It’s that time of year where we all struggle with the challenge of buying holiday gifts for those who love to travel. What to buy? Airplane tickets (yes, please)? Memorable experiences (easier said than done)? Travel-size toiletries (practical, but not really what we’re going for here)?

That’s why I decided to highlight one of my favorite travel apparel companies, Bluffworks, whose travel blazers, pants, shorts and shirts are not only useful for travel lovers in your life, but also make quality, memorable gifts (my shipping address can be provided to those interested). Everything is wrinkle resistant, quick drying, breathable and includes hidden pockets, perfect for travel all around.

Right now Bluffworks is running a massive, 30% off Black Friday sale for all of their travel apparel that will be running through Black Friday and until Cyber Monday (November 27). You don’t even have to enter a coupon code, just head to the site and shop.

Blazers

Click here to explore the Bluffworks blazers.

Pants

Click here to explore the Bluffworks pants collection.

Shirts

Click here to explore the Bluffworks shirt collection.

Shorts

Click here to explore the Bluffworks shorts collection.

It’s hard to imagine, but if this doesn’t satisfy the travel lover in your life, then plane ticket it is. Remember, you can never go wrong choosing first class to really impress that special someone.

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is based in New York City, and is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner which was founded in 2008. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post My Pick For The Perfect Travel Holiday Present appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

If you were waiting to load up on some late-season summer clothes at a discount, now’s the time to act. The ultimate travel clothes company, Bluffworks, whose clothes I wrote about before, is running a great sale on their line of travel shorts.

Shop the entire shorts collection by clicking here.

As a reminder, New York City-based Bluffworks specializes in travel clothes that are meant to never wrinkle, are breathable, include hidden pockets, and best of all, don’t actually look like traditional “travel clothes” — read: they’re actually stylish.

With the summer winding down, Bluffworks has dropped the price of their travel shorts down to $52.50 (normally $75), with styles in Midnight Blue (my favorite — everything I own is blue), Dark Tan and Flint Grey.

Here’s a technical rundown of the shorts:

• 100% technical, breathable, quick-dry polyester. Nylon pockets.
• Zippered side pocket perfect for phone storage. Fits an iPhone 6 or a Galaxy S4.
• Hidden front inside pocket with Velcro seal, sized to hold cash or credit cards.
• Inner front pocket phone storage designed to secure phone while moving.
• Zippered left rear pocket, sized for an oversized travel wallet.
• Machine washable. Line or tumble dry.

Good luck getting a pair before the collection runs out, and don’t despair, just because summer is winding down here in the Northern Hemisphere, it just means spring is starting up for the other half of the world.

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is based in New York City, and is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner which was founded in 2008. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post Now’s The Time To Snag A Pair Of Travel Shorts appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

The first indication you have that MHM Gear’s new Sultan 50 multi-day backpacking-sized pack is different than other bags on the market is the signature S-shaped zipper wrapping around the length of the product. From the top pocket to the base, the trademarked “Snake-Loader” zipper allows users to access the entire contents of the bag at any time without unpacking.

A scenario to illuminate this zipper’s awesomeness: when the weather turns, you can grab your rain jacket stuffed in the bottom of your bag without unloading all of your food that’s chilling in the top part of the bag.

In the words of MHM, “Once you go snake-loader, you never go back. It’s our most awarded design and we invented this bad-ass zipper system so our moms are super proud.” Backpackers who don’t have to rummage through their entire bag for their poorly packed GORP will be super proud that MHM designer/owner Jeff Popp conceived of the zipper, too.

While I often car camp, I am not an avid backpacker — but it’s not because the idea doesn’t appeal to me. I would love to wake up in the backcountry with the sun peaking over the mountains, birds squawking upon light’s first tendril and a hot cup of coffee just a JetBoil away. It’s a romantic ideal.

But here’s a secret: I hate backpacking because my current bag totally sucks! It was my dad’s bag from the 90’s, and no matter how much I fiddle with it to fit my shape, the bag never seemed to properly grasp my hips. Whenever I used it — even on two-mile gumby hikes — the pack’s weight invariably settles on my shoulders, making hiking excruciating. It definitely doesn’t help that outdoor brands in the 90s were guilty of the “shrink and pink” method of designing products for women.

The last time I used my dad’s existing backpacking bag — a grueling skin up to a 10th Mountain Division hut perched at 11,620′ — I literally had to talk myself out of crying due to how much my bag hurt. When I collapsed in front of the fire upon arrival, bruises were already starting to materialize on my shoulders.

