Homer's Travels: Camino De Santiago: T-7

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Camino De Santiago: T-7

I'm a week away from the start of my Camino adventure and I'm starting to freak out a bit.  It only happens in those quiet moments when I let my thoughts get away from me and run wild.  I'm sure it will only get worse and the days tick down.

Last week the Wife's school held a charity event called HawkWalk.  It's a five mile walk from the school to lake Zorinsky, around the lake, and back again.  She suggested I use this as a dry run for my full pack.  I packed my bag the night before filling it with all the stuff I'll be carrying across northern Spain.  The weight ended up higher than I'd calculated but less than I expected.  I calculated 19.1 lbs (8.66 kg) and ended up with 22.4 lbs (10.16 kg) which was better that the 25 lbs (11.34 kg) I expected.  I suspect the unexpected weight is from three things: (1) the empty backpack is heavier than I expected (I used the specs, I should have actually weighed it); (2) The toiletries and sundry items weigh more that I expected (I have quite a few of these sundries - earplugs, safety pins, nail clippers, and so much more.  The good thing is most of these are consumables that will diminish in weight as they are used); and (3) the extra bag (a duffle bag to pack my backpack and stuff for making checking the bag easier).

The extra bag is something I expected I may need but kept forgetting to add to the packing list.  A backpack is not exactly made to be checked baggage.  The various straps and cords would easily catch on things resulting and a mangled bag by the time it reached its destination.  To fix this I will be putting my backpack, along with most of my stuff, in a small duffle bag that we bought for our Peru trip.  The bag, fully loaded, fits tightly in the duffle.  I will probably take stuff out of the backpack to make it easier on the homeland security guys when the go through my bag and repack once I get to Spain.  My camera, GPS, and a few other items will be in a smaller, disposable bag that I will carry on.

The HawkWalk went well.  The pack did feel a lot heavier than I expected but I got used to it after a short while.  I felt a little self-conscious while I was doing the walk.  I was the only one carrying a full pack and wearing a Tilley hat.  Some of the students asked the Wife the next day who that Indiana Jones looking guy was.  I'm not sure if I should take this as a compliment or not.  I doubt they thought I was cool.  More likely ... weird.

I won't feel so strange in Spain as I expect to be walking with a lot of people looking just like me.  Heck, we may be a whole herd of Indiana Joneses.  Stinky, smelly, dirty, achy, and probably bitchy, Indiana Joneses.

6 comments:

  1. Weird? What's wrong with weird? Weird is good, and Indiana Jones is a whole lot better than "who's that creepy-lookin guy?"

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  2. You should have kept the whip at home! Just saying .... HAH

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  3. GH: I'm sure they were thinking that too but were too polite to say it.

    MMC: :)

    Doegil: Lol. I have no whip which makes me a wimpy Indiana Jones.

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  4. I walk a lot at a park across from my apartment complex, of course there's quite a commonly seen crew there each day and as i've been working up to walking more and a little faster, taking my pack some days, i've gotten all kinds of questions about it all. I found out the older woman (88yrs) that passes me 3-4 times every day, did the camino back when she was 19 years old...
    --Allen

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    1. Allen, I tell you, thouse older men/women will always pass you like you're standing still. I hope to grow up to be one of those people some day.

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