"It's a bag!" Liner Test It all started one night as I stood outside in about 50 degree weather with just a Sea to Summit Expander sleeping bag liner wrapped around me for warmth. Some of the walkers in my favorite Camino forums and blogs recommended swapping sleeping bags for bag liners to supplement albergue … Continue reading Sleeping Bag Blues
My Confession I crossed a line today. I tried . . . gram counting. I know, I know - but before you judge, please let me explain. It all started with the sleeping bag . . . Bags and Grams (not what it sounds like) During a sleeping liner test, I came to the conclusion … Continue reading Gram Geeking
As noted in an earlier post, my Camino backpack is the Osprey Exos 38. "Exos" designates Osprey's super lightweight line and "38" indicates its volume in liters (for reasons I will explain below, mine is closer to 41 liters). There were a number of things I wanted to test out, so this week I took … Continue reading Pack Test: The Osprey Exos 38 Review
OK, look - I like souvenirs and tourist stuff as much as anyone, but . . . wow - there is a lot of Camino swag out there! Besides the shell and possibly a walking stick, most of this stuff seems pretty over the top, of course. Although I have little desire for bumper stickers, … Continue reading “Bling” Camino!
There is nothing more iconic than the Camino Shell. They are used on signs and sidewalks to mark the way to Santiago along numerous routes, and actual shells are worn by pilgrims almost ubiquitously. But the origin story of this symbolic scallop is somewhat mysterious. Santiago Since the Camino is literally the way of St. … Continue reading The Camino Shell
You have to bring your own towels on the Camino - and since a towel is about the most massively useful thing a Camino peregrino can have, it had better be a good one! Most household towels are made of soft fluffy cotton - comfy and highly absorbent, but hard to dry, and heavy when … Continue reading Microfiber Towel
I use two washcloths a day. Yep – and I hate reusing them, they never smell or feel clean the second time. The Primitivo will take my Cuz and me a little over two weeks – that’d be a lot of washcloths! Well – of course I won’t be filling my pack with them, I’ll … Continue reading Self-Cleaning Washcloth?
What's 4k Between Friends? So it turns out my 30k test hike plans were based on a bit of a mapping mistake. AllTrails made it out to be a 23k hike that ended at a point where I thought (based on another map) an additional 7k trail picked up. Alas, that was not the case. … Continue reading 24k, 30k . . . Whatever It Takes
Pilgrimage Tech Some people rely on their phones instead of a paper book to plot their Caminos and guide them along the way. I am not sure I am willing to go "app only" - but as a primary resource, many apps look quite helpful. Right now I am just researching and downloading potential apps … Continue reading Camino Apps
In case it wasn't clear by now, I like to overthink things. Today's obsession is gear-related: walking stick vs. trekking poles. I've used both, but both rarely. In general I don't like having stuff in my hands when I am hiking - but there are enough advantages to doing so on the Camino that I … Continue reading Stick vs. Poles
Backcountry Pilgrim 