Tips while you travel through Southwest Airlines

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Posted by admin | Posted in Airline Travel | Posted on 29-07-2010

2561308347 2980a73527 m Tips while you travel through Southwest Airlines
If you reside in the south west or you have to travel to the southwest, most of the times you travel through Southwest Airlines. You can take help of the south west airline guide to know all the available flights and the arrival and departure time as well the fares and all the necessary information related to your travel. But to save some bucks and make your travel easier, you need to follow some tips.

1. You should seek for the best fares available for a travel program and because these are very time limited you need to decide fast that which one will be good for you. You can plan in advance for your travel visit and check out the website of the airlines or help guide so as to save many bucks of yours.

2. You can also join the Southwest Frequent Traveler Program whereby if you have to make frequent visits with southwest you can buy tickets for your short trips and use the free tickets that you will earn for your longer and expensive trips.

3. Since Southwest finds that boarding is better and takes less time when they board the travelers in groups, they doesn’t assign seats. You have groups namely A, B and C where A is the best group that gives you a chance to board first. You can also make more seating selection and can also assure a bin for your carry on luggage when you get the A-status. You would get a C- status that will end up you in a middle seat or you have to check your carry on luggage.

4. The pilot of the airlines stands below the Jetway before the incoming flight arrives and you need to queue up before some time the flight arrives. If you stand half an hour before the arriving flight, you should find your place next to a seat in the boarding area but this works when your place in the queue or line happens to be next to a seat.

5. Sometimes you will need to wait to get your pass. You can obtain a pass by paying a small fee to some companies that assist you in reserving your pass in advance.

6. Before the general boarding, children of the age group in between five to eleven who are not accompanied by elders, adults traveling with any child below the age of five and people with physical disabilities are allowed for a pre board. As such, when you make your reservation and check in you should provide your personal or special status.

7. Previously you had to print your boarding pass at home even if it was midnight before you travel but now they have a 24 hour window that provides you with printed boarding passes.

8. You need to weigh your luggage prior you proceed to board in the flight and since there are certain luggage policies you are allowed to carry small personal size briefcase or purse with you and you need to place large items in the overhead bins. In case you had a C status and all the bins are filled up you will have to check your carry on luggage.

9. You should try to reach on time and while you board go directly to your chosen row, set your luggage and sit down instead of chatting with your friends. When the plane fills yup, you can head to back and never backtrack. Don’t carry heavy luggage that you can’t lift up to the overhead bin because at that moment you yourself are responsible for settling down your luggage.

10. You can avail gifts and discounts while you are on the board as you get some discount coupons and can get rapid rewards and credits that you can use in your later travel.

For more information log on to southwest-airlines-guide.info

Money Saving Tips to find Cheap Flight Tickets

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Posted by admin | Posted in Cheap Travel | Posted on 29-07-2010

285794616 886222abf6 m Money Saving Tips to find Cheap Flight Tickets
During the time of economic down turn, everything has become expensive. You cannot think of getting anything for cheap. Traveling is not an exception. Many of us want to take a break from our busy schedules and enjoy a vacation in a tourist destination. But when we think of high airfares we drop the idea of traveling to far off places. However, the growing popularity to visit tourist destinations all over the world has led to a cut throat competition among the many airlines that offer cheap flight deals. Some of the following tips discussed below will help you to save your money and book a cheap flight.

Book Tickets in Advance

If you have thought to visit a tourist destination anywhere in the world, you have to book cheap flight tickets well in advance to get the best airfare deals. Many online travel services companies offer cheap flight deals if the journey is planned in at least twenty days before.

Go for a Round Trip

Almost all airlines offer cheap airfare on round trips. So you have to plan exactly how many days you want to spend in a tourist spot. In order to get cheap flight deals you have to book your return ticket at the time of first booking.

Conduct a Research

You have to conduct a research in the internet and find out which travel services company offers cheap airfare and cheap flight deals. There are many travel sites that claim to offer cheap flight deals. It is quite obvious that you may get perplexed and get confused of which site to count on. But if you read the reviews, blogs and compare the prices and other offer packs associated with cheap flight deals you will be in a position to choose best airfare deals.

Fly in Off Season

Many airlines offer cheap flight deals in an off season. If you plan a trip to visit a particular tourist destination, you can choose to fly at an off season. This will reduce your expenditure to 30%. You will be able to book a cheap flight in such off season.

Traveling at Odd Times

Many flights slash the prices at early morning or late nights. If you are ready to travel at odd times you can get cheap airfare tickets. The regular day flights are costlier than the odd time flights. Therefore, to get best airfare you can choose to fly at an odd time cheap flight.

Avail Special Offers

Online travel services companies offer special deals on certain days. You have to be vigilant enough to find out such deals. Make a thorough search in the internet and find out which company offers cheap airfare to book a cheap flight.

