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Do look into having your bag carried--it doesn't make you less of a pilgrim (1000 years ago some pilgrims even had themselves carried). Then you can carry only a daypack, with your meds in it for safety sake.Many thanks Jozero and Dave. The second pair of shoes is obviously the thing that jumps out a country mile! My only previous experience of long distance walking was in a freak British heatwave when we all got appalling blisters and I know I am projecting that experience on to what will be a very different challenge. I am also anticipating a lot of horizontal rain and at least some damp unheated deserted albergues along the way - I also have a long history of worrying about the wrong things
I'll go do a bit of thinking, shuffling and re-weighing and post my list!
I never stayed in any of the campsite type options so I can't comment. But my favourite albergue was a private one in Careco - Casa do Sardao- there was a grocery shop in the village (1km before the albergue) and it had a great kitchen & warm fire!Many thanks roving_rufus, it is really helpful to hear your experience on this route; I wasn't sure if heating would be routinely available given there are so few pilgrims on this route at this time. I think there is likely to be a degree of randomness as to where we pitch up each night, as well as what is available. There seem to be a number of campsites as well as albergues, do you have any particular recommendations?
I see what you mean about the long winter evenings! I have just looked up daylight hours in Porto: 8.00 to 17.19 when we stride forth. We tend to forget that although much further south than the UK, Portugal is very far west - so daylight hours will be only marginally longer than at home. Must admit I am looking forward to a lot of sardines and seafood alongside any opportunistic self-catering.
Fabulous!!! that is really helpful. I had been wondering about a hi-vis vest. I doubt we will be walking in the dark, but low cloud and rain seem highly probable. We do have some very lightweight ones for driving, so I'll add that to the list.I never stayed in any of the campsite type options so I can't comment. But my favourite albergue was a private one in Careco - Casa do Sardao- there was a grocery shop in the village (1km before the albergue) and it had a great kitchen & warm fire!
And at 8am in the morning it can be very cold in the morning! Most days I walked probably 25km-30km and never had any issue of getting there before dark. I did however take a fluorescent vest as there was some walking on roads - not too much on busy main rds but back roads -and it can be useful in poor visibility due to rain or fog.
I have walked in keens, and although heavy, no blisters and very comfortable. Also, sockwell compression knee socks have been my favorite for a no blister walk as improved circulation prevents pooling of interstitial fluid.Let me start by thanking everyone who has already generously contributed such a wealth of knowledge and experience to this forum - I have been reading avidly for the past couple of months, and learned so much thank you!
Exciting times - we're now well on with our preparation for the Caminho Portuguese in January! We went for our first training walk on Sunday carrying 7.5kg packs, 10km/6.2 miles along a flat canal tow path in good conditions, so not too exacting, but we were both encouraged that we had made the right rucksack choices for our winter camino. I had guesstimated my pack weight at c8kg, but have now started neurotically weighing everything......and yes at the moment looking close to 10kg! This figure includes my jacket and walking poles incidentally, on the grounds that while I will be wearing/using them some of the time, I may also be carrying them some of the time, wasn't sure if this is what others do?
As a T1 diabetic, I have to carry quite a lot of kit. My preliminary guesstimate was this would come in c500g.....turns out that a 28day supply, making generous allowances for additional testing etc weighs 1100g, allowing for emergency food supplies, the additional weight will be more like 1500g. On the plus side, I reckon this will reduce to 5-600g by the end of our camino
Footcare is very important and I am planning to take sandals which are good enough to walk in (if need be) and use whenever not on the Camino to give my feet a break. As it is a winter Camino, I feel I need something more than flip-flops, sadly my internet bargain sandals weigh a mighty 800g and my lightest alternative trainers are still 500g and offer less flexibility if I I am hobbling, blistered or need to pop to the loo in the night etc.
My rucksack is an Osprey Kestrel 48, which weighs in at 1650g empty. I didn't plan to get such a large rucksack, but it was by far the best fit on me when I went to Cotswold to test things out. I am a reasonably tall woman, 172cm, but much of my height is in my back (stumpy little legs sadly!), and this model just fit like a glove plus has the capacity to swallow all my additional kit which takes up volume as well as weight.
