Keys to Success - 2 Pounds of Nutella

If you are truly interested in making the entire Camino journey on foot, without the aid of a bus, taxi, or other motorized vehicle and completing your distance goal, I have a few suggestions based upon both my success and failure to complete the Camino.   The list is in order of importance based upon my experience walking in the summer months with my wife and two teenagers and could change based upon the time of year.

This subject is important to me because on our first Camino, we didn’t have enough time to complete the route from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago.  Based upon some advice I received online, I was told to start wherever I felt and I could bus ahead if I didn’t like that part of Spain.  So we proceeded to jump around Spain and in the end, take a taxi into Santiago because of multiple injuries.  We felt like we had cheated and didn’t really accomplish what we had set out to do, even though we had walked more kilometers than most pilgrims.

We couldn’t get this thought out of our mind, and it led us to walking the Camino again, but with the goal of not taking any shortcuts.  We wanted the entire experience, no matter the consequences.  The advice below is based upon our feeling of incompletion and how best to prepare for completing the pilgrimage without any modern assistance.   Although we try not to judge other pilgrims, the standard of walking the entire Camino was our own self evaluation.  There will always be someone who walked farther and faster, but we wanted to walk the distance we set out for, from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compestella.

1.      Pack Light and Right – I cannot stress this enough as the most important key to completing the Camino.  Although I was in good shape going into my first Camino, the wear and tear of excess weight on my back caused a shoulder injury.  I thought that I was tough enough to carry the weight, why not bring the extra gear with me.  My body disagreed and eventually broke down.  Please go back to my blog post about what to bring and what to leave at home.  Your body will break down if you abuse it with too much weight.  Young and old, strong and weak, pack less than you think that you can survive with and make that a challenge.  It is easier to buy something once you are there than lose a day or more waiting for a post office to be open.

2.       Allow yourself enough time – One of the first few questions asked between pilgrims is when does your flight leave?  So often, the answer is sooner than the time allowed by the guidebooks to complete the pilgrimage.  It is the Camino de Santiago meaning that the point is to get to Santiago.  It is a walking or biking pilgrimage, so you should maintain those means during the entire pilgrimage. 

Where your pilgrimage starts is a personal choice based in part by how much time you have available.  The “American” or “English” complete pilgrimage typically starts in St. Jean Pied de Port, France, but for the Spanish, many start in Roncesvalles.  The French jumping point is Le Puy which is an additional 500 km.  Many people start in Leon or other major cities throughout Spain.  

A relatively common approach is to take a bus or train from Burgos to Leon to skip the “boring” meseta.  In my mind, this changes from the journey from a pilgrimage to a long walking trip.  The point of this point and the pilgrimage is to complete it entirely by walking or biking.   If you don’t have the time, start closer to Santiago and don’t skip sections.  This will lead to skipping ahead and taking short cuts.  Pick a starting point, allow for a couple extra days as “Murphy” will walk along with you and cause mishaps and delays.

3.      Walking partner or Solo - Although I don’t have any experience with walking alone, my thoughts are that this is the best way to complete the Camino successfully.   For me, we were a family of four and never split up while on the trail, so we could only walk as fast as the slowest walker.  The slowest walker actually changed throughout the course of the day which hindered our speed more.   We also ended up with 3 sick days between two different people.

      The downside to the solo walk is not having support or pressure from another person to help push you to finish.   That being said, my recommendation to complete the walk is to go at it alone.  People pair up, then separate if their paces differ, then get back together later down the trail.  Traveling solo does not mean that you will be alone.

4.        Listen to your body – Some days you feel great and can’t wait to get out on the trail.  Other days, you just want to roll over and sleep another couple hours and want the other pilgrims to stop making so much noise getting ready at an ungodly hour of the morning.  Toward the end of the day, you may feel like moving well beyond your anticipated town.  If this is the case, go for it and keep walking.  Other days, you can’t imagine how everyone else is making the 30km stage.  Stop short and rest up for the next day.  Pushing yourself too hard, especially early in the pilgrimage is the best way to get and injury or burned out.  The trip will seem unachievable and you will be tempted to give up.

5.        Have a purpose for walking – This pilgrimage is both a physical and spiritual or mental journey.  As Yogi Berra said, “it’s 90% mental and the other half is physical.”  If you have no reason or purpose for making the pilgrimage by foot, you probably won’t succeed.  It doesn’t have to be religious, but there should be a meaning for it.  For us, it was religious, and as my sister told me, I’m sure God isn’t going to punish you with an injury for trying to make this journey which gave me courage to continue on.

6.       Talk to other pilgrims – I always received some form of inspiration by talking with other pilgrims.  Their stories and reason behind walking almost always seemed bigger and more important than mine.  Fellow pilgrims are you support along the trail and what makes the journey interesting.  I met a pilgrim who has walked the Camino every year for the last 20 some years and continues to enjoy it.  Each time is a new experience for him because of the different people that he meets.  Break out of your group and talk to someone new.  Learn about them, their culture and their reason for walking.

