Download Wikitravel to your smartphone for free

by Grant Martin on

One of the biggest difficulties for the modern traveler in a foreign country is in acquiring smartphone data. Domestic telecom companies, still stuck in the stone age of pricing models charge a ridiculous amount for international data, and horror stories about $85,000 phone bills have flooded the internet.

Without a data plan to download Google Maps or reference the cloud for research, dynamic and engaged travel becomes difficult, and a great deal of planning needs to be done in preparation to avoid connecting.

Of course, a full range of smartphone apps have entered the market that are capable of alleviating part of this problem. Lonely Planet and a variety of other guides for most cities are available to download online. But each of those guides is for a singular city, and in many cases, the guides cost a moderate amount of money.

For a free alternative, Gadling Labs discovered a great set of apps tied to Wikitravel that allow you to download the entire database of destinations to your phone (minus the pictures) and use that as a wireless-data-free reference. For android, use OxygenGuide. All that you have to do is download the database (about 55Mb or 10 songs), put it on your phone and link to it in your browser — there are instructions on the site. The more user-friendly iPhone has an app called iTravelFree that allows users to download data and store it locally.

A recent trip to Seoul brought an excellent opportunity to test out the OxygenGuide. With no internet on the plane, the Seoul Wikitravel page was loaded to research a few different hotel options and learn the layout of the city. During the brief layover in Osaka, a reservation could quickly be made before scrambling over to the Asiana flight bound for Korea.

As far as interface goes, since no pictures are involved (that would take up too much space) the Wikitravel guides are a fairly bulky, word-heavy read, with spartan menus linking directly to each destination and very little search functionality. But on the flip side of the coin, it’s free, it gets rid of the nasty need to rely on international data plans and it’s a public project with good intent.

Consider this the food co-op of travel guides – by the people, for the people and with no frills to distract you.

[flickr image via Mr. T in DC]

Gadling gear review: Sierra Designs Jive Jacket

by Kraig Becker on

There is an old adage amongst outdoor enthusiasts that says “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear.” I had the opportunity to see that adage in action this past weekend while attending the World Rafting Championship in Costa Rica, where afternoon thunderstorms are a common occurrence. We’re not talking a light drizzle either. We’re talking torrential downpours that reminds you exactly why they call it a rainforest. Fortunately, I remembered to pack my trusty Jive Jacket from Sierra Designs, which proved to be an excellent choice for this adventure.

Hikers, backpackers, and adventure travelers will find a lot to like in this jacket. With its high quality, waterproof zippers, adjustable cuffs and hem, and patented water-rappelling fabrics, it is clear that the Jive was designed by someone who has been caught in an unexpected squall while out on the trail a time or two. And little touches like a helmet-compatible hood and zippered pit vents shows that Sierra Designs knows and understands its target market very well. Pockets designed to be accessible while wearing a backpack, and an interior pocket for keeping your most important items dry, underscore this point even further.

While using the Jive in Costa Rica, it seemed that it had been tailor made for that environment. Not only did it keep me dry in one of the hardest rainstorms I’d ever seen, it was also highly breathable, something that is much appreciated when you’re traveling through a steamy rainforest. I was very impressed with how well the jacket managed to keep the rain out, while not becoming unbearably warm to wear, something that has eluded a lot of rain jackets in the past.I was equally impressed with how lightweight and packable the Jive is as well. Weighing in at just 15 ounces, the jacket is a dream for those who like to travel light. Before setting off to the Central American paradise, I stuffed the Jive in my daypack, and practically forgot that it was there. When the afternoon rains started to fall however, I was glad that it was with me, and while other rafting spectators ran for the meager shelters, I stayed in place, enjoying the event, which wasn’t about to let a little tropical shower slow down the festivities.

Potential buyers of the Jive should be aware that it runs a bit on the large size. Presumably this is to make is a more versatile part of a layering system, allowing you to mix and match what you want to wear under it. That allows travelers to use it in a variety of seasons and environments, which is sure to make it an even more popular choice to take on any outing that could potentially see inclement weather set in.

If you couldn’t tell already, I’m a big fan of the Jive Jacket and feel that it’ll make an excellent addition to any outdoor enthusiasts gear closet. It is a well built and versatile rain jacket that will serve you well in the rainforest, on the mountain, or simply strolling the streets. You won’t even need to be caught in a tropical thunderstorm to appreciate how well the Jive performs.

Ajungo, the new social network platform just for travelers

by Jessica Festa on

Sick of searching through advice sites and hearing reviews from who only knows? Wish you could connect with other travelers about past or upcoming trips and events? Love social networking but wish you could interact with others in your travel niche? Then there is a brand new social media website just for travelers that brings together all of these platforms into one site.

Ajungo, created by Ben Barton and Steve Shea, is a brand new networking site that allows travelers to connect before, during, and after a trip. Here is how it works:

1) Create a profile and link all of your social networking sites. What this does is allows the site to funnel through your social networking platforms to pull information and funnel it around specific
destinations.

2) Find others who have been to your destination of choice and look through their posted trip or ask them for advice. Or, you can find others who will be in your destination of choice and plan to meet up or travel together.

3) Create your trip canvas, which consists of enabling the sites real-time travel guide feature so that the site can pull your photos and updates while you’re on your trip. This allows other travelers to learn from your experience as well as acts like a blog or trip journal by keeping your trip memories organized and sharing them with friends.