There is no golden rule for finding cheap flight deals. It is pure common sense. Airlines and travel services companies offer cheap airfare when there is less demand of cheap flight tickets or we can say when travelers travel less. The tips discussed may seem to be absurd as most of them suggest you to travel in an off season or at an odd time of the day. However, if you want to save your money on traveling, you must follow them.

Backpack leaf blower

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Posted by admin | Posted in Backpacker | Posted on 29-07-2010

3273958429 1e09594b34 m Backpack leaf blower
One of the best tools for the garden or maybe the backyard or front lawn is definitely the backpack leaf blower. it is very easy to use and it is getting less and less expensive by the day.

We have bought ours last year, and you could not imagine how much it eases the labor around the house. Our also has a vacuum function, which is great, but you can get an ordinary one as well. Vacuuming the backyard with the backpack leaf blower (or vacuum if you will) is almost as easy as vacuuming your own room. Our weighs about 20 pounds, but on your back it feels no more than 2 pounds. Nowadays a 20-pounder is considered a heavy one, as far as I am informed. Just the other day I saw a banner advertising a backpack leaf blower, weighing 12 or 13 pounds. Technology really is improving by the minute. Ours is so lightweight and easy to use, even my little sister works with it sometimes, and she is only 13.

We use a battery powered one in our home. It is great, because it is very small, and the full charged battery last just long enough for our 1000 square foot yard. It is also nice that it is a lot quieter than the one with the gas engine. And above all, ours doesn’t pollute the environment.

We used to own a cordless handheld blower and it was pretty good, but it was just impossible to do the whole backyard in one piece. One time I tried to do it, I thought my arms will fall off half way through. The tool itself wasn’t that heavy, but I swear it felt like it was gaining a pound per minute. The backpack blower I just strap on, and off I go.

Backpacks add fashion

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Posted by admin | Posted in Backpacker | Posted on 29-07-2010

2844371649 33ccfc0032 m Backpacks add fashion
When you look at every person in every side of the planet, you can always see them wearing bags.

When selecting a backpack, consider also some important factors. When you go to malls to buy one, you will be confounded with instances as to what the sales clerk are explaining and sometimes prices makes us depressed.

Some expert people suggest in choosing those bags that matches the person who will carry it. Make sure that your backpack fits you perfectly. They say that backpack is one of the things you always carry wherever you go. With such, it should be special because it will be the one who will carry all your belongings. Before you purchase backpack, first thing to consider is to make sure you have the right backpack. For the best fit, find a bag that fits your figure perfectly and suits your needs and not just your height.

For some, backpacks are commonly used with students. Since students are prone to fashion and are the ones who are easily attracted to fashion, they usually purchase bags that suit their fashion and style. There are also bags that are specially designed for girls and wear them as fashion accessories or used as purse.

There will also be instances that you will be carrying your bag all day long. You should protect your physical outlook that is why you need to be comfortable and do not put too much things in it. Consider also your safety when choosing bags to prevent you things from stealing.

Tips on Saving on Travel

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Posted by admin | Posted in Cheap Travel | Posted on 29-07-2010

3613755424 ffdcc0eeae m Tips on Saving on Travel
In order to stay in business, companies are starting to actively look for cheap travel savings U.S. opportunities. They find that the slow economy has affected their way of doing business and they can no longer afford to give their employees the best travel options when they have to leave the office on business.Many business use their corporate credit card accounts to achieve deep discounts on their corporate travel charges. Their travel departments have negotiated travel contracts with major airlines, that guarantee them consistent, low-cost airfare if they are their only airline provider. These cheap travel saving U.S. are modest airfare accommodations that do not offer many frills, but will get their employee where they need to be to negotiate contracts for new industry.Many people try to allow room in their schedules to be flexible with the dates that they depart on their travel adventures. Cheap travel savings U.S. can be realized when travel sites require departure on a specific date, for a specific time, that must be accomplished by a specific date. Being specific can afford people to be flexible on their travel departure days, if that flexibility will give them deep discounts on their airfare.People that travel for pleasure have learned quickly that it pays to travel with airlines that offer miles points for choosing their airline for travel. These cheap travel savings U.S. can quickly add up into free flights, or deeply discounted air flights to luxurious locations throughout the world. Other cheap travel savings U.S. have been provided to family members that may fly for half of the original fare, if their travel was booked at the same time as another family member.Retired military get really cheap travel savings U.S., when they use military aircraft as their mode of transportation. These travel benefits are part of their military retirement benefits, and there are flights leaving daily at many major military bases for points all around the world. This type of cheap travel savings U.S. is not without risks, however, because at any point in their travels, they may be bumped off the flight by a military member with an emergency to get to.Some people use Internet auction sites to find cheap travel savings U.S.. There are online travel agents that list hundreds of different types of vacations for a very ridiculously low price, and the bidding can be quite challenging at times. Some of these travel offers can be bought straight out for a stated price, but there are thousands of other vacation packages where pricing can be controlled through a bidding process.There are other cheap travel savings U.S. to be found, in air-fare war sales, that pit one airline against another in an effort to take a larger share of the available travel market at any given time of the year. The offers for cheap travel savings can sometimes give the business and personal traveler the option of flying from a specific airport location, or through a certain carrier that is featuring low prices for all of their flights.

