20 days until the Camino

20 days to go until the Camino Adventure starts and the equipment gathering is going well, I want to do another proper post about this later, but as its exactly 20 days today (and I have changed the start date from the 22nd to the 25th) I wanted to do a really quick post to celebrate that date, I will probably do a full kit list video (like this one from Alison Stauver) before I go and another when I get back. Thanks should also go to Lindsay Cowie (from Vancouver) for her excellent YouTube videos about the walk.

Below is a photo of some of the stuff I have put together so far and a little bit about some of them:

• New Boots – obviously (my old ones are 30 years old – still going strong, heavy and actually slightly too small for my feet)
• Socks thin inner socks that I wore in The Gambia a few years ago and thicker Merino wool socks. I will wash the inners every day and the outers probably once per week
• New Backpack I have had to buy a new backpack, as I discovered that my old one (bought in about 1986) was too short for my 6’7″ frame and has also been sitting in the garage for too long and was a little musty. Several washes in the shower, and sitting in the fresh air for days has improved it a little, but the whole thing is really falling apart, so a new one was needed and because of my unusual height, I have had to go for a top of the range pack, it is a pretty fabulous bit of kit though, more on that later I am sure…
• “Fluffy” quick drying micro-pore towel (in Utility Warehouse purple). I have used it for my morning shower the last 3 days an whilst its a bit odd to use as it seems to want to stick to my skin rather than slide across, it does a great job and is indeed quick drying
• a few Dry-bags, which are pretty amazing bits of kit – again more on that later
• I already had 2 sleeping bags, I am still debating which one to take, one is feather, the other is man made fibres…
• I was looking for trousers, but the best ones I have found (that fit) are the ones I have been using  for my mindfulness walks (there is one on Saturday if you are local and interested) already which were from Marks and Spencers!! and I will probably take my old golfing waterproofs, which are actually a nice material on their own and will of course double up as waterproofs too…
• I was also struggling to find shirts that would fit and be quick drying, not too expensive and without big pockets in the “nipple” area as I found them irritating even in the changing room!!
  

OK, that’s all for now folks, more posts to come later obviously, and remember I will be blogging every day, even if only offline, but it looks like there are lots of Albergues with WiFi and no doubt lots of coffee shops etc along the way too…

I plan to take a photo of EVERY sunrise and hopefully (if I remember) every sunset too, so each blog will be about what happened the day before as well as how I am feeling about the day ahead. If you want to get an email every day reminding you to go read the blog, please sign up to my email list below 😀 thanks, Buen Camino! John