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July 4, 2017 by Chase Vandros

3 Survival Skills To Learn Before You Embark On Your Next RV Trip

One of the most overlooked preparations when getting ready for an RV trip is learning new survival skills. You must be prepared for the possibility of your RV breaking down in a remote area where civilization is far away, and this means learning basic yet effective survival skills to pull you through until help arrives.

Here are the top three survival skills to learn before you embark on your next RV trip:

How To Build A Fire

Knowing how to build a fire is one of the most essential survival skills to know. This is because fire is the only thing that can provide you with light, warmth, and a means to cook food or boil water simultaneously. The very act of building a fire will be a huge morale booster in a life-or-death survival situation.

According to Outdoorsy.com, there are many different ways to start a fire in a survival situation as well: you can simply get one going using traditional fire starting devices such as a lighter, matches, or magnesium flint striker; you can rub a battery against steel wool; you can use chap stick or hand sanitizer as kindling as both are flammable; or you can build a fire bow drill.

How To Signal For Help

Another critically important survival skill to know is not how to walk back to help, but how to bring help to you. This is where learning basic signaling techniques can save your life.

There are a variety of techniques you can use for signaling for help: polish the bottom of a soda or beer can and then aim it towards the sun to reflect the sunlight, burn green boroughs to create a strong smoke signal, aim a mirror towards the sun to also reflect the light, or actually spell out ‘SOS’ or ‘HELP’ using sticks and rocks in a clearing.

How To Purify Water

You can only survive for three days without water, and you’ll feel the negative effects of dehydration after going just one day without it. Therefore, knowing how to purify water you collect to make it safe to drink is critical.

Easily the safest way to purify water is to boil it. Boil the water in a clean metal container for a minimum of fifteen minutes and then allow it to cool before drinking. If there are any visible substances such as dirt in the water as well, you will need to remove those substances by filtering your water.

You can make your own DIY water filter by taking a bottle, puncturing holes in the bottom, and then making layers of sand, pebbles, leaves, and charcoal, with each layer being a minimum of an inch deep.

Learning New Survival Skills

While there are many more survival skills out there for you to learn, these three will be the most critically important for you know for your next camping trip should anything go wrong.

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June 28, 2017 by Chase Vandros

Make Your Next Vacation a Splash

Has the time come for you to get away from it all? If the response is yes, where are you thinking of heading off to?

For millions in need of a vacation, there are generally countless options to consider.

Do they state in the country and see some different states? Do they head off to neighboring Canada or Mexico for some R&R? What about a trip to Europe?

With so many choices in front of them, many travelers have a tough time making a decision.

That said your number one goal with travel is to make sure you have everything as planned out as can be.

So, are you ready to pack your bags and head out?

Getting the Most of Your Travel Opportunities

For people looking to hit the road for summer travel or getaways the rest of the year, making the most of it is key.

To do that, being a good planner comes into play.

Part of making the most of that planning is receiving the best deal possible. Whether this means airlines, hotels, rental cars, the list is endless.

As an example, when searching for Niagara Falls hotel deals, you want to give a hotel a chance to find the right deal. In doing so, you’re almost guaranteed to get the best rate going.

The same holds true when in need of a flight.

Although there are a myriad of travel sites out there, you may end up with money left by booking with the airline.

Your best bet is always to shop and compare what is out there. That way, you have a variety of choices to select from.

See Where You Can Save Some More Money

Not only how you book your trips is important, but also what you do once on those vacations.

While you want to have a great time no matter where you go, don’t come home with only pennies left in your pockets. You can save some money during the trip and still have a great time.

Among the ways to go about this:

· Book early – As mentioned earlier, by booking your trip as far ahead of time as possible, you are more apt to save money. Always check the Internet for deals. Also view television and newspaper stories that highlight saving money when traveling.

· Take your own food – Have you seen some of the prices for food at airports? In some cases, you almost need a second job to afford a meal, Okay, while that is an exaggeration, you get the idea. By packing snacks and sandwiches, you oftentimes avoid spending money on expensive food. This is especially true if you are taking little ones along on the trip.

· Avoid expensive transportation – No matter where you go, you’re likely to find mass transit. Okay, that is unless you’re going camping far from civilization. That said you may want to skip the rental car and take the bus or subway etc. where you go. Not only can you save money not getting a rental, but you do not have to worry about finding somewhere to park it.

