Soap

Who would have thought you would even need to think about soap? Unfortunately you do because it is not provided in most of the places we will be sleeping. The thought of taking a soggy bar around is not appealing and a bottle of body wash weighs too much.

I found this on Amazon...

Soap sheets. Just take a couple, add water and you have soap!!

A few ounces. I will order this one early and try it out, if it works get a second one. It is going to be hot and sweaty so soap is going to be a much needed item.

Trekking poles

Although most people never use a set of trekking poles they are vital in long range endurance walks. They take a bit of getting used to but can knock 25% of the impact off your knees which makes all the difference.

Like the backpack I have a few non-negotiables I have to have. The first is flip locks. Nothing is worse than getting one with a tension lock and twisting it too tight. I also do not want rubber grips as I have always experienced blistering with those. Soft tips for road walking is also a key element since a lot of walking is in and out of villages and the steel tips are impolite on these cobbled streets.

I am looking at Pace Maker Flip Lock "Expedition" Trekking Poles.

They are flip lock and only weigh 2 Lbs. Best of all they are under $50 a pair with great reviews.

They come with these tips included.

Backpack

The backpacks we choose have to offer a few crucial elements.

They must have a hydration system pocket to hold a water bladder.
They must have a way to secure the walking sticks.
They must have rain covers.
They must be as light as possible.
They must have storage in the waist belt.

Right now the only one that looks ideal is the Kestrel 38 by Osprey.

At 3lb 3 ounces it is a little heavier than I would like but everything else is perfect. I have researched it and everyone says the durability is amazing.

Test from iPhone

Testing making blog posts from the iPhone since this is how it will be done on the Camino.

Pilgrimage Part 2

It is often said that the heart of man lies hidden. What we know of people is what they allow us to know. Is it too much to imagine that what we hold so tightly within us is hidden even to God?

We are human. We accept our faults and believe that this is what is required in our society. We are afraid of letting others know our fears, our doubts, and our worries. These are private and must be protected. 

What if....

What if there was no need to hide these fears and angers. What if the very act of hiding them hurts us more than the public pain of showing them to our friends. What if the act of holding our emotions in check is what causes more pain and hurts us even more.

Those who have done a pilgrimage tell me that weeks into the journey they have cried in public and told strangers of their fears. Life itself becomes more bearable and joy can be found in simply living because everything else is nonexistent. That God touches them, when they need it the most.

Perhaps I hold too much faith in what will happen on my camino. Perhaps it will be a very long walk and a good break from TV and Internet, and everything else that I have valued. But maybe, just maybe, I will find what I have been looking for since the first gulf war. Perhaps I will find peace. Perhaps I will find God. Or better said, perhaps I will let God find me.

Pilgrimage: Part 1

Most religions have expressed a desire to have their adherents make a pilgrimage. In all cases it is a trip to a holy place but in the Catholic community it is more succinctly put as a trip by foot.

It is said that as a pilgrim prepares for their journey they pack everything they think they will need and place them in a backpack. This pack they wear as they set out, unsure of their exact purpose, is filled with the material possessions that will help them fulfill the desire to make the journey.

As they walk they find that some of the things they carry are burdens that they don't need so they unload them as the journey progresses. The book or extra jacket they thought they needed are put aside. As this unloading occurs their burden decreases and the journey becomes more bearable.

Eventually, if the journey is long enough, they will start to unload some of the burdens in their heart as well. Angers, prejudices, envy, hate.... All the things they carry throughout their life become distractions and the need to carry them diminishes. As the pilgrim discards these burdens their load is lightened and this is the reason they make pilgrimage. Now they can get closer to God because their hearts are free from these awful weights that hold us all down.

I hope to take Austin on a pilgrimage after he graduates. We shall sat forth on a walk from Madrid to Santiago de Compostela. 420 plus miles across 30 plus days. Unloading our burdens as we go and hopefully growing closer to God. Also hopefully forming a bond that will never be broken.

Equipment

The Camino is not exactly a mountainous, hazardous, equipment destroying journey. It is more of a "keep it light" walk with some peculiar extra needs we should keep in mind.

Weight is a huge factor on the camino. Adding a pound to your backpack and walking 10 miles is nothing. Adding a pound and walking 400 is something else entirely. So whenever possible, we are going to err on the side of weight.

Durability is another factor. A $35 walmart backpack may work just fine. Break a strap in the middle of nowhere and you will be dragging that pack for 20 miles hoping to find a store. The Camino passes mainly through small rural villages, not exactly a shoppers paradise. So we will er on the side of quality equipment.

Finally, what we do not need we will not take. Only one change of clothes for instance. Only a few first aid items and not a whole first aid kit. This not only saves weight but the entire idea of the Camino is to get away from the commercial, busy, me life and enjoy the simplicity of a pilgrimage.

Stages we hope to accomplish

Of course things will happen but this is the proposed daily schedule for our Camino.

Day - Ending Town - KM that day - Cumulative KM

0 Madrid 0 0

1 Tres Cantos 23 23

2 Manzanares el Real 27 50

3 Cercedilla 19 69

4 Segovia 31 100

5 Rest Day 0 100

6 Santa Maria la Real de Nieva 32 132

7 Arevelo 27 159

8 Medina del Campo 32 191

9 Siete Iglesias de Trabancos 22 213

10 Toro 30 243

11 Zamora 34 277

12 Rest Day 0 277

13 Riego del Camino 33 310

14 Tabara 29 339

15 Calzadilla de Tera 32 371

16 Mombuey 25 396

17 Puebla de Sanabria 33 429

18 Rest Day 0 429

19 Lubian 28 457

20 A Gudina 23 480

21 Laza 33 513

22 Xunqueira de Ambia 26 539

23 Ourense 19 558

24 Rest Day 0 558

25 Oseira 30 588

26 A Laxe 29 617

27 Outerio 36 654

28 Santiago de Compostela 18 672

The route we will be walking

The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage to the city of Santiago de Compostela in the Northwestern area of Spain. Although most pilgrims take the French route, I have mapped a custom route that will help ensure one of the most important things I want to have happen on this trip occurs.