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It isn't waterproof. You could probably spray it with a special protectant, but it will never be a dry bag, or even one to withstand any longer amount of rain.

Thank you so much 😁

That is a good question. We actually talked with a podiatrist before we left to make sure this wouldn’t have any long term I impact on the kids’ feet and legs. She said it wouldn’t. And in our other research, movement like this is really helpful for kids development provided they have a good diet and good sleep. I am sure that if this was something that went on for months at a time and there were other issues, it could cause problems.

@@sethgrotzke thank you for your reply.

That is great! I wish we could have taken some zero days so we could have enjoyed some the great villages and cities we passed through, but we were on a time crunch. And that is fantastic that you could walk in with sun on your face! Great memories.

That is fantastic! We have found that the Portuguese is a great route. The costal, central, spiritual variante, all those routes are worth walking. We have such good memories on those trails.

I love that! Thanks so much for being part of it. We didn’t go to Finisterre, but as a spoiler, there are two more segments of walking coming up!

That is fantastic! We have done 4 caminos walking as a family, but never biking. I so want to do that, but I am just not sure of the road sections. How did you manage that?

@@sethgrotzke Hi Seth, first let me say that all of the Caminos I did with my daughter (and two other kids) were along the coast, along the Camino del Norte. So the experience may be different for the Camino Frances. And what can be done of course depends on many factors, such as the age and maturity of the kid(s) and whether it knows traffic rules well enough to cycle on a street under the supervision of its parents. You cannot avoid streets altogether when crossing a country, and so I do not recommend this unconditionally. My experience was, however, that people in Spain were incredibly considerate (more so than in Germany, where I live), and that it was possible to avoid the worst traffic spots. My daughter even got standing ovations when passing a bar or cafe while cycling up-hill (I just got a friendly smile, trying to keep up). Roundabouts close to larger cities can be tricky, but you can always switch to pedestrian mode and use zebra crossings or the like. Many people cycle in Spain, and you will often find cycle lanes. There is also the EuroVelo network throughout Europe, with the EV3 leading from Norway to Santiago de Compostela, along the Camino Frances (the "pilgrims route", see en.eurovelo.com/ev3 ). This will lead you along paths that are more suitable for bicycles. We have followed the EV3 and EV6 through France wherever we could. From Mulhouse, for about 600 km, you just follow little rivers and canals, usually without any traffic. Lateron you often need to use roads, although EV usually leads you through quiet streets. The EV3 will then lead you to Saint Jean and then Valcarlos, along the street, which I believe is not suitable for kids cycling. The Napoleon route is, I believe, doable by bicycle, if you push it a lot and carry it up the rocks where you leave the asphalt. Note that I have so far only walked the Napoleon route, so I have not put this to the test. On the coastal route, you will find some very steep mountains all along the way (more than on the Frances) which can be an obstacle. If you need to get somewhere quickly (e.g. because it is late and you need to get to the albergue) or want to avoid the worst hills, and if you trust the ability of your kids to cycle on roads, there is the N634 all along the coast. In many places, there is very little traffic, as the motorway is close and there is no road toll there. So people use the motorway instead of the N634. Note that the N634 often has a very broad (approx. 1,5 m) shoulder, so you can stay away from the cars that pass you. But this is not for small kids, and the N634 is just an ugly, big road. In my experience, it is also possible to follow the walking tracks in most places, at the price of being slow and sometimes having to carry the bicycles including luggage over a fallen tree or a stream. When doing this, we were only about 25% faster than the pilgrims on foot, largely because the down-hill part is easy by bicycle. Using the walking tracks along the coast can be an adventure in itself, though and, challenging as it may be, will give you and your family a joint experience to remember. If you consider cycling the Camino, I recommend using a navigation app like Komoot, wich takes the needs of bicycles into account and allows you to find more suitable paths if you hit an obstacle. Using a bicycle is a compromise. The kid does not have to carry a backpack, and you can do a full camino easily within school summer holidays, with time to spare to go to the beach at the coast or stay somewhere for one more night. You are also more flexible wrt albergues and can choose the next one, if one is full or you do not like it. Having done the "del Norte" on foot with three adolescents (14 and 15 years old), I would however also say that walking is much more intense and you meet more people, i.e. you can better build your camino family. Walking from the baltic see to Santiago, however, would not have been possible with kids that go to school, so bicycles were a good option. Hope that helps!