So when the Denver-based MHM reached out to suggest I review one of their bags, I immediately accepted. Was it possible for backpacking to be comfortable, or at least not agonizing? How much of a difference could a well-made, well-fitting bag make to the experience of trudging through the woods? And was MHM’s design truly unique in the crowded backpack market?

I met up with Popp here in Colorado at a coffee shop so he could take me through the bag’s many features. Aesthetically, the bag differentiates from competitors due to its clean-looking exterior design. While other bags feature outdoorsy bungees and straps out the wazoo, MHM’s Sultan 50 was noticeably sleek.

If you want to strap your Chacos to the outside of the bag, no sweat: straps are smartly tucked inside hidden pockets. This minimalist take on the Sultan is in line with the ethos of MHM’s sister backpack brand designed for urban commuters, CO.ALITION: both brands implement functionality when you need it and hide it when you don’t. It’s like Marie Kondo’s minimalist doctrine in bag form: if something doesn’t spark joy, then you shouldn’t deal with it.

To really get a handle on how Sultan 50 would perform in real-life usage, I set out to test it in both travel and outdoor settings. I wanted to see how the bag would function on a trip, say, backpacking across Europe and see if it could withstand a backpacking trip through Colorado.

Would the bag weather the slings and arrows of being tossed around in steerage and feel comfortable enough loaded with backpacking crap?

City Gal Test

Up first, a trip to arguably the most cosmopolitan place in the world, New York City. For a weekend trip, I packed Sultan 50 to the max — the seams protesting when I shoved in my second pair of stilettos. For those with reasonable footwear choices, the bag is perfectly sized for a four-night city excursion if you wear an outfit or two twice.

While I had hoped to carry the bag onto the plane, I quickly realized that it was too unwieldy to fit inside economy’s overhead compartment without annoying my fellow passengers. So inside the cargo it went, admirably surviving the beating of baggage handlers well.

In New York, I was particularly impressed with the Sultan 50’s sleek design. While it still looked like an outdoorsy pack, I didn’t feel overtly like I stepped out of the pages of a Patagonia catalog. It could totally pass in Paris or Spain.

When I arrived to my accommodations, I zipped open the bag’s slithery zipper in one go, causing the contents to explode across the floor like a gutted fish. It sounds bad, but the zipper made it particularly easy to transition from my comfortable flying apparel to a fancy, overpriced dinner. Also, packing upon departure was a cinch, too.

City Gal score: 8 outta 10

Colorado Dirtbag Test

To test Sultan 50’s backpacking prowess, I filled it with 40 pounds of anything I could get my hands on — boots, rocks, water bottles, food, etc… — and took it on an eight-mile hike into Boulder’s foothills.

I was initially apprehensive about the fit with such a heavy load, as the Sultan 50 is a unisex model, which historically means it will fit men perfectly and fit women horribly. But this backpack is like one of Vin Diesel’s retrofitted American Muscle beauties: it’s chock-full of surprising attributes that beat out the competition.

Take for example, the hip belt. MHM’s version pivots in either direction and secures in place thanks to heavy-duty straps. It was a welcome change to have a bag that fit snug enough to absorb the load, but that allowed me to move freely as I walked. Both the hip belt and the shoulder straps (also adjustable) attach to an internal “V” frame for optimal weight distribution.

The one suggestion I have to make this workhorse-of-a-bag truly perfect for women is to extend the length of the chest strap sliders. For well-endowed ladies, it’s preferable to move the chest strap rather high on your chest to avoid placing pressure on your bust. While I made the mistake of wearing a tank top for the bag test, the shoulder straps were supremely padded, making this bag one of the more comfy models I’ve tried.

What stands out most about the Sultan 50 are the smart design features that obviously took a lot of thought and creativity to add. The coolest hidden pocket is found at the base of the bag: a waterproof, stink-proof internal stuff sack that protects disgusting gear such as climbing shoes or week-old underwear (worn inside out for half the time) from contaminating your sleeping bag, food and other necessities you would like to keep relatively clean. And it goes without saying, the curved zipper truly shined while hiking in variable weather.

Dirtbag score: 9 outta 10

About the Author

By Jenna Blumenfeld /

Jenna is a writer and editor in Boulder, Colorado, who is willing to give backpacking another shot.

The post Can A Backpack Really Handle Both The Trail And The City? Let’s Find Out appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

There comes a time in every traveling man’s life when he reaches that point when he would like to substitute out that go-to travel hoodie for something a little more — dare I say? — sophisticated. Of course, said hoodie has many benefits, the least of which are the ability to roll it up in a ball and pack it away under the seat while on the plane or cram it into the bottom of the suitcase until needed, something you wouldn’t get away with wearing the traditional blazer — until now.

