I wish I had commented on your prep videos. I knew so many of those things that happened to you. I could have saved you and Montana a ton of hassles, Dixie. But here are some hacks for those going on the Camino in the future- REI sells a VERY Long replacement shoelace for hiking boots. It comes with the plastic ends ready to be attached if you need them. I bought them on my first Camino and never needed them BUT they were long enough to become that "clothes line" you suggested. So it's a great double use item. Buy a paracord that can also sub in as your shoelace if necessary. For the ladies- carry a sarong that is made of very light fabric. (Or buy some fabric for this purpose). You can use it for multiple purposes. Wrap around you as privacy when using the outside "facilities" (!) Use it as a towel. Use it to cover our arms loosely while hiking in the bright sun. Your left arm will burn pretty easily even if, like me, you don't usually burn. Just tie together two corners on each end and it will stay on your arms while you hike. Tuck it into the bunk above yours to create a privacy curtain while you sleep. Going into a church that won't allow shorts? TaDa- you have a skirt ready to use. Carry some large safety pins. You can pin damp socks off the back of your pack while you hike. When it's windy, the pins are great clothespins because your items wont blow off the line. If a strap breaks, pin it. you get the picture. I also pinned my money pouch on the inside of my clothing so it couldn't be grabbed by a pick pocket. Sterilized the pin can help with minor blisters. Which reminds me....sleep with your money pouch ON you. You'll get used to it. It's only money and your passport. If you have to make a mad dash to the bathroom in the middle of the night, that "pilgrim" who is actually a thief (Sadly it does happen) wont be able to go into your sleep sack to pull it out of the foot end where you thought it was so secure. Again for the ladies- carry a tinted lip balm. Sometimes you just want to feel a bit pretty at night. If you don't care about that, use it to keep your lips from frying! Carry a few packets of alcohol wipes in case you need to do some blister work. Do NOT do surgery on yourself though. Blisters are meant to protect you. Again for the ladies- Take a cardboard tampon tube (Remove the tampon) and roll in some emergency Euros. Then replace the tube in the paper wrapper to look like the real thing. The chances that someone will run off with your tampon is pretty much none! Yes on the Fanny pack!!! This is not a fashion show! Carry two pens. It's surprising how hard it can be to find them in Spain. Also, keep a small journal with you and ask people for their contact information as you go along. You'd be surprised how much you will wish you had that info when you return home. Carry only enough cash in your pocket for that day. If someone does pickpocket you or if it just happens to fall out, you are only out enough for one day. My last tip- As you get closer to Santiago (after Sarria somewhewre) there are a group of women who walk around saying they are Deaf and are collecting money for a group of Deaf kids. This is a complete scam. I've been a professional sign language interpreter for 31 years. They are not Deaf! I even had the chance to meet a Deaf local while I was in Santiago the last time. He confirmed that it's a scam. Be kind to your fellow pilgrims and pass it on. Long comment. I'm sorry. I hope it's helpful to someone.
Do not be sorry for passing all of this great advice. I will make use of it when I do my Camino. Thank you for putting it together, especially for us ladies!
The following things I wouldn't have done without for my Camino Portuguese: malleable silicone earplugs sleeping mask runners knee length compression socks ultralight silnylon poncho - check alibaba small thin plastic cutting board and small knife - for cutting bread, cheese tomatoes etc TrailSmart map app with detailed offline Camino maps a thin down sleeping bag I'd converted to a quilt by removing the zipper and hood artificiel silk sleeping bag liner small headlamp Things I brought and never needed: Compass Rain jacket - used poncho down jacket - hiked in October no need for a jacket extra water bottles - one was plenty water filter - unnecessary plenty of access to drinking water large micro fiber bath towel - the 2 small micro fiber towels I had were adequate Things I'll be taking with me for next years Camino: trekking umbrella titanium ethanol stove + titanium mug (I was often on the road at 5.30 or 6 in the morning and cafes didn't open until around 8.30 - nice to stop for some hot coffee and bread and cheese while enjoying the dawn). When leaving early remember one's fellow pilgrims, prepare and pack as much as possible for the next day the evening before Then in the morning quietly carry all your stuff into the kitchen to complete it. Just as a matter of general interest I met an elderly man (early 70s and a little older than me, who walked Caminoes 11 months of the year. When he'd finished one he'd choose a new starting point. He'd even walked from Canterbury in the UK to Santiago. He'd walked the Camino Frances 9 times, can't remember how many times he'd done the other popular routes. "What stands in the way becomes the way" Emperor Marcus Aurelius Bom Camino :)
Ahhh, Marcus Aurelius the philosopher! I was going to do the Camino Frances in June 2020 but when I do, I will make sure to avail myself of your great advice, thanks.
I walked the Camino from Switzerland to Pamplona and wish I had known about the hooks...☺️. An additional tip: I collect all the Silica-Gel bags over the year and carry them in a airtight bag. When I need a small item or even shoes to dry over night I use one or two of them. They also come in super-handy if your phone got wet in the rain.
1. Hero clip 2. S2S Clothes Line 3. ScanSnap page scanner. Cut the spine and scan pages into a PDF 4. Use fanny pack as foot prop (with Hero clip) 5. Bright duct tape as differentiator (dual use) 6. Nitecore Thumb has red light 7. See 5 8. Matador earplugs come in a keychain which is hooked onto quilt zipper (dual use)
If you want to make your trekking poles identifiable and also have a handy way to store your cordage (paracord, zing-it, whatever you use), you can wrap a dozen or so yards under the handle and secure it with a hitch or constricting knot. It's easy to take off when you need the cordage, and always easy to get to. Plus, if you opt for a high visibility color, like hunter orange or neon yellow, it will make your poles easy to spot in the pile, and make you more safely visible if you're hiking in a hunting area.
