Preparing For My First Camino
I have been dreaming about walking a Camino for a few years now. After our wonderful experience at Laulupidu in Estonia, I have been searching for my next big “bucket list” travel experience. The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella came into my head for whatever reason. I first heard of Camino de Santiago when I took a class in Medieval Architecture in college. I still remember that lecture by Professor Robert Ousterhout when he spoke about the tale of Saint Foy, a third-century child saint martyred in France. Six hundred years later, her relics were stolen by an undercover priest from the town of Conques. This theft of the relics was planned to draw in more pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostella. Well, call me irreverent, but I always love the stories of thieving priests!
The Hudson Riverfront Walkway in Bayonne, New Jersey.
Ever since hearing the story of Saint Foy, I have been intrigued by the idea of Camino and why the tomb of Saint James was such a draw. As a non-Christian, I could not personally understand the power of relics. But I could appreciate the power of pilgrimage and the cultural exchange that comes with it. In the past year or so, I have done quite a bit of research on the history and the modern revival of Camino de Santiago. I am surprised to find out that the popularity of the Camino has exploded over the past twenty years. I sure secretly wished I did one of the longer Camino in college.
Fast forward to late 2019, and I finally started planning on my first Camino for the summer of 2020. Of course, life happened, and the pandemic also hit. For the next year and a half, I monitored Spain and Portugal's quarantine and travel restrictions weekly. While many pilgrims got back on the trails with all the national and regional restrictions still in place, it was simply too risky and unpredictable for our first Camino. The ever-evolving rules on social distancing would likely take away any social aspect of the pilgrimage. With the wide availability of vaccines earlier in the year, both Portugal and Spain dropped almost all the pandemic-related regulations at their border and on the ground. At last, we finally felt confident setting out for our first-ever Camino!
Which Camino Should I Do?
Camino de Santiago traces its origin to the 9th century after the relic of Saint James was miraculously discovered and transported to the northwestern corner of the Iberian peninsula. Historians regard this “discovery” as a ploy to galvanize Christians to drive the Moors, who occupied much of the peninsula then. With the encouragement of the papacy, pilgrimage routes naturally developed all over Europe. Unlike today's pilgrims, medieval pilgrims began their pilgrimage on foot at the front door. The various routes that we know today generally have some historical basis. However, the exact routing was not exactly documented.
King Alfonso II of Asturias took the first recorded pilgrimage to the relic of Satin James. Starting from the Asturias capital, Oviedo, this route is known as the Original Way (Camino Primitivo). It is often considered the most beautiful and culturally rich Camino route. Other more popular routes include the French Route (Camino Frances), the Portuguese Way (Camino Portugués), the English Way (Camino Ingles), and the Northern Way (Camino del Norte). As the name suggests, the name of many routes corresponds with the traditional routes taken by pilgrims of a specific nationality. Picking a good Camino is the first decision all prospective pilgrims must consider seriously.
The Camino Portugués guidebook by Kat Davis, who sadly passed away two years ago.
As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, the minimum requirement for a successful pilgrimage is to walk the last 100 kilometers, approximately 61 miles, to Santiago de Compostella. Nothing in the rules states that you, a pilgrim, must state at the official starting point of any of these routes. This being my first Camino, I do feel the need to “enjoy” the formality of a “proper” Camino by starting at one of the “traditional” starting points and finishing at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostella.
With two weeks being the maximum length of vacation that I could take off in one go, it narrows down our options considerably. For a two-week Camino, the natural option would be either Camino Primitivo or Camino Portugués. Since Camino Primitivo is widely regarded as the most physically challenging route, it would be quite an unusual choice for us. The process of elimination left us with Camino Portugués, departing from Porto. What makes the Camino Portugués particularly enticing is all the available route variants along the route. It seems like an ideal “introductory” Camino.
Gear Obsessions
For most pilgrims, carrying everything you need on your back is essential to the Camino experience. While luggage transfer services are available in Spain and Portugal for nominal fees, carrying your own gear on your back has both practical and spiritual dimensions. For one, it provides freedom and flexibility on how far you wish to walk daily. But more importantly, it forces all pilgrims to examine how little we need to “survive.” At the end of the pilgrimage, many pilgrims seem to reflect on their relations with their material wealth. Ironically, to be able to live could be somewhat of a “luxury" for the luckiest among us.
The generous return policy and expertise of REI are valuable for all prospective pilgrims in the United States.
