Until I came here, I had no idea there were so many different kinds of braids.  I only knew English (which I called American), French, and Dutch (which I didn't have a name for - just called it "underbraid".  Now I've tried four and five strand braids, and even crown braids.  I learned about rope twists and fishtails.  My favorite is still a Dutch or underbraid, as it seems the tightest for my hiking addiction.  So what is your favorite braid?

My favorite braid to do on myself is the french braid.  I have a hard time doing a dutch braid on myself, but love to do it on others.  The herringbone/fishtail braid is sooooo time consuming I do it only when specifically asked to do it.  (The neighbor girl likes me to braid her hair for special occasions, and she like this one.)

I've found that my hair is long enough that doing some braids is more difficult.  I loved to do twin ropes, but once my hair got beyond waist length, it became too difficult (or maybe it just took too long!?).

My favorite is probably the Dutch braid as well. My hair stays neater for a longer time, especially if I braid it while it's still damp. I can go for 3 days without redoing the braid. I'm still working on doing it as a crown braid. I keep ending up with my hair going into the braid at an angle by the time I get to the front of my head (starting over my left ear and going counterclockwise).  But I'm patient, and I keep practicing. When I get it right I'll post a picture.