Pick your pockets well…

Where did I put my compass this time? And my pen? And my map? And my wallet? And my …?

Memo to my amused friends and family: Dan Piraro, creative mastermind of Bizarro, makes my case. There are too many pockets in the world. Yes, they are everywhere. Ubiquitous. And they all weigh something. (more…)

They really are looking out for us

One of the greatest, and always unexpected joys of going for a wander, is the people you meet along the way.

This is nowhere more special than in France. The great trails of Europe, the “sentiers de grande randonnée”, have been active footpaths for many centuries, and all along the trails, particularly the ancient pilgrim trails of leading to St-Jacques-Compostelle, various local people do what they can to make the pilgrim’s passage a happy one. (more…)

Preparing for your next long-distance hike

Here are some videos to get you in gear for the long trail ahead. As we find and review interesting and fun videos, we’ll compile them here. (more…)

Recommended Clips about the Camino Francés

Here is a collection of interesting videos about the Camino de Santiago. This section focuses on the classic “French Route” from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, over the Pyrennées, across northern Spain, the meseta, up into Galicia, and finally to Santiago de Compostela. We’ve selected these clips for their interesting, informative, practical and inspirational content. (more…)

Café or Bar?

OK (“Okay”), let’s just straighten this out right now, just so we avoid any confusion… After thousands of kilometers (thousands of miles!) walking across France, through towns big and small, I began to wonder – What’s the difference between a bar and a café? There is quite a difference in the USA, but in France, the difference eluded me for a long time. My curiosity notched up when friends started asking why I was always “sitting in a little bar” whenever I wrote them postcards. Hmmmn… (more…)

There has been a rising chorus for years about switching from traditional (HEAVY) to ultralight (even “hyperlight”) backpacking. I admit it, I signed on years ago, as soon as I was granted the right to spell “obsession” in all caps. I’ve enjoyed all the benefits of lighter loads across thousand of miles of walking trails.

So it made me wonder, “Why Stop at Ultralight?” How can we make it easier to just float down the trail? I mean, do you know how much it hurts to drop a sub-kilogram base weight on your big toe?

(more…)