Backpack Accessories to Enhance Your Travel Experience

Now that you've found the right travel backpack, its time to pack your gear. For most of us, its difficult to fit the essential items into an already jam packed backpack. Here are a few accessories that will enhance your trip experience and take a load off the shoulders.

Waterproof Backpack Cover

To ensure that your travel backpack stays completely dry, waterproof backpack covers are available to keep the moisture out. These covers are made of a lightweight, polyurethane material that can be easily stored in your bag when not being used. Also, if your still looking for a travel backpack, look for a pack that already has a waterproof cover attached, it will save you a few extra bucks.


Compression Bags

For most of us, fitting everything you require into your travel bag can be a chore. With compression bags like the one in the picture, they allow travellers to compress items that require a lot of space. Compression packs are suitable for shrinking bulky articles of clothing and sleeping bags.



Hydration Bladders

Hydration bladders come in all different shapes and sizes. If your looking for something that fits into one of your existing travel backpacks, this little handy accessory will do the trick. Hydration bladders like this one can hold up to 1 to 1.5 litres of liquid while taking up little space. These types of hydration bladders are sold without their own backpack; however, they are designed to fit into most travel bags and those travel bags come in a variety of sizes. 


Hennessy Hammock

The Hennessy Hammock is a great accessory for when you require a tent but do not want to carry around a bulky piece of gear. If you don't mind being a little closer to nature, these hammocks fit neatly into your backpack and can be assembled in less than 3 minutes. These hammocks also provide shelter from all the elements,  as well as mosquitos and other insects.


Gorrillapod Flexible Tripods

This handy accessory is great for when a camera tripod is needed for your adventure but you don't want to be stuck carrying a bulky, heavy camera tripod. The Gorillapod has flexible legs which enables it to attach to almost any surface. This accessory can support cameras up to 5Ibs and require very little backpack space.


These are just a few of some travel accessories that will help enhance your adventure travel experience, and will take a load off the shoulders.

Happy Packing,

BikeHike Adventures.

Happy Earth Hour from BikeHike!

This Saturday, March 28, BikeHike will be turning off the lights in support of Earth Hour. For those unaware of this event, it is a global initiative, which involves turning off all non-essential lights for one hour starting at 8:30pm. The initiative is designed to address the growing concerns of global warming but also gives residents an opportunity to see their city in a different light - with no lights. For some of us, Earth Hour might seem uneventful but here is a list of a few things that might just spice up this hour-long event:

1. Find high ground

Find a location where one will be able to get a good panoramic view of the city and set up camp. For us living in Vancouver, one of North Vancouver’s local mountains would be a suitable location. Once the city goes dark, the sky should light up with stars that are normally never seen because of city lights.

2. Go for a walk

Grab a lantern, flashlight, or some other lighting source and go for a walk through you favorite part of town.

3. Have a Candlelight dinner

Many restaurants are offering candle lit dinners during Earth Hour. This is a great opportunity for you to build up some extra points with the loved one. Check your local listings in your city to see which restaurants are partaking in Earth Hour.

4. No Facebook for an hour

This might be extremely tough for those of us addicted to Facebook or any other social media tool but Earth Hour provides a valid excuse to take a break from reading your friends status updates. Earth Hour provides an opportunity to participate in another hobby that interests you.

5. Fondue Party!

Grab your friends and family and have a Fondue party. Tell everyone to bring their favorite meats and cheeses and enjoy a night crowded around the Fondue pot.

These are just a few ideas that one can do during Earth Hour but the list goes on and on. Tomorrow night be creative and do something fun and exciting that doesn’t involve power to help support this global initiative. From all of us at BikeHike, we wish you a happy Earth Hour!

Happy Earth Hour!

BikeHike Adventures

BikeHike's Tips to Purchasing the Right Bike

For most of us looking to purchase a bike for the first time, it’s tough to know where to begin. For those who need some guidance, here are a few tips to find the right bike that fits your riding needs.

1)     Determine Your Budget

When the time comes to finally upgrade to a new bike or buy for the first time, the first thing we suggest is determining your budget.  Bikes that used to be extremely expensive are now quite affordable. Full suspension bikes are more economical than ever.

2)    Ask Questions and Read

Avid bike friends can be valuable resources. Take them out for a beverage or two and discuss everything to do with bikes. Biking is likely one of their passions, and they probably love talking about anything to do with the sport. If you don't have friends that ride, the internet is a very resourceful tool. Search for bike related websites, blogs and forums. You will gather a lot of information from bike enthusiasts who are willing to help you out. It’s a great tool to get customer reviews on specific bike models, helpful tips, and even great deals on bikes!

3)    Find the Right Bike Shop

Once you’ve calculated your budget and have gained some biking knowledge, start visiting bike shops in your area. Pick a bike store with friendly, informative staff who are willing to take the time to help you out. Don’t feel obligated to make your purchase from the first store you visit, there are plenty of other bike shops around.

4)    Find the Right Bike for You

When you’ve found your bike shop and now its time to buy, make sure to find the bike with the right fit. There are a lot of choices you'll be presented with such as: frame type, suspension (full suspension or hard tail), components, brakes,  pedals, saddle and grips.