Bluffworks, the makers of the wrinkle-free, multi-pocketed pants and related chinos (they raised a quarter of a million dollars alone on their first two Kickstarter campaigns) have launched their newest product via Kickstarter: The Blazer by Bluffworks. This machine-washable, wrinkle-free stylish blazer is sure to attract the attention of any serious traveler or stylish gent who loves the idea of owning a carefree jacket. [UPDATE: The Bluffworks Travel Blazer is now available for sale on their site.]

Stefan Loble, founder of Bluffworks, came up with the idea to address his desire for a blazer “he didn’t have to baby.” A blazer someone could wear nonstop, keep them warm on a plane, would look good in the office, appear stylish on the street, and would be appropriate for a visit to a nice restaurant or a museum.

The jacket features seven pockets (two of which are hidden), is styled in a variety of sizes and lengths, and comes in both Charcoal Heather and Navy Heather colors. As mentioned, if and when you need to clean it, simply throw it in the washer and hang it up for 5-10 minutes to dry and it’s good as new, perfect for recovering from potential spills at the bar the night before or cleaning up from dust or dirt accumulated while trekking outside.

I had the privilege of testing one out this week as the temperatures dropped here in New York, and simply put, the Bluffworks Blazer has now joined my essential packing items I will be bringing on every trip along with my phone, camera and passport. I love this blazer, and I can’t wait to bring it with me around the world.

I loved the feel of the blazer — sturdy and warm, but not too overbearing — and quite frankly, I think I looked pretty darn snazzy in it. I could easily see wearing the jacket both while in transit as well as when I am out on the town.

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner. The Expeditioner began in 2008 and is headquartered in New York City. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos or contact him at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post This Stylish Wrinkle-Free Blazer Is Your New Travel Best Friend appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

It’s about time the wristwatch started becoming as smart as your phone. Cue the new Casio Edifice EQB-600, the perfect smart watch for those who travel the world and want a watch to keep up with them. The Edifice links up to your phone via Bluetooth, and with an exclusive app for your phone, determines your location and syncs up your watch’s time automatically.

With the app, the watch is actually able to reset regularly 4 times a day and show both home time and world time correctly (if you’re traveling that much in one day, you’re going to need all the help you can get). The main dial shows the time of where you currently are, while the inset dome dial on the lower left side shows the time of where you came from (or vice versa depending on your preference).

The 3-D globe dial on the right side rotates every 24 hours in sync with the globe’s rotation, with a hand indicating the time zone of the city of your choosing (the top half of the globe will indicate where it is nighttime, and the lower half shows where it is daytime).

So how does the watch work exactly? Elves, obviously. No, actually accurate time information (UTC) is acquired by pinging a deadly accurate server on the internet. Your phone takes the time data and its own current location data regarding the time zone and daylight saving time status and resets the watch to the correct time automatically.

On a recent trip to France I was able to try the watch and its functionality out with a sample Casio had sent me, and the watch worked perfectly, syncing up with no problem, and also fulfilling my inner tech geek impulse that doesn’t escape me, even while traveling.

You can also reset the watch manually with just a push of a button when crossing between time zones. The precise time in the current location is displayed instantly with daylight saving time taken into account.

Given the amount of things going on here, the phone needs a little help in the power department, which is why it also includes a supplemental solar power function that allows the watch to take some strain off of the internal battery so you don’t have to worry about constantly changing it.

To learn more, visit the official Casio EQB-600 site here.

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner. The Expeditioner began in 2008 and is headquartered in New York City. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos or contact him at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post The Ultimate Smart Watch For The World Traveler appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

I have to admit that it’s rare that I get excited about a piece of luggage. Actually, I think it’s rare that anyone gets excited about a piece of luggage. That being said, I’ve been lugging around my admittedly pretty ordinary, very workmanlike Revo brand carry-on for the last few years, and it’s been very good at being a very average bag to take with me on trips. It’s kind of The Big Bang Theory of luggage: it’s not that good, but you can turn it on and have it playing it in the background while you’re cooking dinner and it doesn’t do anything too offensive to make you want to change the channel.

However, a couple weeks ago, the folks over at Standard Luggage Company sent me over their Carry-on Backpack to try out, and after taking it with me on a short trip over the 4th of July, I have to admit, I got a bit excited. Not only was I getting the chance to finally pack a new suitcase for a trip (yes, travel nerds do get excited about things like that), but Standard’s bag did a whole lot more.

