Towels and Shirts

[Cpereira]

We'll be starting in April.. Can anyone suggest what to wear Shirt wise. Also what do we do about towels? Thanks, Charlie

 

[dougfitz]

Are you only interested in shirts, or more generally how to layer properly to address the ambient temperature, sun and wind protection, sweat evaporation and protection from the rain? Both these have been addressed in various parts of the forum, so doing a bit of a search will give you some good tips.

I always wore a long sleeve shirt with a collar that could be turned up to protect the back of my neck as a middle layer. It was made of a quick drying fabric that would normally dry overnight in good conditions. I had a choice of both short and long sleeved polyprop or similar undershirts, and a light fleece as an outer for cold, then a gore-tex rain jacket for rainy and windy conditions.

Note that if you are using a gore-tex or similar permeable membrane rain jacket, you shouldn't use any cotton inner or middle layer clothing. The cotton will just absorb your sweat, and not wick it away to the outer layers, eventually making you both wet and cold.

On the subject of towels, I carried a micro-fibre face washer and small towel. I would wash then dry off with the face washer, then do a final dry off with the towel, leaving it relatively dry. The towel would normally be dry enough to pack away in the morning, and I carried the still wet face washer in a small plastic bag in my wet bag.

DougF

 

[Cpereira]

Thanks for the information.. We are trying to stay under 20lbs (backpack is 2.8; sleepingbag 2.1)
I have a Northface rain jacket, light weight rain pants. Taking two pair of kaki pants that double as long and shorts. 3 pairs socks and underware (is long underware necessary) I'm more interested in what type of long slevve shirt to wear, since I can only fit (2) Is there a brand to look for.. I've heard of small quit drying towels but do not know where to purcahse them..
Thanks again

 

[Cpereira]

Thanks for the information.. We are trying to stay under 20lbs (backpack is 2.8; sleepingbag 2.1)
I have a Northface rain jacket, light weight rain pants. Taking two pair of kaki pants that double as long and shorts. 3 pairs socks and underware (is long underware necessary) I'm more interested in what type of long slevve shirt to wear, since I can only fit (2) Is there a brand to look for.. I've heard of small quit drying towels but do not know where to purcahse them..
Thanks again

 

[lynnejohn]

I am beginning my 5th camino in April. In my opinion, you should only take 2 short sleeved and 1 long sleeved shirt - both technical (wicking, quick-dry) fabrics. Avoid cotton both for tshirts and also for underwear and socks. It is heavy and difficult to dry. I wear long underwear to sleep in - silk, so it weighs nothing. (It comes in handy if the temperature really drops as well). You won't need any long underwear heavier than silk. Perhaps add a very lightweight fleece. I wouldn't take 2 pair of pants - those suckers are heavy - maybe 1 super light shorts and 1 pants?

I have used those "outdoor microfiber towels" and have grown to really dislike them. They're non-absorbent and take up room. This year I'm taking 1/2 of a severely threadbare regular towel. This was an excellent selection by another contributor here.

Those are my opinions. Everybody's got 'em! - just sort through them and figure out what's best for you. Bottom line: every gram counts!

Here's an example of a good long-sleeved shirt:

http://www.rei.com/product/794448

Buen camino!

lynne

 

[Cpereira]

Thank you,
It's our first Camino and we're going 400 miles starting at Puente de la Reina; beginning April 27, hoping to arrive om June 5th at Santiago.
We plan to visit Jaca and St Port by auto before starting.
Our new boots are worn in and we are getting down final packing.

Buen Camino,

Charlie

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

Charlie you don't say where you live. Here in the UK we have a store called Blacks. They sell long sleeved kakhi shirts which are quick drying, have a double collar to protect the neck and are the sort of shirt that Doug is talking about. I take 2, one on and one off. I take a lightweight football (soccer) shirt if my weight does not exceed 8kg (including pack). I have found 2 shirts to be enough.

I take only one pair of trousers. they are of the specialist walking type. They split at the thighs and can be worn both long and short. I have found that it is the legs that get dirty, not the seat area.

I usually take a lightweight pair of shorts to wear in bed and for those times when all the trousers have to be washed. If you are desperate to reduce your pack weight you might consider not taking shorts but buying a cheap pair in the large towns so that you can wash the seat area of the trousers. Leave the shorts at the albergue. Someone else will probably need them and will use them. It is certain that not everyone will agree with that option.

Unlike Lynne I like the specialist microfibre towels, though I carry a small one rather than the large. It is a matter of personal preference.

 

[jl]

Last camino I got some baby muslin, cut it to a regular sized bath towell and hemmed it. It weighed half the microfibre towell I had taken previously (I hate those micro firbre ones) and was VERY quick drying. Janet

 

[Cpereira]

I recently moved to Ft Laudeerdale Florida..
Charloe

 

[Anniesantiago]

The first time I walked the Camino, I used a microfiber kitchen sized dish towel and it worked great!

The second time I walked the Camino, I cut an old worn out thin terrycloth bathtowel into a 12 x 18 inch rectangle and I loved it even more!

I hung it on my backpack to dry while walking if it was not dry in the morning, but that was only maybe twice. It was easily dry by morning most days.

 

[alipilgrim]

Charloe,

Try Outdoor World/Bass Pro Shops in Dania (off I-95, by the Tri-Rail), they have a good selection of camping equipment and sportswear. I also bought some light-weight running tops at the Sports Authority on Federal Hwy (long-sleeve and short) for a very good price.

Good luck with the training!!! The only elevation I found was 17th St Bridge and the hospital parking lot!

