What are /r/CaminoDeSantiago's favorite Products & Services?

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Buy this book. Search YouTube for Camino videos, there are many. Don’t use a travel agent. You don’t need one. Buen Camino.

Not sure which camino you are taking, but if you speak English John Brierly's camino books are great. Below is a link. His maps show coffee cups (breaks) etc. He also includes an elevation map. We used his Portuguese camino book when we took that camino. Pages had maps on them and each individual map was a days or two days route.

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https://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Guide-Camino-Santiago-Franc%C3%A9s/dp/1912216108/ref=sr\_1\_1?crid=34KMFIW1JJXSW&dchild=1&keywords=brierly+guide+camino+frances+2021&qid=1625519244&sprefix=brierly%2Caps%2C1598&sr=8-1

The version of the Brierley book that just has the useful information and maps, and none of the philosophizing, is much lighter and more convenient.

If it's purely map guiding you're after, Michelin do a series of map guidebooks on the Camino. Don't know about all of them, but they do the Frances & Portuguese for sure.

The Brierly book is good, but honestly it's not the lightest thing in the world, when you're walking 800km.

This is the Frances one I used: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/2067148052/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I used Camino Ninja last year on the Frances for figuring out the etapas and seeing what options there were for albergues.

Worked pretty well, though it doesn't yet have all the Caminos, so I'll need to figure out a different one for del Norte this year.

Hey! I'm on the Camino del Norte right now and I'm using the buen camino app for android. The norte package cost 5.90 euros, but it's totally worth it!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.editorialbuencamino.buencamino

I guess this is the italian versione, but you can download it in 5 different lenguages ❤️

When I walked, I found the Camino Pilgrim App to be absolutely invaluable. It saved me several times when I got off-path in the dark.

Someone in my group purchased some of those as well. They were something like this

First and foremost, become familiar. One way is a great guidebook linked at the end by Brierly.

I traveled by train for 30 days prior to the Camino in 2021 and another dozen days after....so I had 30 kilos of stuff in a big bag and a backpack. I simply forwarded my luggage each day for the 5 Euros via JacoTrans or whatever envelope with rubber band was available in the albergue.

While I speak some Spanish, many didn't and did just fine on the Camino.

For 10 days it depends on your physical fitness, but MANY people start in Sarria and take 5-7 days to walk the minimum 100km to get the compostela. Astorga is doable in 10 days for many, a significant sized town, but probably a bit ambitious for some.

https://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Guide-Camino-Santiago-Franc%C3%A9s/dp/1912216159/ref=sr\_1\_1?gclid=CjwKCAjwo\_KXBhAaEiwA2RZ8hNkKeXfugneRG0NEH3E4RbmKO4c\_Q10YPFaAEOQ87-APaaZ9yfveUBoCei4QAvD\_BwE&hvadid=241904588072&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=903...

If your large backpack is comfortable, you might try just buying packing cubes to contain the things you want to bring with you and cinching up your larger pack. Example of what I mean (https://www.amazon.ca/Shacke-Pak-Packing-Organizers-Laundry/dp/B00XM2A904/ref=asc\_df\_B00XM2A904/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292994767676&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4303098244663565037&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvq...)

I had a 50L (I think?) backpacking pack given to me. I didn't want to spend more money and I liked the extra support the bag gave me. I put all my clothes in a packing cub inside. It ended up working amazing - I could pull the cube out of my bag and put it on my bed or carry it around if I needed to. I also had a separate bag with toiletries in it and a tiny shower bag with soap and shampoo.

10/10 did not regret.

Packing cubes are generally available in luggage stores and should be available in decathalon

1. You don’t need an inflatable mat. Ditch it.

2. No need for shower gel. Ain’t bugging me solid soap works for your hair and body and helps repel insects. It weighs less than a bottle of liquid soap. Bring a small tube of travel toothpaste. You can buy more when you run out.

3. Lose the Kindle and lose the battery pack. Keep the adapter plug. Just plug in every night and use power saver and airplane mode while you hike.

4. Ditch the waterproof trousers and take fast drying convertible hiking pants. Bring a lightweight poncho to cover you and your backpack.

5. Buen Camino and/or Camino Ninja (RIP Andy) are great apps to guide you. The Brierley book is good reading, but extra weight. You could keep it or not.

6. Maybe replace the sliders with crocs. Very common. And better around town.

Remember: grams add up to ounces which add up to pounds. You’re better bringing less and adding as you go. There are plenty of places to restock.

