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Friday
Feb032012

66 NORTH - Great Outdoor Clothing

It happens to many travelers..

Is it the landscape?

The hospitality of the people?

Feeling one with nature?

Who knows for sure...

But after just one visit to Iceland, you're hooked!

I was there back in 2010, a few months after the volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajokull (ay-yah-FYAH'-plah-yer-kuh-duhl)

We were going to hike up the volcano and I didn't have the proper gear, so my host let me borrow one of his 66°NORTH jackets. I had never heard of 66°NORTH but was told it was one of Iceland's oldest design and manufacturing companies that was started in 1926.

The weather was warm and sunny at the start but as we climbed up it quickly turned from a light drizzle to cold rain and eventually snow. I was pleasantly surprised that my borrowed jacket kept me warm and dry the entire time.

I had an amazing time in Iceland, meeting wonderful people and seeing some incredible places. I have been looking forward to returning as soon as I can.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

In my travels I'm always looking for good, dependable gear. So I sent a tweet to various outdoor companies asking for suggestions for my next big adventure, Antarctica.

Out of ALL the companies on Twitter, I only received ONE response...it was from 66°NORTH.

So after a few direct messages and e-mails, I am happy to announce a two month partnership between earthXplorer and 66°NORTH!

I look forward to putting their gear to the test in Antarctica and beyond!

So if you are looking for some great gear for your next adventure, check out 66°NORTH!

 

Tuesday
Dec202011

The point & shoot camera is Dead! (to me anyway)

Click. Crap! Click. Crap, crap!!!

   

Today I returned the last point & shoot camera I'll ever buy!

A back-up, for spontaneous craziness, to hand to strangers to snap a pic of me at a cool spot...this is what my point & shoot camera was for.

I started with a Sony and was never happy about the clarity and color ( I would always take 2-3 shots of the same thing, just to make sure it was in focus) but after you buy a few expensive 'Sony' memory cards, you're stuck. 

But after seeing my friends vacation photos, that were clear and very colorful (the guy was no photographer, it was all camera) I made the move to Canon and never looked back....well for a few years anyway.

I was always happy with the Canon point & shoot cameras, so much that I probably went through five different models. I would still be using my latest Canon, the PowerShot Elph but it was stolen on a trip to Mexico.

What was next? Another Canon?

Since I've been using my iPhone with great results, I wanted more out of the ol' point & shoot.

 

How about one with a GPS and waterproof? Since Canon doesn't make one, I choose the Nikon Coolpix AW100.

It looked very cool and I was thrilled that I could take photos and video underwater.

So I took with me on my trip to Universal Studios last weekend to test it out.

The two pics above (of the Christmas trees) were taken the first day. I could not get it to focus.

To be fair, it took some ok photos and I never had the chance to test the clarity underwater.

But after too many out of focus shots...

 

I grabbed my iPhone4 (not 4S) and used it for the whole trip.

Not only did it take great photos, you have so many cool apps to manipulate and share them immediately with your friends, family and social networks.

Just don't take it underwater!

To show how good the iPhone4 is, I took it to Butterfly world and

(In my opinion) got some really amazing photos.

So that's it, no more point & shoot cameras for me.

 

What about you? Do you have a favorite point & shoot camera? Do you just use your smartphone?

Please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

"Live the Adventure"

~JD

Monday
Dec192011

Holiday Gift ideas for Travelers, Photographers & other Humans

I Travel with a lot of gear, gadgets and gizmos. After years of trail and error, here are a few I really like.

Bags

When traveling across the world or across the street, we all need a good bag to keep our ‘stuff’ (in my case Geek Stuff) safe and sound. That’s where Tom Bihn comes in. What? You’ve never heard to Tom and his bags, well schedule about 10 to 20 minutes of ‘me time’ and check out all their cool Stuff *HERE*

What I love about them:

Tom Bihn (yes, a real guy) works directly with the sewing crew to make sure each bag is made the same (or better than) its first prototype, which Tom sews himself. Yes, he sews, hikes and plays the accordion. (not all at the same time)

All Tom Bihn bags are manufactured in their Seattle, Washington factory. (almost 6000 miles from China)

There are so many sizes, shapes, patterns, colors and accessories to choose from.

