Greg's Wanderings

Author: Greg H

  • July 13 Simulation Hike

    July 13 Simulation Hike

    I hosted my second Camino Simulation hike on Sunday. This time, I had seven others join me. Despite the fact that the forecast called for high temperatures in the mid-nineties, everyone stuck it out until the end.

    This time the group consisted of an interesting mix of Camino experiences. Barbara & Richard are preparing for their third Camino and will be starting in La Puy, France and 500 miles to the traditional starting point in St. Jean. Diane had just returned from her Camino, but wanted to try out some new toe socks to see if they would alleviate the blisters she encountered on the trail. Still others in the group had yet to plan a Camino, but just wanted to see if they could hike 15 miles.

    Fortunately, we had shade for most of our walk. We took two extended breaks to hydrate and eat. The first in a coffee shop in Sellwood and the second in Hamilton Park along the Terwilliger Parkway. Altogether, we completed the 14.7 miles in less than six hours, included 4 hours and 40 minutes of actual moving time. That worked out to a pace of 3.1 miles per hour.

    My Camino Simulation crew crossing over the Sellwood Bridge.
  • Camino Simulation – June 29

    Camino Simulation – June 29

    I needed to start working in some longer hikes that were roughly the same length as what I’ll need to average on the Camino. Since my pilgrimage will be through towns and villages, I decided that an in-city hike would best replicate a day-in-the-life on the Camino. Researching existing routes on the AllTrails app, I found a bike route that I have modified to include some off paved road sections and to incorporate the breaks I would likely include on the Camino.

    After two trial runs, I have now posted this as a MeetUp hike through the hiking group I belong to. I’ve cross-posted it to a local Facebook group of the Portlandia Chapter of the Camino Association of America.

    My first group hike only had two participants, but we had a lovely time. Like me, Carlos was preparing for his first Camino. He was going to start in Porto and would be hiking with his 77 year old mother. Robin, was the Camino veteran of the group. She was preparing for her fifth and sixth Caminos, which she was going to do back-to-back. First, she was also going to do the Portuguese from Porto with her daughter. Once complete, she was going to do the Ingles route solo.

    Robin is hiking 70 half marathons in 70 weeks before her 70th birthday in December. Carlos and I were part of #60.

    Hiking with these two provided a great opportunity to share tips and discuss equipment selection. Coincidentally, all three of us were doing the Portuguese route at roughly the same time.

    The hike was a success and I’ve now scheduled three more events. This coming Sunday, I have 10 people registered to attend. We’ll see how the forecasted high temperature of 90+ affects turn-out.

  • Outerwear & Layers

    Outerwear & Layers

    Starting a hike in late summer in southern Europe and then hiking north as autumn gets going, I expect to encounter a variety of weather conditions.  In the early days, I’ll be encountering overnight lows that will be higher than daytime highs by the end.  For this reason, layering will be a key to staying warm on cool mornings while being able to quickly shed layers as the sun heats things up.

    I also expect to encounter a fair amount of rain.  While September is normally fairly dry in southern Portugal, but by the time I reach northern Spain, they average 17 days of measurable rain in October. 

    Extra wear dry bag with fleece, running shorts, compression leggings and long hiking pants.

    To keep me warm and dry, I will be taking:

    A hat – I’ve picked up a Columbia Sportswear sun hat. It looks like a baseball cap but has flaps that can drop down to protect your neck, ears and even cheeks. 

    Sun shirt – I have a Mountain Hardwear sun hoody with built in SPF 50 sun protection.  On cold mornings, it even has thumb holes so you can wear it over your hands.  It also includes a hood to give me another layer of warmth or sun protection.

    Fleece – I’m taking a Mountain Hardwear Microchill full zip fleece jacket to keep me warm on chilly mornings.

    Rain jacket – Mountain Hardwear  strikes again with their 3-layer rain jacket.  This should protect me from all but the most torrential rains and if they come, I’ll wait them out indoors or under a tree.

    Leggings – I’m slightly on the fence as to if these will make the final cut, but right now I have a pair of Nike Pro Combat leggings in my kit.  These can be worn under pants as a base layer or as pajama bottoms on cold nights. 

    Running Shorts – I’ve also tossed in a pair of Nike running shorts that can serve as something to wear while doing laundry.  They can also double as a swimsuit if I need one.