 

[CaroleH]

Hi Charlie,
WE've used old threadbare cotton towels, bit bulky, and then I got a microfibre which was OK but not great on absorption and felt funny. For our Vdlp in 3 weeks will be using Janet and Gitti's idea of the piece of muslin. It's super absorbent and dries ultra quickly, plus weighs half the other alternatives.

I bought a baby pack of 3 muslin swaddling cloths, (over 1m square) from "baby" shop, and yet to decide if I'll cut one in half. Super light. However,you can probably buy muslin by the metre/yard from a haberdashery shop... and that would be cheaper I guess. Anyway,will trial these and report back. Cutting down weight is my primary objective.
Good luck. Carole

 

[LTfit]

Speaking of baby items, I took 2 cotton diapers (or nappies for our other English-speaking friends )!
They are light, absorbant and dry in a flash! As I only needed one, I ended up giving the other away to a woman who brought a normal towel which took forever to dry - and this was in hot, dry July.

I am doing the VdlP this time round and will take the diaper/nappy again.

Re shirts/sports equipment: I agree The Sports Authority has a HUGE suppy of appropriate shirts/shorts/socks,etc.

 

[jl]

Cutting down weight is my primary objective...

yes Carole, but it is also great having a towell big enough to be able to use like one uses a normal towell to. Sometimes comfort wins - and using muslin means I can have a big towell and less weight!. By the way - I got a pretty lavender length of muslin (Spotlight sell it here) and also cut and hemmed some into man's hanky size and took one as a brow mopper. Cheers, Janet

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hi Charlie,
We are taking 2 long sleeved shirts each and 3 t-shirts to act also as vests. If it is cold you can wear your sleeves down, if hot roll them up. If really hot, and it can be even in April, then you might need to roll them down again to protect your arms if you burn easily. No cotton or cotton mix but quick drying, wicking type for both layers. (Note - we are wearing one set of these)
Our towels (approx 150x100cms) are both the travel type. Mine is very smooth looking and a bit odd to use but does the job and dries quickly. Terry's looks more like a conventional towel but I don't like the feel of it and it does dry a little slower. It is also heavier than mine. (This year will be its 3rd on the Camino and the same for Terry's 'Camino clothes'.)
If you are buying new can I suggest that you ask to feel the fabric between your fingers and choose the one that feels best to you.
Buen Camino
Tia Valeria

 

[CaroleH]

Thanks Janet.... makes sense.... will leave the metre square piece of muslin as is...... and the mauve at Spot Light sounds great. Also the small piece for brow mopper.

Have a great weekend with Inaugural Meeting of Australian Confraternity. This is such a momentous camino event for us Aussies. (Sorry... off topic) ... :arrow:
Carole

 

[Hobbes]

On Towels... No one mentioned raw silk. It can be bought as fabric and finished by someone with a sewing machine or bought as a finished towel. It is lightweight, doesn't hold odor, and dries quickly (30 minutes). We have used it on our last 4 Camino trips and it works best of anything we tried.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I use a microfiber towel. It absorbs well, dries slowly, and has a strange feel to it. But it weighs less than the same-size terry cloth towel, so I keep using it.

 

[Kitsambler]

I saw some discussion elsewhere (sorry, forget the specifics) as to the difference in performance between travel towels made of the usual microfiber and the original viscose rayon (apparently the rayon is slicker but hugely more absorbent.) One of the most useful purposes of that towel is to roll up your clean laundry and get it drier before hanging.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I think this towel weighed about 7 ounces:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,922 ... fiber.html

 

[+@^^]

in september on the vdlp i dumped my small lightweight towel
and dried myself with my multipurpose sarong

 

[lynnejohn]

Tamtamplin -
Haha! I knew you'd have an inventive and practical solution! I've considered that, as my sarong is very light and could very well accomplish that task as well as the dozen or so others!

 

[CaroleH]

hahaha... love it.... yet another function for the multi purpose sarong.... use it as a towel, dry yourself with it, then wear it while IT dries. Wonder how it would be for walking?? Maybe I wont have to buy those zip off trousers after all!!!

Buen " multi function" camino. Carole

 

[Anniesantiago]

On Towels... No one mentioned raw silk. It can be bought as fabric and finished by someone with a sewing machine or bought as a finished towel. It is lightweight, doesn't hold odor, and dries quickly (30 minutes). We have used it on our last 4 Camino trips and it works best of anything we tried.

Hobbs.. where did you get the silk and is it absorbent enough?
I hate those microfiber towel that just smear the water around.

 

[Hobbes]

On Towels... No one mentioned raw silk. It can be bought as fabric and finished by someone with a sewing machine or bought as a finished towel. It is lightweight, doesn't hold odor, and dries quickly (30 minutes). We have used it on our last 4 Camino trips and it works best of anything we tried.

Hobbs.. where did you get the silk and is it absorbent enough?
I hate those microfiber towel that just smear the water around.

My wife bought raw silk fabric at a fabric store (it can also be ordered online). She cut it to the size we thought would work. She is quite an accomplished seamstress and used her serger machine to finish the edges which can also be done with a regular sewing machine. She also attached a loop to one corner for hanging it near the shower.

This time (we leave May 4 to begin in Porto) to make the shower experience even easier, I made soap bars with raw silk fibers that serves as a hair conditioner, clay that allows a razor to glide easier, and olive oil to keep your skin from drying out. My wife made a soap bag out of "no see-um" netting which is a screen like netting. The soap stays in the bag (which is nice when I drop it on the floor) and the bag serves as a skin scrubber and a way to hang the soap so it can dry out and last longer.

Anything to carry less weight!