Cheap laptops > Packing For Adventure Travel

Packing For Adventure Travel

by: Rob Wood

There?s a funny scene in Romancing the Stone when Michael Douglas? character meets Kathleen Turner?s character and agrees to take her to a phone booth hundreds of miles away. He simply refuses to help her carry her completely impractical luggage and a few scenes later goes even further by chopping the heels off her shoes so she can actually walk in them. This little fiasco encompasses the essence of packing for adventure travel. Less is most definitely more!

When in a foreign country it is usually pretty easy to spot the experienced traveler from the novice. The novice is usually dragging a giant suitcase or trying to lug a brightly coloured backpack that is even bigger than they are. They are dressed in the latest ?must have? adventure gear from the most expensive adventure stores and have ?trekking? shoes worth hundreds of dollars. This is not the way to do it for several reasons. The first is comfort. You will usually be doing a lot of walking whenever you go on a vacation and walking with 50 kg of luggage is both tiring and difficult. You will also, most likely, be getting extremely dirty and ruining whatever clothing you take (even if it?s expensive ?adventure clothing?) and don?t forget that some of your gear may even be stolen (sometimes by other travelers). If you show up with all the best and most expensive gear you are also a walking target for hustlers and thieves. With all of this in mind here are a few tips:

Luggage ? If you are going to be doing anything even remotely physical and walking any further than a few hundred meters, then a backpack is definitely the way to go. But not all packs are created equal! Think small and inconspicuous. Dark colours like brown and black will attract less attention than a bright purple or red pack. Make sure it is the type of pack that has a flap on the top that closes over the pack?s opening to keep out water (the types that zip up WILL get your stuff wet). You will also want to put your clothing in waterproof stuff bags ? I use standard plastic shopping bags, but there are tougher ones that you can buy from disposals and camping stores. You also want your pack to be as small as possible. Especially if you are only touring (mountaineers may need something bigger). I use a 30 liter pack but would say 45 liters is an absolute maximum for general purpose use. You will be carrying it around a lot and if you cannot fit something in then you probably don?t really need it.

Clothing ? Think light and breathable! Cotton is always good. Three shirts is usually enough because you can wear one, wash one and have a spare. Take ones with collars to keep the sun off your neck if you are going anywhere remotely sunny. For pants, I like cargoes that can zip off the legs and turn into shorts (which can also double as swimming trunks). Dark colours are always going to hide the dirt and grime so that?s also a good idea. Usually, other than underwear and socks, I don?t take much more than this. Remember that if you need something you can always buy it there and usually for a fraction of the price than at home! Don?t forget to take some type of hat as being sunburnt is a real drag when you are traveling.

Shoes ? Unless you are doing some serious mountaineering then you probably won?t need those $300 Scarpa trekking boots. In many poorer countries you can buy those $300 Scarpas at the local markets for $10 anyway, because some idiot tourist left them outside his door to dry and an enterprising local stole them to sell at the markets! Think comfort ? I usually go for Converse All Stars, but any type of cheap canvas shoe will probably be ok. On a trek across England my Converse shoes allowed my feet to get wet about 10 minutes before my buddy?s feet got wet ? he was wearing the $300 Scarpas! Once again, if you need something better, you can probably buy it at your destination for a cheaper price.

Other stuff ? There are a few things I will never travel without. Sunscreen is the main one because I REALLY hate getting sunburnt. A small multi-tool is often pretty handy too ? don?t get a leatherman because you will lose it or get it stolen. You can often buy multi-tools for $5 anyway that work perfectly well. I also always take a lighter ($1 plastic kind) for anything from lighting people?s cigarettes to sealing the ends of ropes.

The trick to packing for adventure travel is to pack light, inconspicuous and cheap. This avoids you becoming a human pack-mule or a target for thieves and hustlers. You will also find that you will enjoy your traveling more because you won?t be so tired nor worrying about your gear so much.

About The Author

Rob Wood is a regular traveler to third world countries and helps run a site over at Polo's Bastards about extreme adventure travel. http://polosbastards.com.

