Articles tagged “adventure travel”

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D*Haus’ dynamic new house transforms shape with the weather

by Jessica Festa on

When it gets stormy outside, I usually just close my windows. But with the new innovative design concept by D*Haus, homes may soon by able to simply morph when the weather changes.

The London-based company has come up with a eco-friendly house that sits on rails, allowing it to change its form into different configurations, pivoting open and closed, based on the weather. According to Daniel Woolfson of D*Haus, “The dissection of the square into four distinct shapes allows it to be rearranged to form the [equilateral] triangle. This concept alone is fascinating, but the possibilities are endless when applying this formula to the world of architecture and design.”

When developing the home, designers had the regions of Sweden and Lapland in mind, hoping to create something that would respond to the harsh climates of these areas. For example, when it’s chilly out and you need to conserve heat the house can pull itself into a tight square.

There is still some work to do before the house is perfect, as you can probably imagine there are a lot of technical issues that go into a project like this. To get a better idea of how this shape-shifting house works, check out this video:


D*Haus Dynamic from The D*Haus Company Ltd on Vimeo.

Australia plans world’s largest marine park

by Grant Martin on

An area the size of Germany and France combined is about to become the world’s largest marine park off of the north-east coast of Australia. Including a broad swath of the Coral Sea (where the Great Barrier Reef currently resides), the massive area is home to some of the most exotic sea creatures in the world as well as several important shipwrecks from World War II.

The protection afforded from the creation of this park will guarantee that the floral, fauna and archaeological species will continue to thrive unhindered by manmade causes, and will almost definitely pave the road for further tourism in the region.

Announced late last week, the Guardian indicates neither name nor official boundaries for the park as of yet. The government of Australia will release further deals within ninety days.
Superlatives are a bit of a speciality for us at Gadling — there’s something tantalizing about hearing about most outrageous roller coaster or the largest pretzel stand or the drunkest airline passenger in the world. So when we heard that Australia is planning the worlds largest marine park, our fingertips started tingling. Australia — the land of furry creatures and meat pies is going to establish the largest marine park in the world. Awesome.

The area to be protected lies in the Coral Sea off the northeast coast of Australia, where the G

Pack a Sports Bra, Already

by Pam Mandel on

If you’re looking for something slightly saucy, sorry, there’s nothing sexy about what I’m about to write here. It’s just a bunch of practical advice for traveling women with a bit of, uh, bounce. See, I did some off road travel recently and the one item I regretted not throwing in the overnight bag? A sports bra.

Runners know the value of a good sports bra, most outdoor adventurers know this, hell, I know this, and yet… Clearly, I’m not getting enough high impact excercise if I’ve forgotten. Note to self: Amp up the calorie burning and pack a freaking sports bra.

I keep two brands in my wardrobe; Champion and Moving Comfort. I’ve come to prefer the Champion 360 Max Support model because I find it the most comfortable. I’ve got a whole bunch of these that — oh, I’ll just admit it — I bought in three packs at Costco. They fit well, they’re comfortable enough to wear on long haul flights, and they do the job of keeping everything contained. You can get them in cute colors, so if you’re the type that strips down to a sports bra and shorts (I most decidedly am NOT) you will not look completely ridiculous. The 360 is good in heat, it’s got that wicking technology that keeps moves moisture away from your body. It will set you back about $35.00, though hey, you might get lucky and find the sale pack at Costco.

Moving Comfort is a well-established brand in sports bras and every now and I try another style from them, but candidly, they’re still not quite working out for me. I’ve tried three — the Alexis, the Aurora, and the Grace, all around $40.00. The Alexis I liked just fine, it’s made of a stretchy, wicking material similar to that of the Champion bras I’ve got, but has a much lighter profile, making it even better for hot weather or exertion.

The other two I’m not crazy about. They offer a lot of support, but this is where shopping for bras is tricky. It’s all about fit, and when I’m wearing one of these I feel more compressed than anything else, not a great feeling. Half sizes, ladies, can I get a witness? I’m good for a trail hike in the Aurora, but the Grace has never been quite right, and with both of them, I can’t wait to get out of them and into something that has a lot more flexibility. Even though I want to blame the product, I can’t quite get there, as if I’d tried them in a store rather than getting them online, I’d either not own them or I’d have a proper fit.

I suppose there’s two lessons here. The first one is, as I mentioned, pack a sports bra, already. Not only does it do double duty as a swimsuit top, should you find yourself in that situation, but it will save you from hours of discomfort on bad roads. The other — which you already know, though is a reminder to me — is that you should go try on a bra before you buy it. Go ahead, shop online, that’s where the deals are, but first, head to the lingerie department.

Photo: Mike Baird via Flickr (Creative Commons)

New film invites us to spend 40 Days at Base Camp

by Kraig Becker on

For decades Mt. Everest has held sway over the imagination of adventurers everywhere. Standing 29,029 feet in height, it is the tallest mountain on the planet and the focus of countless books, television shows, and movies. But a new documentary entitled 40 Days at Base Camp looks to offer new insights into what it takes to climb the mountain and spend more than a month living in its shadow.

As the name implies, filmmaker Dianne Whelan spent 40 days living in Everest Base Camp on Nepal’s South Side of the mountain. During the spring climbing season, Base Camp becomes a tent city, filled with hundreds of climbers from around the globe, along with their all-important Sherpa guides. The film follows a number of those climbers as they pursue their dream of climbing the mountain, no matter the risks and the costs.

Whelan’s film is unique in that it deftly mixes the drama of the challenging climb along with the daily routine of living in Base Camp, where climbers spend much of their time resting, acclimatizing, and physically preparing for their ascent. She also examines the effects of climate change on Everest and the implications for the future of the ecology of the mountain. As you’d expect, all of this is set with the stunning backdrop of the Himalaya Mountains – one of the most beautiful landscapes on Earth.

The film is in limited release, so it may not be arriving in theaters everywhere. But if you have an interest in mountaineering or Everest itself, it looks like a fantastic documentary worth tracking down.


Ultrarunner sets new Everest to Kathmandu speed record

by Kraig Becker on

Last week, British ultrarunner Lizzie Hawker set a new speed record for running from base camp on Mt. Everest to Kathmandu, Nepal, besting her own previous record in the process. The 35-year old endurance athlete covered the 200 mile distance in just 2 days, 23 hours, and 25 minutes.

Hawker, who is considered one of the top long distance runners in the world, first made this run back in 2007, when she completed the course in 3 days, 2 hours, and 39 minutes. She had high hopes of shattering that record by a significant margin this time out, but heavy rains and cool temperatures forced her to take shelter in the village of Bupsa. That delay cost her 8 hours of time, which put her chances at the record in serious jeopardy, but she was able to find her rhythm and still managed to beat the previous time.

Covering 200 miles nearly non-stop is an impressive feat in and of itself, but when you consider the conditions that Hawker was running through, you gain a whole new appreciation for her accomplishment. The trail from Everest to Kathmandu is not a paved road, but is instead a rough, uneven path that wanders up and down the Himalayas. In addition to the rigors of the trail, Hawker had to deal with altitude as well, as base camp sits at 17,600 feet. The record run also came after Hawker participated in the 125 mile, nine-day Everest Sky Race, during which she also contracted a respiratory infection.

I’m going to try to keep all of those challenges in mind when I whine about my 3 mile run later today. It’ll help keep things in perspective.