Category: Travel

Hands On: CamelBak Groove Puts Filtration in the Bottle

Before a ride, run or other outdoor activity, I often fill a bottle or two with water from my filter at home then set out on the road. If I need a refill I either buy a bottle of water, defeating the purpose of bringing bottles, or fill from the tap and don’t always appreciate the taste.

CamelBak has taken its Better Bottle design and added an internal filter to create the Groove. This bottle is made of CamelBak’s BPA-free Tritan plastic, and also available in stainless steel. The Groove uses the CamelBak Big Bite Valve where you bite down on a silicon seal and sip from the straw inside. It doesn’t let water out if the bottle falls or is left on its side. The filter is a cylinder of charchoal that’s placed in the straw. Continue reading Hands On: CamelBak Groove Puts Filtration in the Bottle

LCD BacPack Gives the Hero Camera a Separate View

Sometimes when you’re capturing the action, you still want to see the action. The GoPro Hero cam, which was on display last January at the Consumer Electronics Show, now has the LCD BacPac, a detachable LCD screen that works with the GoPro Hero camera. Continue reading LCD BacPack Gives the Hero Camera a Separate View

Loksak Seals, Protects Your Phone on a Sweaty Run

Who doesn’t put their phone and ID in a zipper bag when they go on a long run, bike ride or other activity? I started sealing my phone and essentials a few years ago and it’s saved my goods in a few rain storms. Well Loksak has a line of bags for just that purpose, and they’re much more durable than what you find at your local grocery store.

aLoksak is a resealable bag that’s waterproof, dust proof and humidity proof. The bags were originally developed for SCUBA diving when the founder of the company realized he needed a 100 percent waterproof bag. There is a whole range of bags to fit many applications. There’s a number of bags the size of cell phones, iPods and other small electronic devices. The best part is that you can operate your devices, both buttons and touch screen, through the bag. You don’t need to expose your phone to the elements to look something up, or make a quick phone call. Continue reading Loksak Seals, Protects Your Phone on a Sweaty Run

Meet Copenhagen’s New Waste Treatment Plant and Ski Slope

A new waste-to-energy plant on the outskirts of Copenhagen will double as a recreational ski area. Design firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) won the design competition for client Amagerforbraending to create a waste-to-energy treatment plant on the crossroads between a residential neighborhood and an industrial zone. Another criteria for the building is to serve as a recreational area.

Continue reading Meet Copenhagen’s New Waste Treatment Plant and Ski Slope

Make Your Next Vacation a Fit Escape

A vacation on a tropical island where you plan to do nothing more than lay on the beach and dip your toe in the ocean sounds so tempting. But think of all the good you can do for your body if you spend the time working out under the direction of resort professionals.

Sugar Ridge Antigua has a Fit Escape package that includes hiking, ocean fitness, kayaking, Pilates and yoga among other activities. Skilled travelers can also go SCUBA diving, windsurfing and ziplining through the island’s tropical rainforest. Upon arrival, guests receive a postural alignment and body assessment using the Polar program. Polar equipment continues to monitor guests with the use of F2 watches and heart rate monitors. In addition, you’ll continue to get guidance on heart rate monitoring for weight loss, increased endurance and overall fitness throughout the stay. Continue reading Make Your Next Vacation a Fit Escape

Pay With Your Phone at Beaver Run Slopes

Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center began a mobile program that allows skiers to pay for room, refreshments and services, plus find out about deals in the Breckenridge, Colorado ski resort. Register for the service with a text to “BEAVERRUN” (466-622), and you’ll find out about deals on the slopes, and be entered to win a two-night stay plus two one-day lift tickets at the resort. As with other loyalty programs, participating skiers will earn perks in the resort and in the town. You can also use the program, provided by Mocapay, to send mobile-to-mobile gifting , pay for hotels and restaurant services. This offers the convenience of using one device, your phone, to pay in addition to staying in contact with friends and having access to online information if you’re phone is Web-enabled without having to bring a wallet with bills and plastic on the slopes with you. Don’t you have enough to worry about with your skis and other equipment?

Beaver Run Resort

Sheraton Brings Training on the Road with Core Performance

Workouts on the road can be a treat if the hotel has a nice gym stocked with new, top-of-the-line equipment. But then sometimes that equipment is old and tired, and ou wish you’d gotten a few more minutes of sleep before the meeting. Sheraton Hotels just put $120 million into a brand-wide fitness roll-out to equip its gyms and also revamp its meals and individual fitness strategy. Continue reading Sheraton Brings Training on the Road with Core Performance

Interbike 2010: Contour GPS Video Camera: Look Mom, No Hands

Take this for a ride. The Contour GPS camera shoots high-definition, 180p video while the built-in GPS tracks your trip in real-time. And then there’s the bonus that the camera mounts to a helmet, goggles or other article of clothing so your hands are free to grip handlebars, poles or a steering wheel. What would be the point of built-in GPS if you weren’t on the move while filming?

