Sleeping bags advised - at least in Galicia

[t2andreo]

Here are two articles appearing in La Voz de Galicia this morning.

Las nuevas normas en Galicia: ¿puedo tomar algo en la barra de un bar? ¿con cuántas personas puedo ir a la playa?

Se eliminan los límites para las reuniones sociales, excepto en la hostelería. El horario de apertura de bares se amplía ya este viernes

www.lavozdegalicia.es

Los albergues del Camino reabren con zonas comunes a mitad de capacidad y habitaciones al 30 %

A partir del martes volverán a estar operativas la mitad de las instalaciones, y desde el 1 de julio la red estará lista al completo

www.lavozdegalicia.es

In both stories there is a paragraph that states:

"In addition, it will be mandatory for each pilgrim to carry their own sleeping bag and it is recommended that they spend the whole night with the mask on."

Each article states this differently, but the prescription is the same. You have to have your own means of sleeping warm. Bear in mind that this is discussing only those albergues in Galicia. I have no information about non-Galician albergues. If someone else does, please jump into the dialog.

My primary takeaway, is that you cannot rely on linens and or blankets being available at albergues. This has been the case in previous years. My sense is that in this time of a pandemic, albergues are cutting corners on disposable lines and having to launder blankets (as if!)

Hope this helps.

Ultreia!

Tom

 

[camino.ninja]

Here are two articles appearing in La Voz de Galicia this morning.

Las nuevas normas en Galicia: ¿puedo tomar algo en la barra de un bar? ¿con cuántas personas puedo ir a la playa?

Se eliminan los límites para las reuniones sociales, excepto en la hostelería. El horario de apertura de bares se amplía ya este viernes

www.lavozdegalicia.es

Los albergues del Camino reabren con zonas comunes a mitad de capacidad y habitaciones al 30 %

A partir del martes volverán a estar operativas la mitad de las instalaciones, y desde el 1 de julio la red estará lista al completo

www.lavozdegalicia.es

In both stories there is a paragraph that states:

"In addition, it will be mandatory for each pilgrim to carry their own sleeping bag and it is recommended that they spend the whole night with the mask on."

Each article states this differently, but the prescription is the same. You have to have your own means of sleeping warm. Bear in mind that this is discussing only those albergues in Galicia. I have no information about non-Galician albergues. If someone else does, please jump into the dialog.

My primary takeaway, is that you cannot rely on linens and or blankets being available at albergues. This has been the case in previous years. My sense is that in this time of a pandemic, albergues are cutting corners on disposable lines and having to launder blankets (as if!)

Hope this helps.

Ultreia!

Tom

I agree. The blankets was a bad idea before the pandemic as well.

 

[peregrina2000]

I agree. The blankets was a bad idea before the pandemic as well.

Did someone say bed bugs?

 

[camino.ninja]

Did someone say bed bugs?

I was trying not to say that, but now it's rolling ...

 

[RJM]

I agree. The blankets was a bad idea before the pandemic as well.

I used albergue provided blankets on every Camino I have walked, and two Caminos I carried no sleeping bag or liner of any kind (very warm summer months) and only used what was provided at albergues, when it was available. Otherwise I just slept on top of the mattress. No problems at all.
Nothing scary about using a blanket in an albergue. I found them to be quite adequate and nary a bed bug has ever bitten me on a Camino.
I now carry only a synthetic liner for Caminos and use that in conjunction with provided blankets when possible.

 

[camino.ninja]

I used albergue provided blankets on every Camino I have walked, and two Caminos I carried no sleeping bag or liner of any kind (very warm summer months) and only used what was provided at albergues, when it was available. Otherwise I just slept on top of the mattress. No problems at all.
Nothing scary about using a blanket in an albergue. I found them to be quite adequate and nary a bed bug has ever bitten me on a Camino.
I now carry only a synthetic liner for Caminos and use that in conjunction with provided blankets when possible.

I might know someone who slept with the same blankets you did, a couple of years later.

Good thing they finally became illegal.

 

[t2andreo]

I suggest that the takeaway should be that pilgrim ought not rely on albergue-provided linens or blankets - at least in Galicia. BRING YOUR OWN - whatever you prefer. Although I suggest something machine washable - in the event of bedbugs. A microfiber sleeping bag liner might do the trick - check this out.