Airline Reservation Online Money Saving Tips

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Posted by admin | Posted in Airline Travel | Posted on 29-07-2010

2585854004 5573714930 m Airline Reservation Online Money Saving Tips
Airline ticket rates can vary wildly for passengers on the same flight. One person can pay $250 for a seat, while the individual in the next seat may have paid $1000. There are many tactics to help your reservation resemble that of the first passenger, not the latter.
Book your flight as soon as you decide on travel plans. Airlines give discounts for reservations made at least 3 weeks in advance. The best rates often include a Saturday night stay and have travel dates during the work week.
Shop at the many online travel agents to compare the rates of many different airlines. Be sure to check at least 3 different sites, as each may have a different alotment of tickets, and service fees can also vary.
Be flexible about when you travel, since even changing the flight time on the same day can effect the reservation rate. Unpopular early morning or late evening flights tend to have lower rates. Also, try to avoid peak travel season, summer, spring break, and Christmas and New Years. The cheapest fares tend to be found during the off season and at other times when planes are filled below capacity.
If travelling to a large city, Check the fares for any nearby smaller airports, as it might be cheaper to fly into a neighboring city. Remember to allow for other costs when you considering this option, such as rental car or taxi fares. This might also extend travel time.
In some instances, splitting the trip with stopovers my bring savings. However, be sure the savings are large enough to justify the extra trouble of the stopover.
Look into booking your travel plans as a package deal. Sometimes it is possible to save money by reserving a hotel room and a rental car along with the airline ticket. If you are going on a cruise, ask the cruise company if they are affiliated with any airline. Some credit card companies also have discount agreements with some airlines. The reverse is also true : many airlines have agreements with hotel chains and rental car companies that can save you money on other travel expenses.
When dealing with a live travel agent, ask if this is the best rate that they have available or if there are any specials offering essentially the same itinerary when you are booking your reservation.
Apply any special discount programs for which you are eligible. Students age 16 to 26 are can get special discounts, and seniors may be able to get discounted fares through the AARP.
Belonging to, or travelling with a group, may get you a better deal on airline reservations. If you are a member of a club or service association, check whether they have a travel plan. If travelling with a group, ask for a group discount. Discounts are often available for government, military or corporate employees. Often, airlines will even extend these discounts even for non-business travel.
In the case of large groups, it is sometimes cheaper to charter a plane than reserve individual seats. This may save time as well as money, since the charter airplane will accommodate your schedule, and baggage can be managed for the entire group, with much less chance of loss of luggage.
When you reach check-in at the airport, ask if any special upgrade deals are available. Sometimes it is possible to upgrade to first class at a nominal fee, and this is definitely worth it on long flights due to the larger seats and extra leg room.

Backpacking Games That Weigh Nothing

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Posted by admin | Posted in Backpacker | Posted on 29-07-2010

3951675020 abd1482720 m Backpacking Games That Weigh Nothing
Some of the smaller electronic video games make good backpacking games, but you have to carry extra batteries. Some board games have light enough versions, like the cloth chess board and light plastic pieces that I occasionally carry with me, but then I need a flat surface to set it up on. In any case, being an utralight backpacker, I prefer the games that don’t add a single ounce to the pack. here are some examples.

Games Using Natural Items

There are a lot of games that can be set up quickly using natural elements available in the wilderness. Perhaps the simplest is the game Tic-Tac-Toe. Scratch two lines in the sand and two crossing those and you have your board. Each player can use a stick to make his marks. In sand the marks are easily erased in preparation for the next round.

If there is a large enough flat area with dirt or sand that can be smoothed out, there is another games that can be played with sticks for pencils. Make a grid of lines roughly ten by ten, and then in the boxes created write the first letter of your name. Your opponent will then do the same, with the object being to get five of your initials in row.

Not all backpacking games need to be mental games. You can have a lot of fun with simple tests of coordination and throwing ability, for example. Just create a circle or square two feet across, and toss pine cones at it to see who can get the first one to stay inside the target, or who can get the most out of twenty to stay in it. If there are no pine cones, use rocks or pieces of wood or sea shells.

