Click here to compare and buy Kelty sleeping bags at Amazon.com

If you’re looking for a good quality light sleeping bag to take with you backpacking, trekking or camping, you can’t really go wrong with a Kelty sleeping bag. Kelty is an award winning company well known for their gear for hiking, backpacking, travel and other outdoor adventures so you know that you’re buying from a company who understands the needs of travelers.

Kelty produce four different ranges of sleeping bags to suit different budgets and types of traveler. Before choosing which sleeping bag to buy you need to think carefully about where you will be using it so you can take into consideration the temperature rating, weight and how small it packs down – ultra small and light sleeping bags are best for backpackers as they take up little space in your pack.

The Apex series is the premium range of Kelty sleeping bags for travelers and outdoor enthusiasts who need a very high performance and light sleeping bag that is suitable for all seasons. These mummy shaped sleeping bags are insulated with 750-fill-power goose down making them incredibly warm yet light. The design of the sleeping bag minimizes heat loss and comes in two different sizes. You can choose from the Foraker 0 which is suitable down to zero degrees or the Foraker -15 for temperatures to negative 15 degrees. These down sleeping bags retail from around $300 to $500. Click here to buy a Kelty Foraker sleeping bag.

The Backcountry range provides a selection of great mid-range sleeping bags for backpackers and camping. If you’re looking for a Kelty down sleeping bag that you can rely on in all situations but won’t break the bank then this is the range for you. The sleeping bags in this range are named Light Year and come in synthetic or down versions. Models are shaped specifically for male or female body types. Retail prices vary from around $100 for the synthetic Light Year XP 40 degree summer weight bag to around $250 for the Light Year Down 0 four seasons sleeping bag which was voted 2008 best buy by backpacker magazine. Click here to buy a Light Year Kelty sleeping bag.

If you’re on a budget then look to the Trail range for a great selection of good quality inexpensive synthetic filled sleeping bags. If you’ve read any Kelty sleeping bag reviews then you will see that these sleeping bags are great value for money. There is a selection of sleeping bags suitable for kids from this range including the Little Tree 20 and the Little Flower 20 Junior which are suitable for use in the spring or fall from around $50. For the adults too there is lots of choice including the Forecast range suitable from 20 or 40 degrees depending on the model; The Mistral and cosmic ranges which have versions suitable from zero degrees to 35 degrees and the higher end Coromell which is a semi-rectangular shape giving a little more elbow room than the mummy shaped sleeping bags. The adult sized bags in the Trail range retail from $60 – $220.

Finally if you’re looking for a sleeping bag with more room for use indoors or a Kelty double wide sleeping bag then look to the Basecamp range for a selection of rectangular single and double sleeping bags which are great for summer camping or using in a cabin or hostel. Choose from the Corona, Eclipse, Galactic, Satellite, Supernova or Celestial models which range from around $70 to $280.

Kelty sleeping bags are some of the best selling sleeping bags on the market due to their high quality, light weight and excellent value for money. If you’re looking for a lightweight but warm and versatile sleeping bag to take with you on your next backpacking trip, a Kelty sleeping bag is a great choice.

So what is a sleeping bag liner? Sometimes called a sleep sheet these are basically a sheet which has been folded in half and sewn along two sides. Commercial sleeping bag liners will often also have a pocket for a pillow. You can use them together with a sleeping bag to protect the inside and give an extra layer of warmth, or you can use them on their own in hot countries or under sheets and blankets provided by hotels and hostels if you have any doubts about their cleanliness.

You can buy a silk liner sleeping bag from any outdoor store and many retailers on the internet and online auction sites like eBay. If you’re really on a tight budget then of course it is possible to make your own by simply sewing together a cotton sheet but there really are some huge advantages to having one made from silk which will soon become apparent when you’re travelling.