The below video will get into it more, but essentially the bag is dual purpose. On one side is your regular suitcase (with a couple of big pockets and clamshell design which is great for lay-flat packing), but if you flip it over, the other side is your media bag with a pocket for your laptop, and lots of little pockets space for your magazines, books, papers, pens, earphones and whatever other little gadgets and small items that you usually cram into another bag.

I also liked the stretchy over-the-shoulder strap that allowed me to carry the bag behind me and didn’t dig into my shoulder like other straps tend to do during long walks. Of course, the real kicker is that the backside has another pocket that when unzipped, reveals shoulder straps that you can pull out and allow you to rock the bag like a backpack, a great option for those truly long hikes.

Anyways, enough of me telling you about it. Watch the video to learn more.

Here’s a full run-down of all off the bag’s features per Standard:

• Clam-shell opening allows for easy and lie-flat packing

• Built-in compression straps maximize space and keeps contents secured

• Concealable backpack straps transform the bag into a backpack in seconds

• Expandable zip adds 10L capacity instantly

• Separate laptop pocket to access your electronics in security checkpoints

• Two convenient front pockets: one for full sized documents and a smaller pocket for smaller items

• Padded top and side speed handles for traditional carry or pulling the bag from an overhead bin

• Built-in safety whistle for assurance in unknown situations

• All exterior fabrics are water resistant and easy to clean

• Universal sleeve integrates the bag with any rolling luggage handle

• Included: Rain cover keeps your valuable assets and electronics dry

• Included: Shoulder strap for carrying as shoulder bag; removable when not in use

• Included: Two interchangeable leather accent colors (Orange and Teal)

*

To find out more about the bag and to get one of your own, visit the Standard’s Carry-on Backpack site here.

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner. The Expeditioner began in 2008 and is headquartered in New York City. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos or contact him at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post This Is The Next Bag You Are Going To Want To Buy appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

We all know the week after Thanksgiving is the traditional time period spent dragging out the Christmas tree from the attic storage, hitting the treadmill in retribution from countless turkey dinners the week before, and experiencing the oncoming dread of having to begin figuring out what exactly you’re going to shop for come December 23 when you finally realize you literally can’t delay your Christmas shopping any longer.

In an effort to cut down on this anxiety and to give you some ideas as to what to start stockpiling for all your loved ones this Christmas season, I decided to share one of my favorite gadgets that was sent over to me recently: the PowerSkin Pop’n iPhone charger.

Really, what better way to show how much you care for the ones closest to you then to give them the one essential tool that will ensure they never lose the ability to contact you (or tweet you, tag you on Instagram or send you eggnog-induced texts telling you how much you mean to them)?

Like most of the best inventions in the world, the PowerSkin Pop’n utilizes patented suction-adhering technology, allowing the thin charger to suction onto the back of your iPhone for an easy-to-hold, seamlessly integrated charging experience. This means you don’t have to worry about any dangling cords or having to awkwardly juggle around two different devices.

With a 4000 mAh battery and 2.1 amp charger, the PoP’n 2 charges your phone faster than pretty much all the other battery packs on the market. Plus, while you’re fumbling around with your phone getting it charged up, you can rest assured that it will be protected by the chargers’s reinforced plastic shell plastic.

The charger is available online for the very reasonable price of $49.00 for the iPhone 4 – 5, and $69.00 for the iPhone 6, and is available in black, white, red and pink models. To check out all of the various models and to stock up on a few for your friends and family (oh, and maybe one for yourself too), visit Power-Skin.com here.

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheExpeditioner.com. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos, purchase the book he co-edited or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post The One Portable iPhone Charger You Need This Christmas Season appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

After I returned home from my requisite Western Europe backpacking trip following college, I remember being asked what my favorite city had been to visit. Having traveled to London, Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice and Bern during that trip, it’s not like I didn’t have a number of equally qualified, massively beautiful cities to choose from. However, when I would answer that it had been Amsterdam, people always seemed to be a little surprised. (This and the fact that the only drugs I touched while there involved a foot powder to deal with a nagging itch that cropped up as a result of trudging around numerous European cities in the dead of summer.)

I tried to explain how much I loved the scenic canals that wind their way through the city, the joy of being surrounded by a massive numbers of bicyclists, and the pleasure I had taking in the views of the city’s unique architecture that has lasted hundreds of years in a city that has had its fair share of tumult over the centuries.

When I returned to the city this July, I was prepared to love it all over again and to cement my bold statement I had made nearly 10 years ago — and I wasn’t disappointed. Thankfully, this time, courtesy of the nice folks at Canon (who foolishly trusted me dragging around an expensive camera all day around a major European city), I had a great camera in tow to test out as part of their #BringIt campaign: the Canon T5i with an 18-200mm lens.

