Write A Blog Post, Win Some Gear!

Want to win some free gear? Can you write a simple blog post? Then I have just the contest for you! The folks over at 511Tactical.com are celebrating a few additions to their line-up of gear and are giving us a chance to take some of it home.

Details on the contest can be found by clicking here, but in a nutshell, they're asking all entrants to submit a 500-word blog post that falls into one of seven different topic categories. Those topics include such things as  your favorite trail, highlights from a recent hunting or fishing trip, or even a close call you may have had while in the backcountry. You'll find the topics are very broad and offer you the opportunity to be creative and have some fun with what you write. Photos are not required but they definitely can't hurt either.

Once you've written your post, fill out the entry form on the contest page and you'll automatically be entered. The contest runs through January 13, 2012, at which time six finalists will be selected by the amount of traffic the entry receives, tweets it generates, and so on. Those finalists will take home some sweet gear, such as a Rush 24 backpack, Stryke Pants, or these awesome looking Scene One Gloves.

You've still got a few weeks to enter the contest, so fire up your keyboard, write a creative entry, and see if you can score some free gear.

New Website For Adventure Travelers

A good looking new travel website launched recently, bringing good coverage to adventure destinations across the globe. The new site, entitled Switchback Travel, is already rich with content and offers articles on several destinations which will no doubt be of interest to readers of this blog as well.

Amongst the stories already posted on the site are an article about hiking in the French Pyrenees, exploring the backroads of Maui, and the climbing, paddling, and backpacking options on the Norway's Lofoten Islands. That last article is part of a much larger feature on Norway itself, which is billed as Europe's true wilderness. Other articles take a look at the Great Himalayan Trail, something I've written about myself, and give advice on the best camera to take on your next adventure.

All in all, Switchback looks like it is a nice addition to the online travel community, and with its focus on adventure travel, I'm sure I'll be reading it regularly and using it as a resource for future trips of my own. I like the nice use of photography on the site, and the writing is comprehensive and insightful as well. The site is most definitely off to a good start, so be sure to check it out.

More of Outside's Favorite Blogs

Last week I shared links to Outside Magazine's picks for their favorite Gear, Bike, Environmental, and Adventure blogs, the latter of which I was fortunate enough to earn a spot on. Since then, the editors at Outside Online have also posted their top picks for their favorite climbing, running, and fitness blogs as well.

Making the list of the top climbing blogs on the Internet were sites such as Climberism and PlanetMountain, both of which I enjoy reading regularly. But Outside's top pick in this category is one that I whole heartedly agree with, as Climbing Narc is always a great read to keep up with what is happening in the climbing scene.

The top 10 running blogs is filled with plenty of great options as well, and if you're not already a runner, reading these sites will probably motivate you to start. I've always been partial to iRunFar and enjoy reading Peak Performance as well, as both offer plenty of inspiration for my own running. The top blog on this list is Science of Sport, which is a new one to add to my daily web activities.

Finally, we have the top 10 fitness blogs, which includes Runblogger, which is curiously listed here and not under the running blogs, and Sweat Science, which is always a good read when you're looking for the latest news and analysis on fitness trends. The New York Times Well Blog tops the list in this category thanks to its excellent writing, breadth of topics, and practical advice.

Between all of these lists, you should find at least a few new bookmarks to add to your browser of choice. There really are some excellent blogs listed amongst the 70 websites that Outside has recommended across all of these lists. They'll definitely keep you informed on what ever topic they focus on.

Outside Online Lists Their Favorite Gear, Bike, Environmental and Adventure Blogs

The staff over at Outside Online has been spending a lot of time on the Internet lately. The site, which is the web companion to Outside Magazine, has been posting lists of their favorite blogs and websites in a variety of categories, including gear, bikes, the environment, and adventure. The lists will have some very familiar sites for regular readers of this blog, especially since I was lucky enough to be named to one of the list as well.