For only $10 and 10 grams, I really like the NiteCore Tube USB-charge-able key-chain light. 50 hours of 1 lumen (great for reading, pooping, digging in your pack) and I find 1 lumen (barely) enough to hike a developed trail at night; or 1 hour of 45 lumens. For backpacking trips, it lets me use my main headlamp with no worries of draining the battery because I could, if needed, compete the trip/stage with the Tube. And since it's USB-charge-able, you always start a trip with it full and are never seeking oddball button batteries on your travels. Pro-tip, especially while backpacking: stitch a little loop of thin elastic on the shoulder of your sleep top. Then it will point, hands-free, at a paper book, map, tooth brush, mirror, etc, that you're trying to use at night.
1. for the arthritic folks out there like me, I took a pair of dishwashing gloves. They made a huge difference every afternoon when washing my clothes in freezing water. Also they are waterproof so if it's raining you can use them too! 2. I tied my trekking poles together with a colorful reusable plastic tie when placing them in a bin 3. Instead of clothes pins I brought safety pins. They are lighter, smaller, used them to hang laundry and other things to my backpack if they weren't dry.
- I always carry some paracord and carabiners but I love the idea of the "S" hook with suction-cup. I've been in several campsites showers and often found there was nothing to hang my stuff - I too always worry that someone might walk away with my trekking poles and I think using something bright and very visible is a good idea to distinguish them. I'll do that 👍🏼 - As for lighting up without bothering others, I use the red light feature on my headlamp. This is very sufficient to find my stuff and my way around and it really doesn't bother anybody - Ear plugs: I am the noisy one so perhaps I should carry some....for the others 🤣 Thank you, Dixie, I love all your videos
Take those soft foam earplugs and cut them in half. Use the end that has the nice round shape and just gently roll between your fingers and place it in the outer part of your ear canal...don’t jam it down in there unless you brought a pair tweezers to pick it out....half of the earplugs gives a nice muffled quality to your hearing without hearing your heart pound but still be aware of your surroundings... really like the Walgreen store brand ones. They come in a big jar and are fleshy colored .i always wear them on an airplane. The half portion doesn’t render you completely deaf. Just returned from Borrego Springs and got to do some walks on the PCT AT scissors crossing and up there at Julian. Beautiful winter time desert fun. Really enjoyed the Camino hike. As always you really deliver. I think you and Montana should do the Cornish Coast Path in southwest England. Y’all could walk forever in Great Britain on all those public Footpaths that ave been established for so long and maintain right aways through perpetuity. ☮️❤️🍷🐈🐿
I always carry some zingit and Dutch wasps so I can run a clothesline when I need it. It’s also handy if I’m bringing a tarp so it’s easy to set a ridge line for a covered area for lunch or rain shelter. Also, all of my packs have shock cord on the outside just so I can dry socks or underwear while hiking. The “s” hooks are a great idea and I’ll be adding those to my international loadout for sure!!!
Another thought with the trekking poles and shoes: how about just connecting them so that if a person picks up yours by mistake they get both, which would que them that they aren't theirs. For poles, use a stretchy hair band or mini-bungee. For shoes, just tie the laces together when you put them on the shelf.
Silicone earplugs are soooo much more comfortable than foam and they block almost any kind of snores as well. You can find them in US drugstores dirt cheap, too, Mack’s or DVS brands
It's not UL, but having tons of electronics never is. For group or family trips, I'll pack *one* US to Euro adaptor plug plus an extension cord sold around Christmas for Christmas-tree lights. They're always green, 6-9 feet long, light-gauge wire (like a lamp cord) and have 8-10 US outlets along its length. Then you 1) don't need a ton of adaptors, 2) can charge multiple devices at once, 3) can share all those outlets with old or new friend), 4) keep your device close to / in your bed instead of across the room. It's a far lighter set-up with far more outlets than other multi-outlet extension cords or a power strip. It's also handy when traveling domestically - often the outlet in a hotel room isn't where you want it and when airport outlets are all full, no one can refuse your request to insert your splitter cord between them and the wall since they'll remain energized while 10 new outlets have been created.
Earplugs are one of the top backpacker items. On the camino I slept merrily through someone's diarrhea night, the toilet stall was directly adjacent to the dorm... but there was also one guy whose snoring was so criminally loud the plugs were useless!
tip for hanging clothes: roll up a couple layers of paper you can find and put that in the s-hook. It makes for a firm clothing hanger. Cover with something plastic if clothes are wet of course, to prevent it from soaking or from staining the clothes.
yea, like i always got upset hearing that tapping noise on the camino. no reason not to have tips. even wine corks can be used in place of the rubber ones
Dixie, S hooks are fine, but check out soft shackles. You can make them yourself in literally any size and they are super light and take up no space. Also way more useful than s hooks. Think of them as a carabiner made out of rope. You can open and close it like a carbabiner, but it folds up into nothing when you pack it. If you make them out of zing-it or some other dyneema type line, they can hold a crazy amount of weight too. They're something a lot of hammockers have been using for years. I carry one with me in my everday carry now, they are that useful, and there's always at least two in my backpack loadout.
Guide book sections - Technology has always failed me at the worst time on the trail or riding a bicycle (hundreds of miles). The night before, or over breakfast, I spend half an hour hand-scribing my next day's hike/bike with highlights, and put it in a pint zip-loc, which works as a rain protector.
Get a headlight that has an option for red light. I've used this while camping or when in hostels where a bright white light will wake everyone else up. It's also hands-free for packing up your gear and you get plenty of light to see. Mine also allows you to adjust the intensity of the red light as well, which is handy.
