Happy Holidays!

Just a quick note to wish everyone happy holidays and the best for the New Year. Hopefully 2012 will be a prosperous and adventurous one for you and your friends and family. I want to thank everyone for reading my almost-daily musing and updates on the adventure world. I hope you find something fun, interesting, and inspiring from the things that I right about.

Over the next week or so, updates are likely to be sparse and sporadic as I take a little time away to enjoy the holidays with friends as well. I'll try to keep track of what is happening down in Antarctica and on the major climbs, and post updates on progress as necessary. This is traditionally a bit of a quiet time for news, but the start of a new year always brings great new things, and we have the North Pole and Spring Himalayan seasons ahead.

Happy Holidays and Thank You All!

Adventure Medical Kits Survival Medic Winners!

For the past week, I've been running a little giveaway on the Adventure Blog to hand out three Survivor Medic packs from Adventure Medical Kits. I asked anyone who entered to e-mail me to share their favorite outdoor destinations, and after receiving several hundred entries, I randomly picked three winners last night. Those winners and there outdoor adventure destinations of choice, are as follows:

• Duffy Knox of Los Angeles, California, who prefers spending time in Zion National Park.
• Erich Rainville of Lovettsvill, Virginia enjoys spending time on the Franconia Ridge Trail in the White Mountains of New Hampshire
• Jordan Toney from Johnson City, Tennessee, who loves the Roan Highlands of the Appalachian Mountains.

Keep your eyes peeled for your packages guys, I should be getting them in the mail today.

I want to thank everyone for entering the contest and sharing your favorite outdoor places. Some of them I've visited and others I can add to my list for future adventures. And thanks for reading the blog, it is much appreciated.

Also, thanks so much to my friends over at Adventure Medical Kits for providing the Survivor Medick packs for the giveaway. Both I, and my readers, appreciate the great products you deliver.

Adventure Medical Kits Survival Medic Giveaway

Just a very brief reminder to sign-up for the gear giveaway I've got going right now. On Wednesday of this week, I'll pick three winners of the Survival Medic from Adventure Medical Kits and ship them out ASAP for the holidays. As I've mentioned before, this great little kit contains some nice items that could potentially save your life if you ran into unexpected trouble on the trail. Inside the waterproof and sealed pack, you'll find an emergency blanket, basic medical supplies, a safety whistle, fire starting materials, and more. And since the whole package weighs in at just under 5 ounces, you have no excuse not to take it with you everywhere.

To sign-up to win, just drop me an e-mail at kungfujedi@gmail.com with the subject of "Survival Medic." Now here's where it gets a bit tricky (only kidding!), in the body of the message tell me where your favorite outdoor destination is. It could be in your own backyard or on the other side of the planet, but it is that special place that you love to escape to.

Entires so far have ranged from places like the Rocky Mountains and the Florida Everglades, to the Himalaya in Nepal and the Serengeti in Tanzania. Your e-mails have confirmed one thing to me, the readers of this blog are a well traveled, adventurous group, and I'm happy to be a part of that community.

Winners will be picked late in the day on Wednesday and alerted soon there after. I'll post the names of the winners, and their destinations on Thursday, and get the packages out soon there after.

Thanks and good luck!

Sign Up To Win Adventure Medical Kits Survival Medic

Just a reminder as we head into the weekend that I'm giving away three Survival Medic packs from Adventure Medical Kits. As I mentioned yesterday, this great little kit makes a great stocking stuffer for any outdoor adventurer, and features a safety whistle, survival blanket, tinder and an igniter for starting a fire, duct tape, basic medical supplies and more. The whole thing weighs just 4.8 ounces and is perfect for day hikes or any other adventures where unexpected issues can arise.

To enter to win one of these cool little packs, simply send me an e-mail at kungfujedi@gmail.com. The subject of the e-mail should read "Survival Medic" and in the body of your note tell me about your favorite outdoor destination.

I've already had a number of entries, but in this case you have three chances to win. I'll be randomly picking winners next Wednesday and alerting them by e-mail, hopefully in plenty of time to get the packs out for the holidays.

Good luck everyone!

Gear Giveaway: Adventure Medical Kits Survival Medic

Yesterday I posted a review of the Survival Medic from Adventure Medical Kits. This great little pack includes all kinds of useful items to help you survive in the backcountry, such as a space blanket, safety whistle, basic medical supplies, and items to help start a fire. Best of all, it is compact, weighs just 4.8 ounces, and quite literally could save your life.

