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Friday, December 24, 2010
Top 10 Ethical Destinations for 2011
Most travelers tend to base their trip planning on relatively simple goals: sun, cathedrals, wine, beaches, museums, umbrella drinks, local culture, cuisine, beer, mountains. You get the picture.
Spud Hilton / Bad Latitude
Krakow, Poland
The folks at Ethical Traveler, however, a Berkeley nonprofit advocacy group that advises travelers on how to use "economic power to strengthen human rights and protect the environment," would prefer if travelers focused on making plans based on, well, doing the right thing.
More specifically, they want travelers to visit and support developing countries that have an positive record in three areas: Environmental Protection, Social Welfare, and Human Rights.
"Travel is one of the biggest industries on Earth, and our economic power as travelers is enormous. When we're mindful of where our money is going, we turn that power into political activism," this year's report states. "Deciding which countries to visit -- and where to eat, sleep and tour when we get there -- are not trivial concerns. The way we travel has a real impact on the environment, human rights, and the way our home countries are perceived by people in other lands."
According to this year's report, the Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations are (in alphabetical order): Argentina, Barbados, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, Latvia, Lithuania, Palau, Poland and Uruguay.
Details, including justification for the rankings -- and the loss of status by a few previous winners -- can be found in the full report at EthicalTravler.org.
| Dec 24 at 08:00 AM
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Travel gear gifts: Thule 87-Liter Rolling Duffle
If you're still casting about for a gift for the avid traveler on your list, here's a video review for the Thule 97-Liter Rolling Duffle, a great and useful bag from the Swedish folks who make the car-top carriers for your skis.
If nothing else, this bag can hold enough gear for at least five days in the airport while waiting for of delayed flights. Find out more at Thule.com.
Got gift suggestions for travelers? Add them below or at Facebook.com/SpudontheRoad
.Here's an earlier Gear column review for the Thule Crossover Rolling Carry-On.
| Dec 23 at 11:16 AM
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
iPad Travel Challenge: It's ready
Yeah, we finally have lift-off.
At the risk of appearing to join the crush of humanity pushing Apple's iPad as the hot toy of the holiday season, I'm finally ready to say that the tablet computer is ready for travel. (Meaning: I would actually buy one myself for use on the road.)
Bad Latitude
Several months ago, I used an iPad for 30 days and, at the end, loved the gadget for all manner of uses -- but it had not justified a claim as indispensable travel gadget. With the exception of viewing photos full size, almost all the apps (language, maps, packing lists, flight tracking) worked just as well on a smart phone. So why take the extra weight?
Two things happened to change my mind:
1) The introduction (or discovery) of several apps and accessories made the iPad suddenly more necessary.
2) Scores of savvy travelers told me I was wrong. For them, it had become indispensable.
I don't want to go over all the apps and accessories that changed my mind, but here are three that made a difference: Read More 'iPad Travel Challenge: It's ready' »
| Dec 08 at 09:22 AM
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Travel gear gifts: SteriPEN UV water purifier
Today, we're talking about the SteriPEN Traveler Handheld UV Water Purifier, which is supposed to "kill 99.9 percent of bacteria, viruses and protozoa" in a container of water by using UV rays. We're not sure if it works or not, but the box says it does -- and I guess that's going to have to good enough for now.
The videos offer a closer look at some of products that gear buyers love, as well as a few items for making the road easier. Find more suggestions for gear in this year's annual Traveler's Gift Guide.
Got gift suggestions for travelers? Add them below or at Facebook.com/SpudontheRoad
.| Dec 07 at 08:00 AM
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Travel gear gifts: Pelican 1510 overnight case
Today, we're talking about the Pelican 1510 Laptop Overnight Case, a piece of rolling luggage from the folks known for making seemingly indestructible waterproof cases for expensive gear. This item is The Travel Section's annual Traveler's Gift Guide.
The videos offer a closer look at some of products that gear buyers love, as well as a few items for making the road easier.
Got gift suggestions for travelers? Add them below or at Facebook.com/SpudontheRoad
.| Dec 05 at 08:00 AM
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Travel gear gifts: Sling-O-Matic camera bag
Today, we're talking about the Sling-O-Matic 10 camera bag from Think Tank Photo, a pro-quality bag with a particularly practical mystery feature. While this item doesn't appear on our annual Traveler's Gift Guide on Dec. 5, it was featured in the recent Travel Gadget story on gear bags.