Southampton Airport: a Cheap Gateway to the UK?

by: Keith Barrett

The rise of the internet seems to have brought many benefits, one of which has undoubtedly been the increasing flexibility that we now have at our disposal when booking holidays.

This is particularly true in the case of flights. Online flight price comparison websites ensure that we can shop around to seek out the best deal from a variety of agents and airlines.

People flying to and from the United Kingdom have possibly benefited more than most. There seem to be numerous budget airlines based in the UK, allowing easy access to Europe at cheap prices. The new budget airlines have also brought benefits for regional airports ? the likes of Exeter, Bournemouth, Doncaster, Southampton and Norwich have been growing a great deal.

Let?s look at one of these specifically ? Southampton Airport. This airport on the outskirts of the Southern coastal city was relatively small until...

Southampton Airport: a Cheap Gateway to the UK?

Cheap laptops > Southampton Airport: a Cheap Gateway to the UK?

Kitchen Renovations and Island Creations

Kitchen Renovations and Island Creations

by: Savi Decoursey

Most homeowners could rhyme off a list of things they would like to change in their home design or decoration.
One of the most rewarding projects I have worked on in recent times was a do-it-yourself kitchen island.
By following the instructions below, you will be able to transform your simple kitchen into an island oasis?or something like that.

If you are like most homeowners, you have spent a fair amount of time in antique markets looking for that perfect new addition for your home.
The next time you are out at the antique market or even a local garage sale, keep your eyes open for an old buffet.
You can likely find one for less than 50 dollars, and it could well become your favorite piece of furniture.

Most buffets were designed to rest against a wall, and they generally have a cheaper wood covering the back side.
When...

Kitchen Renovations and Island Creations

Cheap laptops > Kitchen Renovations and Island Creations

The Truth About Horizon Treadmills

The Truth About Horizon Treadmills

by: Dean Iggo

Hopefully you haven't arrived at this article expecting a rave review of Horizon treadmills.
Although the company, has been around for a long time it seems their treadmills have not kept up with the evolving fitness equipment scene.
In my opinion horizon treadmills should not be considered for your home gym.

At between $700 and $1,400 some people might say that because they are a cheap treadmill you shouldn't be expecting too much.
However I think if you are seriously considering setting up your own home gym then you should be expecting a treadmill that is a) going to perform and b) last longer than the time to your next birthday.
Sure it's a cheap brand but you might not be saying that after you fork out for the costly repairs!

The main problem with the machines is that they are manufactured in China.
Although this keeps the cost of production...

The Truth About Horizon Treadmills

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Fish Make The Greatest Pets

Fish Make The Greatest Pets

by: Jennifer Shircel

Aren?t the children always begging for a pet or another pet?

You don?t want a cat ? there?s that whole litter box thing.
You don?t want to train a puppy, plus what about when you want to go away for the night?
Birds make such a mess and can be quite noisy.
And then there?s those ?rodent? things.

When we found out we were expecting our first child we decided to decorate the nursery in tropical fish decor.
Then we thought a fish tank in the room would be perfect for the ?white noise? and for a nice little night light.
So we bought a 10 gallon tank set that cost about $40 for everything but the fish.
We had no clue about caring for fish, so we only got a few fancy guppies that were about $3 each.
How cheap!!

Who knew we?d become addicted?
Well, me anyways.
We learned that guppies are live bearers, meaning...

Fish Make The Greatest Pets

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Marketing Power of RSS Content Syndication

Marketing Power of RSS Content Syndication

by: Michelle McClory

RSS content syndication is relatively new legitimate practice in the world of search engine optimization (SEO). Marketing professionals specializing in SEO techniques are beginning to recognize the value of RSS content syndication however, and it seems that the more popular this technique becomes the more effective the results.

The value of RSS content syndication lies in the links contained within the content.
This is because the big search engines like Google and Yahoo! pay a whole lot more attention to incoming links to a website than they did in the past.
We?ll get to content a little later, because it still counts, but it is so important to understand why syndicating content to RSS feeds across the web may make you more money and cost you LESS!

RSS feeds are appearing on websites across the internet in order to keep people up to date with the latest...