I have not written a blog for a few weeks, so I thought I would let you know that we have booked part 2 of our Camino Frances journey and we fly out on 22nd October. On this Camino trip we are going for 11 days, so we play to reach Burgos and perhaps beyond.
With only 8 weeks to go, and counting, Julie, Rachel and I have already started our preparation for the next trip. I have bought a few new gadgets and hiking gear that I did not take with me last time, and the training regime has commenced, starting with a climb up Snowdon next weeks.
New stuff for my pack!
With each camping trip, or Camino trail I find that I am looking for more ways to be lighter, more efficient and generally smarter, so here is a list of new things that I have purchased so far.
Chafon Multi 6 in 1 USB Charging Cable
Most of my gadgets use a micro USB (yep, even my iPhone as I have a powerpack as the case). So this gadget includes two micros USB chargers, an iPhone lightning charger (so a fellow Pilgrim can use it) and various others. This means that I do not need to carry numerous chargers with me as I did last time, I just carry this one lead (which fits into my Polaroid Zip holder perfectly). 
Polaroid Zip Printer
I have already blogged about this, but it is so cool that it is worth another mention. My new Polaroid Zip is only 295g and is smaller in size than my iPhone 6. It synchronises with my iPhone, which means that I can instantly print pictures onto paper, that is self-adhesive, and will be placed into my travel journal. I can ask my Camino Family and Friends to sign the pictures (just like a Polaroid). Brilliant!
Image from Amazon.
No Tie Shoe Laces
Yep! OMG, I wish I had these before I went on the last Camino. Trying to do your shoelaces up when you have a full pack on is a nightmare. Rachel was terrible and hers were forever coming undone, so I have purchased this pack of five and we have been wearing them for the last month on our Nordic walking treks. Brilliant invention and everyone should have them! Set it and forget it! They also look great and it will be highly unlikely that others will get your boots mixed up with theirs on the Camino.
Image from Amazon.co.uk
A New Travel Journal
On my last Camino I did not take a journal, I simply wrote in an app on my phone. It is not the same. My regular journal is very heavy, so it is not practical to take with me, but I really enjoy the process of putting pen to paper. I purchased this journal, which has blank pages (not ruled, as I sometimes draw things and want to add my photos from the Polaroid Zip). It is lightweight and I can use it just for this trip, then buy another one for my next trip.
Image from Amazon.co.uk
New Toilet Bag
On my last Camino I simply put my toiletries into a ziplock bag, but I had nowhere to hang it when I was in the shower. I ended up with it getting very wet and smeggy. I also went through a few bags (good job I took spares), as the constant opening and closing took its toll. So this time I really wanted to invest in a half decent toilet bag. Do you know how difficult it is to get a bag that is small, lightweight and also has a hook so that you can hang it up in the shower? A few hours online and I stumbled upon this YouTube video – I bought the Sea to Sumit Hanging Toiletry Bag on Amazon immediately afterwards.
The last few things that I have purchased are things that I should have bought last time round. I have purchased a few merino wool based t-shirts (long and short arm), and also a range of dry sacks. As we are leaving at the end of October, I am expecting the weather to be wetter than it was in June, so protecting my gear with dry sacks just seems to make sense.
If you have any advice on anything else that I may have missed then please let me know. It is good to know that the bulk of my gear has already been purchased, so anything extra is really just a luxury.