The videos offer a closer look at some of products that gear buyers love, as well as a few items for making the road easier.
Got gift suggestions for travelers? Add them below or at Facebook.com/SpudontheRoad
.(Editor's note: In the spirit of disclosure, it should be noted that two of Think Tank's founders are former photographers for the San Francisco Chronicle. They were not consulted on this review.)
| Dec 04 at 08:00 AM
Friday, December 03, 2010
Travel gear gifts: REI Tote Cooler
Today, we're talking about the REI Tote Cooler, the surprisingly practical love child of a beach tote and a Coleman picnic cooler. This item will be on our annual Traveler's Gift Guide on Dec. 5.
The videos offer a closer look at some of products that gear buyers love, as well as a few items for making the road easier.
Got gift suggestions for travelers? Add them below or at Facebook.com/SpudontheRoad
.| Dec 03 at 08:00 AM
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Travel gear gifts: Storm Logic jacket
Looking for gift suggestions for the travel-gear junkie in your family? Need ideas for your own holiday list? We're running a series of video gear reviews while ramping up to our annual Traveler's Gift Guide on Dec. 5.
The videos offer a closer look at some of products that gear buyers love, as well as a few items for making the road easier.
Got gift suggestions for travelers? Add them below or at Facebook.com/SpudontheRoad
.| Dec 02 at 11:50 AM
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Pat-down panic? Quit whining and take the bus
About 10 minutes after the two planes turned downtown New York into a mass grave site, everyone who wasn't busy clutching an American flag was screaming: "How could such things be? How on Earth do these guys get weapons past our gate security screeners?"
Paul Beaty / Associated Press
Three reasons: 1) The terrorists planned well; 2) the box-cutter "weapon" was the size of a package of Trident gum; and 3) thanks to widespread complacency, there was no consistency in the rules and we had a patchwork of an airline security force that, in general, was widely under-trained, under-supervised and commonly seen as a dumping ground for folks who couldn't cut it at Burger King and 7-Eleven.
(A side note: In a sad twist of timing, the movie "Big Trouble" was supposed to be released the week of the 9-11 disaster, but was immediately shelved because of a scene in which characters played by Tom Sizemore and Johnny Knoxville easily smuggle a nuclear bomb in carry-on luggage past wildly inept and tragically apathetic gate security workers at Miami Airport. A little too true to be funny, I guess.)
Nine years later, we're on the verge of holiday travel chaos because, sad but true, American travelers are ridiculously spoiled whiners. Everyone claims to want security -- right up until the moment that it becomes inconvenient or uncomfortable.
I recently got patted-down at airports in Germany and Poland. Predictably, no one seemed to be bellyaching about the process -- more than likely they either don't care, or they see it as a small price to pay to make sure no one on the plane messes with the delicate miracle of flight. Last week, not only did I not get patted down at SFO, I was able to pick which line to be in to avoid the full-body scanner.
While there are genuine stories of abuse and humiliation (albeit isolated stories), for the most part the painfully loud whining is by folks who likely haven't set foot in an airport in a while, but who saw a YouTube video or Today Show segment that didn't bother to offer context, only fear. Only now is the media bothering to point out that less than 3 percent of passengers are subjected to the pat-down, and the only people with any reasonable case against the full-body scanners are air crew and fliers who are freakishly prudish.
It doesn't really matter if the full-body scanners or pat-downs are a good idea or not -- no, not every idea coming from the TSA or Homeland Security is even close to being a winner -- because we will whine about them regardless. As a culture, we live to whine.
It's a cycle: Disaster, vigilance, complacency and whining -- until there's another smoking mass grave, and we start all over again.
| Nov 23 at 10:08 AM
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Happy Birthday, Robert Louis Stevenson!
The famed author of "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" and "Treasure Island" would be celebrating his 160th birthday today -- if he weren't, well, you know, dead.
Here are some photos from Mt. Saint Helena at the north end of the Napa Valley, where Stevenson and his new bride spend a summer living in an abandoned mining shack on the side of the mountain; from Schramsberg winery, where the author hung out with the wine pioneer and smoked cigars on the deck of Schramsberg's home; and from the museum in Calistoga that has a permanent exhibit dedicated to the author.
Stevenson went on to write a book about his experience called "Silverado Squatters."
All photos by Spud Hilton / Bad Latitude
Here's a Sunday Travel story about walking in Stevenson's footsteps.
| Nov 13 at 02:17 PM
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