Nov
10
Headed to a part of the world that has questionable water sources? Going hiking into the back country? Maybe a portable water filter would be a handy item to take along with you…
Seychelle Water Filtration makes a line of products that are designed to filter the water you drink. Making any water taste, fresh, and clean regardless of the source. I could be from a water source, a lake or river, or even out of the tap.
They make water bottles of various types along with an interesting, easily carried, Pure Water Straw. All containing a Ionic-absorption Micro-filtration system that removes up to 99.99% of contaminants found in fresh water including Guardia, Cryptosporidium, E-Coli Bacteria. Proven effective against bacteria and virus.
I”ve ordered several of their items. I’ll let you know what I think after they arrive.
NOTE: These filters are not designed to deal with salt water.
Aug
11
If you find yourself stranded overnight at an airport or train station you may be much more comfortable if you had tossed a new Mini Motel into your carry-on bag. The Mini Motel is a combination tent and sleeping bag that has been designed for comfort and easy set up.
The Mini Motel website says it is made of durable, high quality materials and includes many accessories to provide you with many of the “comforts of home.” It includes the following: Air Mattress / Pillow / Bed Sheet / Alarm Clock / Reading Light / Tooth Brush & Tooth Paste / Ear Plugs / Eye Shades.
The interesting thing is that at $50 this unit will easily pay for itself the first time you use it. You may even be able to make it a profitable venture. You might consider being a volunteer for denied boarding, get the cash or credit offered by the airline, and catch the early morning flight. If you stay in your Mini Motel in the terminal no cab fares or secuirty screenings. You can probably get an extra 2-3 hours sleep before that morning flight.
It also has other uses. Add one or more to your emergency preparedness kit, it would be great to have a little privacy if your sacking out in a shelter. Having family over for an overnight stay? Put the kids in the living room and give them each their own Mini Motel tent. I think kids would love it.
It weighs 4.7lbs, when folded up it is 17″ x 12″ x 3″, when set up it is 80″L x 25″W x 35″H.
For more details and purchasing information visit the Mini Motel website.
Jul
13
1,000 Places to See Before You Die - By Patricia Schultz
After unwrapping my birthday gifts this year I found I owned both versions of this marvelous book. The original (2003) worldwide version with 973 pages and the more recent (2007) USA & Canada version with 1183 pages of brief descriptions of interesting travel destinations.
Here are three random openings of the USA & Canada version:
- Page 552: Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway
- Page 172 - Historic Downtown New York, New York
- Page 697 - Enchantment Resort
I’ve been lucky enough to visit two of the three, pg 172 & 697. You can read about my visit to Sedona’s Enchantment Resort. No I didn’t set that up….it just happened at random.
This can make a great read for an airchair traveler, for those of you how actually hit the road these books give you lots of interesting spots that you may not easily discover on your own.
The first book includes the USA & Canada along with: Europe / Africa / The Middle East / Asia / Australia, New Zealand, and The Pacific Islands / Latin America / The Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda. The second book, of course, covers just the United States and Canada, but in much greater depth.
Your Purchases Help Support the MurrayOnTravel.com Website.
Jul
6
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail - By Bill Bryson
I’ve had the pleasure of giving this book as a gift several times since it was originally published in 1999, and have enjoyed reading it myself.
Everyone who I’ve gifted this book to has commented how much they have enjoyed it and thanked me multiple times for the gift.
For more information see the reviews at Amazon.com:
Your Purchases Help Support the MurrayOnTravel.com Website.
Jul
2
Some of us like the big city experience while other would rather be as faraway as possible from any signs of civilization. Preferring the wilderness. It could be steep mountains of Colorado, the dry deserts of Arizona, or the sailing the deep blue sea.
The magic of many of these trips is that you are alone, very alone. But some of you may not realize that distance from civilization comes at a price. And that price could be your life.
You could say it will never happen to me. I’ll never need help, I’m tough. But the reality is that we don’t have any control over our environment. Proper planning can limit your exposure to dangerous conditions, but you never really know what you will find. Remember the story about Aron Ralston, the trapped climber who was forced to cut off his own arm using a dull knife? Read about Aron.
If you run into trouble in the wilderness a new device is available to help you contact help. The new SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker. This cool unit not only helps you when your lost or in trouble, but allows you to create a record of your travels, and let friends and loved ones know your status.
The SPOT unit contains a GPS tracking receiver and a satellite transmitter. The GPS supplies the SPOT with your location and the transmitter sends that info up to a listening satellite above. Pretty straight forward, but the SPOT unit offers some options.
The orange SPOT unit has four option buttons.
- ON/OFF
- OK/Check - This sends your position and a predetermined ”I’m OK” message to a friend or family member. Hold this button down for five seconds and the unit will send this message every 10 minutes for 24 hrs. This repeat feature can allow tracking on a Google Map.
- HELP - This sends your location and a different “I could use some help” like message you have preset to a designated individual.
- 911 - This sends your location and a “send help NOW” message to the GEOS International Emergency Response Center. They then direct emergency responders to your location, and notify your emergency contact.
I think this unit is pretty handy, and an important safety and security item. It is not unlike technology that has been available to boaters for years (EPRB). It also is similar to the location device that is automatically activated in an airplane when it crashes (ELT). I think hikers would enjoy having such a unit, even for a day hike in populated areas. With the GPS tracking feature you could have a mapped record of your hike for later reference.
Having a SPOT unit with me would make me feel more comfortable heading off into any remote location. A location with no land lines or cell phone service.
The unit will need a view of the sky to work, and it doesn’t work everywhere. Southern Africa and some ocean area are not covered. The manufactures website offers a coverage map.
The unit costs around $170. 911, Help and Check-in services are $100 a year, the tracking feature costs and additional 50 per year. The unit is 4.4 x 2.8 x 1.5 inches and weighs 7.4 oz. For more details visit the official www.FindMeSpot.com website.
UPDATE: The Wallstreet Journal on 9/29/2008 has given the SPOT as their Consumer Electronics 2008 Technology Inovation award.