Leaving behind the Nikon D5100 that I had been using for both photo and video during the last two years or so, I wasn’t sure how it would stack up (or whether it would make much of a difference to me). The quick answer was, yes, I loved the camera, and not just for the obvious reasons (great light sensitivity, amazing picture quality, ease of use, etc . . .), but there were a number of minor little differences that have me re-thinking my current ownership of my Nikon, including the camera’s convenient touch screen, the great image stabilization and the noticeably sturdy construction of the camera itself.

Overall, the camera was a joy to use during the trip, and I’m already scouting out the possibility of making the switch.

The following is a small sampling of the several hundred photos I took during my 5-day-long trip to Amsterdam (don’t worry, I only subject friends and family to my full post-trip collection of photos and video).

Hopefully, these photos give you a sense of what the camera is capable of for photography right out of the box (I essentially kept the camera on tge automatic exposure setting the entire time).

First things first, when you’re in Amsterdam, you end up taking a lot of pictures of canals. Sure, it may be cliche, but with over 65 miles of canals and 25% of the total city made up of navigable water, it’s hard not to be constantly amazed by the city’s scenic waterways.

I found myself constantly reminding myself to stop taking so many pictures of the canals (nothing says “tourist” more than lining up shots of canals at every bridge) and focus on other parts of the city, but alas, a few made it onto the hard drive. I regret nothing.

Many a visitor has taken to the canals for a unique city tour by water (over three million people a year take canal cruises), but I was surprised by the number of locals who were also cruising the waterways while we were making our way along during a Friday afternoon — read: happy hour.

Come the summer months, many Amsterdamers voyage out in a number of different vessels (some of questionable seaworthiness) to enjoy the sun and get together with friends. This city also has the distinction of being one of Europe’s main capitals of stag and hen parties (that’s bachelor and bachelorette parties to you North Americans). So besides running into groups of similarly clad groups of early 30-somethings from northern England drinking on the streets, don’t be surprised if you come across a few raucous rafts and questionably sober boat captains while you venture out into the canals. Our captain was both sober and informative, and we had a great cruise overall, despite the touristy aspect of the activity.

This was my view as we rode down Prinsengracht Canal with Westerkerk, a Dutch Protestant church dating back to 1631, in the background. Prinsengracht is the longest of the city’s main canals, and is one of the more scenic routes to cruise due to the numerous posh houses dating back to the Dutch Golden Age lining the street. Keep an eye out for the many crests that don the tops of the buildings. Before the advent of street numbers, these symbols were used to designate addresses (such as: Look for the golden lion on a red crest when you come over for tonight’s Cards Against Humanity party).

The city is chock full of cozy squares and scenic intersections dating back hundreds of year. Even just a short walk down the street will likely result in you coming across some amazing spots, such as the one above I walked through early Friday morning as I roamed the streets in a jetlagged-fuel early rising.

As you walk further away from the center of town, you will begin to notice the canals are filled more and more with houseboats. In fact, there are an estimated 2,500 houseboats that locals call home within the city limits — a unique solution for a city with a dearth of land-based housing but lots and lots of water.

I found myself having visions of moving here and finally fulfilling my dream of being Crockett from Miami Vice (although, this being Amsterdam, I doubt very much there would be much to do as a police officer working the vice beat).

After visiting the Albert Cuyp Market (located on the Albert Cuypstraat between Ferdinand Bolstraat and Van Woustraat in the De Pijp area of the city — phew, that was a mouthful), I walked west and came across this view with the Rijksmuseum and its dramatic towers in the distance. Beautiful museums, bikes, canals, manicured trees — if this picture doesn’t encapsulate the popular perception of Amsterdam, than nothing does.

Although, that being said, much like the popular misconception that the city is full of marijuana and ladies of the night, I found Amsterdam to be an amazingly diverse city with a large variety of different offerings that had nothing to do with sex, drugs or canals. Given the number of immigrants here, the large influx of college students, the permissive and experimental culture that the city prides itself on and the city’s natural beauty, there’s more here to see and do than most cities five times its size.

The above and below image were taken from the same canal bridge, the first of a great travel quote I’d never come across before, the second a shot of the flowers adoring the bridge — a good chance for me to play around with the camera’s depth of field (and to get my art on).

