We’re giving away two Kurgo dog-friendly travel items to our readers!

When Ryan and I adopted our dog Sasha, we knew that our way of travel would be changed forever. With visions of weekend hikes and road trips floating around in our heads, we were excited to spend more time outdoors, exploring more of our own backyard.

Little did we know, even a simple car ride would not be an easy task. Sasha has a tendency to either prop herself up on the center console or on our shoulders. The latter is what we like to refer to as “parrot the driver” [as seen above]. If overly excited about our destination, the insanity multiplies.

Enter Kurgo, a company dedicated to “helping dogs and their owners get out and enjoy the big wide world together.” They sent me two products to review – the Backseat Barrier and the South End Hammock. I selected these in particular not only to see if the frustration in the vehicle could be taken down a few notches, but because I have a feeling I’m not the only one out there who wants to take a long road trip with the dog without that additional worry.

Backseat Barrier

You might as well call this my lifesaver! This easy-to-install barrier attaches to the back of the front seats and discourages Sasha from moseying up to the front. Because it is made to fit most vehicles, Ryan and I can switch the barrier between our cars, depending on which one we’re taking.

Ideally, Sasha would sit down in the backseat like this ALL the time. Unfortunately, she is one stubborn dog. She’ll peek over the top of the barrier for most of the ride, but the barrier serves its purpose while we drive. Her paws are off the center console!

South End Hammock

This dura-suede hammock might very well be my car’s lifesaver, at least its upholstery. The plush exterior is waterproof, washable and stain-resistant. This easy-to-install [See a pattern here, folks? EASY-TO-INSTALL] hammock measures 55″ x 56″ and has Velcro openings for seat belts, which allows for conversion into a seat cover.

If only Sasha would stay seated! It would work beautifully.

But alas! She cannot help her curious self. I think I might try combining the magic of both products – the hammock to keep my car in one piece and the backseat barrier to keep her out of the front seat!

Overall

With a focus on four components – innovation, ease of use, quality, and multi-functionality – Kurgo creates easy-to-use dog-friendly travel products that not only take the wear and tear of dogs and their owners, but are also now considered industry standards. Aside from the two items mentioned above, they have a wide range of products to make your life with your dog much easier/safer.

Giveaway

Now for our Kurgo giveaway! They were kind enough to allow us TWO winners. The first will receive the Back Seat Barrier, just like the one I have described above. The second will receive both the Kurgo Collaps-A-Bowl and the Kurgo Quantum Leash, two items that you’ll want to take with you the next time you go hiking with the pup.

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Giveaway: Readying Your Car for Dog-friendly Travel is a post from Art of Backpacking

Packing light is the key to backpacking. The less you have, the easier you can jump from one destination to another and the less weight on your back. It’s just all around better to have less. But you still need to carry the things that are important.

Rubber Bands

This isn’t going to make your bag lighter but it’ll definitely save space in your backpack and make things easier to find. I roll up my clothes and wrap it around a rubber band. It keeps things tidy and neat. I don’t bother with those packing cubes. I keep hundreds of those rubber bands stuffed in my backpack so if one breaks, I have a whole lot more.

rubber band ball | the both and | shorts and longs | julie rybarczyk by Shorts and Longs | The Both And, on Flickr

Don’t Carry Soap

I hate traveling with a bar of soap. Having a separate container for soap is annoying to me and so is traveling with shower gels. Instead, I use shampoo to wash myself. It’s more expensive than soap but you’ll definitely save space. The only real disadvantage to using shampoo as soap is that there some brands might dry out your skin more than others. A few cheaper shampoo that don’t add too many chemicals might be better than expensive shampoo’s. I usually use lotion after I shower anyway.

No Towels

I haven’t traveled with a towel in long time. Most hostels have been providing towels. And if they didn’t (which has been rare), I covered myself in body powder which dried me up. An added bonus to using body powder was it always keeps my skin soft and moisturized. It’s especially amazing on hot days. Cools you off real fast.

One Wire Charge

For awhile, I traveled with a Samsung point-and-shoot camera. Not the greatest camera but I bought it because it charged via USB. Kodaks also do the same. I never had to worry about getting any sort of converter and threw away the actual plug. The camera charged from a camera’s mini-usb port to the computer. That same cable also charges Kindles and tons of other electronics. My external hard-drive had the same thing.

USB-mini-cable by ramelectronicsdotnet, on Flickr

Convertible Clothing

Buy clothes that can convert to different styles according to the weather. Pants that can convert to shorts or dresses that shape-shift into a completely different dress. You’ll have more styles to choose from and less to have to carry.

Buy a Smaller Backpack

I carry a 55L backpack and a camera bag. I can only carry what I can fit. I’ve been forced a number of times to donate or throw things away because I couldn’t fit it in my backpack. Its helped me carry less and make sure I pack only what’s important.

