[Gocamino] Backpack

[Richard Ferguson <peregrino at att.net.]

My solution was to buy a huge duffel bag.  I packed everything, including the backpack, in the duffel bag.  My carryon was very small, just large enough for a magazine and a book.  I wore my goretex coat and my hiking boots, so I guess I thought that they were mission critical.  I remember arriving at my starting point, and repacking my gear from the duffel to the backpack at the train station.  I counted that as the start of my camino.  Before I started walking, I mailed the duffel bag and my small carryon bag to myself in Santiago.  When I got to Santiago, I picked up the duffel bag, and I was ready for my next flight.  To carry 100% on is probably unrealistic unless you are ultralight to the max.  Airlines are getting stickier about carry on.

I understand the idea of mission critical stuff, but when I am going on a trip like that, everything is mission critical.  I would not have brought it if I did not think that I would need it.  Obviously I could replace most stuff, but it would be a huge pain and expense to do it in a strange town.

I have flown a lot, and have never lost anything, or had anything be later than a day late, even when the flight itself was a total disaster.  The worst was when the flight was 12 hours late, and we changed planes in several unscheduled places, to end up the British Virgin Islands for a boat trip.  The trip was a nightmare in many ways.  However, the luggage showed up a day later, and we picked it up by dinghy, a unique way to retrive luggage, so the luggage was the least of our problems. 

If your bag is not on the carousel, just plan to stay in town overnight to wait for it.  You need some sleep when you get off the plane in Europe anyway.

Richard

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Glenn" <Guha2005 at hotmail.com>
> Hello All!
> I'll be leaving next week for SJPP and the Camino.  I would like to to take 
> my pack with me on board the plane.  If this isn't possible, what is the 
> best way to secure the pack for being handled as luggage?  I can imagine 
> that the multitude of straps could get caught on airplane/port loading 
> machinery.
> What are your ideas and experiences?
> Glenn 
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