7.       2 Pounds of Nutella – The only reason why I was able to get my 16 year old daughter to complete the pilgrimage was Nutella.  She would buy and carry the 1 kilo jar of Nutella with her at all times.  Joy for her is chocolate, which melts in the hot sun of Spain.  Nutella does not melt and was her source of power on the long hot days.  Treat yourself and get the food, drink or whatever you need to nourish your body.  Enjoy the coffee and food of Spain.  Oddly enough, the most read blog post was Finding Burritos in Astorga (http://www.pilgrimoutfitters.com/2015/07/finding-burritos-in-astorga.html) which highlighted my satisfaction in finding my favorite food, burritos.

For those who have successfully walked the Camino, please leave comments about anything that enabled you to complete the entire 500 miles walking.

Packing List for a Successful Camino - 15 pound list

As I have now returned home and people have read the blog, I have realized that there is a lot of information that I simply left out of my writing as I wanted to have the reader live our experience.  Since the blog made the Camino sound like nothing but fun, everyone wants to do it now and are asking me lots of questions, since I'm now the expert after two Caminos.  I'm fairly black and white on packing since my first Camino was left uncompleted in part due to improper and over packing.  Here is my list, in order of importance:

1.  Backpack (35 - 40L)  On my first Camino, I selected the Gregory Baltero 65L which fit my body perfectly in the REI store.  The issue was that it weighed almost 6 pounds empty and was large enough to carry my entire family's equipment.  The old adage of it you have extra space, you will fill it up with stuff, was true on that first Camino.  At the start, my pack was around 30 pounds which wasn't a good fit for a mid 40's out of shape pilgrim.  I foolishly ignored all of the go light/pack light advice that I am now giving.  Less on your back, less pain and suffering, more Camino enjoyment.

The second Camino, I had learned my lesson and purchased another Gregory, but this time 40L that weighed less than 3 pounds and still had plenty of room for all my items and much more.  This time, I wasn't tempted with having the extra space and was content to have a "flat" pack.  The two other brands that seem to dominate the Camino are Osprey and Deuter, both of which have the 40L size and get great reviews.  Make sure that you try the pack on in a store, but you can always purchase them at an online discounter, such as Sierra Trading Post or check the REI Outlet to save on the budget.  Plan on spending around $200 for the right pack.  If it doesn’t come with a waterproof cover, make sure you purchase one.

2.  Sleeping Bag (600g)  Once again, we learned our lesson with our first Camino when we rolled out 3 pound plus sleeping bags while all these Europeans had thin and lightweight bags.  We mailed our bags home and purchased the lightweight bags in Europe.  Unfortunately, I have never been able to find a similar bag in the states and would recommend waiting until getting to Europe to purchase one.  We used 600g (roughly 1.3 pounds) that you can find for around $60 in Europe compared to over $300 for an ultralight bag at a high end specialty shop.

The reason why the sleeping bag is second in the order of importance is because it is the heaviest item in your bag, unless your carry 2 pounds of Nutella like my daughter Marion.

My experience is strictly based upon summer conditions, but given that albergues have heaters, together with a sleeping bag liner, you should be comfortable.  The sleeping bag liner which is a subset of the sleeping bag category is also a necessity.  On really hot nights, I would lay down the sleeping bag and sleep in just the liner.

3.  Footwear - Probably the biggest controversy on the Camino is footwear - running shoes, crosstrainers, trail running shoes, socks with sandals or hiking boots.   Although I looked with jealousy at pilgrims passing me with light weight shoes, when we hit the rocky paths, I was glad to have my Keen boots.  I'm sure that you can get by with a lighter weight shoe, but if you are carrying about 20 pounds, hiking boots are highly recommended.  After walking 500 miles, my feet were in perfect condition, without even a hint of a blister or callus.

My routine for foot care was to apply Vaseline in between my toes and on the bottom of my foot, followed by a liner and then a medium weight wool sock.  Occasionally, my feet (and the rest of my body) felt hot, but that was the extent of my discomfort.  Many pilgrims would take off their shoes and socks during the day, but I never felt the need to do this.  I think footwear is a very personal choice, but if you want to err on the side of caution, go with the hiking boot as it will provide the best protection for your feet.

My selection was the Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking boot from REI.  I selected a full size larger than my normal size to allow for the swelling in my feet and multiple layers of socks.  Also, although waterproof will cause the boot to be heavier and stiffer, I recommend it due to the wet weather in Spain almost all of the year.