What do you do to pack lighter?

Or — you can get a girlfriend or boyfriend and bum off of them for everything.

Before you travel, make sure you take out your travel insurance from InsureandGo.

The following article has been sponsored.

How To Pack Lighter is a post from Art of Backpacking

The Voltij by Guerrilla Packs is an impressive backpack for $149. In fact, it has most of what more expensive packs would have.

I’m a fan of the 55L size backpacks and have always traveled with that size. I can fit everything that is necessary while still having a little extra room. This pack is top load and front load. I like the front load because it’s easier to pack, but also appreciate the top load because it means I can put any last minute items inside without having to open up the entire bag. Here’s a few other reasons why this bag is great.

• There are straps everywhere. That’s a good thing too, you can fully adjust and create what’s comfortable for your back.
• The entire backpack is waterproof. I’ve been in the rain way too many times so this feature is definitely useful for me. The weather gods tend to hate me.
• It’s lightweight at 5.2 lbs.
• Comes with a daypack.
• Compartments everywhere. Organization in a backpack? Finally! I’ve never owned a backpack that had a sleeping bag compartment.

Voltij Backpack Features:

• Detachable small 10L backpack
• Detachable padded laptop sleeve shoulder carry bag
• Aluminum internal frame
• Fully adjustable EVERYTHING!
• Built in compass and thermometer
• Rain cover
• Passport pocket & cell phone pocket
• Supports H20 hydration system
• Sleeping bag / wet clothes pocket

Backpack Specifications:

• Material: Diamond patterned Non-Rip industrial light weight polyester & nylon
• Volume (aprox): 65Liters / 3,965 Cubic Inches
• Length: 26 in Width: 14 in
• Torso Range: 17″ +/- 4″
• Fits torso: 14 to 23 in Fits hips: 24 to 44 in
• Internal frame: Plastic coasted Aluminum
• Weight (aprox): 5.2 lbs
• Loading points: Top, Front, & Bottom (4 compartments)
• Sleeping bag compartment: Yes

Giveaway: Voltij – 55L 10L – Adventure Backpack

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Product Review: Guerrilla Packs – Backpacks that cost less than $200 is a post from Art of Backpacking

Eagles Nest Outfitters has given us a Double Nest Hammock and a Slap Strap to giveaway to our readers!

Stephanie and I have a big road trip planned for the west coast of USA sometime in 2012 or 2013 and this hammock is definitely coming with us.

It’s lightweight and yet extremely durable. I’m a fan of minimalism so the size is perfect. It’s about the size of a softball and easy to setup so I don’t need instructions. I’m 6 feet and can fit comfortably into this hammock. The strap is sold separately but it’s pretty much required to have if it’s your first set. Having two separate bags for the straps and hammock isn’t ideal though.Would be nice to have them both in the same bag. The company sells all sorts of add-ons including Guardian Bug Net, Dry Fly Rain Tarp, and Possum Pocket which would solve my problem of having separate bags for each item.

Also read: 5 Reasons to Make Room for a Travel Hammock in Your Backpack

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Giveaway: Hammock and Straps is a post from Art of Backpacking

It’s my favorite and most comfortable pair of pants in my backpack right now. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had something this comfortable. Not only do they fit well but they look good on me. I hate money belts so I’m happy to see there’s finally a pants I could stash away important things without having to wear those ugly things.

Clothing Arts designed the P^cubed collection after being pick-pocked in the city I lived in for a year which was in Xi’an, China. It’s a common problem in Xi’an, China but looks like with these pants, there’s no need to worry anymore.

I got sent a Adventure Traveler Pants. I’m really impressed with the fit and fabric of the pants. It was designed with attention to detail. The hidden passport pocket in the rear is so well hidden that I couldn’t not find where the pocket was. Someone would need to steal the pants itself to get anything out of me. It’s even got cut resistant pockets so you’ll have to get the pants off of me first.

Even if you’re not worried about pick-pockets, it’s great having the zippers on the pockets as to not worry about things falling out of the pockets.

I absolutely love these pants.

Some features include:

• Mid-Weight 25% Nylon 75% Cotton Canvas – Feels and Wears like Cotton with the 10lb Tearing Strength of Nylon – its Bomb Proof!
• Advanced Dual Action DuPont™ Teflon® fabric protector – Repel Oil/Water & Release Stains.
• Select Your Level of Security – the Function of 4 Money-Belts Right at Your Fingertips!
• Side Cargo – Expandable Double Thick Double Secure Cut-Resistant Cargo Pockets

Review: P^cubed – Pick-Pocket Proof Pants is a post from Art of Backpacking

2 1/2 years worth of pictures, videos, and documents with sensitive information like copies of my passport and social security number. Losing this would be heartbreaking and even worse if stolen. These are the precautions I take and recommend on the road .

