|
|
2012 Trips are (almost) All Posted
We were hoping to have every single 2012 trip posted on the website by the time of this newsletter - we're not quite there but we're close! An itinerary to write for our new Eastern Shore adventure, refining the Appalachian Trail Section Backpack description, updating the Hiking in Zion and Bryce trip that is ending today, and trying to work out details of our next trip to Italy. Aside from that, everything is up on our website. We have 9 new trips, 28 we did last year, and 2 (Adventures in Patagonia and Enchanted Spring: Exploring New Mexico) that we haven't done for a few years.
You know how sometimes the price of something looks great until you read the fine print and see there are additional fees and taxes? For our trips, it's the opposite. When you look at the prices, remember to take 5% off if you're one of the first 5 to register and another 3% off if you pay by check. And take 10% off any domestic trip in the continental US if it's your second trip with us in 180 days. Most of our trips include almost everything but airfare to the starting point. Anything not included is clearly spelled out. We know how annoying it is to have expenses you weren't planning on!
|
|
Getting Ready for Winter
As days shorten and grow colder, many of us are less active during the next few months. We may still hike or paddle but our trips are shorter and the trails see us less than the gym. Here are things you should do to wind up this year and start preparing for next.
1. Throw out your sunscreen. The ingredients in sunscreen are only good for a year. As painful as it is to throw out something that is still perfectly good- it really isn't perfectly good any more. Make it a habit to toss your sunscreen every December.
2. Clean and re-waterproof your rain gear and hiking boots. if you don't know how to waterproof your gear, read this article. Most boots have at least some leather and applying a waterproofing treatment will prolong their useful lives.
3. Wash all your synthetics and add a quarter cup of vinegar in the water. This will cut down on the odor next time you're using them.
4. Take your hiking poles completely apart and clean out any grime that has accumulated during the year.
|
|
How to sleep warm in cold weather
The following is dedicated to our friends in the Northeast who just spent a week without power. While many of these tips apply more to camping, some are just as useful when you find yourself sleeping in the cold for whatever reasons.
1) A sleeping bag is like a thermos- put something warm in it, it stays warm. But put something cold in it, and it stays cold. So if you're cold before you get in the bag, do some light exercise - a brisk walk, jumping jacks etc - before jumping into your bag.
2) Wear a hat. We lose a lot of heat out of the top of our head, even while asleep.
3) Hot water bottle. Put hot water in a Nalgene bottle (make sure it is a heat resistant plastic and the lid is on tight!) and then place it in your sleeping bag (at your feet or between your legs is nice). If you are worried about the Nalgene leaking, put the bottle inside a wool sock.
4) Use a sleeping pad. Much of our heat is lost through convection. Insulating yourself from the cold ground (head to toe) will help.
5) Change your socks. Our feet sweat a lot, even around camp, so try and put a dry pair of socks on before bed.
6) Have a sleeping set of long underwear. Same idea as #5
7) Use a liner. A silk, fleece or wool liner adds warmth to your bag.
8) Eat lots!! You need lots of calories, some from fat, when your body is spending energy keeping warm. Chocolate is best, of course.
|
|
Website of Interest
We recently received an email from our longtime participant Syd, announcing her new website: Eat, Play, Hug . The website has motivational videos aimed at women over 40 to inspire them to create a lifetime of healthy living. All the videos are free to access and there are three new ones every week. If you could use a little help in staying motivated to be as healthy as you can be, take a look.
|
|
Happy Thanksgiving!
This is a perfect time of year to sit back and reflect on all we're thankful for. Here are three that are on our list:
1. The Adventures in Good Company family: the guides and staff, the other companies and individuals we work with, our supporters, and most importantly, all the incredible women who have ever traveled with us. And even those of you who read this newsletter and know you'll never be traveling with us- you're part of our family too!
2. Living at a time in history where the idea of all women's travel doesn't raise nearly the eyebrows it did 20 years ago
3. Having the possibility of visiting many other parts of the world, both so we don't start taking our country for granted, and also so we realize that our life experiences are not the world's.
Have a great Thanksgiving, in whatever way you choose to celebrate it.
Marian, for all the guides at Adventures in Good Company
|
|
|
