Friday, July 29, 2011

5 Post College Backpacking Trips

Congratulations! You have finally graduated. You've walked across the stage, waved at your parents, grabbed your diploma and kissed college life good by.
And now, a month later, having settled into your post-college life you suddenly realize -- "What the hell was I thinking? It sucks out here!" No jobs, no summers off, dress codes and if you screw up you can't just do it over. They don't tell you that until you're out. But welcome.

The good thing though, is you're still young. And no one expects much right out of the box. And since there are no jobs anyway, you might as well hit the road.

To make things easier the Huffington Post has put together a small story on five recommended post college trips. Bolivia is on their list and I highly recommend it. Lake Titicaca high in the Andes is amazing. So check out their recommendations here.

Or leave your own recommendations for fellow travelers in the comments section below.

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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Hostel Dorm Sex: Right or Wrong?

Hostel Dorm Sex: Right or Wrong?

It’s an age old question that has lit up many a hostel bar and long bus ride debate. And like lots of vital issues of the day, you could say it has two sides with some valid arguments on both. I, however, happen to strongly agree with one of those. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

First let’s define the debate
Hostels are cheap and a good time. The downside is you have to sleep in a room with roughly 4 to 40 other people. And those people generally come in at the wee hours, turn on the lights, pack at 4 a.m., snore and yes, have sex. Loudly. All of which seems to tick off a large number of hostel dwellers who would like at least a decent night’s sleep.

The Anti-Hostel Sex Crowd
Those opposed to fellow travelers having sex in hostel dorms usually fall into the “Shut the hell up” crowd. In other words, they believe that they deserve a good night’s sleep for their $7 bucks a night. They want the people with whom they share a room to practice a modicum of consideration: Don’t come in drunk and shouting at 3 a.m., don’t snore, don’t wake everyone up when you leave for your 3:30 a.m. bus and don’t have sex. How can you argue with folks who just want a little consideration?

The Pro-Hostel Sex Crowd
The pro-hostel sex crowd generally falls into two categories: A very tiny subset of travelers who are always pro-hostel sex and a much larger crowd which is utterly opposed to hostel sex until they are lucky enough to be involved. Then they are all for it.

Conclusion
I fall into the tiny subset who actually think hostel dorm room sex is OK. So I’ll make the case. Essentially it comes down to nature and numbers. On the nature side, the fact is we’re human. Often young humans.  And young people have sex whether we’re on the road or not. On the numbers side, are you really going to subject yourself to a three-month drought because you happen to be touring Southeast Asia and staying in hostels? Ouch. I think not.

I also think – and here’s where some of you may disagree – that you should only expect so much for your $7 a night. Restless nights spent awake to a soundtrack of snores, packing and moans are factored into the cost. That’s why it’s only $7 dollars. If you need a pristine night’s sleep, there are plenty of Holiday Inns or private hostel rooms. In other words, you get what you pay for. And even factoring in being kept awake by somebody else’s good time, $7 a night to sleep in some cool little place in Peru is still a pretty damn good deal.

Granted, those having hostel sex should try to keep it down a bit. But there’s noise involved and it’s probably going to wake a few people up.

So next time you are awaken in the middle of the night by a squeaking bunk bed – just remember that that will be you some day. Then put your ear plugs back in and try to go back to sleep by counting the money you’re not spending by sleeping alongside 16 new roommates.

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Monday, July 18, 2011

Share Your Thoughts on Duffel Backpacks!

Hello all. This isn't a post so much to share information as to gain it. We're thinking of adding Duffel Travel Backpacks to our line up at http://www.backpacktravelstore.com/. But we're all long time travel backpackers and somewhat purists. So far we have stuck with only the traditional travel backpacks - front opening, include removable day pack, side and top handles, etc.

Traditional travel backpacks seem to provide the best hip support for traversing rugged terrain and the best storage in terms of keeping all of your items in the proper place. It seems to us that travel duffel backpacks are really more like suitcases that you would take on a vacation to a city.

But that's just us. Tell us what you think of Duffel Backpacks - good or bad. We and your fellow travelers have been wondering. Just leave your duffel opinion in the comments below and enjoy your travels!

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Friday, July 15, 2011

Win a Free High Sierra Wheeled Backpack

Hello all. Thanks for checking out our blog of all things backpack travel - deals, tips, gear reveiws, stories, good times.

BackpackersPost is a new blog and we want you to come back again and again. So we're giving away a free High Sierra AT105 Wheeled Travel Backpack with Detachable Day Bag to one of the next 100 people who sign up to follow BackpackersPost.

If 100 people sign up by July 22, one of those 100 choosen at random will win the pack. We'll post the winner in the July 23 blog. A 1 in 100 shot at a sweet backpack is pretty good odds. But we need at least 100 to sign up in order to give away the pack. So tell your friends, post it to Facebook, whatever you think will help us get to 100 and give away a free travel backpack.


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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Newest Electronic Travel Gadgets

Truth be told, I’m not overly techie.  When I travel, I like music, knowing where I’m going and being able to share both with friends. So that doesn’t take much. But tech and travel just keep getting easier to meld. So the folks at Budget Traveler have put together a list of this year’s 10 coolest travel gadgets. And by coolest, I mean actually useful. Here are my three favorites.

Chicbud travel speakers: This thing is literally the size of a keychain and puts out a respectable 2-watts of sound for about four hours on a single charge. Lay it in the middle of the hostel common area table, share a few cold ones and you have yourself an evening. This one is about the smallest 2-watt travel speaker I’ve seen and it’s only $29.99. Visit www.chicbuds.com.


Ipower solar Iphone charger: I’m down with anything that lowers the number of cords you have to lug in your backpack to keep your electronic good times going. The Ipower solar Iphone charger is essentially an Iphone case that doubles as a solar charger. Just slip your phone into the hard shell case and point it toward the sun. It also comes with an attachment you can wear around your neck or attach to your pack to charge the phone while hiking or exploring the city. Check it out at www.Misuny.com.


Kodak’s PlaySport Video Camera: The PlaySport Video camera is just about the best video camera you’ll find for travelers because it’s small, lightweight and nearly indestructible. You can drop it four feet and swim with it 10 feet under water and it still takes 1080p HD video and 5MP stills. It’s also got a USP output and a quick 3-step button to share on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Mashups, voiceovers and trimming are all easy with its built-in software. It’s pocket-sized and can take a beating in your pack.  Go to Kodak.com for more info.

To check out Budget Traveler’s seven other hottest travel gadgets, you can read the full story here.

Or to recommend your own cool electronic travel gadgets, leave hard earned travel tips in the comments section below.
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Sunday, July 3, 2011

The Best Travel Music

Ok ... so the headline was a little provocative. One man's best travel music is another's Michael Bolton. So it's subjective. But an outfit called tourdust.com -- which is a pretty cool website which hooks up independent travelers with local guides to get you off the beaten path -- has put together a pretty good play list. And for an added twist has matched the music with locations and activies in which they would go well. And since it features one of my favorites -- Manu Chao -- I have to feature it. To start the groove, go here.

And since travel music doesn't always have to be Jack Johnson chill, here's one of my favorites that I just think is cool and travels well.

Tim Armstong's Into Action. Kind of a punk ska thing. Very cool. Click for the youtube video.

Or to recommend your own travel music, leave your on-the-road groove suggestions in the comments section below.

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