- Time of past OR future Camino
- First one in 2005 from Moissac, France.
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Thank you, David, for taking the time to share with us a little about such an inspiring woman! I don't just "like" your post, I love it!...Where is the "love" button?Hey all - I was going through various posts about equipment .. puffa jackets, boots or trainers, sleeping bags or liners, ponchos or jackets .... which rucksack and why - now, don't get me wrong, I also like reading about gear, all that choice out there and one can be drawn in, most of us are - and it can be fun making those choices ... but I have also noticed a certain nervousness, even fear, in some novice pilgrims; the concern that they may not 'get it right' .. and that is a shame as the truth is that absolutely none of it is important - it just doesn't matter what you wear, which footwear, which pack - the bottom line is that it should be simple and it should be comfortable ... as well as, well, it just isn't necessary to spend huge amounts of money on kit - one could just as easily go through what one already owns and take some of that - and to check on this, to see if I was right (or just making things up in my head) I looked at earlier hikers, back fifty or more years ago ..
I found this rather amazing woman, Emma 'Grandma' Gatewood - she walked the whole of the Appalachian trail at 67 years old - on her feet she wore soft sneakers, what we in the uk call plimsolls (which reminded me that in 1973 I climbed the mountain St Victoire in Provence, on the black path, the 'death' path, without ropes or any other kit, wearing plimsolls), and her 'hiking kit' - well!
"When Emma Gatewood set out to hike the Appalachian Trail, no woman — and only five men — had ever completed a thru-hike. In 1955, the 67-year-old grandmother of 23 finished the hike and earned herself the nickname "Grandma Gatewood." Upon completion of the epic trail, she told Sports Illustrated, "I would never have started this trip if I had known how tough it was, but I couldn't and wouldn't quit." Gatewood is also known as a pioneer of ultra-light hiking — she hiked the trail in Keds sneakers and often carried just an army blanket, a raincoat and a plastic shower curtain that she used as a bag. "Grandma Gatewood" hiked the AT two more times, in 1960 and in 1963, completing her final hike in sections. She was the first person to hike the trail three times, and she was the oldest woman to thru-hike the trail until Nancy Gowler did so at the age of 71 in 2007.
So, my point is, don't be afraid, don't spend money you don't need to spend, don't worry about it - just wear what is comfortable - this is Emma as she hiked -
View attachment 31831
You make some very good points as you are right, the world we live in today is very different than Grandma Gatewood's. Thanks for sharing.I agree with you, but...
I've, too, have read quite a lot about Grandma Gatewood and agree that she was quite amazing, however, she lived in a different time and a different way than most hikers do nowadays; she had very little money and today's lightweight equipment was not available. She did not work in an office or sit at a desk all day; she lived on a farm and had worked on it from dawn to dusk most of her life. And as you said, she did not find it easy.
My point is not to argue with you, I basically agree with you--most "newbies", do worry a lot about equipment. However, I think it is worth spending some time to make good choices (synthetics or wool rather than cotton); carrying less rather than more; trying to select items that can serve more than one use (a bandana); leaving home hair dryers; wearing trail runners rather than boots if you can. I think "newbies" sometimes forget that Spain is not a third world country--if you forget your hiking poles (or they get lost by the airlines as ours once did), you can buy them it Spain. Buen Camino
You make some very good points as you are right, the world we live in today is very different than Grandma Gatewood's. Thanks for sharing.
I've loved reading all the comments here and although some are differing from each other...they are all true and have good merit!Hey all - I was going through various posts about equipment .. puffa jackets, boots or trainers, sleeping bags or liners, ponchos or jackets .... which rucksack and why - now, don't get me wrong, I also like reading about gear, all that choice out there and one can be drawn in, most of us are - and it can be fun making those choices ... but I have also noticed a certain nervousness, even fear, in some novice pilgrims; the concern that they may not 'get it right' .. and that is a shame as the truth is that absolutely none of it is important - it just doesn't matter what you wear, which footwear, which pack - the bottom line is that it should be simple and it should be comfortable ... as well as, well, it just isn't necessary to spend huge amounts of money on kit - one could just as easily go through what one already owns and take some of that - and to check on this, to see if I was right (or just making things up in my head) I looked at earlier hikers, back fifty or more years ago ..
