Summer is approaching quicker than you think and you may be going to head off to the beach for a family vacation with your kids.  It is never too early to plan a summer vacation.  Something you will most likely need are beach backpacks for kids.  For kids, a backpack is a very handy accessory that can carry just about everything they will need for a day trip or even a weekend, from clothes to toiletries and ipods to hats, jackets, toys and books.  As well, having a backpack to lug supplies down to the beach area is very handy, whether you are a toddler, young kid, parent or teen.

The type of kid’s beach backpacks you need depend on the ages and sizes of your children, as well as what you, or they, need the backpack for.  A beach trip is one of the funniest trips a kid can go on, but there are considerations not found on other types of trips where backpacks are used.  A beach trip usually involves more sand, sun, salty air and salt water. 

You may want a functional kids beach backpack for the carrying of clothes and sundries or you may want to buy one that can carry items such as food and water bottles. As well you can find combined backpacks that have a separate removable section for clothes and one for food or drink.  Also popular are beach backpacks for little kids that are used to carry all of their sand toys.  You can tell there are a variety of backpacks to think about depending on the needs or ages of the kids.

One thing to look for is the ability of the beach backpack to be waterproof.  These are not the easiest bags to find for older kids and shopping online seems to offer the best choice in this variety.  One popular older kid’s beach backpack is divided into two sections. The top mesh section is for holding clothes and towels, and the bottom insulated section acts like a cooler for food or drink. 

You are going to want separate compartments in any older kids beach backpack since this will help keep items like hair products or suntan lotion away from clothing or towels.  As well make sure the exterior is made of nylon or some heavier waterproof fabric.  A denim bag would not be very good against water of course.  Most kids beach backpacks are designed to have a drawstring top, be lightweight and have just a few separate areas for keeping a towel, money, suntan lotion, maybe a hat or book, and very little else.  Beach backpacks are not as large or cumbersome as school or camping ones.  Most beach backpacks are for one day trips down to the sand area and that is about all.

For little tikes there are a variety of kid’s beach backpacks for carrying toys.  Most seem to be clear plastic with some colorful designs or stitching.  They usually are light since the toys are all plastic.  These types of backpacks may come with little sand molds, buckets, plastic tools, and scoops.  These beach backpacks for kids are not meant to carry anything but toys.  They are good because they are fairly water proof and can tolerate sand well.  You simply have to rinse your child’s toys in the water and stuff them back in the bag, ready to use the next day.  You can never get rid of all the sand accumulated from a day at the beach, so these backpacks work well to keep all of the sandy toys together.  They are also light enough that little kids can carry them, even though the shoulder straps are sometimes non existent or not comfortable.

There is nothing keeping you from being creative and using these clear beach backpacks for clothes.  There are also larger kids clear school backpacks which can be used as dedicated beach backpacks instead.

A beach backpack for kids would make the perfect gift for the child that you know goes to the beach on occasion, or your own kid.  Having been to the beach many times with kids myself I can attest that they do come in very handy and make things so much easier to carry items and keep them out of the sand.  You may want one for each kid plus yourself, so everyone can carry some of their own beach gear.

Traveling in a group? You are the holiday packagers dream! Imagine being able to offload bulk airline seats, rail passes and entertainment packages in one booking. A group traveling is a wanted commodity and because of this you can secure great deals for your group. But as always, beware of any hidden ‘extras’ such as cancellation policies and preferred partners when stepping outside the package. Be prepared to shop around for the best deal. 

 

Here are some tips for the traveling group on a budget:

1. Travel insurance can be bought through some companies where savings can be ten percent or more. A group usually consists of four or more. Contact a number of travel insurance agencies and compare quotes.

2. Pack as many people as you can into your hotel room (keeping it legal). The more heads in the room, the higher the number to divide the cost by.

3. Renting a car when traveling in a group of four is usually cheaper than buying travel passes – and more convenient.

4. Food, guidebooks, taxi fares can all be split between the group bringing costs down.

5. Rail passes for groups or pairs may find discount offers in some countries.

6. Some airlines offer discount rates to groups of ten or more traveling together.

7. Group package bookings that have everything included in the price will have all expenses covered so you won’t be surprised by any extra costs, apart from shopping!

8. Discount holiday packages for large groups of travelers are offered through a number of travel agencies. Sports fans may be able to travel to big events using one of these travel packages for much cheaper than organizing it on their own.

