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Camino Portuguese

Jun 25, 2023, 6 min read

Daily journals

  • The Camino routes are way-marked by the yellow arrows. You can get by without using any apps, the trail is well-marked and most people I encountered didn’t really use any apps and just relied on the yellow arrows.
  • However because I know that my navigational skills are subpar, I still downloaded the Buen Camino app for iPhone. I found it to be accurate. A nice plus of the app is it also shows you alternative routes or detours.

References

Getting there

  • Fly in to Porto
  • Bus: Porto - Valença (ALSA bus)

Getting back

  • Fly out of Porto
  • Bus from Santiago de Compostela to Porto airport (ALSA bus)

Accommodation

Packing list

  • I learned the hard way during my Inca Trail hike that backpack, shoes, and packing light are very important. For my Inca Trail hike I picked whatever I saw in Decathlon without considering whether they fit me or not, I didn’t break my shoes in and I brought way too many stuff with me. I was determined to not make the same mistake, especially this being a solo hike. I’m not sure if I’ll be walking with other people or how further apart the villages are.
  • Backpack: I went with Osprey Tempest 30. At first I was torn between Tempest 30 and 35, but decided to go with 30 to make sure I pack as light as possible. I got some pains on my left shoulder sometime because it wasn’t well fit but once I adjusted the backpack I no longer feel it.
  • Shoes: I was trying to decide between Altra and Solomon, but after searching online I could only find a store that sells Altra so I went with that. The specialist at Camp4 advised me to go 1.5 size up (I initially asked for 1 size up) because of my wide feet. I started breaking in my shoes 3 weeks before the camino. This turns out to be the perfect advice since I could feel that as I was going down the slopes I still had room for my feet and it definitely prevented friction and thus blisters from forming. For the socks I went with the Moreno wool socks that I already had for my previous hikes.
  • Blister management: I didn’t use anything at first but after helping out Paula with her blisters, I remembered a tip which is to use cream and Compeeds before the blisters happened. So starting from Day 3 I used Compeeds and rubbed lotion all over my feet every day before walking. Overall, I think I did well in this front. I came home with zero blisters, and while my legs would get very sore at the end of the walk, the pain would usually go away the next day.
  • Items I brought that I ended up not using: I packed ultralight so I made sure I only carried what I need, and had travel-sized everything: all-in-one soap, ultralight towel, etc. Even after narrowing down my packing list, I was still carrying a lot of stuff I didn’t end up using. However I’d say these were very circumstantial, so I’d still carry them next time:
    • Headlamp: I never had to venture out in the dark
    • Luggage lock: all of the hostels I stayed at had lockers
    • Raincoat: I didn’t use my raincoat because it surprisingly never rained on the camino
  • Items I was on the fence of bringing: I was nervous about leaving behind my Kindle but I could read on the phone just fine. I read Babel throughout my trip, usually in the afternoons.
  • Items I would bring next time: I wore my yoga pants almost every day because they’re more comfortable than my hiking pants. I wish I had brought one more pair with me!

Pack

  • Main pack: Osprey Tempest 30 Women’s Hiking Backpack - Globetrotter
  • Day pack: Osprey Ultralight Dry Stuff Pack 20 - Globetrotter
  • Fanny pack, to keep documents, phone, money, CC, cash every time I leave the albergue: Frilufts fanny pack - Globetrotter

Clothing

  • Shoes: Altra Lone Peak 6, 1.5 size up - Camp4
  • Camp/hostel slippers - Decathlon
  • Rain jacket - Decathlon
  • Fleece - Uniqlo
  • Emergency poncho - Decathlon
  • Yoga pants - Lululemon
  • Hiking pants - Decathlon
  • Running t-shirt 1 - Lululemon
  • Running t-shirt 2- Decathlon
  • 3x Merino wool Socks - Decathlon/Globetrotter
  • Hat
  • Sunglasses - Amazon
  • Lounge t-shirt
  • Lounge shorts
  • 2x sport bras - Lululemon
  • 3x panties

Electronics

  • Phone: iPhone SE 2020
    • Charger
  • Earphones: Airpods
    • Charger
  • Camera: Fujifilm X100V
    • Charger
  • Power bank: 20000 mAh
    • Charger
  • Watch: Apple Watch
    • Charger (USB-A)
  • Charger head (2 USB-A, 2 USB-C)

Kitchen

  • Emergency food
    • 2x snack bars - Decathlon
    • Dry fruits/trail mix - DM

Toiletries

  • Soap/shampoo/detergent: All-in-one soap Fibertec Travel Soap Eco - Globetrotter
  • Small sunscreen - DM
  • Small deodorant - DM
  • Small toothpaste - DM
  • Toothbrush - DM
  • Towel: Sea to Summit Airlite Towel - Globetrotter
  • Hand sanitizer - DM
  • Lip balm
  • Wipes
  • Clear 1L carry on - DM

Miscellaneous

  • Passport
  • Wallet: RFIDsafe™ V100 RFID blocking bifold wallet - Pacsafe
  • Earplugs: Loop Experience Plus - Loop Earplugs
    • I usually use these for concerts but I brought them in case of snorers
  • Headlamp: Energizer Headlamp - OBI
  • Padlock
    • For backpack
  • Cable lock: BURG-WÄCHTER 720 200 Snap+lock - OBI
  • Clothes line: Sea to Summit Clothesline - Globetrotter
  • Bed bug spray

Sketching kit

  • Watercolor book: Hahnemuhle Watercolor Book A5 200gsm Landscape - Modulor
  • Watercolor set: Schminke Horadam Aquarell watercolor set (Metal box with 12 x half pans and additional space for 12 x half pans or 6 x full pans) - Schminke
  • Fountain pen: Lamy Füllhalter safari (F and M tips)
  • Inks:
    • Ink refill (waterproof)
    • Lamy Ink Converter
  • Misc paints:
    • Winsor & Newton white gouache paint
    • Uni Posca white marker
  • Brushes:
    • Da Vinci Casaneo brush 2
    • Da Vinci Casaneo brush 6
    • Da Vinci Casaneo brush 10
  • Mechanical pencil
  • Vinyl eraser
  • Clear 1L carry on - DM

First aid

  • Blister support
    • Compeeds (DM)
    • Nivea care balm (DM)
  • First aid kit (I don’t remember where I got this from, this was from my previous hiking trips)
    • Includes antiseptic (alcohol, iodine wipes), bandaids, etc.
    • This first aid kit takes up too much space, I should get a smaller one next time.