Online Cloud Backups

Backblaze uploads everything I do on the computer onto their data servers. The same day I move pictures into my computer, it’s already being uploaded onto Backblaze. The computer and Backblaze are synced. It runs in the background so I don’t even notice it. It scans for all files on the computer. As a bonus, it even scans all external harddrives and backs them up too. All files uploaded within 30 days are kept on Backblaze. That means if I were to upload a file today and delete it from your computer tomorrow, it will stay on Backblaze for 30 days. So if you’ve accidently deleted a file two weeks ago, you can still recover it.

Tips:

• If you have a lot of files to upload that you want in the cloud immediately, keep your computer on in your hotel or private room hostel. Make sure you lock your door and it’s safe. Perhaps hide the computer.
• In the settings for Backblaze, increase the bar for Faster Backups whenever you can.
• I have hundreds of gigs backed up into Backblaze, the first few weeks take awhile to get everything uploaded. If you find it would take months to upload because you have maybe thousands of gigs – Backblaze might not be for you. Or just be selective about what you want to backup in the settings.
• Backblaze has a software you can use to recover your files. It’s easy to use.
• You can’t view things instantly on the software. To recover files, you have to go into their software and recover it.

All Harddrives Die (eventually)

Sooner or later, your harddrive will fail. For every minute they are on, they are counting down to eventually failing. I have little trust in harddrives so I don’t let a minute pass by where I don’t have a second backup elsewhere. Whether it’s on a external harddrive or on your computer, it needs another location. This might sound like a little too much but once your harddrive fails, you’ll wish you had done it.

I have a LaCie All-Terrain and Western Digital My Passport external harddrives. Both have survived some intensive travel.

SD Cards and thumb-drives are cheap. You could backup as much as you can on them and mail them home — or hold onto them while you’re traveling.

Internet Bank Robbery by michaelmolenda, on Flickr

Upload Pictures

For $20 a year, you can upload an unlimited amount of pictures to Flickr. That’s got to be one of the best deals on the internet. I use to upload every picture I had on Flickr and set only a certain amount of pictures to public. Not everything was worthy enough to send to friends and family. Now I use SmugMug which takes photography to the next level. But for your basic uploading of pictures, Flickr is a great deal. Another is Picasa which is similar to Flickr.

Do NOT Keep Anything Sensitive On The Computer Itself

Copies of your credit card information, passwords, and everything else should never be kept on the computer. I frequently use Google Docs to save important documents (Dropbox works as well). I also email myself files I need to save for later and label them on Gmail. If something were to happen to my laptop, I can still access all my important files from another location.

In Chrome, there’s an option called Clear cookies and other site and plug-in data when I quit my browser. Enable it. If you’ve been saving all your information on Google Docs, it wouldn’t be very useful if they can login anyway. It can be a pain having to login every time you want to check your email but you’d do that anyway if you were at a internet cafe. Firefox has simliar features. Firefox has simliar features to never remember your browsing history and more. Look through your preferences for your browser.

Encrypt your data and set passwords

Whether you’re using a Windows or Mac OS X operating system, there’ settings in your operating system to encrypt all of your data. If someone were to gain access to your files, it’d be encrypted and difficult to bypass giving you an extra layer of protection. Make sure you also set user and admin passwords for logging into your computer.

• For Mac OS X, you’ll want to use FileVault. Instructions on how to setup FileVault.
• For Windows, there’s different guides. Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

You can even take this further and use TrueCrypt. One of the best ways to truly hide your information and protect it. Check FoXnoMad’s guide to setting this up.

How do you keep your files on your computer safe and backed up?

I’ve included a few affiliate links in this article. These are all products I recommend and use myself. Please, if you can, support us by clicking on them and if you like my recommendation, try them out.

Backing Up and Protecting Your Files On The Road is a post from Art of Backpacking

WaterField Designs sent me a MacBook Air Smart Case. I was excited about receiving this after reading their website and becoming a fan of the all the other products they had on the site. They have cases for iPods, iPads, MacBooks, Kindles, cameras, and laptop bags. All of which are designed and made in San Francisco.

My first impressions were how slim and lightweight the case was. This will fit perfectly in my backpack without it being too bulky. Although it’s slim and light weight, it’s still powerful protection. The multi-layered padding includes high-impact, rigid, plastic inserts and an Ultrasuede® scratch-free liner. The MacBook Air fits inside seamlessly and smooth with it’s soft padding surrounding it on the inside. It’s definitely snug and secure but easy enough to take out.

The stretchable outside pocket is a nice added feature. A charger fits in perfectly and any other cables you may want to put inside.

Some of the other colors include Green, Flame, Copper (pictured here), Pine, Pearl, and Black. It looks professional, but also stylish.