Sleeping Bags | ALPS Mountaineering

www.alpsbrands.com

I own the microfiber liner - compresses to fit in a one-gallon Ziplock, and the microfiber bag. The bag is heavier and a lot warmer. Both have three-sided, full separating zippers. I have slept in the liner on Camino and it is fine for summer nights. You might need to wear your fleece jacket on a cooler night. But is lightweight, machine washable and roomy.

This change in policy is likely a consequence of the pandemic, and the need to sanitize linens and beds after every use. The staff (volunteers) need to do this. In that context, this restriction is reasonable.

I allow that it is still possible that SOME albergues - even in Galicia - might offer to sell you the kit of disposable sheets and pillow case - separate from the standard nightly fee. Given the huge financial hit from the pandemic, passing along extra costs is going to be seen across the economy in most all countries.

This is all part of the "new normal" that we need to be flexible about.

Hope this helps.

Ultriea!

Tom

 

[trecile]

I have machine washed and dried my silk sleep sack and down blanket.

 

[RJM]

I might know someone who slept with the same blankets you did, a couple of years later.

Good thing they finally became illegal.

Yeah, as they say it's all good. One certainly cannot expect to be in a sterile environment whilst communal living in a place that changes residents daily. Just all part of the experience I suppose. In every albergue you are lying on a bed that changes users daily. Each user so different than the one the night before. The flatulence, sweat, dead skin cells, hair, drool and no telling what else on that mattress. Cannot really overthink it or overreact. If one were to do so, one might as well stay home or walk the Camino in a haz mat suit, lol. A bit like going to a foreign country and being afraid to eat the street food because you may get sick. I mean, what's the point?
I certainly found even the humblest albergue with its provided blankets to be far less austere than places I have slept in, in the past on job assignments.

 

[camino.ninja]

I suggest that the takeaway should be that pilgrim ought not rely on albergue-provided linens or blankets - at least in Galicia. BRING YOUR OWN - whatever you prefer. Although I suggest something machine washable - in the event of bedbugs. A microfiber sleeping bag liner might do the trick - check this out.

Sleeping Bags | ALPS Mountaineering

www.alpsbrands.com

I own the microfiber liner - compresses to fit in a one-gallon Ziplock, and the microfiber bag. The bag is heavier and a lot warmer. Both have three-sided, full separating zippers. I have slept in the liner on Camino and it is fine for summer nights. You might need to wear your fleece jacket on a cooler night. But is lightweight, machine washable and roomy.

This change in policy is likely a consequence of the pandemic, and the need to sanitize linens and beds after every use. The staff (volunteers) need to do this. In that context, this restriction is reasonable.

I allow that it is still possible that SOME albergues - even in Galicia - might offer to sell you the kit of disposable sheets and pillow case - separate from the standard nightly fee. Given the huge financial hit from the pandemic, passing along extra costs is going to be seen across the economy in most all countries.

This is all part of the "new normal" that we need to be flexible about.

Hope this helps.

Ultriea!

Tom

let’s just say we can agree to disagree on the blankets and agree on the rest.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I actually agree with both trains of thought about the albergue blankets. I don't prefer to use them and have wondered for how long they have been used before cleaning.
On the other hand, I have appreciated their availability at times and considered it a godsend on a few occasions when I truly needed the extra warmth. At that point I threw all my concerns about musty smells, germs and bedbugs out the window.

 

[jpflavin1]

I always use my sleeping bag in community Albergues. I would never trust a blanket in one. A private Albergue is different.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I always use my sleeping bag in community Albergues. I would never trust a blanket in one. A private Albergue is different.

I use my sleeping bag, but have added a blanket on top...only on rare occasion.

 

[SabsP]

I always use my sleeping bag in community Albergues. I would never trust a blanket in one. A private Albergue is different.

IMHO there is no need to make a distinction in private or community albergues when it comes to hygiene of blankets. Saw good examples and bad examples in both places.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

IMHO there is no need to make a distinction in private or community albergues when it comes to hygiene of blankets. Saw good examples and bad examples in both places.

Yes, I found no apparent and obvious distinctions between the two.

 

[Moorwalker]

I have machine washed and dried my silk sleep sack and down blanket.

This. Silk is fine washed up to about 60C. Down washes without problems, it's always the dryng tht is more difficult because it takes a long time and needs periodic shaking to fluff up the down.

 

[LTfit]

I suggest that the takeaway should be that pilgrim ought not rely on albergue-provided linens or blankets - at least in Galicia. BRING YOUR OWN - whatever you prefer. Although I suggest something machine washable - in the event of bedbugs. A microfiber sleeping bag liner might do the trick - check this out.

