How To Turn Your Daypack Into A Traveling Office

by Laurel Miller on

No one is ever going to accuse me of being a tech junkie. But as a journalist, I’ve had to temper my Luddite proclivities so that I can earn a living while on the road.

Compounding the issue is my essential frugality and innate dirtbag tendencies. I only travel with a backpack, using a daypack in lieu of a purse. For low-maintenance or business/pleasure-combo travelers such as myself (although I recognize that not everyone has the luxury of ditching business attire and trappings; I’ve been known to stuff a nice computer bag and dress-to-impress items into my backpack), a daypack easily transforms into a portable office.

Because I also keep my passport, money, credit cards, camera, cellphone, adaptor, and other essential documents and items on my person at all times, it also means my netbook is never left behind. This serves the dual function of ensuring I have access to a computer should I need to edit a story or file a deadline, as well as alleviates theft concerns due to entrusting my valuables to my room or hotel safe. If you’re a budget traveler, I firmly believe it’s better to risk carrying anything of value on your person than entrusting them to the vagaries of youth hostels, dodgy guesthouses, or cheap hotels.

The key to creating a user-friendly portable office lies in choosing the right daypack. I’ve written before about my preference for using hydration packs, because if you remove the bladder, it creates a space to safely store documents. I’m 5’2′, so I also require a woman’s pack, and because most of my trips include some form of outdoor activity, I like having a hip belt (the zip pockets of which double as holders for my mouse and cellphone cord), and multiple exterior and interior pockets.

I highly recommend the hydration daypacks made by Osprey and Gregory. They’re incredibly durable, and have useful bells and whistles. I’m not a fan of CamelBak, as I’ve found they don’t hold up well. The brand and style are up to you, but do check to see if the pack you’re contemplating comes with a raincover. If not, it’s a wise investment, and will spare you the anguish of waterlogged gear and devices.

[Photo credit: Flickr user incase]

Roman Cavalry Helmet To Be Star Attraction At Royal Academy Exhibition

by Sean McLachlan on


A new exhibition at the Royal Academy in London will feature one of Britain’s most stunning archaeological discoveries of the past few years.

Back in 2010, a metal detectorist found this brass helmet in a field in Cumbria, northern England. It dates from the first to third centuries A.D. and is one of a few rare ornate cavalry helmets dating to the Roman period. These helmets were worn for tournaments and parades rather than battle.

Now it will be part of “Bronze,” an exhibition of works made of bronze or brass from the prehistoric period to the present day. More than 150 works from Africa, Asia, and Europe are organized into themes such as the human figure, animals, groups, objects, reliefs, heads and busts, and gods. Examples come from such widely different cultures as ancient Greece, Etruria, Benin, Renaissance Italy, and modern Europe.

To learn more about these helmets, check out this page on Roman parade helmets and this page on more standard-issue Roman cavalry helmets.

Bronze runs from September 15 to December 9.

[Photo courtesy Daniel Pett]

Exploring The Transylvanian Alps In Europe

by Jessica Festa on

While many travelers know about the alps in Switzerland, Italy and France, less are aware of the beautiful Transylvanian Alps in Central and Southeastern Europe. Like an open-air museum, this area showcases an untouched area of the continent, with natural landscapes and locals living an archaic lifestyle in unity with nature.

Officially called the Southern Carpathians, the Transylvanian Alps are a group of mountain ranges dividing southern and central Romania on one side and Serbia on the other. It includes the Bucegi Mountains group, Fagaras Mountains group, Parang Mountains group and the Retezat-Godeanu Mountains group.

Although not as tall as the Swiss Alps, the Southern Carpathians do feature an alpine landscape. The highest peaks are Moldoveanu Peak at 8,347 feet and Negoiu at 8,317 feet. Furthermore, you’ll explore over 150 glacial lakes, lush grasslands, dense forests, crystalline massifs, unworldly rock formations, sections of the old Roman Way and an ancient network of trans-Carpathian roads. A diverse selection of terrains allows hikers of all skill levels to enjoy the Southern Carpathians. For those who want something more unusual, Heliskiing is also an option.

For a more visual idea of the Transylvanian Alps, check out the gallery below.

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[Image above via Shutterstock; Gallery images via Shutterstock, Dezidor, Thalpha]

Controversial Nude Sculpture Opens In Former Coalmine

by Jessica Festa on



After two years of construction and a cost of $4,801,200, “The Lady of the North,” an enormous sculpture of a naked woman, has opened to the public at the former Northumberland coalmine in England.

The 1,200-foot piece of art, with breasts rising almost 100 feet, is carved into the landscape, with the goal being to compete with the Angel of the North, a contemporary angel sculpture, and earn over £1million (about $1,600,400) each year. Visitors can now stroll along a four-mile system of paths along the woman’s curves to various viewing platforms on her face, breasts, hip, knee and ankle.

Originally intended as a gift to the public to atone for the mine’s disruption, The Banks Group, the mining company that extracted the coal, worked with Viscount Ridley, who owns the estate, and American artist Charles Jencks to create the masterpiece. However, the sculpture is causing controversy from people who think it’s ridiculous and demeaning to women.

“I don’t believe it is demeaning to women, men or the human species as a whole, in fact it celebrates all of that,” Jencks told the Daily Mail. “… I profoundly believe that, given time, people will not find any offense in this, and will grow to love her.”

What’s your opinion?

Insane Cliff Diving Footage From Ireland

by Kyle Ellison on

Two very unique things happened in the Aran Islands last month: people talked on the street conversing only in Gaelic, and world-class divers threw themselves off of an 89-foot-high platform into a rectangular blowhole known as the Serpent’s Lair.

A collection of three inhabited islands off the western coast of Ireland, the Aran Islands are regarded as being one of the last places on the planet where it’s still possible to hear the Gaelic language spoken amongst the majority of locals.

The commitment to maintaining the Irish heritage in the Aran Islands is so strong that the main island of Inis Mor even houses a coláiste, an Irish-only language school where students caught speaking English at any point are open to expulsion without refund of their tuition.

With that thought in mind, I wonder what the Gaelic term is for “psychotic cliff-diving freak athlete,” because I can imagine that was mumbled a number of times by the crowds of local onlookers watching divers jump 28 meters (89 feet) into a roiling cauldron of freezing cold seawater.

Last month’s participants found themselves jumping into the fourth stop on the 2012 Red Bull World Series of Cliff Diving, “The Serpent’s Lair,” a naturally occurring, perfectly-rectangular blowhole, which according to Irish lore was once home to a tempestuous and violent sea serpent.

With the serpent nowhere in sight for this year’s competition, divers instead needed to worry about doing a belly flop at speed’s topping out at 60mph.

Next up on this year’s circuit? The September 8 event being held in the similarly chilly waters of Wales.