* First Chinese tourists satisfied: survey Jul 25, 2008
Some respondents said they felt their travel schedules were too hectic and that they planned to make longer trips in future or hoped to go backpacking. At present, Chinese tourists are only permitted to visit in tour groups. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Back in the day, you didn’t touch the tent during rain Jul 25, 2008
This week, I have been getting things ready for an upcoming backpacking trip, including deciding which tent to take. Should I take the light one for an easier load, or the roomier one for comfort in camp. (Missoulian, MT)
Letters to the editor: (7/24/08) Jul 24, 2008
The entire trip, including the drive to McCarthy and flight in and out of our backpacking destination, is a highlight of the time we have lived in Alaska. In deciding on a trip itinerary and destination, we initially considered a backcountry trip in Denali. (Anchorage Daily News)
Google's answer to Wikipedia? 'Knol' Jul 24, 2008
The initial topics covered include an overview of constipation by a University of San Francisco associate professor of gastroenterology and backpacking advice from one of Google's own software engineers. Unlike Wikipedia, knol requires the authors to identify themselves to help the audience assess the source's credibility. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Little Italy says benvenuto to tapas eatery Jul 24, 2008
This includes backpacking in Argentina's Patagonia region and in Mexico. "I know how people like to eat," Llaguno said. (Baltimore Business Journal, MD)
C Rajghatta: Americans are coming! Jul 20, 2008
Off he went backpacking into the boonies. La Rai eluded him, but he returned with other lifelong attachments that have made him a repeat visitor. (India Times, India)
"If Congress protects records about what movies you rent and TV channels you watch, it should equally protect records about what Jul 19, 2008
Leider's activities as a long-time board member of Outward Bound and his annual backpacking safaris to Tanzania, East Africa testify to his conviction that interaction with nature is an important part of reflection and self-knowledge. At the heart of his approach to counseling is a belief that each individual is born with a reason for being and that life is a quest to discover that purpose. (FastCompany)
Penelope Cruz ready to start family & travel Jul 18, 2008
And, before she becomes a mom, Cruz hopes to follow former boyfriend Matthew McConaughey's lead and start backpacking around the world. The 34-year-old says, "I've never done that. I've traveled to so many countries for work, and I realize when I leave that I haven't seen anything.". (WOKR13 Rochester)
Apoorva is busy planning! Jul 18, 2008
I went backpacking to Istanbul once and ever since, Ive been wanting to shoot there. I love travelling and am planning to visit China and Japan sometime, he says. (Times of India)
Local teen returns from helping at cancer-family camp Jul 17, 2008
The teen program focused on leadership and outdoor skills and included a short backpacking hike to an overnight campground nearby. "The teen program was a great success, but stretched our fundraising budget for this year and next. We need now to fund raise for next year's program to assure its success," Karp said. (Los Angeles Daily News)
Best Multitool Guide Jul 13, 2008
Leatherman versus Swiss Army Knife for Backpacking and daily Use. Leatherman-type or Swiss Army Knife-type multitool. (Suite101.com)
KT Tunstall's New Songs Inspired By Children's Book, Bo Diddley Jul 8, 2008
"I never did the backpacking thing when I was younger, so I'm just going to disappear, travel for a few months and write some music. I can't wait to write the next record, though, to be honest. I won't be in the studio until next year.". She said she wants her next one to be "very rhythm-based" and promises her record will give "some big props to , may his soul rest in peace.". (VHI.com -- Music News)
Worldwide phenomenon Jul 5, 2008
It was the thrill of conquering those fears, coupled with a backpacking trip to the Himalayas - at age 50, her first time sleeping in a tent, and her first journey farther afield than California - that fueled her interest in travel and mountaineering. In 2001 she took a course with Alpine Ascents International, a Seattle-based guiding outfit known for helping clients reach the world's biggest peaks, and then set off in 2002 for Russia's 18,510-foot Mount Elbrus, the highest point in Europe. (Boston Globe)
Real-life Bangkok romances arent typical Western cliches Jul 5, 2008
Real-life Bangkok romances arent typical Western cliches (The Star Online, Malaysia)
The Fabulous Flag Sisters Jul 4, 2008
