Travel video news

We all know that buying outdoor and adventure travel gear can be expensive, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of great products that remain affordable too. Today's holiday gift guide offers suggestions for outstanding products that we all can appreciate that are available for less than $50. If you're on a tight budget this holiday season, or simply don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a single gift, here are some great alternatives that your favorite adventurer is sure to love. Jackery Armor Portable Battery Pack ($28) We've shared some other charging solutions as part of our holiday gift guides, but they were all priced more than $50. For a durable, lightweight, and feature-packed option that won't cost an arm and a leg, check the Jackery Armor portable charger, which comes with a 9000 mAh battery, a single USB port for charging smartphones and other devices, a built-in LED flashlight, and even a compass. The battery pack is even snow, dirt, ...

This past September, a group of trekkers and paragliders hiked to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and took flight from the fabled "Roof of Africa." They climbed up the Rongai Route but upon reaching the top, they found the conditions to be difficult for flying. Eventually however, they were able to soar out into the crater of the volcano. This video takes us along for the expedition and final flight.

Yesterday I posted a gift guide for holiday shoppers looking to buy the right item for the outdoor enthusiast on their list. Today, I'm offering suggestions for adventure travelers too. While many of the products on these two lists will suit the needs of both types of people, there are also some specific demands that don't necessarily cross over. The products on this list are definitely aimed more at travelers than outdoorsy folks, although they'd probably be happy to receive some of these gifts too. Eagle Creek National Geographic Guide Travel Pack 65L ($349) The Guide Travel Pack from Eagle Creek is my go-to option when I'm heading out on an adventure. Not only is this bag extremely durable and rugged, but it looks amazing too. Inside, travelers will find 65 liters of carrying capacity, with access to the main compartment through the top or back panel of the bag. The Guide Travel Pack features several smaller organizational pockets for helping keep your important ite...

I'm a little late in reporting this news, but this story has been popping up in my news feeds again recently, so I thought it was worth sharing. The South American country of Chile recently opened what it calls the " Route of Parks ," a 1700-mile (2735 km) hiking route in Patagonia that connects 17 different national parks scattered across the southern region of the country. The route runs through a wide variety of environments and ecosystems, including five newly created national parks that haven't been explored extensively by trekkers yet. The trail runs from Puerto Montt in the north down to Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of the continent, passing through rainforests, open grasslands, and some of the most spectacular alpine settings on the planet. The Route of Parks trail actually connects three existing routes that have been in use for some time. Those trails include the Southern Way, the Patagonian Channels, and the End of the World Route. The link-up was made...

Earlier this week I was privileged to be amongst the very first people in the world to see a new adventure-centric electric vehicle that will be launching in 2020. This electric pick-up truck is coming our way from a company called Rivian and it promises to be a powerful new way to access remote places that we love and send us off on adventures big and small. I can't say too much about this truck yet, as it is officially under embargo until November 26. A similarly-specced SUV will follow on November 27 as well, giving us a glimpse of what is to come. I can tell you that these vehicles have been built from the ground up for adventure, with lots of great details to help us enjoy the activities and places that we love. For now, you'll have to be patient until I can share more details, although the video below will also offer a small look at what is coming. I can promise you that it will be impressive.

Next week we'll mark the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S., which also kicks off the official start to the holiday shopping season as well. I plan on writing several gift guides to mark the occasion, but the editorial team over at Backpacker  magazine have already beat me to the punch, producing an outstanding list of 40 great gifts for the outdoor lover in your life . Here, you'll find everything that your gear-obsessed friends and family members could ever want to see them safely and comfortably through any adventure. With 40 unique items to sift through I couldn't possibly give away everything that makes the cut. I will say however that their are gift suggestions for pretty much every budget. For instance, the list begins by suggesting Kate's Real Food energy bars , which are a tasty and affordable option that most hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers, and climbers will love. From there, the options expand dramatically with suggestions on water bottles, campin...

Working in the outdoor industry in some capacity is a dream job for many people, after all you get to be outside in some amazing places and you get to do some pretty great things along the way. But breaking into a field that lets you take advantage of those perks isn't always easy, often requiring years of patience, determination, and dedication. Now, Backpacker  magazine is offering up its selection of the 12 best jobs in the outdoor industry , with some interesting tips on how to land them. The list of the 12 jobs in question is presented in a slideshow format, with an image depicting someone working in that career. Each slide is accompanied by a brief description that not only announces the name of the occupation that earned a spot on the list, but also a line or two about what the job entails. Each entry also includes a link to another page that offers much more detail on the job, the basic requirements, schedule, and so on. Backpacker  even provides information about the...

