Mud Room Laundry Room Combo

Kevin and Rich rolled up Robbins Rd. to the completed Walpole project and arrived at the freshly-landscaped project house, looking crisp with its new siding, trim and expanded garage. Homeowner Dan gave Kevin a tour of the opened-up LR/DR (with holdover dining table and chairs) with all new finishes, raised ceiling and the new triple panel sliding door to a new back deck. The space was also open to the all-new kitchen space with the usual quartz counters, breakfast bar island with seating and a gigantic refrigerator. Dan walked Kevin through the new space added off the kitchen which involved a mud/laundry room off the expanded garage, a half bath, and at the opposite end down by the new addition, an expanded original bath and an expanded master suite with a large luxe bathroom and giant walk-in closet and dressing area for Jill. It was all very nice and fresh as one would expect. Homeowner Jill then took Kevin into the ADU for our first look at the finished space there. We began in the U-shaped kitchen which had white counters and cabinets, a smallish living/dining room combo whose size surprised me, a combo mud/laundry room, two bathrooms, and a good-sized bedroom. We also finally got to see the bonus room which was set up with a sofa/love seat sitting area, where we got to meet Jill’s parents Ed and Regina who would be moving in eventually. Rich took us onto the new shared deck out back where we also noted a large flat screen outdoor TV mounted under the eaves. He reviewed the various upgrades that were undertaken such as the 400-amp electrical service with separate billing for each family, a shared water service, carryover sewer, and a new, larger single propane-fired heating system whose operating cost would be shared. The refreshed basement space, part of which was now an office for Dan, finally had its own heat and A/C thanks to the miracle of heat pumps. The family room space downstairs got a refresh with new panelling and stucco and new flooring. Tommy appeared to chat with contractors Jared and Kevin about thinking longer term about future uses of the ADU space once the aging parents are no longer there, and talked about converting it to a regular rental unit at that point. Jenn and Zack did a walkaround outside at the new front porch and talked about coating the new driveways and hydroseeding the front lawn. They went around back where Zack noted fixtures were already installed on the roof for a future pergola. We finished rather oddly after what seemed to be a somewhat rushed walk-though, with Kevin joining Dan where he serves in the Air National Guard at Quonset Point, R.I. flying C-130s when he isn’t working as an airline pilot. He gave Kevin a tour of the C-130 he flies for the Guard which is something I never expected to see. It did help explain the motivation for investing in the property as this was the family’s first forever home after moving around during Dan’s period on active military duty. And after Kevin telegraphed the first project for S48 which we have learned is in Essex County, NJ, that was it for the season. With only 6 episodes, this project was always going to feel rushed, and that indeed proved to be the case. The main house here benefited greatly from the expansion and refresh, while the ADU addition had a distinct rental property feel except for having the two bathrooms. I am still somewhat baffled by the bonus room whose purpose and lack of interior access I still don’t fully understand. As for the season as a whole, it had a pair of projects both of which would have benefited from more episodes for each. That wasn’t possible since the Asheville episodes at the start of the season used up 40% of the available time. I personally didn’t enjoy those because just like other similar disaster recovery projects the show has documented in the past, they really are telling a tragic story instead of showing a build. A noble effort but one which really didn’t work for the show. Hopefully next season will be a return to form. I hope most readers enjoy these summaries. I enjoy keeping the sub relevant for readers by documenting show projects and generating discussion. submitted by /u/keithplacer to r/Thisoldhouse [link] [comments]

The penultimate episode of the Walpole ADU project began with winter having come to Walpole which gave us an interesting timeline connection to the finish of the previous project in Needham which also had its wrap-up occur under snow cover, and quite a time jump from previous episodes. Thankfully most work was indoors at this stage as Kevin gave us a tour of progress inside the ADU portion of the build. From the backyard, one enters into the kitchen space, adjacent to the bonus room space, which had white shaker-style cabinets and what appears to be black appliances and promised quartz countertops. A second entry from outside adjacent to the kitchen leads to a combo mud room/laundry room with a utility sink and full-size washer and dryer as specified by homeowner Dan. Beyond that was a guest bathroom, appearing to be compact but usable. A second bathroom was adjacent and part of the main bedroom suite. Kevin showed us the flooring which was about to be installed which was all the same woodgrain luxury vinyl plank throughout. That segued into a factory tour of the Engineered Floors manufacturing plant in Georgia where Kevin met with Daniel Green who gave him a tour. The product itself is a mixture of PVC and crushed limestone which is extruded, bonded together and then finished with the desired surface, which is digitally printed on the substrate before being covered with an aluminum oxide wear layer. It is then cut into planks, edges get profiled, and that was it. We then flipped back to Walpole where a short transition piece showed the planks being installed in the ADU with the familiar click-together process demonstrated by installer Jay Bourgeois of JJ Hardwood Flooring. But no such product for the main house, as that was getting engineered white oak that was not prefinished and needed that done on-site. Kevin then met with project builder Kevin Smith who gave him a walk-through of progress in the main house where the main bedroom was expanded with additional closets and a luxe bathroom which had a huge shower with double showerheads, one at each end, oooh! After a transition shot of interior painting taking place, we then connected with Zack who was in the main house bedroom suite (which he somewhat confusingly called the addition, but it was apparently the expanded main bedroom suite, along with a mudroom to outside, a powder room and a laundry room as well), also quite luxe with paneled walls and a round-top doorway which was tragically delayed in its availability. A graphic of the layout would have been useful at this point, but no such luck so it was a bit confusing. Zack connected with carpenter Adrian Gonzalez of G&R Custom Finish Woodworking and homeowner Dan who demonstrated the installation of paneled wainscotting and the painstaking measurements that process required. MDF panels and rails were measured, cut and installed with biscuit joints ($1 to Norm!!) and that was that. We bounced back to Keven, now down in the basement with electrician Sean Brennan who explained how the number of circuits required 2 electrical panels for the main house space despite being a single 200 amp service. They got into a discussion of smart lighting that had a control unit that used the home's router to send RF signals to 12 smart switches throughout the house, controlled by an app. It seemed complex enough that I wouldn't want to be trying to use it or change it a decade from now, but whatever. And that was it. Next time, we wrap it up as the two families arrive in their new homes and the finished project gets revealed as springtime arrives! This episode proceeded at a breakneck pace and so was unable to show very much of how things were actually getting done, just performative scenes of things underway, another victim of the compressed schedule unfortunately. It was quite the departure and not very satisfying to watch as the producers seemed forced to show quantity over quality. A bit of a head-spinning disappointment, sadly. submitted by /u/keithplacer to r/Thisoldhouse [link] [comments]

Hi, I am so overwhelmed with all of the options. Help me choose a vacuum mop. - We have a 3700 sqft one level home - real hardwoods, some area rugs, and tile in bathrooms and laundry/ mud room - We have a very hairy golden retriever and 2 young kids - live kind of rural with a lot of dirt and grass that the kids and hairy dog like to track in. Budget under $1000 I despise vacuuming. Don’t mind manual mopping so much if there’s an option that is better for my budget with vacuum only rather than the combo. Thanks for any recommendations you have! submitted by /u/Maleficent-Run-2802 to r/RobotVacuums [link] [comments]

Recently followed a yt guide to install northern roads and load order also uninstalled lawf and disabled blended roads after loading into a game i noticed white glowing textures flickering and streching across my screen aswell as some normal textures and meshes after uninstalling northern roads and readding lawf and blended roads i still have this problem Mod List: +Seasonal Landscapes -overwrite +Remove Hanging Moss From Trees -Northern Roads - Let me guess someone stole your sweetROADS -Northern Roads Grass Patch -Northern Roads - Patches Compendium -Northern Roads Patch Collection -Northern Roads Floating Flora Fixes -Northern Roads Tents - Animated -Northern Concept - Northern Roads -ElSopa - Northern Roads Resculpted +Landscape Fixes For Grass Mods +TAA Flicker Fixer +Flickering Meshes Fix -Mari's flora +Cathedral - 3D Mountain Flowers Hearthfire Patch +Cathedral - 3D Mountain Flowers +Rally's Water Foam -Cutting Room Floor - Landscape and Water Fixes -Cutting Room Floor - Patch Collection +Snazzy Furniture and Clutter Overhaul Patch Collection +Cities of the North - Dawnstar Alternate Start Patch +Frozen Electrocuted Combustion Ordinator Patch +Frozen Electrocuted Combustion +Assorted Animation Fixes +Ash Ghoul - Ash Spawn Sound Rework - +Arm Movement Animations (OAR) +Argonian Crests -Apocryphal Library and Undeath Remastered Integration -Undeath Remastered -Apocryphal Library -Apocrypha - ENB Light - Community Shader Light Limit Fix Light -Another Redbelly Mine Mod +Animunculi - Dwarven Spider SFX Redesigned - +Animunculi - Dwarven Sphere SFX Redesigned - +Animunculi - Dwarven Centurion SFX Redesigned - -Animated Objects Overhauled aka That is NOT a spoon Pt2 -Animated Objects Overhauled aka That is NOT a spoon Pt1 +Animated Forge Water +Animals Swim (Sort of) -AnimObject Swapper -Cutting Room Floor +Ancient Argonian Armor - My patches SE by Xtudo - Beyond Skyrim Wares of Tamriel Cardana OBIS -Skyrim Sewers 4 +Scarecrows of Skyrim +Clockwork (SSE) -Anga's Mill - Cities of the North Addon Patch Collection +Snazzy Furniture and Clutter Overhaul SE -Skyrim Artwork Imports -Ryn's Lumber Mills -Anga's Mill - Cities of the North Addon +Andrealletius' Exploit Fixes +Ancient Nord Armors and Weapons Retexture SE +Ancient Argonian Armor SE HiRes Textures +Ancient Argonian Armor SE +Ancestor Glade Tree - PBR and Vanilla +Alternate Conversation Camera Tweaks +Alternate Conversation Camera +Alt-Tab Stuck Key Fix +Alchemy Station Variants - Base Object Swapper +Airgetlam - Shouts SFX - +Ahzidal's Armor Set - My version SE by Xtudo -Ahlams Dialogue Restored featuring Nazeem - Cut Content Restoration +Afterlife - Resurrected -After the Civil War - Siege Damage Repairs +Aetherium Armor and Weapons Compilation by lautasantenni -Additional Dremora faces - My optimized textures by Xtudo -Additional Dremora Faces -Additional Contracts for the Dark Brotherhood (ACDB) -Actually flat flat snow drifts - fix hovering snow drift shadow with ENB -Actually Useful Butter Churns +Actor Value Generator +I4 Icons Abyssal Tides Magic +Lexicon SKSE +Abyssal Tides Magic +ALT - The Snow Elves Throne +A Steward for Dawnstar +A Shrine of Azura at The Shrine of Azura +A New Chapter - UI Sound Replacer +(SJG) Dual Wield Parrying Reimplementation for SSE - Settings Loader +(SJG) Dual Wield Parrying Reimplementation for SSE (Works for Spell Blades as well) -(CC Saturalia) Saturalia only in Saturalia +Dibella statue +Dibella's Shrine +Destroy The Dark Brotherhood - Quest Expansion +The Innocence Lost - Quest Expansion +Dialogue Expansion - Windhelm +Dialogue Expansion - Imperial Soldiers +Depths of Apocrypha - Lurker VSFX Rework - +Dark Hierophant Magic - I4 Spell Icon +Delphine Skyhaven Bugfix MQ203 +Dark Hierophant Magic +Dark Elf Lantern - ENB Light - Community Shader Light Limit Fix Light - Animated Glow +Containers and Leveled Lists Fixes - Complete Loot Overhaul +Saunas Of Skyrim - The Bathing Mare +DUST By Ramccoid +Cuyi's Bosmeri Antlers - SSE +Crime Overhaul +Cooking Categories Improvement (Constructible Object Custom Keyword System - Fixes) +Campfire - Complete Camping System (Supports Skyrim VR) +Brawl Lines Expansion and Fixes -City Entrances Overhaul - Markarth CFTO Patch -City Entrances Overhaul - Windhelm LoS Patch -City Entrances Overhaul - Windhelm IC Patch -City Entrances Overhaul - Markarth -City Entrances Overhaul - Windhelm +Better Argonian Horns +Carry Your Carcasses +Hunterborn +To Your Face SE - AE - VR +Splashes Of Storms +Ryn's Farms AIO - Landscape and Water Fixes +Ryn's Farms +Skyrim Tranquil ponds +Paper World Map -Vanilla Landscapes Corrections +Nocturnal Revoiced +Publican's Perch - A Modular Bar and Shop Counter Replacer +WaterDebris +Dynamic Bloodpool Framework +Depths of Skyrim +Better Skyrim Parties - Weddings - Funerals - Crowd Events Overhaul +Skald's Mail - A Courier Alternative +Inertia - Physical Movement Response System - SKSE +Particle Wind - SKSE Plugin +Whiterun Exteriors Patch Collection +Diverse Grindstones City Placer +Diverse Grindstones Base Object Swapper +New Legion +Zerofrost Ultimate Armor Collection +Steel Plate Armors +Travellers of Skyrim - Travelers SSE +Adventurers and Travelers +Cities of the North - Winterhold Jk Skyrim Patch +RS Children Patch Compendium +COTN Winterhold Patch Collection +Wet Mud texture alternatives for Skyrim 2020 Parallax +Windhelm Bridge Stairs +Skyrim Bridges +Skyrim Bridges crf patch +More Informative Console +Skyrim Bridges Jk Skyrim Patch -Medieval Lanterns of Skyrim +Widescreen Scale Removed for 1-6-1130 and higher +Pg Output +xLodGen Output +Seasons of Skyrim SKSE +Weapon Animation (Dawnbreaker) +DynDOLOD_Output +DynDOLOD DLL NG +DynDOLOD Resources SE +TexGen_Output +Lux - Via Solitude Docks Patch +Lux - Via (patch hub) +Lux Solitude Docks Patch +JK's Solitude Outskirts Patch Collection -7B2's Unique Voiced NPCs Patchs +Seasonal Weathers Framework Main - Seasons support for Weathers Mods +Lanterns of Skyrim II Combo Patch for JK Solitude Outskirts - Solitude Docks Updated +Illustrious Whiterun SE - 4k - Complex Materials Parallax Meshes +Illustrious Whiterun SE - 4k - Complex Materials Parallax +Unique Jarl Throne Sitting Animation (OAR) Thrones Expanded Patch +Unique Jarl Throne Sitting Animation (OAR) +Thrones Expanded +True Nordic Farmhouses Parallax Support +Rourken's Relics +Moon and Star Rs Patch +Moon and Star +Flame Tongue SSE (Transforming Dwarven Weapon) Enb Light +Flame Tongue SSE (Transforming Dwarven Weapon) +Dwemer Gate Reworked +Dwemer Compass Enhanced - Legacy of the Dragonborn +Non-Horse Mount Animation Fix +Dwemer Deepwalkers - Titans and Divers +Dwarven Luggage SSE +Dwarven Ebony +Dwarven Power Armor- Mihail Armors and Clothes (SE-AE version) (''dwemer'') +Aetherial Crown +Dwarven Blasters +dwarven beam blades +Deep Slumber - A Dwemer Bed Replacer +Ancient Dwemer Metal - My patches for SMIM Dawnguard Dragonborn by Xtudo +Ancient Amidianborn Dwarven Metal Armory +SRW0 Ancient Dwemer Metal Ancient Automatons +SRW0 Ancient Dwemer Metal +ESO Themed Dwemer Animunculi +WiZkiD Riften and Ratway +Solitude HD by CleverCharff 4K 2K +DMT's Skyhaven Temple Extreme Restoration (Blades Overhaul) +Skyrim Textures Redone - SkyHaven +Sky Haven Temple - Gardens Jk Patch +Sky Haven Temple - Interior Overhaul and Player Home +Sky Haven Temple - Gardens +JK's Skyhaven forge +Skyrim Textures Redone - High Hrothgar +Skyland - Imperial Forts and Dungeons +SD's Farmhouse Fences SE +Rudy HQ - Nordic Ruins SE +Farmhouses of the Nords (2K - 4K) +Seasonal Weathers Framework - Seasons support for Weathers Mods +Dynamic Interior Ambient Lighting (DIAL) +JS Purses and Septims SE +Helgen Reborn +The Grand Paladin - 2021 (Remake) +Wyrmstooth Hearthfire Compatibility Patch +Achievement Injector +Wyrmstooth Achivment Injector +Wyrmstooth Dragonborn Compatibility Patch +Shouts of Stallholders +Wyrmstooth +Echoes of Oblivion +FormList Manipulator - FLM +Skyrim Revoiced +Timing is Everything SE +Children of the Green - A Bosmer NPC Overhaul USSEP +Children of the Green - A Bosmer NPC Overhaul +Children of the Ash - A Dunmer NPC Overhaul +Tragedian's Fabulous Followers AIO +Children of the First - An Altmer NPC Overhaul USSEP Patch +Children of the First - An Altmer NPC Overhaul +Children of Dawn's Beauty - A Resource for Certain Mods +Fire And Blood - Legendary Dragon Combats Story Mode +Fire And Blood - Legendary Dragon Combats +VIGILANT SE +At Your Own Pace +Honed Metal +ArteFakes - Unique Artifacts Replacer +Solitude Clock Tower +Blubbos Markarth 2022 +Blubbos Whiterun 2022 - Patch Collection +Blubbos Whiterun 2022 Bannerd Mare Patch +Blubbos Whiterun 2022 +Book Covers Skyrim +Embers XD +RUGNAROK - Special Edition +Skyland Crates and Barrels - SMIM Compatible -Skyland Whiterun Complex Parallax +RedBag's Solitude Docks Updated +Solitude Docks Updated +RedBag's Solitude +BERSERK +Berserker Armor - An Immersive Berserk-inspired Armor Update +Berserker Armor - An Immersive Berserk-inspired Armor +Wheeler - Quick Action Wheel Of Skyrim +Wheeler - Untarnished UI Edit +Untarnished UI 1.1.6 +Main Menu Redone +Main Menu Randomizer SE +XP32 Maximum Skeleton Special Extended - Fixed Scripts +XP32 Maximum Skeleton Special Extended +Whiterun Has Walls Redone - 3.0 +Weapons Armor Clothing and Clutter Fixes +WAVY Waterfalls Effect +Water for ENB +Vokriinator - Choice Cuts +Vokrii - Minimalistic Perks of Skyrim Mystcism Patch +Vokrii - Minimalistic Perks of Skyrim +Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch - USSEP +Unofficial Skyrim Modder's Patch - USMP SE +UNDERDOG - Animations -Ulvenwald - 3d Lod Resources - Alpha - WIP -Ulvenwald +Ulvenwald 3.3 +Ultra Weapons +Ultimate Optimized Scripts Compilation +UIExtensions v1-2-0-17561-1-2-0 +UIExtensions +TrueHUD-62775-1-1-9-1703382929 +True Directional Movement - Modernized Third Person Gameplay +Triumvirate 1.8.0-39170-1-8-0-1635603585 +Triumvirate - Mage Archetypes Adamant Patch +Traveler's Armor Pack - Visually Upgradeable Outfit - Vanilla - CBBE -Trailblazers +TMD The Rift Leaves +TK Dodge SE +TK Dodge RE +TK Dodge NG +TK Dodge Animation Pandora Fix Patch +Thieves Guild Armors Retexture SE-98561-1-0-1692362970 +The Restless Dead +The Legacy of Akaviri Blade +The Last Vigil -Ebony Warrior Voice Rework- +The Hidden Blades - Akaviri Followers Bosses And Weapons +The Eyes Of Beauty SSE +The Dragonborn's Bestiary - Addons SIC +The Dragonborn's Bestiary +Thaumaturgy - An Enchanting Overhaul -Vramer Output +Terrain Helper +Take a Peek - New Stealth Mechanic +Sunglare disabler +Summermyst - WACCF Patch +Summermyst - Enchantments of Skyrim +Street Cleaning - City FPS Helper +Strange Runes +Stendarr Rising - The Hall of the Vigilant Rebuild +Steel Armors and Weapons Retexture SE-85445-2-0-1733251992 -Steeds of Skyrim +Static Skill Leveling Rewritten +Static Mesh Improvement Mod -Start On Save +Standalone09sWeapons +Stamina of Steeds +Stalhrim Armors and Weapons Retexture SE-96204-1-1-1689866222 +SSEedit Cache +SSEEdit 4.1.5f +SSE FPS Stabilizer +SSE Display Tweaks-34705-0-5-16-1703410713 +SRP Markarth and Dwemer Ruins 2K-69370-2-0-1671193397 +SRC - Exclude from Radiant System +Sprint Sneak Movement Speed Fix +SPERG - Skyrim Perk Enhancements and Rebalanced Gameplay SSE Port +Spell Perk Item Distributor-36869-7-1-3-1713397024 +Spell Perk Item Distributor +Sounds of Skyrim Complete SE +Sound Record Distributor +Sons of Nirn - Whiterun +Soft Shadows +Snowy Ships for Snowy Regions +Snowy Carts for Snowy Regions +SMP-NPC crash fix-91616-1-1684409131 +SMP-NPC crash fix +SmoothCam +Smooth Moveset - OAR -Sleeping Innkeepers -Sleep Tight +SkyUILib +SkyUI_5_2_SE-12604-5-2SE +SkyUI +Skyshards +Skyrim Weapons Expansion +Skyrim Skill Uncapper for SE and AE +Skyrim Realistic Conquering - All In One +Skyrim Project Optimization SE +Skyrim Priority SE AE - CPU Performance FPS Optimizer +Skyrim Outfit System SE Revived +Skyrim Landscape and Water Fixes +Skyrim Immersive Creatures Special Edition +SkyPatcher +SkyParkour v3 - Procedural Parkour and Climbing Framework (SPPF) Pandora Patch +SkyParkour v3 - Procedural Parkour and Climbing Framework (SPPF) +Skyland Bits and Bobs - A Clutter Overhaul +Skyland AIO +skse64_2_02_06 +Simplicity of Snow-56235-0-25-1746065447 +Simplicity of Snow +Simple Mod Item Spawner -Alternative To AddItemMenu for AE VR or SE +Simple Dual Sheath +Silver Armor and Weapons Retexture SE-89109-2-0-1-1717271820 +SIC SE Patch Mortal Enemies SE +SIC SE Experience Patch +SIC SE ENB Particle Light Patch +SIC SE Cathedral - Armory Integration +Shadow Boost +Serious Civil War Fort Personnel +Serana Re-Imagined +Serana Dialogue Add-On +Security Overhaul SKSE - Lock Variations +SearchUI - Get Any Item Instantly +SDA Patch Hub SE +Scrolling Speed 2- adjust your running speed with mouse wheel (no conflict) +Scripts Carefully Reworked Optimized and Tactfully Enhanced (SCROTE) - Simply Optimized Scripts AIO +Scripts +Scrambled Bugs - Anniversary Edition (1.6.629.0 and later)-43532-21-1678779028 +SCAR AE Support +SCAR - Skyrim Combos AI Revolution +Saviik's Solitude Overhaul +Sanguine Symphony +Samurai Killmove +Sacrosanct 6.0.0-3928-6-0-0-1689846876 +Sacrosanct - Friendly Hemomancy +Ryn's Standing Stones +Ryn's Snazzy Last Vigil - An Ebony Warrior Overhaul +Ryn's Dragon Mounds Collection +RUSTIC CLOTHING - Special Edition - 2K-4703-3-0-1597023412 +RS Children Overhaul +Rogues 'n Raiders -Road Textures for Blended Roads 4k-85285-1-0-1676857091 +RiftenFPSFix +Riften Temple Sconce Fix +Riften Extension - Southwoods District +Riften Extension - Northshore District +Riften City Grass Remover - FPS fix +Reverb Interior Sounds Expansion +Resurgence Armory - Iron 2K-59113-3-0-1-1709093373 +RemoveAllItems Freeze Fix +Remodeled Armor SE - CBBE 3BA +Relationship Dialogue Overhaul - Update and MCM +Relationship Dialogue Overhaul - RDO SE +Reimagined Mountain Flowers +Recursion Monitor +Realistic Conversations +Real Rabbits HD - Color Variants and High Poly Mesh with Fur +Racial Skin Variance - SPID 2K Version-81668-2-5-2-1748927485 +RaceMenu Anniversary Edition v0-4-19-16-19080-0-4-19-16-1706297897 +RaceCompatibility with fixes for SSE +QW's Grass Patch 2-67785-1-1-1653226115 +QuickLoot IE - A QuickLoot EE Fork +Quick Light SE +QUI - Unofficial Update +QUI +Quest Journal Limit Bug Fixer - Recover Disappeared Quests +PROTEUS +Project New Reign - Nemesis Unlimited Behavior Engine +Project ja-Kha'jay +profiles +Precision Trail Replacer - Simple +Precision Creatures +Precision +powerofthree's Tweaks +powerofthree's Papyrus Extender +Pick Up Radius +Phenderix Weather Changer +Payload Interpreter +Path of Sorcery - Magic Perk Overhaul +Particle Patch for ENB +PapyrusUtil SE - Modders Scripting Utility Functions +PapyrusUtil AE SE - Scripting Utility Functions-13048-4-6-1705639805 +Papyrus Tweaks NG +Papyrus Extender-22854-6-0-2-1749572065 +PAPER +Pandora Output +Pandora Behaviour Engine Standalone Windows x64 +Pan's Nameless Witches +Pan's Nameless Hunters +Paired Animation Improvements-99621-1-0-2-1706671876 +Paired Animation Improvements +OxygenMeter2 +Origins Of Forest - 3D Forest Grass-45719-1-4-8-1666599330 +Ordinator - Perks of Skyrim +Ordinator - Combat Styles +Orcish Armors and Weapons Retexture SE-84607-2-0-1-1727196980 +Orc Strongholds - All In One Lux Via Patch +Orc Strongholds - All In One +Orc Exiles - The Cracked Tusk Keep Imperial Castles Patch +Orc Exiles - The Cracked Tusk Keep +Orc Exiles - Rift Watchtower Imperial Castles Patch +Orc Exiles - Rift Watchtower +Orc Exiles - Bilegulch Stronghold Lux Patch +Orc Exiles - Bilegulch Stronghold +Optimised Scripts for Vokrii +Optimised Scripts for Summermyst +Optimised Scripts for SPERG +Optimised Scripts for Ordinator +Optimised Scripts for Enhanced Blood Textures +Optimised Scripts for Apocalypse +Ophelia Accessories +Open Animation Replacer - IED Conditions +Open Animation Replacer - Detection Plugin +Open Animation Replacer +OnMagicEffectApply Replacer +Oldrim CBBE Hands For SSE +Oblivion Weapons +NVIDIA Reflex Support +NPC Stuck in Bleedout fix +NPC Block Loop Fix +Northern Scenery - Ysgramor's Tomb +Northern Scenery - Whiterun's Tundra +Northern God Armor SE +Nordic Ruins of Skyrim SSE +No Recoil +No more Radial Blur - Performance optimization +No More Blinding Fog - SSE Port +No Grass In Objects +NL_MCM - A Modular MCM Framework +Nightingale Armor and Weapons Retexture SE-91723-1-0-1684545900 +Next-Gen Decapitations - Latest Version-135254-1-3-3-1749557148 +New Spriggans +New Spriggan Matron +New Night Mother SE +New Flame Atronach +New Earth Mother Spriggan +New Burnt Spriggan Female +Nemesis Unlimited Behavior Engine +Nemesis Output +Nemesis Creature Behaivour Compatiblity-45966-1-4-1679764715 +Navigator - Navmesh Fixes +Natural Waterfalls +Native EditorID Fix +Mysticism - A Magic Overhaul Ordinator Patch +Mysticism - A Magic Overhaul +Myrwatch - House Fix-64108-1-1-1-1658728465 +Mundus - A Standing Stone Overhaul +Mortal Enemies SE +moreHUD SE +moreHUD Inventory Edition +More Undying Undead +Moons And Stars - Sky Overhaul SKSE +mods +MINPCs (More Immersive NPCs) +Mfg Fix NG +Mfg Fix +MEMOSPORE - UI Sound Effects +MCO I BFCO I SCAR WoLong Battleaxe +MCM Helper +MaxsuBlockOverhaul +Majestic Dragons - Larger and immersive proportions +Maiden Dresses of Norway +Maid Outfits by zzjay and GraceDarkling +Lux Via Resource Pack ENB Light +Lux Via (main)-63588-2-2-1713094342 +Lux (patch hub) +Lux +Lunar Guard Armor +Lore Friendly Guns of Skyrim (Formerly Rifles) +Loki's Wade In Water +LOD Unloading Bug Fix +Location Roleplay Notes +Lightened Skyrim +Leveling Freedom - Configure your XP Curve - Gentler Smoother Steeper or Flat +Legacy of the Dragonborn Patches (Official) +Legacy of the Dragonborn +Leather Armors Retexture SE-90153-1-1-1741384564 +LeanWolf's Better-Shaped Weapons - All in One Installer +Lawless -WACCF Patch +Lawless - A Bandit Overhaul +Lanterns Of Skyrim II +Labyrinthian Shalidor's Maze Fixes +KS Hairdos SSE-6817-1-10-1747506054 +KS Hairdos SMP-31300-1-4-3-1596895272 +kryptopyr's Automated Patches +KreatE +KiLoader for Skyrim +Keyword Item Distributor +Keyword Compatibility Framework +Katana Crafting - SE +Kanjs - Harkon Katana Animated +Judgement Cut End ap05 for Phoenix Soul I Yamato +Judgement Cut End - ap05's Remake +JK's Windhelm Outskirts Patch Collection +JK's Windhelm Outskirts +JK's Whiterun Outskirts +JK's White Phial +JK's Warmaiden's +JK's Understone Keep +JK's Thieves Guild HQ +JK's The Winking Skeever +JK's The Temple of Mara +JK's The Ragged Flagon +JK's The Pawned Prawn +JK's The Hag's Cure +JK's The Drunken Huntsman +JK's The Bee and Barb +JK's The Bards College +JK's The Bannered Mare +JK's Temple of the Divines +JK's Temple of Talos +JK's Temple of Kynareth +JK's Temple of Dibella +JK's Tel Mithryn +JK's Solitude Outskirts +JKs Skyrim Cotn- Landscape and Water Fixes +JK's Skyrim Patch Collection +JK's Sleeping Giant Inn +JKs Skyrim - Landscape and Water Fixes +JK's Skyrim +JK's Sky Haven Temple +JK's Sinderion's Field Laboratory +JK's Silver-Blood Inn +JK's Septimus Signus's Outpost +JK's Riverwood +JK's Sadri's Used Wares +T'Skyrim - Riverwood +JK's Riverwood Trader +JK's Riften Outskirts Patch Collection +JK's Riften Outskirts +JK's Raven Rock +JK's Radiant Raiment +JK's Palace of the Kings +JK's Nightingale Hall +JK's Nightgate Inn +JK's New Gnisis Cornerclub +JK's Mistveil Keep +JK's Markarth Outskirts Patch Collection +JK's Markarth Outskirts +JK's Jorrvaskr +JK's Interiors Patch Collection +JK's High Hrothgar +JK's Haelga's Bunkhouse +JK's Guild HQ Interiors Patch Collection +JK's Elgrim's Elixirs +JK's Dragonsreach +JK's Dark Brotherhood Sanctuaries +JK's Castle Volkihar +JK's Castle Dour +JK's Candlehearth Hall +JK's Blue Palace +JK's Bits and Pieces +JK's Belethor's General Goods +JK's Arnleif and Sons Trading Company +JK's Arcadia's Cauldron +JK's Angeline's Aromatics +JContainers SE +Item Equip Restrictor - 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NG +Animated Static Reload Fix +Animated Ships - Realistic Nord Ships Patch +Animated Ships +Animated Clutter +Andrealletius' Papyrus Functions +Ancient Falmer Armors and Weapons Retexture SE-95292-1-0-1688757038 +Ancient Blood Magic II +Alternative runes - Strange runes texture mod +Alternate Start - Live Another Life - SSE +All in one Address Library (Anniversary Edition)-32444-11-1707902394 +Alduins Wall - Descriptions (AWD) +Alchemy recipe view mode SE +Alchemy recipe view mode - Show in UI +Akaviri Hats Pack +AIM FIX - total control over the crosshair for archery and magic +Aesthetic Elves +ADXP I MCO I BFCO ER Katana (SCAR) +Administer Potions (ADMP) - Apothecary Patch +Administer Potions (ADMP) +Address Library for SKSE Plugins +PGPatcher (aka ParallaxGen) +Add Sacrosanct Spells to BV 9.1 SE-AE-1925-9-1-1743360985 +Adamant - A Perk Overhaul +Actor Limit Fix +Acoustic Space Improvement Fixes - SkyPatcher +A Quality World Map +7B2's Unique Voiced NPCs - RDO Patch +7B2's Unique Voiced NPCs +3rd Person Camera Stagger Remover +360 Ward - Artificer Patch +360 Ward +- Wargod - An Ebony Warrior Boss overhaul +(ESL)HDT-SMP Daedric Armor Patch (4thUnknown Version) *Creation Club: _ResourcePack *Creation Club: ccBGSSSE001-Fish *Creation Club: ccBGSSSE025-AdvDSGS *Creation Club: ccBGSSSE037-Curios *Creation Club: ccQDRSSE001-SurvivalMode *DLC: Dawnguard *DLC: Dragonborn *DLC: HearthFires submitted by /u/Healthy-Ad-7255 to r/skyrimmods [link] [comments]