It takes a little convincing to get you in - Hansen's own story of backpacking across Europe in his 20s and finding bit parts as an actor before being plucked from a piazza by a talent scout seems only half credible and unfolds too much like a tired episode of This Is Your Life. I mean, who in Australia has ever heard of this bloke, a 50-something landscape gardener who claims to have worked alongside Italian showbiz legends Isabella Rossellini and Roberto Benigni. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Save a few euros in Paris Jul 3, 2008
Even college kids backpacking through Europe said Paris was their biggest budget buster. Even so, there are ways to tour the city without going broke. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Travel)
Backpacking: What to pack, reference books Jul 3, 2008
Excluding food, here's what Bee outdoors writer Marek Warszawski typically brings on a backpacking trip: Personal gear: Backpack, tent or bivy, sleeping bag, Therm-a-Rest, bear canister, water bladder, Nalgene bottle, cup, spoon, fork, pocketknife, toilet paper, toothpaste and toothbrush, contact-lens case and solution, camp towel, sunscreen, lip balm, mosquito repellent, headlamp, camera, notebook and pen, watch, compass, cash, credit card, car key Group gear: Stove, fuel, lighter, waterproof... (Fresno Bee -- Sports)
Songwriter takes break from band Jul 3, 2008
NEW YORK --- A father of four at 38 years old, Jakob Dylan won't be taking any backpacking trips through Europe. A musician's equivalent of that, however, inspired the first solo album of his career. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Pack it up and go Jul 2, 2008
Another backpacking trip is just around the bend ... Backpacking increases cardio capacity, muscle strength, endurance and flexibility ... "It's hanging in there longer than we expected."Well below the high passes, snow levels also affect creek crossings, which are often the trickiest part of any backpacking trip. (Fresno Bee -- Sports)
Bringing food canisters is a must for those backpacking Jul 2, 2008
Nothing can ruin a backpacking trip like losing your food to a hungry bear ... Today, bear-proof canisters are required for all backpacking trips in Yosemite and in the popular Rae Lakes, Dusy Basin and Rock Creek areas of Sequoia and Kings Canyon. (Fresno Bee -- Sports)
John Harms A woman's place in football is in the thick of it. Read more Jul 2, 2008
A teacher from Milltown in County Cavan in Ireland, she has been backpacking in Australia. She was recruited from the women's Gaelic football competition in Melbourne (yes, there are half a dozen clubs). (The Age, Australia)
Solo album gets star past rough patch Jul 1, 2008
NEW YORK (AP) -- At 38 years old and the father of four, Jakob Dylan won't be taking any backpacking trips through Europe. A musician's equivalent of that, however, inspired the first solo album of his career. (CNN -- Showbiz)
Booking it to N.Y. Jun 29, 2008
Based on our interviews with passengers, the Chinatown-bound Fung Wah and Lucky Star buses often fill up with backpacking road-trippers, elderly Asian immigrants, and a wide swath of riders who care more about saving money than saving time. Greyhound/Peter Pan, which ends at the Port Authority, is popular with baby boomers, young families, and folks connecting to Greyhound buses bound for the suburbs or other states. (Boston Globe)
Salutatorian ready for Princeton Jun 28, 2008
For the rest of the summer, he will continue his job as a cellular phone sales associate at Best Buy in Danbury, and then in August he will join a small group of incoming Princeton students for six days of backpacking and rock climbing as part of an orientation program before the academic year starts. The Brookfield Journal 2008. (Brookfield Journal, CT)
Lost hikers emerge miles from search Jun 27, 2008
The hikers were nearing the end of a two-week backpacking and rock-climbing trip in the Sierra National Forest about 10 miles west of Kings Canyon National Park. They had supplies to last them through tomorrow, according to the Fresno County sheriff's office. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
The living is easy Jun 27, 2008
Mount Si student Ingrid Beattie couldn't wait to start her summer backpacking trip on the coast, while Chad Billings was ready to kick back and relax. Sleeping in, parties and summer work were among other students' plans for the break. (King County Journal Newspapers, WA)
Backpack with ease Jun 25, 2008
Student Travel and Backpacking ... Be sure to have the right gear before setting out on a backpacking adventure ... Whether you're bouncing through the modern streets of Western Europe or trudging through the barrios of South America, you'll quickly discover the not-so-enjoyable aspects of backpacking -- hostel showers spitting out subzero water, trains departing just as you reach the platform and flip-flops doubling as blister factories when worn on long hikes. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Travel)