I found this rather amazing woman, Emma 'Grandma' Gatewood - she walked the whole of the Appalachian trail at 67 years old - on her feet she wore soft sneakers, what we in the uk call plimsolls (which reminded me that in 1973 I climbed the mountain St Victoire in Provence, on the black path, the 'death' path, without ropes or any other kit, wearing plimsolls), and her 'hiking kit' - well!
"When Emma Gatewood set out to hike the Appalachian Trail, no woman — and only five men — had ever completed a thru-hike. In 1955, the 67-year-old grandmother of 23 finished the hike and earned herself the nickname "Grandma Gatewood." Upon completion of the epic trail, she told Sports Illustrated, "I would never have started this trip if I had known how tough it was, but I couldn't and wouldn't quit." Gatewood is also known as a pioneer of ultra-light hiking — she hiked the trail in Keds sneakers and often carried just an army blanket, a raincoat and a plastic shower curtain that she used as a bag. "Grandma Gatewood" hiked the AT two more times, in 1960 and in 1963, completing her final hike in sections. She was the first person to hike the trail three times, and she was the oldest woman to thru-hike the trail until Nancy Gowler did so at the age of 71 in 2007.
So, my point is, don't be afraid, don't spend money you don't need to spend, don't worry about it - just wear what is comfortable - this is Emma as she hiked -
View attachment 31831
An acquaintance of mine thru-hiked the AT northbound last year. The way he described it (or parts of it), grandma there has been replaced with a much younger version with a joint in her mouth, and doing shrooms at a shelter, ha ha. He described parts of it as a moving Woodstock festival.Hey all - I was going through various posts about equipment .. puffa jackets, boots or trainers, sleeping bags or liners, ponchos or jackets .... which rucksack and why - now, don't get me wrong, I also like reading about gear, all that choice out there and one can be drawn in, most of us are - and it can be fun making those choices ... but I have also noticed a certain nervousness, even fear, in some novice pilgrims; the concern that they may not 'get it right' .. and that is a shame as the truth is that absolutely none of it is important - it just doesn't matter what you wear, which footwear, which pack - the bottom line is that it should be simple and it should be comfortable ... as well as, well, it just isn't necessary to spend huge amounts of money on kit - one could just as easily go through what one already owns and take some of that - and to check on this, to see if I was right (or just making things up in my head) I looked at earlier hikers, back fifty or more years ago ..
I found this rather amazing woman, Emma 'Grandma' Gatewood - she walked the whole of the Appalachian trail at 67 years old - on her feet she wore soft sneakers, what we in the uk call plimsolls (which reminded me that in 1973 I climbed the mountain St Victoire in Provence, on the black path, the 'death' path, without ropes or any other kit, wearing plimsolls), and her 'hiking kit' - well!
"When Emma Gatewood set out to hike the Appalachian Trail, no woman — and only five men — had ever completed a thru-hike. In 1955, the 67-year-old grandmother of 23 finished the hike and earned herself the nickname "Grandma Gatewood." Upon completion of the epic trail, she told Sports Illustrated, "I would never have started this trip if I had known how tough it was, but I couldn't and wouldn't quit." Gatewood is also known as a pioneer of ultra-light hiking — she hiked the trail in Keds sneakers and often carried just an army blanket, a raincoat and a plastic shower curtain that she used as a bag. "Grandma Gatewood" hiked the AT two more times, in 1960 and in 1963, completing her final hike in sections. She was the first person to hike the trail three times, and she was the oldest woman to thru-hike the trail until Nancy Gowler did so at the age of 71 in 2007.
So, my point is, don't be afraid, don't spend money you don't need to spend, don't worry about it - just wear what is comfortable - this is Emma as she hiked -
View attachment 31831
In an old riding mac, which is about a thousand times better than a poncho.
A riding mac is a water proof coat, long, down to mid calf but split at the back at thigh level. With a cape to stop the rain getting in through the shoulder seams. Various pockets and straps, and usually made from waxed cotton with a plain cotton lining. Intended for sitting on a horse but will work for walking. Especially in Galicia. Add gaiters to stop the rain running into your shoes, as you probably won't be walking in riding boots.