Whether you make summertime your go-to travel time or hit the road over the winter holidays, make it a splash.

When you shop for deals and use some commonsense, your next vacation should be one to remember

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June 15, 2017 by Chase Vandros

5 Ways To Add A Level Of Luxury To Your Travels

https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-boat-on-body-of-water-186712/

When you’re a frequent traveler, you can often find that you tend to stick to the same kinds of experiences. After all, when you’ve found something you love, why wouldn’t you. But, it can often be fun to switch things up a little – especially when that switch involves the best of the best. Even if you’re a newbie traveler, it can be exciting to add a luxury touch to your plans. Sometimes, you just want to spoil yourself, kick back, and enjoy some of the most incredible experiences in the world. And when you want to do that, here are a few things to help you.

Go Private

Want to travel in style? Then you’re going to want to look at your options for flying private, with using a site like jettly. Not only will you get that luxury edge that you’re looking for, but you’ll benefit from incredible comfort, flying solo (or in a small group) and getting to your destination so much easier. If that doesn’t take your fancy, then why not hire a private yacht? Not only can you make it your vacation spot for the summer, but you can head out to see and swim too.

Upgrade Your Stay

With transport covered, why not think about staying in style too? Sometimes, you want to treat yourself when it comes to accommodation. And we all know there are some pretty stunning spots to stay in around the world. So wherever you’re heading, go five-star plus. Not only will your surroundings look incredible, but you’ll benefit from impeccable service and the ultimate in relaxing vacations.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/adult-chairs-leisure-luxury-404393/

Take A Tour

Not every offer of activities will appeal to you, but if you want to do something completely indulgent but still nourishing, head off on a guided private tour. Whether you’re staying in a city or flying to a private island, there’s always something to see. But don’t wonder around aimlessly, get yourself booked in for a culture-clad wine tasting or tour of the local art gallery. This way, not only will it be heaps of fun, but you’ll broaden your horizons too.

Visit The Spa

But if you’re really not feeling up to much, you might want to think about spending some time in the spa. Because when you’re staying in first class accommodation, the spa is always second to none. If you want to make sure that your place has one of the best, take a look through the best spas in the world and see if any takes your fancy. Then, you’ll truly be able to relax, switch off and feel like a brand new you.

Treat Yourself

And sometimes, you want to be able to treat yourself, just because. When the occasion calls for it, go all out. Get champagne in your room, reserve an elegant restaurant for dinner and dance until the sun comes up, just because you can. Make sure you snap away to save your memories, take everything in and enjoy your little luxury touches. Because life’s too short not to spoil yourself every once in awhile.

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April 3, 2017 by Chase Vandros

Business Travel Help: Top Apps You’ll Want to Pack in Your Smartphone

In today’s connected world, packing isn’t just about your physical belongings. You can also pack virtual items – smartphone apps that can help you in various ways on your trip.

A smartphone app may even end up being one the most useful things you bring along, and it won’t even make your suitcase any heavier!

Here are some of the top apps to pack for a business trip.

Concur

Concur is the simplest way to track travel expenses, as well as submit and approve expense reports. The app allows you to import credit card data, capture and store receipts, itemize hotels charges and more.

With Concur, you don’t have to worry about carrying around receipts and can get expensive approved in real time.

TripIt

Organizing a business trip has never been easier. Simply import your confirmation emails for hotels, events, flights and more, and TripIt will automatically create an itinerary for you.

This app keeps all your reservations in one place, which helps simplify the planning process and keeps you on schedule. You can even sync it with Concur to save even more time.

Circleback

Managing business contacts can be difficult, especially if you meet a lot of new ones on your business trips.

Circleback stores all of your business contacts in one place and automatically updates their contact information if they change it. You can even scan business cards to quickly load contact info into the app.

Dufl

If you really want to pack light, this is the application for you. Dufl allows you to choose what you want to wear from a virtual closet. The company will then clean it, press it and ship it to your destination. After your trip, schedule a pickup from your hotel and they’ll hang it back up in your virtual closet.

If you hate packing or searching for your bags at the airport, Dufl can help you get out of the terminal and to your first meeting fast.

PandaDoc

PandaDoc is a sleek way to sign, send, track and store legally binding documents. With this app, you can get that contract signed on the spot and send it back to your company as soon as the deal is done.