Firstly silk is incredibly lightweight and packs down very small. This means you will hardly notice the space and weight it takes up in your backpack and you can simply stuff it in the bottom without worrying about folding or rolling. Secondly silk, unlike cotton, dries very quickly. You can wash out your sleep sheet and have it dry within minutes in hot sunshine, whereas cotton takes much longer and can start to smell if it takes too long to dry. Silk also has excellent heat properties – it will keep you cool in hot weather and provide warmth when it’s cold. Not to mention the obvious that silk feels great on your skin.

So just how much will one of these miracle silk sleeping bag liners cost you? Surprisingly they are very affordable and this is yet another reason why you have no excuse not to own one. You can pick up a handmade silk sleep sheet in a rainbow of different colors on eBay for as little as $10 on EBay or if you prefer a higher quality version that will last longer or a silk mummy sleeping bag liner to fit a mummy shaped sleeping bag, you’re looking at about $50. This is an incredibly reasonable price when you think that you will be using it every day and the benefits it will give you.

Silk sleeping bag liners protect you from bed bugs and dirty sheets, are great to cuddle up in on airplanes, buses and trains and are perfect for adding a few degrees of warmth to your regular sleeping bag when you’re camping or staying in cold countries. It really is a must-have item for travelers!

There are many different types of double wide sleeping bag available and the type you choose depends on where you will be using it and how you will be carrying it. If you are travelling by car and weight and space isn’t an issue then you can choose your double sleeping bag based on comfort alone. However if you’re backpacking and carrying everything with you, you will want a really lightweight double sleeping bag that packs down small.

The Coleman double sleeping bag is a popular choice for many couples and comes in a range of styles. Many of these sleeping bags have a flannel lining for extra comfort which is really cozy when you are camping or staying in a drafty cabin or caravan. The padding of the sleeping bag is made from hollow fiber which is a great insulator as well as being lightweight. They are great for camping, music festivals or just keeping in the home for extra house guests. However these double sleeping bags are a little on the heavy side so they are probably not so suitable for backpackers.

As well as your sleeping bag you will probably want to buy a double sleeping bag liner. This will give your sleeping bag an extra layer, usually adding a few degrees of warmth to the temperature rating. They also protect the inside of the sleeping bag meaning you do not need to wash it as regularly – you can just pop the liner in the washing machine whenever it needs to be cleaned. You can buy these sleep sheets in many different materials but a silk sleeping bag liner is a great choice as it works great in both hot and cold conditions, is light and packs down small and feels great against the skin.

When choosing the sleeping bag that is right for you, make sure to read lots of double sleeping bag reviews so you can see what other people thought of different models and the advantages and disadvantages. This way you know if you are getting value for money. Keep in mind what you need the sleeping bag for as you read the reviews – a person using a sleeping bag as spare bedding in the house will probably not have the same view as someone taking it backpacking with them.

The best double sleeping bag will keep you warm but not too hot, be easy to clean, easy to carry and pack down small. Don’t expect that a good quality bag will be cheap but if you use it a lot the cost will be well worth your investment. For more flexibility and value for money you might want to consider single sleeping bags that zip together in order to form one double sleeping bag.

One thing that you will be able to find when you are looking at this type of luggage is that most of it easily fits the requirements for carry-on luggage. This means that you will not have to worry about paying a fee for oversized bags and you will not have to worry about checking your bag when you go to the airport. Another thing that you will notice is that this luggage comes equipped with high millage wheels and an extend-able handle that make it easy for you to wheel it through it through the airport with you. This is a huge advantage that you will not find with some of the other types of suitcases and travel bags that you may be considering purchasing.

When you are looking for a way to combat th e new airline fees turn to Travelpro luggage. These bags are spacious enough to take everything that you need for your trip, but do not take up a lot of room so they will qualify as carry-on luggage. If you are getting ready to take a trip in the near future then make sure that you choose the best solution for taking everything that you need without paying any extra fees.

