Walkergirl
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- Time of past OR future Camino
- April-May 2016
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And make the wool XXS! Synthetic fabric washes and dries well. You probably will prefer it. For socks, a wool synthetic blend also is good. All-wool will dry very slowly, particularly on wet days.The heat in the dryer is to kill the bugs and destroy any eggs.
Oops. I re-read my post. When writing it I thought it was obvious that I meant was cold water wash and inspect and hang dry. It wasn't obvious. You use the heat in the dryer to kill the bugs in things like packs and sleeping bags.And make the wool XXS! Synthetic fabric washes and dries well. You probably will prefer it. For socks, a wool synthetic blend also is good. All-wool will dry very slowly, particularly on wet days.
On the Camino I would make a judgement call. If the weather wasn't conducive to clothes being dry enough to wear by morning if washed and left out to dry, I wouldn't wash them. I only washed and hanged on a line if it was dry and sunny. That's why I brought two shorts, two shirts and four pairs of underwear and socks. Shower, change into a clean set, hang up the set you wore so it will air out, and bag it before you put it in your backpack later and wash it the next day if you can. Dusty, dirty or muddy socks? Easy and small enough to wash and hang up in any weather. I wore the ankle high running type socks. Easy to even hang off your pack to dry or even off the foot of the bed in the albergue.I had to hand wash my clothes every day...so for me the real issue is if you hand wash it...will it be dry enough to wear in 8-10 hours regardless of the fabric type...because starting wearing damp clothes on a cold morning is miserable.
I had to hand wash my clothes every day...so for me the real issue is if you hand wash it...will it be dry enough to wear in 8-10 hours regardless of the fabric type...because starting wearing damp clothes on a cold morning is miserable.
Don't sweat the bedbugs. I've done three Caminos and never saw one or was bit by one. That's over 100 nights in all types of accommodations on the Camino.
Very common, almost ubiquitous in albergues by August! Hoteles and hostales share the problem to a lesser extent. Some places are good about attacking the problem, so the bugs don't have time to infest the walls and breed. However, a new supply is carried down the route by pilgrims from the places that do not treat continuously. Protect yourself by not becoming a carrier. A bite won't do much damage to you, but bringing them home may create a huge problem.I was wondering how common they actually are
Like I've said those Caminos were done from June through September. By September there have been a lot of pilgrims through those albergues, and again never even saw hide nor hair of the dreaded bedbugs. Not saying they don't exist. Just saying I never encountered them and quite honestly they are not even something I'm concerned with.Phew!!! After reading all these posts about bed bugs I was wondering how common they actually are. Reading this was such a relief!
I will be blunt here! I have only spent about 80 nights on the camino, of which only half were in albergues, but have been bitten on 4 separate occasions. The first time, I caught a bedbug in a 40-Euro place, moved rooms, but several spots appeared the next day. I've never seen signs upon inspection, which I do every place I sleep. Inspection would reveal a bad infestation, but not the occasional bug-in-transit. If you've spent 100 nights with no apparent bites, you are probably not allergic to their bites. (For example, I have walked through Canadian forests for 60-odd years and never noticed poison ivy, so I'm pretty sure I am not allergic to it.)on't sweat the bedbugs. I've done three Caminos and never saw one or was bit by one. That's over 100 nights in all types of accommodations on the Camino.
I am not an expert on this, but I understand that there is a difference in types of reactions to different insects. It would explain some of the confusion in terms and in our experience. Bedbugs do cause an allergic reaction in some people and no reaction at all in others.Not a matter of an allergic reaction.
Yeah, read up on them a bit more. I already knew they bite as opposed to stinging (such as a wasp bee or ant), and like a mosquito they inject a pain killer and an anticoagulant, but not venom (link you have is in regards to venom injecting insects, wasp, bee or ant).I am not an expert on this, but I understand that there is a difference in types of reactions to different insects. It would explain some of the confusion in terms and in our experience. Bedbugs do cause an allergic reaction in some people and no reaction at all in others.
"A toxic reaction is due to poisons in the venom itself acting on cells and tissues of the body. Whereas, a true allergic response is a result of the immune system making specific allergic antibodies (IgE) to compounds of the insect venom..." Here is a link.
That's what I've told my walking companions.Or we could just send in @C clearly as the sacrificial canary in the pit....
Hi Mark,I wear all synthetic tech type clothing. The shirts, shorts, socks, underwear is the same stuff I wear to work-out and run in everyday. I found it to work perfectly for me on the Camino. It's lightweight, breathable and dries very quickly on the clothes line. Also here in the US it can be purchased very inexpensively, so if some of it get's lost, pinched or torn while on the Camino, no big deal. A couple of the shirts and underwear I wore on Caminos I tossed in the trash bin when I got to Santiago. They did their duty well, and I was trying to keep my pack as small as possible so I could just carry it on for the flights home.
Don't sweat the bedbugs. I've done three Caminos and never saw one or was bit by one. That's over 100 nights in all types of accommodations on the Camino.
Well, like I said in earlier posts, I never had any issues with bedbugs any of the times I walked the Camino and I really don't know where any of them would hide inside of my thin, synthetic running shirts and shorts.Hi Mark,
I'll be starting my first Camino (Frances) in a little over three weeks. I've managed to do what I thought was a lot of research over the last year or so. But I only started participating in this forum about a month ago! - go figure. Maybe a should have started here a bit sooner.
Anyhow I decided to buy all synthetic clothes because I will be washing every day and expect the synthetic fabrics to have a good chance of drying overnight. That was the main factor. Even socks - synthetic ones seem fine, been wearing them hiking for 6 months and they don't smell. Also, all the clothes I'm taking are very light.
So I'm repeating everything you've said, I guess. The whole bedbug in the dryer thing seems to put synthetics at a disadvantage cause they sure couldn't take the heat.
I guess I'll learn about it all for myself soon enough.
Not at all. I carry a mix of good quality synthetics and merino/synthetic blend, and have had no trouble with a very hot dryer. Even my rain gear! My clothes do not get pampered on the camino.The whole bedbug in the dryer thing seems to put synthetics at a disadvantage cause they sure couldn't take the heat.
Kanga - do you have any suggested Australian brands or do you source it in Spain/Europe??Look for stuff that repells ticks and that will be the best you can do. Bedbugs and ticks seem to have have more in common than bedbugs and other biting insects.
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