Camino de Santiago - updated April Pilgrim numbers | how backpack capacity is calculated

[@CabelloKelly]

Thanks for the clear, concise info. First time doing CF. Just undecided between April and May. Considering buying the Osprey 22. I plan to carry only the basics.

[@TheCaminoGuide]

If you go in late May, for the most part the weather should be okay because much of your time will be in June when the temperatures are generally warm. If you go in April, there can still be some cold temperatures near freezing and quite a bit of rain in the first section leading to Burgos. In April you will want to bring one thicker layer, (not a heavy jacket) But something like a fleece jacket that can go under a rain jacket. The fleece or equivalent tends to be a little bulkier and may necessitate a slightly larger pack (or you could just roll it up and secure it to the outside). If you're looking at osprey, that's sort of what I was showing is that basically the packs are about the same size, and the main difference is that the 33 has that extendable sleeve at the top where the drawstring is and it also has that hat on top where you can stuff a few things. If you're undecided, might be better to stick with the 33 because they weigh almost the same, within 8 oz and you don't necessarily need to use all of the capacity of the 33. If you don't stuff it full and just push the top part of the sleeve down, the packs are virtually the same size. I prefer the 33, which is what I will be bringing in May if my son doesn't use it.

[@CabelloKelly]

@@TheCaminoGuide Thanks, Greg. The 33 sounds like a good option if I need a little extra room. Just trying to avoid the heat and the crowds if I go into June.

[@mariod7473]

Hi Greg, I was planning to do the CF in September , my first Camino, but I have to postpone to September 2025...leaves me more with time for training...I have enjoyed all your videos, no bla bla bla and always clear information. Keep it up.

[@TheCaminoGuide]

Thanks 👍 September is nice. Virtually no rain until you get to Galicia in October. The fields have all been harvested so the colors are brown and orange but makes for nice photos.

[@jdbro9956]

The Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage in Japan is the sister to the Camino. Doing both allows you to get the dual pilgrimage certificate. Thanks for all the interesting Camino facts and advice.

[@TheCaminoGuide]

Thanks for the clarification. It's been on my mind that I want to do it, but I haven't done the research yet. On my first Camino there was an old couple who had just completed it and wore their traditional hats on the Camino.

[@LynneSimpson-ux7lr]

Hiya Greg, gotta say the numbers seem a little nuts at the moment!! We are in Belorado and are heading to Burgos by bus tomorrow. That is because we can't get any accommodation between here and there. Stories from other pilgrims seem to be very similar re finding accommodation. Fingers crossed that things change before too long 🤞🤞 Cheers Lynne

[@TheCaminoGuide]

Up 15% y\y when last year was difficult as well.. yeah, this is why I've been keeping track of it. I was there a year ago and it was a bit of a challenge, so any increase would be tricky. Did you try all the different apps? Buen Camino app? There's also a tourist office in Belorado and they may have some info: maps.app.goo.gl/tqtnJifwfQKAnrPW9 Sometimes they open municipal buildings. Last suggestion would be to get off the main stages and stay in between. 2 mi past Belorado is another little town with this albergue: maps.app.goo.gl/KgBvoBdCtvBgBnyd7 In San Juan de Ortega they have the municipal albergue with 60 beds and they Don't take reservations, so if you got an early start you might be first in line.

[@PaulNelson392]

There will probably be a big jump in numbers this week. May 1st was a holiday in Spain and since it was on a Wednesday a lot of people took the week off to walk the last 100k of the Camino.

[@TheCaminoGuide]

Might be sleeping on the church steps this year.

[@abukyle1999]

The Portuguese Camino starts in Lisbon. In Porto you can then take either the Central or Coastal route, which then reconnect in Redondela. You can then take the Spiritual Variant from Pontevedra which then connects back with the Central route in Padron. Valença/Tui is 126 km to Santiago on the central. I’ve seen a couple starting points listed on the coastal route with from Vigo, Oio, O Freixo and even Baiona.

[@gregoryhageage6362]

Glad your knees are behaving. So, what supplements are you taking?

[@TheCaminoGuide]

It felt like an arthritic/inflammatory type condition. My knees would swell up and I would have trouble bending them and of course the pain. So I did some research where it was suggested it might be related to thyroid activity. So I started by adding iodine supplement along with an assortment of other things, multivitamin, vitamin d, vitamin b, vitamin c, zinc... And I've been playing around with it a bit, eliminating one or another to see what the effect is. Sometimes the pain comes back and sometimes it doesn't. I'm going to try a few days without anything and see what happens. Not sure if it's a deficiency of some sort or maybe I flushed something out of my system. But when I take all of those the pain goes away within a couple of days every time. I suspect the US food supply is poison, but that's just my foil hat talking. As much as possible I eat organic/non GMO and cook from scratch. I have virtually no pre-made food. The one thing I haven't been able to do is eliminate sugar from my diet. Coffee is one of my only pleasures in life and unfortunately I need cream and sugar in it. I did try eliminating caffeine for a while but it had no effect on my knees. I don't like the idea of going on a maintenance medication that I have to get from one of the pharmaceutical companies. If I can manage it on my own with vitamin supplements, that's what I'm going to do.

[@rrm8958]

Lleva mejor la mochila pequeña y otra bolsa en la cintura aparte, así compensará la diferencia

[@TheCaminoGuide]

🙂👍

[@katrinberger1676]

Porto to Santiago is 250 km.

[@TheCaminoGuide]

Yeah, you're right. The Portuguese coastal route is 250 km. The inland route is a bit shorter, Google maps showing about 216 km. Not sure where I got 180 km from...