    Total Weight:1,066 g (2.35 lb)
    Total Weight in Pack:    999 g (2.20 lb)
  • Packing List: Daily Wear

    Packing List: Daily Wear

    Let’s start by pointing out that the Camino is not a fashion show.  Most hikers carry a very limited wardrobe and so hopefully you like the clothes you take because you’ll be wearing them OFTEN.  My packing list – including the clothes on my body – will include:

    3 pair socks (51 grams each)

    2 pair boxer briefs (84 grams each)

    2 handkerchiefs (14 grams each)

    2 T-shirts (14 grams each)

    1 long sleeve shirt (158 grams)

    1 UV Hoodie  (223 grams)

    1 pair shorts (210 grams)

    1 pair long pants (380 grams)

    1 pair trail runners (675 grams)

    1 pair sandals (413 grams)

    My 10L dry bag with long and short sleeve merino wool shirts; bamboo briefs; sun shirt, two pair of socks & handkerchief

    A quick word about fabrics:  I’m not a big fan of the class of fabrics called “technical.”  To me, they are just a fancy way of saying polyester and I still have PTSD from my high school yearbook photo and that brown polyester leisure suit with the floral shirt.  I really don’t care if it’s a little lighter and dries quicker.  When I wear technical fabrics – especially next to my body – it doesn’t take long for me to stink. 

    Instead, I like natural fibers like merino wool and bamboo.  Not cotton folks – it holds moisture and takes too long to dry.  And if you get caught in a cold rain storm, it can contribute to hypothermia.

    I absolutely LOVE merino wool.  It’s super soft, dries quickly and is naturally anti-microbial.  I’ve been told that its fibers are so fine, that the bacteria can’t hold on.  I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I do know that I can take off a sweaty merino t-shirt after a long hike and it doesn’t stink.  Both of my t-shirts and the long-sleeve shirt are merino and made by Quince. 

    On a trip to SE Asia a few years ago, I discovered Bamboo Cool  brand boxer briefs and they are my go-to for underwear.  They have similar properties to merino in terms of both quick dry and being anti-microbial. 

    I plan to hike in shorts most days if the temperature stays above 10 degrees (50 Fahrenheit).  My go-to shorts are Columbia Sportswear Silver Ridge Utility Cargo Shorts.  Not only are they comfy, but they are super lightweight at only 210 grams, very quick drying and offer SPF 40 protection.  Since there is limited direct skin contact, I’m not bothered by the fact they are made of 100% recycled polyester. For colder days, I’ll be carrying a pair of Kuhl Renegade Recon hiking pants.  More polyester, but I’ll live. I like everything about these pants except for the tapered legs that tend to get stuck going over my calves.

    For brisk mornings, or when I feel the need for extra sun protection, I’ll be packing a Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Hoody. It offers UPF 50 sun protection and has thumb holes so that you can have the backs of your hands protected from sun or cold.

    When you are going to be taking close to a million steps, it’s important to take good care of your feet.  I will be hiking in Brooks Cascadia 18 trail runners.  I was fitted for a pair of these in January and really like them.  I now own three pair and trade off between two for my training hikes and will take the third pair out of the box at the end of August.  At the suggestion of a friend in my MeetUp hiking group with multiple Caminos completed, I am currently testing SOLE cork inserts.  I’m not 100% sold on these, as they are a little thicker than my original inserts and make my feet feel a little crowded by the end of a long hike,  I’m going to relace my shoes and will test them on an upcoming 15-miler to see if that solves the issue.

    When it comes to socks, I have become an absolute disciple of Darn Tough.  I probably have close to 30 pair and haven’t worn anything else for at least 5 years.  For this trip, I’ll be taking three pair of the Hiker Quarter Midweight.  The midweight balances cushion with not having so much fabric that your foot gets tight in your shoe as they swell.   They are merino wool and have a lifetime guarantee.

    The last item in my daily wear list is my Columbia Sportswear Thrive Revive slides. These sandals will be what I slip into the minute I hit the alberge.  They have little knobs on the foot pad which act like tiny massagers.  The are very lightweight and are made of plastic, so I can wear them into the shower to avoid whatever gross fungi may be lurking on the shower floor.

    Total Weight:2,835g (6.25 lb)
    Total Weight in Pack:1,576g (3.47 lb)