The thinking about the weight of your pack when backpacking changed since I was a wee-sprout. The old paradigm was to carry no more than 25% of your body-weight. The new paradigm seems to be to plan the weight of your "base-kit" and then to manage "leg-specific" load-out.
For example, if you are hiking the Appalachian trail you will always need layers of clothing to account for the changes of elevation and the variable weather you might expect for a typical 2-to-4 week window of time, you always need shelter and a heat-source and pans to cook your food and you need sleeping gear. And there is also the weight of your pack. The current rule-of-thumb is to keep the weight of your base-kit below 10% of your weight.
The leg-specific load-out is what it takes to get you from resupply-point to resupply-point. Food, water, up or down loading on clothing. Ten days of food will add another 20 pounds. Water is not hard to come-by on the AT but at a burn-rate of 1.5 pounds an hour, an eight hour hike adds another 12 pounds if you don't want to stop to purify along the way.
So, for a plump mid-Western fellow like me, the 20 pound base-kit balloons to 52 pounds at the start of a ten-day leg on the AT...which is almost exactly that 25% mentioned earlier.
For pilgrimages in more settled areas, like the Camino de Santiago, you can ditch the shelter, cooking kit and some of the sleeping gear. You can also skinny WAY down on the food since alburques (hotels for pilgrims) offer breakfast and dinners. Furthermore, on the more traveled routes and even the less traveled routes during peak pilgrimage season, there is an open "bar" every two hours of walking.
Cutting to the chase, the pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago can lose about 1/3 of the weight of the AT base-kit, 19 pounds of the food and, depending on the route, 10 pounds to none of the water weight. Spain can be hot and dry and some regions are desolate.
Details
The typical through-hiker on the AT replaced their shoes about every 300 miles. At 13 miles a day, that is a new pair of $150 trail-runners every three weeks or so. A long, all-Spain Camino de Santiago runs about 700 miles so it is reasonable to plan to replace your footwear mid-trip.
The typical AT through-hiker dropped $2.5k to $3k for the experience. Almost a quarter of that is spent on replacement shoes!
49% of the through-hikers used packs in the 55-to-64 liter capacity range (source), 18% used packs in the 35-44 liter range (women?) and 16% used packs in the 45-54 liter range. Given the order-of-magnitude greater infrastructure on the CdS, those volumes can be easily downsized with 24 liters being a practical minimum for moderately petite, North American women.
The typical through-hiker dropped 4 pounds (20%) off of the weight of their base-kit between the start of the AT hike and the end.
It will take anywhere from five to seven months to hike the AT from one end to the other. Only one in four who attempt it in one shot makes it. 2200 miles is a long hike.
ReplyDeleteMost people do the Trail in two or three weeks chunks. Two weeks would be around 180 miles.
I did know a guy in WNC who walked it four or five times back in the day.
Being able to survive for five to seven months on a $3k grub-stake is something of an accomplishment.
DeleteInteresting what one can learn by poking around and looking at the fringes and extremes.
Jules and Suze, age 75 and 60 respectively, two long time sailors, hiked the CdS recently. They detail this in the latest videos on their YT channel, Sailing Emerald Steel.
DeleteWhile you are on that long walk is health care available/affordable? Just an old guy thought.....ken
ReplyDeleteGood question.
DeleteThe US sends a lot of college students to Spain. Health insurance runs about 50 Euros a month for those students. Euros and USD are running about parity today...so call it $51 USD a month.
Yes, the health care is quite good and not expensive based upon my Camino experiences 2012-2017.
DeleteOn my first walk, I met a gent who had an emergency appendectomy in Pamplona. He was in and out in a couple days and back walking after a couple more days of rest. IIRC, his bill was less than $1,000.
On my last walk (2017) I accompanied a fellow walker to the ER in Burgos. A full work-up for knee and hip pain then consultation with the doctor after cost him $300 which was promptly reimbursed from his travel insurer.
Those were the major events I came across and both cases, one did not settle the bill at the hospital. They sent the bills to your home address. It was up to the recipient to figure out how to transfer funds back to the hospital but I am sure that has gotten easier.
For most minor stuff, seek out a "pharmacia" first. While not in every town and ,they are skimpiest on the Meseta, they often will do minor wound care and provide basic medications without much cost.
Should they assess that you need to find more advanced care, and they are very good at this, they will direct you to the nearest 'salud' (small clinic). While the Meseta seems endless while you are walking, a short bus or taxi ride will get you to a facility within 90 minutes or less.
In short, health care is not a concern on the Camino.
BOC
Hey ERJ,
ReplyDeleteI walked the Camino Frances in April - June 2024. It's nominally 500 miles / 800 Km from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela, but I walked to "Finstere" and then on to Muxia to finish off, so all up maybe ~650 miles / ~1000 km - especially if you count all the side trips once we reached the albergue for the night.
