found out because my students saw it and told me. Fortunately, I never kept anything in my pants pockets so she got nothing.

 

[Trekster]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I bought an Eagle Creek silk money belt, put my stuff in it and it's perfect! I especially like that there isn't a lot of bulk to make it uncomfortable. Wish I'd had this solution last year.

 

[annakappa]

professional Pilgrims don't steal from each other.

I disagree Kanga. I would guess that 90 odd % of Pilgrims are trustworthy and also very well behaved, BUT you only need one black sheep to ruin your day! In other words, don't trust anyone and take all the necessary measures to protect you valuables. Anne

 

[Kanga]

I disagree Kanga. I would guess that 90 odd % of Pilgrims are trustworthy and also very well behaved, BUT you only need one black sheep to ruin your day! In other words, don't trust anyone and take all the necessary measures to protect you valuables. Anne

By definition the thief is not a pilgrim - i.e. in the religious sense. He or she is a thief. A thief in disguise as a pilgrim = a wolf in sheep's clothing. So yes, I agree, don't be a lamb for the slaughter. But other, real, pilgrims, can also be shepherds and help keep watch.... (Biblical themes tripping over themselves. Enough Kanga.)

 

[dougfitz]

I disagree Kanga. I would guess that 90 odd % of Pilgrims are trustworthy and also very well behaved, BUT you only need one black sheep to ruin your day! In other words, don't trust anyone and take all the necessary measures to protect you valuables. Anne

I don't think it really matters whether it is 1%, 5% or 10%, the issue is that you are travelling with complete strangers in the main, and you cannot tell whether or not any particular one is or isn't trustworthy. It's not a matter of believing any particular person is untrustworthy, rather that you don't have enough information to establish whether someone is. I agree with @annakappa, in that circumstance, its really up to the individual to look after their own belongings.

 

[Alyssa]

I should have mentioned that I have a piece of permethrin treated Tyvek. Thinking of some of those mattresses, well...yikes!

Where'd you get your Tyvek, Trekster?

 

[Trekster]

I get the soft Tyvel at intothewind.com. Be sure to wash it a couple of times sans laundry soap.

 

[Maggy MacD]

Last year on the camino I slept with my valuables in the toe of a lightweight sleeping bag and never had a worry. The downside was that I would twist and turn and get tangled up in the sleeping bag.

This year I'm considering a small fleece blanket and an inflatable pillow. I'd appreciate advice from those who walk the camino without a sleeping bag on how to secure valuables. Thanks loads.

Hola,
I am currently walking the Camino( via dl Plata). I am wearing my money belt around my waist (loosely) as I sleep. It holds my passport, money, ceedit cards, etc. I haven't noticed it, gotten rangled up ir anything