Camino office in St. Jean provided a handout of towns and albergues, updated (they change), very useful, and when I lost my Brierly guidebook, I really wished I had kept it, and photographed it to use as Dixie explained. 2020 hindsight.
Fanny packs are totally making a comeback!! I really like the other apps available, anything that includes the history of where you walk. Buen Camino app and the Wisely app are both good. They also include reviews of the albergues! Super helpful! I brought a foam roller water bottle. It was a game changer for body care and it's dual purpose!
Also, you just can tape a piece of red transparent paper on top of your smartphone light. And I never sleep without earplugs and sleeping mask in hostels. Another tip is to roll some amount of duct tape around your tracking poles. First, they're marked then as yours and second, you have duct tape available for small repairs like a rip in your jacket, tent, sleeping bag etc.
Thanks for your tips! If there was enough space (and it was raining out), I’d put my hiking poles under the top flap of my backpack so they were sticking out either side and hang my drying laundry over the poles.
Hi Dixie - I really enjoy your channel and your tips, hacks & general advice make so much sense and is greatly appreciated. I was to do the Camino Frances in June of 2020 and for obvious reasons, I did not go and now is becoming apparent that I will not go until 2022. Thank you and please stay safe not just for yourself but for your family as well :-)
Having cordage for a clothesline can double as a curtain for privacy. In India, I always took the top tier berth on trains and hung my elastic clothesline from the dividing grill thru the hanging chains that held the berth and around to the opposite side of the grill. They were large mesh metal screening and I could just hook the clothesline to them easily. Then I hung my dark blue sari over the clothesline all the way around, giving me privacy, a little darkness, and offering some slight deterrent to night thieves. Very useful to carry a small pack of mini plastic clothes pins also. Safety pins will do in a pinch. Do not carry your passport and cheques in a bag with a cord around your neck. Its easy to cut the cord while you are sleeping and gently relieve you of all your worldly goods!
I completely agree with the no-weight approach of photographing the guidebook with your phone. An old-school way to reduce guide book weight is to copy it on a copy machine at 50%. 50% width x 50% height means 25% the size and 25% the weight and it still works if your eyes are young. Then you just toss pages as you go. Conversely, sometimes I'd copy a city map from a guide book at 150% or 200% to make it easier to read and put notes onto. Then, I can do some navigation and orientation with just a slip of paper instead of waving my $800 iPhone around while obviously a tourist.
Oh, and yet another night-light / courtesy tip: if your light is too bright for use in a shared shelter (or you want to preserve your own night vision), just cover it with one or two layers of a t-shirt, bandana or sheet of toilet paper. Voila! a 50-lumen light just became a 5-lumen light and more diffuse / less glaring. A sheet of toilet paper and a rubber band can make it hands-free. It probably doesn't surprise you, Dixie, that I'm also an engineer.
If you still have an old phone, you can get it unlocked and take it with you, then buy a local SIM card for whatever country you’ll be in. I took my iPhone 4 when I went a few years ago and did that. Worked out great! And if you want to call home, just get an international phone card and use it with your phone.
06:45 , Yes while in a hostel or such place i always attach colourfull ribbons to my gear ...same i do when traveling in a group , especially in flights makes locating your , your groups stuff easily...in a crowd. Happy Holidays to you.
Village to Village publishing have an excellent guidebook that weighs just over 100 grams. Excellent maps and enough information to plan stops and accomadation etc.
Fanny packs are finally becoming cool...LOL. There was certain amount of disrespect directed at my fanny pack during my PCT thru attempt in 2008. Wt. carried in a fanny pack is barely noticeable. In the desert, I used it for 2L of water. My fanny pack carried the first 4 days of food north of Kennedy Meadows (no bear canister req'd area) which made it possible to make it to VVR without resupply. GK
App for the Camino. Wise Pilgrim Guides. They have just about everything you need. You can get a headlamp that has a red light. If you're an early riser, like me, have everything ready to go before you turn in. The only things you should have to put into your pack in the morning should be your nest and toothbrush. Those that rummage in plastic bags should all be taken out into a field .................
The information is great, the visuals are wonderful and the beautiful Southern accent is a huge bonus. Thanks Dixie for being a wonderful example of a strong, beautiful Southern woman.
Talk about strong, I married a Northern woman. What was I thinking. And I'm a Southern boy who said I would never marry a Yankee. I love Southern women. Oh shut up and go to your room.
Xero Shoes sandals for the albergues. They weigh less than a pound. When I go back, I want to get a DSLR clip on my backpack strap to get footage on the spot. Like you, I like to get footage as I go, but I kept having to dig my camera out of my pack. Which means less to work with later.
I believe that one of the best things for the early risers is to pack up before you go to sleep. I carried earplugs to give to others because I've been told that I snore.
I have not done the Camino yet, but I have travelled a great deal where you share a room and prepping the night before has been a tremendous help to get going in the morning. Whereas my travel companion will take apart her overloaded suitcase & re-stuff it again before she goes to bed but next morning the scene repeats itself all over again (?) I believe in preparation and it has served me well over the years. Thank you for your advice.
1. use sewing clips instead of clothes pegs 2. if feet got wet, put on dry socks and thin plastic bags, it will keep them warm in wet shoes 3. multiple port charger is a must on camino 4. use Maps .me maps and download other people treks
The book you showed... there is a "dutch edition" same author. It is in English and available on Kindle for download. I have the physical/original book and I have the dutch edition on Kindle so I don't have to carry the book. I also downloaded the Village to Village guide in Kindle. The only book I am going to carry is a camino map book, much smaller and I will rip out the pages when I no longer need them.
are there any places to camp on the Camino rather than sleeping indoors? Great tips on the hooks,and taking a dry bag in the showers with your personnel stuff. Thanks for this video.
