Mark Greenwood
Mark
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2024
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There's a new product on the market that might interest you: Polartec Alpha. I discovered this just prior to my recent CF camino, and was able to grab one just days before departure. The fleece top (non-hoodie version) weighs only 3.8 oz (less than 100g), and was toasty warm. Not as warm as a puffy, but with a rain jacket on top would be even warmer.should invest in a good quality Jacket?
You need good rain gear, you need insulation for various temperatures, you'll want wind protection, and you need to keep something warm and dry for the evening.. It is best to achieve this with several light layers rather than with a single heavy layer. So, if by "good quality jacket" you mean a heavy one with insulation built in, I would say No. Instead, build a jacket with separate layers to suit conditions each day. You also want to be able to shed layers as conditions change. A merino wool buff and gloves are also very effective and can be removed easily while walking. You will heat up and remove them while going uphill, and perhaps want to put them on again on the way down.I have a rain jacket and a poncho, but feel that i should invest in a good quality Jacket?
I have a Patagonia polo-puffy, bright yellow ochre , a #2 weight Goretex Patagonia jacket. Bright safety yellow. I believe it high visibility.Hi again, I'm starting the Camino Frances fron SJPD next April, around the 7th / 8th. With the varying weather conditions that people experience at this time of year which Hiking or what type of jacket would you recommend, I have a rain jacket and a poncho, but feel that i should invest in a good quality Jacket?
You can cut your pack weight by 200-300 grams (or more) by picking either the rain jacket or the poncho (quick search will show you that there a lot of strong opinions on which to choose).Hi again, I'm starting the Camino Frances fron SJPD next April, around the 7th / 8th. With the varying weather conditions that people experience at this time of year which Hiking or what type of jacket would you recommend, I have a rain jacket and a poncho, but feel that i should invest in a good quality Jacket?
Layers. Try a rain shell like the OR Helium for wind and rain and a lightweight full zip fleece hoody. You will wear these over a short sleeve or long sleeve t shirt. My guess is for April you will have everything on for the first hour or so…particularly if it’s windy. The Helium is a great lightweight shell.Hi again, I'm starting the Camino Frances fron SJPD next April, around the 7th / 8th. With the varying weather conditions that people experience at this time of year which Hiking or what type of jacket would you recommend, I have a rain jacket and a poncho, but feel that i should invest in a good quality Jacket?
I also was in CF in April -May 2022 & walked in light snow on 3 occasions, and due to the late unexpected cold weather, many albergues no longer had their heating on. I was glad of all my puffies, thermals, beanie, gloves & buff, which I even slept in inside my lightweight sleeping bag. At times during the day I even wore my COVID mask with buff pulled up over as protection from the icy wind. It was an incredibly fun experience.@Mark Greenwood, I was on the Camino in April 2022. For a jacket, I had a lightweight fleece jacket with a hood.
I also had a Merino under-layer and a light rain jacket. And on the coldest day, I wore those all those layers plus a T-shirt and button shirt over the long-sleeve merino under layer. I also had a lightweight knit hat, buff, and gloves for those cold rainy days. And other days I was just wearing my nylon shorts and a T-shirt, and still was too hot.
I did bring a poncho along, which I used a couple of times when it was raining heavily. By the time I got to Santiago about May 12 I was still glad I had all those layers, but they were enough.
Oh, I had a sleeping bag as well as a liner. It was the kind that you could unzip completely to be a rectangular cover, and mostly I used it that way, except for once, when I was in it and freezing and used everything with all my clothes on.I also was in CF in April -May 2022 & walked in light snow on 3 occasions, and due to the late unexpected cold weather, many albergues no longer had their heating on. I was glad of all my puffies, thermals, beanie, gloves & buff, which I even slept in inside my lightweight sleeping bag. At times during the day I even wore my COVID mask with buff pulled up over as protection from the icy wind. It was an incredibly fun experience.
Many albergues don't have heat to put on which is why they are often closed during Oct to April.I also was in CF in April -May 2022 & walked in light snow on 3 occasions, and due to the late unexpected cold weather, many albergues no longer had their heating on. I was glad of all my puffies, thermals, beanie, gloves & buff, which I even slept in inside my lightweight sleeping bag. At times during the day I even wore my COVID mask with buff pulled up over as protection from the icy wind. It was an incredibly fun experience.
Well, you sent me down the Polartec Alpha Direct rabbit hole! I sew, so I am considering buying some of the fabric and making my own.There's a new product on the market that might interest you: Polartec Alpha. I discovered this just prior to my recent CF camino, and was able to grab one just days before departure. The fleece top (non-hoodie version) weighs only 3.8 oz (less than 100g), and was toasty warm.
I walked the cf in late April some years ago. Some snow/ ice past the peak then generally ok weather. Suggest good shell, layers to wear under and rain pants. In warm wet weather can wear the rain pants over underwear. Trousers that can be adapted as shorts as wellHi again, I'm starting the Camino Frances fron SJPD next April, around the 7th / 8th. With the varying weather conditions that people experience at this time of year which Hiking or what type of jacket would you recommend, I have a rain jacket and a poncho, but feel that i should invest in a good quality Jacket?
I started my first Camino on the CF a week or so earlier than this. My choice was a lined, three-layer Goretex rain jacket and a mid-weight fleece 1/4 zip jumper. I use the same combination walking the St Olav's Way two years later, and it worked very well again. The lined rain jacket gave a useful increase in the insulation it provided, but does come with some additional weight. I have since tried a number of un-lined jackets when walking in Europe later in the year, but always with a three-layer outer shell.Hi again, I'm starting the Camino Frances fron SJPD next April, around the 7th / 8th. With the varying weather conditions that people experience at this time of year which Hiking or what type of jacket would you recommend, I have a rain jacket and a poncho, but feel that i should invest in a good quality Jacket?
Here's the pullover I bought from Senchi Designs. It was quite comfortable for the half-hour or so of first-thing-in-the-morning wear that I used it, for a week plus. I wouldn't think you'd need another layer over it as wear protection, but they did provide a mesh bag for use when washing machine/dryer, to prevent snags etc I guess.Well, you sent me down the Polartec Alpha Direct rabbit hole! I sew, so I am considering buying some of the fabric and making my own.
You linked to the Polartec site, but what is the actual product that you bought? Does it hold up to wear while carrying a pack, or do you need to wear another layer over it?
You may be right. Going too lightweight on the rain shell in a season where you definitely expect rain may not be the right decision.I started my first Camino on the CF a week or so earlier than this. My choice was a lined, three-layer Goretex rain jacket and a mid-weight fleece 1/4 zip jumper. I use the same combination walking the St Olav's Way two years later, and it worked very well again. The lined rain jacket gave a useful increase in the insulation it provided, but does come with some additional weight. I have since tried a number of un-lined jackets when walking in Europe later in the year, but always with a three-layer outer shell.
I agree with those that say layers are more important that taking heavier, single purpose, items. That said, I would avoid having lighter rain gear at this time of the year. I tried it once when I started walking in May, and it just didn't work well enough.
I have a rain jacket and a poncho, but feel that i should invest in a good quality Jacket?
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