Best Camino de Santiago Guidebooks
The following traditional Camino de Santiago guidebooks offer route direction and allow you to reconnect with these historical and spiritual routes. Packed with information, guidebooks …
The following traditional Camino de Santiago guidebooks offer route direction and allow you to reconnect with these historical and spiritual routes. Packed with information, guidebooks …
You want well-made shoes that offer maximum support and comfort, and you’ve been recommended Keen. But are Keen shoes REALLY good? Let’s find out.
You see Columbia shoes everywhere, so you’re wondering: is it all marketing or are Columbia shoes really that good? This post will answer all of your questions.
Are Merrell shoes good for your hiking needs? This detailed brand review has all the information you need to come to the right conclusion.
Who would say two reusable bottle brands can stir up such a debate? But, Yeti vs Hydro Flask does precisely that. Both water flasks promise …
Yeti vs Hydro Flask: Which Insulated Bottle is Best? Read More »
If your search for the best hiking shoes has boiled down to Columbia vs Merrell, this review and comparison has all you need to make the right choice.
I have been thinking, dreaming, and planning for this for nearly 20 years. I first read about the pilgrimage to Santiago Compostela in a 14th century biography, The Book of Margery Kempe. Margery, a quirky English mystic, took several pilgrimages over the years, including Rome, and Jerusalem. The medieval and ancient concept of pilgrimage fascinated me.
The best sleeping bag liners can be used all year in different situations. If it is very hot, you only need the liner and not a sleeping bag.
I first walked the Camino de Santiago in 2004 on the Camino Frances route.
When it comes to hydration, getting the best hydration bladder is one of the most convenient and reliable solutions.
For most people walking the Camino de Santiago means a month walking across northern Spain covering about 800 km, (500 miles). So it is not surprising that most of us plan on a few rest days along the Camino.
Below are some of the towns and villages that I suggest are good places to stop for a day and be a tourist instead of a pilgrim.
If there’s a single most underrated piece of outdoor gear, it’s the sleeping bag liner. Often overlooked by many hiking enthusiasts, this unsung hero of …
Creating a packing list for the Camino de Santiago that only includes the essentials will make your journey easier by keeping the weight in your …
Fjällräven and Canada Goose. Both of these brands design and manufacture premium-quality jackets, and sell them at not-so-affordable prices.
For all those that reside within the twenty-eight countries of the EU taking the E111 card is a must, the card is also known as the European Health Card. The card is issued from your own country of residence and entitles the holder to free emergency treatment. If you are from outside of the EU I strongly suggest you have some travel insurance, often your healthcare provider can provide this at a lower cost than elsewhere.
Rabanal, (pop 60), is a good resting place before making your way over the mountain, Monte Irago, in the morning. When I first passed here …
‘Many people avoid the Meseta, catching the bus from Burgos to Leon’, I heard on my first day on the Camino de Santiago. I was shocked. I thought most people were keen to walk the full route, either in stages or as a single pilgrimage. Whilst setting out to walk and enjoy the whole 800km, the Meseta was the section I was looking forward to with anticipation. I became curious as to what my experience would be.
Whether you’re a weekend hiker or a die-hard hiking fan, you probably know how crucial it is to wear proper footwear while you’re walking across uneven footpaths.
When it comes to premium coolers, travel mugs, and insulated tumblers, Austin-based Yeti is probably the most well-known name in the game. Ozark Trail, on …
Ozark Trail vs Yeti Coolers, Water Bottles, Flasks & Tumblers Read More »
Arc’teryx and Canada Goose are two of Canada’s most well-known (and most renowned) brands. Born in the Coast Mountains, the former brand offers technical performance and minimalist style, successfully answering the needs of both urbanites and athletes.
In this guide, I’ll explain what makes a good pilgrim’s pack and review the best backpacks for the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.
Does it matter if your trekking poles are Carbon Fiber or Aluminum? In the simplest of terms, this piece of outdoor gear is just a …
To be honest, I wanted to get your attention with the title of this blog post. I guess it worked if you are reading this now 🙂
Great. Now that we are here I would like to clear something up which is of high importance to me.
The word “mistake” in the blog title is not really right. I rather try to see things as experiences and experiments instead of mistakes. This gives more space and helps us to go out and try more things because we are not so afraid of failure.
When it comes to sleeping on the Camino de Santiago, the great outdoors, or just an unfamiliar environment where you don’t know what to expect, …
Toward the end of my post a couple of weeks back on how the Camino changed my life, I got thinking about the lessons I learned while walking the Camino Frances. The following are some thoughts on lessons I think I started to learn there.
I retired on the 1st of September 2008 and I wanted to celebrate my new life and new freedom. The Camino de Santiago was the challenge and adventure I needed. So in late September, like children going on a school tour, myself and my fellow retiree Pat McEvoy arrived in Dublin Airport with our rucksacks packed. We flew to Biarritz and two hours later were in the beautiful village of St. Jean Pied de Port on the French side of the Pyrenees. Our adventure had begun.
If you’ve been wondering why Arc’teryx products are so pricey, you are definitely not alone. I’ve never hesitated to pay up for high-quality outdoor clothing and equipment, but shelling out over $700 for a rain shell seems a bit rough.
The main Albergue in Estella is on the left just as you enter the old town. It is welcoming and has good facilities, however, it …
While out hiking staying hydrated is vital to keeping up your energy levels, (and staying healthy). The Best Collapsible Water Bottles will help, while having enough space for lots of water it is also light.
It’s easy to find out how to start off on the trek along the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. There are lots of inspiring pictures showing happy pilgrims making those final steps toward the Cathedral’s double stairway at the end of their pilgrimage. What happens between those two milestones? I’d like to tell you how to handle that intermediary period, the days when you are working toward your physical, mental, and spiritual goals.
The Camino forum was an amazing resource for me when researching the Camino de Santiago. I did the full Camino Frances as well as the Camino del Norte in 2013 with my guitar. In May of 2014, I did 4 days of the Camino de Madrid to Segovia and I’ll be doing the Camino Primitivo route this July.
The main costs for any of the Camino de Santiago routes are your daily budget on the Camino and getting to and from your start and finish points.
Yes, what about food? A question that had not occurred to me before going to Spain and France to start my first Camino.
In this article, we’ll be comparing two trending, luxurious brands – Canada Goose vs Nobis. The apparel designed and sold by these brands is all but cheap, but the quality of Nobis and Canada Goose jackets definitely justifies their price.
What’s the most common injury experienced on the Camino de Santiago? Without a doubt, foot blisters!
They’re painful.
They’re frustrating.
They take precious time, effort and skill to look after.
They make you walk differently and that can stir up other aches and pains.
They can get infected, and wind you up in the hospital!
Blisters have the potential to spoil your Camino experience!
Thermoflask and Hydro Flask offer some of the best bottles on the market. Here I review two of the best selling bottles.
As a part of our ongoing series of comparing backpacks, we’ve decided to pit Osprey vs Deuter and try to figure out which one of …
Fifty/Fifty vs Hydro Flask: two of the biggest players in hiking water bottles. They make expertly-insulated products that are capable of keeping your liquids both cold and hot.
My typical day on the Camino de Santiago started about 6am. I was a mature student before hiking the on the Camino de Santiago for the first time; at that time I would have been doing well if I was awake before 9am, (I had got into student life and loved it). So six in the morning was initially shocking, however, I easily got used to the early morning.
If I am in a situation where my sleeping bag might get wet or damp I would normally choose to use a Synthetic Sleeping Bag. Down sleeping bags are best for ultralight and warmth to weight ratio.