Buen Camino

How much time do you have to be on the camino? We took three weeks (with days off) to go from Porto to Santiago. That was a good first camino for me. Second camino was doing the French way from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. Personally I liked the French way better. This book is a good book to get started on your research: https://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Guide-Camino-Santiago-Franc%C3%A9s/dp/1912216159/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5D9ELXPC7OCK&keywords=john+brierly&qid=1657237811&s=books&sprefix=%2Cstripbooks%2C100&sr=1-1

The above book is on the French way, but Brierly also does one on Portugal.

My favorite ones - even though they are advertised for kids and swimming. https://www.amazon.com/Macks-Moldable-Silicone-Putty-Plugs/dp/B083QR9Y1C/ref=mp_s_a_1_9_mod_primary_new?keywords=swimming+ear+plugs+for+kids&qid=1653100593&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sr=8-9

Following because I (33f) am also doing the Primitivo, but in September.

If it helps, I purchased this guidebook:

The Camino del Norte and Camino Primitivo: To Santiago de Compostela and Finisterre from Irun or Oviedo (Cicerone Guides)

27 days from SJPP to SdC; if I'd wanted to, I could have finished a couple of days faster than that.

As regards staging, buy yourself a copy of this book. It's lightweight, and will tell you everything you need to know.

September is a perfect month to do the Francés. It's not too hot; all the albergues will still be open; but the summertime crowds will have faded away. It's nearly twice as rainy in northern Spain in October as in September, so my preference would be for the first of these.

I recommend this sleeping bag. I started carrying it about eighteen months ago; now I wouldn't go on pilgrimage without it. My old cotton sleeping-bag liner weighed 325 g (11.5 oz.); this one's just 203 g (7 oz.) heavier, yet it's kept me adequately warm even outdoors down to temperatures of 2-3 C (approx. 35-36 F). Admittedly, you need to go to sleep fully clothed in those conditions.

More valuable even than the weight is the volume. In its carrying bag, it squishes down to the equivalent of a couple of Coke cans, taking up very little space in a backpack.

I don't think it would be a good idea to travel with nothing. As noted above, a respectable proportion of albergues these days provide nothing at all, for the sake of public health. That could make for some uncomfortable nights, even in summertime.

I brought this one. That way other people could charge up as well as me. You’ll go from being “that guy 😡“ to being “that guy 😍”.

I walk with the Aegismax goose-down ultralight sleeping bag (528g). It squashes down to a very small size (the equivalent of a couple of Coca-Cola cans).

If it's very warm in an albergue, then I can sleep on top of it. If it's cold, I can get into it and get a comfortable night's sleep.

My guess is that in July you'll encounter more warm nights than cold nights. But I think it's better to have something that can be used in a range of temperatures, rather than a liner that will lock you into a single situation.

You have every reason to use poles whenever they assist you like that!

The carbide tips grip well in softer trails, like gravel and dirt.

The rubber tips grip better on concrete and asphalt - whether you are in a town or not. Safer for you, and they protect your poles' carbide tips from the harder surfaces.

Actually, with your foot condition issue, you might really benefit from rubber "feet" for your poles: Amazon link

sleeping bag - many clones out there

liner

Buen Camino!

Walked part of Caminho Portugese (Central) from Porto to Tui last month and it's not nearly as rural as the Camino Frances, so there is less opportunity to camp. Finding accommodation outside of the main towns was an issue and it affected our planning since my partner and I didn't want to walk 25 miles per day. We used both the Camino app as well as Hotels.com to book rooms but ended up using transport to get us within 15-20 miles of each town where we would stay. (It's easier than trying to get transport from a rural location.) This was our second camino, so it was mainly just for fun.

It's five days longer than I took, and I'm solidly middle-aged (and no athlete). Yes, perfectly manageable, especially at that time of year when the temperatures are cool and the kilometres manageable, if you don't mind being rained upon.

I'm open to correction, but I never saw the Brierley book on sale in SJPP. If you're buying it, have it shipped to you before you leave. I recommend getting the lightweight edition, containing only the maps. Or you can get it in a Kindle version, if you've any electronic device that's capable of opening those files.

I got this very economical cover from Amazon. It helps to cover/secure your backpack on flights and also doubles down as a rain cover.

