Travel Needs

When I travel (and even when I go about my everyday), I tend to think to myself, "Kira, what do you need to make this experience better/easier/complete?"

I quickly jot down my revelations (thank you wunderlist app), or I will forget them.

TRAVEL PURSE
On my California trip, I realized I need a travel purse/backpack.  I'd rather carry in a backpack form, but I do not want to be stuck with a backpack for the entire trip.  Therefore, I needed a quick-change artist purse.

Enter the Sherpani Soleil lightweight tote.  Not perfect, but utterly suitable for my needs.



Vogue 8884


Vogue 8346

WINTER CLOTHING
In Yellowstone, I discovered that I need a wintery coat that can withstand: cold, wind, and rain.  And it needs to completely cover my bum.  Two thin-ish layers of clothes on my lower half did not keep me warm enough in 30 F degree weather (0 C) while the wind blew strands of my hair into the next state.  I spent several hours cold and uncomfortable while on this trip.

For travel, do I want something shorter?  Or longer?

To be discovered ...


Vogue 7881

Along with the above, lined pants would be great for cold weather adventure.  I've flirted with making flannel-lined pants before, and the result was not ... useable.  However, I'm ready to tackle them again.

Flannel-lined pants will need to be looser than typical, but you still do not want a great deal of "design elements" around the waistband.  Perhaps something along the lines of Claire Shaeffer's pattern?

To be made ...






Softstar Moc3 RunAmoc

Asolo Athena

SHOES
And I must bring running shoes (and the basics of running gear), for each trip.  Running may be the only chance I have to push my cardiovascular system while out of town.  I will need to balance between space considerations and weight, as well as versatility.  I rarely wear athletic shoes if I'm not actually being athletic.

Shopping and city gawking: sandals or ballerina flats.

Hiking: sandals or ballerina flats.  (Although, for a technical trail I will bring running shoes.)

Hanging around at a rental: barefoot.

As a result, my carry-on usually has, you will be shocked, sandals and ballerina flats.  Period.

I may finally breakdown and buy a pair of Soft Star Shoes Moc3 RunAmoc slip-ons.  It's a safe bet they would not take up much room!  But they really aren't wear anywhere else shoes, are they?

To be decided ...

Cold weather kinda throws a monkey-wrench in the works.  I know some people wear their sandals in winter (Hello Mom!), but I am not one of those.  My toes get cold.

Being that Yellowstone would bring freezing temps and rain/snow into my little world, I knew I needed hiking boots that covered my ankles, but still gave me some ground feedback (I am sticking with minimal in shoes).  I ordered several items from Merrell and other companies, but the ground feedback was non-existent and the foot pans far too rigid to make me happy for any length of time.

Purchased Asolo Athena.  Kept Asolo Athena.  Tramped throughout Yellowstone in Asolo Athena.

Other Minimal Shoes

My minimal trip through shoeville continued with further purchases for more "everyday" wear, and a continuing search for cross training shoes (which I've just about given up).



I bought a pair of Soft Star Shoes for winter wear.  My biggest issue with VFFs is that my ankles were getting cold.  I wanted shoes I could wear socks with.

So I ordered my Soft Star Original RunAmoc in smooth leather, size 8.5 as per a conversation with Soft Star (they were really helpful).  My only complaint about them is the width.  They are hugely wide, especially in the heel.  I've caught my shoe on stuff walking/jogging/jumping around my house, that I have never caught shoes on before (like the dogs' water bowl as I hopped around it).  And it is all due to the excessive width.  Since these are unisex, I suppose the width makes sense.  However, I have a B width forefoot, and probably a slightly narrow heel, so these are sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. 

Those "Original RunAmocs" are heading to the donation pile, because I got much better SoftStar shoes.  The above are a lovely size 9 narrow sheepskin lined Ramblers.

http://www.softstarshoes.com/adult-shoes/rambler-nutmeg.html

Oh, ah!  They fit so much better.  I no longer feel as though I am wearing too big hand me downs.

As per SoftStars measuring table, I am the small side of their normal width.  Being that I just so happened to catch their spring sale, and they had two narrow size 9s up, I bought them both.  A subsequent purchase or two on another sale netted me two more 9 narrows, and I wouldn't buy another normal width SoftStar ever again.

I am quite happy with close fitting, though not tight shoes.

I am now the happy owner of two pair of RunAmocs: black and chocolate - both narrow size 9s.

http://www.softstarshoes.com/adult-shoes/dash-runamoc-all-smooth-black.html

And my last (latest?) SoftStars are one single pair of Merry Janes, also size 9 narrow.
http://www.softstarshoes.com/adult-shoes/merry-jane-chocolate.html


An actually cute, no foolin' pair of girly minimal shoes.  Bronze leather.  There are, however, two issue with these: lining and velcro.

Lining -  Holy blackened feet, Batman! The lining dye's my feet every wearing ... each and every single time.  Not something I can comfortably slip off and go barefoot after a couple hours use.  I look live I've got a serious fungal infection.  Yes, it does wash off, but yuck!

Velco - This is a minor quibble, and due mostly to old fashioned opinions and a high instep.  The strap is held on by a length of velcro sewed to the side.  You can see it in the bottom most picture.  And that is my problem, velcro is for kid's shoes, and my shoes should not show velcro!  If the bit sewn on the shoe was shorter, it would not be an issue as it would not be visible.  Still, very comfortable.



SoftStar is now offering several of their shoes in a narrow without charging extra, but there is still an additional charge with narrow Merry Janes.  I think it is worth it.





After all of this rigamaroll, I still didn't have anything for aerobics, since I don't actually work out in my Soft Star shoes, those are my nice shoes!


So I purchased three minimal-ish running shoes.

The Ecco Biom, Women's size 41, (another awesome discount sale), and I do not like them.  They do not feel right, nor do I like to run in them.  They have spent the majority of their wear time as walking shoes on vacation.  If they weren't such a pretty color, I'd donate them.

Additionally, they are wearing quickly, so I do not expect them to last long.  They have less than 100 miles on them, and I'm not sure they will make it to 200.

The Vivobarefoot Neo (sale), Women's 42, and I do not like these either.  I've hardly worn them ... which is a good indication that they need to visit Goodwill.  I feel like I am strongly inverting when I wear these, an extraordinarily disconcerting sensation.

Finally, the Saucony Kinvara 2.  These work very well for running, but very poorly for aerobics.  These have a lot of width stabilization built into the sole, which makes for a trippy (literally) experience when trying to perform any kind of side kicks, grapevines, or box steps ... especially when tired and coordination goes flying out the window. 


Behind my VFF KSO Treks, this is probably my second favorite running shoes.

When I read about Micah True having disappeared on a run and rescuers were looking for the triangle shaped imprints from soles of his shoes, I suspected he was weary a Kinvara.  Finding out he had a relationship with Saucony kind of confirmed the impression.  A strange result that, "Hello, I represent Saucony ... yes, the ultrarunning Micah True was wearing our shoes when he died."  It was a sad day when that legendary heart gave out, he had a remarkable story to tell!




So to conclude this long journey, SmartWool Toe socks turned my 0 to 30 minute exercise only VFF KSO Treks into 80 minute plus cross train and running shoes and winter shoes.  Thank goodness for woolen socks.  :)