There is an interesting news story making the rounds that suggest that the provincial government in Tibet could ban all vehicles going to Everest Base Camp that aren't powered by electric motors. The new rules could be in place as early as next spring, requiring all mountaineers, support teams, guides, and even visitors to use electric vehicles when driving to BC on the North Side of the mountain. Those who follow the Everest climbing scene closely already know that it is possible to drive to Base Camp in Tibet, as opposed to trekking to BC on the South Side in Nepal. The trek actually requires roughly ten days to complete, while those climbing from the north can simply get in a vehicle and be at camp within a few days, taking stops to help acclimatize to the change in altitude along the way. This is one of the reasons many have favored climbing from the Tibetan side of the mountain, which is also less crowded than the more popular Nepali route up the South Col. Additionally, the ...

Anyone who has ever made he climb to the summit of Kilimanjaro will be able to relate to this clip, which takes trekkers up to the top of the highest mountain in Africa. Along the way, you'll see the sun come up, and the stunning landscapes of Tanzania emerge from below. And of course, the long day on the trail is paid off with standing at the Roof of Africa. This clip takes us on that final hike, providing some excellent images along the way.

We're back with another episode of The Adventure Podcast this week, although I'm flying solo on this episode. My cohost Dave Adlard was on the road, and I was expected to be busy too, but ended up having some travel cancelled at the last minute. That opened up an opportunity to speak with Lee Thompson, who is a former photojournalist and now the co-founder of Flash Pack , an adventure travel company that is doing some fun and unique things in that space. We spend most of the episode talking about travel and our own experiences, although Lee also tells us about his years as a photographer working with news outlets all over the world. He shares details of his time in Egypt while covering the Arab Spring for instance, and tells us about how he was the first western journalist to see the body of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya following the revolution there. Before jumping into the interview however, I share a few interesting news stories from the past week, including an impressive first...

It is that time of the year again. As we march toward the final days of 2018, we'll start to see an increasing number of lists, stories, and articles not only recapping the biggest events of the year that is passed, but looking ahead to 2019 as well. Case in point, yesterday Lonely Planet released its picks for the best travel destinations, trends, experiences, and bargains for next year, with some amazing places earning a coveted spot on this prestigious list. The list itself doesn't highlight adventure travel per se, but many of the destinations that earn a spot in the round-up are excellent adventure locations. For instance, the list of top countries includes places like Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Kyrgyzstan, and Jordan, while Lonely Planet's favorite regions spotlight destinations like Australia's Red Center, the Scottish Highlands, Russia's Far East, and Manitoba in Canada. Other lists provide the top 10 cities , with adventure destinations Kathmandu and Dakar ap...

In order to make this spectacular video of Iceland, filmmaker Marcello Ercole traveled for 4000 km (2485 miles) over the course of 10 days, capturing some of the country's most iconic and memorable landscapes. We can take that same journey simply by sitting back in our chair and hitting the play button below. While not quite as fun and adventurous, we'll still get a taste of this amazing place nonetheless. THE SOUL OF ICELAND from MarcelloErcole on Vimeo .

One of the great things about my job is that I can do it from just about anywhere. Well, that is provided I have a few essential tools at my disposal. For instance, I need a source of power to keep my electronic devices going and it doesn't hurt if I have a some type of Internet connection either. I'm not unique in this approach however, as now more than ever you'll find freelancers, road warriors, and other mobile creative types choosing jobs that can take them to the far side of the planet, where they can still effectively get things done. If you're one such person, or ever wondered how we work while on the go, Outside magazine has a story for you. It lists 7 essential tools for working off the grid , providing everything you could need to stay in the wilderness for an extended period of time and yet still manage to not get fired. The gear listed in this story plays a crucial role in accomplishing that task, although most of it would also prove useful on other advent...

Cambodia's famous stone city and temple complex Angkor Wat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site , mixing history, culture, and unbelievable craftsmanship into one sprawling location. For many of us, a visit to this place is extremely high on the bucket list, although National Geographic has made such a visit a bit easier thank to this clip. In the video below, you'll get an epic tour of the Angkor complex, not only getting up close and personal with some of the important structures and sculptures there, but aerial shots of the region that help to give it a sense of scale. If you've always wanted to visit Angkor Wat but haven't quite made it there yet, this clip will help tide you over until you can get there in person.

