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Cold Travel Destinations – Don’t Forget to Bring a Jacket!

As the world shrinks, the desire to visit its final frontiers becomes more and more pressing in the eyes of many travelers. We all want to see it before the concept of a frontier vanishes completely. For some, this has changed the concept of the typical vacation. Taking a long vacation used to be pretty straightforward: pick a tropical island or archipelago, sit on the beach, and have a margarita. Today’s tourists are much better traveled, and view travel as not exclusively about relaxation. Stronger emphasis is being placed on adventure and exploration. With that in mind, many are heading for the unknown, the abandoned, and the downright COLD regions of the world.

Cruises to Alaska to see the fjords and glaciers are now almost as common as the traditional Caribbean variety of cruise. With a warm cabin and great meals, more people are willing to brave the elements to get a glimpse at awe-inspiring natural beauty and marine wildlife such as whales and pods of orcas.

Tierra del Fuego, on the opposite pole, also attracts more and more visitors every year. The capital city of Ushuaia boasts many nearby ski areas, to be sure, but the majority of people do not visit the city for this. Tierra del Fuego National Park has some excellent trails, the area is quite beautiful, and all the major cruise lines operate out of Ushuaia. People come because it is at the end of the world.

Glaciers are also rapidly becoming prime tourist destinations. New Zealand is known for the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers; numerous outfits rent equipment and take scores of tourists out onto the blue ice. The Chilean fjords and numerous glacier fields have also seen a steady increase in traffic. Tourists flock to see the San Rafael glacier calve into the Laguna San Rafael. Perhaps this rush is not just about our frontiers disappearing as a concept, but physically as well; global warming has drastically shrunk a number of glaciers worldwide, at a disturbingly alarming rate.

Cold travel does not have to be purely about natural beauty, either. The town of Kemi, in Finland, has housed the world’s largest snow castle since the mid 1990s. This magnificent ice castle, three stories high and more than half a mile long, receives hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. The ice chapel makes it a popular wedding destination. Also in the same region is Santa Claus Village, where the man himself lives (a tourist trap for children if there ever was one.)

Of course, the destination that tops everyone’s bucket list is the continent of Antarctica. Much to the dismay of many environmentalists, visiting the “Frozen Continent” becomes easier with each passing year. The most popular cruises to Antarctica are based out of Tierra del Fuego. You cross the stormy Drake Passage before reaching the continent itself. At this point, smaller groups of people are taken out via zodiac boat to make landfall, look at penguins, and to just plan marvel at the ethereal beauty of this place.

It is definitely on my bucket list!

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Checklist for Tent Camping Equipment

Nonetheless you still need to be ready with all the necessary camping equipment before you set off for the campsite. Let’s look at the most fundamental equipment that you should never forget to bring with you.

One thing that you should never forget to bring with you is a tent. It’s your only source of protection from the weather and most of the cold. Don’t go cheap on a tent. You need it to be of good quality and big enough to be able to accommodate everyone who’s tagging along. Make sure there’s legroom for everyone and everything else as well. Give room for allowance, especially since not everyone has a short stature. Army surplus shops sell durable but affordable tents – these are the tents that are used for military training. You might want to consider getting your tent from there.

It’s less likely that there will be any mattresses in the campsite, so you need to secure a sleeping bag for each person. Just like a tent, it has to have enough room for the person using it. It must, above all things, be comfortable, because it’s the only source of warmth you will have for the night, save the fire. Make sure it’s also durable and has enough padding to keep you from feeling the rocks and twigs on the ground.

It’s not camping equipment per se, but food and water are quite obvious. It’s a campout, not a hunting activity, so you won’t have time to get food from the wild. As usual, there must be more than enough to go around for everyone. Plus, make sure that the food you take is easy to cook and is something that everyone will like. Bring more water if the camping activity will involve lots of strenuous stuff – you need to keep everyone hydrated for the activity. You might want to bring an ice chest along to keep some of the food preserved and drinks cold.

