There you are scrambling over a mountaintop with the sun beating down on you and you are breathing hard and squinting in the hard light and, well, guess what? Your backpack is just getting charged up. What? Yup, as we posted about before, but are posting about again, there are several companies who have developed solar backpacks with embedded with photovoltaic cells that convert the sun’s energy into electricity. The first one is made by Clear Blue Hawaii which offers the Blue Sun Solarpac ($260, battery not included). Another brand is Voltaic Systems which offers the Voltaic Backpack ($229 battery included). Both of these packs operate with an internal lithium battery; the Blue Sun uses a $50 or $150 lithium-ion (the more expensive battery stores more electricity) that put out up to 12 volts, while the Voltaic’s included battery puts out 3.5 to 7.2 volts. A very nice idea. Good to save money on batteries and to do your part not to add to landfills.
Beating Mosquitos
They are the spawn of Satan. At least, that’s how I feel about them…even if I’m not really a religious person. Mosquitoes are one of the bains of humanity, spreading more disease than any other organism and leaving us to itch until we bleed. Curse them! What can we do ti fight back? Well, take a look back at one of our creature features from a while back, a post we did to help educate folks this summer about the nature and biology of these little beats. Then take a look at the clothing produced by a company called Buzz Off. They make mosquito repellent apparel that they say keeps the bugs away “without lotion or spray”.
The company soaks their apparel in an effective repellent and then they treat so that it doesn’t reek of Deet or Off.They also say that it will hold its repellent nature through up to 25 washings, which isn’t too bad. Still, it seems like someone should invent a device that simply zaps them out of the air arond you…a little electrical force field that makes them sizzle when then get within a foot or so of your body. THAT would be cool.
GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of August 27
It’s the beginning of a new month, but still the end of the week for us here and with that we bring you some of the week’s best:
5. Pilot Locks Self Out:
This is the kind of story one reads and rubs their eyes in disbelief. Sure it’s humorous, but somewhat scary too. A pilot locked out of the cockpit? How can that be? You’ll need to head over for more details.
4. Sex and Violence, Elk-style:
Iva Skoch wastes no time in making her presence known with this alarming headline. I won’t spill all the details here, but let’s just say its got a something to do with hiking and animal acts. Read further – I dare you.
3. Cape Verde:
I’m giving this plug on Cape Verde the number three spot because we don’t get around to Africa much and it seems like such an amazing place. (Understatement, yes – of course.) Cape Verde is beginning to attract interest according to this piece and you wouldn’t want to be the last to find out why would you? Go check it out!
2. Backpacking in California’s Sierras:
We love first-hand experiences here and Neil does a fantastic job on recounting his trip through California’s Sierras. Complete with photos and enough tips to help you plan your own visit out yonder.
1. Never Heard of:
Great post if you’re the traveling type that likes to wander into places no one has ever been or few people know little about. I know I’m one of them and this list from Budget Travel is worth clipping out and saving for later when an exciting destination where no-one will find you is much needed.
The Appalachian Trail
Ever since Bill Bryson’s book A Walk in the Woods, the Appalachian Trail has become de rigeur as a hiking spot in the United States. Not that people hadn’t heard of the AT and it’s infamous “blazes” (painted trail markers slashed on trees along the way), but he definitely make it more popular. The AT is about as fine a place to hike as there is in the US, with many various types of terrain and the chance to see deer, bears and lots of other wildlife. I’ve only been on a few limited sections of the trail, but it’s total length is damn impressive. It basically stretches the entire vertical length of the East Coast.
If you’re interested in checking out the trail a great place to go and gather information about it and to get a feel for what hiking the trail entails is the Official Appalachian Trail Association web site. It’s not as detailed as it could be ,but it’s a fine start. There are lists of books you can get, a general overview section and some trail stories from the intrepid folks who have done the trail…or parts of it anyway. Of course, there is more information there if you choose to become a member. The cost to do so is $25 (student rate) to $600 (for a lifetime membership. (Another good site is Fred.net’s state by state look at the trail.) At the very least it’s a good cause, as the trail truly is one of the nation’s treasures.
Fresh Fruits and the Nude Beach of Sauvie Island, Oregon
Portland, Oregon, is home to some wonderful sights and is a terrific, vibrant town nestled in some of the best scenery in the country. But, however picturesque the city is, you might still need to “get away from it all.” One of the best places to go is a small alluvial island near the convergence of the Columbia and Willamette (pronounced will-A-mit, sounds like “dammit”) rivers, called Sauvie Island.
It’s actually minutes from the center of town, but it’s worlds away. Here, the lovable hippie-grunginess of the Pacific Northwest meets the quaintness of Tuscany and the vistas of Switzerland. You can find ‘u-pick’ farms growing vegetables and flowers, along with dairy cows, horses, and a big wildlife preserve. There are camping locations, nature trails and beaches.
Right now is the time to head there to grab your late-summer-harvest fresh foods. Make sure to try the different berries indigenous to this region, such as the marionberry, which even grow wild on the roadsides. If you are not afraid of starches, test your orientation skills in the Corn Maize, an annual maze cut through a farmer’s field. A tip for runners or cyclists: the paved portion of the island is a scenic 12-mile loop of good, flat pavement.
The best time to go is early morning, when the quiet little rural island is still waking up. Clear days offer gorgeous views of both Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood and very little traffic. It’s common legend that it has Portland’s only nude beach; but this, I can neither confirm or deny. I can confirm, however, as a former resident, that the legendary Pacific Northwest “Pillsbury-doughboy tan” can be spotted here, in the wild.