For me, nothing is as awesome as traveling the world. From the unique cultures to the food varieties to the ever-changing natural world, when I find myself in a new place, I revel in it. I get into the culture by staying with locals, often by way of couchsurfing, or by simply planning a meet up with a one-on-one tour of the place with others in like fields of work or with like interests. I try and fully explore the local culinary styles whenever I get the chance, starting first with my hosts and then I wander and stop whenever something catches my eye (or nose, rather).
When it comes to experiencing the attractions, I always wander around the old towns, see the big sights, and take in the history and unique qualities of the culture, but then I move on to the natural areas. If I can find a place unspoiled by the touch of man then I’m a happy man. Out there is where the true reveling happens, because let me tell you, there’s nothing that fills me up more than getting into a natural landscape that is both beautiful and untouched. I like it when I am alone in a place. When I can no longer hear the roar of an engine or the buzz of a plane, no industry, no voices, or anything human, that’s when I know I’ve found where I want to be. Spending time in Nature nourishes my soul and washes away any stresses and anxieties, and it’s different every place I go, so I never get tired of one forest after another.
That’s how I like to travel, and to travel like that and to do what I do with writing and photography, you have to have a lot of gear with you. When I’m taking short trips (less than a month) to a place, I’ll backpack and travel light with a fraction of my gear. But when I really sink my teeth into a place, I’ll invest the extra expense in traveling well too. When I’m backpacking, I’ll have a rucksack with a tent and tripod hung off it, and a small and secure photographer backpack. And when I’m glamping or going on trips with family and friends, I’ll bring a large 10x10 popup tent with more bedding, and a few perks like a heavy duty cooler and an electric chainsaw to help with firewood.
I travel to explore and to expand my mind and my experience. Majority of my most memorable experiences happened overseas in a far away place where I didn’t speak the language, yet I met the nicest people, shared in some of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had, surrounded by stunning beauty. Some travel to check off boxes, take souvenir snapshots, buy nicknacks and leave. I want to leave a piece of my heart while taking a piece of the place home with me in my heart. I don’t simply want to see the top tourist traps and then head home. I want to revel in it like a happy pig in a mud pit.
That’s how I like to travel, and to travel like that and to do what I do with writing and photography, you have to have a lot of gear with you. When I’m taking short trips (less than a month) to a place, I’ll backpack and travel light with a fraction of my gear. But when I really sink my teeth into a place, I’ll invest the extra expense in traveling well too. When I’m backpacking, I’ll have a rucksack with a tent and tripod hung off it, and a small and secure photographer backpack. And when I’m glamping or going on trips with family and friends, I’ll bring a large 10x10 popup tent with more bedding, and a few perks like a heavy duty cooler and an electric chainsaw to help with firewood.
I travel to explore and to expand my mind and my experience. Majority of my most memorable experiences happened overseas in a far away place where I didn’t speak the language, yet I met the nicest people, shared in some of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had, surrounded by stunning beauty. Some travel to check off boxes, take souvenir snapshots, buy nicknacks and leave. I want to leave a piece of my heart while taking a piece of the place home with me in my heart. I don’t simply want to see the top tourist traps and then head home. I want to revel in it like a happy pig in a mud pit.
I tend to backpack a destination first, then return for a deeper look with more gear, which means more photography gear, but better amenities for my own comfort. I prefer to move quick the first time, slowing for the special moments, then return with more of a slow travel approach. On my most recent adventures, I’ve found Pelican’s U100 Urban Backpack to be ideal for keeping my gear safe in either travel style. When I am sent to a place for a photography project, I’ll bring more lenses and backup bodies, and some lighting pieces, but generally, I like to travel light. Being bogged down by tons of gear is a burden I’ve experienced and wish to avoid, and the Urban Backpack lets me do that.
Pelican is among my top five favorite brands, which is mainly do to the fact that everything they make is legit, creatively designed and built to last. They don’t jump into a new product line by simply making something comparable, they look to make the ideal piece of equipment. Over the years, I’ve used Pelican for my music gear when I used to play in a touring band. When I owned a high end portrait studio, I used Pelican cases to keep my cameras, lenses, hard drives and lighting units safe from the outside world. And now, as a travel photographer, I use Pelican’s hardshell cases to house my camera and other high end electronics gear, which comes in handy when I’m checking in luggage on a flight.