This is my first draft of a 3br, 2 1/2 ba European country house to age-in-place. All doors are 3’+ and the halls/isles are 4’+. Exception is pantry & both the 1/2 and guest baths have 3’ isles. Should I just expand these three areas? We are empty nester ranchers so lots of mud and dirty dogs; hence, the large mudroom at the back of the house with a boot/dog wash just inside the door. A structural question is do we need a support beam where the kitchen, dining, and vaulter great room meet? (See red circled area) I’ve seen so many comments on other house plans about the laundry being too far from the primary suite that I added a washer/dryer combo in the primary closet. (See the blue circles areas) The stacked one in the mudroom will be for rugs, ranch outerwear, animal blankets/towels, etc. I’d prefer one laundry for cost and space. Is this distance really that big of a deal? Definitely don’t want to increase the living area square footage but are open to changing the layout and features for efficiency, cost, balance, & flow as needed. Thank you! submitted by /u/0Butter_Biscuit to r/houseplans [link] [comments]

This is the 4th version of the floorplan for our upcoming build. I think I have worked out most of the kinks from the prior versions. I would love any helpful feedback/suggestions you may have. This is my first time doing this so I'm worried about anything not transferring from paper to real life well. (IGNORE ALL WINDOW PLACEMENT...I'm not adjusting them until the rest is set) Things I am stuck on... -We would prefer a french door into the master. -Opening placement from master bedroom to bath/closet -Sauna in primary bath... I need to research cost but if it's out of the budget I was thinking to make the shower a bit larger and use the remaining space for a safe that would be accessible from the closet. We are take it or leave it on a tub. - I would prefer the fridge to be on the opposite side (closest to the dining area). BUT I would like to do a wide hood which doesn't allow for the fridge to fit at the end, any ideas how to tweak it w/o giving up the hood aesthetic? Right now I have the range with 2' of workspace on each side. -Better layout for bathroom 3? I don't see many other options that allow us to keep the exterior door. -Better layout for mudroom/laundry room combo? It just seems off to me. *We are doing a detached garage, so the main entrance will be used. Thanks! https://preview.redd.it/zrg0gcbmd1eg1.png?width=3420&format=png&auto=webp&s=5a6c74853f3fa63d09f5f77f9c53ef58c7d515af submitted by /u/Awkward-Lion8933 to r/floorplan [link] [comments]

This is a rough draft of our house plan. It is an ocean front property so I tried to keep the main living area and master situated towards the back. What else could be done to maximize space? What I want to change: -Rotate the island -Make the two flights of stairs flush - but that means I will have 8-10ft of open rail…is that a lot or does anyone have other suggestions? -Undecided between hinge or sliding doors for the bedroom closets. -Contemplating putting the fire place along the back wall with two longer windows on either side, but this would obstruct some of the view - We wanted a combo mud and laundry room, but I did recently see a plan where the mudroom was located next to the front entrance and garage and thought it was that could be nice, but no idea how to rearrange to fit it -Contemplating changing the master bath layout to have the toilet immediately on the right when you walk in…has anyone done this? submitted by /u/Snow_WRB to r/houseplans [link] [comments]

Hello r/chubbytravel, avid reader but first-time poster here. Apologies for the lack of great photos - I wasn't planning to post and don't take good ones anyway. Love this community so hope you enjoy! FS Sensei (2 nights) and FS Lanai (5 nights) The Verdict Do it! If you're in need of some peace & quiet, there are few places quite like the Hawaiian island of Lanai. FS Sensei is truly heaven on earth - a secluded adults-only property focused on health & wellness. FS Lanai is a more traditional beach resort, surrounded by picturesque Hawaiian beauty. They complement each other nicely and well represent the FS brand. The Island of Lanai FS Sensei and FS Lanai are both located on Lanai. The island is 98% owned by Larry Ellison, cofounder of Oracle, who's invested billions into developing its properties, infrastructure, etc. As a result, the island, its residents, and the FS properties are all closely interconnected. Lanai only has three hotels - FS Sensei, FS Lanai, and Hotel Lanai. Hotel Lanai is located downtown, in the middle of the island. FS Sensei is one mile north inland (~5m drive, ~25m walk), and FS Lanai is eight miles south on the coast (~30m drive). FS Sensei tends to be overcast & cool while FS Lanai is sunny & hot - you'll feel the difference. Both of the properties underwent major renovations less than a decade ago. FS Sensei We booked a Koele Deluxe Room and were upgraded to a Koele Suite overlooking the grounds - thank you, u/alex_travels! It was the perfect amount of space, and everything was well appointed. We especially loved the balcony and would leave the door open to listen to nature. Another bathroom sink would've been ideal. Almost forgot, they have bidets! The property was simply WOW! The feeling - anxiety melting away and replaced by absolute serenity. The attention to detail - landscaping (Hawaiian Zen), architecture (FS lodge), spa hale (Japanese ryokan), art & sculptures (meditative contemporary), and wellness programming (East meets West). My new happy place! If you stay here, you must try the spa hales - mini-spas just for you! My experience was transcendent - I was literally left speechless, crying tears of joy. The onsen gardens and tubs are also must dos. In addition, there's a comprehensive menu of daily classes (many free), individual consultations (flexibility, sleep, etc.), and group classes (yoga, meditation, etc.). Tips: The spa at FS Sensei is one of the few offerings available exclusively to its guests. Many of the treatments include private hale time, also offered as a standalone item. We liked the combo best - professional therapy followed by private exploration. Lastly, if you happen to love toads, thousands of them hop out at night - bring a flashlight and don't touch! FS Lanai We booked an Ocean View Room and were upgraded to a Prime Oceanfront Room - thanks again, u/alex_travels! Our host, who's been at the property over 20 years, remarked it was her favorite room (#1209). It overlooked Hulopoʻe Bay, a protected marine reserve, with line of sight to Sweetheart Rock. We saw spectacular sunrises/sets, pods of spinner dolphins, etc. The resort really felt like one big, open-air space. The rooms had a lot of natural & artisanal surfaces, warm tones, etc. Moreover, there were several settings for the room lights & blinds. The ocean is my favorite ambient noise, but the black-out blinds were the key to a good night's sleep. And more bidets - an underrated amenity! The property reminded me of a nature-immersed FS Maui (January 2025). It was hard not comparing the two, so here's mine: FS Maui - families, beach, and dining; FS Lanai - couples, rooms, and setting. Both had top-notch service. Though, the vibes are very different. FS Maui is located in Wailea, which is far more commercialized than anywhere on Lanai. Tips: Book FS properties through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner! It's free and you'll receive more benefits than from using AmEx FHR or equivalents. These FS properties aren't cheap, but if you can open the wallet a bit more, try booking a room class above the entry-level option. I've received far more mileage from room upgrades. FS Service Outstanding as always at both properties. For example, I hiked the Koloiki Ridge Trail after it had rained. Not wanting to muck up the FS Sensei, I gave my mud-caked shoes to housekeeping and they were returned spotless in 30m. It seemed like every staff member was a long-time employee as well as resident of the island. Both resorts have free laundry! Transportation Lanai is relatively isolated. You'll need to take a semi-private jet on Lanai Air from a Hawaiian hub (often comped by FS) or a public ferry (not comped). Once on the island, FS has roundtrip shuttles connecting the hotels, or you can rent a Jeep from FS. I wouldn't recommend island hopping unless you're visiting Hawaii for longer than a week. Tips: Lanai Air availability can be spotty, especially if you're flying during peak times. Work backwards from these flights when planning. If you're taking the shuttle to Hotel Lanai from FS Sensei, call the resort for a ~5m return trip, else you'll take a ~1hr loop on the shuttle. That's what I heard anyway ;) Dining Lanai has limited options. Larry loves his Nobu, so there's one at both FS Sensei and FS Lanai. FS Sensei also has a really nice Garden Bar with a full menu of food & drinks. FS Lanai has a couple more places, but nothing too notable. They're both launching new restaurants, but these are unlikely to move Lanai's culinary needle. Tips: Lanai City Grill is a fantastic local place. It's located in Hotel Lanai, which doubles as the FS shuttle stop for downtown. They have Taco Tuesdays and live music most days - yes, please! The island's only gas station serves breakfast & lunch at affordable prices. Ganotisi's is another great place for local fare. Activities The vast majority of excursions are accessible by guests staying at either resort. There's something for everyone - sunset cruises, horseback riding, adventure park, golf, etc. If you wish to explore the island on your own, you can rent a Jeep to venture to some fun local spots - Lanai Cat Sanctuary (800 cats!), Garden of the Gods, Shipwreck Beach, etc. Tips: Many activities are closer to FS Sensei, since it's located in the middle of island. FS Lanai will organize dedicated shuttles for certain things, but it's still a ~30m trip to your destination. If you're splitting your stay between properties, plan accordingly. You can see all the local spots across the island in a single day - but you'll need a full one! submitted by /u/bhornbuc to r/chubbytravel [link] [comments]

