I’m 36 hours from departure for the Camino del Norte, and so this afternoon I gathered all the things to see what I have. This is my third Camino, so certain things are familiar (same backpack, sleeping bag, pillow, towel, etc.) But once again, “what to wear” was a question that needed some thought. InContinue reading “Camino del Norte Packing List”
Tag Archives: backpacking
Is There a New American Pilgrimage Trail?
A few years ago, if you’d asked me about pilgrimages, I would have had to dig back into history. The word pilgrimage seemed archaic, more appropriate for Chaucer than the twenty-first century, and carrying a backpack for days wasn’t my thing. After I fell in love with the Camino de Santiago, though, the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon*Continue reading “Is There a New American Pilgrimage Trail?”
My Summer Camino Packing List
“All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go…” Well, almost packed. I’ve been working intently on The Book all month (that’s a mild way of saying I’ve been up until 2 or 3 every night for at least two weeks), but yesterday I finally let it go, sending it off to a group ofContinue reading “My Summer Camino Packing List”
Invincible Nature (Almost Wordless Wednesday)
“Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad, whatever is done and suffered by her creatures. All scars she heals, whether in rocks or water or sky or hearts.” — John Muir, John of the Mountains Photo taken just outside Fineroyls, France, in the remote high plains of L’Aubrac. This wasContinue reading “Invincible Nature (Almost Wordless Wednesday)”
How the French Camino (Almost Wordless Wednesday)
Spotted just outside Saint Come d’Holt. Note the beer holster, keeping one within reach, and two more tucked safely in the bag, just below the Camino shell.
3 (Almost-Weightless) Camino Packing Hacks
Here are the three small hacks I made to my Camino packing, based on the advice of pilgrims who went before me, that made a world of difference almost every day.
My 5 Favorite Albergues on the Camino Frances
At one point or another, every Camino alum starts making Top Five list. The Best Albergues. The Best Meals. The Best Days. I love reading these stories, because sometimes I recognize the places they describe…but more often I don’t. Pilgrims stop in different towns, or stay in different places, or the weather and the people justContinue reading “My 5 Favorite Albergues on the Camino Frances”
Bed bugs? What bed bugs?
In 79 days on the #CaminodeSantiago we slept in 75 beds. But we never saw a bed bug. Why?
My Camino Packing List
What does one carry on a pilgrimage across Europe? According to a scale of questionable accuracy in Aubrac, my pack, with water, weighed about 10 kilograms, or 22 pounds. That’s way more than what most ultralight backpackers would recommend, but it was never so much that I couldn’t carry it. My luxuries were small and carefully considered.Continue reading “My Camino Packing List”
camino times two 