Pelican is among my top five favorite brands, which is mainly do to the fact that everything they make is legit, creatively designed and built to last. They don’t jump into a new product line by simply making something comparable, they look to make the ideal piece of equipment. Over the years, I’ve used Pelican for my music gear when I used to play in a touring band. When I owned a high end portrait studio, I used Pelican cases to keep my cameras, lenses, hard drives and lighting units safe from the outside world. And now, as a travel photographer, I use Pelican’s hardshell cases to house my camera and other high end electronics gear, which comes in handy when I’m checking in luggage on a flight.
The U100 Urban Backpack is a watertight, crushproof laptop case, which has enough space for a slim body camera and a couple smaller lenses. I keep my laptop in the hardshell compartment and my camera gear wrapped in clothes inside its large zippered compartment. The hardshell is beautiful, because it is like other Pelican cases but with a backpack built around it. It really is crushproof strong, and it’s big enough for my MacBook Air and iPad, so I can carry quite a bit in one secure pack. For total security, considering I’ve been robbed when abroad more than once, I keep all of the openings locked up and I always lock the backpack to me or to something secure within my eyesight.
The U100 is IP67 tested, which means it’s rated to handle being submerged under water for 30 minutes at 3 feet of water. So the water rating isn’t necessarily awesome, but it’s good enough to handle rain and other momentary mistakes. Anything deeper and the contents may be in trouble. There si a pressure equalization valve which prevents vacuum lock. The fabric of the pack is made with a 16 liter durable ballistic nylon, so it’s very heavy duty and made to survive through most of what life can throw at you. Most.
The U100 is IP67 tested, which means it’s rated to handle being submerged under water for 30 minutes at 3 feet of water. So the water rating isn’t necessarily awesome, but it’s good enough to handle rain and other momentary mistakes. Anything deeper and the contents may be in trouble. There si a pressure equalization valve which prevents vacuum lock. The fabric of the pack is made with a 16 liter durable ballistic nylon, so it’s very heavy duty and made to survive through most of what life can throw at you. Most.
Another new product by Pelican that I’ve had the pleasure to test out while I was in Yellowstone in September is the 45QW Elite Wheeled Cooler, which I take on camping trips and on some longer trips that have me stationed in one area for a prolonged period of time. The 45QW looks very sharp, and is absolutely no slouch, as it’s a big boy indeed, weighing in at 37.25 lbs and measuring at 29.66”x20”x19.25”. The designers at Pelican must have sat down and asked themselves how they can make the most bad ass cooler, because this thing is loaded with features. One of the coolest being that it’s Grizzly Bear tested and certified bear resistant, which means the design goes into keeping bears safe, while reducing bear-human encounters. Once a bear becomes conditioned to our kind of food, they search it out, which often ends in lives being lost.
The 45QW is meant for the great outdoors, as it holds ice up to 10 days. It’s outfitted with a freezer grade gasket and the walls are made of 2” polyurethane insulation. Ergonomic features include press and pull latches wide enough for gloved use, integrated fish scale on lid, heavy duty wheels, molded-in handles and trolley handle, built-in bottle opener, molded-in tie downs, non-skin and non-marking raised feet, molded-in lock hasp with stainless steel plate, sloped drain and tethered threaded plug, and corrosion resistant stainless steel hardware. Pelican is so proud and confident in their design that they guarantee it for life. It’s a heavy duty cooler with fantastic cold preservation and is built to last, handling extreme weather as well as animal attacks.
If you would like to learn more about Pelican, click here.
The 45QW is meant for the great outdoors, as it holds ice up to 10 days. It’s outfitted with a freezer grade gasket and the walls are made of 2” polyurethane insulation. Ergonomic features include press and pull latches wide enough for gloved use, integrated fish scale on lid, heavy duty wheels, molded-in handles and trolley handle, built-in bottle opener, molded-in tie downs, non-skin and non-marking raised feet, molded-in lock hasp with stainless steel plate, sloped drain and tethered threaded plug, and corrosion resistant stainless steel hardware. Pelican is so proud and confident in their design that they guarantee it for life. It’s a heavy duty cooler with fantastic cold preservation and is built to last, handling extreme weather as well as animal attacks.
If you would like to learn more about Pelican, click here.
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