Photo by Novecentino

I am currently on the verge of buying the laptop I’ll be taking with me on my travels. I currently work from a shuttle desktop pc which, compact as it is, is obviously not suitable for taking backpacking. I also have an old battered ibook which I dropped and broke the hinges on – it’s not in a fit state to take out of the house, let alone on a round the world trip. So this brings me to the task of choosing a laptop with travel-friendly attributes.

These include:

Light - possibly the most important factor in your decision-making. You really don’t want to be carting around a lead weight. Once you’ve had a backpack on your back for a couple of hours you’ll be glad of every possible ounce of weight you can save. It’s now possible to get fully-functional laptops that weigh under 1kg. Remember to add in the weight of power adapters and accessories. The lightest laptop around is purported to be the Toshiba Portégé R500, weighing in at 779g and there are several more around the 1kg mark, including the new breed of ultra portable notebooks – the Asus Eee pc the Acer Aspire One and the MSI Wind.

Cheap – expensive equipment will up your travel insurance and you’ll be constantly worrying about it being stolen or broken. Spend as little as you can to get the technology you require. Luckily laptops are constantly coming down in price and it’s easy to get a decent spec machine for under £300 ($600 or probably less in the US). Go second-hand if you can and you’ll be less paranoid about scratching it or dropping it.

Tough – changes are you’ll be throwing your laptop around in your bag a lot, operating it in extreme temperatures or humid conditions, getting sand and insects in it, using it as a pillow, bashing it off the table when you can’t get wireless to work etc etc… Some of the new thin and light laptops look sexy but I doubt their durability. You’re much better off getting something ugly and tough. Panasonic’s ToughBook range are designed to be thrown around/stamped on/blown up but there’ll be a model from most of the major company’s lines that will be suitable for general travel and not mind being bashed around a bit. Check reviews and message boards for the models you’re interested in to see how they fare after a few months of abuse.

Long battery-life - you’ll probably be separated from a power source at many points during your travels. There’s nothing more frustrating than carrying round the dead weight of a powerless laptop that you can’t use. Look at battery life when you’re comparing different models and weigh this up against the cost and weight factors mentioned above. Probably a good idea to bring along a spare battery too.

As I’m leaning towards one of the new linux-based ultra-portables, I thought it would be useful to draw up a comparison chart of the higher spec versions of the 3 main contenders:

	Eee PC 901	Acer Aspire One	MSI Wind
Screen resolution	1024 x 600	1024 x 600	1024 x 600
Weight	1140g	995g	1100g
Size	226 × 22.9 × 175.3 mm	249 x 29 x 170 mm	260 x 19 x 180 mm
Storage	20 GB	120 GB	80 GB
Battery life	4.2 – 7.8 hours	3 hours	3 hours
Price (dependent on RAM and other specs)	£300	£250	£330

To me, it’s looking like the Acer Aspire One is the best value for specs against price but take some time to do the research and decide what laptop is the best for your budget and requirements. Happy hunting!

Photo by MC MasterChef

What you pack for your trip will depend on where you’re going, the type of places you’ll be staying (hotels/hostels/camping) and the activities you plan on undertaking. A packing list for a trekking trip through the Amazon rain-forest will look very different to a list for a beach holiday in Thailand.

In any case, the most important thing to remember when packing for any trip where you’ll be doing a fair amount of travelling is to keep it light and minimal. You may have heard the rule to lay out everything you plan to take and then ditch half of it – nice idea but I’ve never found this to be possible in reality. Much better to start out realistically, pack light and if you’re not sure whether or not to bring a particular item, it’s probably best to leave it. You can pick most things up on the road anyway.

Write down everything you want to take and then cross it off your list. This stops you from packing unnecessary items that you might unconsciously sneak in at the last minute and prevents you from forgetting anything. I loathe packing and am renowned for leaving it until the very last minute – this has resulted in some rather disappointing oversights, such as forgetting my camera when I went to China. An extra half hour or so making a definitive list is well worth the effort.

Following is a generic packing list for a backpacking trip that you can use to base your own list on. Tailor it to your own requirements and try to resist the temptation to put three times as much clothing in – you’ll only regret it later!