Amsterdam’s answer to Central Park, Vondelpark, a 120-acre park located south of the center of the city, is the local’s favorite place to picnic, fire up the barbecue and of course, go biking. Really, if you come here without a bike (or aren’t running or have a dog in tow), you’re going to stick out. Do yourself a favor and bike-up before visiting, it’s worth the rental price.

Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw (concert house) is situated on the far end of Museumpleinm, the park where the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum are also located. The concert hall is home to The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, as well as The Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra and The Dutch Chamber Orchestra.

While I was there, Amsterdam was showing off their eclectic offerings of summer festivals and concerts that occur throughout the summer. On this evening I attended a summer-themed performance entitled Romantic Summer Classics: Rossini to Bernstein, featuring performances of Rossini, Berlioz, Strauss and Bernstein.

From a ferry located just behind Centraal Station, you can head across the river to the neighborhood known as NDSM — an acronym derived from the companies that used to call this area home: the Netherlands Shipbuilding Company (NSM) and the Netherlands Dok Company (NDM). This once massive shipyard has now transformed into an eclectic hipster neighborhood/urban renewal project. The ferry itself takes a little over 10 minutes, and this being Amsterdam, it’s of course bike-friendly.

Running this year from July 3 – 13, the Over het IJ Festtival (Over the Ij Festival — the Ij being the waterfront that separates the two areas), is an 11-day theater festival featuring dance and theater performances, DJs, a food hall and a mix of short art performances that take place in a number of converted shipping containers on the festival grounds. Be sure to wander around the containers and talk with the many young artists putting on performances to get a great insight into the city’s thriving art world.

There are a pair of abandoned massive structures once used by the shipbuilding industry that used to employ thousands of locals before they were shut down in the 1970’s. During the summer, the Over het IJ Festival uses the cavernous spaces for a number of large-scale theater performances. I didn’t get a chance to catch this particular performance, but it apparently involved dinosaurs.

The WANNAPLAY? art installation on the festival grounds features a large swingset with motion-activated sensors that play varying vocal music performances based upon the speed and height of the swinger. I was there for over an hour. They politely asked me to leave.

Nearby, in a section of the northernmost warehouse, a temporary gallery has been set up featuring many of the local artists’ work.

By the water, Noorderlicht Cafe offers a great outdoor area to soak in the sun with beer in hand (or lover in lap) and great views of the river.

While there, I had the chance to meet up with Sander Groet, one of the pioneers of the dance music scene. Most notably, he helped found the renowned Mysteryland music festival in 1994. Today, he is a current co-owner of Club AIR and is involved in the Milkshake, Amsterdam Open AIR, Buiten Westen and Valhalla festivals taking place throughout the year.

And should there be any doubt as to the influence (and money) the dance music scene has had in The Netherlands, the above office tower located across the river from the center of Amsterdam — once home to Royal Dutch Shell — is being developed by a group co-led by Groet after winning a bid among over 20 other development proposals. (According to the A’DAM web site, the Dutch dance industry contributes more than 500 million euros to the Dutch economy each year and employs about 7,000 full-time employees.)

The newly developed tower will be home to a new hotel, several floors of office space dedicated solely to the music industry, a club in the basement named Hell, and a rooftop club called Heaven, complete with 360-degree views of the city and a swingset installation that will allow partiers to swing from the roof out into the open sky (yes, really). Look for its scheduled opening in late 2015.

Rush hour on the canals just outside of Amsterdam Centraal Station. This is the type of rush hour I like though.

Dating back to 1975, the Kwaku Summer Festival, located in a suburb about 15 minutes south of the center of Amsterdam, is a celebration of everything Suriname. For those of you who aren’t caught up on your Dutch colonial history or South American geography, Suriname is a small nation located on the northeastern coastline of South America, and was a Dutch colony from 1667 until it gained independence in 1975.

Today, there are 350,000 Surinamese living in the Netherlands (the population of Suriname totals 560,000), and they make up the fourth largest non-EU immigrant population in the country. During the height of the festival, it seems like a good a portion of the population is there, dancing up a storm and eating some of the best smelling barbecue in the region.

Among the many several dozen or so food vendors at the festival, you’ll find the best of Surinamese food in Holland, an amalgamation between African and South Asian staples. Lunch while I was there was provided by Patrick’s Catering, and consisted of barbecue chicken, spare ribs, noodles, yellow rice and assorted vegetables.

One of the best parts about running my travel site has been the opportunity to meet some amazing people around the world, many of whom have contributed their writings to the site. 