@David nicely said. I have been playing with an Excel spreadsheet with the inventory of my kit. Quantity, weight, hyperlinks, etc. What if analysis about what if. My kit is being accumulated in my office. Part excitement, boredom, gear junky. My wife thinks I have OCD. She is probably right. Eventually I will just throw stuff into my pack and go, but for now I am going to keep ruminating over my kit. By the way, my desk is a mess, but my kit is neatly organized. I am like a kid with his legos.
My son hiked 1000 miles of the AT three years ago and felt the same way. "A moving Woodstock festival" sounds similar to his description as well. I suppose not having the opportunity for vino tinto day in and day out like the Camino (lol), taking all those joints in your pack weighs almost nothing...and honestly, I wouldn't know!An acquaintance of mine thru-hiked the AT northbound last year. The way he described it (or parts of it), grandma there has been replaced with a much younger version with a joint in her mouth, and doing shrooms at a shelter, ha ha. He described parts of it as a moving Woodstock festival.
My point, Chris, is that no, the world has not changed. We are the same creatures we were two million years ago .... it is the toys that have changed. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing what you want on Camino and, it is not necessary to be nervous or afraid.
Hey all - I was going through various posts about equipment .. puffa jackets, boots or trainers, sleeping bags or liners, ponchos or jackets .... which rucksack and why - now, don't get me wrong, I also like reading about gear, all that choice out there and one can be drawn in, most of us are - and it can be fun making those choices ... but I have also noticed a certain nervousness, even fear, in some novice pilgrims; the concern that they may not 'get it right' .. and that is a shame as the truth is that absolutely none of it is important - it just doesn't matter what you wear, which footwear, which pack - the bottom line is that it should be simple and it should be comfortable ... as well as, well, it just isn't necessary to spend huge amounts of money on kit - one could just as easily go through what one already owns and take some of that - and to check on this, to see if I was right (or just making things up in my head) I looked at earlier hikers, back fifty or more years ago ..
I found this rather amazing woman, Emma 'Grandma' Gatewood - she walked the whole of the Appalachian trail at 67 years old - on her feet she wore soft sneakers, what we in the uk call plimsolls (which reminded me that in 1973 I climbed the mountain St Victoire in Provence, on the black path, the 'death' path, without ropes or any other kit, wearing plimsolls), and her 'hiking kit' - well!
"When Emma Gatewood set out to hike the Appalachian Trail, no woman — and only five men — had ever completed a thru-hike. In 1955, the 67-year-old grandmother of 23 finished the hike and earned herself the nickname "Grandma Gatewood." Upon completion of the epic trail, she told Sports Illustrated, "I would never have started this trip if I had known how tough it was, but I couldn't and wouldn't quit." Gatewood is also known as a pioneer of ultra-light hiking — she hiked the trail in Keds sneakers and often carried just an army blanket, a raincoat and a plastic shower curtain that she used as a bag. "Grandma Gatewood" hiked the AT two more times, in 1960 and in 1963, completing her final hike in sections. She was the first person to hike the trail three times, and she was the oldest woman to thru-hike the trail until Nancy Gowler did so at the age of 71 in 2007.
So, my point is, don't be afraid, don't spend money you don't need to spend, don't worry about it - just wear what is comfortable - this is Emma as she hiked -
View attachment 31831
Uh-oh, now y'all have done it! Here come two of my favorite sayings:
Fortune favors the prepared mind. -- Louis Pasteur
'Better' is the enemy of 'good enough.' -- Russian Proverb
The first tells us that asking questions, thinking things through, running "what-if" scenarios, etc., help us to be prepared so that we can enjoy things just a wee bit more. (It also suggests that what's in our heads is generally more important than what's in our backpacks.)
The second tells us not get all crazy and obsessive about having all the bestest/newest things.
Once after I walked the CF the first time, I was shopping in the local super Wal-Mart. I wondered if I could find all the equipment I needed to walk the Camino there. I did. Of course they had the travel sized toiletries, but I also found a decent backpack, a sleeping bag liner, stuff sacks, tech shirts, shorts, pants and socks and underwear and rain gear. I also found a fleece pullover, headlamp and trekking poles. I even found hiking/walking shoes that would have probably got me to SDC. and they had a spork looking thing!