• Backpack – try on several and find the one that is most comfortable for you when it’s full. Decent backpacks are expensive and it’s really not worth skimping here if you want to save your back and your sanity. The smaller the better really (so you’re not tempted to pack more to fill it!) – somewhere in the region of 40 – 60 litres, depending on your personal requirements, is probably about right.
• Clothing – if you can afford it, go for the specialist travel or outdoor activity clothing that is made from tech fabrics. They are quick drying, wick sweat away from your body, wrinkle-resistant and some even provide UV and mosquito protection. In general, stay away from cotton (jeans in particular) as it takes forever to dry and once it gets sweaty it stays sweaty and smells. Not really what you want in a tropical climate. Your clothing list might looks something like this:
  • 2 x t-shirt, or 1 t-shirt and one short sleeved travel shirt
  • 1 x tank/vest top
  • 1 x shorts
  • 1 x long trousers
  • 1 x skirt (for girls)
  • 1 x long-sleeved top
  • 1 x micro-fleece
  • 1 x light waterproof jacket
  • 1 x pair socks
  • underwear
  • swimsuit
  • sarong (can be used as a towel, to sit on, as a skirt, shoulder-wrap and multitude of other uses)
  • 1 x pair walking sandals
  • 1 x hat or bandanna.
• Toiletries – bring small bottles and replace them as you go along. Lush make several varieties of shampoo and shampoo/conditioner bars which are great for travel as they are lighter than bottles and last for ages. Don’t forget sunscreen and use a high factor – don’t underestimate the sun when you’re near the equator. Baby wipes are useful on plane journeys and when you don’t have access to a shower. Don’t bring your entire makeup kit, whatever you do – I guarantee you won’t use it. Put everything in ziploc bags and find a decent toiletries bag with a hook. Bring tweezers and a small pair of scissors. Vaseline works as lip balm and to prevent blisters.
• First aid kit – band-aids, bandage, antiseptic cream, antihistamines, paracetamol, bite-relief cream, diarrhoea medicine, water purification tablets, malaria pills, tiger balm.
• Essential documents - money, tickets, passport! Also visas, insurance information, useful and emergency phone numbers and a copy of your itinerary. Take photocopies of everything and leave them with a friend or relative or keep a virtual copy in your email inbox.
• Daypack – bring a small pack that you can fit a water bottle, guide book and a few other items in and use as hand luggage on planes.
• Travel towel – specialist travel towels are light, fold down small and dry quickly.
• Silk sheet sleeping bag - light, comfortable and protect you from dodgy-looking hotel beds. You can get them cheap on ebay.
• Torch - for finding your way in the dark and reading in hostel dorms.
• Pocket knife - you don’t need one with a million different tools – a small blade, bottle opener, corkscrew and can opener should cover most eventualities.
• Clothes line – you can buy special travel clothes lines with hooks or suckers to attach to the wall and twisted cord so it’ll hold your clothes without pegs. Or just bring a lenght of nylon cord.
• Lighter and candle – for power-cuts and setting fire to things.
• Mosquito net and coils – needed if you’re camping or staying in basic accommodation in rural areas.
• Plug adaptor – essential for items below…
• Gadgets - camera, mp3 player and laptop if you plan to work from one while you’re travelling. You may also want to bring a mobile phone but get a local sim or use it only in emergencies unless you have money to throw away on huge phone bills.
• Books - travel guide for the first country you’re visiting. Ditch it or swap it when you leave. Do the same with a reading book.
• Travel journal - write about your travels, sketch, collect tickets, jot down email addresses of people you meet. Get artistic – a physical journal is much nicer to look back at than a blog. Search for ‘journal’ or ‘moleskine’ on flickr for some inspiration.
• Miscellaneous items – superglue, duct tape and sewing kit for fixing things, Ziploc and supermarket plastic bags, ear plugs, cheap watch with alarm, money belt.