Contents1 Why Fifty Fifty vs Hydro Flask Brands – Two of the Best1.1 Aren’t These Two Bottles Exactly the Same?2 Hydro Flask Design and Features – Our Review3 Fifty Fifty Design and Features – Our Review4 Has Anyone Tested These Temperature Claims?5 How Do Insulated Bottles Work?6 Thanks for the Science Lesson. But Which is …
Contents1 Can Sock Liners Really Help Prevent Blisters?2 Best Sock Liners List3 Wigwam Ultimate Liner Pro Socks4 Injinji Liner Crew NuWool Socks5 Fox River Adult Wick Dry CoolMax Ultra-lightweight Liner Crew Socks6 Smartwool PhD Outdoor Light Crew Socks7 Fox River Wick Dry CoolMax Liner Sock8 Realtree Men’s Liner Socks9 Outdoor Obsession Men’s Lightweight Over The …
Beautiful and unique gifts for pilgrims-to-be and memorabilia for pilgrims already finished with the Camino.
Buying presents can be hard especially for pilgrims. Many peregrinos while walking realise that they need very little in life. They live off a backpack for several weeks and stick to a routine of the Camino — wake up, eat, walk, sleep.
Thus material things are no longer as important as before.
If you are looking for a fleece jacket, chances are you live in a cold part of the world, of you like to go hiking and camping. A fleece jacket is a versatile item of clothing that can be worn on numerous occasions. However, it can often be hard to find the right fleece jacket. This is because you’ll often come across many different brands, materials, and thicknesses. So how do you find the right one for you?
Depending on the terrain and the weather I like to have a good choice of hiking shoes, walking boots or trail running shoes for my many treks. As I am generally a fair weather hiker I have good experience in buying lightweight hiking shoes that I use all summer long.
Hiking is a wonderful way of exploring the great outdoors, and as I live in a city it refreshes me every weekend when I get out onto a hill and get in a decent long hike.
Finding the best backpacking sleeping bag for under $100 can be a tough deal. When you are on a budget every cent counts. Well, there’s a trick that backpacking pros have been using for a long time. You just have to know where to look. Join us as we discover the best backpacking sleeping bag that you can get, under $100.
I first walked the Camino de Santiago in 2004 on the Camino Frances route. I found it quite difficult back then to find information before I went so I had little idea what lay ahead. In hindsight that was maybe good for me, if I had seen some of the images of where people sleep at night and the stories about sharing I would likely have chosen something else that summer.
Not many people would argue with the fact that your feet are the most important part of your body to take into consideration when hiking – only the best hiking socks will do.
If you want the best waterproof sock I recommend SealSkinz Waterproof Trekking socks.
Having the proper footwear is highlighted as a priority in many different articles, but it’s often ignored what type of socks you should wear or why they can make your hiking trip great or terrible.
The best minimalist sandals only use a few straps and they are made with zero drops. Drop refers to the height difference between the heel and the ball of the foot. I wasn’t sure about zero drops, given I often use walking shoes which have a drop of around 10mm.
If you are in a hurry or just don’t want to read through a few thousand words, I recommend Xero Shoes Z-Trail in their versions for men and Xero for women are the best minimalist sandals.
But there are a few advantages to this design, which includes a more natural walking or running experience. At the same time, minimalist sandals are not as bulky as they are made with just a few straps which hold the sole to the foot.
I reflected in a previous story, that the Camino is a place where magic happens, something I have not experienced anywhere else, there is strange ‘need’ to return that I cannot explain, a longing for something … the places, the experiences, and the people. You have no doubt read about pilgrims who return again and again, to walk their previous route or other routes on the Camino – why do we return, what is it that we seek?
Certain materials are to be avoided in the best vegan hiking boots and shoes. Leather, wool, silk or cashmere are among them. Vegan hiking boots are made with alternative materials such as faux leather, faux fur, and wool made from plants.
Protecting yourself from whatever Mother Nature throws at you while out on the road is vital. If you want to stay safe and well when you’re out in the wilderness, you need a backpacking rain jacket that works well.
Just in case you don’t want to read the full review, my favourite is this jacket from Outdoor Research my current jacket from them is 12 years old and still the one I want to carry most often – even though I have bought quite a few others during the last few years.
Unlike many outdoor activities, in most places, you can camp all year round – as long as you have the right winter backpacking gear.
If you don’t want to read all my reviews or if you are just in a hurry, the best cold weather sleeping bag on this list is undoubtedly the Outdoor Vitals Summit Sleeping Bag.
While many enjoy camping in the summer, heading out hiking during the cooler months can be just as rewarding. With winter camping there are fewer bugs; you won’t get overheated while hiking and nothing beats waking up to gorgeous autumn leaves and a warm cup of coffee. If camping in the cold sounds like your thing, don’t head out without the proper gear. Here’s a round-up of the best cold weather sleeping bags on the market to stop you freezing at night.
If you can afford and plan to use hotel accommodation, restaurant meals, and luggage carried then this route report is not for you. In our five Caminos between 2006 and 2015, we stayed in albergues, cooked our own or shared meals and carried our own backpacks. Our last Camino we were 72 and 77 years old and it took us 44 days of walking compared with between 30 and 33 days earlier.
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.
When planning a pilgrimage, we are often faced with a choice of going for it alone or as a part of a group.
The forums are swirling with questions such as “I want to do the Camino, but I have nobody to go with, should I go alone?”, “I couldn’t agree on dates with my friends, but I still want to go, is it OK?”, “Is it better to travel via an agency if I go alone?”, etc. Bottom line, everyone wants to know what is the better option.
I walked the Camino Frances from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Finisterre and, truth be told, I never doubted for a minute I wanted to do the whole journey alone. Was it better or worse than a group, I can’t really tell, but I can definitely offer a few pointers.
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. For most of in Europe it is fairly quick and easy to get to and from any of the routes – not so from North America, (see travel page here), however the exchange rate between the US Dollar, Sterling and Euro currently makes walking the Camino cheaper than it has ever been for pilgrims from American and Britain.
This is a transcript of a talk I was asked to give at an information session on walking the Camino, presented in September 2016 and sponsored by the Albuquerque, New Mexico Chapter of The American Friends of the Camino.
If you’re planning on hitting the trail any time soon, you’ll need some thin, light clothing if it looks as though the weather is going to be good. Wearing the right hiking shorts means you can have the freedom to move around as you please, but it also means you won’t overheat.
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.
