Archive for the ‘travel-tips’ Category

Travel by vehicle poses distinctive problems that you can solve with a little advance groundwork and a few practical gadgets. This article describes several of these gadgets. A search that you can use to locate each item on the Net follows its description.

1. Universal USB Car Charger

Electronic wonders like iPods and MP3 players make it easy to enjoy music and watch videos. However, many devices require recharging via computer USB ports. How can you accomplish this when you are stuck in a vehicle?

A universal USB car charger solves the dilemma. The most versatile of these chargers will plug into AC current as well as a vehicle’s power point or cigarette lighter. Use your device’s USB cable to connect to the charger’s pseudo-USB port, and it will recharge without a computer.

Keywords for searching: USB car charger adapter

If you would like to construct your own adapter, you can splice together a 5-volt car charger and a USB female plug. Many websites publish complete instructions.

Keywords for searching: how to make USB car charger

2. Mobile Rechargeable Battery Charger

You may own a GPS, digital camera, or PIM that uses rechargeable batteries instead of alkalines. Rechargeables are a great environmental alternative – until they run down in the middle of a road trip. Fortunately, there are car chargers available. Carry one in your glove box.

Keywords for searching: vehicle charger rechargeable batteries

3. Solar-Powered Rechargeable Battery Charger

You can use a solar-powered system to recharge your batteries if the sun is shining. The best of these systems will also work with your vehicle’s cigarette lighter as well as household current. If you do your research well, you may even locate one with special adapters for your PDA or cell phone.

Keywords for searching: solar powered battery charger

4. Portable Water Heater

Many automotive and travel shops sell small water heaters that look like household kettles. These plug into your car’s power point, enabling you to enjoy coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or soup – anytime – anywhere.

Keywords for searching: portable kettle car

If you have an infant who requires a warm bottle at feeding time, try to find an immersible heater. These devices have a small heating coil that you can immerse in any liquid. Heat a bit of water in an appropriate container, and then leave the baby bottle in the water until it reaches the proper temperature.

Keywords for searching: portable car immersion beverage heater

5. Portable Hand-Held UV Water Purifier

Tainted drinking water can quickly cause a case of the trots – also known as ‘travelers’ diarrhea’ or ‘Montezuma’s revenge’. The answer? Purchase a portable pen-sized ultraviolet water purifier. UV light effectively kills bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. These sterilizers are so tiny that you can carry them practically anywhere – stowed in the glove compartment, in a purse or shirt pocket, or in the baby’s diaper bag.

Keywords for searching: portable hand-held UV water purifier

6. Multi-Tool

Many different types of multi-tools are available – with combinations of tools that might include nail clippers, screwdrivers, penknives, pliers, scissors, can openers, corkscrews, and other handy gizmos. Hunt around in the stores or online until you find one that contains everything you might need for your next road trip.

Keywords for searching: multi tool camping travel

7. Repair Kit for Eyeglasses

Don’t pass over this tip just because you have perfect vision. Whenever you go outside, you should don a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes. Eliminate the nuisance of loose hinge screws or a missing nose pad with a speedy field repair. Eyeglass repair kits are cheap and small. You can find them in most pharmacies, department stores, and grocery outlets. If necessary, try the Internet search below.

Keywords for searching: repair kit for eyeglasses

These are just some of the devices that can make your holiday more enjoyable. Whenever you travel, make a note of any little glitches you encounter. After you return home, get on the Net and look for a solution. If you can’t find anything, maybe you should develop a new invention and become the next Dean Kamen!

(Dean Kamen: inventor of the Segway)

(c)Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author’s note below (with active links) are included.

Muchmor Canada Magazine decided to take a look at the phenomenon of Geocaching and how you can get involved and make exploring your country even more exciting.

So, what is Geocaching?

Put simply, Geocaching is a game of treasure hunting or hide and seek. All over the world individuals and companies hide caches and then share the location on the Internet and invite other Geocachers to find them using GPS devices.

Some caches can be found quite easily, whereas others require significant hikes and map reading skills. There are puzzle caches that require you to solve clues in order to find the cache and multi-caches, which involve finding several caches before finding the final location.

At the time of publication there were over 30,000 Geocaches in Canada and these are added to every day. This type of treasure hunting makes it fun to explore your surrounding and makes for a great family trip.

What is a cache?

There are many different types of cache to find and the size and contents vary. Smaller caches can be the size of a 35mm film container and contain only a logbook and pencil to register who finds it and when. Other caches can be the size of large buckets or plastic containers with several items inside such as CD’s, money, books, maps, games, in fact anything that is not illegal or dangerous.

When you find a cache you should enter your details in the logbook and if items are included you should take one and replace it with something of equal or greater value.

Where are caches usually located?

