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Where do you keep your backpack when exploring the town or at dinner?

JulieLC

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances (June/July 2017)
Le Puy (June 2018)
I'll be doing my first Camino this June/July (Camino Frances) and based on everything I read, it seems as if after arriving at the albergue, a lot of pilgrims take the afternoon to explore or have dinner somewhere in a town. While I know I should keep my money, passport, etc. with me at all times, I'm wondering - what does everyone do with their backpack? Do you carry it everywhere you go, even after you've stopped for the day? Or do the albergues have somewhere to store them? Thanks in advance for any info/advice about this!
 
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Some albergues have lockers, but most don't. I just left my backpack near my bed in the albergue. My valuables never left my person.
 
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Julie - As trecile said. If it helps, most of the albergues seem to have a system whereby you register and then get access to the dorm area. That way others who aren't registered aren't back there with your belongings. If you're someplace where you have to leave your shoes outside the dorm area, there are several things you can do to prevent someone from "mistaking" your shoes for theirs - tying shoes together, removing insoles, making some sort of bold identifying marks on the insides, etc.
 
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Agood investment is a shower-proof nylon type bag/mini pack (eg Sea to Summit Silsac). Weight about 68gms and tucks up into a tiny pouch. This can be carried round town/to the shower etc. We had belt type bags for our documents and they never left us.
If you prefer a cheaper non-proofed bag then a good plastic type bag is essential to keep your valuables dry when showering.
 
I may be too trusting or too naive, but I just leave it in the alberque. I take my passport, money, etc., but otherwise leave the rest behind. Hard to imagine someone stealing my spare t-shirt.
 
Almost everybody leaves their packs at the albergues. If there are lockers, people use those - usually without locks - but most often there aren't, so you just leave your pack near your bed. No one wants your pack or it's contents. Theft is really rare. Just make sure your phone, wallet, passport, etc are with you.
 
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I agree with all the above. I have never had a personal incident where anything was stolen in my 3 trips, but I have read about others having the misfortune. I believe for the most part people on the Camino(s) are a "different" breed who usually know the meaning of the word respect.
 
Everyone will advise you to have a draw string cotton bag, or another weightless bag, that you use to carry around the town that you put your wallet/purse/real passport/pilgrim passport/any other valuable and just leave your clothes and your rucksack in the albergue. All the pilgrims will be too exhausted to rummage around in your backpack for stuff to steal.

The only time I heard of things going missing, including backpacks, poles and off course, our sometimes expensive hiking shoes and boots was in the an albergue in Puente La Reina (one of the first ones you come to in the town), one of the reasons why I always shell out those few extra euros for the private albergues. It's not pilgrims stealing your belongings there, it's certain locals.
 
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Washing lines can be a problem. Not because of dishonesty but genuine confusion, especially if clothes are collected at dusk or if it starts to rain. We carried about 8 bright coloured plastic pegs and found that using these helped make it obvious, to ourselves and others, which clothes were ours. If we needed more than 8 pegs we alternated them with the ones available to borrow.
 
Thank you! Good idea, perhaps I will put ribbons on my shoes or something like that.
 
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