The Top 10 Environmental Blogs features such sites as Treehugger and The Cleanest Line, both of which are favorites of mine. That particular list is topped by the The New York Times Green Blog, which just should be an indication of the overall level of quality of the websites on this list. The Top 10 Bike Blogs includes Fat Cyclist and Bike Snob NYC, which I enjoy as well, with Red Kite Prayer getting top overall honors.

The Top 10 Gear Blogs was definitely a hotly contest category, as there are a number of good gear blogs on the Internet. But these are definitely the best of the best, featuring our friends over at the Gear Caster and The GearJunkie as well. Outside's top gear blog honors goes to the Outdoor Gear Lab, which is an excellent source of information on a dizzying array of products.

Finally, the Top 10 Adventure Blogs is practically a list of my favorite sites on the Internet. Some of the familiar names on this list include National Geographic Adventure and The Goat, which I link out to frequently, as well as Adventure Journal, which it tops in this category. That is impressive enough in and of itself, but the gang over at AJ also scored top ten listings on the Gear and Bike blog lists too! Well done to Steve and crew.

Finally, I'd like to thank the editors over at Outside for including my humble little slice of the Internet. I managed to rank 5th on the list of Adventure Blogs, and I'm excited and honored to be mentioned in the same breath with the other great sites on the list.

Venturepax Inspires Outdoor Adventures, Rewards You For Going Outside

A new website, entitled Venturepax, is looking to inspire us to head outside for a little adventure, and is willing to reward us for sharing those experiences with others. The site is already building a community of outdoor enthusiasts and is encouraging them to post photos and impressions of their adventures for others. When they do, they'll receive points that can be redeemed for discounts in local gear shops, t-shirts, water bottles, and more.

The Venturepax experience has three options: Find Venture, Share Experience, and Earn Rewards. The Find Venture option is a location aware library that suggest popular outdoor options that are in your area, and is a great place to discover new things to see and do outside. The Share Experience section allows you to pot your own suggestions, while also uploading images, while the Earn Rewards option gives you points based on the things you share that will eventually earn you some swag.

Earning points is easy. When you "check in" from a location, you'll receive 2 points. Uploading an image will earn you 20 points, while a video gets you 60. You'll also be rewarded by adding a new Venture to the library and sharing your experiences at that place or one of the others already added to the database. After you earn enough points, you can redeem them for Venturepax gear and discount cards.

The Venturepax website also reports that they are creating apps for Android, iPhone, and Blackberry that will let you check-in, share images, and post thoughts while on the go. That will make it extremely easy to rack up reward points while you're actually outside.

To get started at Venturepax, simply go to the site and create a profile, or login using your Facebook account. Once you're in, you can start sharing your outdoor adventures and finding new ones that you didn't even know existed.

The concept for this site is a simple, but good one. I've already found a few new things to do in my area, and that alone makes it worthwhile.

New Website Offers Discounted Adventure Trips To Members

A new website could prove to be quite a boon for adventure travelers looking for great deals on their next trip. Epic Thrills launched this morning as a members-only site that offers exclusive pricing on some of the best trips available from some of the best adventure travel companies in the world.

Using the Jetsetter model of offering members a single exceptional deal each week, Epic Thrills has partnered with a number of well known travel companies to offer discounts of up to 30% off active adventures to far-flung corners of the globe. For example, the very first trip that they will sell is an 11-day mountain biking journey through Nepal that is organized by Pedalers Pub & Grille, a company well known for its fantastic cycling adventures. Pricing for this trip will be revealed at 1PM ET today, but I'm told the savings will be 20% off the regular price.

Once a new travel deal is posted, it will remain on the site for anywhere from 7-14 days, with a new deal being revealed each week. Members will have the opportunity to purchase at the discounted price, but once the trip reaches its maximum capacity, the deal will be closed.

At the moment, the only way to get into the site is by requesting membership on the site's sign-in page or to know someone (like me!) who can send you an invite. Once you're accepted, you'll be able to create an account, login and take advantage of the savings yourself. While you wait for that invite to be sent, you can read the Epic Thrills Blog, which looks to have some excellent content already in place.

I know that this approach to discounted travel deals has worked well for Jetsetter and it can be a really great option for travelers looking to save a little green. If you're an adventure traveler, you'll definitely want to get in on this program.