Sleeping Bags | ALPS Mountaineering

www.alpsbrands.com

I own the microfiber liner - compresses to fit in a one-gallon Ziplock, and the microfiber bag. The bag is heavier and a lot warmer. Both have three-sided, full separating zippers. I have slept in the liner on Camino and it is fine for summer nights. You might need to wear your fleece jacket on a cooler night. But is lightweight, machine washable and roomy.

This change in policy is likely a consequence of the pandemic, and the need to sanitize linens and beds after every use. The staff (volunteers) need to do this. In that context, this restriction is reasonable.

I allow that it is still possible that SOME albergues - even in Galicia - might offer to sell you the kit of disposable sheets and pillow case - separate from the standard nightly fee. Given the huge financial hit from the pandemic, passing along extra costs is going to be seen across the economy in most all countries.

This is all part of the "new normal" that we need to be flexible about.

Hope this helps.

Ultriea!

Tom

Tonight I am sleeping in Albergue Cantábrica in A Fonsegrada on the Primitivo which is the first albergue in Galicia. We were given sheets, a towel and a quilt. Just saying.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

Sleeping with a mask on would not be my first preference. It is enough for me to give it another year or two.

Perhaps this will see more wanting to camp out over staying in Albergues / Refugios / Donativos.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

In 2002 (was it that long ago?) at Refugio Gaucelmo, I was washing just 4 bedsheets a day and would work my way through both dormitories and then start again so a sheet would be slept on 10 nights before getting washed unless visably stained.
All of the mattresses had been given new, thick zip on covers that year and I only washed one of those in the three weeks I was there and that was because a young woman got caught out when her period started early.
Rabanal is classed as one of the better refugios but I wouldn't stay in any without my silk liner.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Sleeping with a mask on would not be my first preference. It is enough for me to give it another year or two.

Perhaps this will see more wanting to camp out over staying in Albergues / Refugios / Donativos.

I can't sleep in a CPAP mask so . . . . mind you an eye shade has been beneficial these past few weeks!

 

[Old Kiwi]

During my three Caminos I have only ever taken a silk liner with me. In all that time I probably used a blanket about five times. I also took my own pillow case. Both the liner and pillow case were treated in a pyrethrum based solution. I have never had a problem with bed bugs. I usually just sleep in my underwear but if it does get cold I can put on a merino long sleeved shirt and a pair of long pants. I usually walk in June and July but this year I will be walking from Porto to Fisterra starting on September 15th (I just can't wait until next year) and I hope the night time temperature will be about the same.

 

[Albertagirl]

I would warn anyone who wants to sleep in the albergue at the monastery of Samos that it would be very cold indeed without blankets to put on top of your sleeping bag to keep out the damp, freezing air.

 

[jpflavin1]

Yes, I found no apparent and obvious distinctions between the two.

You have been fortunate. Aldeanueva on the VdlP and Castro del rio on the Mozarabe come to mind. I will sleep almost anywhere but I walked in and out of those two. I am not trying to slander Community Albergues. There are many very nice ones but I have come across some that are unusable, imo. I have never had that issue with a Private Albergue. I do not trust blankets in most community Albergues. My sleeping bag is treated and so far no bed bugs in 10 Camino's. It is just more difficult to maintain a community Albergue based on traffic.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Well, Joe, I haven't walked the VdlP or the Mozarabe.
I, too, treat my sleeping bag with Permethrin and I rarely need to use an extra blanket. In five Caminos I have only had two really bad experiences in staying at municipal albergues...on the Frances in Zubiri in 2015 and on the Primitivo at the muni in Berducedo in 2016, each for different reasons. I didn't really like the muni in O'Cebreiro either, but the views were stupendous.

 

[Vacajoe]

On the positive side, a donned mask will likely muffle the drone of the snorers!

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

On the positive side, a donned mask will likely muffle the drone of the snorers!

Not nearly enough. But I was wondering...a sock inserted half way down the throat...(just kidding.)

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I happened to be looking at the El Palo Albergue in Zubiri website and found this note at the top of their site:
COVID19

As an exceptional measure, the reservation of bunk beds will be for 2 people from the same family or group. In case of being a single person, you must reserve a regular bed in a multiple room.

It is MANDATORY to bring your own sleeping bag (in multiple rooms), mask and hydroalcoholic gel for personal use. It is recommended to bring individual garbage bags to store shoes, clothes and other items. The blankets have been removed and the capacity in the multiple rooms has been reduced.

 

[Sean Lad]

Private room only for foreseeable future