Had I bought all that stuff, I'm sure I wouldn't have spent over around 200 bucks and I'm sure using it I would have fared well enough on the bleak, barren and hostile wilderness trail known as the Camino Frances...
Boy do I agree with this thread! People are always asking me about shoes - what shoes should they buy, and they are interested that I wear sandals. My response is always the same; "What to you wear at home to walk in? Do you sometimes walk 8km or more?" and if the answer is "Yes"; "Why not take those?"
I recently had an interesting conversation with a fellow who repairs hiking gear for a living. He still uses a pack that is 40 years old. It works fine.
The other thing to remember is that no-one makes perfect choices. We are all learners on this trail. I am constantly revising, reviewing, tweaking, my choices. So don't sweat because you won't get it perfect anyway. But it will be good enough.
Did you say SPORK? Let's get a new thread started on that!Once after I walked the CF the first time, I was shopping in the local super Wal-Mart. I wondered if I could find all the equipment I needed to walk the Camino there. I did. Of course they had the travel sized toiletries, but I also found a decent backpack, a sleeping bag liner, stuff sacks, tech shirts, shorts, pants and socks and underwear and rain gear. I also found a fleece pullover, headlamp and trekking poles. I even found hiking/walking shoes that would have probably got me to SDC. and they had a spork looking thing!
Had I bought all that stuff, I'm sure I wouldn't have spent over around 200 bucks and I'm sure using it I would have fared well enough on the bleak, barren and hostile wilderness trail known as the Camino Frances...
ha ha...I believe it has actually been covered to some degree in another thread. I think they're great. There were those who actually saw no use in having one! I declare....Did you say SPORK? Let's get a new thread started on that!
In Australia these are called oilskins, or by their brandname 'Driza-bone' They are amazing and pioneered by stockmen however they are REALLY heavy.A riding mac is a water proof coat, long, down to mid calf but split at the back at thigh level. With a cape to stop the rain getting in through the shoulder seams. Various pockets and straps, and usually made from waxed cotton with a plain cotton lining. Intended for sitting on a horse but will work for walking. Especially in Galicia. Add gaiters to stop the rain running into your shoes, as you probably won't be walking in riding boots.
Couldn't agree more--that's it in a nutshell.all is well you know, it is alright, all is well
"It's just walkin"
Really, David, I am much more handsome than homo habilis!!We are the same creatures we were two million years ago .... it is the toys that have changed.
I think about 200,000 years, give or take a few days, would be safer for homo sapiens!!Hahahaahhaa! Good point Doug! and brilliantly funny too! - think I may have wildly exaggerated there - shall we make it 30,000 years instead of 2 million?
Awesome post! Love it, love it, love it!...Ivar, where is the "love" button. I can't seem to find it! ;-)Love the post, David, and the point you make. AT Grandma is legendary but she actually looks pretty well prepared with wool gear and a lot of stuff in her bag over her shoulder. Are those cans of beer making the bumps in the bag?! The AT has open lean-to shelters so her blanket/shower curtain may have worked ok, as long as it wasn't winter, when the cold seeps up through the floor boards and wet snow blows into the lean-to. Don't think I'd want to tote a cloth bag over the mountains, either.
View attachment 31846 Photo of AT Grandma Gatewood's gear.
With a bunch of college friends, I hiked the southern AT several times, both summer and winter. We had no money or experience, rented gear from the university, wore jeans/flannels/cotton long johns and carried canned food (and beer). We probably had 10% of our body weight in canned goods alone! I went barefoot more than once because I couldn't put shoes on my bloody heels from cheap, plastic boots. My pack was known as "The Beast" and 8-10 miles was a good day because we were all so loaded down. How we loved those trips! I miss hiking with my old friends but not the cheap, heavy gear.
Many years later, I enjoy reading the forum on a cold winter's night and getting tips from others as I wait for the next trip to begin. It's fun to find the lightest weight doodad and ponder the merits of soap containers or plastic bags with sliders or without. This week, I even learned about different ways to deal with delicate female issues and, ahem, why it's a good idea to wear flip flops in the showers. The forum is a never ending source of international information, entertainment and gear controversy.
So sure, it's best to "simplify, simplify" but I envy the "newbie" Camino-ites. How much fun to be excited and anxious and stressing over the little things, worry about each piece of equipment. Then they get there and start unloading, not just gear but all the other unnecessary stuff from everyday life.
