The best holiday destinations and travel ideas!
FBI Fugitive Found on Appalachian Trail, A Survival Video Game, The Zion Flash Flood, A “Walk In the Woods” Inspires People to Get Out, MSR FlyLite Tent, and much more! by Eric Vann | 2015-09-29ARTICLE OUTLINE {text-transform:uppercase} Introduction TOP STORIES Anish Sets Self-Supported Record for the Appalachian Trail Unattached: All-female Team Summits Unclimbed Peak in the Zanskar Region of India James Hammes: FBI Fugitive Found Hiking …
When you think of hiking destinations in Europe, what places come to mind? For me it’s usually the Alps, the Dolomites, or the Pyrenees. The Eastern Carpathians? That’s a mountain range that I wasn’t really familiar with until I travelled to Romania. I came to the country with a…
Privatization and commercialization of public lands is increasing. More companies are being allowed to manage national forests and other federal and state-owned lands, and fracking and mining firms are often permitted to extract the minerals beneath. Partnerships between public lands managers and the private sector are also on the rise. For example, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the restored log cabins in Cades Cove is “brought to you by Log Cabin Maple Syrup,” with a plaque…
Everest is the ultimate bucket list destination for many of us. A dream that is out of reach for all but a few. The closest many of us will come to experiencing Everest will be through documentaries and photos. That’s why I am excited about the release of Everest, the new movie from Universal Pictures. You can experience it in IMAX 3D starting September 18 and see it everywhere September 25. I can’t wait… Inspired by the incredible events surrounding an attempt…
GO GREEN TIP #112: 10 Simple Wildlife Photography Tips originally appeared on Green Global Travel. GO GREEN TIP #112:10 Simple Wildlife Photography Tips I didn’t start out as a wildlife photographer (or maybe I did, depending on your definition of “wildlife”). My first professional photography job, way back in 1996, was shooting rock bands in concert for Rolling Stone. …
Wandering around the Fez medina, I could feel the stares. “Where are you going? Want to go to the tanneries? I’ll take you. No money. Don’t worry!” the medina’s faux guides said as they chased me down the street. “No, I’m fine,” I’d reply, trying to dodge them at every turn. Turning down side streets, stopping to look at a map, or admiring a view caused them and any nearby vendor to pounce and badger me, inviting me into stores, restaurants, and attractions. There were moments when I would turn …
Hipsters Image source Backpacking isn’t always about “getting off the beaten track.” Sometimes, you just want to find the coolest bar in town for some daytime drinks, chat to some fun lovin’ local types, and maybe buy a few vintage threads when you have a spare hour or two. For that, you need to seek hipster neighborhoods. The trouble is, what’s hipster today won’t be trending tomorrow, so here’s my guide to the most up and coming hipster neighborhoods around the world. Margate, England Everybody knows that East London has a cool art scene and some trendy clubs, but…
Wondering what to pack for your gap year? Want the very best kit for hostel hopping or jungle trekking? Then you need the ultimate gap year starter kit from Craghoppers! This exclusive collection of premier Craghoppers kit is everything any budding backpacker needs to get them started and make their around the world adventures that little bit easier. I’ve partnered up with the awesome team at Craghoppers to bring you one of the biggest and best competitions Bemused Backpacker has ever run! The ultimate gap year starter kit from Craghoppers consists of…
The author presents a method to make your own ultralight, carbon fiber trekking poles. by Dave Hoyer | 2015-10-06*A couple of experimental ultralight trekking poles were made using carbon fiber tubes. These examples are for shorter trekkers, but can be changed to accommodate taller walkers. The “minimalist” is a fixed length trekking pole with a carbon fiber shaft, a tungsten tip, and an EVA foam hand grip. The “minimalist” is 39 in (1 m) in length, weighs 2.1 oz (60 g), and cost about $…
I blogged very little this month. In fact, I think this was the first month that I made travel a priority and kind of took a break from social media and keeping you updated with blog posts in a long time. Part of it was because I had friends and family visiting for an epic road trip across Ireland and Northern Ireland, but I was also feeling a bit tired and just needed to take a step back and enjoy travel just for the sake of travel. So that’s what …
January 2016 Mountain Mama will sail around the Virgin Islands with her four-year-old son and write about their adventures (and misadventures). The idea to sail around the Virgin Islands to debunk the stereotypes rolling around –even in my own mind – about single mamas started two weeks before Christmas. I was stressing over whether to pay my bills or buy presents. I graded myself a C- in the…
Today, professional photographer Laurence Norah of Finding the Universe, continues his five part series on taking better travel photos. Photographs are an important part of the travel experience and with so many of you being budding photographers, Laurence’s series is here to help you improve your photography skills. We’ve gone a lot of the basics in this series so, in part four, Laurence is taking…
