Reviewed By: Snuggles

Specs For A Size Medium Skirt:

• Measures 20” in length
• Made of fast drying fabric that wicks away moisture
• Made of fabric that resists wrinkles and stains
• SPF 25+
• Oversized, self-draining pockets
• Zippered security pocket
• Cell Phone Pocket
• Elastic waistband, drawstring and belt loops
• 30-day return policy

Overall Impression:

I tend to wear the Knee Length Version more now than my original. During summer traveling and other activities, the Knee Length tends to be more convenient and of course breathable.

In Action:

I wear a pair of wicking running shorts under the skirt when hiking to prevent leg chafe as I also do when wearing the full length. This is more of a personal preference, as others may not feel the need to do this. If worn during the winter, a pair of tights can just as easily be worn under the skirt.

While not hiking, the skirt functions like any other. I tend to stuff my pockets with my keys and wallet due to the convenience of having them. This, however, can make the wearer’s thighs look a little misshaped but I feel if you’re wearing a Macabi Skirt you tend to have a passion of function and adventure not always what makes your thighs look slim.

Downfalls:

The hem of the skirt does tend to flip up during activity and the material rides up slightly, but I haven’t found this an annoyance more of an observation. The wearer may notice some limit on the range of motion in the Knee Length compared to the Original however this is only minimal and does not prevent me in any way from hiking or adventuring in it.

Main Differences Between Knee Length Version Original Macabi Travel Skirt:

The only difference between the two is the length. The overall design is the same including the fabric, pockets, multi-ways to secure skirt (drawstring, belt loops, etc.). The Knee Length Skirt does not have snaps or clips, but these are not needed due again to length.

Price: $59.95, however, I did catch a sell and got 20% off my skirt

Conclusion:

I am entirely sold on Macabi. The price is worth it for me for a garment that is going to stand up to continuous wear and tear. I have yet to be disappointed in either version of their skirt that I own. I am surprised at how much I tend to prefer the knee length version (at least in the summer). I do not doubt that at some point in the future I will buy yet another skirt. Macabi provides comfortable and functional skirts that for a full-time nomad cannot be passed up.

 

Check It Out:

Macabi Knee Length Skirt

Or Check Out The Review Of My Other Macabi Skirt:

 Macabi Outdoor Travel Skirt Review

 

The Knee Length Skirt

 

(Skirts On Skirts for Comparison)

 

(Specs: Elastic Waist, Drawstring, Deep Pockets)

 

(Model Shot!) 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER:

 I BOUGHT MY SKIRT WITH MY OWN MONEY! I HAVE NO CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT WITH MACABI AND ONLY GIVE REVIEWS ON GEAR I USE OR FEEL WOULD BENEFIT VIEWERS/READERS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT. I AM SELF-EMPLOYED AND DO NOT RECEIVE COMPENSATION FROM MACABI FOR THIS REVIEW. I DID IT ON MY OWN FREE WILL!

I didn’t realize how much I was missing the interaction with people until I spent some time with a family (friends of some friends) in Bend, OR. I had heard about Eric and Holly before, stories of their travels and adventure prior to them settling down in Bend. After exchanging a few text messages, I arrived at their place for just a shower, and I ended up staying for dinner and a few hours after. 

I found that my mouth was uncontrollably spewing out words, that occasionally formed sentences. This was a conversation! I talk to friends and family on the phone, but this was in person! My head felt dizzy with glee and stories, I wanted to talk about everything! I tried to be as polite as possible, but I just wanted talk and to stay with this family forever. I had missed this. People. I didn’t realize how much I craved such friendly interactions until I met Eric and Holly and their kiddos. 

Two days later, I met up with Holly and her two lovely children at a coffee shop. I was so excited to have coffee with a new friend that I showed up almost an hour early. We chatted about Darwin, trail life, traveling, and books. I spoke to someone about BOOKS that didn’t have fur and barks! We could only meet for an hour, but it was an hour that I savored. Thanks to a call from Darwin in the middle of our coffee date, the decision was made that I would end up picking Darwin up that night for a zero in Bend, OR; we would stay with Eric and Holly. 

A few errands later that same day, I was back at Eric and Holly’s. I took another shower and talked with Holly and the kids while trying to help unload some groceries. When Eric arrived, the three of us discussed a wide range of topics including Darwin until I looked at the clock, noticing I should have already left to collect the main topic of our conversation. 

Once Darwin was in tow, we arrived back to find dinner waiting for both of us. We talked well into the night, and at some points, I merely just listened, content. I slept a peaceful, restful sleep. I was in a house full of people, Darwin was close to me, and Bowie was at my feet. 

