Jill
Recently, I needed to pack for a trip to French Polynesia where I’d be island hopping between very different islands. Some were low atolls with long, sandy beaches. Others were mountainous and scattered with trails that lead from the beach up into the forest. But one, with characteristics of both, is largely uplifted coral. When…
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When you’re going to the Arctic or Antarctica (or a few other notoriously frigid parts of the world), you need a hardcore puffy jacket. But when you need to stay warm without all the bulk of those seriously insulated jackets, you can afford to seek out a lighter-weight barrier against the cold. The Big Agnes…
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Bringing along a daypack on your travels is usually a good call. You can leave the bulk of your gear in your hotel room each day when you venture out, and only bring the essentials. When camping, no need to pack everything up to take a day hike when you can just bring what you…
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The days are long gone when we used to call vacuum-insulated bottles “commuter bottles.” They make life easy for folks getting to work, whether by foot, bike, car, train, boat, and plane. But they also serve some other essential purposes that make it worthwhile to consider: They keep your beverages cold or hot (depending on…
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Puffy insulation jackets can be a blessing (for warmth) and a curse (for bulk). When you’re traveling in cooler climates, the added warmth is welcome, but what do you do when you need to pack the jacket into a daypack? Are you willing to carry a bulky jacket along just in case? Hybrid insulation jackets,…
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The majority of us don’t have our own plane or people to tend to our wardrobe around the world, so we have to be all about versatility on vacation. Clothes that can do double- and triple-duty are the most valued, and most likely to make the cut when we’re packing our bags. That’s why I’m…
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Constant travel, or just one trip that changes your routine significantly, can tax your body. Every traveler has their own healthy routine—from vitamins to working out—to help keep them on their toes. And for some, probiotics is an essential part of their routine. Brew Dr. Kombucha is a Portland, Oregon-based kombucha producer operated jointly with…
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When you travel, worrying about whether your drinking water is safe can take a lot away from your enjoyment of the place. A while back, I reviewed the Grayl Ultralight Purifier Bottle, which provided “one press” purification and filtration, making it easy to bring along a multi-purpose bottle that safely filters your drinking water. Now,…
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When it comes to water-friendly shoes, the most important element to consider is functionality. It’s either water-friendly or it’s not, and pretty shoes generally fall into the latter category. When you’re packing for a beach trip, you often have to bring more than one pair of shoes. Recently, I found a pair of shoes that…
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Figuring out what elements to pack on your travels is always a little daunting. Do I need this tote or this day pack? Do I need these shoes or these boots? It’s easy to overpack unless you analyze every possible element of your itinerary. I recently packed my REI Co-op Flash 18 Pack for a…
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