https://preview.redd.it/h9sqllhxka7f1.jpg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a8e10cedc2749eb7388f05cf319ea2c849418a9b Context Prior to the pandemic, I traveled to the Philippines with a roller carry on and a backpack. I thought this was a good setup, until I ventured to some remote places and islands, and quickly realized that, outside of a major city, a roller bag rendered useless in rural parts of the country. I ended up having to carry it more than the wheels touched the ground. Apart from just lugging the thing around—the check ins for flights, and the seemingly endless "waiting" for my bag to (hopefully) show up at bag carousels—just seemed to be more hassle than the contents were worth. Outside of just the roller luggage, what became clear to me was not just the bag itself, but the content inside: I came home to a full load of laundry, lost things while on my trip, and didn't use about a third of what was carried in it. It was decided that, it was time to move on. A travel backpack seemed to be the next step to migrate to. During the pandemic, I got both a Farpoint 40l as a introduction to a travel backpack, along with a smaller backpack from Tortuga for shorter/work trips. I used both bags for domestic travel here in the U.S. While the Farpoint was great, I often found myself using the Tortuga 25L more. I used them for different purposes, but the Tortuga got/countinues to get, the most work. In 2023, I made my first trip to Vietnam. Prior to the Philippines, Vietnam had always been the magnetic allure to SEA for me, and I was excited to go. I originally had the Farpoint as my bag for this trip, but had to cancel at the last minute and postpone for a few months. It got me tinkering. What did I really need? what was redundant? what would get the most use? what was formidably "just in case". In a few months, I found that everything that fit in the 40L Farpoint, would fit in the 25L Tortuga. The 1 to 1 ratio load was much more compact, and noticeable smaller. After completing that trip, I continued to think of how to pair things down. With both setups, I still had a 3L camera bag, a packable backpack (waterproof for hikes), and packable duffle (for buying clothing / souviniers). Last year, I made my second trip to Vietnam for 3 weeks. The goal this time was to travel with only one bag. I ended up with my Tortuga again as the winning candidate. This go around, I would be spending 8 days covering 1000 km riding pillion on a motorbike through the Northwest, so having a small bag for a nimble bike, was going to be paramount. For the South, I spent a week in the Mekong, and the plan was to move from point A to B, so keeping the bag light and small, was essential as I didn't have the option of leaving my luggage at an accommodation and packing a smaller bag. I also didn't have my transfer from place to place worked out, so needed to have flexibility for what type of transit I would end up using. For Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, I had hotels booked, but for the rest of the trip, accommodations were a mix of mainly homestays and smaller family run hotels, so what amenities were provided varied. I technically had room in the bag for my 3l camera kit, but after some debate, decided to leave it, and I'm glad I did. Im a photographer, but sometimes the lens gets in the way of the experience. Based on my last trip, the experience is what made me fall in love with the country. The bag with all the contents ended up weighing just under 8 kg. With the sling removed, I was around 6.5kg. I also had room to spare. Here is a breakdown of what I took on my last trip, along with how I packed it. and in reflection, what worked and what didn't. https://preview.redd.it/tzbceituf67f1.jpg?width=2142&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2f91082cc3706b7b99f28c8fd14399ae5ab18ed9 Packing List Tortuga Setout Laptop Bag (25l) 3 Underwear: Uniqlo Airism Briefs 3 Pairs of Socks: Darn Tough Ultralight No Show Osprey Ultralight Garment Folder 1 Button Up Short Sleeve: Alfani (cotton/synthetic) 1 Button Up Short Sleeve: Kuhl Response Stretch Eagle Creek Packit Isolate S Cube 2 T-Shirts: Merino Wool Eagle Creek Packit Isolate S Cube 1 Shorts Hybrid: Kuhl Amphibia 1 Shorts Hiking: OR Ferossi Eagle Creek Spector Shoe Cube 1 Sandals: Okulai Ohana Dopp: Peak Designs Wash Pouch Body Care 1 Deodorant: Humble Brands Stick 1 Sunscreen: All Good Stick 1 Lip Balm: Badger Stick w/ SPF 1 Soap Bag: Matador Flatpak + Dr Bronners Bar Soap 1 Earring: basic stud w/ post back Dental Care 1 Pill Box: Superbee Toothpaste Tablets 1 Toothbrush: GUM Foldable Soft 1 Dental Floss: Reach Hair Care 1 Brush: Bass Foldable w/ Mirror 1 Razor: Phillips Trimmer (charged) X Hair Ties Nail Care 1 Nail Clippers Medications 1 Small Gotubb: Daily Fiber Caps, Activated Charcoal Caps 1 Small Gotubb: Antihistamines, Melatonin 1 Small Gotubb: Azithromycn X Blister Pack: Loperamide X Blister Pack: Bismuth Subsalicytate X Blister Pack: Iburophen X Blister Pack: Acetaminophen X Sachets: Electrolytes First Aid 1 First Aid: Hart Pocket w/ Additional Bandages + Moleskin 1 Roll Medical Tape 1 Roll Gauze 1 Safety Pin 1 Book of matches 1 Swab: Lost Object 1 Tweezers: QVS Slant Tip 1 Insect Repellent: Badger Stick X Insect Repellent: Off DEET Wipes Personal Care X Packs of Tissues X Pack Dude Wipes X Condoms Laundry X Detergent: Tru Earth Laundry Sheet 1 Clothes Line: Sea to Summit Sling: Heimplanet Transit Line Pocket 1 Sunglasses: Oakley 5SQ w/ case 1 Cable: Nomad Goods USBCUSBC 1ft Kevlar 1 Powerbank: Anker 10k w/ Magsafe 1 Travel Power Adapter w/ USB 1 Earbuds: Sony XN5 1 Notebook: Field Notes 1 Pen: Fisher Bullet 1 Tote: Peak Designs Packable Tote 1 Buff: Merino Wool 1 Spray Bottle: Hand Sanitizer Document Sleeve: 2 Copies: Passport (one cut to fold down to credit card size) 1 Copy: Visa 1 Copy: Inoculation Record 1 Copy: Travel Itinerary 1 Copy: Travel Insurance 1 Copy: Flight Confirmations Tech: 1 Tablet: IPad w/ Logitech Combo Touch 1 Cable: Nomad Goods USBCUSBC 5ft Kevlar 1 Cable: Nomad Goods USBCLightening 5ft Kevlar Collapsable Solar Lantern: MPower Luci Light Misc: 1 Cap: Kuhl Renegade Cap 1 Towel: Rainleaf Microfibre 1 Pillow: Sea to Summit Aeros Inflatable Neck Pillow 1 Dry Bag: Matador Flatpak 8L 1 Packable Duffle: Matador Freefly 30L 1 Water Bottle: Hydroflask Trail Series 1 Money Clip: Carbon Fiber X Carbiners: Nite Ice S/G/Micro Lock X Ziplocs X Binder Clips Worn: 1 Hat: Linen Flapcap 1 Top: OR Echo Sun Hoody 1 Top: Kuhl Airspeed Button Up Shirt 1 Belt: Arcade Ranger 1 Underwear: Bamboo Cool Boxer Briefs 1 Pants: Kuhl Renegade Rock 1 Socks: DarnTough Quarter Ultralight Hiking 1 Shoes: Merrell Agility Peak Tactical 1 iPhone Wallet: Andar Apollo 1 Debit Card: (no foreign transaction fees) 1 Credit Card: VISA (no foreign transaction fees) 1 ID Card: State Issued X VND (leftover from my last trip) Passport Sleeve: Andar Atlas 1 Passport 1 Visa 1 Credit Card: MasterCard (no foreign transaction fees) X USD How I Packed I love Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate cubes. The dimensions tend to be fairly universal to fitting within different bags. The slightly translucent fabric allows for you to see the contents within them, but keeps them isolated from odors and moisture. You can utilize the color ways to pair down organizing. They are light as a feather, and are reasonably affordable. I have yet to have any of them "fail", so prove to be quite durable. Here is a visual breakdown of the cubes/pouches listed above for referenece: Osprey Ultralight Garment Folder Eagle Creek Packit Isolate S Cube Eagle Creek Packit Isolate S Cube Eagle Creek Spector Shoe Cube Peak Designs Wash Pouch Heimplanet Transit Line Pocket Method I tend to find that with compression cubes, packing items flat, and folded to the dimension of the cube itself to work best. When you roll, and then compress, you end up with a lot of void space due to the nature of packing something "round" in something that is typically rectangular. Outside of just keeping things organized by cube, I find that compression cubes work best when they are under packed. This might seem counterintuitive as the idea and function of these things being, you can get more space, and therefore add more in the cube. Apart from rolling in a compression cube, overpacking is how you end up with the "flying saucer effect" where, the compression only happens on the edges, and compacts the bulk in the middle of the cube. Ultimately, this also creates void space inside the main pack. Lastly the combination of packing flat and under packing the full volume of a cube uncompressed, leads to the benefit of less wrinkles. the main concept here is that the items are fixed in place, and will not give to the shifting dynamics of movement. For folding and packing flat, I alternate each "layer" or article of clothing in the opposite direction. This helps with balancing the bulk of the cube when compressed. I like to organize the contents of cubes by type, and then delve into organizing the more speciality items by context, and lastly organizing how I pack the bag itself by category. With the said, here is how I packed the bag: The contents that went into the laptop panel The contents that went into the main compartment The main compartment packed The contents that went into the admin panel The backpack packed, with the contents worn shown Ergonomics and logistics I am a fan of modular packing, and think its much easier to have items accessible to fully take out of the bag by groups. This is especially important when repacking. It provides a peace of mind to ensure everything is accounted for and well organized. If your main pack is not overly specialized, it gives you a lot more versatility in how you can customize items to a certain trip. In general, while "stacking" leads to more spatial efficiency, I find that "tiling" steers to better weight distribution and comfort. If I need to, I will stack cubes that are heavier towards the top, that way the weight bares more on your shoulders than your lower back. If I would have brought the camera sling in example, I would have stacked everything but the Eagle Creek cubes to get everything to fit. Apart from the weight, the bag maintained the same silhouette. The other benefit to packing flat, tiling, and modular is, you are able to keep the heavier items closer to your back, and with the most surface area aligning to it. My biggest peeve with the Farpoint was that the laptop compartment was far away from your body, and it also made the outer compression straps less functional. Apparently that issue has been resolved with the newer iteration. I just can't find myself needing that much space, regardless of season or duration. What Worked Backpack: Tortuga SetOut Laptop 25L The bag is great. Hence what seemed to fill a 40L bag in a 25L should say enough. With that said, I find that the admin panel is somewhat useless. In general, I am not a fan of them. On a previous trip, I had my bags flagged for a security check at the gate. After my bag was riffled through and essentially had all the contents dumped, it was very disorienting to find all those loose items in a rush to get on the plane after everyone else had boarded. Pouches are much easier to keep track of. The pocket where the admin panel is located is also rather deep, so it operated more as a "well" for items that would easily wrinkle otherwise. The organization of pockets proved to be somewhat useful for odds and ends, but in my mind, admin panels are just a place for items to get lost. The quick access pocket on the front of the bag is also fairly useless, but provides a nice place to stash a phone or wallet when going through security. The harness system is very comfortable, if not over engineered honestly. No strain carrying it for long distances, including the walk from the local bus to my hotel once I arrived in Hanoi. Once out to arrivals in Hanoi, I opted for the bus parked across from the taxi queues. The bag proved to breathe well in 90+ degrees and the staggering humidity for a few kilometer walk to my hotel. I like that it has a fairly rigid loop at the top in addition to the carry handle for hanging the bag up. Due to a bedbug infestation many years ago, I have a slight phobia of picking them up again. It's useful to hang if a luggage rack isn't readily available. In case the bag needs to be checked, I love the fact that you can stow the straps along with the ability to zip the water bottle pocket flush to the side of the bag so it doesn't get snagged. Thoughtful details it seems Tortuga has moved away from. It has made 100+ trips, and I hope for many more to come. Collapsable Solar Lantern: MPower Luci Light The solar lantern seemed to be one of those "just in case items", but proved to be vital this past trip. When I landed in Hanoi, it was right when the biggest typhoon in history for the region hit. power outages were common during this time. The lantern (as it has performed well when camping) became a game changer. I know that torches and flashlights are a more popular choice, but in my experience, having ambient light in these situations proves to be more helpful than directional light. When the first power outage occurred, I was in the midst of dinner at the hotel restaurant. Normally not my preferred choice, but it wasn't safe to go out, and nothing was open. The lantern was a bit of a crowd pleaser for others seated nearby to finish their meals. It provided a lot more light than the tea light candles the staff were using to cater to other diners to finish their meals. It was also effective in the evenings on rural roads to not just provide light, but also so drivers can see you. It's lightweight, collapses flat, waterproof, and can be hung or attached to keep your hands free. I hate torches because when someone looks at you while wearing them, they are often unaware of having a light shine directly in your face. Its rather unpleasant. For a directional light, there is a phone for that these days. Packable Duffel: Matador Freefly 30L The Matador packable duffel is pretty amazing. I used this for souvenirs if the Tortuga's capacity was capped. I traveled with one of these my past trip as I planned to bring back some clothing. First go around on a prior trip, it was punctured easily by a "boxy" souvenir fairly early on. Medical tape proved to be the most useful as a patch. Matador sent a replacement. I had no issues during my past trip. In the end, I had a winter coat tailored, 3 North Face jackets I bought, along with some smaller items. The compression straps are great to really cinch things down. I was technically able to get it down to the dimensions of a personal item for my airline, but still had to check the Tortuga when heading home. They weighed both my carryon and personal item for a combined weight, which was over 7kg. The enforcement of weight limits seems to be a bit open to interpretation depending on the airport, but it's well known that Asia tends to be pretty strict. The mesh bag it rolls into was more useful for carrying wet shorts in case a impromptu swim occured (found a excellent hot spring in the mountains which I had to myself). The fact that it is mesh, and can compress, allowed the ability to squeeze more moisture out, and provided airflow. Easy to tether onto my bag or bike with a carabiner. Pants: Kuhl Renegade Rock Love these pants! The tapered fit, along with the black colorway, really tones down the "tech" look. They can even be dressed up with a button down shirt. They are lightweight, breath well, quick drying, and are durable. The plethora of pockets are thoughtfully designed and prove to be very useful. The zippered pockets on the thighs are great for securing more sensitive items, and can also act as vents to keep you cool. I also wore these for a 15km day trek in the North, and they added a little more protection. Rice fronds can be razor sharp. Tea trees are probably some of the most resilient little things on earth, and therefore can be quite pointy. The fact that you can cinch the bottom cuffs, added a little peace of mind for "crawly things". Unfortunately, there were a lot of leeches in the area. It's not so much the big ones that are visible in puddles to worry about. it's the little ones that hang out on land, veiled under leaves, that are the nuisance. While a leech could've probably bitten through, I was lucky to only have one "hanging out" once back at the homestay. it attached to my finger, but It never got a bite. Sling: Heimplanet Transit Line Pocket Great sling! Thoughtfully designed, and the perfect size for needing to carry around a little extra. When on the road, this would also be where I would keep valuables in case I had to leave my bag unattended. My only gripe is the quick access pocket on the front is a little awkward, and a bit useless. If you do use it, it luckily is not a separate partition, and shares space with the inside of the main cavity of the bag. This is great as it maintains the form of the sling, but can be a problem if the main compartment is fully packed out. When not in sling mode, I essentially used it as a admin/tech pouch since I didn't use the admin panel in the front pocket of my pack. If empty, it can also pack relatively flat thanks to the gusseted corners. Another thing to note is with the fabric. The dope dye looks fantastic, but not convinced on it's durability. Over a year, it has shown some ware by fraying a bit towards the stitching below the zipper. I am not concerned about it failing, but a bit disappointed by the integrity of what is touted as a premium fabric. The company seems to be one of the most forward thinking and innovative in terms of concept and design. I would expect the materials to equally match that. Dopp: Peak Designs Wash Pouch The pouch is fantastically designed as are most of Peak Designs products. The pros of its ability to keep things organized definitely come with the con of it being fairly large, and easy to overpack. If not completely full, it can compress down a bit, which is indeed helpful if you're in a squeeze for space. I have been working on a completely liquid free toiletries kit for the past year or so on shorter trips, and the lack of mess and weight is very liberating. Outside of the iPad, this was definitely more a "luxury" item for me. From countless toiletry bags over the years, the smart organization and convenience of this pouch negates the weight and bulk. Hands down. First Aid: Hart Pocket w/ Additional Bandages + Moleskin I have traveled with a bigger FAK in the past, and just hated how much space they take up, and the balance of quantities of items within them. I began working on putting my own together by canabilizing older kits. I started using a lens filter pouch from an old camera kit, but replenishing the thing can be a pain. To replace items, you typically have to buy in bulk, and the ends just don't justify the means for what is most essential and useful. This little pre-stocked bundle allowed for a little more customization, and frankly, was less of a footprint than my reappropriated lens pouch due to less padding. Easy to throw in my pocket for hikes, or in a sling. Very happy with this purchase. Buff: Merino Wool Got this as a gift the year before, and I couldn't see traveling without it. It was my face mark when in motorcycle traffic in major cities, face mask on the plane, eye mask for sleeping, sun protection from the brutal Southeast Asia sun, sweat band and lice deterrent for under the motorbike helmet when opting for Grab bikes, and a neck warmer for those cold plane and bus rides. Definitely a versatile little item. Pillow: Sea to Summit Aeros Inflatable Neck Pillow I hate neck pillows. They are bulky, tend to not be comfortable, run hot, get dirty, end up getting lost, and are essentially deadweight outside of long haul flights. I found this to be compact, and fairly comfortable. What I particularly liked is you can control the firmness to your liking, and it doesn't run hot when using it for extended periods of time. Tote: Peak Designs Packable Tote The world has a plastic problem, and Vietnam in particular, has a significant one. As much as possible, I would use this when shopping. It's a nice feature that the bag has a zipper, and the pocket it stows into can be used as a pocket for smaller items. Its definitely got a learning curve for rolling it back into itself, but with some repetition, it becomes fairly instinctual. When i had to check my backpack on returning home, I was able to utilize it for my iPad and tech. Not ideal as there is no structure, but being able to zip it closed ensured nothing fell out. Not ideal, but it got the job done. Raincover: Osprey XSM Sort of a take it or leave it item. So much that I threw it in after I packed, so it is not pictured above. For motorbike trips in the past, my main pack has usually been put into a large garbage bag and strapped to the back of the bike. Rain covers don't account for covering the back of the pack, so they are somewhat rendered useless as a "just in case" item. With thet said, it did prove to be useful on this trip. We had a minor accident due to deep mud from a landslide in the mountains, and the rear wheel lost traction and the bike came out from under, helicoptering us down to the ground. Luckily, it was not a significant crash. and for the most part—and more importantly—both of us were okay. A benefit to having a small and light bag is, the weight balance it provides for the bike. A bigger, heavier bag, might have created a much more dangerous outcome. The trash bag got thrashed, the rain cover took some damage, and was caked in mud, but the pack itself was perfectly clean, unscathed, and everything was dry. I suppose I will continue to pack one for more adventurous trips. Carabiner: Nite Ize G Series While the typical "D" or "S" shaped carabines are great within themselves. The G is on another level. The two gate system really adds an extra layer of security if disengagement happens. It is also a rather user friendly format to know which gate is used for the point of attachment, and which one lends to actually anchoring the item. The versatility of S and D clips shouldn't go unmentioned, but for staple items that need some versatility in options in how they attach, along with security, the G carabiner is the one. Money Clip & Binder Clips The carbon fiber money clip was great for keeping larger amounts of notes organized. Especially in more rural parts of the country where ATMs were essentially non existent. Binder clips were great for lumping receipts and other bits and bobs in bundles. What Didn't Clothes Line: Sea to Summit I didn't use it, and just got creative. My wash rotation was almost daily, so essentially never had enough laundry to justify it. I did only one big batch in the middle of the trip with detergent sheets and the dry bag. I was at a hotel and had plenty of places to hang things. Sunscreen: All Good Stick I really want this to work, but it is just near impossible to get good coverage. I have tried different brands of "sticks" over the years, trying to find one that will work well. The only stick that is of the ocean friendly kind that spreads well is a Canadian brand called Attitude, but it is not waterproof. Unfortunately, it "runs" a bit with sweat, so doesn't do quite what it should considering sweat is inherent with direct sunlight. I still had to buy overly expensive imported sunscreen once in Vietnam. I hate the feeling of sunscreen, with a passion. Generally, I found the best approach was covering up as much as possible like most of the Vietnamese do, to work best. "When in Rome, do as the Roman's do." Same theory applies. Top: Kuhl Airspeed Button Up Shirt Love the brand for their pants, and my response stretch shirt, but like other tops I have had from Kuhl, the material often pills. This shirt was no exception. The back was completely pilled by the beginning of the trip. Its unfortunate. The design is great, love the versatility of the pockets, along with the breathability. It was my "sunscreen" along with the hat, sun hoody, and buff for most of the trip. And a layer for a few cool evenings, but for the cost, I was extremely disappointed in the quality of the fabric. T-Shirts: Merino Wool People say merino isn't good for the tropics. I disagree. If its the right weight and weave, it can be great for warm climates. My bigger issue here is just with t-shirts in general. I think button ups provide better airflow as they don't "hug" your body. I preferred the button ups over the tees. Shoes: Merrell Agility Peak Tactical I just can't understand why its so hard to just find solid color trail runners or hiking shoes. Anyway, Merrell have been a good shoe for my feet for many years. I like their tactical line as it is has color ways that are solid and not loud. With a technical shoe, I appreciate that the mesh is ballistic nylon, so the wear and tear is much better over time, and adds a cage like element of protection. They are light, can pass for being dressed up, and breathe well. Great shoe overall. Vietnam is a wet country. Especially this trip. It was really—and I mean REALLY—wet! I was hoping that a rubber sole would add more traction as its a little softer than Vibram's ability to have better endurance due to its more composite nature. I also hoped the deeper lugs would give a little more stability. But perhaps the less surface area for contact due to the lugs became why I found myself slipping and sliding more than I should have. Lastly, the drop is a bit too pitched, leading to more pressure on the ball of your foot versus balancing with the heel. I prefer my Novas in the same line as they breathe better due to the laminate structure of the upper shell versus the leather anchor points. The caveat with the Novas is that the sole is relatively thin due to the rock plate, and Vibram being a more "plasticy" compound, leaving the lugs to ware out much faster on a dynamic range of surfaces. Ultimately, they are a more slippery shoe in wet conditions, but are fantastic in drier climates. I suppose I am still looking for that magic bullet in footwear for SEA. Final Thoughts https://preview.redd.it/i2hjembrj67f1.jpg?width=2142&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c9866f5e27eaa0d096b96a4e7110238d6b12d2ed It has been great traveling with this 25L bag for the past 5 years, and I cannot say enough of how useful it is to have such a volume limit to really dial in what's needed and what isn't. Even with the same amount of clothing, just in heavier and warmer formats, its a little too tight of a squeeze. I found the sling as a tech pouch inside the bag to work as a solution for not using the admin panel, but would probably prefer to just have it empty and packed flat. Sometimes, having to curate it to different needs and outings became a chore. For flexibility, I would rather have it "free" and not dedicated to a specific purpose. Matador makes awesome products. No doubt about their ability to weather the elements, remain lightweight, and compact. While the duffel was a great solution for carrying souvenirs, I would rather just have a little more flexibility with space in one bag for the give-or-take of items within it. I have a FreeRain backpack, and the FreeFly Duffel. Both will continue to be used, but in more specialized contexts and formats. Tortuga makes great bags, and the fact that i could get everything from a reasonably packed out 40L bag into a 25L shows that the bag is thoughtfully designed. I have since added their expandable backpack to the mix. It's features—or lack there of—gives the simplicity and flexibility—I have learned my travel style to align with. As a companion to the SetOut, I hope to boost the longevity of both bags, while having a little extra room, and without the need of packing extra storage. I will try to post a future report of how the expandable fares. Even though this trip was 3 weeks, I could have easily spent 3 months with the same load out. And more or less, can use the same principle of items in similar quantities but in heavier weights for colder climates. The ease of having everything in one place, and with you, lends to enjoying your travels more. So with that, to be continued. Cheers, and thanks to the one bag community! submitted by /u/TheFiveCentDime to r/onebag [link] [comments]