The Contour GPS films what you see. It also takes data on the map, terrain, and gives you a hybrid view. So when you play back the video on your computer, and especially when you post it for your friends to see, a ticker on the map follows the action on trails, ski slopes, roads, rivers, or wherever you filmed. There’s no limit. The camera is just about to hit the market for $349.99.

Just keep in mind. The video is 1080p high definition. However expect a little jerky camera syndrome. If you have a camera mounted to your helmet, it sees what you see. And if you’re riding your bike on rocky, uneven terrain, the video will likely bounce around a little. It’s still exciting that you can film high-definition to show your friends that daring descent on a black diamond slope.

For some really amazing mountain biking, check out this video and make sure to watch the GPS tracking on the right.

Contour GPS official website

Montague Cycles Knows When to Fold Them

Montague’s Boston Single Speed Folding Bicycle

Folding bicycle manufacturer Montague Cycles has announced a new line of 700c road bikes, including its first ever full-sized single speed. The Boston model includes a flip-flop hub, allowing to transform the bike from a traditional free-wheel single speed to a track ready “fixie.” 

It features a 42x16t drivetrain, which is considered ideal gearing for city riding. Designed more for the urban canyons than off-road, this bike still offers the durability that has become a Montague signature. The Boston model features the Cliz quick release and the company’s patented folding system, which allows for a conversion from full-sized ride to trunk-worthy bike in just about 20 seconds.

Continue reading Montague Cycles Knows When to Fold Them

For Running, Compression is Key

Socks are socks, right? Well, there’s running socks, tennis socks, cycling socks, general sports socks, dress sock and we could keep going. A little known sock is the compression sock used frequently for medical conditions. Travelers and athletes are learning compression socks can aid training and recovery. One Mile Runner David O’Meara, whose goal is to inspire athletes over 30 to avoid injury, wears compression socks during and after performance events.

As a runner O’Meara wears the Athletic Recovery Sock while traveling and after exercise. He wears the Performance Sock for running. Both are part of the Active Therapy Line from Sigvaris. The comparession in the sock helps to flush out lactic acid that builds in the leg during exercise. The sock’s benefits are the ability to relieve tired, aching legs and exercise-induced muscle soreness. Continue reading For Running, Compression is Key

Sip on a Better Bottle from CamelBak

CamelBak Better Bottle

What do you get when you go for a bike ride with just any water bottle? Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phalates, a chemical that has been linked to obesity, neurological disorders, cancer, and a number of other health problems.

CamelBak makes BPA-free bottles from a material called Tritan, that doesn’t allow properties to leech in the water and compromise taste and health. KineticShift took a look at three of CamelBak’s bottles, two made from BPA-free materials, and one stainless steel. Here’s what we found.

Continue reading Sip on a Better Bottle from CamelBak

Google Maps Clears a Path for Biking

Map your bike route on Google Maps.

We applauded Google years ago when it added walking directions to Google Maps. Public transportation directions are also helpful. The newest addition to Maps is Bicycling directions. Now in beta (what at Google isn’t?), you can look up the bike routes you take, and learn about new ones. I just mapped a ride I took a few times last summer, Manhattan to Nyack, New York. It suggested two routes that differed even a little from the two routes I’ve ridden in the past. Now I’m looking forward to a nice enough day to take the new routes.

For discovery, Google highlights streets by bike friendliness. Dark green lines on the map indicate dedicated bike-only trails. Light green lines mark streets with a dedicated bike lane along the road. Dotted green lines indicate roads without bike lanes, but still appropriate for biking based on terrain, traffic, and intersections. In hilly cities such as San Francisco Google Maps will plot out a course that’s less hilly. Of course you can always drag and drop your route on the map to adjust to your specifications.

Google partnered with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit that creates a network of trails from former rail lines, to build the data in over 150 cities for this project. To get biking directions you can go to Google Maps and select bicycling as your mode of transportation, or go to the specific page for bicycling.

Check out Google’s video on its new maps for bicycling.

Rugged Handset and More

There are plenty of smart looking handsets, but there are times when a stylish smartphone isn’t a smart move. If you’re travels take you to the rough part of town or on rugged treks, consider the new Sonim XP2 Spirit handset, which is now available to our friends in Europe. It can handle a drop on concrete from up to two meters, and can endure temperature shifts from -20C to +55C, and this handset can even get wet and wild to boot.

This week Sonim announced a new partnership with Nimbuzz, an award-winning next generation mobile messaging service, which would see the Nimbuzz Java client pre-installed on the XP2 Spirit handsets. This gives users access to IM and chat client that aggregates multiple social networks into one contact list. The phone further features an in-phone app store, plus an MP3 player and still/video camera making this a communication and entertainment device for your mobile adventures!