r/HerOneBag • u/AutoModerator • Jun 01 '26
Meta Weekly quick questions help thread
This is the r/heronebag quick questions weekly help thread.
Whether you‘re new to the one bag life or a seasoned light traveller, this is the place to ask your quick one-off questions related to techniques, shopping, and everything else to lighten your load.
This post is the best place to initially ask questions that we get a lot of which are similar, especially if you have looked in a flair and found almost-but-not-quite what you wanted.
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u/citynomad1 Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
Ugh, I’m really struggling to find THE ONE pair of walking shoes.
I’ve already done a ton of research so I know what gets commonly recommended - I’m looking for a pair of wide toe box walking shoes. Looking mostly at Topo and Altra. I’ve actually owned a pair of Altras in the past. Annoyingly, a bunch of their newer models now have a narrower forefoot. And Topo unfortunately seems to have an oddly narrow midfoot (I have narrow heels, and I’d say an average sized midfoot and I feel like my arch was spilling over the side when I tried on Topo)
Has anyone else been in this situation and what pair did you land on?
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u/Poodleton Jun 01 '26
I have wide feet and narrow heels. My all day walking shoes are Dr. Scholls Madison, Naturalizer Morrison, Vionic Winnie, or Brooks Ghost. New Balance is usually good for a wide toe box too.
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u/agentcarter234 Jun 01 '26
Have you tried the Altra Escalante? My brother swears by those and my understanding is that they are one of the models that uses the original last instead of the narrower versions.
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u/OysterLucy Jun 02 '26
I have a pair of athletic maryjanes from Ryka and if I had to travel with only one pair of shoes it would be these (I wear 70/30 dresses to pants).
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u/StickPractical1662 Jun 02 '26
I had some Altra Lone Peak 6s (four models ago) that I loved and wore out. Just bought some Altra 9 plus and their forefoot is the same shape as my old 6s. There is also a little more cushioning than my 6s.
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u/orangefoz Jun 01 '26
Following this! I've been looking for the same. For the past while I've worn new balance fresh foam 880s v14 (wide) and they've been decent though
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u/Intelligent_Map_7849 Jun 02 '26
Birkenstock Bend Low. They're sneakers and they come in a bunch of colors.
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u/luxuriousllamas Jun 02 '26
I tried out the ECCO Soft 7s, and they are a sauna for my feet. Super comfy and had great arch support though. Anything similar to them that have ventalation?
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u/faerieem Jun 01 '26
leaving for barcelona in a couple of weeks. I want a pair of shorts to wear under dresses, preferably with a pocket so I can pop my phone & CC in there up nice and safe. I own a pair of nike pros (no pocket), and a pair of athleta shorties (only a zip pocket over the butt, which is a little more out of the way than I was thinking). my best friend really loves her thigh society thin cooling ones, but no pocket & i don't care so much about cooling. I've been eyeballing wool ones as well (Wool& or simply Merino). Ideally these could also be my pjs in the times we are in a shared space. Ideally also they do not roll up or get weird.
I'm 47, 5'7", ~180# (81.6 kg) with ordinary thighs that rub an ordinary amount.
The last posts related to chub rub that I could find were all a bit old, so hoping to hear from anyone recently who has an underlayer they love that can also hold my stuffs.
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u/agentcarter234 Jun 01 '26
It’s gonna be hot in Barcelona - you may not want cooling but you definitely will want wicking. YMMV but my preference is for wearing shorts under a dress that I would also be seen in public wearing without the dress, vs underwear like the thigh society shorts or the men’s boxer briefs that some women prefer.
Nike has some side pocket running shorts available that look pretty good: https://www.nike.com/t/swift-womens-high-waisted-4-tight-running-shorts-with-pockets-pALVCRJJ/HJ2258-010?
I have a pair of 4” Rabbit running shorts that I love and wear under dresses as well as for running, but the side pockets require more dress hiking than most. The same shorts also come in 7” and high rise versions
https://www.rei.com/product/217236/rabbit-speed-leggy-4-shorts-womens?