I eat a fairly low carbohydrate diet to manage my blood sugar, and would have liked to bring a few catering items as the pilgrim menus sound to be total carb-fests, but am not going to bother now. Having read descriptions of how cold it can be in the very lightly populated (deserted?!) Portuguese albergues at night I am not wanting to compromise my bedding (merino liner 500g and down sleeping bag 840g). Being on the coast in January, I feel confident of rain, quite likely most days, as well as strong winds, so am taking rain trousers (370g). Everything else, is as modest and light as I think I can get.
So I am coming to the realisation that I will be carrying 9-10kg for most of my camino, I think the strategy has got to be to take it slowly, so aiming for 12miles a day on average, and hope this is less of an issue in winter than it would be in searing summer heat. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions around coping with this sort of weight, I'd love to hear from you!
Would Haribo gummy bears be an adequate replacement for jelly babies? My daughter is addicted to them but only eats them as an energy boost on the long days, and I have seen them for sale everywhere in Spain and Portugal.I usually carry jelly babies for the former (200g) but realise if I take glucotabs they only weigh 50g (shame, not nearly as nice - but needs must!).
You’re right about unheated albergues and you’ll definitely need to keep warm once you stop walking but that doesn’t necessarily mean carrying lots more clothes. As you probably know already, layers do the trick and you may have to sleep in themI am also anticipating a lot of horizontal rain and at least some damp unheated deserted albergues along the way -
As for the hairdryer - all of us have luxuries that we like to bring! But given the extra weight of kit for diabetes it may be something to consider leaving behind. Drying boots newspaper works better than trying to do so with hairdryer (too much heat can damage the boots)
And even on the coastal it can get frosty and cold overnight - a hat and gloves are wise for cold or windy conditions!
I am interested that no-one seems to be suggesting ponchos, which confirms my feeling they do better for rain in otherwise moderate and warm conditions (?)
Ok. . I'll strongly suggest it.
One challenge of walking by the ocean is that the cold, damp air gets in everywhere. I live on a Canadian coast and our winters may only drop to -3C to -5C but that damp, cold can feel much colder than the dry interior of Canada which gets regularly hits -20C and worse. Waterproofs outerwear plus very solid insulating layers could be very important, especially to someone who is concerned about being cold.I don't think the Portuguese coastal route will be as cold as some of the Spanish and French interior routes due to the proximity of the sea,
I agree - I have found that my time is well-filled and I don't have much urge to read on the Camino. That's why a phone is enough.Reading books is something I do at home in my spare time. Books on the Camino are tools, like guide books. So carrying a e-reader like a Kindle is a non-starter for me.
So a kindle is very definitely in my bag for the camino. If it was a busier time of year on a busier route I don't take it. In winter or on quiet routes I do as there can be long hours alone especially on a dark winter's night in an albergue as the only pilgrim. But books are more a necessity to me than a luxury in general, there are books in my handbag, car, bed, bathroom,....so there is always one to hand.Reading books is something I do at home in my spare time. Books on the Camino are tools, like guide books. So carrying a e-reader like a Kindle is a non-starter for me.
I love winter caminos! (I'm heading off in Janaury to walk more of the Via Francigena in Italy) But having walked the CP from Lisbon to Coimbra in September in a heatwave I definitely more enjoyed the winter from Vila do Conde. Walking in winter meant I didn't need to start walking well before dawn to avoid the heat, or obsess about how much water I needed to carry to avoid dehydration, or wonder how longer ago I put on suncream. But you do need to put alot more thought into clothing, footwear, sleeping etc than in the summer when a couple of t-shirts and shorts are nearly sufficient! It is swings and roundabouts! There are pros and cons to every season for walking caminos!I am starting to wonder why on earth I thought a January Portuguese coastal camino was a good idea, surely the summer would be easier, more sociable and involve a much lighter pack
I haven't seen your plan for carrying water. Some people love a water bladder, but I use 20 oz. gatorade bottles (X2). They weigh nothing when empty and are very durable. You may only need to have one full depending on the distance to your next source.
