[Gocamino] [saintjames] Re: July 25th, 2009

[deb berman]

Hi,I found Bob's analysis of having the backpack with at all times most interesting--- and wanted to add something about the advantages and disadvantages pack-carrying versus pack transport. On my first Camino I tried both--- carrying my pack at all times as well as sending it ahead. For most of the Camino, my daughter and I always had our packs with us. It wasn't until towards the end, when my sister joined us, that I arranged for pack transport. My sister was almost seventy years old and had some health issues---the cardiac thing was the one that worried us the most. Also she had done little or nothing to train for the walk because she was determined to think it was just that, a simple walk. 
When she joined us, we purchased some tiny day packs---kid's school bags really---and carried only the essentials---food, water, rain gear, maps, journal, personal papers, cell phone. Even though we plotted a much less strenuous course for my sister in terms of mileage, we still managed to overestimate her capabilities. However, because our packs had been sent ahead, we felt committed to the pre-planned mileage. We could see my sister was overdoing things, stubbornly trying to be a good sport. Towards the end of each day we would pass possible options for lodging and wish we had our packs with us. Instead, we pushed on, to wherever the packs had been delivered. Eventually my sister collapsed on the trail and had to be rushed to a hospital. She's fine now, except for the fact that she still feels guilty for "ruining" our Camino---which she didn't, but try and convince her of that!
For my daughter and me, after carrying the packs for weeks, it was a pleasant change to walk without the weight. We felt much lighter of course. But the trade off was frustration, of not having the freedom to stop and go as needed or as we pleased. Anyway, if we had kept our packs with us, we could have adjusted our mileage, stopping sooner each day, and perhaps accommodating my sister's needs better. Despite good planning, the human body can be unpredictable.Of course the key factors are to listen carefully to what the body needs each day and carry the lightest pack load possible!Buen Camino to all,Deborah




> From: rspenger at earthlink.net
> To: saintjames at yahoogroups.com; gocamino at oakapple.net
> Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 19:43:53 -0700
> Subject: Re: [Gocamino] [saintjames] Re:  July 25th, 2009
> 
> Hi Lydia,
> 
> On another forum I recently got into the discussion of using the  
> available transport services. My first thought was that it was a great  
> idea and I felt that it was foolish of me to not have done that - at  
> least on the last couple of trips. But then I thought it through a  
> little further and realized that it would not be at all practical for  
> me. I ended up sending the message below explaining why (in far too  
> many words - for which I apologize):
> 
> In a recent message, I was extolling the virtues of having your  
> luggage transported from stop to stop and wishing that I had taken  
> advantage of that sort of service. Later I realized that I was  
> forgetting a few important items. The term "daypack" rolls off the  
> tongue easily and gives the picture of this light and airy thing that  
> you hardly know is back there. "Hey! Wait a minute!" my inner voice  
> calls out. "You carry more on your back on just short walks from your  
> house than a lot of pilgrims with full packs carry on the camino. Your  
> so-called daypack can be around 15 pounds and some of the folks who go  
> superlight are claiming 10-12 pounds."
> 
> What should be in a day pack?
> Well, the pack itself for one. Mine is about 2 pounds, but I suppose  
> that I could go the route recommended by Grant and just use a fanny  
> pack.
> Food? I would want enough for a trail breakfast and lunch and some  
> emergency supplies. It depends on the frequency of bars, tiendas and  
> such along any particular stretch, but it would be from 3-5 pounds.
> Water? I often started with 3.5 pounds (1.5 liters plus the  
> containers), but that is a maximum. I wouldn't want to go with less  
> than 2 pounds.
> Then there are walking aids - poles/sticks/canes/whatever. They are  
> not on your back, but your legs and feet carry the weight.
> Camera, rain gear, windbreaker, towel and clothes washing equipment  
> for when you get there well before your bags show up.
> Paper items like passport, cash, credencial, guide book and/or map,  
> dictionary, notebook, etc. None of them heavy, but they add up and  
> most people would want to have these things with them on the trail.
> 
> Now that I am thinking about the details, I would be hard put to  
> figure out just what items from my pack could be sent on ahead. Most  
> of the things I carried, I would want to have with me at trail stops,  
> not just at the end of the day. I am not presently at home, so I don't  
> have a copy of my pack list with me. However, the only things that  
> come to mind that I would be willing to be without for the day would  
> be my extra clothes: one shirt, two sets of underwear, one pair of  
> outer socks, several pairs of practically weightless inner socks, and  
> possibly my crocs. There was also a very lightweight down vest that I  
> would need only for the nighttime cold. I couldn't send my towel,  
> laundry supplies, and extra pants ahead because, if I got to the stop  
> before the other baggage arrived, I would probably want to shower and  
> wash clothes without waiting for its arrival. For that I would need my  
> towel, my laundry supplies, and, if my regular pants needed washing,  
> the spare pants (shorts in this case) to wear while washing the pants  
> that I wore on the trail. For hotel stops I could get by without  
> those, since I would have a towel from the hotel and would not have to  
> be dressed to do my laundry, but I would not want to be without them  
> at an albergue. Whoops - I just realized that I would also need one of  
> the sets of underwear and a pair of inner socks to wear after  
> showering and, every other day I would need the spare shirt and the  
> extra pair of outer socks. I doubt that I would be cutting my pack  
> weight down by more than 2 pounds and I would need an extra container  
> to use for storing those items for transport - some sort of light bag,  
> I suppose.
> 
> Some of the day pack hikers had voluminous luggage with changes of  
> clothes to wear for going to dinner in something nicer that the trail  
> clothes, but I was going strictly carryon-on only, so there were no  
> frills.
> 
> Well, by original comment still stands. There is no requirement to  
> carry anything on the trail that you are not going to need until  
> evening. For me unfortunately, there is so little that I would be  
> willing to do without until evening that I would be kidding myself to  
> think that I would have any advantage in having my luggage sent ahead.
> 
> Obviously, it is my own problem that I want to have too much of my  
> stuff with me all the time and not just for the night, but that is the  
> way it is. I did see some pilgrims with just a jacket or raincoat, but  
> that was mostly on the last 100 km, where there are plenty of places  
> to get food and water along the way.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Bob S.
> 
> 
> On Aug 1, 2009, at 6:17 PM, Lydia Banales wrote:
> 
> Dear Rosina,
> 
> As usual, you have hit the nail on the head. I would like to return to  
> the
> camino, but age and bad knees have forced me to reconsider because of  
> the
> weight of the pack. Using alternate routes and alternate ways of
> transporting my pack could be my answer. When we did our parts of the
> camino, we did stay in small hotels sometimes. They were very  
> adequate, very
> clean, and reasonable. Thanks for your encouragement. Lydia
> 
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