You’re going to need a good source of light during the night as well. That’s aside from the campfire, because you won’t always be able to build one nor keep one burning all throughout the night. Flashlights and lanterns are also safer to use inside a tent compared to a burning torch. You don’t want your camping equipment to accidentally catch fire.

And the final thing to add in your camping equipment list is your personal necessities. Extra clothes and hygiene kits are a must, especially if you plan to camp out for a couple of days. You might want to bring a camera along to take photos or videos. Plus, don’t forget to bring your own first aid kit in your backpack. That goes for everyone who’s going as well. After that, you’re ready for the camping activity.

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Things to Mull Over Before Planning a Trip Abroad

Ever thought of walking away from your daily work schedule, mails and meetings? Well, the thought of engrossing yourself in altogether new place and adventure is definitely tempting. And so if a trip abroad has been on your mind for way too many days or weeks, it’s time to take that plunge. But before you go taking on the world with your adventurous self there are a few things you must consider before planning an overseas trip to save you all the hassle and the extra time spent.

Get all your Documents ready- Passport and Visa

When traveling abroad it is most obviously the first thing, you must strike off the list. Do your homework based on all your essential documents such as Passport and Visa well before time. If you still have to apply for a passport make sure to do it at least four to six weeks in advance as such procedures take time. In addition, once you know where you are headed make sure to check the country’s rules and regulations as many countries have stricter rules, which can sometimes require a passport to have another six months of validity before it expires. It will only save your time and effort upon arrival. Also leave a copy of your documents with a friend or family as it can serve as a blessing in case you lose your documents abroad.

Map out all the important places in advance

A journey overseas can be long and tiring in and especially too long if you have layovers in between. And once you’re through with all the regulations at the airport you’ll certainly wish to head to the right place all at once and for that you’ll need to have your destinations mapped out in advance. And in a world and age of Smartphone getting that done isn’t very hard to achieve with apps that let you function offline i.e. without internet data. Yes! That is why planning your trip in advance can come in handy. And while you’re at it you can feed your phone with the addresses of places you’ll be visiting such as museums, attractions, restaurants etc.

Travel Warnings- Know the Place

It is of utmost importance that you must know the place where you will be staying for a few weeks maybe or even if it’s just a few days. Dig in to know if there is any kind of political unrest and make sure the place is safe and friendly for travelers. There could also be minor issues like transportation strikes in the place during your visiting period which won’t affect your trip otherwise but to save yourself from the frustration knowing about it well before will give you time to figure out other transportation mediums and routes.

Generate a Budget and follow it

If you’re going to stay in a place long enough or traveling further then you’ll need to come up with a robust budget and follow it as well so that you don’t end up running out of your resources half way through the trip. Also, managing your finances will let your trip to go about smoothly giving you a chance to freely enjoy yourself.
Learn key words/ phrases if there is a foreign language

Not surely the country you’re traveling to will have the same native language as yours and therefore getting yourself accustomed to a few key words and phrases of the language such as ‘Hello’, ‘How are you?’, ‘How much is this?’ and ‘Thank you’ can prove to be very useful. Also, it will send across a very respectful message to the community you’ll be staying with as it’s a wonderful way to pay respect. While you’re at it learn a few of the customs of the place so that you don’t feel completely out of place.

Stay Organized

When you’re traveling with a few weeks of time in your hand it is very likely that you will have a lot to do during your visit and there will be a new itinerary every day. But to avoid the clutter of brochures, booking receipts, train and flight schedules, tickets of all sorts it is extremely essential to go paperless and go digital. Yes! Another great benefit of gadgets called Smartphones that have million apps to help you complete your daily tasks. The app Tripit allows you to create a digital itinerary of your whole trip on your phone minimizing your pester of keeping all the stuff intact and not losing any of it. All you have to do is mail all your details such as confirmations and emails to Tripit and you shall have your ultimate itinerary for the whole trip.