WoodGas Camp Stove: Two Thumbs Up

by Jamie Rhein on

Yesterday, when sitting on the beach at Echo Lake near Philipsburg, Montana, I thought how a WoodGas Camp Stove would come in handy. These days, Montana is in the midst of forest fire worries and woes. Cooking on open fires isn’t allowed from what some folks who were enjoying the lake along with us said. They were camping at nearby Georgetown Lake. The girl in the family, about nine years-old was feeling a cheated since they havent’ been able to have s’mores. I had the urge to say, “What you need is a WoodGas Camp Stove.”

Possibly, the WoodGas Stove wouldn’t be allowed either since it is meant to be used in accordance with campfire rules, but the great thing about it is the fire is mostly contained inside. There is little danger of a fire starting if you don’t overload the inside with twigs–that’s what we burned when we tried it out (see WoodGas Camp Stove: The Experience) –and if you don’t dump out the ash before it cools down completely.

The other things I like about the WoodGas Camp Stove that I found out for myself are:

  • It’s light
  • It’s easy to use
  • It cooks food quickly and well
  • It’s basically indestructible
  • It’s environmentally friendly
  • It’s stable so it won’t tip easily.
  • It doesn’t require fuel except for kindling size pieces of wood (unless you use One Match which I do recommend)
  • You can use it on a table top, on the beach, on your front walkway (that’s what I did), pretty much anywhere except in enclosed spaces. See warning label.
  • It comes with a warranty
  • It would be perfect for cooking s’mores.

Mobile Transformer Hotels

by Neil Woodburn on

Festivals, fairs and other events often require lots of free space to serve as a venue. As a result, they are often held on the outskirts of town where, unfortunately, there aren’t too many hotels to house the masses who attend.

Hotelmóvil, a new Spanish company, has come up with a simple solution to this problem; bring a hotel to the masses.

Hotelmóvil is an ingeniously designed 18-wheeler which can motor up to an outdoor event, find a parking spot, and then transform into an 11 room hotel with the push of a button and a few hydraulic lifts.

Eight bedrooms reside on the bottom floor while three luxury suites, which can sleep five people each, are located on a second floor. Each room has its own bathroom, air conditioning, TV, DVD player and internet access.

Very cool! Imagine attending the Roskilde Festival in Denmark and actually having a nice place to stay instead of camping in the mud.

But, you’ll have to wait. Hotelmóvil won’t roll off the assembly lines until 2008.

(via Business 2.0, but not yet online)

Channel Islands on Frommers

by Erik Olsen on

Most travelers know of a little thing called The Lonely Planet Effect. In fact, I spoke with LP’s former global editor Don George about this very topic in a podcast way back when. The idea is simple: Guidebooks like Lonely Planet are here to tell you about great places that still have the charm and exoticness of being “undiscovered”. But there mere fact they are mentioned in Lonely Planet then discovers them and, potentially, ruins them by making them popular.

And so with this in mind, I hesitate to say much more about California’s Channel Islands. Sure, I’ve written about them before, so the point is kind of moot, but I still feel that bringing to much attention to them is a good way to ruin what is a lovely, near pristine place just off the coast of California. Sigh.

Well, Frommer’s has kind of beaten me to the punch here, anyway. Just a few days ago they listed the Channel Islands as their Park of the Week, providing a nicely detailed article on the park. It’s actually quite informative. I actually learned a few things such as the fact that the park is home to over 2,000 plants and animals, of which 145 are found nowhere else in the world. That makes them a bit like California’s Galapagos.

When I was there one of the things I most enjoyed doing was paddling the massive sea caves around Santa Cruz Island. There’s some info about doing that as well as myriad other activities to keep you busy should you decide to make the trip. I highly recommend you do, but be careful about telling all your friends. I’d hate to see the place become California’s off-shore Disneyland.

See Where You’re At and Where You’re Going with Nightlighter

by Justin Glow on

If you’ve ever traipsed through the woods at night, you’ll know how difficult it can be to shine a pathway ahead and keep from tripping over twigs and branches at the same time. This “Nightlighter” flashlight is unique in that beams of light shoot out in two directions — one at the pathway in front of you, and the other aimed at your feet so you can see “where you are at, as well as, where you are going.”

The design is probably a bit too big for backpacking, but it’s perfect for your next camping trip. Dad, if you’re reading this — don’t buy one. This may be your Christmas present.

$29.95 from firstSTREET. [via]

AmeriBags: Ergonomic and Useful

by Jamie Rhein on

If you’re looking for a bag that’s like a day pack, but less cumbersome and more sleek looking try an AmeriBag. My mom bought me my first one after she became friends with the inventors and owners of the company. The bag design came about after Margery Griffin, one of the founders hurt her back. She was looking for a bag that was a healthier fit and figured that is she wanted one, she and her husband Irwin should design one.

The reason I like the Healthy Back Tote is because it’s durable but light, and I can sling it over my shoulder. When I use a daypack, I tend to use only one strap anyway. The one pictured is only one of the colors. There are several other choices.

The AmeriBag company also has a variety of smaller bags that can be used for jewelery, toiletries or wallets. There is also a collection made to carry baby paraphelia and one with sports types like cyclists in mind. If you want to go more upscale, some items come in leather. The company has expanded its offerings into duffle bags and purses as well. You can order an entire set like this Metro collection that go together.