New Adventure Travel Website Launches

Adventure travelers have gained a new resource in the form of the recently launched website Adventure Traveler Online, which aims to connect like minded explorers through "responsible travel, social awareness in business, humanitarian efforts, adventure sport, world issues, and celebration of culture."

The site has launched with some excellent content already in place. Browsing the home page, you'll find articles on The Coastal Challenge, a six-day foot race across Costa Rica, as well as the adventure offerings in Pasco County, Florida. There are also a pair of articles on Ireland as well, including an introduction to Giant's causeway and the start of a journey across the wild Iveragh Peninsula. But those stories are just scratching the surface, as a quick look at the Travel/Tourism, Film/Art/Music, Humanitarian, Adventure Sports, and Product Reviews sections reveal even more content to be explored.

ATO has a lot more going on beyond that as well, and the potential is there for it to be a great, "go-to" site for the adventure community. There are a lot of talented people on the team and I know they're committed to offering excellent insights into destination, gear, and events across the globe. Add it to your bookmarks now and check back often for new content.

Win Great Gear From yourLUME and The Adventure Blog!

Regular readers know that I love great gear. The only thing better than getting new gear, is giving away cool swag to someone else. That's why, the Adventure Blog (thats me!) and yourLUME are joining forces to give away some fantastic gear this week in celebration of Earth Day, which takes place this Friday, April 22nd.

We have two pieces of gear up for grabs. First, we have a GoLite Men's Litespeed Backpack, which is a fantastic, and versatile bag that is great for travel, day hikes, or peak bagging. The second item is a Sierra Designs Verde 20 sleeping bag. This is a three-season bag rated for 20ºF/-7ºC, very comfortable, and lightweight. Either one of these items would make a great addition to your gear closet, especially as the spring/summer hiking and camping seasons arrive. Being a big fan of both GoLite and Sierra Designs gear, I'm already a bit jealous of the readers who win these items.

If you've ever taken part in one of my contests before, you know that I try to make them simple and fun. This one is no different. To enter to win either the backpack or the sleeping bag, all you have to do is send me an e-mail at kungfujedi@gmail.com with the subject of "yourLume"and somewhere in the body of the message tell me your favorite outdoor destination where you would use this gear if you were to win. That's it! Very easy! I'll collect all the entries, and on Friday I'll announce a two winners. One gets the backpack and the other the sleeping bag!

A big thanks to the team over at yourLUME for contacting me and providing the gear for the contest. If you're not familiar with yourLUME, it is a great online site for not only purchasing gear, but also for swapping adventure stories, finding ideas for your next trip, or simply connecting with fellow outdoor enthusiasts. I'm happy to be working with yourLUME on this Earth Day promotion.

Good luck to everyone who enters the contest!

JPFreek Celebrates Fifth Anniversary!

I wanted to take the opportunity to extend a hearty congratulations to my friends over at JPFreek for publishing their fifth anniversary issue last week. For five years, JPFreek has been a great resource for Jeep enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers alike. While the magazine routinely publishes stories that revolve around the Jeep lifestyle, it continues to offer plenty of great adventure content, motorized or otherwise.

In this latest issue, for example, there is an article on adventure travel in Peru, another on driving the U.S.-Mexican border, and a third on a winter off-road adventure in Maine. Throw in some gear reviews, plenty of Jeep talk, and adventure news (courtesy of yours truly) and you get a great mix of topics that are fun and inspiring to read.

On a personal note, I'm happy to be a part of the JPFreek team, which is a dedicated group who are passionate about Jeeps and adventure. I've been contributing to the magazine for a couple of years now, and I'm always proud to be a part of the great product that the team turns out on a regular basis.

So, congrats to everyone at JPFreek, and here's to another five years! :)

Find Your Next Adventure With Kumutu.com

Adventure travelers looking for a good website to help sift though all the available options for their next journey may want to checkout Kumutu. The site recently launched, and offers trips with over 900 tour operators across the globe, giving you the option to search, read reviews, and even book a fantastic trip, quickly and easily.