I like to use an app to scan the text for PDF-making, does a great job of converting text to a very low file size, and allows cloud connection to Google Drive, Dropbox, etc (Genius Scan). Can also tag pages, send pages, etc. Keeps for a paper-free journey, except for the paper map of course!
Coghlan’s Bungee Clothesline works well-no clothes pins Sea to Summit water proof stuff sack works well to agitate the washing of clothes placed inside with soap and water
I disagree about the light when you want to leave in the morning. It's not the right way. The right way is: pack in the evening and put everything in one spot, so that you can get up, grab it, and leave the dormitory without disturbing anyone. Everything else you can do outside in the communal area.
“God is that you” I love her sense of humour Thanks for the good tip of getting a suction cup hook For the issue of snoring and bright lights. - To address these issue I train myself with TH-cam blasting comedies and not switching off the lamps when I sleep occasionally. Trekking poles getting stolen - I got myself a cheap, heavy and non branded poles. The poles works fine and I got stronger arms :)
I use a key chain type small flashlight on a string around my neck like a necklace. It points straight down and can hide under my shirt. I tie it with a poly string using a slip knot with a melted end to keep it from slipping unless a greater amount of force is used to keep it safely around my neck.
As well as earplugs consider taking an eye mask especially if walking in summer as it’s light till after 11.00 pm! I used mine every night when I walked CF in June July. Also a good and cheap snack is to boil 6eggs (€1) and have them in your backpack. Lived off them 😋
Not a fan of ear plugs either, partly because they never seem to stay in. I've found the wax type that you can mould for a better fit to be the most useful.
New sub, just wanted to say I think your videos are great. I'm putting my bug out bag together an found your videos. Been watching many and your ideas and knowledge has made impact on my decisions of what to do. Thank you for great fun videos , especially the how to stay clean on the trail. Best wishes shalom
I used the “Village to Village” Camino guidebook by Anna Dintman and David Landis, which is available on Kindle. I ran into several other pilgrims also using this book. Nothing replaces a physical book, but the Kindle version almost as good. I’ve also heard of people ripping out sections of a paper guidebook if you’re only going to be doing a “section-hike” or portion of the Camino, and leaving the rest at home.
When I did the TMB this summer I saw a few people ripping out pages of their guide books after a day on the trail. My wife was actually doing it too with a novel she brought. I’d rather carry a few extra ounces and add the book to my travel collection when I get home. The books are like trophies in my office!
Are you going to do any through hikes overseas? And how would you plan for one in a completely different country? I’m just very curious. Love your videos btw
Yes! As a scout master, I can attest that a red lamp is so much better than a white light on people trying to sleep. The blue light in the white light wakes up your brain, where as the red light does not and it doesn't kill your night vision. Red lamps!!
If regular earplugs don't work (too big, too uncomfortable) and the snoring keeps you awake, then custom-made earplugs can be a good investment. In the Netherlands they cost around €100. Hearing aid stores can make them. I am quite satisfied with mine!
You should use the App "Buen Camino". You can navigate the way and there are many Informations about the Albergues for different Caminos. Also you can choose your language.
I wish I had commented on your prep videos. I knew so many of those things that happened to you. I could have saved you and Montana a ton of hassles, Dixie. But here are some hacks for those going on the Camino in the future- REI sells a VERY Long replacement shoelace for hiking boots. It comes with the plastic ends ready to be attached if you need them. I bought them on my first Camino and never needed them BUT they were long enough to become that "clothes line" you suggested. So it's a great double use item. Buy a paracord that can also sub in as your shoelace if necessary.
For the ladies- carry a sarong that is made of very light fabric. (Or buy some fabric for this purpose). You can use it for multiple purposes. Wrap around you as privacy when using the outside "facilities" (!) Use it as a towel. Use it to cover our arms loosely while hiking in the bright sun. Your left arm will burn pretty easily even if, like me, you don't usually burn. Just tie together two corners on each end and it will stay on your arms while you hike. Tuck it into the bunk above yours to create a privacy curtain while you sleep. Going into a church that won't allow shorts? TaDa- you have a skirt ready to use.
Carry some large safety pins. You can pin damp socks off the back of your pack while you hike. When it's windy, the pins are great clothespins because your items wont blow off the line. If a strap breaks, pin it. you get the picture. I also pinned my money pouch on the inside of my clothing so it couldn't be grabbed by a pick pocket. Sterilized the pin can help with minor blisters.
Which reminds me....sleep with your money pouch ON you. You'll get used to it. It's only money and your passport. If you have to make a mad dash to the bathroom in the middle of the night, that "pilgrim" who is actually a thief (Sadly it does happen) wont be able to go into your sleep sack to pull it out of the foot end where you thought it was so secure.
Again for the ladies- carry a tinted lip balm. Sometimes you just want to feel a bit pretty at night. If you don't care about that, use it to keep your lips from frying!
Carry a few packets of alcohol wipes in case you need to do some blister work. Do NOT do surgery on yourself though. Blisters are meant to protect you.
Again for the ladies- Take a cardboard tampon tube (Remove the tampon) and roll in some emergency Euros. Then replace the tube in the paper wrapper to look like the real thing. The chances that someone will run off with your tampon is pretty much none!
Yes on the Fanny pack!!! This is not a fashion show!
Carry two pens. It's surprising how hard it can be to find them in Spain. Also, keep a small journal with you and ask people for their contact information as you go along. You'd be surprised how much you will wish you had that info when you return home.
Carry only enough cash in your pocket for that day. If someone does pickpocket you or if it just happens to fall out, you are only out enough for one day.
