Sleeping bag on Coastal?

[stevebarhamramblingman]

Hi, we’ll be setting off from Porto airport to walk the coastal and spiritual on April 28th and plan to stay ( mostly) in municipal albergues. As usual a packing quandary has emerged. Will we need sleeping bags? Will the albergues have blankets? What are temperatures likely to be in them? I’ve always carried one before but have so often not needed it I thought maybe just a liner this time. Really trying to keep the weight down. Any advise?

 

[stevebarhamramblingman]

Hi, we’ll be setting off from Porto airport to walk the coastal and spiritual on April 28th and plan to stay ( mostly) in municipal albergues. As usual a packing quandary has emerged. Will we need sleeping bags? Will the albergues have blankets? What are temperatures likely to be in them? I’ve always carried one before but have so often not needed it I thought maybe just a liner this time. Really trying to keep the weight down. Any advise?

After finding similar previous threads I realise it’s a pretty unanswerable query but I’d still like to know if most of the albergues have blankets available at the mo (post Covid?!?)

 

[Former member 98118]

I can't say much about albergues in Portugal, but once you are in Galicia - about half way from Porto, public albergues will NOT have blankets. All albergues municipal run by Xunta de Galizia (those for 8 euro), by law, can't have blankets in their albergues. I think this was introduced even pre-covid as a sanitary rule to stop spreading bedbugs from one albergue to another.

All albergues municipal in Galizia also won't have utensils in kitchen, ocasionally you may find "something" like a cup, a glass, a random spoon that someone left. But don't count on anything. Usually there is a microwave and you can make a tea if you have your own plastic cup (and a teabag)

Because of no blankets rule, a week ago I paid 15 euro for a private albergue in Fonsagrada instead of 8 euro for a municipal next door - even if I had a light sleeping bag - as the night was expected to be very cold (-3C). Albergue in Lugo was warm, albergues in Castroverde and Santa Irene - barely OK. I slept in my clothes inside my Decathlon sleeping bag.

On the other hand, it seems like all the Xunta albergues now have a washing machine and a dryer which is nice.

 

[Jennifer1959]

I walked the Coastal from Porto around this time and recommend a silk liner and sleeping bag..blankets unreliable and temps variable. Bon Caminho

 

[stevebarhamramblingman]

Thanks for that info folks. Guess I’ll have to man up and shoulder the extra KG’s.
Glad to hear about the new ferries as it will mean we don’t have to rush to get over on the Sunday.

 

[Dilbin]

Hi, we’ll be setting off from Porto airport to walk the coastal and spiritual on April 28th and plan to stay ( mostly) in municipal albergues. As usual a packing quandary has emerged. Will we need sleeping bags? Will the albergues have blankets? What are temperatures likely to be in them? I’ve always carried one before but have so often not needed it I thought maybe just a liner this time. Really trying to keep the weight down. Any advise?

Hi. I walked part coastal and part central from Coimbra up last September and only had to use liner once. Was surprised at the quality of bed linen available but may have been just lucky with the accommodations. Enjoy. Will be bringing a friend and doing similar starting 4th of May so will be right behind you Enjoy, Daniel

 

[Vince Rollason]

Hi, we’ll be setting off from Porto airport to walk the coastal and spiritual on April 28th and plan to stay ( mostly) in municipal albergues. As usual a packing quandary has emerged. Will we need sleeping bags? Will the albergues have blankets? What are temperatures likely to be in them? I’ve always carried one before but have so often not needed it I thought maybe just a liner this time. Really trying to keep the weight down. Any advise?

Hi.
I did Camino da Costa in April using just a liner and was plenty warm enough. I have walked in April. June, July. September and October on various routes and only ever used a liner.
Buen Camino
Vince

 

[stevebarhamramblingman]

Hi. I walked part coastal and part central from Coimbra up last September and only had to use liner once. Was surprised at the quality of bed linen available but may have been just lucky with the accommodations. Enjoy. Will be bringing a friend and doing similar starting 4th of May so will be right behind you Enjoy, Daniel

Thanks Daniel but were you in municipal albuergues as Happy Penguin says no blankets in them in Galicia?

 

[stevebarhamramblingman]

Hi.
I did Camino da Costa in April using just a liner and was plenty warm enough. I have walked in April. June, July. September and October on various routes and only ever used a liner.
Buen Camino
Vince

Same question for you Vince. Were you staying in municipal albuergues?

 

[Vince Rollason]

Same question for you Vince. Were you staying in municipal albuergues?

Hi Steve.
Most of the time I stay in municipal alberques. However, I agree with Daniel that if you do stay in a private alberque the quality of the bed linen is good. I think out of about 100 days on Caminos I used blankets on about three occasions. It is my understanding that alberques are now offering blankets again but making a small charge to cover laundering them but I cannot confirm this from any official sources just from conversations with other pilgrims on line. I will be off again myself but not until the end of May by which time it will be plenty warm enough for me as I don't tend to feel the cold.
Vince

 

[David from Montana]

Hi, we’ll be setting off from Porto airport to walk the coastal and spiritual on April 28th and plan to stay ( mostly) in municipal albergues. As usual a packing quandary has emerged. Will we need sleeping bags? Will the albergues have blankets? What are temperatures likely to be in them? I’ve always carried one before but have so often not needed it I thought maybe just a liner this time. Really trying to keep the weight down. Any advise?

Hi Steve, I hiked the Primitivo Camino last October and only brought a silk liner. As such, I can't stay in the Municipal Albergues if it is cool/cold. Sometimes I do and just wear my cloths as most times the rooms are overly hot. But mostly, I stay in the private Albergues as they usually have blankets, or at least, better heating with smaller rooms. I also have been getting more private rooms, which usually come with sheets. I am hiking the Portugeues camino from Porto in a few weeks, and plan to just bring a silk liner. Again, a personal choice, since most people I hike with have light sleeping bags. I enjoy having a lighter pack. Beun Camino!

 

[J F Gregory]

On 3 caminos we have used Costo travel quilts and silk sacks.