I just got back from ~15 days in Madagascar from May 4-19, 2025, solo (I am late 30s, East Asian, American, female). I originally wrote this as a reflection for myself (so, warning: this is long and rambly due to originally being written just for my own memories), but thought maybe it could be helpful to others as I really appreciated these types of posts when I was researching for this trip (and it seems that Madagascar is a less common destination than elsewhere in Africa so less info out there) Generally: wow what an adventure! Not gonna lie, traveling in Madagascar is rugged -- if you are used to backpacking/more basic transport and accommodations, you'll be just fine, but I tend to do the lower end of luxury level trips in Africa and generally so this was different for me. I think I did, for my itinerary, the highest end possible in Madagascar, there just isn't the infrastructure compared to you can get in mainland Africa (luxury safari camps, flying the tiny planes between locations instead of driving on bumpy roads). But I never felt miserable and found almost the whole trip, bumps and all, so interesting. Two of the hotels were limited electricity, but other than being slightly annoyed at having to get dressed/packed in the dark when one was supposed to have electricity one morning but didn't, I survived and found most of it quite fun. There were some moments during the trip where I thought, I will never come back here (not cause I was miserable but cause I felt like I saw what I wanted to see -- a lot of lemurs and the Tsingies -- and didn't need to come back), but by the end, I was like, I could come back. Honestly, it is hard to get to (from the US) and rugged to travel through, but truly unique and the way that you do have to travel there really gives you a better sense of the country, and perspective. How/Tour Company: I booked through Cactus Tours, which had been mentioned on Reddit and I confirmed had great reviews on TripAdvisor. I also got a quote from another company, and Cactus came out $1k less for basically the same itinerary/same lodging, and I liked how Cactus seems to be run by locals. I had looked into G Adventures/Intrepid group tours -- I never do group tours, but I think Madagascar is one of the few places a group tour could make sense, but the itineraries didn't hit up all the places I wanted to go (in particular, I wanted to see rainforest/lemurs, but I also wanted to see the Tsingies on the west side, and none of the group tours I looked at did both, and they also tended to have several beach days which I did not want/need). Cactus was great! Responsive in the planning process, and on the ground, all the drivers were excellently skilled at handling mud and potholed roads, guides had good English and handled all logistics completely smoothly. My email contact even met me when I arrived in Tana to walk me through the itinerary and answer questions, and again when I left to see how it went. And, when I mentioned at the first meeting that I didn't sleep at all the first night in Tana (my flight got in super late and I was jet lagged), she immediately was like, we can move tonight's night walk to tomorrow night so you can get some rest, and remembered my request to buy vanilla somewhere and had told my guide who made sure I had the opportunity. I highly recommend Cactus! Itinerary: it is basically this one: https://www.cactus-madagascar.com/combo-east-west-tours/, but customized to be a few days longer and with some additional stuff Day 1: Arrival in Antananarivo (Tana) Day 2 (half-day of driving): Antananarivo –> Andasibe (visit VOIMMA Private Reserve upon arrival) Days 3-6: Andasibe National Park (Mantadia Reserve, and a night walk, Analamazaotra Nature Reserve, Mitsinjo Private Park, Maromizaha Reserve) Day 6 (half transit day, driving and then boat): Andasibe –> Manambato –> Ankanin’ny Nofy (boat transfer to Palmarium Reserve) Day 7: Ankanin’ny Nofy (Pangalanes Channel) (Palmarium Reserve) Day 8 (full day of transit, boat then lots of driving, basically Days 2 and 6 together in reverse): Pangalanes Channel –> Manambato -> Antananarivo Day 9: Antananarivo –> fly to Morondava –> drive 2 hrs to Kirindy Day 10 (full day of transit, driving and ferries): Kirindy –> Bekopaka Days 11 and 12: Tsingy of Bemaraha National Park (both Petit and Grand Tsingy) Day 13 (full day of transit, basically Days 9 post-flight and 10 together, in reverse): Bekopaka –> Morondava (and Baobab Avenue for sunset) Day 14: Baobab Ave for sunrise, then Morondava –> fly to Antananarivo Day 15: Antananarivo (fly out late at night) Costs: the tour was US$6500 + $550 for the round trip domestic flight, and covered everything except ~11 days worth of lunches/dinners (the rest were fully included in my hotels), me buying a ton of water, and driver/guide tips. For the things excluded from the tour price, I spent around $1k on the ground, with probably around $300-ish in tips (about $250 of that was to Cactus drivers/guides and the rest were to the local guides at each park, hotel staff or restaurants), food (the Tana hotel dinners were super expensive like $45 but I didn't want to go out alone, twice the price of anywhere else, although it was good food and huge portions, and then generally other meals at other hotels or outside restaurants were like $5-10 each) -- you could def do less if you didn't eat as expensive as I did (it's not Asia prices, so on the low end I think you are spending $5-10 a lunch or dinner unless you go to truly local places). In the Tsingies, I met two girls traveling together who hired a private driver for it sounded like about a week, from I think Tana to the west side then back to Tana (no flights), for $5k each and that included nothing but the driver and car (so they paid for hotels, meals, park fees, and even gas, out of pocket) -- I'm not sure I got the time period correct as it would take longer than a week to drive from Tana to Bekopaka and back and also spend like 4 days in Bekopaka, and maybe it was $5k total not each (sorry my info sucks here lol I swear she said each but that would be a lot) but my point is, I think the $7050 I paid for the tour (incl. domestic flights) was pretty good. Two week G Adventures group tours were like $3.5k and Intrepid was like over $4k, and I think my accommodations were (where available) likely higher end, all activities were included, and it was a custom itinerary. Weather: On the east side was in the 60s (F) in the morning and supposedly hit 70 during the day, and damp. It was humid but because it was so cool it didn't feel bad, and it was quite pleasant the first 4 days in Andasibe, drizzled like half the day but because I was in the rainforest walking with mostly a tree canopy for cover, it was fine -- I got wet but it didn't downpour. I did wear my rain jacket almost 100%. The second area in the east, Palmarium, was warmer like 70s in morning and even I think up to 80s (can't be super sure cause wifi was not very accessible) and it downpoured a lot, which sucked. My stuff and clothes felt damp constantly and never fully dried (it is really hard to put damp leggings on...). Tana weather was lovely, the last two days it was perfect -- mid 70s, sunny, no humidity. West side, it was hot -- high 80s to mid 90s, sunny. It was hot in the cars too even with the windows open and while waiting for/being on the "ferries" with no shade. Initially it was a nice change from the damp west side, but all my stuff was dusty and nowhere had a/c. Transportation: the long drives were interesting though for seeing how the (less well off) locals/villagers live. The "roads": really something. From Tana to Andasibe, mostly paved but with many potholes and windy mountain roads. The drive was beautiful though, green and hilly. I only sometimes get carsick in extreme circumstances, and this was kind've one of them so take your Dramamine! From Andasibe to Palmarium, mostly bumpy dirt roads. On the west side, from Morondava to Kirindy, half paved. Kirindy to Bekopaka/Tsingies, never paved, incredibly bumpy, occasionally muddy. The actual distances are not super long, but everywhere takes 2-3x longer to drive than on a smooth paved road. In the end, of the long drives (so not counting like 1-2 hr drives to/from parks or between places) I had: two half-days of driving (Tana to Andasibe about 4 hrs, Andasibe to Palmarium the drive itself was maybe also 3-4 hrs then there was boat stuff that made the day longer), then Palmarium to Tana was like 8 hrs/whole day (boat stuff, and with a stop for lunch). Then Morondava to Kirindy was only like a couple hrs, then Kirindy to Bekopaka was a while day basically bc we stopped for lunch for submitted by

Would love any ideas or feedback you’ve got: Pantry has to connect the garage and kitchen Mudroom needs to be connected to the garage (okay if it sits between garage and pantry) Mudroom must fit two washers and two dryers Kitchen needs to connect to a formal dining room Kitchen should have two islands Kitchen should open into the living room Kitchen must be on at least one exterior wall Office should be separate from living and common areas Master bedroom should have a large walk-in closet Master bathroom needs a separate shower and tub Master bedroom must be on the first floor Master bedroom must have a washer/dryer combo The house must be H-shaped Entryway and stairs need to be open Thanks in advance! https://preview.redd.it/gd7h102mu61f1.png?width=1746&format=png&auto=webp&s=1bcd8f9d6cf397785a2139fd42a768013c517b6f submitted by /u/JournalistTough4587 to r/floorplan [link] [comments]

Looking for advice! We just had our flooring replaced and removed a small cabinet and a freestanding coat rack from this previously cramped space. Now that we’ve lived with the open space for a bit, we’ve decided not to put the cabinet back. This leaves us with about 4 feet of space between the wall and the pantry door when it’s open. I’d love for this area to feel more functional and less cramped while keeping a good flow. I’ve considered adding a folding table, but I’m open to other ideas! Has anyone dealt with a similar space? What worked for you? submitted by /u/Smol_And_Psyched to r/interiordecorating [link] [comments]

