comprehensive-travel.com

Plan Your Hiking Vacation

Most of the outdoor survival events that occur can be prevented with a little preparation and planning. A survival situation is something that can happen to anyone, regardless of his or her experience or expertise in hiking. Survival situations don’t always arise because someone is inexperienced or reckless. If you want to have the best time you can on your hiking vacation, while keeping yourself and your family as safe as possible, there certain steps you can take.

First and most important, be sure to leave a travel plan with someone at home. A travel plan lists the possible locations you expect to cover while on your hiking vacation. It does not have to be a detailed list. You can use a map and just mark the spots on it where you plan to be. If you leave a travel plan, then searchers will have an idea of where to look for you if you become lost.

Second, always carry a few basic items with you in case you have to spend the night on the trail. Take a garbage bag, a lighter, a whistle, a pocketknife, and a water bottle. This is the minimum number of essential items you should bring with you whether you are hiking for a day or for a week or longer. These items address the basic needs from shelter to water and heat. Depending on your outdoor activity, level of skill, and the climate you plan to hike in, you may need to carry more extensive equipment.

Third, be sure to pack something you can turn into a shelter quickly. A garbage bag is an example of such an item. It can be easily made into a shelter. Just cut a slit in the middle of the closed end and pull it over your head. This is a great solution to the problem, and a bag is easy to pack in a pocket. It only costs a few pennies, and it may save your life.

Hypothermia can occur even in 50-degree whether, so it is critical that you have a way to make a quick shelter should the need arise.

Always carry a wool cap in your vehicle and your daypack. Eighty percent of your body heat leaves you if your head is exposed. You must always protect your head when you are hiking. If you don’t have a cap, use a sock or a bandanna. You can wear anything on your head as long as it keeps your head warm.

Finally, make a habit of carrying at least three fire-making resources with you. Having a lighter is always a good idea, but having only one source of fire making while hiking is inadequate. Lighters may get wet, and then they won’t light anymore. Also carry a spark rod and windproof matches in your pocket or pack. You are like to make a fire in rainy or otherwise bad weather. While this can be tricky, it can be done. Just collect dead twigs from evergreens like pines, firs, or spruces. These trees have a lot of resin so they will catch fire faster than other types of wood.

December 30th, 2007 Posted by admin | Travel, activity vacation, foreign travel, vacation | no comments

Holiday Cottages In Scotland

There are times when we all feel the need of breaking away from our hectic lives and take a long holiday to rejuvenate ourselves. There are many options available to travelers today. The disposable incomes have gone up and the cost of travel has reduced drastically. This has resulted in a splurge in the number of people willing to book themselves on a foreign holiday, a phenomenon that was unheard of till a few years back. People are willing to try out new locations also for the adventure of exploring the unknown and getting a first hand experience of another culture.

One location that has caught the fancy of travelers is Scotland. The place is known for picturesque landscape and fine cuisine. And not to forget, Scottish beer has created a niche for itself. What more could one ask for than a freshly brewed ale. And if one wants to try out variety, one can hop into Ireland, which is again famous for its beer. But that is only one component of what you can enjoy while in Scotland.

One of the most tried out holiday option in Scotland is to rent a cottage. Many people book these cottages for weeks together. It is possible to hire your own cooks who would pamper you with all the local mouth watering delicacies that you would remember for all your life. Many of my friends have taken this option and they all have come back with fond memories of their stay and experiences in Scottish cottages. If this is an idea that you are hearing for the first time but are intrigued by it, you can log on to the Internet to check out all the details about Scotland. This will help you in designing your itinerary to suit your own requirements. These web sites also provide an estimate on the costs involved and you should compare different sites before finalizing on an option. 

Rest assured, you will also be one of those souls who will come back fully rejuvenated to take on the challenges of the world. So plan well and more importantly, plan in advance for an experience of a lifetime. 

December 24th, 2007 Posted by admin | Travel, family, vacation | no comments

Year-Long Insurance Coverage for Travel

You can get travel insurance that will cover you for a period of a year. It has been statistically proven that modern families travel more frequently and take more vacations than in the past. They are likely to take trips at a moment’s notice, as well as plan for their trips, and they need to have good coverage for every family member.

Travel insurance firms offer annual travel coverage. They may present their programs as ‘multi-trip’ plans. It is designed to offer coverage to families that go traveling on a regular basis. The coverage lets families save money because they have to pay only a single fee. These policies will cover any trip made during a one-year period as long as the plan is active. Comparatively, standard policies cover travel undertaken within 90-day periods in most cases. While annual travel insurance can cost a little more than standard policies, you will save in the long run because it will cover you and your family for a longer period of time. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of any policy so you’ll have a good understanding of exactly what it covers. Many policies do not cover injuries to your pets during travel or any dangerous sports activities, for example.

Annual travel policies may also include an excess waiver, which is activated when you file a claim. This waiver states what the policyholder will pay out-of-pocket. It is similar to the deduction that is used in other kinds of insurance: to prevent high premium costs, you promise to pay a specific amount against a claim.

Families that travel frequently to attend golf tournaments may need additional policies, since both travel and sports are involved. Travel agencies provide golf-travel insurance, which often cover the loss of golf equipment, injury to others via third-party coverage, and other risks that may be associated with playing golf.

You may be able to save as much as 40 percent on the cost of travel insurance by purchasing it online. Online insurance providers can afford to offer lower rates than traditional companies because they have a lower overhead. Online firms may also consider more than risk when reviewing your application as well. They many consider your home insurance programs, since they know that possessions are covered under home policies. This may also save you money on your travel insurance.

Extended group policies are designed to cover families or other groups totaling at least ten people. Discounts of up to ten percent are available for such groups, but the coverage varies from company to company, and you should check what they cover carefully. Generally, group policies are less expensive than single policies. They may be suitable for school trips such as those to out-of-town sporting events.

December 22nd, 2007 Posted by admin | Travel, family, foreign travel, insurance, vacation | no comments