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The Backpack – Part 3
The things that I plan to carry inside my backpack must be considered carefully. Walking on the Camino Mozarabe, Via de la Plata, finally merging into the Camino Sanabres, and ending in Santiago de Compostela requires diligent planning.
The route or ruta is particularly dangerous in the summer. Temperatures rise to more than 40°C (104°F). Heatstroke deaths of a few unwary walkers are not unheard of in this part of Spain.
An important consideration is to make a very light pack because enough food and water must be carried on me, by me. General advice is that at least 2 liters of water, which equals 4-1/2 pounds alone, is enough to stay hydrated and healthy coming north from the south. Pilgrims are admonished to take advantage of all opportunities to drink up when they can and fill those water bottles along the way!
Early symptoms of heat stroke include confusion, dizziness, weakness, agitation, slurred speech, nausea and incontinence. They should not be ignored.**
What’s inside my backpack
Waterproof is a word. It’s a feeling at best of being dry, safe, and secure. Most every personal item needs to stay dry. But, no fabric is really waterproof once holes have been stitched or punched into them, especially soft goods like clothing or backpacks. Any effort to keep things dry counts for something. So I did something.
I made a dry sack liner from green 0.8 oz. Dyneema for my backpack because… word.
The fabric is thinner and lighter than the Dyneema for the pack shell. It is maybe 28 liters, not as tall as the back pack. This avoided unnecessary waste of material since it will be rolled down while inside the backpack. It will hold the most vulnerable things in my pack.
Making friends with my feet
A pair of shoes
I know that my shoes will be the important thing to have. They won’t be inside my backpack, but on my feet. Made to last about 500 miles, my shoes will carry me almost 1400 kilometers or more than 800 miles.
One pair of shoes may not be fit for the task of transporting me and my backpack the entire Way, but I will make it work. Two pair at the start would be an indulgence and add more weight!
If my shoes fail me, I can obtain a new pair in a major town along the way. I would not want to break them in on the camino, but I accept the possibility. Either way, I may face a bit of suffering.
A pair of sandals will relieve my shoes and my feet at the end of each walking day. I can use them to navigate small river bed crossings caused by the melting mountain snows into the valleys, if necessary. They will not be inside my backpack!
Clothes on my back and inside my backpack
For the rest of my wardrobe, I have two changes of clothing. For instance, I will wear one shirt and carry another in my backpack. The plan is to do the same for my leggings, underclothes, etc. An exception will be my socks. I will have an extra pair or two because of the probable rainy conditions on the Mozarabe and into Galicia. I may have to change out of wet socks on the path.
- Long sleeve shirts, leggings
- socks, gloves
- buff, sun hat
- umbrella or rain jacket
- underclothes
- earplugs, safety pins for hanging laundry, hook for the shower
- sleep sheet, fast-drying body and face towel
- repair tape for the backpack
Unpacking my fears
I am a pilgrim making plans to walk the Way undaunted. That simple sentiment is hopeful, even innocent.
I am not overly fearful of the journey to Santiago, but a few things landed on my mind:
- foot problems
- not enough first aid supplies
- not finding a place to sleep for the night
- being turned away from an albergue or hotel because I am black
- not understanding and not being understood
- not finding a bathroom when I need one desperately!
Some of these concerns mirror those that I have when I prepare for travel here at home. Are the answers any different in Spain or anywhere else?
These things are not inside my backpack, but in their own ways add weight. All I can do is provide for contingencies. Yes, there will be things that I cannot control. I have no desire to do so for those. I plan to rely on my wits and sense of self-preservation that I was born with and cultivated in my life – so far.
Things that happen may bother, frustrate, or even sadden me. I may despair and relive moments, especially the ones where I feel wronged and unsafe. My sleep may be disturbed. I may feel like giving up. But those feelings won’t stay for long. Maybe a bit longer than I would like but not forever.
How do I know? I experienced bad things before. More often than not, I compare them to the whole of my life. I remember how I want to live and internally make the choice to match. And, as always, I lived to tell the tale!
While embarking on this pilgrimage, I’ll find a Way to reclaim and restore a hopeful view of this broken world… and put that inside the backpack of my soul.
A Peak Experience
I consider myself fortunate for this opportunity and pray for personal healing and more claimed wisdom.
Will I recognize my pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela as a peak experience in my life?
The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery’s buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence of the Montgomery movement; [Mother Pollard] summed it up for the rest. When asked after several weeks of walking whether she was tired, she answered: “My feets is tired, but my soul is at rest.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr
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This is the end of Part 3.
Finally, next time: A Tote and Pouch for personal items
Baadaye
Shirley J ❤️
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** More about the seriousness of heatstroke, here.
Next time: personal items
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More essential words and phrases
| clothes, top, shirt, t-shirt, athletic shirt | ropa, camisa, camiseta, camisa depotiva |
| leggings, pants, shorts | leggings, pantalón, shorts |
| shoes, hiking shoes, trail shoes | calzado, zapatos para caminar, zapatillas de trail |
| socks, hiking socks, sock liners | calcetines, calcetines de senderismo, forros de calcetines |
| underwear, panties, | ropa interior, bragas |
| brassiere, tank top | sostén, camiseta |
| toiletries | artículos de aseo |
| soap, washcloth, toothbrush, toothpaste | jabón, toallita, cepillo dientes, dentaria |
| water, hot water, cold water, bathtub, shower, wash sink, wash tub | agua, agua caliente, agua fría, bañera, ducha, fregadero de lavado, bañera de lavado |
| washing machine, detergent, dryer | lavadora, detergente, secador |
| flip flops, sandals | chancletas, sandalias |
| bandage, gauze, vaseline, salve | venda, gasa, vaselina, salvar |
| alcohol, iodine, witch hazel, astringent | alcohol, yodo, hamamelis, astringente |
| danger, caution, stop, go | peligro, cautela, parar, ir |
| open, closed | abrir, cerrado |
| reservation, confirmation | reserva, confirmación |
| umbrella | paraguas |
Phrase of the day
Where is my room? … the bed? … the bathroom?
¿Dónde está habitación? … la cama? … el baño?
Where is the supermarket? … pharmacy?
¿Dónde está el supermercado? …¿Farmacia?
Do you have newspaper for my wet shoes?
¿Tienes un periódico para mis zapatos mojados?