Joy Walker Backpack Rain Cover... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DKWU5AY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I don't think you'd have any trouble going all the way to Roncesvalles. Unless you're just coming off a long distance thru hike and already have your trail legs, start slow and only do 20-25km a day in the beginning. Easiest way to do that is just to stick to the main etapas (stages). So St Jean - Roncesvalles - Zubiri - Pamplona etc. I used Camino Ninja to figure out the next etapa as well which auberge I was going to stay at. There are other apps, so take your pick. Guthooks has a guide, but it's not necessary.

After a week and a half (coming off of Covid laziness) I started feeling up to longer days and started doing 25-30 kms, skipping a couple of days so to speak.

Getting yourself there is the hard part, as is ending and going back to the "real world". The actual Camino doesn't take that much planning once you've started. You'll be fine!

We did it in October and it rained a lot but we had a great time anyway. Brierley guide is good but I think this is better. Enjoy! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076XRP6Y6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_6PS5WZ160TWDATY6TGY6

Did it in January. Low temperature around freezing; highs around 14-15C most days. Rained about one day in every two. You should find one open albergue at each night stop, but probably not more than that. Buy yourself a copy of the Brierley guide, which will tell you everything you need to know about where to stay and how to stage your journey.

I used the Walking Guide to The Camino De Santiago by Gerald Kelly. I liked that it provided history, sights/festivals, and background to the different paths of the Camino Frances; as well as all the lodging information in a given place. I was walking without a definitive schedule (I finished in 42 days (St Jean to Finnesterre), but the my shortest day was 10 km and my longest was just over 95 km) and it helped me choose my pace based on my interests.

I think the buen camino app for ios and android

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.editorialbuencamino.buencamino&hl=en_US

Brierley's guides still seem to be the sine qua non, although I found the map book adequate and less bulky. Still had all the albergue listings, just less cultural info.

Check out the Camino Ingles. I did it last year at the end of May-beginning of June with my wife and 2yo, over 5 days. It rained at the beginning and end, with a hot day in the middle. The other days were good weather though. We used The Camino Ingles: 6 days to Santiago as guide on what to expect. Starting in Ferrol qualifies you for the certification. We didn’t encounter many pilgrims because we traveled slow carrying the baby. It wasn’t as scenic as I was hoping, but you do see plenty of nice things along the way. Buen Camino!

It is the Brierley guide and it is still in print and costs 20 dollars. if you spell his name wrong, people rip you off. https://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Guide-Camino-Santiago-Roncesvalles/dp/1912216000/

If you feel more comfortable having a guidebook, I suggest taking one that is current. The Brierley guidebooks are updated regularly and available on Amazon for about $21. See link below. Some people also use Wise Pilgrim apps on their phones.

A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago: Camino Francés – St. Jean • Roncesvalles • Santiago (Camino Guides) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1912216000/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cC1cBb14QN6D5

Whatever you decide to do I hope you have a Buen Camino!

I would highly, highly recommend getting good shoes with inserts. Buy a new pair and break them in with your training. I reused my pair for a second camino and had to buy a new pair within a couple days—that was an excessively painful experience.

Also, consider bringing along a battery pack to charge your phone. I have this one and it works really well for life in general.

Pick up a copy of John Brierley's "Pilgrim's Guide'. The best guide book there is.

• I was planning to put everything I need for the airplane in a small bag that I can then ditch once I get to Madrid.
• I'm planning on spending $900 for my whole Camino. About $30 a day, but I know some days will be more and some less (Especially when I try to stay in Pamplona so I can run during San Fermin!).
• I have an iPhone 6, so capacity is no issue, and in case of inclement weather I'll just throw it in a zip-lock bag and not mess with it until I'm indoors.
• I looked into those pants, but they just always are uncomfortable to me. I have pretty meaty thighs and a very thin waist, so anything that will stay on me causes the zipper to rub something awful.
• The earplugs area great idea! I love traveling and having something to contribute (hence the spare charger specifically to share!). I know I always want to have something somebody else needs!
• One bottle lasts more than a tube of normal toothpaste. I don't use it on a regular basis: Just when I'm trying to keep things light.

I just bought a pair of Salomon XA Pro 3D... I plan to break them in in the coming months. Was this a good choice?

http://www.amazon.com/Salomon-XA-Trail-Running-Black/dp/B00D3OKYEM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1435602261&sr=8-2&keywords=salomon+xa+pro+3d+mid+gtx