My 5 Camino Mistakes or Things I could Have Done Better

[@robscamino]

Oh, here is that video about different ways to carry water. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIimZn6CiN9nbKM

[@freelancelady]

I am overweight but my doctor told me to start walking 1/2 hour morning and another 1/2 hour after noon until I am able to walk a complete 4 hours and then not only I can loose weight but get ready for the Camino in 2024. I think it is manageable if I do it this way. I plan to do it in April-May 2024. I don’t think it could be nice in the summer. Much to hot for me. Also no more than 20 kilometers. So I can smell the flowers, and see things without being overly tired.

[@robscamino]

Good luck with the weight loss and training. I know how hard that can be!

[@azby7933]

I've never walked a camino but have travelled with a backpack around Spain. I was told by ex-army to pack my things then go through them again and take half out. It worked so well that when I met some Aussies along the way, one asked "Is that your day pack??" I can still remember his surprise that it was all I had. It was in the days before mobiles and digital cameras. I have *no* video/photographic record of my trip (something hard to comprehend these days when people photograph their breakfast) - only my memories and the jug with 'agua' written on it in blue that I lugged carefully around with me for weeks. As a lone 18 yr old girl with a backpack, I was asked if I was a pilgrim by a local in Burgos, which is where I first knew of the Camino... but have still not walked it - only through books ... and now videos. I'm lucky in that I'm an accepting person so if I never make it for real, I don't mind.

[@robscamino]

Well done on travelling light. Maybe one day you'll be drawn to walk the Camino. 🙂

[@TJN7484]

Acouple of mistakes I did was to over pack which I then left some items behind and the other was instead of purchasing a size 9.5 hiking boot I should have gone with a size 10. There is one thing I did which worked out fantastic was getting a Debt card that I could load it with different currencies and reload the card via my cell phone when needed. The exchange rate is WAY better than the banks/ATMs/airports. Worth looking into.

[@robscamino]

I think we all make mistakes. I'm still learning! Thatcard sounds interesting...

[@dittanymorgan7039]

Great to hear from someone who’s done it. Make sure you let us know where you’ll be and we’ll all try and come and stay. Hehe

[@robscamino]

It will be a well kept Secret! LOL

[@dittanymorgan7039]

@@robscamino I expect so 🤣

[@schweizerbergnomadin1054]

I walked the whoe camino starting from Switzerland. I am so passionate about this pilgrimage that I want to do it again this fall. But this time I would walk slower, visiting more of the many interesting and beautiful place at a little distance from the official camino. And i will spend the nights in better and more quiet places.. If you sleep poorly the camino is tought!!

[@robscamino]

I think the more Caminos we walk, the slower we want to walk them. To prolong the joy 🙂

[@laurap.5804]

You got my point, sleepiness worried me if the next day I have to walk 20-25 km!!! Robscamino gave me a good suggestion :)

[@wio2189]

hey I am thinking about doing the same thing. Which route did you take from Switzerland, if I may ask? Did you use a Guidebook or an app? Where did you sleep? Appreciate your response.

[@johnavery5384]

Training is the tricky one. I walk the dogs daily which is OK but not great. But. Walking the dogs with a weighted rucksack was great for conditioning. I became completely comfortable with the extra load and odd balance. It was also helpful to work out what socks worked best; did I need extra padding, etc. 👍

[@robscamino]

Sounds like it worked well for you.

[@Bettys_Eldest]

An English extension (St James Way - 106km - Reading to Southampton) was introduced last year. The start is a 20 minute rail journey away and the end less than two hours. If I cannot manage 100k, then a Spanish Camino is out of the question. I know it is not Spain, but five days should give me sufficient opportunity to test out my footwear, how much gear I really need, establish if walking poles help etc.

[@robscamino]

Great test run 🙂

[@mirellasa4949]

I walked my first Camino in 2019 fat but fit. I took 5kgs of stuff. I had no problems, no blisters nothing! I walked at my own pace. I was judged by a Pellegrino who didn't have nice things to say about me. His problem not mine! I'm leaving next week for my second Camino and I'm still fat and fit. I will be going at my own pace and that is the secret.to the Camino! It is yours alone. If I wait to be slimmer I would never do a Camino. Buen Camino all!

[@robscamino]

100%. Have another great Camino 🙂

[@mengiequirante2460]

Hi! Any tips to avoid blisters? What’s your shoes? Thank you. And thank you again Rob 🙏

[@robscamino]

@@mengiequirante2460 This video covers blister prevention. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGWVpJembKxmbqc

[@robscamino]

@@mengiequirante2460 These videos cover footwear. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqiQc4uZlthmaMk kzbin.info/www/bejne/amnNZIt_d5uBfpI kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5mogquvfbxrq6M

[@mirellasa4949]

@@mengiequirante2460 I buy my hiking shoes a size up. I also take a small bottle of magnesium oil which helped a ton. Oh and your socks must be hiking ones. Last time I took only 2 pairs, it rained and my one pair didn't dry. Lucky enough someone left a washed pair behind so I had an extra pair. So this time I'm taking 3 pairs.

[@laurap.5804]

Hi, how strange, I would think not to be fit as probably one is going to lose weight during it, You gave me another point of view, thanks, I will think about it as I am already quite fit, worried to go underweight actually for the many hours walk!!!!

[@robscamino]

Losing too much weight won't be a problem. Lots of cheap hi carb meals, bread, wine.... An average Pilgrims menu for example is three courses, with bread and 1/2 bottle of wine for Euro 12-14.