My last tip- As you get closer to Santiago (after Sarria somewhewre) there are a group of women who walk around saying they are Deaf and are collecting money for a group of Deaf kids. This is a complete scam. I've been a professional sign language interpreter for 31 years. They are not Deaf! I even had the chance to meet a Deaf local while I was in Santiago the last time. He confirmed that it's a scam. Be kind to your fellow pilgrims and pass it on.
Long comment. I'm sorry. I hope it's helpful to someone.
Thank you. This is EXTREMELY helpful. So glad I scrolled through the comments.
Do not be sorry for passing all of this great advice. I will make use of it when I do my Camino. Thank you for putting it together, especially for us ladies!
WoW❗️Thanks! Preparing to go in the spring. Researching as much as possible!
These are great practical tips. Thank you 🙏🏻
Very helpful. Long comments are okay. We have agency over reading them, skimming them o4 skipping the. Thanks a ton.
The following things I wouldn't have done without for my Camino Portuguese:
malleable silicone earplugs
sleeping mask
runners knee length compression socks
ultralight silnylon poncho - check alibaba
small thin plastic cutting board and small knife - for cutting bread, cheese tomatoes etc
TrailSmart map app with detailed offline Camino maps
a thin down sleeping bag I'd converted to a quilt by removing the zipper and hood
artificiel silk sleeping bag liner
small headlamp
Things I brought and never needed:
Compass
Rain jacket - used poncho
down jacket - hiked in October no need for a jacket
extra water bottles - one was plenty
water filter - unnecessary plenty of access to drinking water
large micro fiber bath towel - the 2 small micro fiber towels I had were adequate
Things I'll be taking with me for next years Camino:
trekking umbrella
titanium ethanol stove + titanium mug (I was often on the road at 5.30 or 6 in the morning and cafes didn't open until around 8.30 - nice to stop for some hot coffee and bread and cheese while enjoying the dawn).
When leaving early remember one's fellow pilgrims, prepare and pack as much as possible for the next day the evening before Then in the morning quietly carry all your stuff into the kitchen to complete it.
Just as a matter of general interest I met an elderly man (early 70s and a little older than me, who walked Caminoes 11 months of the year. When he'd finished one he'd choose a new starting point. He'd even walked from Canterbury in the UK to Santiago. He'd walked the Camino Frances 9 times, can't remember how many times he'd done the other popular routes.
"What stands in the way becomes the way" Emperor Marcus Aurelius
Bom Camino :)
Ahhh, Marcus Aurelius the philosopher! I was going to do the Camino Frances in June 2020 but when I do, I will make sure to avail myself of your great advice, thanks.
I walked the Camino from Switzerland to Pamplona and wish I had known about the hooks...☺️. An additional tip: I collect all the Silica-Gel bags over the year and carry them in a airtight bag. When I need a small item or even shoes to dry over night I use one or two of them. They also come in super-handy if your phone got wet in the rain.
Brilliant Andrea, great idea
1. Hero clip
2. S2S Clothes Line
3. ScanSnap page scanner. Cut the spine and scan pages into a PDF
4. Use fanny pack as foot prop (with Hero clip)
5. Bright duct tape as differentiator (dual use)
6. Nitecore Thumb has red light
7. See 5
8. Matador earplugs come in a keychain which is hooked onto quilt zipper (dual use)
If you want to make your trekking poles identifiable and also have a handy way to store your cordage (paracord, zing-it, whatever you use), you can wrap a dozen or so yards under the handle and secure it with a hitch or constricting knot. It's easy to take off when you need the cordage, and always easy to get to. Plus, if you opt for a high visibility color, like hunter orange or neon yellow, it will make your poles easy to spot in the pile, and make you more safely visible if you're hiking in a hunting area.
Use the red light option from headlamp. Great hands free option for bathroom trips. Saved me once in a stall that had timed lights.
I wanted to say the same thing, glad it was covered.
For only $10 and 10 grams, I really like the NiteCore Tube USB-charge-able key-chain light. 50 hours of 1 lumen (great for reading, pooping, digging in your pack) and I find 1 lumen (barely) enough to hike a developed trail at night; or 1 hour of 45 lumens. For backpacking trips, it lets me use my main headlamp with no worries of draining the battery because I could, if needed, compete the trip/stage with the Tube. And since it's USB-charge-able, you always start a trip with it full and are never seeking oddball button batteries on your travels.
Pro-tip, especially while backpacking: stitch a little loop of thin elastic on the shoulder of your sleep top. Then it will point, hands-free, at a paper book, map, tooth brush, mirror, etc, that you're trying to use at night.
1. for the arthritic folks out there like me, I took a pair of dishwashing gloves. They made a huge difference every afternoon when washing my clothes in freezing water. Also they are waterproof so if it's raining you can use them too!
2. I tied my trekking poles together with a colorful reusable plastic tie when placing them in a bin
3. Instead of clothes pins I brought safety pins. They are lighter, smaller, used them to hang laundry and other things to my backpack if they weren't dry.