The location of the cache is what makes Geocaching interesting. Some are located in easily accessible areas such as at the side of a road, in a local park, cemetery or even in the middle of a town centre. However the more interesting cashes can be placed in very remote locations and may require special equipment in order to find them. Examples include caches hidden underwater that can only be accessed by scuba divers, ones located on rocky cliffs, accessible by rock climbers etc. 

do I find the cache?

When someone sets up a cache they submit the location details (waypoint) on the Geocaching website. They will also give other clues such as if it is a box or bag and its size, so you know roughly what you are looking for. They may also give you practical information like, “you might need Wellingtons” or  “it is in a very public area”. There will also be details regarding the difficulty and terrain, so you can search only for caches that suit your ability.

When you decide which cache to search for, you input the co-ordinates (waypoint) in your GPS device and away you go.

is a GPS Device?

A GPS (Global Positioning System) unit is an electronic device that can determine your approximate location (within around 6-20 feet) anywhere on the planet, much like a satellite navigation system found in many vehicles.  Coordinates are normally given in Longitude and Latitude. You can use the unit to navigate from your current location to another location. Some units have their own maps, built-in electronic compasses, voice navigation, depending on the complexity of the device.

You don’t need to know all the technical details about GPS units to play Geocaching. All you need to do is be able to enter the waypoint where the Geocache is hidden.

How do I buy a GPS unit?

You can purchase GPS units from many places on the Internet as well as camping stores and other supply stores. The costs vary depending on the type of device you purchase and where you buy them. Units start at around $100 CAD and can be as much as $1,000.

The GPS unit you choose should be easy to use and durable. Some GPS units come with certain functions and accessories and others require you to but additional software etc.

As a guideline, you should consider purchasing a GPS with the following functions:12 parallel channels, external antenna jack, in/out ports, NMEA compatible, at least 8 megabytes of memory, memory card acceptable, adaptable power sources i.e. cigarette lighter cable, solar charger, rocker keypad, large screen and waterproof.

Some GPS units have colour screens and although these can be useful they are not essential to Geocaching and the colour screen will use up batteries much quicker than a black and white.

Getting Started

So, now we have you interested here is what you need to do. Go to the Geocaching website at http://www.geocaching.com/ here you can find out all sorts of information about your new hobby including help and advice, forums etc.

Before you start you should purchase your GPS unit and a map of the area, preferably a topographical map, which shows land features such as hills and rivers etc., these can be purchased at camping stores or off the Internet. You might also want a compass and of course make sure you are equipped clothing wise. You should also have items ready that you can leave in the cache in place of the ones you remove. These can be anything from key rings, to CD’s, jewellery to cameras.

On the Geocaching website you can locate one or several caches in the area you are concentrating on. You can search by postcode, province etc. Study the information given carefully and look at the results of other people who have found the cache. They might give you some clues, which will make finding the cache easier.

Next you need to use your GPS and input the waypoint and off you go.

Once you find the cache, remember to sign the logbook and enter any additional information such as how easy it was to find, what fun it was etc. If there are items in the cache take one and replace it with something of equal or greater value. Never move the cache from its original position and always replace leaves, rocks etc if they were there before.

You can log your find on the Geocaching website and also email the person who hid the cache to let them know you found it.

Safety First

Remember to always let someone know where you are going and if at all possible never travel alone. Make sure you have adequate clothing, food, water etc and that you have spare batteries for your GPS.

When you leave your vehicle at a cache point it is worth entering the waypoint into your GPS so that you can find your vehicle after you have found your cache.

Next?

Once you get into Geocaching you can start to leave your own caches for others to find.  You can also attend Geocaching events and start to extend your search to other locations and even other countries.

You can purchase trackable items to leave in caches such as Geocoins and Travel Bugs. As people transfer then from cache to cache you can track them on the Geocaching website so you can see how far your item has travelled – you might be surprised.

There are many different kinds of cache, so you might want to track certain types such as puzzle caches where you have to solve clues in order to locate the cache, or you might want to track only caches that contain Travel Bugs.

The scope of Geocaching is endless and new variations to the game are always being invented. One thing is for sure, once you get the Geocaching bug it will be very had to travel anywhere without first checking to see what caches lie nearby for your to find.

Number of caches in Canada

Alberta: 3,037
British Columbia: 5,483
Manitoba: 1,074
New Brunswick: 3,149
Newfoundland and Labrador: 875
Northwest Territories: 40
Nova Scotia: 2,919
Nunavut: 17
Ontario: 6,926
Prince Edward Island: 267
Quebec: 6,279
Saskatchewan: 518
Yukon Territory: 64
Total: 30,648

If you are travelling, there are thousands of caches all over the world:

United Kingdom: 17,428
Australia: 9,908
France: 2,149
Germany: 31,322
New Zealand: 2,868
South Africa: 1,701

Publiched in muchmor canada magazine www.readmuchmor.com

Do you understand the basics of air travel and luggage restrictions? There have been various changes throughout the years due to increase security at airports. You’ll need to understand the luggage restrictions.