You can find out more by visiting their website at SFBags.com
And on Twitter: Follow @SFBags

“I’d like a sleeping bag made out of this” – Stephanie @ Twenty-SomethingTravel.com

All opinions are of my own.

Product Review: MacBook Air Smart Case is a post from Art of Backpacking

Traveling independently can sometimes mean that we have to be creative when we need to take shots of ourselves. I always make sure to take a picture of myself in every destination because to me it’s proof that I’ve been there otherwise it’s just another Flickr photo. No one else will have a picture of me with the Great Wall of China. I don’t always carry a tripod though because it’s too big or heavy. In New York City, you’re not even allowed to use a tripod without special permission in certain areas like Central Park. In many cases, there’s no one around to take a picture of me and if someone does, they end up taking a picture of my feet. And arms length shots never come out great. The solution? XShot Camera Extender.

XShot sent me a sample of the XShot Extender 2.0 for review. At first I thought it would be silly looking to hold this pole straight out but it’s actually not bad. It’s surprisingly durable metal shaft and compact extender makes it perfect for backpackers. The nonslip grip is great and the lanyard keeps it from falling to the ground. It closes at 9″ (22.9 cm) and extends up to 37″ (94 cm) weighing only at 1.25lbs (570 g). The camera adapter fits with point&shoot cameras very well. Definitely a fan of how well designed the mount is.

I took a few shots and you can’t even tell I’m holding a XShot Extender (Pictures updated shortly of my trip around Washington D.C.). An XShot would be great with a Flip UltraHD Video Camera or a Samsung TL210 DualView.

Want to win a XShot 2.0 Camera Extender? Enter below!

Product Review: XShot Camera Extender is a post from Art of Backpacking

The 2010 best budget P&S cameras for backpackers did well and since we’re around the same time that I did the last article, it’s that time of the year again.

While I may not have tried all of these cameras, I checked the reviews and popularity throughout the internet. As I did last year, a few things were kept in mind: price, weight, quality, resistance, and size. These five things are essential to all backpackers. Some cameras are even still on the list while others have been upgraded.

Why have I not included the Canon PowerShot S90? It died on me in less than 6 months. Although the quality of the camera was fantastic, it didn’t last long enough. Colors swirl around every image as if it were on drugs. I do recommend the camera for its great picture quality but maybe I just got unlucky because most reviews on Amazon give it positive. We’ll see what Canon says when I take it in for warranty this summer.

Update: Canon fixed my S90 under warranty and it’s working beautifully again. Not sure if it’ll happen again but for now it does work. I wasn’t able to find anyone else that had this same issue on the internet.

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR REFERENCE ONLY! I don’t provide reviews because that’s not what I do on Art of Backpacking for cameras. If YOU want to provide a review of a camera listed here, then please feel free in the comments. Another thing to note is that although BEST is listed in the title, it doesn’t mean I recommend every camera on here. These are the most popular cameras that others feel are the best through the reviews and popularity on Amazon. I took into consideration what a backpacker looks for to conclude this list of best for backpackers.

Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS 12.1 MP

Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12 MP

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20K 14.1 MP

Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 10MP

Canon PowerShot SX200IS 12 MP

2011 Best Budget P&S Cameras for Backpackers is a post from Art of Backpacking

Here’s a list of ways how becoming a minimalist has helped me become a better backpacker.

Smaller Backpack

I don’t need as much. My backpack is a 55L Eagle Creek Explorer LT. It has so far survived two years on the road and it’s still going strong. My back is not breaking because it’s light and easy to put on. In many airlines, it’s enough to even take as a carry-on. It’s easy to strap on and go.

What I took RTW

Saves Money

Since my backpack is small, I can’t carry much. I’m forced to buy less. It really makes me think twice about what I’m buying. This wasn’t ever an issue since I became a minimalist before I was a backpacker.

To me it feels good to own less. The less I own, the better I feel. I’m usually not tempted to buy too much. I’ve bought souvenirs as a personal remembrance of some places but they are always small and sometimes they were free. I don’t need anything fancy. I’m spending the money on experiences rather than material goods.

Less to deal with at home

I don’t need to rent a storage house. In fact, all I have is a small box that is kept at my mother’s house. I’ve sold all my possessions prior to traveling. Just like my last

I have nothing holding me back

I can travel for as long as I want. I have, as many Americans do, student loans – other than that, I don’t have to pay for anything else. I’m free to backpack for as long as I’d like without worrying about delaying anything back at home. I’ve met many backpackers that unwillingly need to go back home because of all the “stuff” they have back at home.

Appreciating the small things

Not owning anything outside of a backpack and a box makes me appreciate the little things in my life. What I own means a lot to me.

How Minimalism Has Helped Me Become a Better Backpacker is a post from Art of Backpacking