I always put my sleeping bag in a light-weight dry bag (especially if I am expecting a wet Camino). Nothing worse than finding you bag is wet at the end of the day.
I agree with a previous post, never really had the desire to read in the evenings. With your daily "chores", dinner, and fellowship with other pilgrims; I was fast asleep when I went to bed.
I recently returned from a short 10 day walk on the Frances. It was cold and driving rain every day, but I had a great time with my 20 y/o son!!
Buen Camino!!
I do have one of the Costco Black Diamond quilt/throws - and it was what I took with my warm liner last winter on the Portugues. It was cheap and I loved it! Occasionally they were listed on amazon or ebay - were I got mine. There are Costcos in Great Britain but not here in Ireland - though I have no idea if they ever carry those down throws. And as they are not a regularly stocked item even in the US stores but seasonal - trying to get one can be difficult even online with ebay or amazonCostco has a much cheaper down blanket. I have cut them in half to save weight for my friends, and it ends up about the same size as the Montbell blanket, but about about 25 grams heavier. I don't know if it's available at Costco in the UK, though I think it probably is because I an English pilgrim that I met this year had one.
I walked the Coastal in Jan, posted about it here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...r-those-who-consider-walking-in-winter.65099/So I am coming to the realisation that I will be carrying 9-10kg for most of my camino, I think the strategy has got to be to take it slowly, so aiming for 12miles a day on average, and hope this is less of an issue in winter than it would be in searing summer heat. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions around coping with this sort of weight, I'd love to hear from you!
I wait till I arrive and buy some small bottles of sparkling mineral water (the cheap supermarket brand ones) as they are more sturdy than the still water type bottles. That way you can start with 2 and ditch one if it isn’t being utilised. Cost effective, convenient and light weightI'm with you on the water carrying front Dave, a couple of light-weight reusable plastic bottles.
Let me start by thanking everyone who has already generously contributed such a wealth of knowledge and experience to this forum - I have been reading avidly for the past couple of months, and learned so much thank you!
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I just finished the CP Nov 28th. I am very sad to say that Tuitrans and all the others like it in Portugal are closed for the winter. Therefore, transporting your luggage will have to be arranged by taxi.
Wishing you all the best.
Thank you so much for your very detailed reply surya8 - it is great to hear your personal experience, and very encouraging on the heating/drying front - already so not missing that hairdryerI walked the Coastal in Jan, posted about it here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...r-those-who-consider-walking-in-winter.65099/
Not so bad with weather as you might expect, I'd leave the gaiters at home as almost no mud on the route, mostly sand there. 3 pairs of socks is a must (2 for walking, 1 thick wool for sleeping/emergency walking), gloves and hat (with a wide brim/visor is perfect) made it for me as well as lightweight woolen scarf that I used for multiple purposes. Had home carpet sleepers for albergues, the combo with woolen socks worked fine indoors so no need for second pair of shoes. High viz vest might be a waste as if you planning to walk short and easy stages you won't walk in the dark. We once walked 35km there on day and even then managed to get to our albergue before it really got dark. Re the heating in the albergues and the sleeping arrangements: one sleeping bag could be enough as all the albergues, even municipal ones have blankets, sometimes you need to ask for them, anyway there few people on the way, so you could take 2 or 3 blankets if you need. I slept in merino trousers and I am a person who gets cold easily but I only found one albergue relativelly chilly on the way - that was the monastery/church related in Viana do Castello, and even there there were heaters. All the municipal albergues had heating, some less, some more and were felt comfortable most of the time, all of them head heaters on which to dry clothes on, many had washing and drying machines. Important: you'll need warm clothes to change into in the albergues, I used another pair of fleece-lined leggings for that, the walking pair was left for airing/drying then. I was the one who had a hairdrier with me - used it mostly for my hair this time, as I found out there were enough facilities on the route to dry my things without it, so next time no hairdrier for me on a popuar route like thatMost of the albergues have equipped kitches so we cooked most of the days there. You can find anything in the shops on the way, so being vegetarian never bothered me on the way. Finding pilgrim menues could be a bit harder in winter but there are menus del dia that is a better option. I see you toiletries weigh quite a lot, but you know better there. On my winter Camino had a light backpack as I wore most of the things on me. I am also a merino and angora fan, so layers worked perfect for me there. No need to carry plenty of water as bars are frequent, so you could refill your bottle any time, tap water is safe to drink anywhere, I had 0.5l bottle on me. There are people on the way, even out of season, so we even managed to form a Camino family for a while then! Bom Camin to you!