The site does an excellent job of letting us search for options either by activity or destination, and quickly presents us with all kinds of information based on our criteria. So, for instance, if you are looking for a mountaineering trip, you select that as your activity of choice, and you're presented with four options in a variety of locations and at a variety of prices. Similarly, if you select New Zealand as the country you'd like to visit, you're given more than a dozen itineraries to choose from, offering up everything from skydiving to  whitewater rafting. 

My personal favorite way to search however is by using the Kumutu Map. When this option is selected, you're presented with a view of the globe, powered by Google of course, with virtual push-pins dropped in locations all over the world. Clicking on any of those push-pins gives you a brief summary of the tour operator and the trips they have available. Another click on the name of the company takes you to a profile page with far more info.

Kumutu has only been up and running for a short time, but it already has an impressive array of options for searching for your next trip. But the team behind the site isn't resting on its laurels either, as they hope to have 20,000 travel companies listed in their database by the end of the year. That would give travelers looking for new challenges a fantastic resource when searching and booking their next adventure. 

April Fools Day On The Internet

Well, it's April 1st, which is quite possibly my least favorite day on the Internet all year. Be warned, throughout the day today, you'll see plenty of fake stories that will try to fool you into believing their true. Some are done in good fun and are worth a chuckle at least.

Over at Gadling we're running a series of fake travel stories all day long. Being a good team member, I contributed to the proceedings as well, offering up this story about a guy who wants to ride his mountain bike (a Huffy no less!) up Mt. Everest. I had a little fun with the story, especially when he talks about catching big air off the Hillary Step. Tongue was definitely planted firmly in cheek when I was writing however. I'm not sure if I like it more or less than my contribution last year, that was a commentary on the race to be the youngest on top of the mountain.

There are a few others getting into the spirit as well. Alpinist, for instance, has changed up their site for the day, offering some climbing stories with a...um... different slant. The scantily clad girls in bikinis probably will help traffic today!

Also, the boys over at the Cheap Tents Blog have a review of the latest hiking boots, Dutch Clogs. They'll have you so convinced that it's a good option, you'll probably be scrambling for your credit card, just looking for a place to buy a pair for you next outing.

Wend Magazine has also joined the party with this post on a fetus setting a new record for the youngest to summit Everest. It was almost believable too, but everyone knows that summit bids won't begin for another six weeks at least. ;)

I'm sure there will be plenty of other very funny stories as well. Keep your eyes peeled, and share them in the comments section below. :)

Members Only Gear Shop PlanetGear.com To Launch Next Week

A new members only gear shop is set to open its virtual doors next week, and as a pre-launch promotion its offering a $200 shopping spree to one lucky winner who signs up early.

PlanetGear.com will officially launch next with plans to offer great, name brand outdoor gear, clothing, and travel destinations at 70% discounts off the regular price. The sales will be exclusive to members, which is why it is important to sign up early and get in on the deals. Everyone who signs up between now and March 31st will automatically be entered into a drawing, with the winner receiving $200 to spend in the new gear shop.

Signing up is easy and takes just a minute or two. Simply fill out the form on the front page of the site with your name, e-mail, and password, and you'll be eligible for the $200 prize. You'll also be all set for the launch next week, when you can start enjoying the savings on the gear. Sales will always begin at 8AM PT and run for 72 hours in length.

The company will also be donating part of their profits to grassroots environmental groups as part of the 1% for the Planet organization, a great non-profit that has over 1400 companies that donate 1% of their profits to charities.

I signed up for the site, as I'm always interested in good deals on gear. But I'm also very intrigued by the listing of "travel destinations" as part of the program as well. Can't wait to see what that entails. Guess I'll find out when the site officially goes live next week!

New Website Lets You Claim The Peaks You Bag

A new website called Peakery.com has just launched that is sure to be a hit of climbers and mountaineers everywhere. The site boasts an extensive database of mountains from around the globe and will allow you to create a profile and easily list the mountains you've climbed.