A few of these great writers have helped out as regular contributors throughout the last few years, and it’s always fun getting to finally meet them in person wherever they happen to be (Guatemala, Colorado, The Netherlands . . .). The above picture is of me and Hannah Wallace Bowman, a frequent contributor to TheExpeditioner, and now a current resident of Amsterdam. While I was there, she dug up a third bike of hers on the far side of town and agreed to lend it to me and spend some time with me during the couple free days I had at the tail end of my trip.

The above picture is from a pit-stop we took at Museumplein with the Rijksmuseum in the background during a long day touring the city by bike — a fitting and memorable way to spend my last day in the city.

[I traveled to Amsterdam (IAmsterdam.com) courtesy of the city as part of their effort to highlight the various summer festivals taking place in the city during the summer months.]

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheExpeditioner.com. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos, purchase the book he co-edited or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post Amsterdam Through The Lens appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Is it me or has anyone else had an issue with finding a good, sturdy, convenient and user-friendly travel alarm clock to take with them on their travels? I’ve been using the same cheapo plastic one I picked up at K-Mart years ago (yes, there’s a K-Mart in New York City; no, I can’t name another item that I purchased from there other than said clock).

Lucky for me, I run this blog, and once in a while companies send me free stuff to review and/or gab about in a post. Also lucky for me, a recent item that was sent my way was the Digital Clip Clock made by and available through Dakota Watch Company.

The Clip Clock is essentially a heavy-duty alarm clock built within a sturdy metal frame featuring a fold-out carabiner attached to its bottom. It’s as if a Swiss watchmaker went on a bender and woke up in Boulder.

Besides the obvious functionality of the carabiner (admit it, if it’s not clipped to you, you’re losing it somewhere on the train from Mumbai to Jaipur), it also acts as a mini-kickstand, allowing the clock to sit upright like a regular nightstand clock. It also tells the time, which, you know, is pretty important for a clock.

It seems extremely sturdy as well. I’ve basically used it in the context of my bedroom, so I haven’t really exposed it to any sort of drop test or buried it under a mound of mud to see how it holds up after a week, but my guess is it would hold up quite well — probably much better than my current alarm clock (see above).

The clock retails for $45, or you can try to steal it form the fisherman pictured above. But good luck with that — this guy snagged lunch with his own hands by the time you were rolling out of bed this morning.

If you’re interested in checking out the other varieties of colors they offer or to order your own, visit the Dakota Watch Company Clip Clock page here.

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheExpeditioner.com. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos, purchase the book he co-edited or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post Travel Gear Review: The Dakota Clip Clock appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Just like sentences, in the world of product design, complicated doesn’t always equal better. Enter the Travel Billow: a two-for-one travel pillow and blanket that solves the problem of having to lug extraneous items on the plane with you. And no, it’s not a babysitter.

The Travel Billow is an inflatable pillow that, when uninflated, stores a 50″ x 66″ fleece blanket within itself, creating a comfy neck rest for your trip. When it’s time to tuck in for a long nap, remove the blanket and inflate the pillow, and now you’ve got a two-in-one sleeping device. Not astrophysics, but a great product real people could use.

Now for other two-in-one travel devices that I want to be created soon: airplane window/pillow, seat neighbor/supermodel and tray table/tablet computer. If anyone creates any of these, I want 10%.

To learn more or to order your own, visit TravelBillow.com.

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheExpeditioner.com. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos, purchase the book he co-edited or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post The Travel Billow Wants To Solve Your Overloaded Bag Problem appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Are you one of those people that both enjoys lots of leg room while flying and has an aversion to direct confrontation — or contact in general — with people, especially strangers? Then the Knee Defender may just be the perfect tool for you.

The Knee Defender consists of two plastic clips that you wedge unceremoniously on the hinges of your fully lowered tray table that prevent the obviously inhumane and selfish person in front of you from reclining their seat back any more than the strict, upright 90-degree angle God intended airplane seats to be positioned. And isn’t that much easier than looking the person in front of you in the eye and speaking to them like a real human being and requesting that they not fully recline their seat into your obviously sacred lap space? Of course it is.

But what about their legality in the eyes of the FAA? The Washington Post asked the FAA, and their spokesperson at the time assured all passive-aggressive travelers that “the clips were not against federal aviation rules as long as they weren’t used during taxiing, takeoffs or landings.”

But what to do when the person in front of you inevitably attempts to lower their seat, and ultimately calls the flight attendant to alert them of the seat malfunction? Here are a few tips for the passive-aggressive travel to deal with this situation.

1) While boarding your plane, quietly slip the attendants a fiver each, whispering in their ears as you do so, “The seat in front of mine is broken, if you know what I mean.”