After all, isn't that why so many of us are attracted to pilgrimages?
David, such a wonderful comment! What a helpful pilgrim you are! I will be watching for your green first aid kit backpack on the Camino, so I can meet such a kind soul.Absolutely, Purple Backpack. I have gone through three or four rucksacks, using them for a bit and then selling them on on Ebay .. searching for the pack that would fit me. I have devoured just about all the forum threads on packs, online reviews .. have been into shops, loaded packs with items off the shelves and adjusted them and walked around in the shop, and eventually came to the Osprey brand - via the forum - and now have the Osprey Kestrel 32 and have to say that for me it is the finest pack I have ever owned, it fits so well, and light too - not expensive either (I waited for a sale) - and looking back I have to say that I enjoyed every moment of that search - it was the nervousness and worry that sometimes comes across on the forum from virgin pilgrims that led me to writing the post - I wanted those who were worried by the process to know that it was ok, equipment search should be a fun thing, and in the end, what one takes and what one wears isn't that important (as long as one has comfortable footwear) ... I have really enjoyed reading the posts on this thread ... such brilliant comments!
I don't 'do' the Camino anymore, what I do is base myself somewhere, load up my first aid kit, walk 'upstream' for some miles and then walk back 'downstream', looking out for injured pilgrims and then visit refugios in the evening .. and here is the thing .. do I wear my Osprey? no - I wear my badly fitting green first-aid labelled backpack instead!! haahahahaha!!
View attachment 31847
So - gear hunting can be fun but I really do think that none of it is necessary - we just need to get out there and walk west
ve, andto my mind the problem on Camino - and it is the only problem, or rather source of physical problems - is that pilgrims try to keep up to someone else's idea of what a day stage is instead of just strolling along and stopping when tired
My point, Chris, is that no, the world has not changed. We are the same creatures we were two million years ago .... it is the toys that have changed. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing what you want on Camino and, it is not necessary to be nervous or afraid.
I am not against people buying what they want, I am not saying that it is wrong in any way - not at all - what I am saying is that absolutely none of it is necessary ...
look - along the way you will see countless peasants and shepherds .. they go out every day in old two piece black suits and old shoes, sometimes old army boots ... they walk miles every day - now, were you to point them westwards and get them to do the same that they do every day then eventually, with no problems, they will arrive in Santiago.
Think of Laurie lee, the writer. One day he picked up his old violin, stuffed a few things into an old knapsack and in his suit and street shoes went off to Spain and walked right across it - in his book, As I Walked Out One Midsummer's Morning, he never mentions the need for specialist clothing - though his violin did fall apart in the heat.
Think of the average postman/woman .. who walks miles and miles every day with a heavy bag slung over one shoulder ..... they just wear ordinary clothes. Again - drop them off at St Jean in their same clothes and with the same bag (but with some clothes and a toothbrush in it) and tell them to deliver a letter to Santiago and they will just walk there and deliver it - in the same clothes.
It is ok to buy specialist clothing and it is ok to wear it - of course it is - it just isn't necessary.
I know that the modern wealthy consumer fetishist first world says that you need specific costumes for each type of event - for that is what they are you know, costumes, but it is untrue, totally untrue. If you have good walking footwear you wear a lot - wear those. If you have a favourite raincoat or jacket, take that, nice old lightweight sweater? take that along, the box in the attic with your old Scout uniform? take the shorts if they still fit, and the shirt and hat, even the scarf and woggle .....
to my mind the problem on Camino - and it is the only problem, or rather source of physical problems - is that pilgrims try to keep up to someone else's idea of what a day stage is instead of just strolling along and stopping when tired. Because of this, turning it into an exhausting marathon event instead of a walking pilgrimage, those with specialist costumes may get along a little easier - but, it is not necessary - that was my point - all is well you know, it is alright, all is well
but don't get me wrong, I have a lovely Osprey Kestrel rucksack and Keen Newport sandals - proper designer stuff, though all the rest are old cotton t shirts and so on. I'm not against specialist items, just saying that they aren't necessary
In Australia these are called oilskins, or by their brandname 'Driza-bone' They are amazing and pioneered by stockmen however they are REALLY heavy.
