Sleeping mat - do I really need it?

[maria_korneeva]

I browse google maps (street view) just to look the places where I am going to go this year.
And I notice that some pilgrims have a sleeping mats.
Do I really need a sleeping mat?
Me and my friend went Camino Frances in March and there were a lot of free beds in albergues. May be another season albergues are overcrowded and it is hard to find free bed and you need to sleep on the floor (like it is in some mountain huts).
Can anybody explain this to me?

By the way we will go in may this year, from Burgos to Santiago de Compostella

Thank you

 

[trecile]

No. I saw lots of people carrying mats at the beginning of the Camino, but very few at the end. They are one of the most abandoned items on the Camino.

 

[RJM]

If you plan to only sleep in albergues, hotels etc at night, no you do not need to bring a ground pad.
If you plan on sleeping outdoors even for a few nights, yes you need to bring a ground pad.

 

[Jo Jo]

In three Caminos (2CF and 1CP), I've had exactly one night where one would have been useful (on the way to Finesterre; alburgue was full and all the mats in the municipal alburgue (in a an old school house) were taken up by two families of taxigrinos). I would not carry one.

 

[twh]

The month of May will be busier than March. When all the albergue beds are taken in town there are systems in place, depending on the size of the town that try to accommodate the overflow of pilgrims. Sports complexes with large open floor areas deploy sleeping mats for pilgrims, fire departments may offer the same, private homes may become available. You will probably need local knowledge to find out about your options so don't be shy to start asking for information AFTER you get to the last albergue and find out it too is "completo" completely full. The places that are able to offer you a covered space to sleep will probably also have a sleeping mat for your use. I walked the CF in May 2018 and always found a bed easily. I had a few experiences where my first choice of an albergue was already full but out of 30 nights that happened 2 times. I also started walking around 8am (later than most) each morning so there were very few people around me at the start but I arrived later in the day which reduces the number of beds available in the town. If you are very concerned, then start walking early in the morning to arrive earlier in the day at your destination. If you don't stay in the towns that correspond with the start and stopping points listed in the Brierley Guide Book you will have a better chance of finding a bed each night. And finally, if there are no beds or sleeping matts in town, just a take a taxi to the next or previous town for a good nights sleep. I think it is very rare for a pilgrim to sleep without a bed or mattress assuming it is actually very important to them to find one and assuming they put some effort into finding alternative sleeping accommodations in town or took a taxi to the next town.

 

[tomnorth]

In a word, no.