Pack weights were very light ~10 kg, depending on water requirements. Need three changes of clothes (two in your pack), one raincoat, warm one jumper, and enough food for the trail for the day, 1st aid, camera gear, journal & pen etc. The albergues don't usually sell food, some do, but most have kitchen facilities so you can cook for yourself. Apart from the Meseta, there are bars / cafes every few kilometres.
Only really a handful of places I needed to carry more than 2 litres of water - on the Meseta where there wasn't always water available between towns - and that was for really just for safety. Foreign country, don't speak fluent Spanish, never been to Spain before etc etc etc. Didn't need extra water - mainly there in case I got lost or broke an ankle or something.
I trained for 6 months prior to walking, and then walked the Camino, using the same pair of boots the whole way. I am still using the same pair and they're probably only half way through their life.
Footwear is HOTLY contested and extremely personal. I wore a pair of 8" high Gore-Tex-lined light weight boots because I have ankle problems and hate wet feet. Never had a single blister or hotspot - NOT ONCE.
I had a few American women LOUDLY and REPEATEDLY tell me how my boots were "no good" and were "too busy with too much going on" (whatever that means?). I nodded and politely thanked them for sharing their wisdom. What IS it about loud-mouthed American women that they think anyone else values their unrequested opinions? You poor bastards !!!
Part II
Delete90% of Americans PROUDLY wore trail runners from either Hoka or Altra. They were usually not waterproof and had to be replaced two or three times on the Camino. They just wear out. They also caused blisters and other problems including shin splints.
Many of the Spaniards working in the outdoor shops try to persuade pilgrims NOT to buys Hokas or Altras for this reason, but as I said, it's very personal and a lot of folks think their choice is best.
The other thing is waterproof footwear. Some folks think this is not a big deal. For me personally, wet feet get blisters and hotspots when carrying a pack. But the non-waterproof pilgrims reckon their shoes dry overnight and their feet breathe best this way etc etc etc.
The best suggestion BY FAR is to try "Injini" brand toe-socks. These things are weird to look at, annoying to put on, but prevent 99.9% of people getting blisters. I urge anyone to try them !
Part III
DeleteI met quite a few experienced through-hikers on the Camino. Fantastic Americans who had walked the PCT and the AT and a couple of others I cannot remember now. The Camino is NOT IN THE SAME LEAGUE as your AT & PCT Through-Hikes. No food drops needed, don't need to carry your food or a stove, or a tent or sleeping mat & bag or quilt. The Through Hikes are physical ordeals, "Walker's Hikes" if you like. The Caminos are "people-walks", not physically challenging at all in comparison.
Forgot to mention sleeping gear - because you stay in an albergue every night (you are not supposed to camp in the bush) you don't need a sleeping bag or sleeping pad. I took a light down bag, rated to 5 degrees C, and because it was down, it packed to the size & weight of a coke can. I slept under it rather than in it most nights, and most places had clean blankets available. So you could save a few bucks & grams and carry one of those heavy-duty space blankets instead of a sleeping bag.
All the best,
KA
Thanks for commenting!
Delete"What IS it about loud-mouthed American women that they think anyone else values their unrequested opinions?"
They probably spend too much time on the Internet on social-media. It is a pecking-order behavior. Blathering on about things they only have partial knowledge about moves them up the order...at least above those who defer to their "expertise".
Good call on ignoring them. If you find yourself cursed to spend a lot of time with them, you will recognize when they are about to launch status-seeking opinion "Heh, heh (fake laugh to project modesty) bla-bla-"factoid"-bla-bla-"evidence"-bla, bla, "apology for being so smart". Lift head. Beam smile. Wait for applause.
Yeah, the footwear fetish for trail runners and lightweight shoes started to be a fad about 2017. I'm with you, KA, and stick with a decent boot.
DeleteAs far as obnoxious company? Well, I was not there for the company anyway. Generally, I avoided all "talky" people.
BOC
@KA - Thank you for the information and perspective! The Camino is on my brother-in-law and my lists of hikes to do.
ReplyDeleteI have done two 1 week hikes in the Sierra Nevadas, mostly King's Canyon and Sequoia National Forest. I want to say our packs were in the 40-50 lbs range including bear canisters of food for the group and some manner of cooking equipment scattered throughout the team. We only had to carry water for purification once or twice (it will be your biggest weight).
I have been told the Appalachian Trail can be more difficult in spots that than the PCT although of less height, because the AT has steeper gradients (being established much earlier).
@TB - just go and do it. You will love it. The Camino is magical - and perhaps the biggest thing about it - is it is the way I believe our Maker intended us to live. Everyone is helpful and friendly. If someone needed help, it was freely and happily provided every time. I met Russians, Ukrainians, Finns, Danes, Swedes, Italians, Kiwis, English, Scots, Irish, Americans, Canadians, Israelis, Palestinians, Japanese, Spaniards, Italians, Frenchmen, Belgians, Slovenians, Poles, Estonians, South Africans, Chinese, South Koreans (yes really), and more - even other Aussies. People from virtually every nation on earth you could name, and we were all getting along without conflict or hatred. Not even harsh language between enemy nations currently at war.