Diary Warnings: Sadding around in a big way & copious amounts of bad luck Retirement Balance: $77,121 (Work account: $28,956 + Roth: $21,942 + Investment account: $26,223) I started contributing around 4 years ago when I finally sat down to try and learn what it all means and how to do it. I do not come from a family with good financial/retirement literacy. I direct deposit $250 per paycheck into the Fidelity investment account, dump $6,500 into my Roth every year, and I contribute $151 per paycheck into my matched retirement account through work. Equity if you're a homeowner: Zestimate says $275,000 – still owe $132,976 = so $142,024? In 2019 I bought a condo and it was one of the only lucky-timed things I've ever done. I put 2.5% down and bought in a neighborhood where a local bank offered a neighborhood-based program eliminating PMI (or just building it in, lbh). My rate is tiny, and I'll probably live here forever because of that. Savings account balance: I recently opened 2 bank accounts for $800 in bonus money coming this spring, so I spread my savings out to fund them for a few months. In total across 3 savings accounts, I have $4,725 (Ally) + ($2,000 Chase) + $280 (Citizens) = $7,005 which is lower than normal due to recent travel expenses I paid off in full. Ideally I want $8,000 in general emergency base funds. Buckets to build up include: dog emergency, car emergency, travel, gifting, and home projects. Checking account balance: $997 Credit card debt: $1,058 on a personal card; I have work balances on 2 other cards that get paid off in full via reimbursement Student loan debt: N/A, I went in-state, got some grants, and my father paid off the remaining 23k in my mid-20’s. Other random details: My car is currently paid off (8 years old, around $5,000 value probably), and I do have a pet who I purchased health insurance for at an annual $850 annual premium. We live alone, and I am single. I went on a trip abroad 3 weeks ago and overspent on food and 2 tattoos by very good artists. Section Two – Income: Income Progression/ Have you changed careers? Did you recently have a breakthrough in your career? Here is where you can tell us about your salary/job progression: I graduated college with a degree in Anthropology hoping to dig stuff up in old places. I was quickly hit with reality and took the first job that sounded cool at a library where I had 3 PT jobs and made maybe $25,000/year. I saved a lot and tried to buy a very cheap house and got rejected because, well... I made 25k a year. I stayed for 2.5 years to gain experience then jumped into a Manager of Fundraising & Events role at $45,000. It was awful and abusive, so I left after 8 months, and found my current job where I began as the Communications & Events Coordinator at $65,000. After 2 years I got a new title and raise to Marketing & Community Engagement Manager at $73,500. I year later I realized I was underpaid and overworked, so I negotiated a new title at a Director level and an adjustment to $84,000. My title is the same now, but with a 3% raise last year I’m at $87,195. I am still ridiculously overworked, but last year we hired an assistant to help my department and we will soon hire a coordinator, so I’m hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel once they’re fully trained. I am apparently a masochist, so I also took a side gig coordinating a local event coming in the spring. Main Job Monthly Take Home: $6,706 gross ($4,610 after taxes, healthcare, retirement) - $450 to Ally - $500 to Fidelity - $450 to Citizens savings = $1,605 direct deposit twice a month into my checking account for bills, mortgage, health, groceries, etc. Any Other Monthly Income Here: I accepted a side gig for the first time this January. It is hourly and so far I billed for $1,575. I can expect that same amount within the next few months for a project total of around $3,150. I’m not sure if this will repeat next year. Section Three - Expenses (no partner, 1 freeloading dog): Mortgage / HOA fees: Mortgage: $1,115 / HOA: $350 Home insurance: $82/month Savings contribution: see above Investment contribution: see above Debt payments: N/A; just credit cards; all expenses go on credit cards paid off monthly Donations: $35/year membership fee to a local historic cemetery; I donate clothes and stuff to a local Buy Nothing group often Volunteer hours: N/A; excited to have more time to volunteer one day! Electric: $65-250 depending on the season; right now in March my payment is $107 Home Gas: $68 Water: $32 Wifi: $40 Health: $200/month out of pocket for therapy 2x a month; any other medical costs are currently unplanned and taken from savings Cellphone: N/A; work pays for this because of the high volume of phone use required Subscriptions: Spotify $17, HBO $15, Hulu $3, Netflix $7, AAA $8, Cinemark $12 Pet expenses: At least $100 a month if we count food, treats, meds, toys, etc.; $850 in December for 1 year pet insurance coverage Car payment/insurance: $1,351 paid last January for 1 year of coverage Paid hobbies: I see a lot of live music, so that could be anywhere from $30-$150 per month. I also do 1-2 random things throughout the month like roller blading ($20), yoga ($25+), foraging walks ($20), Spanish lessons ($25), etc. but nothing consistent at the moment DIARY: Day One – Sunday 8:00AM – I wake up to my alarm and look at my phone, seeing I did not get a text from someone I hoped to hear from. It’s a weekend work event day and I have to be downtown by 9:15AM. I take my dog out for our morning walk and a food truck vendor calls me telling me they’ve arrived. I tell them they’re very early, and I won’t be there for another hour. I suggest they go get coffee. 9:15AM – I drive to the event site while guzzling down a sickly sweet coffee Premier Protein and park in a street spot (street closures for events = free parking). I spend the next few hours arranging food trucks and helping my team to pop out tents and tables. It didn’t end up raining, but it’s cold. 11AM – The goat petting zoo has arrived, and they have a baby goat! I tell them where to put the pen and walk around finalizing things for the noon start. 2PM – The event is over, and it was a success! Many happy attendees, including me because I spent 90% of the event supervising goats. I lead break-down and run to a food truck with my assistant to grab some lunch. We are lucky that we can expense weekend events. We wolf down our quesadillas in my car before heading to driving my assistant home. ($28.00 together, expensed) 4:55PM – The street closures for the event turned a 10min drive home to a 1hr and 15min one. I’m salty because of it and because the text I’d been expecting from someone still hasn’t come. I put on a happy face for my dog, apologize for leaving him for so long, and we go to the dog park. I can tell he smells the goats on me, and he’s jealous. When we’re back, I give my dog a long-needed bath, send an emotional text asking what is going on, dwell in my feelings, cry a bit, and settle onto the couch for a nap. 9:50PM – I return from our nightly dog walk, confused and hurt, and decide I’ll sleep soon. I cry a little more, then head to bed. I journal and then fall asleep. (Daily Total = $0 'cause of expensed stuff) Day Two – Monday 6AM-ish – I wake up anxious because I can feel that there is a text waiting for me. It’s long, apologetic, clarifying, but not very conclusive. I cry while I add some initial thoughts and questions about it into my phone’s notes, then fall back asleep. 8:40AM – I wake up on my own, and still feel exhausted. I totally forgot that I took the day off since I worked on a Sunday, and now having to fill time seems daunting. I put on sweats, walk the dog, and drink a protein shake, then settle on the couch with my dog to hopefully fall back asleep. 11AM – I couldn’t fall asleep, so I read the horror book Penpal and finish it. I don’t like it. I confirm some plans with my friend to help her finish moving and have a farewell dinner later. I cry some more and watch Mindhunter which is a show we used to talk about. 2:15PM – I see that the local natural history museum a few blocks from my house is reopening after a many-years renovation, and I’m excited! I book a ticket (free) in the first timeslot on reopening day, and also become a member (free) for some cool free perks! 3PM – I can’t muster the energy to walk, so I put on my gross Dog Park Clothes and we head to the dog park. Two of his friends are here! I lay down on a mud-covered bench, and say hi to people, but I can’t bring myself to chit chat. I reread the long text for probably the 3rd or 4th time that day and type more thoughts in my notes. And try not to cry in public. 4:35PM – We get home, and it’s time to shower and get ready for dinner with my friend. I listen to a podcast in the shower and while doing my makeup, so I’m not alone with my thoughts. 6:43PM – I arrive at my friends apartment, and we strategize how to move a very large, very cozy, very sun-bleached armchair and ottoman. Turns out we were being dramatic (who, me?) and it was light. We carry it to the curb. I consider, for a moment, if I should take it home and reupholster it, but then I remember the 6 chairs I have at home waiting for the same treatment. 10:35PM – We decide to end our time in this city together how it began a year ago, with margaritas. I park ($2.43) and we get very expensive guacamole and strong margaritas and talk about her future job, plans, and her cat. I vent and ask for advice about my unexpected man pickle. I pay the bill and we joke that she will treat me when I visit her new city. ($135.94) 11:05PM – I get a DM on Insta from a long distance friend saying he’s going to be in my state tomorrow on tour and has a free night. I ask if he wants to go see a bad horror movie instead of dinner. He says yes, and I reserve 2 tickets for us using Movie Pass credits (free-ish). In bed I draft a somewhat short response to the text while tipsy-crying, asking if we can have a phonecall Wednesday night to discuss where this all stands, and I hit send. (Daily total = $138.37) Day Three – Tuesday 8:30AM – I wake up with a stomach ache, expecting a text, but don’t see one. It’s going to be a long week at work, and I feel drained just anticipating it. I dry shampoo my hair, take my Nuvaring out when Alexa reminds me, get dressed, walk the dog, and bring him to the car. 10AM – We have a staff meeting, so we all gather in the conference room. I share that the weekend event went really well, and we all suffer through my dogs morning farts as he basks in the sun. 11:03AM – I sold something on Depop, so I print the label out. The profit will be $5. I ponder how to spend this windfall. 12PM – I take my dog out for a walk around town, and he’s his usual hammy self. I, in contrast, resemble a zombie. T.G.F.S. (Thank God For Sunglasses). I stop into a store to see if my friend is working and she isn’t. I’m bummed but relieved that I don't have to talk and be bubbly. I make a mental note to make an actual note to text her next week. I get back to the office, take a photoshoot of my dog basking, and get back to work organizing my 9,000 projects. 4PM – We go straight from work to the dog park, but only boring dogs are there, so we leave earlier than usual. On the way home I pick up some vegan cupcakes and a brownie ($20.54) for the friend I’m meeting later; he told me his birthday is this week! 5PM – I inhale a small bowl of broccoli cheddar soup, shower, zap my bikini line with the Nood I bought last week, get dressed, fill the dogs bowls for dinner, and explain to him that I’ll be home soon before starting the 40min drive north. I pick my friend up at his hotel, and we drive to the theater. We grab snacks (free – friend pays since I got the tix), sit down in our ridiculous 4D vibrating chairs, and laugh about how dumb they are. I scream out loud during a jump scare with a dead girl. I check my phone a few times hoping to see a text from someone, but it doesn’t come. 9:30PM – We decide to go to a Dave & Buster’s 3min away after. I’ve never been! He loads up his loyalty card (free) and we play mostly carnival-type games. It's a nice distraction. 10:30PM – We get back to his hotel and chat a little more. We discuss the philosophy of polyamory and open relationships and agree to disagree. On the drive home my tire pressure light comes on, and I decide to panic-Google how much AAA is. I think about who I would call if I got stranded, and I don’t have an answer. I pull over to check my tire and buy a AAA premium package ($8.43). My tires seem okay, so I decide to chance it and go the 30min home. 11:35PM – I get home and go on a “quick potty” walk while I Google my new AAA benefits. There aren’t many. I doom scroll on Reddit a bit before bed. (Daily total = $28.97) Day Three – Wednesday 8:30AM – I wake up and can’t bring myself to get up for a while. I think about if I can afford to buy some land and start a hobby farm if I sell my house. I check Zillow. I sit in the shower, walk the dog, and take my time getting into work. Another day without a text response, but I assume it’ll come sometime during the day, we’ll have that phonecall tonight, and things will be clear. 10:25AM – I get to work and there is an expense reimbursement check on my desk. It reminds me that I need to void out a check from Sunday for a vendor who didn’t show up. In my brain fog, I scribble VOID on my own expense check… I try to direct deposit it anyway, and Chase accepts it. Nice. I clean up the office before running out to an 11AM meeting. 11:50AM – The meeting was short, and I’m happy the project seems like it’ll work out! I take a break to pee, make black tea, and call my dad who is apparently having sinus surgery tomorrow morning. He jokes about dying from the anesthesia, and we both laugh. 12PM – I head to a café with my assistant to debrief with a community partner on a recent February event. I try to seem social and normal. Afterwards, I drop my assistant back at the office and head home to walk my dog before prepping for a 2:30PM Zoom about a summer event series. 4PM – The meeting went alright. I refill my daily vitamins in the kitchen and see I’m running out of my probiotic, so I order some. ($33.74) We head out to the dog park. I hear my car squeak, and remember I need to buy some belt conditioner on Amazon. ($12.17) I wonder what’ll be next now that I’ve hit 90k miles. I get a text for a party next week and add it to my calendar. I’m not sure if I’ll feel okay to go. 6PM – I put some laundry in and try not to think. Still no text. My stomach hurts, and I feel some cramps kicking in. I’m running out of new podcast episodes. I sit on the couch and look at Zillow and wonder what remote jobs I’d qualify for when I escape and start my hobby farm. I open a budgeting app I downloaded last week and organize my posted transactions to distract myself. 8:25PM – I decide tonight to respond to all of the texts I hadn’t been able to bring myself to answer. I text my two childhood best friends, my best friend who moved, my sister, and answer some DM’s. I’m grateful for everyone, but I still feel alone. We go on a long night potty walk and then get in bed around 10PM. Still no text. I cry a bit and wonder what I did wrong before eventually falling asleep. (Daily total = $45.91) Day Four – Thursday 8:30AM – I wake up. Still no text. I have a stomach ache again and shower while I think about work tasks. I ask Alexa to add conditioner to my shopping list, grab a protein shake, and go to work. I notice my bottom right wisdom tooth is killing me, and I can’t really open my jaw much. 12:55AM – I spent the morning on some projects and prepping for a meeting with my boss. He asks if I want lunch. I usually skip lunch and my jaw is killing me, but I say yes because I think it’ll be easier to seem normal in a loud bar vs. quiet office. We discuss 5 topics, and I get answers for 3. He pays the check. I get a selfie text from my dad smiling with gauze shoved up his nose. It appears he didn’t die. 3PM – It’s pay day – yay! I spend 20min paying some bills now that yesterday’s reimbursement check cleared. I make sure to invest my $250 Fidelity direct deposit transfer and also allocate the direct deposit to my Ally savings account $225 to the Dog Emergency bucket. 4PM – Today was swamped. I revised several website pages, updated application forms for an upcoming event, drafted some posts, sent what felt like 12,000 emails, troubleshot a billion problems, and tried not to think about other things. I pick up my dog for another dog park day. Our friends are there, and we chat while my son pummels her daughter. She calls me a “#boymom.” 5:15PM – We pass the empty street where the armchair was left on Monday. It’s gone! I send a photo to my friend as proof. 6PM – I feed my dog and heat up some frozen pasta for myself. It makes my stomach worse, hurts my mouth, and I wasn’t hungry, but I thought I should eat. I watch 90 Day Fiancé and think about how empty this weekend seems. I wonder how I’ll fill the time. 7PM – I call my dad. He’s at his girlfriend’s house recovering, and he asks if I can find a plane ticket for him. He asks if I want to come and says he’ll buy my ticket. Of course I want to escape, so I spend 30min looking up plane tickets. I recall a show being in that city, so I check out Fontaines D.C.’s tour schedule. I don’ t think I can make it work. I give up. for now I decide to distract myself with organizing things, as usual, and sort through my box of files. I come up with a good shred pile before my dog rings his potty bells to go out. 8:16PM - We walk around my neighborhood for an hour and a half, and I get the urge to listen to Touché Amore. The lyrics are hitting harder than they ever have, and I Google to see if Jeremy Bolm has any books. He does, but they’re all sold out. I look at the moon and think about my non-responder. Cheesy, ew. When I’m home, I sort more files and clean up. I write a sentence in my journal and fall asleep by 11PM. Oh yeah, and cried a little bit. Can’t forget that. (Daily total = $0 ) Day Five – Friday 8:30AM – It’s a struggle to get up again this morning due to many factors, but mostly due to lack of sleep with my tooth throbbing. I laugh because it’s kind of funny… Of course I’m going to probably have to get wisdom tooth surgery the same week I get ghosted, my best friend moves away, and I’m swamped as hell at work. What else? Bring it on. I get up and walk the dog. 9:30AM – I say goodbye to my son, leave the house, and see that my back tire is totally flat… My Tuesday drive home incident was apparently not a false alarm. I stand around for 10min while my air pump fills the tire up. It holds long enough for me to drive to the Firestone near my job. The guy asks if I was just here, and I say “yeah, basically”, and drop the keys in his hand before walking a few blocks to the office. I call my dentist on the walk over and the earliest appointment is Monday at 11:30AM, so I book it. I wonder if I need to have surgery soon who I could have drive me home after. 12PM – I fill out a testimonial for Rover for my friend who moved, and give her high praise. I update her on the tire, tooth, and being fully ghosted and send her a gif of the gloomy raincloud CareBear who I feel akin to lately. We both “LOL” at my misery. 1PM – It’s time to restock 6mon of merch at work, so I confirm I’m within budget, and place some big reorders. ($580.14 & $530.00, both expensed) A work event friend visits my office and brings me homemade Irish soda bread. I rip chunks off of it and chew with the left side of my mouth while she asks me about my newer tattoos. 4PM – I hit my work deadlines and got the application out for a big spring event. I call my dad and he sounds frustrated, so I say we’ll talk about plane tix another time. At Firestone the tech doesn’t charge me for patching the leak. I thank him three times and say “see you soon”, and we both laugh. I go home and my dog is ready to party. We go to the park, and I try to buy tix to a mushroom foraging hike on Saturday, but it’s sold out. 5:15PM – On the way back from the park my tire pressure light comes on again! I park in my driveway and think about how hard its been to function with everything and the dread I feel every single day. I text my therapist asking if he can talk Monday instead of Wednesday. Unfortunately he’s fully booked. 6PM – My first meal of the day is the leftover half of pastrami sandwich from my work meeting on Thursday and 5 fries. It is so good. I give my dog 3 of the fries because he’s worth it, and I shower because I feel like I’m covered in pastrami juice. After, I doom scroll on the couch for a bit. 7:30PM – The potty bells take me out of my Reddit trance, and we go for a 30min walk. In a moment of weakness I consider texting the guy one last time to borderline beg for some peace or closure. I feel like an idiot for considering it. Maybe I’ll do it on Sunday. The unfilled weekend schedule looms. 9PM – I watch I’ll Be Gone in the Dark on the couch while I eat sunflower seeds and chug water, but they both irritate my tooth. I contemplate eating some edibles to quiet my brain, but I don’t. I text my friend asking what she thinks about me texting the guy. She thinks the silence is my answer. I do too. 11PM – I relocate to bed to continue discussing my plentiful terrible ideas with her until I fall asleep. (Daily total = $0 ) Day Six – Saturday 6, 7, 9 & 10AM – I wake up several times for several reasons until my dog stands on my sternum telling me it’s time to pee. I decide today will be a productive errand day. I drink some protein shake to swallow vitamins plus Excedrin for my migraine, tooth, and jaw. I spray my car’s timing belt with anti-squeak stuff while watching a YouTube video. When I start the car the squeaking is much worse. Google tells me I’ve made a terrible mistake by using belt conditioner on my model car. Oh well. 11AM – I line a Target cart with a folded blanket and hoist my son in. I put a Behind the Bastards podcast on, and we spend 1.5hrs casually walking around. It’s packed today. I buy mostly planned items (English muffins, toilet paper, conditioner, provolone cheese, seltzer, 3 cards), but sneak some emotional shopping in (matching bra and thong that hopefully makes me feel hot, seeds, seed pots, soil, a dog toy). I also grab a $40 gift card in case I can make a trip to see my best friend soon; her birthday was a month ago, but she’s a new mom, so meeting up has been hard. ($166.73, 5% off with Target card) 12:30PM – I return some door knobs at Home Depot and get a $31 store credit. I buy a succulent for $5.98 using it. (Free?) I also need to buy grout for a home project, but I can’t bring myself to care. 12:45PM – My car interior is horrendous from the dog park visits and brain fog the last few weeks, so I go to the car wash and buy a wash just so I can use the vacuums. ($11.70) I do my best, then head home to put groceries away, clean the trunk, and use my wetvac on the front seats – something I’ve wanted to do for 3 years now. The soapy water coming out of the seats looks like coffee. 2:40PM – I make a tomato juice, onion, and provolone sandwich on baguette with a cucumber red pepper salad on the side and guac and chips and swallow 2 more Excedrin for my brain. When I’m done I bring a basket of laundry up from the basement, plant the chive and oregano seeds in my hydroponic garden, get dirt everywhere while potting the succulent, fire up the robot vacuum on the first floor, and shower. Podcast on, of course, so the silence doesn’t eat me alive. 5:10PM – We go for a walk around the neighborhood. It’s a gorgeous day, and people are out grunting loudly on the pickleball courts. We get home, I feed the dog, and write a to-do list. I start overthinking again. 7PM – My anti-capitalism/consumerism is weakened in my current state, and I want to acquire objects. I load up my dog to head to TJMaxx. I remember that I need gift bags for the 3 birthdays this month, a garlic press, car air freshener, and some bras I’ll probably return. ($50.19) My dog throws up on the blanket I put down for him in the cart. He’s fine, but I see it’s full of bits of the toy I bought him from Target, so the barfing makes sense. We pay and leave and I sit on my very damp wetvac’ed car seat on the drive home because the blanket I was using as a seat cover had puke on it. 8:30PM – I heat up soup from Trader Joe’s for dinner, light two candles, and put on John Oliver reruns. My son naps. I text my friend, and she’s coming to stay with me later next week. Yay! I get an email that Civ 6 is on sale on Steam. Sold! ($6.37) 11:15PM – We take a stroll around the neighborhood for night-potties, and it’s cold. We head upstairs and I put clothes away, sort out a bag to list on Buy Nothing, and draft a letter I probably won’t send to the guy until 2AM. It's cathartic, but also makes me feel worse. (Daily Total = $234.99 ) Day Seven - Sunday 7AM – I wake up from a bad dream about the ghoster ghosting me in a new, different way and write it in my phone notes. I fall back asleep hearing comforting rain outside. 9:45AM – I wake up and we go out for a walk. I see my tire is totally deflated again. Cool. I’ll just stay in all day since it’s rainy. I make English muffins and eggs, but I’m not hungry, so I feed the eggs to my dog. My sister texts asking if I’m driving south towards her for a concert I mentioned, and I send her a photo of my tire. She asks if she can stay with me a few days starting next Monday. I say yes because we haven’t hung out for her birthday yet, but I worry about my energy and mood levels. 11:30AM – The sun comes out (booooo), and a dog park friend texts me to meet her at the park. I say I’ll be there at noon, put on my Dog Park Clothes, and pump up my tire before driving the 10min over. The belt conditioner worked – no squeaks anymore! We'll see if the car explodes in the next few days. 1PM – We leave the park, tire still holding up, with a donut our friend brought me and plans to go with her to IKEA tomorrow night. I remember I need cash for my sisters birthday present when she comes over, so I drive to the ATM. ($60) Back at home, the sun is out so I feel guilted into being productive again. I decide to clean up my neglected back patio. I bring the dog bed outside for my son to bask and headphones. I sweep the pavers, pick up pine needles, rinse out my fire pit, dust off my hanging lights, fix my gutter downspout, and sweep out the laundry room while the dryer runs. Hours later I’m covered in dirt, but I can check “clean the back” off my to do list 3 hours later. I have a can of tuna and crackers for lunch, take out the trash, and shower hoping it’ll also help my cramps. 6:25PM – We wake up from a nap, and I feel nauseous. I buy a Tuesday night ticket for Dune and pre-order an ICEE and popcorn. ($20.30) We go for a podcast walk, and after I schedule another appointment at Firestone, and then list a ton of purged items (books, clothes, home décor) from my organization sessions on the local Buy Nothing group. I'll arrange for pickups in a day or two. 11PM - I get in bed and turn the TV on for noise and fall asleep eventually. (Daily Total = $80.30 ) (Week Total = $528.54 ) Lastly, reflect on your diary: Well, this certainly wasn’t the best week in any way. Mood, energy, physically, brain-wise it was terrible, but it's also an extremely busy time at work and my dog never stops wanting to party, so life had to go on. I appreciate how composing this helped fill time and gave me something type A to do, which is partially why I did it for this week. I spend when I’m bored or needing to do something, so that came across, and the more house/life projects I come up with, the more I justify needing supplies and things, so that triggers more future spending too. March is also a big birthday/gifting month; I’ll never be able to escape that. It made me realize I need to work on my car emergency fund as well as my health emergency fund because wisdom tooth removal is likely impending, and my trusty car is older now acting its age like never before. The day after the diary ends, I went to the dentist at 11:30AM and learned I need 2 wisdom teeth out, and at 3PM I ended up cracking the back molar touching my impacted wisdom tooth - a combo of jaw clenching, the sideways wisdom tooth pushing on it for years, and biting a piece of cartilage in my beef arepa that day. More expense that I didn’t have ready in my emergency fund! Also, with the difficulty functioning this week, especially with the series of unfortunate events continuing, I scheduled a psychiatrist appointment to explore some options for anxiety and mood. I talked to my friend who takes something daily and swears by it. I may not always be this bad once feelings fade, but I realized by tracking almost hourly actions that the anxiety is always underlying and so many things like being blindsided by the behavior of others is out of my control. I guess it took me 31 years to notice and figure out I don’t have to live this way. Hopefully my next money diary is more positive! submitted by /u/Longjumping-Matter78 to r/MoneyDiariesACTIVE [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/JackAll_MasterSome to r/floorplan [link] [comments]