Automatic Call Recorder for Me

When you’re on the go and you get an important phone call, it can be hard to stop and take notes. With Automatic Call Recorder for Me, you don’t have to.

You can set the app to automatically record certain calls or manually start recording when a call comes in. With this call recorder app for Android, you’ll never forget what someone told you during that important phone conversation.

Yelp

While not strictly for business use, Yelp can certainly help you find your way around an unfamiliar place. You can use this app to find a restaurant to take a client to, order some late night pizza, find a mechanic if you’re having car problems and just find fun things to do with any spare time you have. You can even make reservations easily from the app.

Hipmunk

This app compares top travel sites and shows you the best deals on hotels, flights and more. It’s great for saving money, choosing accommodations and find last-minute bookings if your plans suddenly change.

In today’s world, the apps you load onto your smartphone may be just as important as the stuff you pack in your suitcase. For a successful business trip, download a few of these top business travel apps.

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February 28, 2017 by Chase Vandros

Travel Photography Tips

Australia, with endless beautiful coastlines and harbours, is the perfect setting for landscape photography. With such a beautiful landscape, it is a photographer’s dream, with the setting sun over the Australian coastline offering up the opportunity to create some of the most beautiful photos ever taken.

How do you capture that experience in photography? Most individuals don’t. Instead, they show their pictures with an apology – “I wish you were there”. Some people though, always manage to come home with photos so good you can imagine them photo printed on canvas and hung in galleries or in pride of place in their home. So how do you make sure you come home with a killer shot?

The Magic Hour

Beautiful landscape photos are usually defined by the quality of light they were taken in. As a result, photographers tend to shoot very early in the morning or during late afternoons when the sun is lower, less contrasty and usually displays a subtle colour palette of moody hues. For this reason, the hours before dusk and after dawn are known as the “magic hours”. If rising at dawn doesn’t fit well with your idea of a relaxing trip, don’t worry, there are plenty of great landscape opportunities throughout the day.

Photo credit: AustralianExplorer – It’s hard to take a bad photo of an Australian sunset over the outback

Think Foregrounds

One component that can set apart your landscape photos is to think carefully about the foreground of your pictures and by placing points of interest in them. When you do this you give those viewing the photos a way into the image as well as creating s sense of depth in your photos.

Photo credit: TheCanvasFactory – The harbour and the ferry in the foreground of this shot give the whole frame a real depth. The Opera house in the background is just the icing on the cake.

Consider the Sky

The sky is also a vital element to consider in your photograph. Most landscapes will either have a dominant sky or foreground, unless you have one or the other your photos can end up being fairly boring.

In the event that you have a boring sky, do not let dominate your photos and place the horizon in the upper third of your photo (however you will need to make sure that your foreground is amazing). On the other hand, if the sky is filled with interesting cloud formations and colours, let it shine by placing the horizon lower.

Straight horizons are a must in landscape pictures, unless you want to create certain impressions. Straight horizon adds uniformity and tranquillity to the shots, while a tilted horizon puts viewers off balance. A canted horizon can be very troubling and this technique can be used for intentionally creating this effect.

Composition

Composition is vital to successful landscape shots, and if you don’t know where to start, use “rule of thirds” to get things going. Try to include some rocks, where water is flowing, a puddle reflecting the sunset sky, or even an old tree stump and its weathered texture. Use what is available and let it provide some balance to the background elements.

Photo credit: Queensland.com – The interesting composition of this shot from the Barrier Reef is what really makes the each individual piece stand out.

The Rule of Thirds

To use this rule, imagine 4 lines, 2 lying flat across the image and 2 vertical creating 9 even squares. Some pictures will look wonderful with the focal point in the centre square, but placing the subject off centre will create extra interest as it creates an attractive layout. When an image is taken using this rule the eyes will wander the frame. A photography composed by this rule is more interesting and attractive to the eye.

Polarising Filters

While polarising filters are most commonly used to cut through reflections on water or darken blue skies, they also add an exceptional richness of colours. The idea to using polarising is the understanding that they are flexible. Sometimes a photograph may need a lot of polarisation; other times a little will do, so think about its application.

Take People into Account

Landscape photography is not just about nature; people can also be a vital part of landscape photography. A gorgeous landscape images can also be perfected by a lovely girl or a cute baby jumping or running through the flowers. Place the individual in an off centre position to create interest. Select slower shutter speed if you wish to capture movement or a fast shutter speed if you want to freeze the action.