- I always carry some paracord and carabiners but I love the idea of the "S" hook with suction-cup. I've been in several campsites showers and often found there was nothing to hang my stuff
- I too always worry that someone might walk away with my trekking poles and I think using something bright and very visible is a good idea to distinguish them. I'll do that 👍🏼
- As for lighting up without bothering others, I use the red light feature on my headlamp. This is very sufficient to find my stuff and my way around and it really doesn't bother anybody
- Ear plugs: I am the noisy one so perhaps I should carry some....for the others 🤣
Thank you, Dixie, I love all your videos
Take those soft foam earplugs and cut them in half. Use the end that has the nice round shape and just gently roll between your fingers and place it in the outer part of your ear canal...don’t jam it down in there unless you brought a pair tweezers to pick it out....half of the earplugs gives a nice muffled quality to your hearing without hearing your heart pound but still be aware of your surroundings... really like the Walgreen store brand ones. They come in a big jar and are fleshy colored .i always wear them on an airplane. The half portion doesn’t render you completely deaf. Just returned from Borrego Springs and got to do some walks on the PCT AT scissors crossing and up there at Julian. Beautiful winter time desert fun. Really enjoyed the Camino hike. As always you really deliver. I think you and Montana should do the Cornish Coast Path in southwest England. Y’all could walk forever in Great Britain on all those public Footpaths that ave been established for so long and maintain right aways through perpetuity. ☮️❤️🍷🐈🐿
I always carry some zingit and Dutch wasps so I can run a clothesline when I need it. It’s also handy if I’m bringing a tarp so it’s easy to set a ridge line for a covered area for lunch or rain shelter. Also, all of my packs have shock cord on the outside just so I can dry socks or underwear while hiking. The “s” hooks are a great idea and I’ll be adding those to my international loadout for sure!!!
Another thought with the trekking poles and shoes: how about just connecting them so that if a person picks up yours by mistake they get both, which would que them that they aren't theirs. For poles, use a stretchy hair band or mini-bungee. For shoes, just tie the laces together when you put them on the shelf.
Great advice ... will sure do.
Silicone earplugs are soooo much more comfortable than foam and they block almost any kind of snores as well. You can find them in US drugstores dirt cheap, too, Mack’s or DVS brands
It's not UL, but having tons of electronics never is. For group or family trips, I'll pack *one* US to Euro adaptor plug plus an extension cord sold around Christmas for Christmas-tree lights. They're always green, 6-9 feet long, light-gauge wire (like a lamp cord) and have 8-10 US outlets along its length. Then you 1) don't need a ton of adaptors, 2) can charge multiple devices at once, 3) can share all those outlets with old or new friend), 4) keep your device close to / in your bed instead of across the room. It's a far lighter set-up with far more outlets than other multi-outlet extension cords or a power strip.
It's also handy when traveling domestically - often the outlet in a hotel room isn't where you want it and when airport outlets are all full, no one can refuse your request to insert your splitter cord between them and the wall since they'll remain energized while 10 new outlets have been created.
Earplugs are one of the top backpacker items. On the camino I slept merrily through someone's diarrhea night, the toilet stall was directly adjacent to the dorm... but there was also one guy whose snoring was so criminally loud the plugs were useless!
tip for hanging clothes: roll up a couple layers of paper you can find and put that in the s-hook. It makes for a firm clothing hanger. Cover with something plastic if clothes are wet of course, to prevent it from soaking or from staining the clothes.
Excellent ideas. Rubber tips for hiking pole is a way to reduce noise while you hike.
yea, like i always got upset hearing that tapping noise on the camino. no reason not to have tips. even wine corks can be used in place of the rubber ones
Thank you Dixie for the interesting and helpful tips!
Hey rock the fanny pack and the big bright shoe laces. Bring back the 80s.
Dixie, S hooks are fine, but check out soft shackles. You can make them yourself in literally any size and they are super light and take up no space. Also way more useful than s hooks. Think of them as a carabiner made out of rope. You can open and close it like a carbabiner, but it folds up into nothing when you pack it. If you make them out of zing-it or some other dyneema type line, they can hold a crazy amount of weight too. They're something a lot of hammockers have been using for years. I carry one with me in my everday carry now, they are that useful, and there's always at least two in my backpack loadout.
Love the foot hammock idea. Absolutely going to try that.
1. Spray your bed gear with Permethrin before leaving, helps prevent bedbugs
Perfection thank you!! Reflective tape on trekking poles is a great hack!! And the foot hammock for the WIN. Much appreciated!!
Guide book sections - Technology has always failed me at the worst time on the trail or riding a bicycle (hundreds of miles). The night before, or over breakfast, I spend half an hour hand-scribing my next day's hike/bike with highlights, and put it in a pint zip-loc, which works as a rain protector.
Get a headlight that has an option for red light. I've used this while camping or when in hostels where a bright white light will wake everyone else up. It's also hands-free for packing up your gear and you get plenty of light to see. Mine also allows you to adjust the intensity of the red light as well, which is handy.
Camino office in St. Jean provided a handout of towns and albergues, updated (they change), very useful, and when I lost my Brierly guidebook, I really wished I had kept it, and photographed it to use as Dixie explained. 2020 hindsight.
Fanny packs are totally making a comeback!! I really like the other apps available, anything that includes the history of where you walk. Buen Camino app and the Wisely app are both good. They also include reviews of the albergues! Super helpful!
I brought a foam roller water bottle. It was a game changer for body care and it's dual purpose!
Also, you just can tape a piece of red transparent paper on top of your smartphone light. And I never sleep without earplugs and sleeping mask in hostels. Another tip is to roll some amount of duct tape around your tracking poles. First, they're marked then as yours and second, you have duct tape available for small repairs like a rip in your jacket, tent, sleeping bag etc.
Thanks for your tips!
If there was enough space (and it was raining out), I’d put my hiking poles under the top flap of my backpack so they were sticking out either side and hang my drying laundry over the poles.
Hi Dixie - I really enjoy your channel and your tips, hacks & general advice make so much sense and is greatly appreciated. I was to do the Camino Frances in June of 2020 and for obvious reasons, I did not go and now is becoming apparent that I will not go until 2022. Thank you and please stay safe not just for yourself but for your family as well :-)
Great tips Dixie! Thanks!! Wishing you and your family a very happy New Year!