Thanks to the fine folks over at AMK, I have three of the Survival Medics to give away, and as usual with Adventure Blog gear giveaways, I want to make it as easy as possible. So, if you'd like to win one of these kits, all you have to do is send me an e-mail at kungfujedi@gmail.com with a subject line of "Survival Medic." In the body of your e-mail, simply share your favorite outdoor destination, near or far, and you'll be eligible to win. I'm going to run the contest, and post reminders, until Wednesday, December 14th, at which time I'll randomly pick three winners and ship out the prizes.

Even if you don't have a need for the Survival Medic yourself, it makes a great stocking stuffer for someone who could use it. By ending the contest in the middle of next week, I hope to get these shipped out in time for the holidays.

That's it! Simple and easy to win! Good luck!

Off To The Caribbean!

As I alluded to in a post earlier today, I'm off to the Virgin Islands for the next few days for some sailing and snorkeling in the sun. I'll no doubt share some of those adventures after I get home, but in the mean time, I hope everyone else has some adventures of their own planned for the weekend ahead.

Back soon!

Site News: Limited Updates This Week

Just a quick note to let everyone know I'll be out of town this week and will be posting limited updates. If I get the chance, I'll try to keep everyone updated on the start of the Antarctic season and a few other events that are taking place.

I should be back to a normal schedule next week. Until then, I hope everyone gets outside and enjoys a few adventures of their own.

Adventure Blog Content Featured On Flipboard

It's no secret that I love my iPad. In fact, I think it is a fantastic device for travel and I rarely go anywhere without it these days. With music, movies, books, magazines, and Internet connectivity, it is one of the most versatile pieces of technology to come along in a very long time. Add in some great apps, and it only gets betters.

One of my favorite apps is Flipboard, a program that takes content from the web and formats it into a magazine style interface that is perfect for consumption on the iPad. The app lets you import RSS feeds from Google Reader or from blogs and websites that you select manually. There are even some built-in content partners that are conveniently filed under specific categories to help make it easier to find interesting sites and blogs that may be pertinent to your interests. One of the blogs that is now featured as a part of Flipboard is The Adventure Blog, and I couldn't be happier.

If you're a Flipboard user and want to add my content to your feed, you'll find me listed under the "Travel" category. Simply tap on The Adventure Blog to start having my stuff sent directly to your Flipboard content. I must say, it looks great, it's easy to read, and it is a great way to kick back an enjoy the stories that I enjoy sharing with everyone.

Thanks to the crew over at Flipboard for adding me to the app. I'm happy to be a part of a project that I already use myself and enjoy so much.

Outside In Aspen This Weekend! Who's Going?!?

This weekend is the second annual Outside in Aspen event in Aspen, Colorado of course. For those that haven't heard about it before, this is a weekend of outdoor fun and parties, sponsored by Outside Magazine, that brings some of the top adventure athletes in the world together with regular Joe's like you and me, for a host of activities, including rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, and much more.

This year I'm going to be attending the event and sharing my thoughts on everything that is happening. On Saturday, I'll be taking part in the Climb A Fourteener event and on Sunday I'll be mountain biking. Most of the rest of the time, I'll likely be hanging out in Base Camp, connecting with the gear companies and sponsors there, and taking in the scene. Both days I'll be using my twitter account to share thoughts and updates, and probably more than a few images as well.

It looks like it is going to be a really fun weekend and I was curious if anyone else was planning on being there as well? If so, give me a shout and maybe we can hang out and enjoy the scene together. I've been told from attendees last year that it is a lot of fun, and expect the second edition will be just as good.

For a full list of activities going on this weekend, click here. There really is something for everyone!

Atacama Desert: Round 2!

Just a quick site note to let everyone know that I'm traveling again. Yes, I know, life is rough, but this is actually the trip that I tried to go on a few weeks back, but was thwarted by the weather. So far, that doesn't seem to be an issue this time out, and with any luck, tomorrow morning I'll be in the Atacama Desert in Chile. 

While I'm there, I'll be staying at the Tierra Atacama resort, which I'm told has WiFi Internet access. Hopefully that means I'll be able to post some updates during the evening, although my days will likely be spent scrambling up volcanoes, going on desert treks, and mountain biking. And when I'm done playing outside, in the driest place on the planet no less, I'll head back to the resort for some serious pampering. Adventure and luxury! What a great trip! :)

Obviously, this weekend looks to be another busy one in the Himalaya, especially on the North Side of Everest. Hopefully I'll be able to post a few updates on what is going on. Otherwise, I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I'll be back to regular posting early next week, when I should have plenty of great photos to share as well.