The next morning we woke, and Holly began making breakfast for us. I forgot people cook meals! I forgot how wonderful it is to share a table of home cooked food with friends! The rest of the day was spent running Darwin around doing errands that are a typical part of a zero (you may not be hiking, but you usually find yourself moving around just as much). While Bowie and I waited for him at every stop, I longed to spend more time with our new friends; the peaceful feel of their quiet house…

That night Darwin and I bought pizza and enjoyed many laughs while FaceTiming with our mutual friends in Indiana, Caron, and Mike who had brought us all together. Holly was at work, and I had hoped to book talk with her more but was glad to have the time I had with Eric, the kids, and our friends back home. In the morning Darwin left reluctantly for the trail. He too greatly enjoyed the break and sense of relaxation at Eric and Holly’s. Even their kids were engaging and a pleasure to spend time with. We were both so grateful for these new friends and their hospitality.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Darwin is almost down with his hike having by the time I post this, less than 500-trail miles to go. Until I spent time with Eric and Holly, I didn’t exactly realize just how ready I was for him to finish; how much I missed interacting with friends. The yearning I had for genuine interaction with people beyond just the polite encounters at a grocery store or coffee shop.  I am so grateful for the time I have had traveling on my own, but I have to admit some things are better when experienced with friends and family. Those people are a lot of what makes something worth experiencing. I am ready to experience things again with my companion and partner in life. I just have to wait a little longer. 

I’ll leave you with a quote, from a person who is now sadly very often seen as cliché and in some ways controversial. And although I am very happy and grateful for my current way of life, I can’t help but acknowledge that my mind keeps wandering back to this…

 

“Happiness is only real when shared.” 

– Christopher McCandless

 

(Trail Pic From The PCT, Picture Stolen From Darwin’s Instagram) 

 

Things To Expect In Up Coming Blog Posts & Other Stuffs:

I really enjoyed this guest post by Stacia Bennett over at Appalachian Trail Trails.

Macabi Travel Knee Length Travel Skirt Review – Coming Soon! 

Cool Thingys That I Also Do:

Our Etsy Store: TravelandTrail

Instagram: The_snuggle_diaries

Other Recent Posts You May Have Missed:

Almost A Hiker: Another Ditty

Two Weeks Without A Shower

While sitting in the van, doors open and nature coming in, I got a little rhyme-ey, flow-ey thing stuck in my head…

Instead of TV, I watch the trees; blades of grass dance back and forth in front of me. This must be what they see.

I have not seen them for a while, I’ve been a little hidden away.  I hear only the wind whipping around me. No laughter or talk, just soft chirps.

The wind is no longer heavy with sweat and dirt. I breathe in only sweet-smelling, earth with a tinge of pine.

The air is starting to get humid, and I relish the cool evening air.

I sometimes look like one, smell like one too, but I am not.

I travel by van and not on foot.

I watch the clouds glide swiftly above me; are they watching too?

Maybe I’ll travel like them again someday, but now my feet are tender and my skin is soft.

I’m inspired by those that travel by trail; I understand their toils and woes, but for right now I’m fine, just me and my pup again on the road to see our beloved hiker a little further up.

We are hoping he’ll be done soon.

(One Of Our Many Sunsets Seen From The Doors Of The Van) 

Things To Expect In Up Coming Blog Posts & Other Stuffs:

Mini Misadventures (My Book) Cover Sneak Peek! – Check It Out Here!

Macabi Travel Knee Length Travel Skirt Review – Coming Soon! 

Cool Thingys That I Also Do:

Our Etsy Store: TravelandTrail

Instagram: The_snuggle_diaries

Other Recent Posts You May Have Missed:

Two Weeks Without A Shower

Audio Touring A National Park

The Challenge:

Going two weeks without a shower.

Why:

Since I’m out on the road with another being who doesn’t bathe regularly (Bowie), I figured I would see if I could swing two weeks without sudsing up. Totally a personal fun challenge. Spending a lot of time alone tends to lead to a lack of personal hygiene, at least for me anyways. So, due to a tinge of laziness and just to see if I could do it, I gave myself the two-week challenge.

My Lack Of Soap History:

Before this self-induced challenge, I had been right at six days without a shower thanks to my time on the Appalachian Trail. At that time I was super dirty and sweaty, and by that sixth day, I was aching for a shower. In my current state of life, I sweat less and don’t find myself trudging in the wilderness as long.

During this two-week span of time, I did wipe down with baby wipes occasionally. I would also swipe on deodorant when I was knowingly going to be in close quarters with others, and I did rinse out my hair once in a public park sink. I, however, remained faithful to my pledge, and only used soap to wash my hands; no other body parts. After the first week, I knew I had it in the bag.

After The Overdue Shower:

My skin felt very dry and brittle almost. Yes, the shower did feel good as did shaving but it wasn’t the best shower of my life. My skin sucked up what was sure to be a gallon of lotion, and my hair felt crunchy and itchy.

What I Learned:

Nothing significant came from this. I don’t know what I expected, maybe the hygiene fairy to come get me? My life was not significantly affected by a lack of soap; if anything not taking a shower benefited the world by saving water and gave me at least five to ten extra minutes extra each day.