This is incredibly helpful! Thank you so much for these tips. I am keeping this information and hopefully in the coming years we will be able to replicate something similar. It sounds fantastic!

You found some great bread! And we love Gijón. Beautiful. You have the mountains, the sea, and the beaches all at your feet.

They are real troopers! It was a huge growing experience for us all.

Thanks so much! And you are right. Pain is inevitable! But the misery is option. I like that one too!

you are right! they did great. we love the town of Villafranca as well! the rocky path is not easy, especially when they cows have passed earlier.

Good distinction! When I made the comment, I was not saying what we believe, but the common understanding.

Ice cream! That was the promised treat. Also bought gummy candies to give them while walking up hills. They always ate pretty well at the end of the day. They liked the croissants a lot!

Both of those are great options. We have done the Portuguese Camino with our kids twice (you can see our earlier videos of those), and the French. You won't have any problem with not speaking Portuguese while walking the Portuguese Camino. We have started on the Costal route and then transitioned to the central route, and really liked that. The Spiritual Variant is gorgeous and if you time it right, the boat ride up to Padrón is fantastic.

It is amazing isn't it! And the descent is very tricky. With the stroller I had to log some road time. But Molinaseca is a fantastic little village.

It is a great little city to explore

So glad you enjoy them!

That would be so tough! There were probably some other pilgrims wondering if you would make it as well! It is a long slog, but thankfully we made it.

@@sethgrotzke I only saw one as I set off from Carrión de los Condes, probably because I set off late, around 10am, after first looking for affordable hotel stay. I was so weak by the time I stopped at a picnic area with wooden benches near a shelter. I was still very ill, and I could only drink water. Fortunately, a passing pilgrim stopped to check on me and stay with for a while. She said I should try and eat something, but my stomach was still feeling bad. However, I then realised I had an energy bar in my pack, so I ate that and then rested a bit more. I got going again and made it to Calzadilla de la Cueza. I entered the albergue, showered, washed my clothes and then slept for 4 hours! That evening, I woke up feeling better and went out to have soup. The next day was much better, but I was still weak from the previous day. Apparently, at that same time there were many people reporting stomach bugs and being very sick. In my Albergue of Espiritu Santo in Carrión de los Condes, I was the only one to be sick that night. It's strange though, because on arrival I heard that one whole dormitory was closed off due to an outbreak of gastroenteritis, according to the nuns that were in reception. I nearly cancelled to look for another albergue, but I was so tired I just took my chances! One of the nuns helped look after me when she found me collapsed in the washrooms after a bout of violent vomiting and fever.

Wow! What a story. I am so glad that you made it through!

That is true. It is not leak proof, for that you will want something that screws on. This is best for on table use.

Pretty crazy! The host told us that. We didn’t knock any any doors though…

Thank you so much! We truly enjoyed the Meseta. I was expecting it to be dreary, but we needed the wide open spaces. It really did something in our souls.

They can do hard things! we are very proud of them.

Thank you so much! And you are correct…handle with care!

She is in training!

glad you enjoy them!

Thank you!!

that is a good idea. I see others using a similar pouch that connects to the chest strap. I had not though about using a Fanny pack like that though!

fantastic! I hope you have a great experience…without any incidents!

@@sethgrotzke I hope too. Enjoy this summer

You have inspired us! I am hoping to get the rest edited and up in the next month.

Weight: 1190g / 2lb 10 oz. Next time you hike it with me, I'll let you use it!

I am a drone pilot so we took it along with us to get some aerial footage. We thought it might give a better perspective of the countryside.

¡es un privilegio!

Ha! At some points it was hard to keep smiling!

Gracias!

I think it helps add a little more perspective on where we are walking!

We keep walking!

For sure!

I didn’t know that! thanks!

Tough to find that view around home! However the North Shore and Boundary Waters hold their own.

I think after a few years of therapy they might start talking to us again.

Those are secret #CaminoHacks … don't tell anyone!

It was an adventure! Starting off on a day like that meant we wouldn't forget it!

That's fantastic! I am really thankful we could be part of encouraging you to do so. I hope you find it as bonding as we have! We do have some resources that we use while we walk. They aren't geared toward really little kids, but we have read through the Pilgrim's Progress with our kids. They are free over at this website if you are interested: www.puntosluz.org/caminando-el-camino

@@sethgrotzke The Compass Questions seems like an excellent resource to support us in moments of reflection. Thank you

Great! They will keep coming hopefully.

You won!