Long post ahead! Towns: Tokyo – 11 days Kyoto – 4 days Osaka – day trip Nara - 1/2 day trip Nagano – day trip Yokohama – day trip ​ We (F 52, M 45) were finally able to fly to Japan! In March of 2020, 2 days before our flight was supposed to leave the US, Japan closed its borders due to COVID. We optimistically rebooked for 2021. Then rebooked for 2022. Lol – who knew it would take three long years to make it happen? We are a fairly well traveled couple (Europe, Australia, Caribbean) from Arkansas. (Shocking, right?) Super HUGE shout out to this business “Studio Muscat” --We originally had tattoo appointments scheduled with Studio Muscat for March 2020. We had even paid over a $1000 USD in deposits. David, the shop person we were emailing with, was amazing. Despite it taking 3 years, they honored our deposit, and we finally got our tattoos on March 31, 2023. 😊 On to the trip report: Arrived from Dallas, TX to Haneda airport around 3:20 pm. Breezed through the airport quarantine, security, customs, immigration because we had both done our “Visit Japan Web” information and had all our screenshots ready. It did feel a bit like cattle being herded as we walked and walked and walked through the airport. SO many workers with the same job – pointing us in the right direction. We kept our phones on and the screenshots up so the workers could, at a glance, easily motion us in the right direction. I had downloaded Ubigi on my phone before we left (we are both Android users – which Japan doesn’t seem to think exists. (haha) I’m a Pokemon Go player so I wanted the extra data and service! I was able to switch to the eSim upon landing, which was super easy and definitely helpful. Husband had to rely on the airport wifi which wasn’t the fastest (not surprising though given how many people were in the airport) Based on a recommendation from this sub (from travelers about our same age), we had booked a car service through Klook to take us from the airport to our hotel in Asakusa. Messaging occurred via WhatsApp. They let us know where to meet the driver, even sending a picture of the spot to meet. Cost was 6400 yen. Super reasonable to us because we wouldn’t have to deal with our luggage on trains at near rush hour time. Arrived at the Asakusa Tobu Hotel around 6 pm’ish. Check in was super easy and our pocket wi-fi was waiting for us (ordered from Japan Wireless in advance). We had booked a Twin B room (21.0 m2) for the duration of our trip so it would be a “home base” for us. Many thanks to Chase Sapphire travel reward points! The beds were pushed together so it was like having a king size bed. AND they were high enough off the ground we could easily stuff our suitcases underneath. We both had a carry-on and a checked bag. Plus, our backpacks. This made a HUGE difference in space in the room. I’m not sure if the hotel did this on purpose, but they put us on the 11th floor, which also happened to be one of the floors with laundry machines. We used those several times! Please note (US travelers mostly) that the machines aren’t kidding about capacity. Unlike the huge washer / dryers we have in the US, these small combo (wash/dry in the same machine) units aren’t meant for big loads. So, plan on multiple small loads, as needed. Especially if you have jeans with you! Jeans are basically a load, all unto themselves. These machines took 100 yen coins OR you could tap your IC card, which was cool. I cannot praise the Asakusa Tobu Hotel enough. The staff were incredible, and the location was perfect for us. The Ginza line was literally across the street. The Asakusa line was a 3-minute walk down the street. Dinner that night was from the 7-11 which was practically next door. There was also an Ichiran next door, which became a source of amusement for us. We would take bets on how long the lines would be. We had been looking forward to the konbini’s! Hubs was especially excited to try spicy fami chicki. HA And then it was crash and crash hard. Stupid jet lag. (Note – for all the hate Ichiran gets on this sub – it was still FAR superior to any ramen we had ever gotten in Arkansas!!) I won’t go into a day-by-day b/c it would be too much.Instead, here is the obligatory photo link and some highlights! 😊 ​ My interests – Temples and collecting goshuin. Anime: SpyXFamily, Ten Sura (Slime) related items, Shiba café, cat cafes, Ghibli, Starbucks Reserve Roastery, Ramen, and Sakura. Lots and lots of Sakura! *Goshuin. Thanks to an old goshuin post from u/himekat, I had a TON of temple recommendations. I managed to fill up five (5) goshuin books and acquired a mini goshuin book with some amazing, tiny images. The best temple experience, without a doubt, was at Butsugan-ji in Tokyo. It truly is a teeny, tiny hole in the wall temple. But after steeling my courage and ringing the door buzzer I had the absolute pleasure of meeting the temple priestess, Yamamoto. She invited me in, taught me the shrine chant, prayed with me, and then proceeded to visit for a solid ½ hour. Her practicing her English and me practicing my Japanese. And despite its tiny appearance, the sheer volume of goshuin available was overwhelming. I would have gotten every single one of them if I hadn’t though it would be incredible rude (especially since Yamamoto was doing them by hand). I absolutely loved the experience of visiting so many shrines and temples, making offerings, praying, and collecting the goshuin. It was soothing to my soul. Well… maybe not the super busy temples and shrines. Those were a little stressful, but the smaller ones on the list I had (and the random ones we found by complete accident) were priceless memories. We got lost wandering around the Kyoto Imperial Palace and happened to find the Goou Jinja Shrine – commonly known as the “Boar Shrine”. Since my zodiac is the boar, I thought it was quite a fortuitous find! While in Kyoto was also had a lovely experience with a woman outside a stationary store in an off-beat area. As we were leaving, she insisted we come back so she could buy us something. That’s when I learned about “omiyage”. She didn’t speak English but she kept saying this word and Google did the rest. What a wonderful moment as this complete stranger insisted on gifting us these cute little paper lanterns from the store. ​ *Our Ghibli Museum tickets were acquired via Viator (local booker was Japan Awaits). All the confirmation emails said the tickets would be sent to our hotel in advance. But they weren’t there when we arrived. It took some time to get this sorted out with the vendor. Messaging with Viator who sent the same things I had already filled out for Japan Awaits. Eventually, our tickets DID arrive at the hotel though. So, if you buy your Ghibli tickets through them, just keep this in mind. And, honestly, doing it this was still way easier than trying to get them through Ghibli via their online portal. ​ *Starbucks Reserve Roastery – Be there before they open. Seriously. It’s an “assigned entry time” system based on when you arrive and how many are ahead of you. We went around 10 am one morning thinking we’d get tickets for an hour or so later. NOPE –3-4 hour wait. Granted, this was also peak cherry blossom viewing time on the river. We planned to be there by 6:30 am one morning (opens at 7). Even then, our entry time was 7:30. As many others have said, there is limited seating so it’s good to scope out your seats first. BUT that shouldn’t mean “throw your crap on a table and leave!!!!” Which is what everyone was doing. It was super frustrating. There were tables “taken” by people’s crap that I never saw anyone sitting at the entire 2 hours we were there. Go up to the 3rd floor and talk to the hostess at the door of the outdoor balcony. Ask for seating. If you are lucky enough to get a spot, they will seat you there on the 3rd floor OR give you a ticket for the 4th floor balcony. NOTE – the time on the ticket actually means “until ___ time”. Our ticket said ~9 am. We thought this meant we went at 9 am. NOPE – it meant we had a table on the 4th floor UNTIL 9 am. Lucky for us, the hostess noticed us waiting around and pointed this out. We still managed to get in 30 minutes on the balcony. 😊 TIP: the food was kind of “meh” but it was fun to try the different specialty Sakura items. The coffee and tea items were neat b/c you can’t get them anywhere else. It’s more about the experience than the taste. Funny side note – I saw a Vlogger I’ve been following for a while (for their Japan content and cute Shiba Inu) on the 3rd floor balcony. They were clearly doing a video and I was highly amused to see it posted later that week. So yeah, if you follow any Vlogger’s there is a good chance you might run into one there! (Looking at you Kim Dao!) haha ​ *MameShibe Café Asakusa – Another “line up before they open” to get your entry time ticket experience. It’s not so much a café as it is a big room with the Shiba’s running around. There are drinks available, but I didn’t see anyone bother with them. Your timed ticket gets you 30 minutes with the doggos and the staff does a great job of rotating people in and out of the space. I even saw them rotate dogs in and out of the room, which was interesting. If you like Shiba’s you know they are likely to ignore you more than anything else. But I noticed some folks brought in blankets and put them in their laps. Some of the dogs loved this and would curl up in their lap (legs outstretched but toes touching to create a space for them). I was super jealous of these people because I didn’t have a blanket! But the staff are attentive to this and if they see someone isn’t getting to interact, they will try to help. One nice staffer brought over a chew toy to me and coaxed a Shiba to hang out with me that way. They dogs are clearly well taken care of and, consequently, a bit attached to the staff members. Haha I got some great video and pictures but it’s not a “cuddle a dog” experience for the most part. You just have to accept that possibility going in. TIP – there is another dog café on the opposite side of the street to MameShibe called Rio. Husband and I weren’t paying attention the first time and went to that café by accident. I say accident but it was a happy accident. They didn’t have any Shiba’s but had plenty of other dogs (Frenchie, Bichon, Mini-Schnauzer, Cocker Spaniel, Dachshund, etc.) who were way more friendly and playful and happy to hang out with you! Yes, buying food also helps. But watch out, the Frenchie is a hog and will knock the food out of your hand if you don’t watch him. 😊 ​ ***Cat Café’s -**We went to two! PuchiMarry in Kyoto & Cat Café Monta in Asakusa. Hands down PuchiMarry was our favorite. The kitties were friendly, the space was large with plenty of ways to interact with the cats. There seemed to be a wide range of ages in the cats. Some were super laid back and some were rambunctious kittens. They played and chased and ran around with the zoomies. It was hilarious. Monta was… different. The cats were reserved. They didn’t mind getting petted, but they didn’t seek it out in the slightest. And it was clear they were super attached to the man who was working there. It almost felt like this was his home and his cats and he was paying the bills by letting strangers sit into his living room. It wasn’t a bad experience and I understand the food and drink options are terrific (we didn’t partake). But there was little interaction with the cats themselves. ​ Husbands’ interests: Gundam, Sumo, Snow Monkeys, TeamLab Planets, Ramen, Evangelion. *We had tickets for TeamLab Planets the day after arriving in Tokyo. Odaiba is quite the train ride from Asakusa! Luck for me, my husband has an uncanny knack for navigating – on foot, subway, trains, etc. We were up bright and early (again, thanks jetlag) but it gave us plenty of time to get to the area. As someone who isn’t the most stable on both feet (ha) I would say the beanbag section of TeamLabs was my least favorite. It was like walking through quicksand. And while I loved the water room with the lights, the band aids floating in the warm water was super gross. The flower room was amazing, but they run you in and out quickly. Husband enjoyed Planets but he had truly wanted to go to Borderless and was super sad they had closed it before we were able to travel to Japan. We did see the Unicorn Gundam do it’s thing at 5 pm which was super cool! ​ *The Gundam Base Store in Odaiba– Be there before it opens. Husband was SO hyped to get some cool, exclusive Gundam but we went after TeamLab and by that point a lot of the exclusives were sold out. But they stock overnight! He went again later in our trip and was 2nd in line before opening. He bought so many we had to buy a full-size suitcase to transport them home. 😊 TIP: Show up first thing and wait in line for the store to open to get the super cool stuff. ​ *Sumo Tournament in Osaka – We managed to get tickets for the ongoing sumo tournament in Osaka. It was towards the end of the tourney. Ordered the tickets on the sumo.pia.jp website. Picking up the tickets at Lawson’s was easy. Showed the clerk my email and they punched in the confirmation number – poof.. tickets printed! We had chair seats which worked out great. I wouldn’t have lasted in the box seats with no backrest. The hardest part was finding the seats! Let me tell you, based on how the stadium was numbered vs. the seat information – you’d have to be a crack code breaker to find it on your own. Luckily, there were plenty of event stewards around to help you find your seats! (We had a couple insist we were in their seats – turned out they did have the same seat numbers as us but on the opposite side of the gym!) Sumo is an experience! From the guy singing each wrestler’s name, to the salt they throw in the ring, to the judges getting tucked into their little black covered seats around the ring. 😊 We seemed to have a sumo super fan seated next to us. She had towels with her favorite wrestlers’ names printed on them. When that wrestler came out, she held up the towel and started screaming their name. At one point, a young couple came up and started talking to her and excitedly taking pictures with her. It was wild! TIP– go to the tournament around 4 pm. This is when the event starts to get super exciting because the higher ranked wrestlers start coming out. The earlier matches are lower ranked. Still fun to watch but the place gets electric around 4 pm. ​ *Nagano Snow Monkeys (Shiga Kogen)– This is a bit of a trip to take. If you plan on being in Nagano more than 1 day, you can purchase a “two-day transport+ Snow Monkey Park” ticket in Nagano station. Otherwise, just follow the signs for the Snow Monkey bus stop and you can purchase your ticket there. The bus ride took about 45 minutes and then you have another 30–45-minute hike up the mountain. TIP – When the bus drops you off it isn’t super clear where you are supposed to go. You’ll see a café/museum in front of you. Just start walking, keeping the café/museum to your right until you hit a road leading uphill. Then start walking uphill. You’ll encounter the last bathroom (on the right) until you get to the park. Take advantage of the potty break, trust me. The path is well marked after that. Wear good hiking shoes because it can get muddy and rocky. It’s part hill, part stairs all the way up and mostly unpaved. When we came back down, there were “shoe washing” stations set up at the restroom. It was a nice thing to scrub off all the mud and dirt from our shoes. Also, on your way down stop by the café/restaurant before the bottom of the hill and treat yourself to a hot apple pie and cup of fresh apple juice (hot or cold). It was a perfect snack before the long bus ride back to Nagano station. ​ *Yokohama Gundam Factory: Boy did we pick the wrong day to go to this place! We hadn’t looked but the site is on a pier on the water. And if the weather is bad, well… it was like walking through a typhoon trying to get to the site. Our poor umbrellas didn’t stand a chance. The store is also super small and there wasn’t anything there that you couldn’t also get at the Odaiba store. Despite the freezing, driving rain and hurricane like winds we braved the outside to watch the giant Gundam come to life. It’s a cool experience. Even in bad weather. ​ **RAMEN:*\* We were both excited to try different ramen shops. *Best bowl of ramen? Misoya Ramen in Nagano. A few minutes’ walk from Nagano Station. It’s a miso-based broth and you can get noodles made from locally millstone ground wheat. I had the regular miso and hubs had the spicy. We both finished off our bowls. Absolutely delicious and zero wait (we often ate at odd times, which helped). *Worst bowl of ramen? Yoroiya in Asakusa. Known for their shoyu ramen and double yolk eggs. The broth was WAY too fishy for me to enjoy. The restaurant uses niboshi in their broth and (at least for me) the fish flavor drowned out everything. *Honorable mentions: Kagetsu Arashi – We found this spot while wandering near Gyoen Park in Shinjuku. Yes, I now realize it is a chain but dang if the Golden Miso Ramen wasn’t freaking delicious. Ramen Takesaburō in Asakusa. Husband had the Burning Dragon (can you tell he likes spicy?) and loved it. I had a ramen with tons of garlic. Maybe just a wee bit too much garlic. *Other places we went :Ramen Watanabe in Asakusa. I know it has a great reputation, but I found it to be “meh”. Ichiran in Asakusa – as I mentioned before, don’t hate on me for this because Ichiran is still better than any ramen we can get in Arkansas. 😊 We went twice b/c there was no wait and we were super tired so it was convenient (right next to our hotel). *Place we wanted to go but ran out of time: Ikutaan Asakusa – we passed by here multiple times, and it always smelled delicious. We tried going to the Ramen Museum in Yokohama and it was a disaster. 60–90-minute waits for every single shop. So, we noped on out of there. When we left the lines had only gotten longer. Ramen tip – the most popular menu item is typically the top left button on the machine! Google translate will help you sort out the names but if you want to roll the dice, top left is your best bet. ​ *BIGGEST SURPRISE FOOD HITS OF THE TRIP? Fruit milk. “Fruits au lait” found at 7-11. Weirdly delicious. And especially great for soothing any spicy ramen burn (per my husband) We found a different version of this at Family Mart but never found it at Lawson. Hot Yuzu Honey from a vending machine. Of course, I got a sinus infection 3 days after we landed (stupid pollen). This stuff was amazing for my sore throat. I liked the Minute Maid and Dydo versions. I found two other brands which weren’t as good. IMHO Strawberry Yogurt Fanta – Hubs loved it. Me, not so much. *NOT a HIT---Melon Shake. It was like liquid cantaloupe and soooo gross. It was so much fun checking out all the vending machines and trying different things! ​ *MEDICATION/PHARMACY TIPS Speaking of sinus infections. I always get one in March thanks to pollen, so I had packed a lot of medications from home. But I ran out before I was fully healthy and had to brave the Japanese Pharmacy. Google is your friend. Screenshot the pictures of the medications you need and look for them on the shelf OR show the clerk and they will help you find them. I found the Japanese medications to be less effective than ones from the US. But they still helped! It was interesting learning all the over-the-counter medications you can get in the US that are not allowed to be sold in Japan! Sudafed, I’m looking at you. Funny story – I bought two meds. One for day and one for night. (again, thanks Google and this subreddit!) The pharmacy clerk looked at my purchases and then grabbed a little box. She spoke into it, then handed it to me to read. It said, “Do not take these at the same time.” I laughed and pointed at one box and said “Ohayō gozaimasu” then pointed at the other box and said, “Konbonwa” to indicate I understood. She burst into laughter and started nodding her head “yes” vigorously. Hey, even speaking limited Japanese, I was able to make my point. 😊 *HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS: Tokyo - Asakusa Tobu Hotel, twin b room.As previously stated this was a great hotel with super kind and helpful staff and in a terrific location. They also helped us transfer our luggage at the end of our trip via luggage forwarding. The amenities were great. Loved the bathroom soap, shampoo, conditioner. And the extras provided meant we really didn’t need to pack our own things (but we had). Toothbrush, toothpaste, q-tips, cotton pads, hair scrunchie, etc. Great big tub for soaking a weary body. Kyoto – Cross Hotel, standard twin room.We LOVED this hotel. Not too far from a good subway line. Near a TON of good eateries. Right next to a cute Sakura lined stream that was illuminated in the evening. Super helpful staff. Great big tub AND – the bidet had warm water. Woooooo!!! Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyo, deluxe twin room.Okay – I SHOULD have booked the Royal Park Hotel at the airport because it is at terminal 3 (International terminal) and the Excel is at terminal 2 (domestic). That being said, Excel was still a nice hotel. I was disappointed you had to walk through the bathroom to get to the toilet though and you had to turn on all the bathroom lights for the toilet light to work. Kind of rough when you get up to pee in the middle of the night. 😊 *NOT hotel recommendations: Kyoto - Sakura Terrace, corner double room**.**This hotel looked good in the photos but wound up being a disappointment. Not in an area with a lot of food choices. The bathroom was all one unit and felt, almost, like it had been an add-on. There was a weird dip when you walked in and a feeling of instability in the flooring. The tub wasn’t good for soaking either. Which made me super sad. They did have an evening free cocktail thing that looked nice. And there was an onsen for men/women. BUT because tattoos were not allowed, neither of us could use it. ***JR PASS -**Rather than wait in line at the airport to get our JR Pass, we went to Ueno station and acquired it there. We weren’t activating it right away so this worked fine for us. We waited maybe 15 minutes? It was super easy and the folks there was great. They even booked our first train for us before we left. **TIP-**If you want to book your own trains at the machine, you must pair the appropriate JR pass with each passenger and their passport. It was a DUH moment for me when I finally realized the JR Pass tickets had the last few digits of the person’s passport printed on them! This revelation made things much easier. Lol Those darn tickets though… man was it a pain to keep track of them. Since you must always carry your passport with you, my solution was to tuck each ticket into the respective passport. ​ *RANDOM FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS Coco Curry – everywhere Such a great place for a warm bowl of comforting Japanese curry. We wound up going twice. Royal Host (thanks Martina from King Kogi) – all over After so many ramen carbs, we wanted something with MEAT and I remembered this recommendation from Martina. We both had the hamburg steak set. It was more expensive than I expected but it hit the spot. I wouldn’t eat there twice, but once for the experience was good. If you are wanting something which might feel more like US based foods, it’s a good spot to hit up. Hoshino Coffee – Shibuya Who could pass up a good Eggslut Set for breakfast? 😊 Seriously though, the coffee was some of the best we had and the simple breakfast menu was appreciated. DAVIDE Coffee Stop – Taito. What a great little random find. Teeny tiny space but one of the best lattes we had in Japan. February Café – Asakusa. I wouldn’t wait to eat here but if you get there early and can walk right in it’s totally worth it. Tasty lattes and breakfast options. Husband had the croque monsieur and loved it. 7-11 – Cold Ramen with Steamed Chicken & Seasame Sauce. OH MY GOSH. On late nights when we didn’t feel like going back out to a restaurant, we popped into the 7-11 next door and grabbed these for dinner. SO tasty! Asakusa Café- Asakusa. Climb up the stairs into a tiny café for some super tasty coffee. We wanted to order food but had a time limit and the sign said “food takes ½ hour to prepare” but the dishes we saw coming to other tables looked absolutely delicious. Santini – Sumida City. A super random find as we had been checking out Mukojima-Hyakkaen Gardens. They were clearly not used to random foreign tourists dropping in, which was funny. But they were super nice and we totally enjoyed our Italian style lunch sets. Husband had a spicy roast beef carbonara dish and I had a ham pasta with red sauce. Kuro Café – Kyoto. Overwhelmed by Nishiki Market? Pop over to this darling café for some original drink options and delicious deserts! Husband ordered the Strawberry Crush drink while I had the homemade ginger ale and we shared the cheesecake which had homemade whipped cream and blueberry compote. SO good. ​ ***Average steps/floors per day?**25-35 thousand steps20-30 floors Fushimi Inari was 107 floors (we did go all the way to the top) Soaking in the big bathtub each night was great. *Packing tip Unless you have severe allergies to products, don't bother packing basic things like toothpaste, saline, soap, shampoo, makeup wipes, etc. Either your hotel will provide it or you can get the Japanese equivalent at a local store. Save the packing space for souvenirs. :) Sorry for such a long post. If you made it all the way through, thanks for reading! submitted by /u/pinkpiddypaws to r/JapanTravel [link] [comments]