Well dang..I was debating adding a comment about walking with what gear I got..which includes a Duster..I,e sure an analog of your riding mac..oil cloth and warm and dry as needed..but must weigh a ton...but pictured myself striding across hill amd dale in wet weather in my oilskins..sigh..heavy stuff.A riding mac is a water proof coat, long, down to mid calf but split at the back at thigh level. With a cape to stop the rain getting in through the shoulder seams. Various pockets and straps, and usually made from waxed cotton with a plain cotton lining. Intended for sitting on a horse but will work for walking. Especially in Galicia. Add gaiters to stop the rain running into your shoes, as you probably won't be walking in riding boots.
Some walk for fun, some walk for other reasons.more fun
Some walk for fun, some walk for other reasons.
Some walk for fun, some walk for other reasons.
For some, equipment is entertainment, for some it's an afterthought.
Some want to intentionally cultivate simplicity, others prefer to gather experiences.
Some of us revel in the social aspect of the walk, others rest in the silence.
And where we are in all that determines how we relate to equipment.
So I guess the bottom line is 'whatever'.
Off topic a bit, but I have to say it (begging your indulgence, mods.....?)~
The wonderful and refreshing thing is that no matter what we think, no-one is pushing their view on anyone and no-one is claiming to be 'right.' Thank you, everyone. A refreshing change from the tribalism that seems to be taking over everywhere else.
This Forum is such a blessed relief from all that.
David's post with the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote on walking and equipment was right on topic. This is a little less so. There exists an almost 3km path in Concord, Massachusetts that leads from Emerson's home (kept as a museum) to the site of Henry David Thoreau's cabin at Walden Pond. It is called the Emerson-Thoreau Amble.Emerson of course .....
Some day I would love to pilgrimage to the Emerson/Thoreau Amble. One of Thoreau' quotes has been my constant companion while preparing. <3
I've assembled a number of local trails, a few rural roads and some suburban streets into a 20+ mile walk from one train station to another with Thoreau sites all along it. An unfinished project is publishing this to the web. It goes though state forests, state reservations, a wildlife refuge, a national park, the cemetery where Thoreau and Emerson are buried, town forests, town conservation land, town parks, land trusts and forest owned by Harvard University. Too bad the train stations aren't on the same railroad line but they connect in Boston so this could be a great country walk for the city dwellers. It could also be used as a training walk for the camino. It uses the Emerson-Thoreau Amble so it goes by Walden Pond too.Some day I would love to pilgrimage to the Emerson/Thoreau Amble. One of Thoreau' quotes has been my constant companion while preparing. <3
I've assembled a number of local trails, a few rural roads and some suburban streets into a 20+ mile walk from one train station to another with Thoreau sites all along it. . .It could also be used as a training walk for the camino. It uses the Emerson-Thoreau Amble so it goes by Walden Pond too.
As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.
~Thoreau
"Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence and nothing too much...."
Country Life, 1858
I had forgotten about this one, which brings Thoreau and the OP together:
"“I say, beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes.”
(It is the second half of that quote that really resonates with me as far as the Camino is concerned...it definitely has the potential to make us new...and then the clothes? Pfft. High-tech, or not, new or old? It doesn't matter so much, so long as they fit and we can walk with ease.)
It is the second half of that quote that really resonates with me as far as the Camino is concerned...it definitely has the potential to make us new...and then the clothes?
I actually meant the second part of the sentence I quoted, but wasn't clear--sorry, Eve.I'd love to see the whole quote if you have it.
David
David, such a wonderful comment! What a helpful pilgrim you are! I will be watching for your green first aid kit backpack on the Camino, so I can meet such a kind soul.
So true, even in all areas beyond the Camino as we walk the road of life. The constant battle between the physical and the spiritual They war against each other.ve, and
IMHO people obsess over the equipment preparation because it is tangible, concrete, quantifiable and knowable. Spiritual preparation, which one might think would be more necessary, is by contrast intangible, qualitative and largely unknowable. So we do the easier work.
I wonder..
Who has ever just walked out the front door, flew or boated to Spain and just bought their kit there ?