[@estellagutierrez4615]

Thank you ...all information needed

[@robscamino]

Glad it’s helpful

[@CJonesApple]

I would recommend some altitude training over distance. I was walking to or from work that month before I left most days, that's 10km. It's flat, I felt comfortable with distance but hills messed with me for a while

[@robscamino]

I would agree that hills are good training. Or stairs in multi level car parks! I presume that's what you mean by 'altitude' training. I had visions of training at Everest base camp . 🙂

[@byrdsonawire]

Thank you for this Rob. I liked the “don’t walk the Camino before the Camino), as I have found myself doing just that to try and replicate those first 2 days (I split walking to Roncesvalles in two days, with a stop in Orisson), but I’m still so worried about it. I know I just need to get there and start walking and see what happens! Thanks again for your videos!!

[@robscamino]

Many of us can have a tendency to over think it perhaps? 🙂

[@byrdsonawire]

@@robscamino I’m sure I am. 😁 ☺️

[@annarobins1017]

Thanks very much for your video. I totally agree with #4. I was one-eyed when I walked the Frances last year. I plan to take much more time this year when i walk the Portuguese coastal route from Porto.

[@robscamino]

There is so much to see isn't there...

[@guzeppefarrugia]

Very encouraging

[@robscamino]

Glad it was helpful.

[@caitrionaboles1118]

When are you going on your next camino Rob. Really enjoy your videos thanks

[@robscamino]

Not sure yet. I was hoping to be there now, but likely this time next year. Health, general life and work got in the way this year.

[@jaypriyafoundationsydney2636]

Rob, is the tap water potable along the way like Sydney or do we have to buy bottled water everywhere? Thank you for sharing your water management tips. Very helpful indeed.

[@robscamino]

The tap water is very high quality. Better than Sydney! I don't drink Sydney water unfiltered 🙂

[@jaypriyafoundationsydney2636]

@@robscamino Thanks a lot. Very helpful.

[@johnkelly3886]

What about laundry facilities?

[@robscamino]

It's a bit of a lottery. Albergues all have somewhere to hand wash and hang clothes. Some may have a washing machine. At a cost. Hostals and Casa rurals will sometimes do laundry for you at a cost. Hotels never do, or take too long. Then in towns, you will normally find a self service laundry. So there is always 'something'.

[@johnkelly3886]

@@robscamino Thanks

[@Emma-wy5pd]

Hi ! thank you for the interesting video ! 🙂👍🏻 With my husband we are planning our first camino frances in April/Mai and we are training since February . We didn't walk very long distances yet but we are having one next week end ( around 20 kilometres ) , we were thinking to take our back pack with the weight we should have on the camino, do you think it's a good idea ?

[@robscamino]

I would just be careful to build up your training slowly, so as not to cause injury. If you have not walked with a full weight pack yet, maybe start with a light pack, and add weight gradually.

[@Emma-wy5pd]

@@robscamino We walked only few kilometres with one short ( but hard climbing ) and our backpack heavy as for the camino, it was terrible ( at least for me 🥵 ) ... Ok thank you for the advice ! ☺️👍🏻

[@robscamino]

@@Emma-wy5pd I might do a video on training. Bottom line is, if you are not that fit and used to hiking..... start easy and build up very slowly! Quite a few people get injured in the first few days of a Camino, for the same reason. They go too hard, too far and too fast at the start........

[@Emma-wy5pd]

@@robscamino We are training to the gym since February and are not over weight but we didn't walk long distances yet . We are leaving the 16th of April 🙂 Always appreciating your videos so looking for a new one with pleasure ! 😊 One of my main worry is to be able to sleep well enough with other people around ( if someone is snoring nothing can cancel the noise ) 🙉

[@robscamino]

@@Emma-wy5pd There are options. Such as (1) Ear Plugs. Though I can never get to sleep wearing them. (2) Ear buds on your phone and play relaxing music or just white noise from an App. I actually have a series of self hypnosis audios that send me to sleep in about 2 minutes! (3) Get a private room. many albergues have them, and there are lots of other fairly cheap options. I'm sure you'll manage 🙂

[@robscamino]

If you've walked a Camino before, what is one thing you would do, or did do differently, on your next Camino.

[@CCB249]

Sorry Rob, but you can't overtrain. I know people that have hiked the Appalachian Trail, the PCT, the Continental Divide trail, then the Camino. Needless to say, the Camino was the easiest for her. She had less weight to carry. Someone that can hike 2000 miles with 30lbs of gear isn't overtrained, they are just in better shape. The answer is, don't try to squeeze 3 months of training into 1 month. You should be walking all year round, then you will be in shape.

[@robscamino]

Someone who can walk 2,000 miles with 30 lbs of gear doesn't need to train at all ! 🙂 I would suggest though, that most who walk the Camino are not even regular Walkers/Hikers. And as you suggest, they try to 'cram' some training in...

[@adrianfernandez6644]

I want to going in july is that good time to go

[@robscamino]

It will be hot. Do you like hot? Good to check historical weather like on this site. www.wunderground.com/calendar/es/burgos/LEBG/date/2021-7

[@chakaka801]

How many kms did walk everyday? Thank you

[@robscamino]

I'm not that young, not that fit and overweight! So 20-25 kms per day is comfortable for me. I start off a bit less than that, and build up over the first few days.

[@chakaka801]

May you could have a list of those beautiful deviation please 🙏🏻

[@robscamino]

It's a very personal thing. Do you like landscapes, architecture, history? Some beautiful deviations may just be due to the people you meet. To a degree, a Camino cannot be planned. It happens to you 🙂 But on the Camino Frances? The church at Zabaldika, meeting David Vidal before Astorga, the church at Eunate. I would suggest reading guidebooks, read blogs, and see what appeals to you.

[@chakaka801]

@@robscamino thanknyou again 🙏🏻

[@gargar8]

Rule of thumb 1 liter of water is 1 kilo

[@robscamino]

Not sure it's actually a 'Rule of Thumb' though. I litre of water actually weighs......1 kg 🙂