Like many first-time pilgrims, I also fell into the trap of being gear-obsessed. There is no shortage of resources online on the packing list and gear recommendations. Anyone who ever blogged about their Camino would likely have a post on their gear. The advice out there is often overwhelming and often contradictory. Everyone seems convinced that their packing list is the one to follow. But in reality, too many factors go into getting the right gear: one’s physical condition, the route walked, the season, and personal preferences with accommodations. Considering that taking everything with a grain of salt is important. If anything, the gear recommendations say more about the pilgrims than the Camino.
After reading through many suggestions, I would prioritize packing light above everything. Most people suggest that the maximum weight anyone should carry is 10% of the body weight. Being quite a big guy, I wasn’t concerned about hitting that limit. However, that is not to say that I shouldn’t pack as lightly as possible. That said, I did give myself a pass of bringing a luxury camera: my Fujifilm camera with two prime lenses. Whoops!
Gear Obsession #1 - Shoes
Finding the right shoes should be Camino's first priority among all the gear. The right footwear is important since we will average about 14 to 18 miles daily. Unlike any other gear, your shoes must be broken in at least a month or more to prevent blisters. Even with that in mind, I somehow managed to wait until the last minute to try on different shoes. Like most American pilgrims, we were spoiled with a good outdoor store like REI. The store’s massive collection and expert advice made it a convenient one-stop shop for all the gear you could want for the Camino.
A display of trail runners at the REI store in East Hanover, New Jersey.
One online resource I find particularly helpful is the Trail to Peak, a website by Drew Robinson. It offers great in-depth reviews of different outdoor products and outdoor treks. In addition to product reviews, he also wrote extensively about his Camino journeys with his young families. His daily entries on Camino Portugués are particularly interesting to read. Particularly helpful is his list of criteria pilgrims should consider when selecting ideal Camino footwear. After visiting countless websites and different forums, this is by far the best-written summary that I have come across so far:
Source: Trail To Peak.
In addition to being lightweight and having a thickly cushioned sole, the one main characteristic I look for is breathability. There has been a raging debate in the Camino community about whether waterproof materials like Gore-Tex are a good fit for Camino. While waterproof shoes may prevent rain from getting in, any moisture accumulated inside could be impossible to dry out without the help of a hairdryer. On balance, I could get away with breathable shoes. After all, there are more dry days than rainy ones in mid-September. For many pilgrims who walk the Camino during the dryer month, trail runners are their shoes of choice. They are breathable and cushioned enough for many different kinds of road surfaces.
After trying on about half a dozen shoes at REI, I settled on a pair of Hoka’s Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes. At $155, they are probably the most expensive pair of shoes that I have ever purchased. It is almost strange that I am willing to pay more for a pair of trail runners than a pair of dress shoes. Despite my skepticism, I must admit they are so comfortable and cushiony. I feel the bounce with each step. Ultimately, I had to order my pair from Hoka’s official website because REI did not have the specific sizes I needed. I felt a little guilty about taking advantage of the expertise of the REI staff.
Gear Obsession #2 - Backpacks
After a pair of proper shoes, the next most important gear one would take on the Camino would be your backpack. It has been over a dozen years since I last backpacked, and I think my old backpack is in our storage unit. If I remember correctly, it was a massive 65L backpack from Nike. Seriously, how do you remember that Nike made those giant backpacks? I am pretty sure that I didn’t do any research back then. Needless to say, I am ready for an upgrade and how technological backpacking has become all these years.
A display of backpacks at the REI store in East Hanover, New Jersey.
From the very beginning, we set out a targeted size in the 30-42 liter range. Because Camino is a series of day hikes, giant backpacks designed for thru-hiking are definitely overkill. For a few months, we would visit various REI across the tri-state area to try on all the packs REI has in stock. The choices were easily overwhelming. But it became apparent to me that I gravitate toward a lighter pack. Among all the ones tried on in-store, my favorite is Osprey’s Levity 45L. Weighted in at only 1.75 lb, it is the lightest pack produced by a major manufacturer and is classified as an "ultralight backpack.” But at $250, it is also one of the most expensive, especially considering it has very few bells and whistles.
Right after I purchased Levity 45L, I started having second thoughts about my choice. I started to recognize some of the drawbacks of this pack. Chief among my concerns is its size and column. Because of my torso length, I had to order a large size with a rated capacity of 48 liters. That was considerably larger than what I needed. More importantly, the length of this pack is 27 inches, which is about 5 inches longer than the maximum carry-on size imposed by most international airlines. Given the ongoing chaos with air travel and lost luggage, I became concerned about the prospect of having this pack gate checked. Considering I would have a short layover in Lisbon, I don’t want to risk it.
