Glamping, and other puzzling trends in travel

by Justin Glow on

Glamping, or glamorous camping — a new buzzword popping up in publications across the globe (a Google search yields 400+ results already) — is becoming a trend among the more fortunate, and less adventurous of travelers looking to “rough it” in the outdoors. From Yahoo,

“In British Columbia, Canada, the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, a 30-minute boat ride from the town of Tofino, is offering “glamping” on a fjord on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Tents have Persian carpets, down duvets and even electricity. There’s a sauna and hot tubs on site, and activities including fishing, horseback riding, kayaking, hikes and wildlife-watching.”

Persian carpets and down duvets isn’t really considered “roughing it” in my book, but whatever. Another trend in faux budget travel to watch out for: Costeling, or staying in costly hostels. When you see the term costeling pop up in various places, remember where you heard it first!

Toasty Feet Insoles

by Willy Volk on

Toasty Feet shoes insoles are like Thermoses for your feet. Developed by NASA, Toasty Feet are made of Aerogel — the lightest, lowest-density solid known to exist — and boast a a thermal efficiency rating of up to 10 times that of other materials.

In the winter, they help keep your feet warm; in the summer, they help keep them cool. If you spend a lot of time trudging in the snow, hiking in the mountains, jogging on the beach, walking your dog, working outside, slogging to school, skiing, rock climbing, picnicking, or using shoes at all, this product will likely pique your interest.

If you think it’s all a bunch of hype, check out Bryan Schmidt’s review of the removable liners. They’re available in various sizes for as little as $13.

Lake Tahoe’s Declining Clarity

by Neil Woodburn on

One of California’s most spectacular tourist destinations is the wonderful Lake Tahoe. California has thousands of lakes, but Tahoe is the state’s crown jewel. Sure, it’s beautiful and majestic, but what really makes it stand out from so many other lakes is the purity of its waters. Lake Tahoe is one of the clearest bodies of water on this planet with visibility stretching up to 100 feet.

Unfortunately, visibility has been slowly declining in the last number of years and today it stands at just 74 feet–still wonderfully clear, but sadly indicative of a growing problem. And, according to a recent LA Times article, it may only get worse.

There are currently plans to greatly increase the number of watercraft accessories over the next 22 years until there are 1,000 piers, 6,300 buoys and 3,000 boat slips surrounding the lake. Conservationists are concerned that such a drastic increase will result in far more boating activities on the lake, and as a result, a further muddying of the waters. Naysayers, claim otherwise, noting that the lake is too deep to be affected by a 30% increase in boating.

Whatever the eventual outcome of developers, I have a horrible feeling that it does not bode well for the clear waters of Tahoe. We can only hope that the isolation of Lake Baikal–Tahoe’s sister lake in Siberia and the clearest in the world–will escape similar damage.

Karl Bushby’s Goliath Expedition

by Erik Olsen on

There are epic trips and then there are…well, there is Karl Bushby’s Goliath Expedition. Bushby, an ex-paratrooper is in the midst of undertaking one of those trips that truly flabbergast. He’s trying to walk around the entire globe. The self-declared stats he has on his site say it all:

12 years
36,000 miles
4 continents
25 countries
6 deserts
7 mountain ranges

But I guess those numbers don’t truly reflect the magnitude of this journey .And this being the 21st century ,you can go to Busby’s site and follow his journey in text, video, audio and photos. According to the site, Bushby, if he succeeds, will become the first person to complete an unbroken round the world walk.

The site says that Bushy is readying himself for the next leg of his journey, and he should be heading out from Russia sometime, well, I’m not sure when. He has apparently been having problems in obtaining the special permits required for the Chukotka region of Siberia. Here is the route is has taken and plans to take. Coming up from Tierra del Fuego way way up then over the Bering Sea and then all the way across Russia through Europe. The BBC has covered some of the story, and I’m surprised I haven’t seen more of it on US media. But maybe that will happen soon.

Sit on it Potts…and Rub It In

by Erik Olsen on

Who knew? I thought former Happy Days star Anson “Potsie” Williams was one of those Hollywood has-beens clutching his old head shot photos while sipping a margarita alone. Who knew he was an inventor. Sort of. Or at least a viable business person? Also, who knew he was the nephew of Henry Heimlich of the Heimlich maneuver? Amazing the stuff you find on Wikipeida.

Anyway, I just learned this by reading Outside Magazine, that Potsie has developed a lotion to keep your hands extra-special dry when you really need them to be. Great for climbers, perhaps. Or, uh, electricians. It’s called Dry Touch. There’s nothing about it google-able online, but I thought it was interesting. I thought it was important. I thought you should know.