I got more than I bargained for when I began the mountain hike through the stunning Carpathian mountain range, but little did I know that I was walking in the footsteps of the gods too. The Ceahlau National Park is an absolutely stunning region in Neamt County in Romania and is among some of the largest protected pristine forests in Europe. A part of the jagged Carpathian mountain range and surrounded by numerous lakes and watercourses, the jagged limestone peaks are covered in a blanket of thick forest and culminates in the majestic Ceahlau mountain. Part of …
Limiting the number of decisions, and keeping all your gear in one area are the major steps to simplifying your short backpacking trips. by Ryan Jordan | 2015-10-06Minimizing the time and energy required for trip preparation requires that you: Limit the number of decisions you have to make; and Keep everything you need for the trip in one extremely small area. The purpose of this article series is to present my own framework for accomplishing these two objectives. Part 1 (this article) will discuss a philosophical framework. Part 2 will …
When it comes to road trips, Northern Ireland has some pretty spectacular landscapes to boast, and the best way to enjoy these is by driving the Causeway Coastal Route. This drive follows the coastal areas between Belfast and Londonderry and it covers a total distance of more than 300 kilometres (with a few additional detours here and there). It’s the equivalent of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, and it has everything from castles to frightening bridges to natural wonders along the way. I didn’t have enough time to drive the full Causeway Coastal …
Photo Courtesy of Wolf Haven International At one time the howl of the red wolf could be heard all along the eastern seaboard, throughout most of the Appalachian Mountains, and well into the plains of central Texas. But today there are less than 75 of these animals existing in the wild, and those that remain have been consigned to a small swampy portion of eastern North Carolina. This dwindling population has suffered mightily at the hands of hunters in recent years—many of whom claim to feel threatened …
Avenue of the Giants: Scenic Drive Through California’s Redwood Trees originally appeared on Green Global Travel. Avenue of the Giants, looking up through California’s Redwood TreesAvenue of the GiantsScenic Drive Through California’s Redwood Trees No physical border indicated that we were there– that we were finally in the presence of giants. But, as we drove into the misty shadows of Humboldt Redwoods State Park, we knew. A foreboding shadow was cast over the car, and…
It’s that time again, everyone! No, not when we all rush out for Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks (ok, it’s that time too) but time for my annual reader survey. Every year, I do a survey to find out how much you hate this website…I mean…what I’ve done right in the past year. I’m constantly working to improve this website’s content, design, …
Romania has a long and rich history and a colourful cultural tapestry that is not well known outside of the region, and these traditions are being kept alive at the small but impressive Nicolas Popa Ethnographic Museum in Tarpesti, Romania. Following a long line of artisans, Nicolai Popa was something of a modern day Renaissance man, and was at various points in his life a …
An alpine ramble along part of the Roper High route of the High Sierras, leaves plenty of time for fishing and relaxation. by Ryan Jordan | 2015-09-29Two years ago, my son and friends completed a trek in the High Sierra out of the Florence Lake trailhead. Photos from that trip were published in Rambling the High Sierra. On that trip, we pieced together an off-trail route with packrafts. We returned in 2015, this time using Mammoth Lakes as…
Backpacking is a value packed activity. Travelling light and free is only very rarely the pursuit of middle aged millionaires. More often it’s the province of free-wheeling folk who are not quite ready to settle down to the serious business of full time family life and a suited and booted business career.Metaphorically as well as practically speaking, backpacking depends on cramming as much as you can into…
Backpack or suitcase? Straps or wheels? Which of these two types of luggage should you use to pack for a long trip? These are questions I debated back and forth before setting out on this most recent trip around Europe. When I first set out on my big 15-month round-the-world trip I carried a 60L backpack. Even though the size of my pack forced me to adopt a minimalist packing style, I still found the weight to be a little too much for me. Sure, it was super convenient because I …
Photo by Jess Daddio This weekend will see one of the biggest rain events in recorded history for the western part of the Carolinas. The heart of such whitewater classics as the Green Narrows, Linville Gorge and Raven Fork, Western North Carolina is already soaked from last weekend’s rain and has been hit with over an inch and a…
Switzerland conjures up many images. On one side, there are majestic mountains, delicious fondue and chocolate, big banks sheltering people’s money, precision watches, and an orderly society. On the other, heart attack–inducing prices: $8 USD coffee or beer?! $50 steaks?! A $15 menu at McDonald’s?! $35-40 hostel beds?! WTH! Switzerland is rated the most expensive country in the world to…