So… I was back to square one. Luckily, Trail To Peak also has another great article on a list of his recommended Camino backpacks. Like his footwear article, the article is less about any particular pack but about his list of criteria to consider. After reading through the article, I became receptive to the idea of a frameless pack. It seems like this is the best way to ensure the pack will fit within the overhead compartment of an airplane. Among all the frameless packs listed, Gossamer Gear caught my attention. I was quite comprehensive about getting a frameless pack since it would not have a fully ventilated back panel or “load lifter.” With cautious optimism, I ordered the large size of their G4-20 Ultralight 42 Backpack. This pack is actually 4 ounces lighter than the Osprey Levity pack and includes a removable seat pad!
To my great surprise, I actually found G4-20 Backpack to be even more comfortable than the Osprey pack. Other additional bonuses include two massive hip pockets and easily reachable side pockets. The overnight weight of the pack is so light; it definitely makes me feel less guilty about bringing my mirrorless camera and lenses. As far as back ventilation, I am an optimist but will definitely report back after my Camino!
Camino Training
As most pilgrims would tell you, no perfect gear could prepare you for the physical and mental dexterity of the Camino. Unless you are an agile hiker, most pilgrims do at least some form of physical training before setting off. Brian and I are blessed with living in an urban area where we walk everywhere daily. We routinely walked about 4 to 5 miles on a typical workday; I believe that gives us a leg up when it comes to Camino training compared to many other Americans. Walking long-distance doesn’t intimidate us, but doing that day after day would be new.
Hamilton Heights in Manhattan.
While we often did some forms of walking every other weekend, we never set up to do actual "Camino training” until about a month ago. Brian and I decided to walk the whole length of Manhattan as our first training walk. Conveniently, the Broadway in Manhattan runs through the entire island and is about 13 miles long. And just like Camino de Santiago, Broadway has a long history and is shrouded with myth. Having lived in this area for over fourteen years, I never considered walking Broadway. In fact, among all our friends and acquaintances, I know of just one person who ever walked the entire length of Manhattan.
Brian and I lived near Broadway when we both resided in Manhattan. This walk was a great way to reminisce about the early New York years and appreciate all the changes since we last lived here. Neither of us has gone back to the old neighborhood since we left. I could not help feeling a little emotional as I walked by my old apartment. As a Comino training walk, Broadway has its pros and cons. While plenty of landmarks and points of interest make this walk exciting, there is no question that the pacing of Manhattan is very different from a typical day on the Camino. Navigating busy areas like Times Square and Harold Square is unpleasant or Camino-like.
The United Palace on the corner of Broadway and West 175th Street.
I got to walk through the newly minted Manhattanville campus of Columbia University for the first time.
Church of the Intercession in Washington Heights, Manhattan.
Ultimately, it took us almost six hours to cover thirteen miles with lunch and an early dinner break. I felt no pain until the last mile of this training walk. It was honestly the first time I felt such a sensation from walking. Naturally, it terrified me just a little bit. Perhaps there is a real need for Camino training. It was just the motivation I needed to take Camino training more seriously. However, in my defense, we did this particular walk only one day after getting my Hoka. It was not the smart way to break into brand-new shoes. When I took them off at home, I discovered four blisters on my left feel. Ouch!
Going through a section of Jersey City that we have never walked before.
Two weeks later, we did our second Camino training. This time, we walked straight from our front door and headed north. We walked from Jersey City to North Bergen. A handy riverside trail along the Hudson River gave us a lovely Manhattan skyline view. Like a typical Camino day, we walked through the busy cities, an industrial section of town, and along the river. Compared to our walks through Manhattan, the walk seems like a breeze. Without the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, we covered about 15 miles in about five hours. I am happy to report that I had neither blister nor pain this time. This was an important confidence boost that we needed.
Lake Camino, you probably don’t get to walk through the pretties part of town.
Lake Camino, you probably don’t get to walk through the pretties part of town.
Hoboken was an ideal training ground for our Camino.
We had no idea whether we were really prepared for our Camino. Most pilgrims describe the importance of “listening to your own body.” More importantly, we shall walk at our own pace and not be pressured by making a certain distance daily. Rather than booking out all my accommodation initially, I decided to reserve our spots for the first two nights and see how things went. Although that might be a norm for most pilgrims, I was not accustomed to it. Also, in the spirit of spontaneity, I have decided to leave my Camino guidebook at home to cut the weight further and not be bothered with the suggested daily stages.
Like so many pilgrims before me, I have a wealth of different emotions bottled up inside of me. From excitement to trepidation, I can’t really say how I feel as we embark on this remarkable journey. All I know is that we will somehow complete this Camino one way or another. But more importantly, we will appreciate this amazing opportunity to disconnect from our daily grind. It is a real privilege to join thousands of pilgrims before us. Let’s experience the magic of the Camino!
