What to Know When You Have “to Go” on the Camino
“How does a well-hydrated pilgrim answer the call of nature while walking?” That, my pilgrim friend, is one of the most practical questions people should ask when preparing for a Camino. A follow-up question you might have is, “Do I need to pack anything from home for “taking care of business” on the Camino?”
The Camino Is Not a Through-Hike
The Camino is very different from a long “through-hike” like the Appalachian Trail which is situated mostly in wilderness. Camino pilgrims walk through villages and hamlets dotted across Spain, so it is rare to walk more than five miles without finding a place to eat, sleep, and answer the call of nature.
That said, finding a toilet/servicio is a challenge on the Camino. Public restrooms are few and far between on the route, and even with all of the infrastructure along the Way there will be times when you need to go out in the middle of nowhere, or in a village.
So What’s a Well-Hydrated Pilgrim to Do?
First of all, when you’re in a city or town you’ll encounter two kinds of bathrooms/servicios. If you need to use the facilities on your way through a town, you are perfectly welcome to go into a café and ask, but before you do so it is considered proper etiquette to buy something. Restrooms are for paying customers only, so assure the barista that you plan to be a patron and she will much more gladly tell you where the facilities are. Even if you’re not hungry or thirsty for what the place has to offer, it’s worth the euro or two to be polite. We always assume that there will not be any toilet paper in the servicios, so we take ours in with us when we go.
Take Tissues/Pañuelos With You Into Servicios
The other kind of servicio pilgrims will experience most often are the ones in hostels/albergues. These range in quality and cleanliness, sometimes becoming quite wet if they are in the same room as the showers. The main discomfort that most people will encounter is the decreased privacy and the cultural gap regarding restroom activities. Most restrooms have stalls, yes, but sometimes only a curtain separates you from fellow throne room visitors. Toilets and showers are sometimes not separated for genders. I have found most pilgrims are respectful in these cases, but consider this fair warning if you are shy.
What to Carry in Your Pack
That’s some etiquette for bathrooms in civilization, but what about when the need strikes out on the path? As pilgrim numbers continue to rise, each person can contribute to a cleaner Camino by following a couple of suggestions. Fact is that many villages have had to post signs prohibiting pilgrims from relieving themselves at certain points along the way because it has become such a problem.
You can show respect for the Spaniards who live and work along the Way by managing your waste and trash so the path stays clean and litter-free. After many years of walking the Camino and trying several things we recommend that pilgrims carry travel packs of tissues (Kleenex) to use for clean up. Packs of pañuelos are easy to find in every market, usually coming in packs of eight+. A pack easily fits in a hiking pant cargo pocket, and they are easy to use. We prefer these to rolls of toilet paper hands down. No need to bring these from home. They are readily available in groceries and markets.
Something We Bring from Home
From home we bring two compact rolls of pet waste bags. We carry one or two of these in the pocket with our pañuelos. This system provides a way for us to carry own waste to the closest trashcan. While carrying some of your own… stuff… may not be the most appealing idea, remember that you are a guest in the country. If you don’t deal with your waste, it impacts a lot of other people.
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