If just starting out, don’t spend too much time worrying about which frame to choose. Focus more on the suspension, pedals, saddle, and grips. Depending on your budget, full suspension bikes can be quite affordable. If your budget is below $1000, we recommend looking more at hard-tail bikes (just front suspension). If the pedals, saddle and grips don’t feel right, ask to swap for something else that feels more comfortable. It may cost a few extra bucks, but this is when you can work on your bargaining skills.

Each person’s buying cycles are different when it comes to purchasing a bike, but if you need a helping hand, follow these steps to help guide you in the right direction.

Happy Biking,

BikeHike Adventures

 

 

 

Where to Find Bargains in Outdoor Adventure Gear

I just stumbled upon this great website called SteepandCheap.com that has some fabulous discounts on premium outdoor adventure gear including The North Face, Mountain Hardware, Kavu, Burton,  Horny Toad,  Giro, etc. 

Here's How it works:

The website offers one screamin' deal on an item at a time, and you have to act fast or you'll miss it. 

If you do miss it, not to worry, the site puts out another item immediately afterwards. They have back to back deals all day long.

How to Steep and Cheap:

Check www.steepandcheap.com through the day to see what deals they have. Check back often, and warning, it can be addictive.

You can also set up the option to receive instant alerts (IM, desktop widget, email, SMS)

You might find it convenient to store your shipping and billing info with them in advance so that when you want to purchase an item, you won't miss it because you took too long to fill out the payment form. 

The Catch:

You may need to have a US based address, since they don't ship to every country. Or if you're in Canada, once you factor in the shipping, duty and exchange rate, the overall cost might amount to what you'd pay for the same item in Canada, so try to find a friend across the border who can accept the package for you and head south for a visit across the border.  Hopefully it will still work out as a great deal. For you guys in the US, this is a gem of a find.

If anyone out there has any insight on good websites that offer great travel deals, please let us know and we'll post them here on our blog.

Happy Shopping,

BikeHike

Some Recommendations for European Destination Attractions

Good afternoon travellers!

Europe offers the one place where a traveller can experience cultures, religions, architecture, and history that is different from one country to the next. Here is just a snapshot of my top three, most memorable locations I had a chance to visit.

 The Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France is one of Europe’s many iconic structures that is a must see. Located in the heart of the city, travellers are able to travel to the top of the tower and see some spectacular views of Paris,     weather permitting of course. One thing I recommend is seeing the Eiffel Tower during the day and at night. During the evening, the tower puts on a dazzling light display that will leave any traveler breathless. If the Eiffel Tower doesn’t interest you, Paris offers a long list of other attractions that are just as memorable.

 

Monte-Carlo Casino, Monaco

The Monte-Carlo Casino is definitely a must-see when visiting Monaco. The historic structure built in 1878 is decorated with marble, elegant stain glass windows and admirable decorations and sculptures. If you’re in the gambling mood, make sure to visit one of the many gaming room’s the casino has to offer. If gambling is not your thing, not to worry, the Monte-Carlo Casino also is home to many world-class Operas, Ballets, and concerts. Make sure to have your camera ready when traveling through Monaco so you don’t miss a thing.

 

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

Lauterbruunen is located in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, which is located between peaks that can rise as high as the eye can see. One of my highlights was venturing to the top of the Jungfraujoch peak. Jungfraujoch is one of the highest peaks in the region at 11,397 feet. A mountain train takes you to the top where you can get a birds eye view of the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

 

These are just a few of the many memorable places I had a chance to visit during my European adventure. Next time you happen to travel through these destinations, make sure to take a look, your camera will be full of some good photos.

 Happy Travels,

 Dave 

Ireland: What's not to love?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Ireland is one of my favourite travel destinations for so many reasons. It has great hiking and biking trails all over the countryside, lush green fields and peat bogs, deep history with ancient castles and prehistoric forts, plenty of pubs ( it almost seems there is one pub per person) with yummy Irish beer, traditional music with fiddles, tin whistles and the bodhran, rugged coastlines with whitesand beaches and steep cliffs, vibrant towns such as Galway and Dingle, country roads that are two lanes but aren't even suitable for one car, sheep everywhere, Aran sweaters, a stone you can kiss (that millions before you have already done) which gives you the gift of eloquence, Irish whiskey, great literary writers and poets, friendly people, Irish breakfasts with black and white pudding, etc. So much fun.


This is the Western Way Trail. We didn't see a single other person during the entire 25 km/15 mile hike. Highlights included the views of the surrounding mountains and lakes, fields of peat and heather, curious sheep and the pub at the end of the walk. Guinness never tasted so good!









Reflections on the Connemara Peninsula. The picture speaks for itself.













This was my favourite pub, located in the town of Dingle. It was a hardware store and pub combined. I could sit and have a Guinness and buy nails at the same time. What an ingenious idea.










Traditional Live Music in Doolin. The pub was hopping and the band must have played for more than 5 hours. Great dancing music! Too bad my Irish dancing lessons didn't go so well.











Cliffs of Moher. Just some of the impressive coastline of Ireland. They stretch for 8 kms/4.9 miles and rise up to 214 metres/700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.













Outside of a pub. This was one of my favourites with the white and red decor and Guinness poster.













Cheers,
Meg