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Filed under: Activism, Climbing, Hiking, Paddling, North America, United States, Camping, Ecotourism, News

Grand Canyon National Park is easily one of the most popular and well known destinations in the entire U.S. Each year, more than 4.5 million visitors make the journey to visit the park and take part in some of the outdoor adventures it has to offer, including whitewater rafting, hiking, camping, and more. The Canyon is considered one of the great natural wonders of the world, and the spectacular scenery that is the hallmark of the place, is practically unmatched anywhere else on the planet.

With more than 1.2 million acres of land inside the park boundaries, managing and protecting its considerable resources can be an overwhelming challenge. It was with that in mind that earlier this week the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) released its “State of the Park” report that outlines the challenges and opportunities facing the Grand Canyon in the years ahead. That report identifies such threats as mining and air pollution as potential problems, while citing the opportunity for restoring and protecting the natural habitats of native plant and animal species as an area where improvements can be made.

This new report points to a number of external threats that are obstacles to the future health of the Grand Canyon and its surrounding environments. Amongst those threats are air pollution from cities as far away as 100 miles which will have an impact on scenic vistas and possibly the health of visitors. Noise pollution has also become an issue, as the airspace above the canyon is often crowded with traffic with both commercial and scenic flights crossing over head. Perhaps the greatest of these external threats however, is ongoing mining activities in the lands adjacent to the park. Those activities could result in the contamination of both the environment and the watershed in the region, having a detrimental effect that could take decades to reverse.

Continue reading Park service outlines challenges, opportunities for Grand Canyon

Park service outlines challenges, opportunities for Grand Canyon originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Climbing, Hiking, Gear, Africa, Tanzania

Standing 19,340-feet in height, Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa, and a popular destination for adventure travelers. The climb to the summit is a non-technical, but still challenging, affair that will take your breath away as much for the spectacular views of the Serengeti below, as for the thin air at the top. For many, a Kili climb is a once in a lifetime adventure, and now, thanks to Polarmax, you could make the journey yourself.

The company has joined forces with Backpacker Magazine, Cotton Incorporated, and Zara Tours to bring us the Kilimanjaro Ultimate Adventure Sweepstakes which will send one lucky winner, and their guest, to Tanzania in January of 2011 to attempt to climb the mountain. The grand prize includes round trip airfare to Africa, ground transportation while there, four nights stay in a hotel, and a six day Kilimanjaro climb guided by Kili expert Macon Dunnagan. The sweepstakes winner will also be outfitted with plenty of Polarmax gear to keep them comfortable and warm while on the trek, and a custom video of the expedition will be shot for the Polarmax website as well.

To enter the contest, simply go to this page and fill out the entry form. Entries are being accepted through October 11, with travel scheduled to take place January 7-17, 2011. This is a great opportunity to experience one of the best adventure travel options on the planet, and entering the contest couldn’t be any easier.

For an idea of what to expect on this adventure, check out the video below.

Climb Kilimanjaro with Polarmax’s ultimate adventure sweepstakes originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even if you’ve already got an iconic, American-made Stetson hat, you probably don’t have one like this.

Though the classic Stetsons will always be available and you may think there’s nothing new (or at least nothing new that’s not ridiculous) in the world of hats, Albertus Swanepoel’s 2010 collection has rendered us speechless. These fabulous, spicy hats are masculine and creative, with lush materials and colorful, yet handsome plumage.

“It’s a great honor to collaborate with a legacy brand such as Stetson. They are the Rolls Royce of hats to me in America and I’m thrilled to be associated with this brand,” said Swanepoel. “This is also is a great opportunity for me to inject a more modern sensibility into their iconic designs.”

And that he did. Inspired by everything from vintage cars to modern films and even art, he has created an alluring collection of attractive hats that appeal to ages 8 to 80. Above, for example is the “Pablo,” a 100 percent fur felt pork pie dress hat which has coloring and an unusual bow placement influenced by the works of Pablo Picasso (retails for $200.00). Fewer than 50 of this hat will be made.

Select styles from the limited edition Albertus Swanepoel for Stetson collection are available now from Hartford York for pre-order, to ship in September, and will be available at Barneys stores nationwide. Check out the full 14-hat collection — and their inspirations — below.

Filed under: Apparel, Men’s Style

Albertus Swanepoel Brings Spice to Stetson originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Paddling, Europe, North America, United Kingdom, Bahamas, News

84-year old British adventurer Anthony Smith has big plans for 2011. In January of next year, he and three other men, will attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean aboard a raft made out of plastic gas pipes. Setting out from the Canary islands, they’ll cover more than 2800 miles, in 60 days, finishing up in the Bahamas sometime in March. If successful, it’ll be the culmination of a dream that Smith has waited nearly 60 years to see realized.

The former RAF pilot has led quite a life of adventure. Back in 1963 he became the first Briton to cross the Alps in a hot air balloon and he has explored east Africa by balloon as well. He is also an accomplished filmmaker and the author of more than 30 books. The ocean crossing has been his goal for most of his life however, and five years ago he took a big step towards making it a reality when he took out an advertisement in the Telegraph, a popular paper in the U.K. That ad simply read: “Fancy rafting across the Atlantic? Famous traveller requires 3 crew. Must be OAP. Serious adventurers only.”

From that advertisement, Smith found his crew, and he’ll now be joined on the voyage by 57-year old yachtsman David Hildred, 61-year old hot air balloonist Robin Batchelor, and Andy Bainbridge, who at 56, is the young man of the group. Bainbridge is an experienced sailor and long time friend of Smith.

The raft is being built out of 13-yard sections of pipe that will have both ends sealed, trapping the air inside and making the craft buoyant. There will also be two small shelters, built from pig huts, that will provide the crew a respite from the elements, and a small fence will line the outside of the boat to prevent them from falling overboard. The simple boat has been dubbed the An-Tiki, a nod to Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki, and will have an “elderly crossing” sign on the sail.

Smith and his team hope to take advantage of the strong trade winds that arrive in January so that they can avoid the Atlantic storm season and finish the voyage on schedule.

[Photo credit: Andre Crowley]

84-year old set to cross Atlantic on a raft originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Gadling’s Daily Deal

Here are the hottest gear deals for today, Monday August 23, 2010. Remember, these deals are often valid for just one day, so act fast before they are gone.

Today’s first deal is for the Virgin Mobile MiFi mobile hotspot. This device turns the 3G Virgin Mobile signal into a WiFi connection that can be shared between five computers. Normal price is $149.99, on sale now for $119.99. Click here for this deal.

Next up is a scorching hot deal on the Nokia Booklet 3G netbook. This 3G enabled netbook has GPS, a hi-res display, HDMI and runs Windows 7. Normal price is $549.99 – but if you don’t mind a refurbished model, you can order one for $199.99. Click here for this deal. (Note: The operating system is included, but not installed, so you’ll need to figure that out yourself)

Our third deal is for the new Case Logic Toughshell carrying case. This case has room for small camcorders, point and shoot cameras and other high-tech items. On sale for $11.99. Click here for this deal.

Today’s final deal is for a pair of high quality noise isolating headphones from Klipsh. The S2m headphones feature an in-line microphone and a call control button. On sale for $24.95. Click here for this deal.

Daily gear deals – $120 prepaid 3G hotspot, $200 Nokia Netbook and more originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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