Having cordage for a clothesline can double as a curtain for privacy. In India, I always took the top tier berth on trains and hung my elastic clothesline from the dividing grill thru the hanging chains that held the berth and around to the opposite side of the grill. They were large mesh metal screening and I could just hook the clothesline to them easily. Then I hung my dark blue sari over the clothesline all the way around, giving me privacy, a little darkness, and offering some slight deterrent to night thieves. Very useful to carry a small pack of mini plastic clothes pins also. Safety pins will do in a pinch. Do not carry your passport and cheques in a bag with a cord around your neck. Its easy to cut the cord while you are sleeping and gently relieve you of all your worldly goods!
I completely agree with the no-weight approach of photographing the guidebook with your phone. An old-school way to reduce guide book weight is to copy it on a copy machine at 50%. 50% width x 50% height means 25% the size and 25% the weight and it still works if your eyes are young. Then you just toss pages as you go.
Conversely, sometimes I'd copy a city map from a guide book at 150% or 200% to make it easier to read and put notes onto. Then, I can do some navigation and orientation with just a slip of paper instead of waving my $800 iPhone around while obviously a tourist.
I second the "hero Clip". multi-use clip!
Oh, and yet another night-light / courtesy tip: if your light is too bright for use in a shared shelter (or you want to preserve your own night vision), just cover it with one or two layers of a t-shirt, bandana or sheet of toilet paper. Voila! a 50-lumen light just became a 5-lumen light and more diffuse / less glaring. A sheet of toilet paper and a rubber band can make it hands-free.
It probably doesn't surprise you, Dixie, that I'm also an engineer.
Thanks Dixie. Great tips. Especially the S hooks
If you still have an old phone, you can get it unlocked and take it with you, then buy a local SIM card for whatever country you’ll be in. I took my iPhone 4 when I went a few years ago and did that. Worked out great! And if you want to call home, just get an international phone card and use it with your phone.
You can also use a small bungee cord, works for lots of things, like hanging a pack on a tree. Could stretch the bungee to make a clothesline as well.
i walked the camino twice and a bungee is a great thing to take
Videos very informative. Am considering doing the Camino in Italy next year.
06:45 , Yes while in a hostel or such place i always attach colourfull ribbons to my gear ...same i do when traveling in a group , especially in flights makes locating your , your groups stuff easily...in a crowd. Happy Holidays to you.
Village to Village publishing have an excellent guidebook that weighs just over 100 grams. Excellent maps and enough information to plan stops and accomadation etc.
Fanny packs are finally becoming cool...LOL. There was certain amount of disrespect directed at my fanny pack during my PCT thru attempt in 2008. Wt. carried in a fanny pack is barely noticeable. In the desert, I used it for 2L of water. My fanny pack carried the first 4 days of food north of Kennedy Meadows (no bear canister req'd area) which made it possible to make it to VVR without resupply. GK
What?! When where fanny packs NOT cool?! ;-)
App for the Camino. Wise Pilgrim Guides. They have just about everything you need. You can get a headlamp that has a red light. If you're an early riser, like me, have everything ready to go before you turn in. The only things you should have to put into your pack in the morning should be your nest and toothbrush. Those that rummage in plastic bags should all be taken out into a field .................
The information is great, the visuals are wonderful and the beautiful Southern accent is a huge bonus. Thanks Dixie for being a wonderful example of a strong, beautiful Southern woman.
Talk about strong, I married a Northern woman. What was I thinking. And I'm a Southern boy who said I would never marry a Yankee. I love Southern women. Oh shut up and go to your room.
Did most of this except s hooks. Very useful. Thankyou.
Xero Shoes sandals for the albergues. They weigh less than a pound. When I go back, I want to get a DSLR clip on my backpack strap to get footage on the spot. Like you, I like to get footage as I go, but I kept having to dig my camera out of my pack. Which means less to work with later.
I believe that one of the best things for the early risers is to pack up before you go to sleep. I carried earplugs to give to others because I've been told that I snore.
OHHHH GREAT IDEA!!
I've been told recently by my kids that "Mom you could wake the dead..."
I have not done the Camino yet, but I have travelled a great deal where you share a room and prepping the night before has been a tremendous help to get going in the morning. Whereas my travel companion will take apart her overloaded suitcase & re-stuff it again before she goes to bed but next morning the scene repeats itself all over again (?) I believe in preparation and it has served me well over the years. Thank you for your advice.
Thanks for this. It's really helpful
You should try Vibes earplugs. The breathing, heartbeat and overwhelming of your own voice is not an issue.
For lighting ... get yourself a headlamp with a red light option, or a flashlight with a red filter (I have a Fenix UC35 + red filter cap).
Always nice to hear your voice, keep the cards and letters coming.
1. use sewing clips instead of clothes pegs
2. if feet got wet, put on dry socks and thin plastic bags, it will keep them warm in wet shoes
3. multiple port charger is a must on camino
4. use Maps .me maps and download other people treks
The book you showed... there is a "dutch edition" same author. It is in English and available on Kindle for download. I have the physical/original book and I have the dutch edition on Kindle so I don't have to carry the book. I also downloaded the Village to Village guide in Kindle. The only book I am going to carry is a camino map book, much smaller and I will rip out the pages when I no longer need them.
i didnt know i can change the brightness of my iphone lamp! cool! and surprisingly it was on a low level by default.
are there any places to camp on the Camino rather than sleeping indoors? Great tips on the hooks,and taking a dry bag in the showers with your personnel stuff. Thanks for this video.
From memory some accommodation has outdoor areas for campers
I like to use an app to scan the text for PDF-making, does a great job of converting text to a very low file size, and allows cloud connection to Google Drive, Dropbox, etc (Genius Scan). Can also tag pages, send pages, etc. Keeps for a paper-free journey, except for the paper map of course!
Thanks, interesting information! Always great to see your videos.
Happy new year
Coghlan’s Bungee Clothesline works well-no clothes pins
Sea to Summit water proof stuff sack works well to agitate the washing of clothes placed inside with soap and water
Great tips !!
