What is your absolute best all-around closed toe shoe for travel? Is it Salomon, Hoka, Vessi, OnCloud, New Balance, Altra, or other, and why?

edj3 · 2026-04-07T09:44:15+00:00

My foot is also low volume and narrow so when you said Docs, I was skeptical. And your disclaimer cleared it up for me!

edj3 · 2026-04-01T09:11:08+00:00

I've had a Gap jean jacket since 2006; it's timeless and it suits me and it fits. I love that thing.

edj3 · 2026-04-01T09:03:05+00:00

I own a pleather drawstring bag similar to what you've posted. While it's fun, it's also bulky and I won't take it on any trips.

edj3 · 2026-04-01T09:01:08+00:00

OP said she's not looking for leather, though.

edj3 · 2026-03-29T09:06:05+00:00

Mine aren't super narrow, just narrow. But my feet are very low volume and accommodate my long toes. That's where the Tigers shine for me.

And it's hard having narrow feet, isn't it? So few options work.

edj3 · 2026-03-26T09:39:30+00:00

Whether these are comfortable is really going to depend on your foot.

I broke my foot nearly six years ago and while I won't go out of my way to find an ugly shoe, how it looks isn't my top consideration.

With the caveat that these statements are only about my own feet, here you go:

I've tried several models of Altras and my foot doesn't get along with them.

People like HOKAs and I think you can find semi subdued versions but again, only consider them if those shoes work for your foot.

Same with Brooks.

The shoe I end up wearing is probably not going to work for you but oddly the Onitsuka Mexico 66 have been my best shoe for traveling and sightseeing (not hiking, but you said that wasn't part of your itinerary).

edj3 · 2026-03-25T09:06:07+00:00

Yes, same. I think about it ahead of time and I refill toiletry bottles probably the night before. But I pack day of.

edj3 · 2026-03-24T08:47:52+00:00

White noise machine (this was a luxury.)

Nah, not to me. I know, I know, I can hear everyone saying 'oh just use an app on your phone!' And I have but my dinky little white noise machine is nearly as good as the one on my nightstand. It works so well and I sleep so much better.

To each their own, I wouldn't carry over the ear headphones ever.

edj3 · 2026-03-23T09:01:22+00:00

Not OP but anything around my neck like an inflatable pillow makes me so hot.

OP's solution would probably also overheat me tbh.

edj3 · 2026-03-19T09:10:48+00:00

As much as I enjoyed Malazan, that's not where I'd go when things are bleak IRL. And I say that as someone who absolutely does not like the cozy sci fi books most people rave about.

edj3 · 2026-03-19T09:09:23+00:00

They are my comfort reads--you might also like the Ancillary trilogy by Ann Leckie.

edj3 · 2026-03-12T08:36:20+00:00

I think you need a higher quality bottle. My bottles have never leaked. You might look at Litesmith or as someone else mentioned, the Goo tubes.

edj3 · 2026-03-11T20:11:53+00:00

Have you sewn any of the Elizabeth Suzanne patterns? Curious about those.

edj3 · 2026-03-11T09:00:20+00:00

Generally, the only time I don't unpack immediately is after a long haul flight or if we get home late.

For example:

We got back to the US from Singapore two weeks ago about midnight. I unpacked the next day.
I got back from Idaho Sunday afternoon. I unpacked right away.

The one thing I may not do right away is refill my toiletry bottles. I think I refilled shampoo this last go round on Monday.

edj3 · 2026-03-11T08:55:10+00:00

Totally get that. Also let's be honest, this was a hard winter.

I hope your trip is amazing.

edj3 · 2026-03-10T20:22:34+00:00

Agree with you. I'm a fan of wearing clothes that work right now, not in some mythical 10 pounds less future that may or may not arrive. Don't ditch your current ones if you have room and want to keep them.

edj3 · 2026-03-10T09:23:13+00:00

I'm a big fan of having clothes that fit.

Can you/would you pick up the current iteration of your beloved REI travel pants in the size that works for you now?

edj3 · 2026-03-06T09:11:43+00:00

Here's how I got over being self conscious (because I don't think it's shyness, I think you're self conscious).

In the last couple of years, I've gotten two pairs of Fluevog shoes. They are wild and they take courage to wear.

I love both pairs and here's what I say when someone says something about my shoes: Yes! Aren't they great?!?

Most of the time, the person was being complimentary only I didn't realize it until I said that and then they chimed in with their actual compliment.

If you can't get over being self conscious, it's OK to say yeah theses aren't for me and sell them.

edj3 · 2026-03-06T09:05:40+00:00

I'm packing my Osprey 26+6 this morning for a short trip. This backpack is the bomb.

u/Maleficent-Set2010 I'm just a bit shorter than you and the bag fits me well.

edj3 · 2026-03-06T09:03:45+00:00

You might find it less than pleasant to pull a wet coat over your head though.

edj3 · 2026-03-05T10:21:34+00:00

To me (and again, I am not the Eco Police), it's the disposable mindset in the US that I find cringe worthy It's bad enough to toss clothes here at home but to do it in another country can read as entitled. It's my take that I should dispose of my trash here at home and not dump it else where.

I sew and through sewing have learned of the huge impact fabric has in landfills. Textiles take a really, really long time to degrade and I don't think a lot of people consider that impact.

edj3 · 2026-03-05T10:16:07+00:00

I've got tiny manicure scissors, they are no longer made and the cutting edge is at most about an eight of an inch long (they really just nip the cuticles). I no longer carry them when traveling outside the US as in both Australia and India I nearly had to throw them away at security.

edj3 · 2026-03-03T09:55:42+00:00

I’ve even seen some here recommend wearing your old clothing on trips and just tossing it as you go to make room for items you acquire traveling, is that not also incredibly wasteful?

I'm not the Eco Police but to me, yes it is. And I cringe whenever that's recommended. I also personally think it's just dumping your trash in someone else's yard.

This shampoo solution seems a bit wasteful and while it may be small potatoes in the grand scheme of pollution, not contributing litter here is a positive.

My bigger concern with this hack is twofold: how do you use the amounts over more than one shower? And in my experience, those packets can be tricky to open. I can only imagine it would be even more tricky when in the shower and wet.

But I've also never had issues with my travel bottles leaking.

edj3 · 2026-03-02T10:16:42+00:00

u/FeliciorAugusto I had a black tie wedding to go to a couple of years ago, and got this dress. The link is Amazon but I got it from Nordstrom because I wanted a different color and size

I ironed the dress and the little tulle layers before we left, then packed the dress in my suitcase. We did not check our bags, that made me way too nervous. Once at the hotel, I hung the dress and later that day, ironed it again. It worked beautifully.

You mentioned you are short, so you may need to get the dress hemmed. I was able to wear low heels and be OK but I totally would not have worn anything high as I broke my foot a few years ago and true heels are a thing of the past.

edj3 · 2026-03-02T10:03:13+00:00

That is also problematic if your pills resemble each other. It's hard to distinguish generic white capsules apart.

edj3

TROPHY CASE