Climbing Kilimanjaro �� Africa's highest peak �� is a bucket list adventure for just about any adventurous traveler. The non-technical trek to the summit is a challenge, in no small part due to the increasingly thin air as you approach the top. But, the hike is an amazing one for so many reasons, including the unique ecosystems �� five in total �� that you pass through on your way up and the amazing views you'll discover along the way. If you've been considering a Kilimanjaro climb yourself, but aren't sure what to expect of where to being, my friends over at Tusker Trail have a blog post you may want to have a look at. It is a First Timer's Guide to Climbing Kili  that shares some great information that I wish I had known before my first go at the mountain. Some of the insights shared in the post include putting the climb into perspective with a reminder that the mountain may be daunting, but it is far from impossible to climb. The article also emphasizes that you...

As an avid runner, cyclist, and outdoorsmen in general, I love wearing a watch that can keep track of my activities levels on a daily basis, but especially during a workout. For me, my day-to-day timepiece of choice is an Apple Watch , in part because it does a great job of reminding me to stay active, but also because of all of the other features it brings to the table, most notably displaying notifications, granting me access to my calendar, allowing me to respond to texts, and a host of other things. So when I got the opportunity to test out the new Sunnto 9 fitness watch, I was worried that I'd miss all the things that Apple Watch provided for me. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about at all, as the 9 offers much of the same functionality, along with more features for fitness tracking and much better battery life. Suunto is well known for creating excellent watches for use in the outdoors, and the 9 is no exception. It is built tough enough to survive in the harshest of cond...

If you read this blog with any regularity, you probably already know that Jackery makes some of my favorite portable battery packs and power stations for keeping our devices charged on the go. In fact, I reviewed the company's Explorer 240  back in June and found it to be one of the lightest, toughest, and most versatile chargers around. But just when I thought they couldn't make a more appealing portable power station, along comes the new Explorer 160 , an even smaller and more affordable option that doesn't compromise on performance. I first got a look at the Explorer 160 at the Outdoor Retailer show back in August. When I laid eyes on it the first thought I had was "its so small!" At first glance, the Explorer 160 looks a lot like the Explorer 240, and that's by design. Jackery is creating a family of products that share many of the same features and capabilities, but in varying degrees of sizes and batteries. To that end, the 160 weighs in at just 3.7 poun...

A few weeks back I attended the Bikepacking Summit in Gunnison, Colorado. There, I learned all about the gear and strategies you need to get started in the sport, which allows you to travel just about anywhere on your bike. As with any outdoor adventure, bikepacking requires a fair amount of gear to get started and as with backpacking, the lighter the better. In this video, we get some advice on how to outfit our bikes with everything we need to hit the road (or trail!) and survive comfortably for extended periods of time. The clip also offers some tips on how to save some cash when getting started too, although if you're already a backpacker, chances are you'll probably own some of the gear you'll need.

Now, more than ever, portable power sources play an important role in keeping our devices functioning while on the go. Whether that means running errands around town, flying to the far side of the planet, or venturing off the grid into the backcountry, chances are you can use a portable charging solution from time to time. If you happen to be a mobile professional who requires plenty of power to keep all of your technology running, particularly in remote places, your options can be a bit more limited. But thanks to a new option from Omni Charge , the search for the perfect power station may be over. The new Omni Ultimate ranks as one of the best portable power stations that I've ever seen, not just in terms of features and battery size, but also in durability and ruggedness too. This charger has been built from the ground-up for use in the outdoors, and as a result it can take a beat and still keep on functioning. The Ultimate is IP54 rated for dust ant waterproofing, meaning that...

Like a lot of great pieces of gear, trekking poles are one of those items that you don't really know you need until you've actually used them for awhile. But once you've become accustomed to having them, you don't really know how you lived without them. Once that happens, you'll be on the lookout for the best poles you can find, preferably ones that are lightweight, durable, and compact. That's exactly what you'll find in the new offerings from MSR , but best of all they come at a great price too. I've been testing the new Dynalock Ascent Carbon Backcountry trekking poles for awhile now, and have come away very impressed. Because these poles are made from carbon fiber, they weigh next to nothing, tipping the scales at a mere 9 ounces (.5 kg) each. That said however, they still feel substantial in your hand, providing a nice sense of durability and quality that you would expect from MSR. Part of that durability comes from the fact that Kevlar is used to...