It did, however, allow me to identify the fact that showering or bathing seems to be a little overrated; I didn’t even miss it. I think society forces this weird fear of not continually smelling like a desert or bouquet of flowers on us. The reality is smelling like a dessert food, or a bouquet of flowers is unnatural and typically only makes others hungry or sneezy.

I’m not sure that anyone who was around me even noticed. If I did smell in any way, I never noticed any sideways glances or pinched noses. I was however acutely aware of my leg hair and armpit hair; definitely hit a personal record for length of pit hair.

Final Thoughts:

I can’t believe I used to shower every day; what a waste of water and time.

A few weeks ago, Jen Beck Seymour “Chica” and Greg Seymour “Sunsets” put out a book Thru-Hiking The Appalachian Trail: 100 Tips, Tricks, Traps, and Facts. Having followed along with them during their hike in 2017, I was interested to read their thoughts, perspective, tips, etc. on the trail and so I bought a copy.

Disclosure:

Now I’m going to be completely upfront, Chica and Sunsets have become good friends with Darwin and me even though we have actually never met in person. They have followed Darwin from very beginnings of “Darwin Onthetrail” and also present one of Darwin’s gear lists in this book. With all this being said, you are going to have to trust the fact that this is an honest review. I bought my own copy of their book, read it on my own and now present this review on my own free will.  If you have any issues with this that’s fine, I only ask that you don’t let it take away from their book. Please at least check out other reviews via Amazon, if you feel it necessary.

Review:

First off, this book is an easy read, which I believe is due to many aspects of how it is written. Chica and Sunsets (I will refer to them as the authors) present helpful tips but don’t give an overwhelming amount of detail that causes the eyes to glaze over which often occurs when reading a typical guide. They offer personal accounts of their experiences as it relates to each topic but this isn’t a full memoir. They split up topics, so the reader is given information from both a female and male perspective. The reader also gets their collaborative perspective as a thru-hiking couple. These features help target a variety of hikers within this one book.

The authors present a full descriptive list of “Hiker Jargon,” which is always helpful to most any long-distance hiker, as this jargon evolves each year. The first chapter “Know Before You Go” sets the tone for the rest of the book. The authors are brutally honest and do not sugar coat anything which I found refreshing. Often, long-distance hikes are presented in a romanticized way. You will not find this characteristic in this book, which will only benefit the potential thru-hiker.

I liked the fact that gory gear details are not focused on. The gear-geek may be disappointed as the authors only present a general overview of gear throughout the book basically stopping at just the name. They personally were not solely focused on going ultra-light and did not pretend to have done so. For those who understand that a low pack weight is incredibly helpful but ultra-light backpacking isn’t the only way to hike, will find the information presented on gear a comfortable, unintimidating overview.

I found numerous tips and tricks that I personally have not seen in other Appalachian Trail readings. My personal favorite was the chapter on “Peeing, Pooping, Periods, & Privies.” During my pre-AT hike research, these were topics I could never find a lot of information on; more so dealing with my period. I LOVED the fact that Chica was so completely open and honest on how these were handled. Ultimately, they are not an issue. I also really enjoyed Sunsets’ chapter “Loose Ends.” This chapter basically covers important tidbits like why it’s wise not to share food with other hikers that are important but often overshadowed by gear and bear worries. I also found their collaborative chapter “What’s Stopping You?” very forthright in identifying aspects that new hikers, tend to ignore or merely deny will be an issue for them.

Throughout the book, the reader is encouraged by the authors to continue their own research and provided further helpful resources. A lot of guides and even memoirs about the AT don’t often do that, leaving the potential thru-hiker to hopefully stumble upon other resources. Chica and Sunsets documented almost every day of their hike via YouTube and made mention of this in their book providing information on both their channel and website. Pairing the book with their YouTube Channel and website Chica and Sunsets, the authors’ knowledge is thus back-up with their actions. This also allows learning and research to be done visually as well.

Conclusion:

Although I personally did not do everything suggested in this book on my hike and I had more issues with squirrels and mice on the trail then bears, every hiker has different experiences leading to varying opinions on hiking topics; that’s the beauty of preparing for a long-distance hike or really any hike for that matter. Everyone will train differently, prepare in various ways, carry a wide assortment of gear, etc. What works for one hiker, may not for the other and the authors encourage further research beyond their book.

100 Tips, Tricks, Traps, and Facts,  is a great starting place for the potential thru-hiker as it will clue one in on the basics of gear, terrain, money, and then presents other topics that are typically left for the hiker to learn on the go. If you’re somewhat interested in hiking the Appalachian Trail, this book is for you. If your start date is picked out and you already have your gear, food, money, etc. lined out, this book is for you. It’s not intimidating or overwhelming in any way, and I’m sure no matter how well planned out one may think they are, they will find at least one thing they hadn’t thought of before while reading this.

As far as precisely 100 things being mentioned in this book, I have no doubt there is, if not more.

(Book Cover) 

Other Book Reviews: 

Engineering Eden: REVIEW

Wild Animals I Have Known – Review

The Last Season – Review