To Walk Far, Carry Less : Camino de Santiago by Jean-Christie Ashmore Page B
Authors: Jean-Christie Ashmore
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experience friction. It’s great for hot spots where that first hint of heat indicates a blister getting ready to be born. But if a blister has already formed, the gentle paper tape will probably be too thin to help.
Compeed
Compeed is a brand name for a kind of thick adhesive bandage that can be used to cover a blister. They’re available in almost every pharmacy in France and Spain, both on and off the Camino routes. Various sizes and shapes are available to protect heels, soles, and toes of all sizes. Compeed bandages have some distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Compeed advantages:
Once applied, they stay on—even when showering.
The thickness of the bandage helps to cushion the blister, so it won’t get worse from more friction or pressure. It also helps to eliminate some of the pain caused by the blister.
Application is easy and quick.
Compeed disadvantages:
They get gooey and sticky when wet from foot perspiration.
They’ll also get wet from a shower. Let them dry thoroughly before putting on socks.
That gooey stickiness can stick to the inside of socks and is almost impossible to scrape or wash off.
Pilgrims sometimes grab sheep’s wool stuck on fences, then put a clump of that wool in their footwear to help prevent blisters. (You’ll see countless sheep on all the Camino routes; this fluffy fellow was on the Vézelay route in France.)
* * *
In addition to toiletries and first aid items, there are a lot of other small, useful things you might want to consider adding to your pack.
Chapter 10 Useful Small Items: A Detailed List
Although some pilgrims might want to use all of the following small items, they’re only suggestions for what might be useful on a Camino pilgrimage. As always: take only what you’ll actually use.
Earplugs!
I kept the exclamation mark from my notes, as in “Don’t forget to mention earplugs!” They’re an essential item, especially for light sleepers. In the shared sleeping quarters of pilgrims’ accommodations, you’ll hear the pilgrim night music—snoring. To be able to get some rest in communal accommodations, most pilgrims use earplugs.
You can easily find earplugs at pharmacies in France and Spain. If you don’t speak French or Spanish, you can just plug your ears with your fingers and make a snoring sound. You’ll get a laugh and the earplugs.
Money Belt
For over a thousand years, scoundrels have ripped off pilgrims on the Camino. Today, thieves are rare but not unheard-of.
Bulging fanny packs were once a popular way for travelers to store their valuables. Thieves loved them because they were so obvious.
It’s now recognized that discretion is better, and it’s a good idea to keep valuables out of sight. Most savvy travelers use a money belt, which is a slim pouch with at least one zippered compartment. Worn around the waist, it’s held in place by an elastic strap with a secure clip. The money belt is a secure place to carry your passport, credit cards, extra cash, plane tickets or e-ticket printouts, and other important information such as addresses and phone numbers. It’s much roomier than the other kind of “money belt”—a leather or cloth belt that looks just like a regular belt and has a zippered interior pocket that only holds a small amount of cash.
Some wear the money belt inside their pants, while others wear it on the outside. For me, it depends: in touristy areas, bus stations, and train stations—where theft is more likely—I’ll wear the money belt inside my pants. Most of the time, however, the money belt is more comfortably worn outside the pants, especially while backpacking on the Camino. That’s why I like wearing a long-tailed shirt: it covers the money belt’s placement on my rear, keeping it out of sight.
----
Gear Guide
Money-Belt Alternatives
For those who don’t like the idea of wearing a money belt around the waist, there are other options. One of these is called a “hidden pocket,” or sometimes a
Compeed
Compeed is a brand name for a kind of thick adhesive bandage that can be used to cover a blister. They’re available in almost every pharmacy in France and Spain, both on and off the Camino routes. Various sizes and shapes are available to protect heels, soles, and toes of all sizes. Compeed bandages have some distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Compeed advantages:
Once applied, they stay on—even when showering.
The thickness of the bandage helps to cushion the blister, so it won’t get worse from more friction or pressure. It also helps to eliminate some of the pain caused by the blister.
Application is easy and quick.
Compeed disadvantages:
They get gooey and sticky when wet from foot perspiration.
They’ll also get wet from a shower. Let them dry thoroughly before putting on socks.
That gooey stickiness can stick to the inside of socks and is almost impossible to scrape or wash off.
Pilgrims sometimes grab sheep’s wool stuck on fences, then put a clump of that wool in their footwear to help prevent blisters. (You’ll see countless sheep on all the Camino routes; this fluffy fellow was on the Vézelay route in France.)
* * *
In addition to toiletries and first aid items, there are a lot of other small, useful things you might want to consider adding to your pack.
Chapter 10 Useful Small Items: A Detailed List
Although some pilgrims might want to use all of the following small items, they’re only suggestions for what might be useful on a Camino pilgrimage. As always: take only what you’ll actually use.
Earplugs!
I kept the exclamation mark from my notes, as in “Don’t forget to mention earplugs!” They’re an essential item, especially for light sleepers. In the shared sleeping quarters of pilgrims’ accommodations, you’ll hear the pilgrim night music—snoring. To be able to get some rest in communal accommodations, most pilgrims use earplugs.
You can easily find earplugs at pharmacies in France and Spain. If you don’t speak French or Spanish, you can just plug your ears with your fingers and make a snoring sound. You’ll get a laugh and the earplugs.
Money Belt
For over a thousand years, scoundrels have ripped off pilgrims on the Camino. Today, thieves are rare but not unheard-of.
Bulging fanny packs were once a popular way for travelers to store their valuables. Thieves loved them because they were so obvious.
It’s now recognized that discretion is better, and it’s a good idea to keep valuables out of sight. Most savvy travelers use a money belt, which is a slim pouch with at least one zippered compartment. Worn around the waist, it’s held in place by an elastic strap with a secure clip. The money belt is a secure place to carry your passport, credit cards, extra cash, plane tickets or e-ticket printouts, and other important information such as addresses and phone numbers. It’s much roomier than the other kind of “money belt”—a leather or cloth belt that looks just like a regular belt and has a zippered interior pocket that only holds a small amount of cash.
Some wear the money belt inside their pants, while others wear it on the outside. For me, it depends: in touristy areas, bus stations, and train stations—where theft is more likely—I’ll wear the money belt inside my pants. Most of the time, however, the money belt is more comfortably worn outside the pants, especially while backpacking on the Camino. That’s why I like wearing a long-tailed shirt: it covers the money belt’s placement on my rear, keeping it out of sight.
----
Gear Guide
Money-Belt Alternatives
For those who don’t like the idea of wearing a money belt around the waist, there are other options. One of these is called a “hidden pocket,” or sometimes a
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