RayonRandoZine No. 12 - The great outdoors magazine

Contents no. 12 - March 2023:

Which sleeping bag for the Camino de Santiago?

Rain poncho comparison.

Raymond Rando keeps his bearings.

Which sleeping bag for
the Camino de Santiago?

As soon as fine weather arrives, many hiker-pilgrims set out on the Camino de Santiago routes to walk a section or sometimes the entire pilgrimage. Choosing sleeping equipment raises particular questions:

For the Camino de Santiago, do you need a sleeping bag or a sleeping bag liner?
What sleeping equipment should I take if I am sleeping indoors in accommodation along the Camino de Santiago?
Which sleeping bag should I choose if I decide to camp every night or occasionally?
And if I leave Le Puy-en-Velay early in the year or finish in Galicia in autumn, how much thermal protection will be necessary and sufficient in my sleeping bag?

[Read more...]

Comparing 4 rain ponchos for hiking

To help you choose your rain poncho, RayonRando offers a comparison of 4 quality rain ponchos designed for different uses:

The Ferrino Hiker rain poncho, with press studs and a backpack compartment.
The Ferrino Trekker Ripstop rain poncho, with long sleeves, aluminised ripstop fabric and a backpack compartment.
The Pro-X Bern rain poncho, with long sleeves, a waterproof yet breathable membrane and extra features for cycling.
The Sea to Summit Ultra-léger 15 D poncho tarp: ultralight, opens fully and can be used as a tarp.

[Read more...]

Back to contents

Raymond Rando:
No compass? Keep your bearings.

Raymond Rando! Behind this superhero name is a flesh-and-blood person: a hiker! Strong but sensitive, brave but not reckless, he readily shares his experiences. Because every hiker has a Raymond Rando inside, trying to find their way...

But Raymond Rando is sometimes absent-minded. How does he navigate without a compass or GPS? Let us hear his latest account. Today, his disciple Boris is asking the questions.

“Today I went hiking without my compass. And my phone battery is flat too…

Well done, Raymond! What will you do if you get lost?
But I did bring my map.
Great! And how will you orient your map correctly and find your way without a compass?
Watch your tone, young Padawan! You forget you are talking to Raymond Rando. I will use my watch.
Ah! You have a GPS watch? That is reassuring.
Not at all: it is an analogue watch with an hour dial. A First Communion present. I will use the hands and the dial.
Are the hands magnetic?
No! But using the hands and the sun, I will find south. That will let me orient my map correctly and find the path.
Huh?
Let me explain: at 12:00 GMT (solar time), the sun is due south. In France, summer time is 2 hours ahead, so at 14:00 the sun is due south. If I point the hour hand towards the sun at 2 in the afternoon, it points south.
You do not need the hand for that: just look at the sun!
Yes, but if I want to find south at 6 in the evening, the sun is no longer there. That is when the watch hand helps… Are you following?
From a distance…
If I point the hour hand towards the sun, where will south be on the dial?
Ah, I see: south will be at the 2 o'clock mark!
Almost… If my dial were numbered from 1 to 24, south would indeed be at 14:00. But the dial is numbered from 1 to 12.
Oh yes…
So at 6 in the evening, south is halfway between the 2 o'clock and 6 o'clock marks. That means due south is at 4 o'clock, and I can orient my map correctly using the watch dial.
Clever fellow! But what if I do not have an analogue watch?
Draw a dial on a piece of paper.
And if I do not have paper and a pencil?
Then remember to bring your compass or GPS. It is hardly rocket science!
Excellent idea. Thanks for the advice, Raymond! Um, did you really have a First Communion?
The lesson is over. You are dismissed.”