At launch, Peakery claims to have 150,339 peaks in their catalog, and they've made it easy to look them up and check the stats on each of them. The database includes a brief description of each mountain, including elevation, and cities or towns that it is near. The latter is particularly helpful when planning the logistics of your climb. There are also plenty of photos and trip reports from other climbers who have been on the mountain, and you can even earn badges to add to your Peakery profile that show the summits you've reached.

The site also allows you to search for mountains by region and offers three different views to explore including list view, map view, and photo view. It seems that there is already a burgeoning community there as well, with climbers already posting their favorite treks and mountains, as well as sharing tips and images too.

I'm quite impressed with the extensive database, which will certainly serve as a great resource for myself when I'm looking up info on a lesser known peak. It will also be a great place to get scouting reports for your next expedition as well, and the more people who join the community the more useful of a resource Peakery will become. It is definitely worth a look, and it seems like it has lots of potential to become a great site for hikers and hardcore climbers alike.

Epic Tomato Promises Epic Adventures Around The Globe

A new adventure travel company launched this past week that promises to deliver unique travel opportunities to some of the most remote places on the planet, while also delivering cultural immersion and fantastic experiences to adventurous travelers. The site is called Epic Tomato, and comes to us from the folks behind Black Tomato, a company that has been offering amazing trips for some time.

Upon surfing over to the Epic Tomato website, the first thing you'll notice after you gawk at the great photos for a bit, is that the interface is clean, simple, and doesn't overwhelm you with choices. In fact, your adventure starts by selecting the type of environment you'd like to visit from the choices of Polar, Desert, Jungle, Mountain, or River. From there, you'll be presented with several trips to the climate of your choice, with most of those journeys being trips that you won't find elsewhere. For instance, if you select the "Polar" option for your environment, you'll have five choices to choose from that include everything from a 4-day journey through the interior of Iceland to a 14-day epic excursion on skis through Antarctica.

The other environmental choices offer similar diversity. The choosing "Desert" will give you the chance to visit the Sahara or the Atacama Deserts for instance, while "Jungle" will introduce you to trips that will take you to Guyana, Borneo, and beyond. Perhaps most diverse of all, is the selection for "Mountains," which offers expeditions to the Andes, the Atlas, and the Himalayan ranges, amongst others. Those inclined to play on the water will appreciate the selection under "River" as well, with opportunities to paddle in Nepal, Papua New Guinea, and even Uganda.

As an adventure travel writer, I'm regularly looking at the latest travel opportunities to various regions of the planet, partly because there are so many places I want to visit, and partly because I get requests to review sites and itineraries. After looking at what Epic Tomato has on offer, I can honestly say that I'm very impressed. They haven't just slapped together trips to the usual places and tried to market them in new ways. On the contrary, they have some very unique travel opportunities to some very unusual places. Adventure travelers will definitely want to give the site a look, and they just might find a few destinations that they hadn't considered before, or even knew were possible destinations. The prices aren't cheap though, so start saving your pennies now.

New Adventure Links!

I've been meaning to give a tip of the hat to a couple of new websites that are offering adventure news and views for some time, and with the holidays upon us, I'm sure we'll all be looking for good things to read over the next few days. So, if you haven't found these sites yet, you'll definitely want to add them to your book marks.

First up, we have Extreme Adventure News, which may be a new site, but it is being run by an old friend. EAN is the new venture from Jason Hendricks, who was the editor of The Adventurists for several years. Jason took a bit of a sabbatical from the online adventure scene, but is back and providing good content and updates once again. You can also follow his Twitter feed at: @adventurenewz.

The other site that has recently launched and is already offering great content is Exceed Possibility. This site went up a few weeks back and is already carving an interesting niche for itself amongst the adventure sites on the Internet. Site editor Tom Evans is a university student in the U.K. who already had plenty of adventures in his young life, cycling across the country at 18, climbing Kilimanjaro at 19, and visiting Everest Base Camp at 20. His blog offers excellent insights already and includes historical perspectives as well.

I'd like to welcome Jason back and Tom to the adventure community. Keep up the great work guys!