adventure stuff

Tips for Packing Air Travelers

Perhaps, you are planning to travel by air on your next holiday. Well, you should take note of the following air travel packing tips. There are a lot more air travel restrictions now than there used to be, and you need to be aware of them in planning your trip to ensure you don’t get left behind at the airport.

• You may not pack liquid or gel substances in your carry-on unless they are in individual three-ounce containers, enclosed in one clear, quart-size, plastic, zip-top bag per passenger. Any larger containers of liquids and gels must be packed in your checked luggage.
• Beware of restrictions on the size and number of bags you may bring onto your flight. Many airlines now charge a fee for every checked bag or have lowered the maximum permitted weight limits for checked luggage.
• Do not lock your checked bags except with TSA-approved locks; otherwise, if your bag is selected for random screening, agents will have to break the lock to get inside.
• Do not over pack your bag. Screeners will have a difficult time closing your luggage if selected for inspection, which will only lead to wrinkles and the potential for lost articles.
• Carry all film with you onboard, as screening equipment for checked luggage can damage undeveloped film.
• Place any packed belongings you don’t feel comfortable with strangers handling in clear plastic bags.
• Do not stack books and other documents on top of each other; instead, spread them out throughout your bag.

Kinds of Day Hikes Packs

Day hiking packs come in a wide variety of styles and sizes any one of which may be suitable for a particular hike. Since gear loads are lighter, and hikers are never far from the end of their hike which pack they choose for a day hike is more a matter of personal taste and less critical.

To choose a pack for your day hiking adventures first decide what kind of hikes you are most likely to take. Then make a gear list of the items you will want to take with you on most of these hikes. And then select a pack that will carry all of your gear and make it easy to find and carry.

• Day packs – the most common type of pack used not only for hiking, but also biking and by students for carrying books. These packs are carried on the shoulders. If they have a waistband, it is generally just for stabilizing the load and not for transferring any of it to the hips. Capacity is generally less than 2000 cubic inches. They are available in a huge variety of shapes and styles.
• Hydration Packs – this type of pack is really just a daypack specifically designed to carry mostly water. The packs main compartment are setup to carry a water bladder from which a hose runs around to the front of the pack so that the wearer can drink at any time without having to remove the pack. This type of pack might be an excellent choice for day hiking in very warm areas like the desert. Read more

Most Best Adventure Foods

What is true is that there are really no “best” backpacking food. There are reasons to bring certain foods, though. Here are ten foods and the reasons you might want to consider them.

• Nuts. This is one of the most calorie-packed foods you can take. That means less weight to carry. With lots of protein and other nutritional benefits, nuts are one of the best backpacking foods.
• Olive oil. Add a little to your soups or dip bread in it. The best of the oils health-wise, you can eat it before sleeping, to stay warm, because fats generate heat when digested.
• Trail mixes. Any mix with raisins and nuts is great for backpacking. Vitamins, minerals, protein, and the best reason – convenience.
• Corn products. Tortilla chips or corn nuts are convenient, and they don’t seem to cause the tiredness that potato chips and other simple carbohydrates can cause.
• Ramen noodles. When you need a hot meal fast, there isn’t much that’s better.
• Instant coffee. A necessity for caffeine addicts, and it’s good to have a stimulant available for emergencies.
• Wild edible berries. Learn to identify a few, and you’ll have a nutricious excuse for a break along the trail.
• Instant sports drinks. Pour a little in your water bottle and shake. Replacing electrolytes doesn’t get more convenient.
• Instant refried beans. When you want sustained energy, eat beans.
• Your favorites. Having your favorite foods can help salvage a rainy backpacking trip spent in the tent.

Keep in mind the nature of the trip when you choose your backpacking food. Hot meals are much more important in cold climates, and convenience is king, if you want to make miles.

Alternative Medicine for your Adventure

Why learn about medicinal plants? Certainly, backpackers shouldn’t leave the first aid kit home, but it can be useful and interesting to know a few plant medicines too. Whether you are someday in a survival situation, or you just lost your first aid kit and have a terrible headache, wouldn’t it be nice to find relief nearby? Well, there are many effective medicinal plants. So here is some quick guide to a few safe plant medicines.

• Pain Relief – Fill the bottom of a cup with shredded willow bark, and make a cup of tea with it. Let it steep for a few minutes before you drink it. The active ingredient is salicin, closely related to salicylic acid, which is used to make aspirin. You can also try chewing on a few balsam poplar buds.
• Antiseptic Plants – Sap from “blisters” on balsam firs is a strong antiseptic. Pop the blisters on the trunks of young trees, and the sap will ooze out. You can spread it over cuts and small wounds to prevent infection. It is very sticky, however, and it will be difficult to wash off (at least it smells nice).
• For Diarrhea – You can drink tea made from the roots of blackberries and their relatives to stop diarrhea. Just fill the bottom of the cup with the cleaned and shredded roots and pour boiling water over them. Let the mix steep for five minutes before drinking.
• Skin Medication – You can relieve the itch from insect bites, sunburn, or plant poisoning rashes by applying a poultice of jewelweed. I have seen a poison ivy rash cleared up overnight using the juice from jewelweed. It is also said to work on sunburn as well as aloe vera.

There are hundreds of wild medicinal plants that could be useful to hikers and backpackers. You don’t need to become an expert to benefit from them. Just learn to identify and use a few of the most widespread and safest ones.

scary but real adventure, if ever

Last 2007 my brother went to Japan to spend a vacation all by himself. At that time, I feel a little anxious that he might need somebody to accompany him in the foreign land. It’s his first singles holidays abroad. However, I know that there are several other singles like him that will also visit the place. And everything went well. He goes home with so many memories and stories worth keeping.

That is just the beginning of his discoveries. After that, no one can stop him from going to any Singles Holidays he wants whether that is abroad or local travel. For now as I read his blog he is planning to spend his annual vacation leave in three months time. His company is forcing their employee to use their vacation leave instead of converting it to cash. He writes in one of his post that he misses Japan especially the food. However, he is not yet sure whether or not he can pursue this plan since he also missed our parents back home.

Well, enough about him. I told myself that I should not get too envy towards him and his achievements. In the near future I can also spend SINGLES HOLIDAYS somewhere around the globe, maybe the Caribbean or Rome or Asia. Before that, I still have to weigh things in what country I might fully enjoy. I learned from my brother’s post, no matter how beautiful and attractive the place might be it doesn’t guarantee enjoyment. A wrong vacation destination is a waste of time and money.

Even though I like the idea still I am afraid to do it. Going to places all by myself is a scary thing for me. Yet, I find it as a true adventure. Whether abroad or local I always go on vacation with friends or family. Yikes! I haven’t been to a vacation abroad, in the future maybe.

Next Page »