Packing for late August

caseyhen · Member

Packing for late August

Michele Erdvig · Host

caseyhen,

You should wear what makes you comfortable. Unless you get a heat wave you will probably spend more time in jeans as they are just more practical. Also Ireland can be very windy at times (it is an island in the Atlantic after all). I remember being up at Connor Pass one time and all the women coming off a tour bus were having their skirts tossed up over their heads by the gale-force wind. In that case it was not practical to wear skirts.

You may find yourself wearing different things in different areas. Jeans for the wilds of Donegal and capris in Kinsale. So take a mix of casual attire. White keds are not out. I see them all the time. However they may not be practical (I think I have used that word about four times!). Think of hiking through mud puddles, sheep and cow droppings, etc. and what your white shoes will look like afterwards. I usually wear black walking shoes. Do they make black keds?

Michele

kathy · Veteran Member

In August 2005, we were hot. Even on the one day of rain, we were hot. Many women here only wear skirts - it is not outrageous at all. The problem with that would be - how many pairs of shoes will you need for the various outfits. Even in the evenings, when the temp drops quickly, you won't be marching for miles in the cold.

michele, as always, is correct - pack for practicality and comfort.

as my husband also says, don't worry about your shoes, they won't be in the photos anyway.

your white keds should be fine - if you have the leather ones, you can wipe them down every evening. but i find i can't wear mine more than one day w/out a break when walking/hiking/climbing every day. but the would be good for every evening.

caseyhen · Member

Wow, what great responses. Thanks so much! I does pay to ask your questions, however silly or redundant they may seem, as the advice I've read up till now didn't really apply to us...different time of year, etc. Is it practical to bring hiking sorts of sandals, like Tevas, that I would wear with skirts, too, eliminating the need for lots of different pairs to go with skirts? I've also been looking at those great shoes Clark's makes, I think they're called Privos, that have a strap like Mary Janes but have great tread and support too...sort of a cross between sneakers and nice shoes.

Kathy, thanks for the reassurance about it possibly being hot in August. Of course I don't want to be cold all the time but I also hate being uncomfortably warm, so now I will definitely bring some of those skirts. I have to remember that, as opposed to when we were in Paris and Italy, we will have a car, so doing thiings like changing shoes, adding a coat, or even stopping to slip on jeans will not be out of the question.

On a technical note - Michele, I really like the fact that when posting to the list you can ask to be notified when people respond through your email. Great idea, thanks!

Michele Erdvig · Host

caseyhen,

I'm glad you like the format of the forum. As I often say, there are no silly questions. If someone needs to know then it is important. I think closed-toe shoes would be more practical (that word again) than sandals. The Mary Janes sound cute and like they would go with anything including skirts and jeans. You don't want to take a ton of shoes. If you can get away with two pairs you will be ahead of the curve.

Michele