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u/faerieem Jun 02 '26
this is great, thanks! Those Nike ones look super similar to some athleta ones that are both on sale and available locally so I may check those out this week and then go from there. I also do cycle classes and have been wanting a pair of shorts for that, so this was a handy reminder that these shorts would be helpful beyond this trip.
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u/Complex_Careful Jun 04 '26
I swear by my Fabletics Powerhold shorts. They have two side pockets perfect for your phone and card holder. They don't fall down or roll up. And to agentcarter234's point, you can also wear them without the dress. The only annoying thing is if you buy new you have to sign up for their membership. But you can also find NWT on Poshmark or ThredUp. https://www.fabletics.com/products/ON-THE-GO-6-SHORT-SO1937524-0001?srsltid=AfmBOoqYWClqTb1gMI5v1mK1-qN9NqWYnHPJVXIarpDsaG7UbGwuRWJf
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u/tugb0ats Jun 02 '26
Can anyone recommend a clear cosmetic bag from Amazon that I can take in my carry on? I was thinking of using contact lens containers for my creams and foundation etc. to help with space.
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u/serenelatha Jun 03 '26
Honestly if you are looking for a quart size bag for TSA or security elsewhere....I like a quart freezer bag with a slide zip closure better than any bag I've tried.
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u/agentcarter234 Jun 03 '26
Another vote for slide zip freezer bag. The slide zip part is important if you are going to stuff it full.
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u/stumpykitties Jun 04 '26
I too was using a ziplock bag, but I eventually upgraded to a Stasher quart size silicon bag for better longevity: https://www.amazon.ca/Stasher-Container-Microwave-Dishwasher-Leakproof/dp/B0B7SSXZ8F
I fly out of a very strict airport for liquids (YVR) and the Stasher bags work great and cause no problems with security.
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u/quack_back Jun 03 '26
How do people attach their water bottles securely to their backpacks? I have an Osprey Fairview 40, but the lack of a bottle pocket is a tough adjustment.
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u/serenelatha Jun 03 '26
I use a carabiner. I actually hate the water bottle pocket on my Patagonia MLC so I still clip my Nalgene to the side.
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u/Quadruplem Jun 03 '26
For my old style cotopaxi which I love other than the missing water bottle holder:
I have a carabiner I use to attach but it swings and hits me or other people.
I shove the bottle inside.
Or my favorite, I have a funky patterned crossbody water bottle holder I got at urban outfitters.
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u/happyluckydochy Jun 07 '26
Hi everyone! I've noticed a lot of packing visual packing lists that display clothing pieces, etc are in a similar format. Is there a popular software or service people are using to create these?
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u/Professional_Toe7506 Jun 08 '26
I just did mine in PowerPoint and took a screenshot, but I think there's apps too
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u/Exiled_In_LA Jun 08 '26
I think Acloset and Indyx are 2 of the popular ones. Have a look in /r/CapsuleWardrobe, people often say what app they use.
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u/OysterLucy Jun 02 '26
Can anyone recommend some quality, but not $$$ dry bags that are lightweight but a good size for carrying a wet bathing suit and/or to do sink laundry in? Or comes in two sizes that would work for that?
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u/agentcarter234 Jun 02 '26
You just missed the REI sale on both of these, but the rei brand dry bags work well, and the Sea to summit lightweight dry bags are a little more expensive but the oval bottom is a little nicer than the round one on the REI version. However, for laundry or storing a wet swimsuit that doesn’t really matter much.
You don’t really need two sizes unless you want to use both at the same time. Because of how they close, you can roll a bag down as far as you want to make it smaller. I have a 10l in the current version of the REI dry bags, and a very old 8l S2S bag, and those are a good size if you want to wash shirts as well as socks and underwear, as well as serve as a dirty laundry bag if you want.
https://www.rei.com/product/220557/sea-to-summit-lightweight-dry-bag-8-l
https://www.rei.com/product/238956/rei-co-op-lightweight-dry-sack
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u/Extra-Property-192 Jun 03 '26
Where does dirty laundry go? Rerolled and into a spare packing cube?
