[Gocamino] Lori Volking

[tinuviel]

hi joanie

i think you are right on.
i'm not sure if i really know what moleskin is or how to use it so i 
know i didn't bring it with me nor did i 'miss' it.
the name implies the small dead rodents my cat brings to me and it's 
unappealing to think of carrying it's hide.

i tried smartwool. i preferred small anklet cashmere socks i had. very 
soft. very lightweight. easy to wash, dried quick. i think i left my 
smartwool in an albergue somewhere. can't remember why i didn't like 
them. i don't like socks in general. it has to get below 10 degrees F. 
before i consider wearing a pair in 'normal' life. and then i still 
usually veto them. i live in s. maine. it gets cold here, though not 
minnesota cold.  i find my feet stay warmer and have less winter 
problems (cracking, itching, et al) when i don't wear socks. for me 
they cause more problems than benefits. i make sure to wear leather 
upper shoes and i cut out a piece of sheepskin following a shoe liner 
for the below 10 degree days.

the socks are definitely AS important as the boot. there's a lot of 
talk of boots. a strong mention for smartwool socks. that's the end of 
sock talk! if the sock is the wrong material, your foot is going to be 
a mess.

take care all
tinuviel


On Feb 13, 2007, at 3:17 AM, Jethess777 at aol.com wrote:

> As a health care professional, I can truly say that no one boot/shoe 
> is going
> to cut it for everybody.   I think that it's very important to go to a 
> place
> where there are people who know how to fit you with footwear.   Tennis 
> shoes,
> walking shoes, hiking shoes, boots, even sandals have been worn and 
> those who
> will try it barefooted (my own grandmother did it that way in 1910 to 
> the
> summit of Monte di Sant'Angelo on the Gargano peninsula, Italy-- the 
> Italian
> equivalent of Le Mont St.-Michel in Normandie, France).   I have a 
> wide foot and a
> Vasque model was presented to me which was far more comfortable than 
> any of
> the others I had tried beforehand.   I was so satisfied within a few 
> weeks of
> wearing them every day that I bought and broke in another identical 
> pair.   I am
> a former Army officer-- spent 22+ years in our military and know that 
> the
> comfort or discomfort of one's totally body is often dependent on the 
> status of
> one's feet (anyone who has ever marched in the field can tell you 
> that).   I
> would never tell anyone not to bring moleskin along, BUT much of the 
> need for it
> could be prevented by having well-fitting footwear.   I was fortunate 
> in that
> I have one of those types of jobs that I could wear the boots intended 
> for
> the camino on-the-job and during my walking regimen for months 
> beforehand.   I
> carried a package of moleskin and a micro pair of scissors to cut it.  
>  Never
> needed it-- hiked about the same distances in and around both Porto 
> and Paris
> after the hike, although minus a rucksack, and never developed any 
> problems.
> I will say that my total sustained time using boots to that degree 
> amounted to
> slightly less than half the number of days needed to hike in from 
> SJPDP.
> Whether I would have needed it with another 2 weeks of walking, who 
> knows for
> sure, but I still think that my chances would have been greatly 
> reduced by
> having an item that fit me well.
> If one needs to start hiking in or near SJPDP, one should get to Pau or
> Biarritz, and Ryanair has these flights from Stansted.   Easyjet is 
> useful if
> starting from closer in to Santiago, as it has flights to Bilboa, and 
> Asturas.
> There are also cheap flights to Porto along the Portuguese route and 
> into
> Madrid, from which train service is readily available.
> -Joanie
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