Uh-oh, now y'all have done it! Here come two of my favorite sayings:
Fortune favors the prepared mind. -- Louis Pasteur
'Better' is the enemy of 'good enough.' -- Russian Proverb
The first tells us that asking questions, thinking things through, running "what-if" scenarios, etc., help us to be prepared so that we can enjoy things just a wee bit more. (It also suggests that what's in our heads is generally more important than what's in our backpacks.)
The second tells us not get all crazy and obsessive about having all the bestest/newest things.
Hey all - I was going through various posts about equipment .. puffa jackets, boots or trainers, sleeping bags or liners, ponchos or jackets .... which rucksack and why - now, don't get me wrong, I also like reading about gear, all that choice out there and one can be drawn in, most of us are - and it can be fun making those choices ... but I have also noticed a certain nervousness, even fear, in some novice pilgrims; the concern that they may not 'get it right' .. and that is a shame as the truth is that absolutely none of it is important - it just doesn't matter what you wear, which footwear, which pack - the bottom line is that it should be simple and it should be comfortable ... as well as, well, it just isn't necessary to spend huge amounts of money on kit - one could just as easily go through what one already owns and take some of that - and to check on this, to see if I was right (or just making things up in my head) I looked at earlier hikers, back fifty or more years ago ..
I found this rather amazing woman, Emma 'Grandma' Gatewood - she walked the whole of the Appalachian trail at 67 years old - on her feet she wore soft sneakers, what we in the uk call plimsolls (which reminded me that in 1973 I climbed the mountain St Victoire in Provence, on the black path, the 'death' path, without ropes or any other kit, wearing plimsolls), and her 'hiking kit' - well!
"When Emma Gatewood set out to hike the Appalachian Trail, no woman — and only five men — had ever completed a thru-hike. In 1955, the 67-year-old grandmother of 23 finished the hike and earned herself the nickname "Grandma Gatewood." Upon completion of the epic trail, she told Sports Illustrated, "I would never have started this trip if I had known how tough it was, but I couldn't and wouldn't quit." Gatewood is also known as a pioneer of ultra-light hiking — she hiked the trail in Keds sneakers and often carried just an army blanket, a raincoat and a plastic shower curtain that she used as a bag. "Grandma Gatewood" hiked the AT two more times, in 1960 and in 1963, completing her final hike in sections. She was the first person to hike the trail three times, and she was the oldest woman to thru-hike the trail until Nancy Gowler did so at the age of 71 in 2007.
So, my point is, don't be afraid, don't spend money you don't need to spend, don't worry about it - just wear what is comfortable - this is Emma as she hiked -
View attachment 31831
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/feat...cle_033d866f-667e-58fc-bb3d-e2b082e33232.htmlHey all - I was going through various posts about equipment .. puffa jackets, boots or trainers, sleeping bags or liners, ponchos or jackets .... which rucksack and why - now, don't get me wrong, I also like reading about gear, all that choice out there and one can be drawn in, most of us are - and it can be fun making those choices ... but I have also noticed a certain nervousness, even fear, in some novice pilgrims; the concern that they may not 'get it right' .. and that is a shame as the truth is that absolutely none of it is important - it just doesn't matter what you wear, which footwear, which pack - the bottom line is that it should be simple and it should be comfortable ... as well as, well, it just isn't necessary to spend huge amounts of money on kit - one could just as easily go through what one already owns and take some of that - and to check on this, to see if I was right (or just making things up in my head) I looked at earlier hikers, back fifty or more years ago ..
I found this rather amazing woman, Emma 'Grandma' Gatewood - she walked the whole of the Appalachian trail at 67 years old - on her feet she wore soft sneakers, what we in the uk call plimsolls (which reminded me that in 1973 I climbed the mountain St Victoire in Provence, on the black path, the 'death' path, without ropes or any other kit, wearing plimsolls), and her 'hiking kit' - well!
"When Emma Gatewood set out to hike the Appalachian Trail, no woman — and only five men — had ever completed a thru-hike. In 1955, the 67-year-old grandmother of 23 finished the hike and earned herself the nickname "Grandma Gatewood." Upon completion of the epic trail, she told Sports Illustrated, "I would never have started this trip if I had known how tough it was, but I couldn't and wouldn't quit." Gatewood is also known as a pioneer of ultra-light hiking — she hiked the trail in Keds sneakers and often carried just an army blanket, a raincoat and a plastic shower curtain that she used as a bag. "Grandma Gatewood" hiked the AT two more times, in 1960 and in 1963, completing her final hike in sections. She was the first person to hike the trail three times, and she was the oldest woman to thru-hike the trail until Nancy Gowler did so at the age of 71 in 2007.