DeleteWe all got on with sign language & a form of broken English (except the French - they refused to speak any English).
I met several priests, an ex-Franciscan monk and even a stunningly beautiful novice nun (about to take her final vows - GOD what a waste !) all in plain clothes just walking the Camino incognito.
It came out that's what they were only a few days after we'd met them. People drift in and out of your journey as you go.
The most important lessons are DO NOT follow the guidebooks. The people that did got injured and we caught them up as they were recovering or had to leave the Camino because of severe injury. You avoid the "bed-race" too and it is so much more enjoyable.
Best wishes,
KA
KA - Thanks for the insight and the encouragement! You make me want to go all the more.
DeleteIt does indeed sound like the way our Maker intended us to live.
I don’t understand the shoe replacement. When I was younger I used the same well broken in leather boots for years and I certainly wouldn’t want to break in new ones on the trip! Not that it maters as I don’t think I could make either trip at 75 pushing my wheeled walker!
ReplyDeleteHi A,
DeleteThe reason for all the fuss about shoes is just marketing - in my personal opinion. Marketing says buy an uber-light pair of uber-comfortable running shoes with a "trail" sole.
That was exactly how I busted my ankle back in the late 1980's. I was solo bushwalking in a pair of these new fangled "trail" shoes. My feet simply slipped out from under me on a dry, loose gravel track (think a clay tennis court surface on a steep angle), and because of the complete lack of any ankle support, the grippy sole of the shoe suddenly caught and I heard a tremendous "CRACK !" and someone screaming.
I found myself laying on the ground, and realised it was me screaming, and decided to shut up. I thought I was being a bit "wet" about a badly sprained ankle and stood up to try to walk out of the bush. I woke up again lying on the ground, but now looking at my fibula poking through the skin. Y-e-e-e-e-a-h. That hurt a bit & I blacked out again. So much for trying to "walk it off". I ended up crawling out on my hands & knees but that's a long story and I am grateful we don't have many four-legged land predators in Australia.
Long story short, I had the spiral fracture of my fibula pinned, screwed & plated. However I had actually broken both my tib & fib but the tibia fracture was not picked up until I was presenting with severe arthritis at a specialists and an MRI was ordered. MRI's were not available in the 1980's here in Australia. Anyway, everyone did the best they could with what they had at the time.
Getting back to the leather boot thing - that's exactly what I believed until I started training. A 20 km day walk with a light pack is no problem in heavy, supportive boots. But do it every day for 4 or 5 days in a row, and I quickly found my $700 boots were simply too heavy. My legs were just aching.
I'm reasonably fit but now in my early 50's and had to admit reality. So with my wallet still throbbing, I bought another pair of boots. Light weight, flexible, 8" high, goretex lined leather boots ate my traditional heavy duty bush walking boots for breakfast.
As mentioned previously, I've probably walked ~2,000km in them so far, including training and the Camino Frances itself, and my boots are still in brilliant condition. I wear them most days even now. They are still waterproof, breathable & comfortable, though showing wear on the (non-replaceable) sole. I reckon that I'll get another 1000km - 1,500 km life from them.
RE your walker - I met a Lady (in every sense of the word) called "Cinders" just before O'Cebreiro. She was a Texan, walking SOLO, using a walking frame after several strokes & a cerebral aneurism. She had to learn to speak, dress herself and walk again. She then decided to travel all the way to Spain & walk the whole frigging Way from St Jean. ALONE. In her late 70's. I shot a brief video interview with her.
Mate - do not let anything stop you if you want to walk the Camino. It's one of the biggest highlights of my life so far. You'll never regret it.
Kind regards,
KA
Anon - It can depend on where you hike as well.
DeleteFor our hikes in the Sierra Nevada, there are stream crossings or even river crossings. One can have hiking boots with good ankle support - but they take a long time to dry out. Or one can have sports shoes which may lack the ankle support but dry quickly. A third option is waterproof shoes/boots, which from personal observation seem to work some of the time but not always.
For longer term hikes like the PCT or AT, I can see where loss of tread over time might create a dangerous situation. To KA"s story above, one does not want to be "that" medical evacuee.
You can walk the Camino on your own. The conversation is between you and the road anyway.
ReplyDeleteI wondered about the cost for the Camino de Santiago, 30 to 50 Euros/day is what I found.
ReplyDeleteMy first step is thinking about doing something different is usually "what will it cost me"..
Your bed was ~15 euros on average in a commercial albergue, and as low as 5 euros in a "donativo" albergue. If you ate at cafes & bars, probably another 20 - 30 euros for food. But go to the local supermarket and cook for yourself, you could eat like a king for 10 euros per day. So yeah, 30 euros per day is totally realistic - provided you stick to one or two beers per day. Alcohol is really cheap - esp red wine - and readily available in supermarkets.
DeleteThose trail shoes sound like fancy sneakers to me... I agree strongly with those above who advocate boots. I like ankle support when the ground is at all questionable, and these days even most urban areas have sufficient potholes, lifted sidewalks, etc to be questionable.
ReplyDeleteJonathan