Where A traditionalx thru hike of northern Minnesota’s Superior Hiking Trail, done SOBO and solo x traditional means between the northern terminus and the Martin Road trailhead on the outskirts of Duluth. This was the original length of the trail. In later years urban trails were strung together to get you through the city of Duluth to the Wisconsin border. Note that there is no camping for that portion, a distance of some 50 miles, so you’ll have to find lodging in Duluth during the days you walk through the city. When 09/03/2022 - 09/20/2022 Distance Roughly 260 miles Conditions Mild days/nights with two rainstorms about a week apart. It was warm but not hot during the day, with some humidity. I was warm at night, borderline too warm. Context This was my first hike since a PCT thru-ending injury in May. I wanted to do something before the end of the season. I wanted to get outside and to test my hopefully-healed injury without doing anything too tough. I had never backpacked in the Midwest, I had heard great things about the SHT, and the timing was perfect. I chose to take it easy and not push for big miles, and just enjoy the experience in shorter days without feeling like I was rushing. I know it’s no sufferfest and thus might not be very impressive (like you, u/mushka_thorkelson), but as my first outing post-PCT-thru-ending-injury I’m pretty pleased to have done it. It’s also my first trip report so go easy on me! Like many of you, I came for the baseweight-measuring-contests but I stay for the trip reports. I pledge to contribute more of them and hopefully help to broaden this sub’s offering. Lighterpack I had one for this trip, but have encountered a Lighterpack bug. I used the “copy list” function to start the packing list for my upcoming next thru, but as I started making edits on my new list I was alarmed to discover that they were propagating to my past Lighterpack lists. Has anyone else noticed this? I emailed them but crickets. So unfortunately my SHT Lighterpack is hosed because it’s polluted with a bunch of changes from other hikes. Happy to answer any questions, and I know this is a poor substitute, but: Pack: Durston Kakwa 40 with a trash bag liner + LiteAF Fanny Pack Shelter: Durston X-Mid 1P (v1) + a cut piece of polycro from Home Depot + 6 MSR Groundhog Minis + 2 generic shepherd’s hooks Sleep System: Hammock Gear Premium Burrow 20 Degree with 950 fill and a sewn footbox + Thermarest NeoAir XLite Women’s + generic ⅛” foam sheet + NatureHike pillow Kitchen: BRS stove + Bic mini + Toaks 550ml pot + Toaks long-handled polished-bowl spoon, Zpacks Large Food Bag + DIY rock sack and line Worn clothing: Brooks Cascadia shoes, Injinji liners + Swiftwick socks, Little Donkey Andy SPF hiking pants, cheap Amazon sun hoody, Goodr sunglasses, National Geographic buff, Sunday Afternoons Ultra Sun Hat, REI sun gloves, Under Armour sports bra, Fitbit Packed/extra clothing: Icebreaker Merino 175 bottoms (for sleeping), Mountain Harward Airmesh Hoody top (for sleeping), undies (for sleeping), AliExpress down booties (for sleeping but only wore once), extra pair of Injinji liners, extra pair of socks, Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisperer Hoody, Frogg Toggs rain poncho Pacing/support: Black Diamond Ergo Trail Cork trekking poles Electronics: Nitecore 10,000 mA battery bank, Pixel 5 phone in case, Garmin Mini device, Nitecore N20 headlamp, off-brand Amazon dual-port QC wall charger, a C cable, a Fitbit cable, a very short USB-A cable, cheap wired earbuds; stored along with my ditties in a 1L S2S stuff sack Ditties: very small FAK and repair kit (needle + some thread, Litesmith micro scissors, sleep pad patches, tiny folding reading glasses, Gear Aid patches, Leukotape, a few Excedrin, a few patch/repair pieces) Water: 2 1L water bottles, 1 700ml water bottle, Sawyer Squeeze, a 2L CNOC dirty water bladder Hygiene: Culo Clean bidet attachment, Kula cloth, The Deuce 2 trowel I think that’s it. I’ll correct it if I realize I left something out. I did not list any consumables above, but two I always like to pack are a) toothpaste tablets and b) a tiny packet (think those mini ziploc bags for pills) of powdered soap in my hygiene kit (along with the requisite mini bottle of hand sanitizer.) Trail Overview A few general comments about the trail: First of all, massive shout out to u/claymation_station. Her trip report from last year was wonderfully informative, and I ended up doing a similar itinerary. Not to sound … narrow … but September is *the* month to do a thru. Spring is rainy, stormy, and muddy. Summer is way too hot, humid, and buggy. And winter is well, winter in Minnesota. The Superior Hiking Trail Association is a great resource and a great group of trail stewards. The trail can be thru-hiked either direction and there are no real weather or elevation profile factors for deciding; rather, it mostly seems a psychological exercise (hike from civilization to wilderness or vice versa.) Others cite transportation (getting a shuttle to pick you up vs. to drop you off at the northern terminus) but my spouse would be dropping me off and picking me up, so that wasn’t a factor. There are a few washed-out bridges. There are alternates, but they aren’t always obvious, so I forded a few rivers. There are 94 campsites along the route, each with tent sites, a fire circle with benches, a privy, and in a few cases a bear cable. Almost all of them are near a water source. You must camp in a formal campsite; no stealth camping is allowed (and given the thick forest off the trail it would more or less be impossible anyway.) Additionally, the trail takes you through half a dozen state parks, which all have well-appointed campgrounds. The trail is incredibly well marked, both at road crossings with giant signs indicating distances to roads and campsites, and with blue blazes along the path. You literally cannot get lost. This trail is not available on FarOut. There are trail maps that can be purchased on Avenza, but they’re just that: maps/navigation. No commentary from fellow hikers to keep you apprised of water or other knowledge bombs. There is not a bear canister regulation but it’s recommended to use something for food protection, as this is black bear country. Most folks I camped with chose to do a bear hang (or not); a handful were carrying bear canisters or Ursacks. I hung my food. Water is plentiful along the trail. The SHT is not widely thru-hiked, but it is a popular hiking area among locals. I encountered very few people during a typical day of hiking, but interestingly every single night save the penultimate I arrived at my chosen campsite to find campers already there. The overwhelming majority of folks I camped with either grew up in or currently/seasonally live in Minnesota. Good on you, Minnesotans, you seem like a wonderfully outdoorsy crew. Photo Album: Tragically I can’t seem to get my Imgur photos in the right order (and I’m nitpicky that way), so instead have linked photos individually within the report. The Report Note: To those of you I encountered on the trail, thank you for the great company. I do remember your names, I just chose not to publish them here. Day 1 From: Northern Terminus To: Caribou Pond camp, mile 13 SHT miles: 13 There was a beautiful drive up from Duluth, right along the coast of Lake Superior. Eventually we got inland, parked and walked up to the 270 Overlook. It’s about 1.3 miles in as an out-and-back to tag the northern terminus and sign the log book. It was a really nice view toward Canada. I then turned around and came back to the car and I spent maybe 20 minutes there finalizing my water, pack, etc., before kicking things off. Photo: The northern terminus I reached an overlook and that was the first and only time I saw the lake that day. It really is the green tunnel, with lots of roots and rocks underfoot, and lots of unstable footing. Despite it being 90° the couple days prior it was only 55 as I got started. It warmed up a bit later but probably not to more than the low 70s. I pressed on to Caribou Pond. There was a couple already camped there and they had the closest spot to the pond but I was pretty happy that there was no one else besides them and there was a pretty good spot for me. I did a bear hang for the first time in many years. I didn’t see a fire circle or latrine so the other campers must have been blocking my view of those amenities. Photo: First night’s campsite: Caribou Pond Day 2 From: Caribou Pond camp To: Judge Magney State Park, mile 32 SHT miles: 19 On day 2 I woke up to something I was pretty spoiled to not experience on the PCT or the AZT: condensation. Heavy condensation. The outside of my tent was completely soaked and a small part of the foot of the inner was wet also, not to mention the foot of my sleeping bag that was touching it. I would have to get used to that on this trail given the climate and humidity. Photo: No sweeping views, but pretty nonetheless The day was a bit tough. The roots and rocks were pretty difficult and my Achilles tendons were killing me. There were quite a few blowdowns and overgrown areas. The morning was a bit boring or maybe I just had no energy. I was wondering what I was doing in a green tunnel. I was spoiled on the PCT with the massive sweeping vistas at every turn. It’s definitely not like that on the SHT, it’s more like the Appalachian Trail, I suppose. I did get a view finally over Lake Superior at an overlook but then I promptly went back into the woods and never really saw it again. Photo: Now here’s a trail sign you don’t see every day I stopped for lunch at Hazel Camp, which was deserted but it was nice because there was a bench seat and sunshine. There was a sign for a latrine and there also was a sign for a bear cable although I didn’t actually see it. Seeing the layout of this camp made me wonder what – and where – I missed at night one’s camp. Was there a fire circle, benches, and a latrine? If so, I suppose the couple who already were set up when I got there had blocked my view of it. I was able to get online and get a camping reservation at Judge Magney State Park. It’s nice on this trail that there are campsites that have been established, but the challenge is that you’re only allowed to camp in them. And there tend not to be any within a few miles on either side of a state park or town. That afternoon I arrived at the Brule River, featuring some waterfalls including a dramatic one, Kettle Falls. Photo: Kettle Falls I had great site at the campground, though they all looked really nice. It had tons of space, some shade, a flat and smooth ground, and a nice picnic table, not to mention a fire pit. There are water spigots, and electrical outlets and (free!) showers in the restrooms. Photo: My campsite at Judge Magney State Park I met two women who were doing a section hike on the trail and also going SOBO, so that was pretty cool to talk to some other hikers. Day 3 From: Judge Magney State Park To: Durfee Creek camp, mile 40.3 SHT miles: 14.8 The day’s highlight was the famous Lake Walk of 1.5 miles along the beach of Lake Superior. It of course was not easy walking on the beach surface but it was a nice treat. I stopped and took a long break to enjoy the sunshine and fresh breeze. Photo: Relaxing on the iconic Lake Walk After that it was a bit more woodsy and green and a little bit steeper, with some ups and downs with some built steps and so forth. There were a few creeks during the day – some full and some washed out. Eventually I heard a dog bark and that was my notification that I was nearing the campsite. A guy and his dog were there, and after dinner we did a joint bear hang in the woods beyond where he was camped. It involved him climbing a tree but that’s what he wanted to do so we did it and got both of our bags suspended. Big news: So far anyway the combination of undies with legs plus pants: 1, chafing: 0. Really happy about that. I hope I’ve found the holy grail. I was getting used to the new pack. The back of my head was hitting the top portion of the pack. I’m not used to having a pack looming over my head like that but I was working on getting used to it. I think overall it actually rides very comfortably. There are times when I was aware of the frame stays down by my hips but they weren’t bothering me much. It is some work to take the pack on and off because of all the cinching and uncinching and all that that you have to do on your waist and shoulders, especially the waist. But overall it rides well and it’s very lightweight. Photo: My tent site at Durfee Creek Camp Day 4 From: Durfee Creek camp To: Grand Marais Municipal Campground (via the Pincushion trailhead parking lot) SHT miles: 7.9 I made it to Grand Marais. It ended up being about 8 miles and I felt kind of guilty doing such a short day but oh well. I was trying to do more this trip to enjoy the experience and not feel like it was a race. I got up and checked on my camp-mate but he was not up yet so I went back and used the time to completely pack up except for my food. He was there the next time I went over, and had retrieved our food bags from the tree. I got on my way at 7:35 and the day was pleasant enough although there were quite a few ups including a lot of stairs. The day started to warm up and the clouds dissolved. Eventually I made it to the Pincushion Trailhead parking lot. I had seen last night’s camp-mate once or twice before that on the trail and I was lucky enough that he got to the parking lot not much after me. He was in his car, ready to drive off, and then saw me at the entrance and asked if I wanted a ride into town for my resupply, which was amazing. He drove me to the municipal campground, where I walked around looking at the available sites. They weren’t great choices although there were some choices. The first few were just really exposed and close to other campers and right on the driveway, and there was one kind of right in front of the waterfront but it was fairly exposed and I didn’t want to deal with moisture. Then there was a row of them up at the top kind of by the road and I ended up picking one of those because it was shady with soft ground. I got my tent set up and I walked along a bike path for what is just a few blocks to get into the center of town, which had plenty of shops and restaurants. Photo: The Pincushion Trailhead parking lot, with Grand Marais and the harbor in the distance The lady at the campground said the best curds in town are at Voyageur Brewing so that’s where I headed. If you have not been to the Great Lakes region and don’t know what curds are, you really are missing out. The brewpub is really cute, and if I could I would have carried home one of the growlers with their logo on it. Even though it was only about 1:30 in the afternoon I ordered a Pie Royal blueberry sour and an order of curds, and sat there enjoying both of those things. It was pretty nice. And this is saying a lot as I’m generally a non-beer-drinker. Photo: The Pie Royale blueberry sour at Voyageurs Brewing Day 5 From: Grand Marais Municipal Campground To: Indian Creek camp SHT miles: 18.9 The day and a half I spent in Minnesota before starting the hike was around 90 degrees, then the morning of the drive up to the northern terminus it was only 55 degrees, but it steadily warmed up after that. In Grand Marais it was mild and warm when I got there. Later in the evening I took a shower and then after that I got a little chilled so I put on my coat and then I walked into town to go to the health food store. By the time I walked back I was quite warm, then getting back to camp I was very warm, and putting on my pajamas I was still overly warm. It ended up being very warm overnight, almost too warm to sleep. But I generally got a pretty good night’s sleep. Vehicles on the road that were just above my head never really entered my senses until the morning, so it worked out fine. Another blessing in the form of earplugs. The guy who was camped near me agreed to give me a ride back to the trail. It went straight up from there but overall the day was pleasant: easier and flatter than the first four days were. There still are roots and there still are rocks but they were not the predominant factor. There also were some pine forests like what you’d find around Flagstaff including the sight and smell. Underfoot were pine needles. Photo: Typical outstanding signage at every trailhead along the SHT I saw almost zero humans this day, and the whole first half of the day I was breaking spiderwebs with my face. I saw a solo hiker heading northbound midday and that’s it. There were some nice rivers and ponds including some gushing rivers. At one point I sat on the banks of one of them and it was incredibly relaxing. I took my shoes and socks off and soaked them in water that was cold, clear, and refreshing. Photo: Beautiful scenery doesn’t have to mean sweeping views I was in better spirits, at least the second half of the day. The trail was a little bit smoother, I got some town food and town experience, and a tiny bit of socializing in town. Plus I was helped knowing I was at least on par with where I wanted to be if not a little ahead of schedule. Photo: Soaking my feet This ended up being my best day yet. and in the evening at camp was the best experience I had of the entire trip. Two gals were already there and we had a great social time. Then later a guy arrived who was nearing the end of his NOBO thru (and had previously done the Appalachian Trail.) We ended up sitting chatting around my first campfire of the trip so far. Photo: My tent site at Indian Creek Camp Day 6 From: Indian Creek camp To: Mystery Mountain camp SHT miles: 13.7 I ended up making it a shorter day because it was four o’clock when I got to the Lutsen Ski Area and shortly thereafter the Mystery Mountain campsite. The next water was not for 4.5 miles, so I filled up at the river, which was rushing and involved a scramble underneath the bridge after the trail reroute. I carried that water up to Mystery Mountain Camp, which is one of just a few dry camps on the trail. Photo: A lake overlook — complete with benches — in the middle of nowhere A hiker I had seen earlier with her mother was already there and already set up. She’s a hammock camper, which is pretty cool. The SHT seems like a perfect thru for a hammocker. She left to go to Lutsen Ski Area because she has some friends who work there. I set up my tent in a nice woodsy clearing that was a little bit away from the campfire. Shortly after I arrived at camp, and before my camp-mate left, a guy hiked past on the trail and pointed at our camp sign. He said he had carved it, along with a number of other signs along the trail. So that was pretty cool. I continued to be surprised at how still the air really was. Very, very still, and very quiet during the day hiking and during the night while camping. That morning when I woke up at the campground in Grand Marais there was a little bit of luff in the sails, as it were. My tent was flapping just a tiny bit. But the weather ended up not changing at all, and then this day it seemed that it was even more still. I’d heard a couple times there could be a little bit of rain or sprinkling coming up in a day or so. It was very, very still, and this day was very humid. I was just pouring sweat on my face. But the temperature seemed to be generally what it was and the weather didn’t seem to have changed at all. It was warm and still. But who’s to say? Photo: My tent site at Mystery Mountain Camp Day 7 From: Mystery Mountain camp To: Temperance River State Park and then to Tofte SHT miles: 16. 6 I was woken up two hours after going to bed to the sound of hard rain pelting my tent. I sat up quickly with a worried expletive but upon checking all around me realized I was warm and dry. This was my first outing with my patched tent, after an insane wind storm on the PCT gouged holes in the roof of my X-Mid where my tent pole tips bounced out of the grommets. I went back to sleep and it seemed to rain all night long. All day I walked through standing water. I was really glad I brought my poncho. I think it was a good choice and as a bonus it also covers my pack. So I pressed on and barely took snack breaks other than at the two privies and only stopped once to get water. I eventually made it to Temperance River State Park and got a ride into Tofte. I was due for a planned resupply and given the rain figured I’d grab a hotel room. After dumping my gear at the AmericInn I walked down the highway to the general store. I got a decent resupply — nothing worse than you’d find at a “real” grocery store — then across the street at The Coho Cafe I ordered a club sandwich to go. It was really good. Day 8 From: Temperance River State Park (after coming from Tofte) To: Crystal Creek camp SHT miles: 15 I walked across the parking lot to the Holiday gas station and tried to get a hitch (note to non-upper-Midwesterners: Holiday gas station convenience stores are out of this world!). It took forever. Almost everybody was going the opposite direction. Finally somebody I had asked previously who said they were going the other direction came back and said they would give me a ride. Photo: Post-storm runoff It was almost 11:00 by the time I got back on trail. And it turns out today was the day of the ultra marathon almost all day, so I was facing runners coming straight at me on the trail. At first it was exciting — or at least entertaining — because it was something new in terms of scenery. But after a while I got tired of it, having to step off the trail or maneuver around runners coming right at me. Photo: A rare Lake Superior view Once the race ended around 2:30 things started to even out and become a little bit less muddy. I had a pretty good rest of the day and hiked until about 6:00 p.m. I made pretty good time and reached a great campsite called Crystal Creek. It was a good quarter of a mile down the trail on a spur and I got there to find we had some views above Lake Superior. Views of the lake have been quite rare on the trail so far, so it was a nice treat. Photo: The one (I think) covered bridge on the SHT A guy and his young adult son were already camped there and it was nice to have some company. They talked quite a bit about Boundary Waters Canoe Area, where they’ve been going for years. All their gear was set up for canoeing. They said it was heavy and bulky, but they did have a nice Hilleberg tent. Also at the campsite was a short spur trail down to a creek for water-collecting, and apparently an old mine. Photo: My tentsite at Crystal Creek Camp Day 9 From: Crystal Creek camp To: South Sonju Lake camp SHT miles: 14.5 All in all a good day. Some steep climbs around Crosby-Manitou State Park, and some very muddy sections, but overall a good day. The afternoon had some nice river walk sections along the Baptism including a scenic water-collecting stop. Photo: A not uncommon method of getting down (and sometimes up) a steep section I set up camp at South Sonju Lake, where a hiker was already there. It was a bit of a shorter day because I’d already known I wanted to camp at Sonju. This marked the beginning of a few-day string of iconic sites I’d planned ahead of time to camp at, which meant somewhat shorter days of hiking. I had a nice lunch break at Aspen Grove camp, where I chatted with a solo non-English native speaker who was on her first solo backpacking trip. Good for her. And for that midday can of beer she was drinking. Photo: My tentsite at South Sonju Lake The day’s highlight was Lilly’s Island, to which a boardwalk has been created. I enjoyed the most peaceful 30 minutes of my entire trip (and beyond) relaxing on the island’s boulders at dusk. Photo: The delightful Lilly’s Island Photo: The most peaceful setting of my trip so far Day 10 SHT miles: 11.5 From: South Sonju Lake camp To: Section 13 camp It was a fairly flat day after ascending from the lakes. Not too much later I came across Egge Lake, where a gal was packing up after camping there while volunteering for the ultra race. Photo: One of the many boardwalks on the SHT I knew the afternoon would be dry other than the bog before climbing up to Section 13. The trail reached the Sawbill Bog where I experienced the longest backcountry boardwalk I’ve ever seen. I thought this would be my only chance to get water to carry up the steep climb to the dry campsite so I used my trekking pole to feel around so I wouldn’t sink up to my knees in mud when stepping off the boardwalk. I managed to find a spot and tiptoed across to the beaver dam to fill up my dirty-water bladder. Photo: Sawbill Bog About half an hour later I came across a creek that seemed a lot cleaner than the bog so I grabbed a bladder-full to go. Shame I spent the energy earlier to fill up on beaver dam water! Oh well. The climb up to Section 13 was indeed steep, and a couple had arrived just before me. They had their small dog with them too. I got a great tent site above the main site with a nice clear level area. Unfortunately one of my guy lines tore (along with one on one of my tent stakes this morning) and I had a heck of a time fixing it. Once this trip is over I need to find some stronger and longer guy lines. Photo: My tentsite at Section 13 camp I topped off the day by watching the sun go down from the overlook. So now two nights in a row with epic evening settings. Photo: Section 13 sunset view Day 11 SHT miles: 15.9 From: Section 13 camp To: Bear Lake camp Sweaty, hot day. Lots of steep ups, hotter temperatures, a ford across the Baptism River at Tettegouche State Park (due to a bridge washout), mud, and some nice views. Photo: The damaged bridge at Tettegouche State Park Photo: The ”after” shot of fording the Baptism River I made it to Bear Lake, another modest mileage day because I knew I wanted to camp there. A couple already was there after section-hiking from Duluth. Photo: The iconic view of Bean and Bear Lake I was looking forward to the following day’s plan to take a spur road into Silver Bay to resupply and get a meal at the North Woods Family Restaurant. Photo: My tentsite at Bean and Bear Lake Day 12 SHT miles: 13.8 (plus side trip to Silver Bay and back) From: Bear Lake camp To: Beaver Pond camp After climibing out of Bean and Bear Lake I walked into Silver Bay for my resupply. There was a snowmobile track adjacent to the road, providing a dirt and gravel path rather than pavement. I reached the shopping center to find that the restaurant doesn’t open until 11, so I did my shopping first. The store was quite well stocked for a town of that size, including the best selection of Knorrs I’ve ever seen. Note from my future self: Never again buy the “teriyaki” side. It’s disgusting. Photo: A welcome hot breakfast at Northwoods Family Grille in Silver Bay The afternoon was steeper, rockier, and muddier than I’d expected. I pressed on to Beaver Pond where two gals from Arkansas were camped, with one of them having SOBOed the PCT in 2019. We chatted about the PCT and AT. Photo: Some weather moving in We hung our bear bags together and I learned they were going the same direction as me – rare for this trip. They had reserved a site at Gooseberry Falls State Park for the next night and offered for me to join them as rain was expected. I tried to repay them with some treats from the bag of Nut Goodies I’d bought in Silver Bay. (Next note to non-Midwesterners: It is worth traveling to Minnesota for a Nut Goodie.) The day was a heck of a lot cooler (mid 50s?) and blustery. It had been clear skies at Bean and Bear Lake when I woke up but clouds and wind had moved in from Lake Superior while I was doing my resupply in Silver Bay. Photo: My tentsite at Beaver Pond camp Day 13 SHT miles: 21.9 From: Beaver Pond camp To: Crow Creek Valley camp What a slog. It started raining about 45 minutes after I started hiking. The ultra race was six days earlier but this was the worst impact I experienced from that event so far. The trail was just completely trampled including embankments on both sides of the path that now were completely mud. The bridge is out at Split Rock State Park so I had to do another river crossing, with another sketchy scramble up the bank on the other side. I took a lunch break at Blueberry Hill where I was joined by a NOBO thru hiker who warned me about the upcoming new section of trail that was all clay. He also showed me a photo of a moose track he had seen that morning. At first I was thrilled to no longer be in a standing-water mud track. But I realized that the elevated clay path was insanely sticky and slick. It made the afternoon slow going not only from slipping and sliding but from the mud developing clodhopper shoes on the undersides of my actual shoes. Photo: The clay-mounded just-reopened trail in the Blueberry Hill area Photo: And the result of hiking on the clay trail I reached Crow Valley camp to greet two already-set-up older gentlemen who were starting their weekend outing. It finally stopped raining while I set up my tent, cooked and ate, then took advantage of the fire they made. Photo: My tentsite at Crow Valley camp Day 14 SHT miles: 8.5 (plus another 1.1 to backtrack from Silver Creek camp to the road) From: Crow Valley camp To: Silver Creek camp then back to Fors Road then to Two Harbors Tough mudder all day. It poured and the wind blew all morning. There were a few rocky climbs but otherwise the trail was more or less flat. There were inches of standing water on top of sticky mud. I can’t believe I never fell flat on my face, though I did lose a shoe a few times. I hit Silver Creek Camp but when I tried to continue past it the trail was completely overgrown. I backtracked and noticed a sign saying the trail was closed and I had to return to the previous for a reroute. I walked back to the road and saw the reroute instructions but couldn’t really tell where to go. Something something Gun Club Road, but it wasn’t clear which way Gun Club Road was. That sealed the deal for me to head to a hotel to dry out. I managed to call to reserve a hotel room, and they suggested I call the Superior Hiking Trail Association find a shuttle. The person who answered at the SHTA said they didn’t organize such a service, and didn’t have a list of trail angels who do it. But she said to walk down the road to Betty’s Pies and try to get a ride from there. Upon reaching the iconic Betty’s Pies I had coffee to warm up and an awesome BBQ pork sandwich with kettle chips and a pickle spear. I then had a lovely piece of raspberry rhubarb pie a la mode. Photo: The spectacular raspberry-rhubarb pie a la mode — and coffee — at the legendary Betty’s Pies I kept trying Uber and Lyft to no avail. I mentioned to my waitress that I was trying to get to town, and after at least an hour of waiting an employee offered to drive me. At the hotel I had a Eureka moment when discovering the guest laundry facility, so I was able to wash all my clothes. Day 15 Zero Day at the AmericInn in Two Harbors because it was still steadily raining when I woke up. I’m glad I took it, because it continued raining most of the day. Day 16 SHT miles: 12.2 From: Gun Club Road reconnect after the Silver Creek closure To: McCarthy Creek camp An awesome trail angel dropped me off after the Silver Creek reroute on Gun Club Road. Crossing the next road to a trailhead I saw a car pull out of the parking lot with an SHTA logo on it and SHUTTLE labeled on the door. Cognitive dissonance kicked in when recalling my phone call to them 48 hours earlier. The first hour or two was pretty muddy and wet but after that it really flattened out and almost seemed more like I was in a park. Photo: The leaves starting to turn I reached McCarthy Creek camp and the creek — which is listed as unreliable in dry conditions — was absolutely gushing. For the first time on the trip I was the only camper that night. Photo: My tentsite at McCarthy Creek camp Day 17 SHT miles: 20.3 From: McCarthy Creek camp To: Heron Pond camp The penultimate day of hiking was relatively flat and more or less easier, but I was somewhat lacking in energy, though I made decent time. Photo: Morning at Fox Farm Pond Photo: And the other side of Fox Farm Pond At camp there was an older gentleman already there who asked for some water and chugged a bunch of mine straight from the bottle with his lips. He claimed his filter had “stopped working” but oddly there was no sign of it. Instead, sitting on the bench he had a single 1L water bottle, a stove and pot, and a melted sports drink bottle. When offering to loan him my filter he didn’t seem to have any idea how to use it or even the order of operations. He said he had called the Superior Hiking Trail Association to ”deliver water” to him. I was so distracted by his shenanigans that for the first time of my entire trip I failed to take a picture of my tentsite. Day 18 SHT miles: 15.4 From: Heron Pond camp To: Martin Road Trailhead In the morning no-water-guy announced that his “new plan” was to hike to Duluth (to the Martin Road trailhead, anyway), even though the night before he said my plan to do so was way too many miles for him to do in one day. Apparently the SHTA hadn’t responded to his request to “deliver water.” He said he would hit up NOBO hikers throughout the day. As I was packing up he asked if he could have some of my water. I told him I really didn’t have much left and that it needed to get me to my own first water source. He said, “Oh, I thought you had a lot.” Why on earth would you think that? I collected my one remaining 1L bottle from my tentsite. It was probably 90 percent full. He proceeded to pour half of it into his bottle. Unbelievable — but at least he didn’t drink directly from it this time. Photo: One last look through the green tunnel The weather was warming back up already during the morning. The forest started to thin out, and the trail became a snowmobile path. I was really hurting for water before finally coming across a bridge over a creek, and took a break there to filter all the water I could carry. I kept thinking no-water guy would show up wanting some of mine but he never did. Photo: The beavers really went to town on this stand I passed a few ponds, and the final SHT campsites. I met up with my spouse at the road crossing we’d agreed on, and I scarfed down a turkey-and-havarti on cranberry bread he had brought me, and a Dr. Pepper Zero. It really was quite warm at that point, and as I headed back out for my last leg of the whole thru hike the sweat was pouring down my face. It was only about an hour and a half until I made it out to Martin Road, turned onto the road, and walked up a bit to arrive at the Martin Road trailhead parking lot to end my SHT thru. Gear Notes This was my first time back on the trail post-tent-repairs (torn guylines and a few patches in the roof) on my OG Durston X-Mid 1P and it did great, even in rain. I wore a sun hoody (currently a cheap Amazon model) but given how “close” the weather was (and snug my shirt was, and limited need for sun protection) I wish I’d worn a button-down for more airflow. Given the climate I swapped out my rain jacket and kilt for a Frogg Toggs rain poncho and I’m glad I did. It prevented me from overheating and let me cover my pack in a downpour. But putting it on was like a game of Twister. Have you tried putting a rain poncho on your body and your pack? It’s harder than it looks, people! At the last minute I stuck with my Sunday Afternoons Ultra sun hat instead of switching to a ball cap, and I regretted it. I almost never wore it and it became a nuisance having it around my neck. This was the maiden voyage of the new Durston Kakwa 40 framed pack. Going from a Pa’lante V2 definitely was an adjustment, the biggest being the feeling of the top of a pack looming behind and over my head. But it otherwise is a light and comfortable pack. Also, by the two-week mark I noticed that the bottoms of the two frame stays were rubbing through my pack. Evidently about 10 percent of Kakwa users have experienced this. They have a design fix planned for it, but it will be next April for that factory run. I think I’ve finally found the anti-sun and anti-chafing holy grail. I am sun-averse so although I am a lover of shorts in real life, I just can’t do it on a thru. Previously I wore running tights under running shorts, and while that solved the sun problem it did cause chafing. For this trip I tried undies with some leg under hiking pants (Little Donkey Andy off Amazon — stupid name, great pants) and they were the star of my hiking outfit. I’ll be wearing this combo going forward. Black Diamond Ergo Trail Cork trekking poles, I love you. I hope you live forever. I switched from a single-port Anker Nano wall charger to an off-brand Amazon dual-port and I am NEVER GOING BACK. Being able to charge my phone or battery bank and something else at the same. damn. time. is a game-changer (yes, I know that reduces charging speed and adds weight, but I don’t care.) I didn’t bring a warm hat or gloves and never gave them a thought. I barely used my coat. NeoAir XLite, I’m sorry, but you are finally dead to me. I swear I have not had a single good night’s sleep on it. Ever. Since this trip I’ve upgraded (downgraded in the eyes of gram weenies) to a Nemo Tensor Insulated Regular but WIDE, bitches! And I am looking forward to my upcoming next thru to sleep on it in all its leg-sprawling-without-falling-off glory. Happy to answer any questions about the trail or my kit. submitted by /u/jpbay to r/Ultralight [link] [comments]