The goal of the site is to make travel more social as well as more comfortable for people going to new destinations. And, if there is any information that you do not want shared, the site will not post it without your permission.

Make connections with travelers, view their trips, find travel buddies, or just interact with others in the travel community. It is all possible on Ajungo.

Gadling gear review: LifeStraw portable water filter

by Kraig Becker on

As a gear reviewer, I see a lot of different travel and outdoor products come across my desk. Some are unique and useful, others are shameless derivatives of products that have come before them. I’ve seen a few pieces of gear that are truly ingenious, but many more that are just down right whacky. It isn’t often that you get a new product and immediately realize that it has the potential to change the world. That is exactly what we have in the LifeStraw, a water purification system that is inexpensive, simple to use, and highly effective against preventing the contraction of waterborne diseases.

One of the biggest threats to the health of people living in developing countries across the globe is a lack of clean water. In fact, according to water.org, nearly one billion people on our planet do not have access to clean drinking water. The LifeStraw was developed as a direct response to this growing crisis and is meant to be a cheap, yet effective, way to prevent the spread of disease in countries where waterborne illness is prevalent. The filter has already been put to good use in a number of developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

The LifeStraw is simplicity at its finest. It really is just a straw, albeit one with a sophisticated filter built-in. That filter makes all the difference however, effectively removing 99.9999% of all waterborne bacteria including E coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella and Salmonella. It also blocks 99.9% of waterborne parasites as well, including Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium Parvum. That makes it a handy item to have in your pack when you’re traveling through regions where clean water is a commodity.Like any other straw, you simply dip the LifeStraw into a water source, including straight into a river or pond, and sip the liquid through it. The filter system takes care of all the nasty stuff and will even filter out particulates from the water, although too much dirt and silt can cause the straw to get blocked. When that happens, you simply blow air back through the system to clean out the filter and then continue using it as normal.

Backpackers and adventure travelers will find the LifeStraw to be an excellent emergency water purifier, although it isn’t likely to replace purification systems such as those from SteriPen, which allow you to clean liters of water to use in bottles or hydration packs. The nature of the straw means that it isn’t the most efficient way to get a drink while on the move, although it is a great, cost effective option for those whom that isn’t a concern. The LifeStraw weighs just 2 ounces, is very sturdy, and costs $19.95, which makes it a great back-up option for those “just in case” scenarios.

At the beginning of this story I mentioned that the LifeStraw is a product that could potentially change the world, and while it has its benefits for travelers, I was speaking more so of what it can do for the developing world. The device is able to filter more than 260 gallons of water over its lifespan and because they are so relatively inexpensive, they can be easily distributed throughout the third world. In those places, it has the chance to improve the health of the people that live there in a dramatic way, potentially extending their lives and preventing the spread of disease. The developers of LifeStraw are so convinced of its potential in those environments, that it has an option to donate the product for use in developing nations.

The LifeStraw has been around since 2005 but is just now becoming available to purchase in the United States and Canada. For anyone traveling to destinations where the quality of the water is questionable, it is an extremely useful piece of kit to have in your pack.

Gadling gear review: ExOfficio Sol Cool shirt

by Kraig Becker on

ExOfficio is a company that has earned a reputation for designing excellent clothing for travel and outdoor adventure. Their comfortable, stylish, and high quality apparel is just as popular with travelers visiting the Louvre as it is with those exploring the Serengeti. The ExOfficio catalog includes clothing to keep you warm and dry in unexpected rainstorms and cool and comfortable in the warmest of climes. They even have gear designed to keep pesky bugs away – something that can come in handy in certain destinations.

One of the newest additions to the ExOfficio gear closet is the Sol Cool collection of shirts. Designed to provide protection from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, these quick drying tops also reflect heat and wick moisture, while still remaining highly breathable. In theory, all of that should help keep us more comfortable on our warm weather adventures, although upon review, similar gear hasn’t always lived up to the hype in the past.

Living in Austin, Texas, I have the perfect environment to put the Sol Cool to the test. So far this year, we’ve had nearly 90 days of triple-digit heat, and anything that helps you stay cool and comfortable while outside is greatly appreciated. Fortunately, the Sol Cool more than lived up to its billing and soon became one of my “go to” articles of clothing when I knew I was going to be spending time out in the sun. The soft smooth fabrics not only make this shirt comfortable to wear, their wicking properties were much appreciated as well. Staying cool and dry allowed me to be more active in the hot weather, and enjoy time outdoors, even when the mercury was routinely climbing above 100ºF/38ºC.

True to their ExOfficio legacy, these shirts are also perfect for travel. Lightweight and packable, the Sol Cool is wrinkle free and comes out of your pack looking the same way that it did when went in. Its cut and fit are designed to not restrict motion while hiking, climbing, or paddling, and yet still looks good while kicking around town as well. The shirt has also been treated with an odor resistant finish, which comes in handy on longer trips when you may be wearing your clothing on multiple occasions.

Available in a variety of colors and in both long and short sleeve designs, the Sol Cool is an excellent addition to your travel wardrobe. Perfect for active, warm weather pursuits, it is never the less, just as useful in town as it is in the mountains.