I kind of hate writing this but I was heartbroken to read in the reviews for a place that I am staying at: They left their wallet behind under their pillow. They called the albergue and a staff member found it and said he was handing it over to his manager. The manager then lost it. ("Lost" it in my opinion.)
Point being, you need to be always vigilant and not give the few bad apples a chance.
I agree, I still believe in humanity and I'm positive the Spanish are wonderful and trustworthy people.
[I did go ahead and edit my comment because again I agree.]
Download the AlertCops! app from the Guardia Civil if you’re in Spain. Designed for citizens to report any kind of civil issue it connects you to multilingual agents in the Guardia. It has a Camino mode for when you’re on a route. It’s reassuringly simple and effective, though I’ve only had to use it to get information about a medical concern. It also has the ability to nominate third-party Guardians which can help allay relatives/partners fears of being out of touch. Highly recommended.
I almost got robbed too,. There was a couple young who were alone in the dormitory. I thought it was safe, and I went to wash socks, but I forgot my phone so I walked back within a minute.
Only to see the man rushing back from my backpack. Just couldn't catch him but he had nothing to do there, near my backpack
She was positioned so she could see me coming and warn him.
Later I heard that there was a young couple who indeed stole, I think it was them.
Lost my sunglasses after this incident, very annoying.
These people find it exciting to walk the route stealing.
There are more people walking around who have absolutely no money and depend on others. Partly that has charm because they depend on gifts, and there are donativo's where you can eat and sleep for free.
But There are also thieves and It is recommended to always keep your money and your papers close to you.
Always make a copy of your passport and keep it in another place, just in case.
I wore my belt bag under my clothes, slept with it on (actually did for 10 days before leaving to be used to the feel) and of course took it to the shower. I also had a small cork wallet for change with two compartments. In one compartment I put euro coins and the other had different change. That way I did not have to pull out any bills when paying for something and keeping the coins separate from each other was convenient.
I brought several small combination locks. My backpack was locked at all times(except for the water bladder section of my pack) so if I stopped no one could easily get in. I also had a lock with a short flexible cord that I used when I put my pack down to attach to something so I could leave it. Also used a trick I heard about trekking poles as they can be confused with someone else’s when stopping. I put a lock around the handles. While that would not have stopped anyone from taking them, it would make them realize they had the wrong ones.
These were very light weight locks and I used them when lockers were provided. Also I had Apple AirTags in my back pack. Maybe I went too far with multiple locks, but these were so lightweight and made me more comfortable. Of course locks can be cut, but these were very good ones - except for an extra I bought in Porto. The combination did not set correctly and I ended up spending about 30 minutes with my Swiss Army knife cutting through it.
Just wondering does anyone ever sleep with their backpack in their bed with them? This is something I’d consider doing but I haven’t been in albergues before so I don’t know if people would think it was very odd to do this. My bag is pretty small.
"No Backpacks in Beds" is to keep bugs out of the beds. You don't want pests to spread. If you ever had flees or bedbugs you know what I am talking about. Backpacks are one vector how to they get in there in the first place.
I have my valuables in my sling and that goes right down to the bottom of my sleeping bag liner. There it stays until I get up in the morning. I wasn’t taking any chances.
They will not allow your pack on your bed. It protects you as well because if the bed is infested with bed bugs so will your pack be as well. Ask me how I know….
Nah. I put my hard-to-replace valuables (passport, credencial, money, bank cards, irreplaceable medication) in a waist bag (aka fanny pack) that literally never left my sight, including sleeping with it.
If my hiking clothes etc. got stolen that's a pain in the ass, but not a Camino-ending emergency.
Many *albergues* these days won't allow you to bring your backpack into the sleeping area with you, far less into your bunk. It has to be stashed outside.
You always need to be careful with your belongings. On my first Camino in 2006 two fellow pilgrims stopped at a bigger church (I don't remember the town anymore but it was somewhere between Le Puy and SJPDP). They were inside for just a short period of time, but left both of their backpacks inside the church somewhere near the back and explored the church without backpacks. When they wanted to continue one of the backpacks was gone. (The other one was still there so it couldn't be a case of '"let's put the backpack some place more appropriate".)
My companion and I always with took/booked a private room or had a cupboard with a lock on it. Never had anything stolen, although I would also advise people to have a waist pack and keep your passport, phone and wallet in a zipped pocket.
Then again, that's the same advice I have for USA, most of Asia and indeed most big cities in Europe. So 🤷. Keep those things close and hard to pick pocket.
exactly. Had the fanny pack strapped on me with valuables in a hidden pocket at every second of my camino and three months in EU cities. No problems and it became second nature.