Summer Camps Adjust to Higher Pump Prices Jun 25, 2008
We go backpacking and mountain biking and visit lakes so we do a fair amount of driving and were going to have to keep a sharp eye on that ... We go backpacking and mountain biking and visit lakes so we do a fair amount of driving and were going to have to keep a sharp eye on that. (Fox News)
Wake seethes at travel spree Jun 25, 2008
County records show Reynolds, who has since been demoted as director of the county's solid waste division, personally approved the trips and spending, including purchases of top-of-the-line backpacking gear, a John Denver CD and a novel about elves. On Monday, county officials reported Reynolds' salary in his new position as $94,973. (News & Observer)
Israelis flattered by 'Zohan' Jun 25, 2008
Like Zohan, many young Israelis escape the country, at least temporarily, after completing their military service to go on lengthy backpacking trips through Asia or South America or to work in odd jobs in American cities. And in New York, for instance, young Israelis are commonly seen working as furniture movers or aggressively selling useless knickknacks. (CNN -- Showbiz)
Firing ends Wake official's travels Jun 24, 2008
His boss, Solid Waste Management Director James S. Reynolds, approved the trips and purchases, which included top-of-the line backpacking gear, a John Denver CD and a novel about elves. Reynolds was demoted last month, county records show, but will remain on the payroll earning $94,973 annually. (News & Observer)
Right in your own backyard Jun 24, 2008
Four years ago, after toiling away in the corporate life for 10 years, Pauline Lewis took off on a backpacking trip to Vietnam for a change of scenery. She returned with a concept for a handcrafted handbag design and import company. (Washington Business Journal, DC)
Minnesota backpacker missing in Alaska; search in third day Jun 24, 2008
ANCHORAGE, Alaska Ground and air crews were planning to resume a search Tuesday for two women missing on what was supposed to be a short backpacking trip in Denali National Park and Preserve. Searchers and dogs were looking for Abby Flantz, 25, of Gaylord, Minn. (Brainerd Daily Dispatch)
Summer solstice at Stonehenge Jun 22, 2008
" Many visitors to Stonehenge come from across the world for the Summer Solstice. Lucy Bulgara, 27, from Sale, Melbourne, in Australia, was with a group of friends on a backpacking tour of the UK. Advertisement She said: "We re not really into the whole peace and love and hippie stuff, but it s still a great event, a great party. We read about it before we left for Europe and thought we d try and time our trip so we could come down. (The Sun)
Navel Academy Jun 22, 2008
A former pupil at Pymble Ladies' College - she was once suspended for dyeing her hair pink - and a graduate of Sydney University, Evanoff came to Cairo after backpacking in Europe and the Middle East. "When you go on stage here, in front of an Egyptian audience, there is just nothing like it. I've been so sick from food poisoning, I could hardly stand up I've been throwing up in the toilets five minutes before the show but then this energy comes from somewhere and for that 40 minutes, something... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Pining for the days of relaxed security Jun 21, 2008
My friend was successful, but our thoughts harked back to our backpacking days when security seemed a minor travel issue. Two decades ago, my husband and I, newly minted university grads, set out on a three-month island-hopping adventure in the Caribbean. (Globe and Mail)
TRU believer with energy to burn Jun 21, 2008
WA Today - Business News, World News & Breaking News in Australia Skip directly to: Search Box, , , Text Version. Imagine three foreigners turning up with cameras and handing out instant polaroids. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
Two dead in car, truck collision Jun 20, 2008
Police said investigators may need to use DNA samples to formally identify the two dead tourists, who were believed to be on a backpacking holiday from Ireland. Detectives are attempting to contact the men's relatives overseas while officers from the Forensic Crash Unit try to piece together the cause of the incident. (Brisbane Times)
What price a moral life? Jun 20, 2008
Morawetz, a Melbourne psychologist, was struck by this thought when backpacking through India more than 40 years ago. He recalls seeing a baby whose arms had been chopped off so she could beg more effectively. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
Search for missing women in Denali Park yields no clues Jun 19, 2008
ANCHORAGE - Denali National Park and Preserve officials are trying to solve a mystery of how two women could vanish on a one-night backpacking trip not far from park headquarters. Three helicopters, an airplane, dog teams and several dozen people on the ground have failed to find Abby Flantz, 25, of Gaylord, Minn. (Juneau Empire)
