Greg's Wanderings

Tag: Camino Portugues

  • First aid kit & blister prevention

    First aid kit & blister prevention

    With pharmacies available every few kilometers, I do not feel compelled to carry much in the way of first aid supplies.  I will, however, carry a small kit to hopefully prevent and deal with blisters should they occur. Hopefully, I’ll only need to administer aid to others and stay blister-free.

    Blisters are caused by friction. The friction can be from ill-fitting shoes (too big or too small) or due to moisture from sweat, rain or stepping in water.  The best way to avoid blisters are to have shoes that properly fit (and that you have trail proven before your big trip) and keeping your feet dry.

    Keeping feet dry involves a variety of strategies:  #1 – I’ve already posted about my choice of merino wool socks.  These wick away moisture and I’ve found that even after long periods of walking (10+ miles) my feet are dry.  Strategy #2 is to let your feet breath.  When I walk the Camino, I expect to stop every couple of hours for a refreshment break. At each break, I’ll take my shoes and socks off to allow my feet to air out.  Strategy #3 is to change socks if your feet do get wet.  Socks are the only thing I plan to carry more then one extra pair.  If my feet get wet, I’ll put on dry socks and hang the wet pair on the outside of my pack to dry.

    I don’t know if a blister is technically considered a second-degree burn, but like burns, before a blister appears, you will have a “hot spot” which is akin to a first degree burn with red, irritated skin.  If you experience a hot spot, you should stop and take immediate steps to prevent further irritation and head off the formation of a blister.  I’ve heard many strategies for this:  a blister patch, like Compeed; sock liners; medical tape; applying Vaseline; or my plan of using lamb’s wool. 

    If you do get a blister, the best advice is to leave it alone and let it heal.  But for many hikers, this isn’t considered an option because it will mean a delay (or even cancellation) of their hike.  For this reason, blisters are typically pierced with a sterile threaded needle.  The needle and thread are run through the bubble of the blister (without breaking the lower skin layer).  The thread is then clipped, leaving a bit of thread on each side of the bubble to allow any fluid to wick out. The area around the blister should be cleaned with an alcohol wipe or other disinfected.  Please note, that this process does introduce the potential for infection and should be used with caution.  If you notice any redness, inflammation, pain or colored fluid, seek medical attention.

    Mini sewing kit; band-aids; Compeed pads and alcohol wipes.

    So, the micro first aid supplies I will start with includes:

    • Alcohol prep pads
    • Sewing needle and thread
    • Band-aids
    • Compeed blister pads

    Total weight:  13 grams – including the Ziplock  baggie (less than one half ounce)

  • Sleeping gear

    Sleeping gear

    I feel like I have spent more time pondering and fretting over what to carry for sleeping than just about anything else.  My plan is to mostly sleep in alberges (special hostels just for pilgrims) and what is provided for you can vary dramatically.  On top of the variability of what is provided is the fact that I’ll likely be starting in hot weather in southern Portugal and finishing in cool autumn weather in northern Spain.

    After much consternation, I’ve decided to take both a silk sleeping bag liner for warmer nights and a lightweight sleeping bag for cooler evenings or when the alberge doesn’t provide blankets.  The sleeping bag liner is from Sea to Summit.  I opted for the rectangular option versus a mummy as I don’t like feeling bottled up at my feet.  It’s a silk blend which I chose because I have learned that bedbugs can’t penetrate a silk fabric.  Yes, bed bugs are a thing and I’m taking a variety of precautionary steps to avoid them (another blog topic). This liner is ultra-light at only 160 grams.

    My sleeping bag is also from Sea to Summit and is the Traveller 45F Down Bag/Blanket.  It’s not going to keep me warm if I go snow camping, but the 45 degree rating should take care of the most chilly nights I’ll encounter and I can add my liner inside of it for additional warmth if needed.  It will be the heaviest thing I carry (except the pack itself), but at 585 grams (1.29 pounds) it’s about as light as you can get for a sleeping bag.

    My sleeping gear is rounded out with a set of ear plugs and a sleeping mask.  Some of the alberges have rather large bunk rooms and these will help me sleep through the snoring and flashlights that might go on.  I will also have my headlamp as part of my sleeping equipment.  The headlamp features a red light setting so if I decide to leave in the morning before daylight, I won’t blind people as I round up my gear.

    All the sleeping gear fits into the compression sack for the sleeping bag

    All of these items fit neatly into the compression bag for the Traveller.  When compressed, all take up the space of a cylinder about 4 inches by 6 inches.

    Total Weight:826 g (1.8 lb)
    Total Weight in Pack:826 g (1.8 lb)

  • 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)