And the biggie, are you ready? Lifetime Guarantee!

I’ve had mine for over a year and I love it!

Tom Bihn TWITTER

Clothing

Pockets, pockets and more pockets, keep your gadgets close, accessible and secure in a SCOTTEVEST. (Scott, also a real guy)

Choose from a variety of styles and colors of men and women’s jackets, vests, shirts, hoodies and more. (even boxers)

I have two SCOTTEVEST jackets that I wear traveling; it’s like having another carry on!

SCOTTEVEST TWITTER

 

 

For Business and Adventure travelers - The P^cubed Pick-Pocket Proof Pants (that’s a lot of P’s) & Shorts from Clothing Arts.

Can you tell I like pockets? Zip the zipper to seal the pocket; secure the button flap for twice the protection; for even more security, lock whats most valuable in the triple secure hidden passport pocket.

Made from extremely durable fabrics that are wrinkle, rain and stain Resistant. (You had me at wrinkle free!) When you put them on, you can feel the quality (That’s my line, they can use it if they want) but don’t let the price scare you (around $80 - $100), as any traveler will tell you, it’s worth it!

Clothing Arts TWITTER

Video/Photography

I have been looking for the best ‘travel’ tripod for a long time. At TBEX, we had a room full of videobloggers and I asked if anyone knew of a tripod that was:

  • Lightweight & small enough to travel with but sturdy
  • Fluid head with handle
  • Bubble level and quick shoe (quick shoe: A little plate that attaches to the bottom of your camera for easy connection and disconnecting from tripod)
  • Easy to set up & take down with case
  • Durable & affordable

Well, after a long search, I’m happy to say I found it from VANGUARD!

 The Alta Pro 254CT tripod with the PH-32 pan head.

This award-winning tripod is lightweight (but sturdy) with carbon fiber legs (3.5 lbs)

Easy to set up and take down, case included.

The PH-32 pan head is lightweight, has three (yes 3) bubble levels, 3-way fluid pan head with two handles and (my favorite) a quick shoe. All for around $400

Vanguard Photo TWITTER

 

For your point and shoot camera

The XSXShot 2.0

This is a fun and easy way to get the whole family or group in a photo or use it to get some cool angels on your more ‘artsy’ shots. The XShot extends to over 3 feet and closes to 9 inches, made of durable metal and weighs only 5 ounces for round $30

XShot TWITTER

 

 

 

Misc.

When it comes to shaving on the road, my pick is the Philips Norelco SensoTouch.

I'm not a big fan of shaving at all but it beats looking like a bum (or so I'm told)

I choose the electric razors for two reasons: 

1. Hard to find clean water and shaving cream

2. You can shave anywhere, on a bus next to a goat or in a tent in the middle of nowhere.

Philips Norelco TWITTER 

 

This year I had the chance to travel to Egypt, Jordan, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Places that are not known for having ‘good’ water.

 This makes the simple task of brushing your teeth, a little tougher.

So I had the choice of not brushing (which my travel group frowned upon) or trying these cool new Toothpaste tablets from Archtek.

Just pop a tablet in your mouth, chew, brush, rinse (sounds better than ‘Spit’) No water needed. (15 for around $2.50)

Archtek TWITTER

 

So that’s my list, what’s on yours?

Happy Holidays!!!

~jd

Monday
Jan312011

Gear, Gadgets & Gizmos ~ the @EyeFiCard

Gear, Gadgets & Gizmos on @GoingSocialTV - Explaining the cool EYE-Fi SD card for your camera from that send your pictures through Wi-Fi, never loose another picture again!

Thursday
Jan202011

Gear • Gadgets • Gizmos ~ Griffin PowerBlock Review ~ @griffintech

A Review segment from @GoingSocialTV

If you know of any great travel gear, gadgets or gizmos, please e-mail us at GoingSocialTV@gmail.com

 

A Review segment from @GoingSocialTV 

The Griffin Power Block Reserve, Very cool little gadget for travel, you can always use extra power on the road!

If you know of any great travel gear, gadgets or gizmos, please contact me :)