'Gap year' provides life experience pre-college Jun 19, 2008
Their chosen challenges range from City Year, a non-profit tutoring and mentoring program, to backpacking independently abroad. Costs vary widely but often run $10,000 to $20,000 for a year of fee-based programs and living costs, according to Holly Bull of the Center for Interim Programs, a gap-year consultancy in Princeton, N.J.. (USA Today)
Obituary: John Alexander Jun 18, 2008
In his younger years, he enjoyed backpacking and camping around Devil's Punchbowl and Island Lake. He is survived by his wife Patti of Gasquet, son Phillip Popadic and his wife Ellie of Crescent City; sister Joan Nitis of San Francisco; brother Tom Alexander of Mill Valley; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Mike and Vicki Leavitt of Crescent City; Terry and Sue Leavitt of Bend, Ore,; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Barbara and Jim Howard of Port Orchard, Wash. (Daily Triplicate)
Searchers hunt for hikers missing in... Jun 18, 2008
Two women were supposed to finish backpacking trip Friday ... ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Ground and air crews are searching Denali National Park and Preserve for two women missing on what was supposed to be a short backpacking trip. (CNN -- Law)
Big plans, teeny-tiny band Jun 17, 2008
One of the main characters, Cameron Paradise, meets her champion surfer husband Gregg when she is backpacking in Australia. The couple move to Hawaii, where Cameron eventually leaves Gregg after he becomes abusive. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Search on for two hikers missing in Denali Jun 17, 2008
The National Park Service has launched a search for two women missing on what was supposed to be an overnight backpacking trip in Denali National Park. Click to enlarge. (Anchorage Daily News)
Hikers Died In Wilderness Before Search Began Jun 11, 2008
It was the first day that he and 78-year-old Jerome Smith set out for a four-day backpacking trip in Desolation Wilderness just west of Lake Tahoe. Smith left for help after his friend collapsed but fell down a hillside on way his back to the highway. (KSBW 8, CA)
'Fiscally conservative' Ladner is ex-hippie Jun 10, 2008
In the late 1960s, Mr. Ladner was a student and journalist activist at the University of B.C. A few years after backpacking through Latin America, including a stop in Cuba, he worked for deputy attorney-general David Vickers in the firebrand NDP government of Dave Barrett. Later that decade, along with his wife, Erica Warrington, Mr. Ladner became a back-to-the-land farmer on Vancouver Island, where the couple raised goats and chickens. (Globe and Mail -- National)
Be Social, Go Virtual Jun 9, 2008
"Jimmi and Ginni finally meet backpacking in Ladakh", the caption read. That explained it all. (India Times, India)
Saluti to a cook who widened the course Jun 9, 2008
Sally Stanford, of Mudgee, was backpacking around Europe. She spoke little Italian, he spoke little English, but they communicated well enough to run off to Paris and get married. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Nature's lessons Jun 7, 2008
Fifteen other hikers are joining the Burkles for a weekend-long beginners backpacking trip, organized and guided by Crawdaddy Outdoors, a Waverly outfitter. Donna, in advance of a backpacking trip to northern Minnesota, received the trip as a Mother's Day gift from her children ... "I'm going backpacking with friends at Gooseberry Falls in June, and I'd never done it before. Now I won't be the newbie. They make the newbie hang the bear bag.". (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
Uses for Old Water Bottles May 30, 2008
Training deadweight: Again, filling the bottle with water or sand turns an empty bottle into deadweight one can load up in the backpack when training for a backpacking trip or mountaineering adventure. Workshop storage: Can be used to store small items, such as nuts and bolts in the home workshop, or bike parts. (Suite101.com)
Gear to go backpacking May 30, 2008
Here's my personal checklist for backpacking. Group gear: Stove, fuel, wind screen, lighter, pot, pan, pot grabber, scrubber, wildlife-proof food canisters, collapsible water jug, water purification system, first-aid kit, heavy-duty plastic garbage bags, rope, spade, maps, permit, candle, sun block, whistle, duct tape. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Forge the unknown with a boat on your back May 29, 2008
Jordan, publisher of the Bozeman-based Backpacking Light Magazine, is an avid packrafter. The combination backpacking-rafting involves carrying a personal raft and paddles, both made with lightweight materials with a combined weight of around 7 pounds or less, on a wilderness adventure ... Backpacking Light magazine recently published an introductory manual and how-to book. (Montana Standard, MT)