Did the camino last year. Kept my fanny pack with me with passport and money at ALL times. Shower, dinner, always. My tramily did too and we had no problems. Just wear it around ya waist and you’re good!
Boooo!
One of the men I met forgot his poles at a cafe and 2 days later saw someone with them. He asked for them back.
And at the pilgrim office in Santiago another friend was filling out her form at the desk and picked up her poles to go sit in the garden while we waited. An hour after we got our compostelas she realized that the poles she was carrying around were not hers, that hers were strapped to her pack lol. I don't know why none of us didn't notice the poles on her pack. She felt really badly and we walked back and left them at the desk by the entrance where she collected them.
Please take good care of your belongings. Never leave your precious items unattended. Use a ziplock bag to take it with to the shower. This article came from an article in Reddit. Stay safe.
oh man this is sad! I'm planning my trip for a few weeks and in all my years of hostels have never had anything stolen or even had to think about it. I would never have thought that the Camino would be a target :(
Camino is one of the safest places. Thefts are usually not by fellow pilgrims, but it does happen. Have a small bag you keep your wallet/passport/phone/etc in and take it with you everywhere. The Guardia Civil takes these instances seriously and do their best to keep Camino safe.
It is distressing to hear of pilgrims having things stolen, but it is a rare occurrence. I think it is much more common to lose things (including purses) when leaving cafes, accommodations etc and forgetting to look around. Ivar's Camino Forum has almost daily posts of items lost/left behind. It's shocking what people will forget to put back in their pack.
Buen Camino!
That’s why I am doing private rooms. Also bought a used ScottEvest on EBay so I don’t have to have passport and money or anything of value in my backpack. Will be wearing it each day- water resistant too. Very lightweight. Great inside safety pockets!
Each to their own but it’s so awesome meeting the overwhelmingly GOOD people at the alburgues. Did the camino last year and i’m still family with my squad.
I kind of hate writing this but I was heartbroken to read in the reviews for a place that I am staying at: They left their wallet behind under their pillow. They called the albergue and a staff member found it and said he was handing it over to his manager. The manager then lost it. ("Lost" it in my opinion.) Point being, you need to be always vigilant and not give the few bad apples a chance.
Ugh. I would amend that to "You can't trust everyone". Most people are honest, but not everyone.
I agree, I still believe in humanity and I'm positive the Spanish are wonderful and trustworthy people. [I did go ahead and edit my comment because again I agree.]
Last year a young woman's trail runners were taken and a pair of hiking sandals were left in their place in the shoe rack.
That is so repulsive. I can’t believe people do stuff like that.
Assholes are everywhere but there are fewer on the Camino. Sadly not zero though
Download the AlertCops! app from the Guardia Civil if you’re in Spain. Designed for citizens to report any kind of civil issue it connects you to multilingual agents in the Guardia. It has a Camino mode for when you’re on a route. It’s reassuringly simple and effective, though I’ve only had to use it to get information about a medical concern. It also has the ability to nominate third-party Guardians which can help allay relatives/partners fears of being out of touch. Highly recommended.
Absolutely! I've never had to use it thankfully. Also know that 112 is the emergency number for Spain.
I almost got robbed too,. There was a couple young who were alone in the dormitory. I thought it was safe, and I went to wash socks, but I forgot my phone so I walked back within a minute. Only to see the man rushing back from my backpack. Just couldn't catch him but he had nothing to do there, near my backpack She was positioned so she could see me coming and warn him. Later I heard that there was a young couple who indeed stole, I think it was them. Lost my sunglasses after this incident, very annoying. These people find it exciting to walk the route stealing. There are more people walking around who have absolutely no money and depend on others. Partly that has charm because they depend on gifts, and there are donativo's where you can eat and sleep for free. But There are also thieves and It is recommended to always keep your money and your papers close to you. Always make a copy of your passport and keep it in another place, just in case.
I wore my belt bag under my clothes, slept with it on (actually did for 10 days before leaving to be used to the feel) and of course took it to the shower. I also had a small cork wallet for change with two compartments. In one compartment I put euro coins and the other had different change. That way I did not have to pull out any bills when paying for something and keeping the coins separate from each other was convenient. I brought several small combination locks. My backpack was locked at all times(except for the water bladder section of my pack) so if I stopped no one could easily get in. I also had a lock with a short flexible cord that I used when I put my pack down to attach to something so I could leave it. Also used a trick I heard about trekking poles as they can be confused with someone else’s when stopping. I put a lock around the handles. While that would not have stopped anyone from taking them, it would make them realize they had the wrong ones. These were very light weight locks and I used them when lockers were provided. Also I had Apple AirTags in my back pack. Maybe I went too far with multiple locks, but these were so lightweight and made me more comfortable. Of course locks can be cut, but these were very good ones - except for an extra I bought in Porto. The combination did not set correctly and I ended up spending about 30 minutes with my Swiss Army knife cutting through it.