 

If you want to join a group tour so you don’t have to travel alone consider all the pros and cons. Will there be like-minded people? Is there any flexibility to the travel arrangements? If not, will this outweigh the savings you’ll make on joining the tour? Some travelers like the convenience of all the travel arrangements being made for them. Group tour operators will find the best fares and reputable places to stay in. This saves you the hassle but it may mean that some of the cultural experiences you want will have to be put aside for the relatively cheaper ride.

 

Traveling in a family group can also benefit from a number of offers. Inform your booking agent that it is a family and ask about any special offers or deals. Can you visit any amusement parks or tourist attractions at family discount rates?

 

When traveling in a group, never be afraid to ask for a discounted rate. Everyone involved in the tourism trade is looking to get large numbers on seats or through doors. Groups are welcomed and catered for accordingly.

 

This article is brought to you by: Stuart S. Travel – Your Online Travel Guru

www.stuartstravel.com

Have you ever wanted to travel the world and make money for writing about what you see? It’s not as hard as you may imagine. Using a few underground techniques, you can be making a healthy income in no-time flat for writing about traveling the world!

Here are the ways you can make money as a travel writer:

1) Traditional Method: Selling Your Stories To Travel Magazines and Newspapers.

This is the most common and most well-known method. Ironically, it also pays the least of all the methods.

You can take two paths when selling your article to a magazine. First you can query a magazine on their interest about a particular subject. If interested, they will agree to buy your article if it meets their standards. The second method is to write the article, then try and sell it.

To find magazines and periodicals that purchase travel stories, go to the library and check out the most recent Writers Market and you’ll have over a dozen periodicals that pay anywhere from a few hundred bucks to a few thousand dollars for an article.

The risky side to this is that there are no guarantees of payment, and you must either have a great story or be a great writer to make this work. Not impossible, just tough.

2) Writing For Other People’s Blogs.

If you can write a 400-1500 word post on any given subject, you can sell the post to a blog at a set price. Heres why: Blogs constantly need new content. It’s how they stay fresh with their readers and how they stay well-ranked in the search engines.

However, writing a new post every few days is a difficult task! If you take over that task for a blog owner, you’re going to be saving them a TON of time and effort, providing their readers with great value, and making an income for a project that is relatively easy for you to complete.

You can get paid anywhere from 20 bucks to a few hundred dollars for this kind of writing… and it’s a LOT easier to do that writing for a magazine.

Think of it: You spend a day writing 5 articles and sell the articles for $30 dollars each. Now you’ve made $150 dollars for a couple of hours of work and everyone is happy.

3) Writing for Your Own Blog.

Another option is to write your own blog and use your travel stories to drive traffic to it. You’d be surprised at the number of bored, lifeless people who want to live vicariously through someone traveling the world. You can then monetize your blog by selling adspace or selling products related to your blog. This sounds basic, but it has made many-a-traveler tens and even 100’s of thousands of dollars per year.

4) Completing Writing Projects on ‘Project’ Sites.

There are literally hundreds of writing projects posted every single day on Elance, Guru, DoMyStuff, and other ‘project’ posting websites.

All you have to do is set up a free account as a content provider, then answer people’s requests for writing projects. Once you’re done, the funds will be electronically deposited into your bank account, and you can withdraw the money from any ATM in the world. You can then pick up another project… or complete several projects all at once!

Many projects go for $1000+ dollars, so it doesn’t take a lot of these to be able to travel well and travel often. You can even do the work on the airplane ride to your next destination!

If you have any writing skill at all, you will be able to pick one of these methods and become a well-paid traveler.

**Attention Readers**

To get your copy of our free step-by-step guide showing you how to make money as you travel without ever holding a ‘job,’ visit http://www.moneyfortraveling.com. The expert authors at www.MoneyForTraveling.com

have all made a substantial internet income while traveling or they have been hired and paid well to travel the world and will show you how to do the same.



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As the modern-day equivalent of the old explorers, the backpacker will be exposed to all kinds of climatic conditions on many different types of terrain. He or she must be self-sufficient and prepared for the worst at all times. And preparedness starts before leaving home, with the selection of backpacking gear. Of particular importance is your backpacking sleeping bag. Not getting a good nights rest can lead to mistakes that can mean the difference between enjoying that view of the sunset from a mountain ridge and seeing that same sunset from a Search and Rescue helicopter.