Last night's TV May 27, 2008
It's called Life After Girlfriends (mine has left me to go backpacking round South America - she says she's coming back, but I'm not convinced). Anyway, she's only been gone a couple of months, but there have already been some remarkable changes round here. (Guardian Unlimited -- Media)
Backpacking with backup May 25, 2008
Like other sustained-heart-rate aerobic exercises, backpacking releases neuro-hormones that, first, bring a rush of mental energy the brainstorms, flashes of insight and relived conversations that you mutter to yourself like a crazy person. Then, the lull of repetition, the hypnosis of boots, the trance of the trail. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Flex those mussels May 23, 2008
Years ago, when I was backpacking around Europe, my dad took me to a Belgian restaurant in Amsterdam and we ate mussels cooked in white wine and cream. It was a spectacular meal. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Police say missing prof suggested suicide May 23, 2008
Wolff is an experienced outdoorsman, from hunting in Alaska to kayaking around Isle Royale in Lake Superior to backpacking in national parks in the West, Thomas told the Star Tribune. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. (Brainerd Daily Dispatch)
Comeback kid May 22, 2008
I got mono on a backpacking trip right before soccer tryouts started, Maes said. He felt sick from the start of the five-day trip he takes with his father and a group of friends each summer, and by the end was about ready to keel over. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
Kings getaway May 21, 2008
Stationed beside two major trailheads, Roads End is a popular jumping off point for backpacking trips into the park's rugged interior. Names like Rae Lakes, Granite Basin and Cloud Canyon are familiar to trekkers all over the world. (Fresno Bee -- Sports)
Stainless steel, pain free May 21, 2008
In fact, his artificial hip was not the problem the day he was backpacking on Mount Washington in New Hampshire and twisted his leg, tearing his ACL. The injury led to two knee surgeries and then a study at Oregon Health & Science University, conducted by Dr. Dennis Crawford, involving cartilage restoration. Crawford removed a pea-sized piece of Kuhl's knee cartilage and sent it to a lab, where more cartilage was grown, and then inserted the new material into Kuhl's knee. (OregonLive, OR -- News)
Knights' Bailey could be the key to unlocking Barrett deal May 17, 2008
After a trip to Europe last off-season with teammate Kurt Gidley fell through when the Knights playmaker was chosen for the October Test in Wellington, Bailey went backpacking on his own and spent time with Phil in England. Wigan, who this week confirmed the signing of Parramatta hooker Mark Riddell, have also made an approach for North Queensland and Kangaroos prop Carl Webb, while the club is trying trying to finalise a deal with Bulldogs centre Cameron Phelps. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
South Beach becoming a backpacker's hotspot May 17, 2008
But he noted that "a lot of kids who do backpacking want to go to a nice, safe place." Some hostels in New York, he said, have doormen who help with luggage and others have 24-hour security which is not the case in Miami. Mark Vidalin, of Hostelling International USA, said Miami is a "funny market" because of the amount of affordable hotels in the area, and the fact that backpackers are expecting better quality than what they are getting with the hostels here. (MSNBC -- Travel)
TEACH FOR AMERICA: Nonprofit sees growth in recruiting efforts among graduating college seniors May 17, 2008
WASHINGTON -- Backpacking in Europe. Nah, the dollar's too weak -- and for some, the needs closer to home are too great. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
China: the wall comes down May 17, 2008
" A strong elemen 00004000 t of zuo xiu was apparent in Premier Wen Jiabao's activity, along with pragmatic questions of accountability that swept aside the normal political inhibitions and the sheer impracticality of keeping such a disaster under wraps in a country of half a billion mobile phones and 200 million internet users. And also, like the January snowstorms in which Wen also gave out "on-the-spot guidance" the earthquake affected the people on whose hard labour China's economic miracle... (Sydney Morning Herald)
Rising to the challenge May 17, 2008
By Wednesday five reporters from a southern publication were backpacking over huge mountains to get to Wenchuan, at the epicentre of the quake. Others were searching for lost villages. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