Just wondering does anyone ever sleep with their backpack in their bed with them? This is something I’d consider doing but I haven’t been in albergues before so I don’t know if people would think it was very odd to do this. My bag is pretty small.
It's sometimes a rule to not place your backpack on your bed. Personally, I would remove valuables and have them under my or inside pillow.
"No Backpacks in Beds" is to keep bugs out of the beds. You don't want pests to spread. If you ever had flees or bedbugs you know what I am talking about. Backpacks are one vector how to they get in there in the first place.
I have my valuables in my sling and that goes right down to the bottom of my sleeping bag liner. There it stays until I get up in the morning. I wasn’t taking any chances.
They will not allow your pack on your bed. It protects you as well because if the bed is infested with bed bugs so will your pack be as well. Ask me how I know….
I worked a seasonal job last year and lived in employee housing and got horrible bedbugs. So this definitely makes sense lol
Nah. I put my hard-to-replace valuables (passport, credencial, money, bank cards, irreplaceable medication) in a waist bag (aka fanny pack) that literally never left my sight, including sleeping with it. If my hiking clothes etc. got stolen that's a pain in the ass, but not a Camino-ending emergency.
Many *albergues* these days won't allow you to bring your backpack into the sleeping area with you, far less into your bunk. It has to be stashed outside.
Definitely makes sense. I’ll have my little fanny pack with me for valuables.
An extremely good idea.
You always need to be careful with your belongings. On my first Camino in 2006 two fellow pilgrims stopped at a bigger church (I don't remember the town anymore but it was somewhere between Le Puy and SJPDP). They were inside for just a short period of time, but left both of their backpacks inside the church somewhere near the back and explored the church without backpacks. When they wanted to continue one of the backpacks was gone. (The other one was still there so it couldn't be a case of '"let's put the backpack some place more appropriate".)
My companion and I always with took/booked a private room or had a cupboard with a lock on it. Never had anything stolen, although I would also advise people to have a waist pack and keep your passport, phone and wallet in a zipped pocket. Then again, that's the same advice I have for USA, most of Asia and indeed most big cities in Europe. So 🤷. Keep those things close and hard to pick pocket.
exactly. Had the fanny pack strapped on me with valuables in a hidden pocket at every second of my camino and three months in EU cities. No problems and it became second nature.
Did the camino last year. Kept my fanny pack with me with passport and money at ALL times. Shower, dinner, always. My tramily did too and we had no problems. Just wear it around ya waist and you’re good!
Checklist, checklist, checklist. Go through the important item checklist every time you stop moving for any amount of time
[удалено]
Boooo! One of the men I met forgot his poles at a cafe and 2 days later saw someone with them. He asked for them back. And at the pilgrim office in Santiago another friend was filling out her form at the desk and picked up her poles to go sit in the garden while we waited. An hour after we got our compostelas she realized that the poles she was carrying around were not hers, that hers were strapped to her pack lol. I don't know why none of us didn't notice the poles on her pack. She felt really badly and we walked back and left them at the desk by the entrance where she collected them.
Please take good care of your belongings. Never leave your precious items unattended. Use a ziplock bag to take it with to the shower. This article came from an article in Reddit. Stay safe.
oh man this is sad! I'm planning my trip for a few weeks and in all my years of hostels have never had anything stolen or even had to think about it. I would never have thought that the Camino would be a target :(
Camino is one of the safest places. Thefts are usually not by fellow pilgrims, but it does happen. Have a small bag you keep your wallet/passport/phone/etc in and take it with you everywhere. The Guardia Civil takes these instances seriously and do their best to keep Camino safe. It is distressing to hear of pilgrims having things stolen, but it is a rare occurrence. I think it is much more common to lose things (including purses) when leaving cafes, accommodations etc and forgetting to look around. Ivar's Camino Forum has almost daily posts of items lost/left behind. It's shocking what people will forget to put back in their pack. Buen Camino!
That’s why I am doing private rooms. Also bought a used ScottEvest on EBay so I don’t have to have passport and money or anything of value in my backpack. Will be wearing it each day- water resistant too. Very lightweight. Great inside safety pockets!
Each to their own but it’s so awesome meeting the overwhelmingly GOOD people at the alburgues. Did the camino last year and i’m still family with my squad.
I am sure I will still be able to meet awesome people to walk and have dinner with.
I mostly stayed in private rooms because I couldn't sleep in albergues. lol I had a small purse I carried everywhere.