Do note that there may be differences in restrictions when traveling outside of the United States. Be sure to check with the airlines about any additional restrictions if you are traveling to other countries. Here’s a quick guide to what you can and cannot bring with you on the plane.

Liquids, Gels, Aerosol Containers

The basic restriction is that you must have only 3 ounces of each liquid in small containers. You can’t have 3 ounces of liquid in bigger containers. That means you have to leave your rolled up toothpaste and big bottles at home.

On top of that, you have to put all of your liquid small bottles in a quart size only plastic baggie. That quart sized plastic bag must have a zipped top. You can’t use gallon-sized bags, and you can’t use bags that are unzipped, like a sandwich bag.

Once you get to the airport, you have to pull out this bag and put it on the conveyor belt if you are taking it with your carry-on luggage.

Save The Trouble Tip – Don’t bring anything liquid or gel with you if you can help it. Buy new small travel size items when you get to your destination, and throw them away before you take off for home.

Exceptions To The Rule – Baby formula or milk for baby, or juices for toddlers. Prescription or over the counter products, including eye saline. Juice or liquids for people with a medical condition. Basically, if you have any medical condition or disability and you are taking liquids with you, you can bring those items with you on the plane, you just need to declare it to the security personnel at the airport.

Food and Drinks

Like the rules above, if it’s a liquid, or somewhat liquid, it has to be less than 3 ounces. You can have them checked or in your carry on items. In most cases any food that you have, as long as it is packaged properly, can be taken with you.

However, items you buy at the airport can be taken with you on the plane. If you’re at the airport and buy something for the trip, you can save some checkpoint hassle by purchasing food and drinks beyond the security point.

Save The Trouble Tip – Use clear packaging when you take food items from home with you, that way security won’t have to open things up to see what is inside.

Cigarette Lighters And Matches

Your common every day lighter is permitted in your carry-on luggage only. You might have to throw away some if you have more than one on your person.

You can also take with you matches, but they must not be the strike anywhere kind. They must be in a small pack.

Electronic Items

In general, all electronic items such as PDAs, cell phones, laptops, computer equipment, pagers and the like are permitted both checked and in your carry-on luggage. Most likely you’ll have to be prepared to pull it out and place it in special bins when going through the X-ray machine.

For cameras, if you have undeveloped film, the X-ray machine will destroy this, so you should simply declare what you have to the security people and ask them to do a hand search of these items.

Sharp Objects

There are many restrictions regarding sharp objects. The general rule is if the item is longer than 6 inches and sharp, check it with your luggage, don’t take it with you in your carry on luggage.

Anything less than 6 inches, not a knife, and usually meant for personal use like knitting needles or a nail file. You cannot bring a knife with you on the plane, even a small pocketknife. Put these with your checked baggage.

Tools in general can be checked, though items less than 6 inches are allowed on carry-on luggage. Larger tools, especially sharp objects, must be checked.

Save The Trouble Tip – Do you really need any sharp metal item while in flight? Keep it all with your checked luggage.

Sporting Goods, Martial Arts Items and Firearms

To keep it simple, most sporting goods aren’t allowed as carry on, and must be checked. Same thing with the martial arts items, you will have to put these with your checked baggage. Again, the same rule applies for firearms. Guns and knives can be brought with you, but must be checked baggage. You can also bring ammunition, but again, it must be a checked item. It is recommended that you declare what you have to the individual doing the inspection.

This also applies to anything that looks like a gun, including a BB gun, or pellet gun or any other sort. You must check these items as baggage. The pellets and BBs must be checked as well. To be safe, check toy guns as well.

Things You Can Not Have With You

This is a list of items you cannot have with you, either checked or as a carry on item. You cannot bring these items on the plane with you under any circumstances. You could face severe penalties if you bring these with you.

Flares

Gun powder

Blasting Caps

Dynamite

Fireworks

Hand Grenades

Plastic Explosives

Aerosols *except for toiletry items

Fuel

Gasoline

Gas Torches

Lighter Fluid

Torch Lighters

Strike Anywhere Matches

Flammable Paints

Turpentine and Paint Thinner

Chlorine for Pools and Spas

Fire extinguishers

Liquid Bleach

Spillable Batteries *except for wheelchairs

Spray Paint

Tear Gas

Note: You cannot bring with you realistic replicas of these items either.

Save The Trouble Tip – If you must have these items, plan to buy one at the location you are traveling to, or ship it to yourself. (Make sure you check regulations for shipping these items.)

These restrictions are in place to help keep you safe while flying. Planning ahead is the best way to prepare and make sure what you need makes it through to your destination. The general travel tip: Less is better. Buy items when you get to the location. In most cases if you do need to bring it, try to put it in your checked baggage.