Pre trip post

Feb 21 ~21 hours before departure

In less than a day I will take off from Austin Texas on a journey that will lead me to the steps of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the final resting place of Saint James the Great.  The first leg of this trip will take me to Madrid and then to Leon, where I will begin following the Way of Saint James, one of the oldest continuously walked pilgrimages in the world, pre-dating the modern era.  From Leon to the Cathedral in Santiago is 301 Km, or ~187 miles.  If I stick to my schedule I should complete that pilgrimage in 25 days, including a few days in a few cities along the way that I want to check out and rest up.  

  

I will be trying to update this blog daily throughout my trip, both as a way to communicate with people back home and as a way to document and remember my trip.  Hopefully this can also be an easy guide for any other pilgrims planning out their own Camino.  My inspiration for walking this trail is my father, who finished walked the full Camino Francès from St-Jean to Santiago this past November 2016.  It was him who encouraged me to do this myself, and whose gear I am borrowing heavily from.  

My planned itinerary can be found here for anyone interested and includes both my daily walking goals, planned hotel and rest days and my brief stay in Madrid before I make my way to Leon.  

All pictures will be posted here, taken form both my phone and my digital camera, a Sony rx100 IV, and eventually my finished photos after passing the RAW through Lightroom after I get home will also be posted there.  Cuurently some pictures of my gear is posted there.  One of my many goals for this trip is to better myself as a photographer : ]  

Gear list ~ 17 pounds

• Arc'Teryx Bag waterproof 
• Two REI brand Walking sticks made from carbon fiber
• Platypus brand water system 2L bag and hose.  
•  Leatherman Juice C2 with corkcskrew
• Duluth quick dry pants x2 plus belt 
• 3 pairs of shirts duckworth. 2 short one long sleeve
• 1 pair Cabellas rain pants
• 4 pairs compression underwear (preventing chafing is a must)
• 3 pairs smartwool socks (medium cushion) 
• 1 long sleeve day shirt
• pajamas
• sea to summit concentrated soap for laundry, body washing and shampoo
• REI brand water container
• Vasque boots breeze III gtx
• Sea to summit 20L bags
• Whistle
• small boiling/drinking flask
• Kindle
• European usb charging adapter
• Samsung galaxy s6
• Pebble time 2 smartwatch and additional third party compass 
• REI Down sleeping bag + bed bug treatment ~ 40 degrees 
• sleeping bag thermal reactor ~20 degrees 
• towel, quick dry
• day bag (draw string bag)
• toiletries (old spice deodorant, toothbrush, toungescraper, paste, mouthwash, shaving stuff, etc)
• multivitamin 
• charging stuff
• Sony RX100 IV camera and 2 64 gb sd cards and 3 batteries
• gloves (fingerless) smartwool
• balaclava handkerchief
• gortex hat
• samsung galaxy s6 
• headphones
• earplugs 
• sock liners
• comb
• passport and money neck container
• trayvax element wallet
• various carabiners and straps 
• NorthFace apex triclimate jacket.  3 in 1, fleece, rain shell and hardcore winter jacket
•  2 portable charger banks
• small led light
• headlamp
• Inflatable sea to summit premium pillow
• Asic sneakers for rest days (wish I could afford Merrill)
• wireless headphones
• medical kit (blister kit, scissors, bandages, Advil, diarrhea pills)