... I went home and looked up the on-line reviews and they were generally pretty poor (think 2.5 stars): good points - packs down small; poor points - not actually very warm
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Great suggestions, many thanks!
We went for a ten mile training walk carrying 8kg today, along a very blustery canal towpath - may not look too much like a camino, but felt like a reasonable proxy for a rain-lashed coastal route at times!. I felt fine with the weight. Appreciate it will be different doing this, plus a bit more every day for 2+ weeks. The rucksack itself contributes 20% of the weight, but it does do a great job of re-distributing the weight to my hips
You have just burst my ever so slightly smug post training bubble - ouchMaybe the luxury foot cream needs to go.....on the positive side, the lack of fellow pilgrims means I may be able to economise on ear plugs
Let me start by thanking everyone who has already generously contributed such a wealth of knowledge and experience to this forum - I have been reading avidly for the past couple of months, and learned so much thank you!
Exciting times - we're now well on with our preparation for the Caminho Portuguese in January! We went for our first training walk on Sunday carrying 7.5kg packs, 10km/6.2 miles along a flat canal tow path in good conditions, so not too exacting, but we were both encouraged that we had made the right rucksack choices for our winter camino. I had guesstimated my pack weight at c8kg, but have now started neurotically weighing everything......and yes at the moment looking close to 10kg! This figure includes my jacket and walking poles incidentally, on the grounds that while I will be wearing/using them some of the time, I may also be carrying them some of the time, wasn't sure if this is what others do?
As a T1 diabetic, I have to carry quite a lot of kit. My preliminary guesstimate was this would come in c500g.....turns out that a 28day supply, making generous allowances for additional testing etc weighs 1100g, allowing for emergency food supplies, the additional weight will be more like 1500g. On the plus side, I reckon this will reduce to 5-600g by the end of our camino
Footcare is very important and I am planning to take sandals which are good enough to walk in (if need be) and use whenever not on the Camino to give my feet a break. As it is a winter Camino, I feel I need something more than flip-flops, sadly my internet bargain sandals weigh a mighty 800g and my lightest alternative trainers are still 500g and offer less flexibility if I I am hobbling, blistered or need to pop to the loo in the night etc.
My rucksack is an Osprey Kestrel 48, which weighs in at 1650g empty. I didn't plan to get such a large rucksack, but it was by far the best fit on me when I went to Cotswold to test things out. I am a reasonably tall woman, 172cm, but much of my height is in my back (stumpy little legs sadly!), and this model just fit like a glove plus has the capacity to swallow all my additional kit which takes up volume as well as weight.
I eat a fairly low carbohydrate diet to manage my blood sugar, and would have liked to bring a few catering items as the pilgrim menus sound to be total carb-fests, but am not going to bother now. Having read descriptions of how cold it can be in the very lightly populated (deserted?!) Portuguese albergues at night I am not wanting to compromise my bedding (merino liner 500g and down sleeping bag 840g). Being on the coast in January, I feel confident of rain, quite likely most days, as well as strong winds, so am taking rain trousers (370g). Everything else, is as modest and light as I think I can get.
So I am coming to the realisation that I will be carrying 9-10kg for most of my camino, I think the strategy has got to be to take it slowly, so aiming for 12miles a day on average, and hope this is less of an issue in winter than it would be in searing summer heat. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions around coping with this sort of weight, I'd love to hear from you!
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