2) When you see the person in front of you reach for the call button, beeline it to the lavatory for a 30-minute sojourn. If the clips have been discovered upon your return, feign a stomach illness and run back to the bathroom immediately.

3) Finally, if all else fails, and the person in front of you confronts you about the clips, simply hand them a printout of this article with the aforesaid FAA statement highlighted, then slip your earbuds back into your ears and continue on with your Downton Abbey marathon, all the while enjoying your gloriously ample personal space.

[The Knee Defender]

The post The Ultimate Tool In Passive-Aggressive Flying appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

The Trakdot is destined to be the coolest travel device invented since the release of the Ostrich Pillow (which is probably also the weirdest travel device ever invented).

The Trakdot is a device the size of a deck of cards that you stick in your bag before you board. Then, when United inevitably sends your bag to Duluth while you head to Fort Lauderdale, the Trakdot will text or email you its location using an embedded radio receiver. Though GPS is more accurate (the Trakdot will tell you where your bag is within a 30-foot radius), using a radio receiver instead is cheaper and uses less power than GPS does (it runs on a pair of AA batteries for up to a month).

And in case you were concerned the engineers didn’t think of everything, the Trakdot even turns itself on periodically mid-flight and, if it detects that it’s still flying, it will turn itself off to conserve power.

Come April, 2013, you can pick up your own Trakdot for $49.99, with a one-time $8.99 activation fee and $12.99 annual service fee. Phone charges to your airliner’s lost baggage department not included.

[Trakdot]

The post How You Can Make Your Bag Text You When It’s Lost appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Everyday, people all over the world wake up and put on pants. With their britches donned, they dash off to class, their tractors, their grocery stores, the nearest mall or to their offices where they will spend their day in trousers sitting in cubicles, compulsively checking their Facebook status and avoiding eye contact with upper management.

One faction of intrepid pants-wearers have no idea where the morning will lead them. That day they may scamper through Asian markets, board Central American buses, walk through foreign central squares overrun with pickpocketers or hike jungle trails. These, the traveling sect, often wear the same pants as everyone else, instead of gear designed specifically for their plucky lifestyle.

Clothes are about more than just hiding nakedness. They are tools that serve a function. Being someone who has had four iPods stolen abroad in the last five years, I can tell you keeping your valuables on your person is not always easy. It’s good to have some support on the front lines, and P^Cubed Travel Pants from Clothing Arts are designed with you, the traveler in mind.

This week I got my legs into a pair of these pants (a pair of which Clothing Arts provided to me for this review), and I gave them a test drive. Having worn pants for 27 years, I consider myself an expert. The first thing I did was analyze the most important feature: girl-ability. I was at a potluck and asked two girls I’d just met what they thought of them. They said they were nice pants and looked good. Score!

They also felt pretty good. Early on in my pants experience, I decided  that the P^Cubed Pants were the sort of pants James Bond would wear. The pants come in both adventure (cargo-style) and business (sans side pockets) style. The adventure style are made from 25% nylon and 75% cotton canvas, and whose 10-pound tearing strength make them “bomb proof” (finally!). The business-style clock in at comfortable 100% cotton twill. Both models have four built-in money belts.

Unless unconsciousness is involved, I can’t really imagine a pickpocket’s fingers touching anything in these pants. The standard side pockets have an inner pocket inside them, protected by a zipper, sealed off by The P^Cubed-buttoned pocket guard. The expandable cargo pockets also contain inner pockets buffered by buttons and sealed off by snaps. Throw in a detachable water bottle pouch and seal the deal with water/oil-resist stain-releasing Teflon fabric protector, and you’re left with a pair of road pants that deliver everything you could reasonably ask for out of an article clothing. I think the only thing these pants don’t do is make phone calls. I know: I tried.

The back pockets are big enough for your Lonely Planet, and they will work as well with a blazer for a soirée in Paris as they will for a  twenty-mile trek into the Australian bush. When I go to Kenya next month, my P^Cubed’s are going to be the first pants I pack.

[Clothing Arts Website]

By Luke Maguire Armstrong

About the Author

 Luke Maguire Armstrong (TravelWriteSing.com) once fought a bear and almost died. Haters later claimed it was “only a raccoon” and that he was acting like “a little girl.” After spending five years in Latin America,  four spent directing the social service programs of the charity Nuestros Ahijados in Guatemala, he’s turned up in New York City because he heard that they have great Thai food. He is the author of iPoems for the Dolphins to Click Home About (available for sale on Amazon.com), and his newest book, How We Are Human. Follow @LukeSpartacus.

The post Pack The Pants James Bond Would Wear If He Were A Backpacker appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.