I disagree about the light when you want to leave in the morning. It's not the right way. The right way is: pack in the evening and put everything in one spot, so that you can get up, grab it, and leave the dormitory without disturbing anyone. Everything else you can do outside in the communal area.
and the sleeping bag you are sleeping in? Pillow? Clothes that you've hung? Phone you were charging?
@@JH-hw3ci grab all of those and leave. You can pack your sleeping bag and rest outside of dormitory.
It’s good to hear your voice Dixie!!!
“God is that you”
I love her sense of humour
Thanks for the good tip of getting a suction cup hook
For the issue of snoring and bright lights.
- To address these issue I train myself with TH-cam blasting comedies and not switching off the lamps when I sleep occasionally.
Trekking poles getting stolen
- I got myself a cheap, heavy and non branded poles. The poles works fine and I got stronger arms :)
Damn, that 'God is that you' cracked me up. Lol
I use a key chain type small flashlight on a string around my neck like a necklace. It points straight down and can hide under my shirt. I tie it with a poly string using a slip knot with a melted end to keep it from slipping unless a greater amount of force is used to keep it safely around my neck.
Get used to earplugs BEFORE walking. I had a buff that I used for an eye mask too that kept the plugs in place.
As well as earplugs consider taking an eye mask especially if walking in summer as it’s light till after 11.00 pm! I used mine every night when I walked CF in June July. Also a good and cheap snack is to boil 6eggs (€1) and have them in your backpack. Lived off them 😋
Some great tips!
The handheld vlog is a really different look. I like it.
The OG Thru-hike vloggers, CB Disco and POD, did the TA a few years ago. They would be great to talk to.
Thank you Dixie!
Thank you for your tips! Experience does make a difference and I appreciate your sharing your experience.
Not a fan of ear plugs either, partly because they never seem to stay in. I've found the wax type that you can mould for a better fit to be the most useful.
I use the silicone Mack's brand type . There are directions for best efficiency.
Happy New year to you and your family
New sub, just wanted to say I think your videos are great. I'm putting my bug out bag together an found your videos. Been watching many and your ideas and knowledge has made impact on my decisions of what to do. Thank you for great fun videos , especially the how to stay clean on the trail. Best wishes shalom
Alternative for pdf version is getting the kindle app on your phone (free) then you can usually get guide books via kindle.
Diaper safety pins work great on your backpack to hang wet clothes to dry
Just passing along a compliment. You have beautiful skin.
I used the “Village to Village” Camino guidebook by Anna Dintman and David Landis, which is available on Kindle. I ran into several other pilgrims also using this book. Nothing replaces a physical book, but the Kindle version almost as good.
I’ve also heard of people ripping out sections of a paper guidebook if you’re only going to be doing a “section-hike” or portion of the Camino, and leaving the rest at home.
"Nothing replaces a physical book": +1
I like to carry physical maps and/or guidebooks while hiking. Worth their weight.
I like the Village to Village book more than the Brierley book too. It fit perfectly in my fanny pack for easy access!
When I did the TMB this summer I saw a few people ripping out pages of their guide books after a day on the trail. My wife was actually doing it too with a novel she brought. I’d rather carry a few extra ounces and add the book to my travel collection when I get home. The books are like trophies in my office!
Thank you so much Dixie!
Hello, Dixie and Montana, I wanted to said is I enjoying your video. You are very natural. Should you do more of this type of videos!
Great tips and advice!
Thanks for the video
Fabulous!!!
Thanks for sharing! Blessings
Super useful hacks Dixie! Thank you 😃
Hi Dixie
Is it possible to sleep in your tent while hiking the Camino?
Thanks for the great content. I'm saving up to hike the Camino in 2022!
Also aiming to do El Camino Frances in 2022 - I had everything ready for May 2020 and we know what happened ;-) Buen Camino!
instead of a "fanny pack" you could try a sporran...
LOL
ZipLock bags at breakfast and dinner equal snacks for later. I sometimes use doggy poop bags because they are tough and free.
in the albergues, those plastic bag are going to make folk hate you. better to pack without plastic bags
@@kimballwiggins3976 Hate ME? That's their problem, not mine.
Did you find the free wine fountain?
"Pootin" LOL
Bluestreak76 what does this mean? 😂
@@Stephanie-hn3yn Russian farting i guess
Great tips.
Are you going to do any through hikes overseas? And how would you plan for one in a completely different country? I’m just very curious. Love your videos btw
In a previous video she said she was doing the one in New Zealand.
I would use the red light on my head lamp while packing up at night, I think - I've heard that that's what it's for!
And your night vision is not adversely affected.
Yes! As a scout master, I can attest that a red lamp is so much better than a white light on people trying to sleep. The blue light in the white light wakes up your brain, where as the red light does not and it doesn't kill your night vision. Red lamps!!
Looking good there Miss D! Had your hair done ? Love your stuff! Keeps me going. Happy new year? M 🤪
thats not creepy...at all
Terrific stuff
Have you checked out the International Appalachian Trail yet? It is right up your alley
Good info..
If regular earplugs don't work (too big, too uncomfortable) and the snoring keeps you awake, then custom-made earplugs can be a good investment. In the Netherlands they cost around €100. Hearing aid stores can make them. I am quite satisfied with mine!
Thanks, Dixie. Happy New Year to you and your entire family....including Fancy Mae. 🤗🎆👏🏼
Bring a couple of clothespins, so you can dry your clothes at the albergue, or you can dry clothes on your backpack as you walk.
You should use the App "Buen Camino". You can navigate the way and there are many Informations about the Albergues for different Caminos. Also you can choose your language.
"God is that you?"
Lol