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Two points:We still have a few bits we want to get. I looked at some Tilley hats. However, I found that there are air holes in the hat, not much good if you don't have much hair on your head and would be afraid that the sun would come through. I have also looked at Buffs and may buy one to keep the sun off the neck. I'm beginning to think that a shirt with a collar would be more beneficial than t-shirts. We will have to see.
Not sure how your hat hunt is going but a word on the Tilleys. Terry's has a couple of side holes as vents. He has little hair and what he has is given a 'camino cut' ie starts off clipped to 1/8th" . He has never had any problem with sunburn through the vents and the brim also shades his eyes. I have the version with the mesh venting and love it. Having curly hair, even cut short, the mesh isn't a problem re the sun. Expensive, yes; but Terry's is going on its 6th Camino this year and is worn in summer here too. Mine is newer so only on its second summer this year, my old cheaper hat was finished after much less wear.I don't really enjoy wearing hats. I am more used to baseball caps. I am light on top and shave my head so if a hat has airholes on the side it may be an issue. I have searched some of the threads on here re hats and there is lots of information. I have seen caps with a flap at the back to protect the neck. These don't protect the ears though and I think the flap flying around in the wind would annoy me and would obstruct my views. The wide-brimmed hat seems to be the best option but the Tilley is expensive. I have seen other cheaper hats but don't know how good they would be. I would agree with what was said on those other threads that a hat is very important even for someone with a full head of hair. You are out in the sun for a long time.
Tilley provide a guide to measuring your head at http://www.tilley.com/shop/worldbesthat/hatfittingguide.aspx. It worked for me.I haven't purchased a hat yet! I'm not sure if I will pay for an expensive one like a Tilley as I wouldn't be wearing it much afterwards in Ireland. They can cost upto €70. I just don't think I would get much use out of it afterwards. I will see. I must see what is out there in the shops. I would be wary of buying a hat online as very hard to know how it will fit you.
My hat arrived. It fits my head perfectly so relieved with that. It has a good wide brim so it should provide plenty of shade from the sun. It is also extremely light. The hat sort of looks dirty. It is afterall used tarpaulin. A chin strap didn't come with it. It can be bought separately. I might not bother with one as there is an elastic type band on the inside of the hat. It helps to keep the hat firm on the head.
We also bought some buffs which should be handy even after their use on the camino. They might also be handy to dip in water and place around the neck to cool down if it is hot.
Re: accommodation - is there only one albergue in Orisson (costs around €50 per night?). As Orisson is on the 1st stage we may stay there to shorten that long stage. Are there any other options to stay in villages along that stage route before Roncesvalles?
I'd rather not book something in advance if possible as it would allow us to decide on the day if we want to walk the full first stage.
Thanks for that. Yes a gust of wind and I could be like Martin Sheen in the film.
I have just looked at Brierleys guide there again and yes there are no facilities.
How many hours does it take to do that first stage to Roncesvalles at a moderate pace?
Looking at Orisson I dont think stopping there would be worthwhile as it is only a small distance from the start.
Is it ok to just turn up at the albergue in Roncesvalles without booking?
Thanks again
There are no views when it is foggy or rainy.New But are you missing out on some great views?
I have checked the same website as you except it is in English.
And the time I had is right.
However I changed the departure time to include very early trains and an option comes up leaving Bordeaux at 7.45am and arrives at 12.25pm. This could suit me as it 2 hours less journey time and gives me the option of seeing St Jean but walking straight onto Orisson. It would also allow us to stay an extra day in Pamplona, a place we would love to walk around and enjoy the pinxos at the local tapas bars.
I wouldn't buy two sets of trousers. One would suffice, in my opinion. Even if the legs get muddy, just wash them, and you still have shorts to wear. As another option, we always take silk/lightweight long underwear. Wear it to bed, and also the shirt is your long-sleeved shirt, and you can wear the bottoms under your pants if it's really cold and windy.Hello again
So the planning is in progress and we are slowly getting our gear in order for the trip. One thing I have to say now is that the trip does require quite a bit of planning but I am enjoying that part of it. It does require quite a bit of money too but am not bothered by that, as we will use our gear after the camino.
Anyway thus far, we have bought a few bits. I have bought a Deuter 36L rucksack with an airflow system at the back. It is very light. I like this because it will mean I have air at my back and not a wet t-shirt stuck to my back. However, it is quite small inside it and it will definitely force me to keep the weight down. My wife has bought a 27L one. We will be practising walking with these over the next while. We have also bought covers for the rucksacks.
We have bought rain jackets, not Gore-Tex but light North Face Sangro jackets. I have worn one of these out in heavy rain and it did the job. We have also bought waterproof trousers. Mine is 2000mm waterproof. I'm not sure yet if this a good or bad buy. I will have to try it out. We have bought some walking trousers, zipoffs at the knee but need to buy another pair each. We have found these the hardest to source as the right size and leg length is hard to find.
We both bought Gore-Tex trails shoes/boots and trail socks. Expensive but necessary. We got lightweight sleeping bags and also some dry bags. We were told it was a good thing to place all our things including sleeping bag in the dry bag and then put this into the rucksack. This should ensure that all our things are kept perfectly dry. When out walking in heavy rain one day I found my backpack got wet even with the cover on it. The rain flowing down your back inevitably soaks into the backpack thus these drybags seem a good idea.
We will be getting in some walks over the next while hoping to get upto 30km in a day.
We still have a few bits we want to get. I looked at some Tilley hats. However, I found that there are air holes in the hat, not much good if you don't have much hair on your head and would be afraid that the sun would come through. I have also looked at Buffs and may buy one to keep the sun off the neck. I'm beginning to think that a shirt with a collar would be more beneficial than t-shirts. We will have to see.
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