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.