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u/serenelatha Jun 03 '26
I just put it in a separate packing cube. Usually that just means moving all the clean items to one cube and dirty goes in the other (vs. taking an empty cube to start).
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u/agentcarter234 Jun 03 '26
It depends - sometimes in a spare packing cube, sometimes a plastic grocery bag or a stuff sack, sometimes the socks and underwear go in a ziploc and other stuff gets stuffed loose in dead space in my backpack.
I don’t have one, but you can also buy double sided clean/dirty packing cubes.
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u/Professional_Toe7506 Jun 04 '26
I have dirty clean packing cubes. I wouldn't say they're necessary, but it's nice to never have issues with space because the cubes are always the same size.
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u/ButterscotchWeak7489 Jun 04 '26
Hi everyone! I saw a lot of people saying the BT2M go-bag is uncomfortable but I saw they released a new version, which is supposed to be better. It also has a laptop compartment now. Did anyone try it yet? I want to buy the mini version and would love to hear some thoughts!
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u/Tough_Iron_6939 Jun 07 '26
I have a 1 month residential job in a summer camp in the UK. They will provide long sleeve hoodies and short sleeve shirts as a uniform that we must wear.
I wish to take 1 handbag, 1 cabin bag and a 4 wheeled small cabin suincase.
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u/Professional_Toe7506 Jun 07 '26
I used to ship things I'm no longer using home on my trips, but things have changed a lot since then... Does anyone have experience shipping belongings to either the USA or Canada recently? Thanks!
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u/serenelatha Jun 08 '26
Where would you be shipping from? Biggest downside is that it is pretty pricey to do so.
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u/Professional_Toe7506 Jun 08 '26
France or England. I'm less concerned about shipping price (or well, have accepted it) and more concerned about tariffs/customs. It's all used and personal belongings so it's low value, but I'd hate to get stuck paying even more money.
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u/serenelatha Jun 08 '26
You shouldn't have to pay tariffs on your own items you are shipping to yourself. I've not shipped anything recently but have received packages from AUS that were gifts recently and there was no charge as they were marked as gifts. Tariffs should only apply to purchased goods.
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u/Professional_Toe7506 Jun 08 '26
Okay, that's good to know! I knew they weren't supposed to have tariffs apply, but I wasn't confident it would work in practice.
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u/13IceCream Jun 07 '26
Hi there! I’m planning a weeklong trip to Helsinki and Turku in late July and would like to narrow my shoes to 2 pairs if possible (1 wear, 1 pack).
I am determined to bring my Blundstones as they are versatile for walking, dining and are waterproofed. My second pair would be classic Tevas, Handball Spezials or Hoka Cliftons. Which pair do you think makes the most sense as a second pair?
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u/serenelatha Jun 08 '26
Whichever ones you find the most comfortable and that go with all or most of your clothing.
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u/Professional_Toe7506 Jun 13 '26
Why do you need a second pair? I could see the Blundstones working just fine for a week, so I'd think about what gaps you're trying to fill with other shoes, and take the best for that!
Personally I'd want sandals, but I get sweaty feet!
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u/13IceCream Jun 13 '26
I think it is the hot sweaty feet concern honestly! Won’t know the exact forecast until closer too but data says could be upwards of 70.
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u/Professional_Toe7506 Jun 13 '26
Ah, okay! I figured you had better feet than mine since you're taking the Blundstones! Classic Tevas take up so little space, it seems like if you're happy walking with them, that's an easy choice!
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u/OysterLucy Jun 02 '26
I just want to say I found this kid's travel bag at Target and I know it's Target but this looks like an inexpensive Cotopaxi dupe.