Congrats To Final Ditch The Deet Winners

As promised, I drew the final two winners for my Ditch The Deet contest that I've been running over the past few weeks, and I'll be sending prize packages out to Ian Stevens of Naperville, IL. and Steven Smith of Midland, TX ASAP. Congrats to both Ian and Steven. Hopefully the swag will come in handy for battling off the bugs in the summer months ahead.

Thanks to everyone for entering the contest over the past month, and as always, thanks for reading the blog. Keep checking in regularly, as I hope to have more gear giveaways in the days ahead. It is always fun to share cool prizes with my readers, and there are some more opportunities to do just that right around the corner.

On The Road Again!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I'm off on another escape, this time heading to the Atacama Desert in Chile. As I write this, I'm at the airport in Dallas, waiting for a connecting flight to Miami and an overnighter to Santiago. After that, it is another flight to Calama, and then an hour drive to my eventual destination of San Pedro de Atacama tomorrow morning. 

I'm told that there is Internet access at my hotel, so I hope to post some updates while I'm on the go, as I would hate to miss all the action that is about to unfold on Everest and other Himalayan peaks. If the connection is good (read, not like most Internet connections in remote areas, I hope to post some photos and updates on what I'm doing over the course of the next few days. I'm hoping to do some mountain biking, hiking, and volcano climbing, but we'll see. 

This is a quick trip, I'm back home on Monday, when you know I'll be back to regular posts. Hope everyone has their own adventures planned for the days ahead! Back soon!

Off To South Africa

Just a very quick, and short note, to let everyone know that I'm off to South Africa for a few days. I'll be back in the States on the 9th and probably back to posting on the 10th. I had intended to write all kinds of updates today, as I wasn't suppose to leave town until this evening. Due to the impending Snowpocolypse here in the States though, my flights are being juggled all over the place just so I can get out of the country.

I'll of course post stories, updates, and photos upon my return. Meanwhile, there is A LOT going on in the adventure world that I simply don't have time to cover before I go. Back soon with plenty of things to share though!

The First Adventure of 2011!

I'm off on my first adventure of 2011 starting tomorrow when I'll be heading to Montana to experience Big Sky and Yellowstone during the winter. The agenda includes skiing, both alpine and cross country, snow shoeing, sledding, wildlife viewing, and a whole lot more. I love the wild and beautiful country there, and can't wait to check it out under a blanket of snow.

Never fear though. I'm taking my trusty new MacBook Air along and hope to make some posts when I have Internet access, which may or may not be all that often. When I was out that way back in September, we often didn't even have cell phone service, let alone Internet. Either way, I hope to continue to do at least a little writing while I'm on the road, and may even be able to share some photo and thoughts on the trip as it unfolds.

In the meantime, I hope your 2011 is off to just as an adventurous start. No sense in waiting, just jump right in.

Happy New Year and Another Big Thanks!

I know that as I write this, parts of the world are already welcoming the first hours of 2011, but I still wanted to take the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year. 2010 has been one fantastic adventure after another, and while I'm sad to see it come to an end, I'm looking forward to a new year and new opportunities. I'll be starting it out with a couple of adventures of my own early on and I hope that you are planning some too.

I also wanted to thank the readers of the Adventure Blog once again, because despite few updates this past week, and a relatively quiet last month of the year, December set a new record for the number of visitors to the site. It also capped the best year of traffic as well, which has been extremely gratifying for me personally. This little project of mine has grown much larger than I ever imagined, and opened a number of doors unforeseen, and it is all thanks to you. I appreciate every one of you.

So, with 2011 upon us, lets reflect a bit on all the wonderful things that went down in the last 12 months and start planning for new adventures in the months ahead. I'll be sharing mine very soon, and as usual, I enjoy hearing about yours as well.

Happy Holidays From The Adventure Blog

On this Christmas Eve, I wanted to send a message to all the readers of my blog wishing you all a fantastic holiday season and a wonderful New Year. I hope that your 2011 is filled with adventures both great and small.

Posts will likely be a bit sporadic over the next week or so as I enjoy some time with friends. But I'll post when I get the chance. There are still plenty of great adventures taking place around the world, despite the holiday season. More updates soon!