We will be out of a bathroom for 2-3 weeks in our 1 bath home. I’m wondering if renting a combo shower/toilet would be cheaper than renting a hotel room (plus, we’d rather sleep in our own beds and utilize our kitchen). Has anyone else done this? Pros? Cons? EDIT: Current bathroom HAS to be remodeled. Crack in shower pan, subfloor rotted. It is not something I can ignore. Money we were saving for a 2nd bathroom is now going to go towards fixing current one. EDIT 2: Some wonderful suggestions won’t work as I have a 9 year old who doesn’t have the ability yet to time their bathroom visits. I love the gym idea, but it’s 10-15 min to the closest gym (not to mention the latest one closes at 11 pm) and she will sometimes get up in the middle of the night after we’ve all gone to bed to pee. I also have no basement, no mud room, no utility room or laundry room. A former homeowner added a stackable into the kitchen in a closet they built—so that’s my laundry area. Airbnb’s near me for 3 weeks is running $3-4k submitted by /u/uberchelle_CA to r/HomeImprovement [link] [comments]

Cross posted from a different home improvement sub. So, as I lug yet more laundry downstairs from our bedrooms to the washer, I’m seriously wondering if I’m crazy to want to ditch the tub in my kids’ bathroom, build a shower stall, and expand the hall closet that shares a wall with the shower to accommodate a stacking washer and dryer. I’ve owned a home with upstairs laundry before and it never caused problems, we’d keep a tub in the master bath for resale, and I’d love to convert the laundry room into a mud room/extra storage. Has anyone ever done this? submitted by /u/SlytherClaw79 to r/HomeImprovement [link] [comments]

Hi all, TL;DR need a bit of guidance about timing of redoing floors at move-in with upcoming room renovations in the next year to several years. First time homebuyer here looking to do some major renovations to home in the future. Some stats on current flooring situation: kitchen, 1/2 bath, laundry/mud room, family room: tile bedrooms, living room, full bath: vinyl I'm looking to redo the floors (currently combo of vinyl and tile, looking to install hardwood), but know that I want to do a massive renovation of the kitchen (tile), extend the master bedroom (adding a 3/4 bath with tile), and redo the full bath (currently vinyl) in the future. FYI haven't moved in yet. I was thinking of asking the contractors to not touch the kitchen (currently tile), 1/2 bath, laundry/mud room, master bedroom, and full bath, becuz when renovations happen, those will have to be torn up any way and I did not want to waste hardwood (specifically the master) and I'm not looking to redo the current kitchen tiles or replace full bath with tiles until the reno projects. A few questions/thoughts: Is this a feasible thing to ask, to install only portions of the house? Yes it'll be ugly and I'll have all sorts of flooring, but I'm ok with ugly if I can save on costs. If feasible, I assume it would be wise to buy and store extra hardwood flooring to use for the master when reno happens, correct? Kitchen, 1/2 bath, and full bath will be tile. I think the laundry/mud room should also be tile becuz water? I welcome your thoughts/suggestions. If feasible, are there things I need to consider or be careful about? Are there hidden risks? For the kitchen, I'm hoping to break demo a wall or two, so I'm assuming they'll need to cut into a small portion of the installed hardwood that's in the living room since I'm hoping for an open concept kitchen with an island. I'm expecting to incur some loss in labor costs and supply cost since in the renovations, I may end up having to remove some hardwood that was installed, or install where I didn't expect to (specifically where the kitchen flows into the living room and the family room). Looking for some opinions and thoughts before I ask contractors. Thank you! submitted by /u/jheezybreezy to r/HomeImprovement [link] [comments]

My husband and I have been considering relocating the laundry room in our 1977 home. It's currently located in the basement in a tiny half-bathroom/laundry room combo. The hot water heater and furnace utility closet are accessed from this bathroom as well. The space is terrible and non-functional. It's tiny, and the bathroom door plus the utility closet door constantly cause space issues. The dryer is on the left of the washer too, which is exceptionally frustrating. Topped off with the fact that the entire bathroom/laundry room is carpeted! cringe. If we move forward with moving the laundry room, the plan is to later renovate the bathroom, adding a shower to make it a full bath, tile it, and generally update it to be quite nice. The proposed new laundry location is the mudroom on the main level that was part of a back addition built in 2006. The mudroom itself is rather large, and would have plenty of space for the laundry appliances plus cabinetry, a countertop for folding, etc. The mudroom has an exterior wall on one side and the other side shares a wall with a bathroom, (the sink and toilet are against this wall). The mudroom is also directly adjacent to the garage which houses the electrical panel. The mudroom is on slab. From my research so far, it looks like I'll need an electrician to wire for the 240 dryer outlet and washer power. We will also need to cut through the exterior for the dryer vent. Also, we will need a plumber for the water supply and drain lines. Do you think the plumber will suggest utilizing the plumbing in the shared wall with the bathroom? Is there anything we aren't considering in this? Anything I'm missing? Any and all advice welcome! submitted by /u/Fierce0505 to r/HomeImprovement [link] [comments]

Hey all, We are severely under utilizing our rec room with a walkout to the back yard. We have a living room where we spend all our time and an additional rec room in the basement for games, tv, etc so we were thinking we could turn this back room into a nice big laundry/mud room with a small 2 piece bath. Our entrance also feels a bit cramped with the coat closet right next to the door so we thought we'd move that back here as well and just have a coat rack or a few hooks at the front door. Essentially we want this room to have: - ample storage for coats, boots, maybe some sports equipment - laundry (ideally with some counter space for folding and a utility sink for messy cleanup) - small powder room for guests - bench/cubby area for the kids to get ready and leave their coats/boots. Initially I thought this would be no problem for the nearly 18'x10' space, however I'm having a tough time fitting it all. I want to try to keep the path to the walkout as empty/open as possible since we use it quite a bit to go outside but that's really all this room is used for so as long as that's not impeded the rest is fair game. The rec room has a 4' crawlspace under it so plumbing/electrical wont be an issue. Are we trying to put too much in this space? Any thoughts or suggestions for layout are much appreciated. Here's a link to an album with a few plans and photos of the space. ​ https://imgur.com/a/57s4SCN submitted by /u/simsFit to r/DesignMyRoom [link] [comments]

Aaand another one bites the dust! Everyone performed fantastically during this trial. Really. The way this cast was able to mix in comedy with their zany personalities, along with the seriousness and complexity of actual in-game trials was amazing. Class Trial Archive by /u/Hendrigan Cast /u/vulniq as The Real MVP, the Danganreddit Extension Creator /u/miKaiziken as The Ultimate Punching Bag, Yasuhiro Hagakure /u/TsundereKermit as The Ultimate Bitchslayer Mukuro Ikusaba /u/Lowlander_2 as The Ultimate Drama Killer Ibuki Mioda /u/Dasvi as The Ultimate Meat Head Sakura Oogami /u/FloatingTriangles as the Ultimate Underdeveloped Character Leon Kuwata /u/Spicyman33 as the Ultimate Poser Celestia Lundenberg /u/TOAO-Taco as the Ultimate Waifu Bait Chiaki Nanami /u/WhalesOnStrike as the Ultimate Goofy Hair Mondo Oowada /u/leChibi as the Ultimate Brat Hiyoko Saionji /u/froggydojo as the Ultimate Pervert Teruteru Hanamura /u/Misty_And_Maki-Chan as the Ultimate Basket Case Toko Fukawa /u/guiles-theme as the Ultimate Spiky Hair Hajime Hinata /u/ComboTheKid as the Ultimate Hope Fetishist Nagito Komaeda /u/SilvyFlame as the Ultimate LARPer Gundham Tanaka /u/Hendrigan as the Ultimate Over-Compensater Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu /u/GundhamTanaka as the Ultimate Stick in the Mud Kiyotaka Ishimaru /u/mahiruhanayo as the Ultimate Promoted From Being "The Ultimate Punching Bag" Monomi aaaand /u/RSLee2 as Ultimate Sexy Bastard Adorable Bear Monokuma Sequence of Events You guys were pretty much spot on, but I'm going to summarize the case for spectators, and fix up minor details. Recently, the students of Hope's Peak Academy have found their mastermind, Junko Enoshima. Fearful, the students bound her within her room, having Mondo Oowada and Sakura Oogami having positions guarding her. The murder first began with a simplistic idea from Leon Kuwata. Being rather unintelligent, he decides to enlist the help of Nagito Komaeda. Leon and Komaeda meet in the laundry room one night, and Leon requests that he steal two murder weapons, and meet him in the trash room. Komaeda, realizing that this request for help was a trap, he takes this with a grain of salt. Though, he does want to witness the death of the Ultimate Despair, so he obliges. In order to pull more hope from the students, he decides to involve the student on trash duty, Yasuhiro Hagakure. He sends him a note to leave two lives on top of the incinerator, or else he will be killed. Fearfully, Hagakure does as told. The next morning, Komaeda woke up and ate breakfast as usual. At 7:30, he went to the art room to work on a Robo Justice mask with Ibuki, telling her that it was for his cosplay. The two had finally finished at 9:00 A.M., but they had to leave the mask to dry. Komaeda had spent the next hours hanging out in his room, taking the knives Hagakure had placed in the trash room at 8. He decided then that he would let Leon kill Junko. So Mondo was drugged, and planted with the knife (which Komaeda used to slit his wrist in order to put some blood on it), and Komaeda went into Junko's room, and cut her leg restraints free at 11, hoping that, with his luck, she'd go towards the trash room. And that's what happened. Komaeda then ran into Syo and drugged her to avoid suspicion. Junko was stabbed in the stomach, but did not die instantaneously, acquiring bruises from Leon when he threw her to the ground. Topics of Discussion What could be done to improve the trials? What were the best and worst parts of this trial? Is there any way the summary sheet could be improved? How would you rate our Monomi and Monokuma on a scale of 1-10? Anything else? This was a real fun one, guys. I have a trial on my mind right now, so I'd like to be the inverse of Monomi and go Monokuma mode sometime. Also, if I can, I will try to make a Hagakure bullying collage. And back to the Saionji flair for me. It's like coming home after summer camp. submitted by /u/mahiruhanayo to r/danganronpa [link] [comments]