So, my point is, don't be afraid, don't spend money you don't need to spend, don't worry about it - just wear what is comfortable - this is Emma as she hiked -
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Oh, this has given me the best laugh, and will sustain me on my daily health walk along the quays! I found this wonderful post while looking for somewhere to post this: My Osprey daypack had the misfortune to have beetroot in every crevice inside yesterday when I got home from my walk, having bought a few items and not packed them carefully enough. Into the washing machine, and out like new. So, a plug for the materials in Osprey and a huge thank you to the poster above, thank you for offering the best laugh in a long time!On my second Camino Frances I stopped at a bench where a younger man was patching up badly blistered feet. He had very expensive state-of-the-art clothing and equipment. He looked at me in my old cheap shabby gear and began to explain why each and every item he carried or wore was superior in every way to mine. The implication was that I was lucky to still be alive, never mind walking. Instead of clouting the haemorrhoid with my old-fashioned stick I contented myself by pointing out that I was walking 10km+ further each day than he was and my feet didn't look like the bottom of a butcher's waste bin. Just because an item is new, shiny and expensive does not make it the right choice. On my last Camino Frances I saw several almost new pairs of expensive (£100+) boots abandoned at the side of the track. Fit and function matter far more than price. Just be sure to test your gear well in advance.
And @kirkie - what about a plug (please excuse the laundry-related pun!) for the washing powder/pod you used! I do love a heads-up on a great laundry product!Oh, this has given me the best laugh, and will sustain me on my daily health walk along the quays! I found this wonderful post while looking for somewhere to post this: My Osprey daypack had the misfortune to have beetroot in every crevice inside yesterday when I got home from my walk, having bought a few items and not packed them carefully enough. Into the washing machine, and out like new. So, a plug for the materials in Osprey and a huge thank you to the poster above, thank you for offering the best laugh in a long time!
Fairy powder, not a lot. No softener, ever. Occasionally a squirt of cheap white vinegar in the rinse drawer. Lucky to have a small yard with a washing line. For hand washing I use a bar of soap from North of Spain - the brand is Chimbo, known by locals as jabon de lagarto. So glad to be able to imagine going into Eroski in Pamplona to buy a stock for future... when the green light is sure and steady!And @kirkie - what about a plug (please excuse the laundry-related pun!) for the washing powder/pod you used! I do love a heads-up on a great laundry product!
Buen Camino from Oz -
Jenny
Thanks for the information about the Fairy washing powder Kirkie. We have Fairy dishwashing products here in Oz but not the laundry powder unfortunately - they’re great products. Thanks too for the terrific tip about the Chimbo soap - it’s now on my list for a future Pamplona shop ... longing sigh! I’m with you on the green light ... such happy days when the world opens up again and for us all to be safe, wherever we may be.Fairy powder, not a lot. No softener, ever. Occasionally a squirt of cheap white vinegar in the rinse drawer. Lucky to have a small yard with a washing line. For hand washing I use a bar of soap from North of Spain - the brand is Chimbo, known by locals as jabon de lagarto. So glad to be able to imagine going into Eroski in Pamplona to buy a stock for future... when the green light is sure and steady!
Theatregal,I have enjoyed reading this resurrected thread, particularly as I am getting my gear together for my next camino. A couple of weeks ago, I had a bad flood in my apartment, resulting in the necessity of going through all the wet contents of many closets. To my amazement, I found an old pair of the type of boots that I wear on my caminos. In fact, I found two old pairs, dry and with good treads. Either could replace the boots from my last camino, whose treads are quite worn out. But one pair is in better shape and fits better: so there are my boots for my next camino. I had forgotten all about them and spent considerable time shopping in my usual outdoor stores for that exact brand and size: to no luck. So don't forget that the best possible store for gear for your next camino is the back of a neglected closet.
Inspirering and helpful post - thanksSo, my point is, don't be afraid, don't spend money you don't need to spend, don't worry about it - just wear what is comfortable - this is Emma as she hiked -
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