retro 60s look sleeping bag, I slept very well most nights!
The green colored silk liner is tucked inside the sleeping
bag.
Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find?
There must be something to those words. My turquoise Camino panties have finally reappeared! I write about them yesterday morning and later in the day, they magically reappear! Just another of those amazing "coincidences" that were so plentiful on the Camino! And seem to continue, though I am long back from that journey.
Did writing about them or posting the photo of them hanging on the laundry line somehow create some kind of energy? Whatever it was, as I was putting away laundry yesterday, for some reason I felt compelled to check a particular summer nightgown. Took it out of the drawer, shook it and out fall my turquoise panties! And so, yet another of life's mysteries has been solved. And as long as the elastic on those $2.50 cent treasures holds out, I ready to go for my next Camino!
Now as far as gear goes, that's still up for debate! Do I now have too much, or too little? Only when I decide to pack will I know for sure!
There are some things that I believe are an absolute must have for Camino, like a sleeping bag, a small flashlight and a travel wallet. Other than personal care items, clothing, medical supplies and the like, everything else is a luxury. If you can handle the weight, bring it. If not, leave it behind.
As a Camino newbie, I relied on the lists compiled by Camino veterans when making up my own list. Having already talked about clothes in my last post, here, I will talk about gear. Personal care items, medical supplies and the like will be the next post, followed by boots and shoes.
First, there was the sleeping bag dilemma. Would a lightweight inexpensive fleece sleeping bag be enough? Or would I need to get a real deal super warm sleeping bag so I wouldn't freeze to death at night?
I opted for the fleece, along with a silk liner. I stuck by those choices even as the weather was forecast to hit winter-like temperatures at night. If worse came to worse, I figured I could always sleep in my clothes.
I did pick up a travel pillow since I read that some of the refugios didn't have pillows. I couldn't imagine sleeping without one and the thought of balling up my clothes to use in lieu of a pillow held no appeal for me. Also got two quick drying camp towels, one bath size and one hand size.
I had a little trouble finding a small wind up flashlight, necessary so the books stated, for packing and unpacking when the lights are out in the refugios as well as for walking in the pre-dawn hours. Though I don't particularly recall seeing this on any Camino list, I got a travel wallet designed to be worn around the neck to hold my passport, credit cards and cash.
Let's see what else. Oh yes, the pack cover to protect my pack from the rain. I remember Karin mentioning that she had read that someone who used a pack cover wound up with everything wet and that person recommended using a big plastic trash bag instead. I still opted for the cover. I also got a travel bag to put my pack in to protect it during airline travel. It seemed like a good idea and I could use the travel bag on its own to carry home souveniers.
I believe the only other bit of gear bought just for Camino was a small knife. Though I had a Swiss Army knife, I thought it too heavy for Camino, when all I really needed was something to cut my chorizo!
Though none of this was cheap, at least there wasn't too much I had to buy. Everything else, water bottles, a blow up butt cushion for sitting on the ground, compass, whistle, waterproof matches, I already had all that for hiking.
In retrospect, I think getting the sleeping bag was the most fun purchase of all. I hadn't slept in a sleeping bag since I was a teenager, going for a sleepover at a friend's house! I couldn't wait to get on Camino and try it out!
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