Not as important, but still crucial for an enjoyable Camino are the afternoon sandals or shoes.  The sandals are critical as it is highly recommended to shower with sandals and you will want to “air” out your feet in the afternoon.  There is also many opportunities to enjoy rivers at the end of the day that are best with sandals. 

I originally packed a pair of Tevo sandals with a full sole until I realized that they weighed almost two pounds!  It was a mad dash at the last minute to find a light weight pair of sandals, but with enough support for my feet for the walking around town at the end of the day.  I ended up with a pair of Crocs that were incredible light weight, around ½ pound, but with great support.

As for a second pair of shoes, I highly discourage carrying an extra pair.  With the appropriate pair of sandals, it just isn’t necessary.   This packing list is intended for minimal weight so you can enjoy the Camino, and the weight/benefit ratio, doesn’t support a second pair of shoes.

4.  Clothing – Regular Wear – First of all, your entire wardrobe should be ultra light, moister wicking, and quick dry.  Speaking as a man traveling in summer, my entire wardrobe was two button down shirts, one t-shirt, two shorts, one pair of long pants, and three pairs of underwear.  I could have been able to survive with just one pair of shorts and two pairs of underwear, but you never know what might happen.  On cold days, which we had at the higher elevations, I would wear the t-shirt, button down shirt and rain jacket with the long pants and I was comfortable.  We had several mornings in which the temperature dropped into the low 40’s, but your body heats up with the activity.

5.  Outerwear – Being that I am almost completely bald, a hat was a necessity for me and highly recommended by any reputable dermatologist.  I decided to go with the wide brim Tilley hat which after 3 years has proven to be incredibly durable and protective, although greatly lacking in style.   There is no way around it, you look like a tourist, but that is alright as anyone can spot a pilgrim in Spain.  It should be warn as a badge of honor.

In addition to my wide brim hat, I wore a bandana around my neck for further sun protection.  This also looked ridiculous, but prevented any sun exposure.  On really hot days, I would dip the bandana in water to keep cool.  Sunglasses are also a necessity.

Another great debate is poncho or rain jacket and rain pants.  I’d call this a personal preference, but I would go with the rain jacket to eliminate carrying another jacket and using it as an additional layer.  I opted not to take rain pants due to the weight and bulk for relatively little use.  During our Camino, we only had two days of rain and were able to walk in shorts.  If the weather gets really bad, you can find a poncho and buy it in Spain.

6.  Misc. Equipment – Flashlight or headlamp is a necessity in the summer as you will want to start walking prior to daybreak.  My preference is the headlamp so that you can still use walking sticks. 

Walking sticks is another personal preference item that I opted for and came in handy when my tendinitis acted up.  Anit-shock and light weight is the way to go with the sticks.  Make sure that they are comfortable in your hands.

First aid kit should consist of only a needle and lighter.  Any other first aid items can be purchased as needed in Spain.

A 1 liter water bottle is all that you need for drinking.  On long hot days with few water stops between towns, we would purchase additional water bottles.  There is only a couple days where this happens.  A 3 liter bladder is complete overkill.

Collapsible Day Pack – I used the Sea to Summit day pack that is light and packs up really small, yet can handle quite a bit of weight for afternoon walks around town with plenty of water.   For those who ship their packs on occasion, this would be a necessity.  I found this at REI as well.

Guidebook – there are now many online versions of the guidebook.  I used a camino app and consulted other pilgrim’s guidebooks.  Just remember, the guidebooks have errors.  Do not count on cafes or other facilities being open or still in business.  Also, albergues are being opened continuously and are often not listed.  The most common error is the price as it can fluctuate throughout the season.

Ziplock Bags – Pack everything in zip lock bags and bring extra as they will get holes and fail in other ways.   I always kept my passport, pilgrim credential and map in a ziplock in case my pack cover failed.

7.  Toiletries – Bare necessities here and all travel size:   Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, shampoo, shaving cream, razor, comb, sunscreen, chapstick, quick dry towel (full size).  Toilet paper and tissue paper as some restroom or albergues don’t resupply very often.

8.  Electronics – I survived with just a smart phone and was able to write this blog using it.   A tablet or computer is just too heavy and really unnecessary for the Camino.  Yes, we need to stay in touch, but we also need to unplug and actually talk to our fellow pilgrims.  This is a time to step back in time with the simplicity of just getting up in the morning and walking.  I understand those who like to take a camera, but you really should consider the weight and time to recharge batteries.  The more electronic equipment, the more chargers are necessary and making sure that everything has a charge.  My phone easily lasted throughout the day without any additional battery or ridiculous solar charger.

Always remember, take less, not more.  There are stores throughout Spain that sell items just for El Camino and will have what you need.  You will enjoy your pilgrimage with less weight.  I have never heard a pilgrim say “I wish I had brought more.”

So, do yourself a favor and join REI and get ready to receive a big dividend check the year after your camino.