1. The Backpacking Sleeping Bag – All Sleeping Bags Are Not Created Equal

Before choosing a sleeping bag, it can be helpful to know what some of the key differences are between the backpacking sleeping bag and other sleeping bags. The needs of a backpacker lead to special considerations that the backpacker must address:

The backpacking sleeping bag must be light. A typical backpacker will already be carrying food, extra clothing for rain or snow, fire-starting and cooking gear, flashlights, water bottles, first aid supplies and other survival gear, and any special equipment for traversing the terrain the backpacker will be in, such as ropes, pitons, etc. Adding a 25 pound sleeping bag to this load can make the weight unmanageable for someone not blessed with a Herculean physique.

It must be easy to store. The backpacking sleeping bag should roll into the smallest space possible, for easy stowage and maneuvering. A big, bulky sleeping bag tied to your back can be a major impediment when moving through difficult or heavily forested terrain.

The backpacking sleeping bag must adequately protect the backpacker from the elements. This is a more complicated issue to address and will be explored in more depth below.

2. Nature and You – Protecting Yourself from the Elements

Before you choose which sleeping bag to take with you on a given excursion, consider where you will be going. You wouldn’t take the same backpacking sleeping bag with you on a trip to the Rocky Mountains as you would on a trip to the Louisiana bayou. Is the area you are going hot? Cold? Humid? Dry? Is it the rainy (or snowy) season there? What kind of temperature variations are there between day and night? A polyfill or synthetic type insulated backpacking sleeping bag will keep you warm better when it is wet than a down filled, but a down-filled bag will keep you warmer in frozen, windy environments. A simple nylon shell may work well in a warm, humid climate, but cold winds will cut right through it. Microfiber linings will work well when wet, and provide good wind protection, but can be heavy and costly. And of course, the amount of a given material the backpacking sleeping bag uses directly influences both weight and bulk.

3. One Size Does Not Fit All

Although it would be nice if you could choose one backpacking sleeping bag for all climes, this is just not possible. Using a light shell in the mountains will make you freeze all night, and using a down-filled backpacking sleeping bag on a warm beach somewhere will lead to a night of sweltering in your bag. Even within groups of bags appropriate to a given climate, what works well for one person may not work for someone else. Metabolic and circulatory differences between people lead to differing needs in their backpacking sleeping bag. Look at the sleeping bag’s temperature ratings, they will give you an idea of the temperatures that a bag will keep you comfortable in. Also consider whether to purchase accessories such as hoods for minimizing heat loss through your head, or draft tubes to get rid of excess heat in the backpacking sleeping bag.

4. Final Words

After choosing a backpacking sleeping back that will work for you, also consider purchasing a liner for your sleeping bag. Using a liner will cut down on having to wash the entire sleeping bag. This will greatly extend the useful lifetime of your sleeping bag, since washing tends to make the insulating fill “clump”, greatly reducing comfort and effectiveness. Choosing a good, quality backpacking sleeping bag and properly caring for it will allow years of backpacking enjoyment.

As well as the typical beach holidays and romantic getaways Africa and many other destinations have to offer, there are also several truly unique holiday experiences that Africa has to offer.

A hugely popular destination when visiting Africa is Egypt. Egypt is the home to the only surviving wonder of the ancient world, the breath taking Pyramids, which are so huge they take 40 minutes to walk around once! Children and adults both will marvel at the awesomeness of the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx, and can even take a tour inside, witnessing the ancient mumies and artefacts. Additionally many chose to go snorkelling to see the true beauty of the marine life in the Red Sea, allegedly the second best reef in the world surpassed only by the legendary Great Barrier Reef. Egypt really does have so much to offer, it is also particularly suited to families, as it can be as relaxing or as adventurous as one decides to make it.

An option which is often overlooked by many when choosing a holiday is a volunteering holiday. Africa boasts a fantastic range of volunteering holidays which not only allow you to see Africa in detail, but to also make a huge difference to peoples lives. There are many different options available when choosing a volunteering holiday, such as teaching, sports coaching and conservation work. Many offer free accommodation, discounted travel, and some even offer a small wage.

In more recent years, as game hunting has lost popularity, more and more tourists in Africa have turned to safari holidays. One of the unique aspects of going on a safari is that it allows you to see all of the animals in their natural habitats. Many tourists set themselves the goal of seeing the big five, that is, seeing an Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard, Lion and Rhino.

One of the key factors when deciding on your holiday is often money. Many volunteering holiday programs now include safaris as part of the package, so taking a safari holiday does not have to be as expensive as you might think. Whichever option you decide on, it is important to minimise the negative impact on the natural and socio-cultural environments, especially with a country such as Africa. So why not make your holiday an eco holiday, which will ensure many generations to come will also be able to enjoy Africa in all its magnificent glory.