In the winter you can of course have snowball fights. But if you prefer not to get wet and cold, you might have a competition that involves hitting a tree or other target. Competitive building of snow shelters can be fun as well, and it will help you train for survival, just in case.

Games That Require No Materials

Some of the best backpacking games don’t require you to either carry pieces or gather natural materials. These are the purely mental games that will balance the physical exercise with some mental training. For example, there is the game where you say a word and then your opponent has to say one that starts with the second letter of the one you used. You then have to do the same, and so on, until one of you cannot find a word within fifteen seconds or so, and so loses.

There is a good mental exercise that will also train you in the right frame of mind to deal with wilderness emergencies. Start by choosing any item in the wilderness around you. Then find survival uses for it in your minds. For example, if it is a log, see how many ways you can each think of to use it in a survival situation. You can play this as a competition or a collaborative effort.

Other games that can boost your wilderness skills include ones like guessing how long it will take you to get to some distant landmark. You might also try to identify as many plants as you can while you are hiking, and recall which are edible or useful. Nothing to carry, nothing to gather, and they can be played anywhere – these may be the best backpacking games for those who like to keep it light.

Cuba, Travel Guide

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Posted by admin | Posted in Cheap Travel | Posted on 29-07-2010

369245828 68f6bd7ad1 m Cuba, Travel Guide
- To get into the tropical atmosphere of Cuba at its fiftieth. Among the American automobiles, the smoky bars of Havana, the effect is assured.

- For its fantastic sea. Cuba offers about six thousand kilometers of splendid Caribbean coast, with beaches and cliffs for all likes.

- For the people’s hospitality, not always interested as it is wanted to make you believe. The Cubans are people full of happiness and eager to leave, people who love to find the foreigner, just to exchange ideas.

- To smoke the best tobaccos in the world, made by hand with the leaves of Vuelta Abajo. You can also attend to the making of the tobacco in a factory or maybe inside of a big hotel, where there are exhibited in parties, authenticate preparations for the tobacco’s artists.

- To travel through out the town of Hemingway, a North American writer that lived in the island from the 1939 to the 1961 and where he wrote some of his romances.

GEOGRAPHICAL DATA

Located in the Caribbean Sea, Cuba, with a longitude of about 1.200 kms and a surface of 110.860 Km., is the biggest island in the biggest Antilla. It is at about 200 Km. from the island of Keys and it is close to The Mexican peninsula of Yucatan in and the island of Hispaniola. More than the main island, The Cuban Republic gathers all the isles and islands that surround it. Great part of the Cuban coast is low and sandy, with numerous bays and areas of lagoons and paludose. Its interior is of plains, interrupted by the Sierra de los Organos to the west, the Sierra del Escambray to the center and the Sierra Maestra to the east. Its population is of about 11 million inhabitants.

Time Zone: -6.0 (summer); -6.0 (winter)

Duration of the days 13.5 hours (June); minimum 11.0 hours (December)

WHEN TO GO

Period better: February, March

Good period: January, April, December

Worse Period: September, October

WEATHER

The dry station which is naturally the best period to go, begins at the end of October and finishes in April. The rains station is from April to October, but in these months precipitations, although are abundant always occurs in the half-day and for a short period.

What to take

Without doubts the bathing suit. And then summer clothes, shirts and cotton pullouvers, short and long pants. And do not forget besides, the shoes for walking in the afternoons, to take also a pair of sandals.

CULTURE/MUSEUMS

City Museum

Address: Plaza de Armas, Havana

Schedule: 9.30-18.30

Entrance is paid

One of the main museums of histoty and culture of the isle. It offers a rich exposition ofartistic testimonies bengining from the colonial period up to firts years of the republic.

Revolution Museum

Address: Palacio Presidencial, Calle Refugio, Havana

Schedule: 10-17; Saturday up to 18

Entrance is paid

All that is wanted to know about the myth of the Cuban revolution is exposed in this place, in the ex-presidential building that housed as last tenant, the dictator Batista up to 1959,documents, registrations and movies on the revolutionary epic poem.

National Museum

Address: Calle Trocadero, Havana

Schedule: 10-17; closed Tuesday and Wednesday

Entrance is paid

The exhibition is divided in several sections. The pinacoteca, with linens from Spanish, Englishmen, Danish teachers, among them stand out Velásquez, Murillo, Goya and Turner; the Egyptian old art collection, grecian and Roman, considered the most important in Latin America, the gallery dedicated to the Cuban painting from the XVII century to our days, the ceramic collection, and a space for the contemporary exhibitions.

Hemingway Museum

Address: San Francisco de Paula, San Miguel del Padrón, 12 km from Havana

Schedule: 9-16; Sundays 9-12.30

Entrance is paid

Dedicated to the enthusiasts of North American writer who lived in this building from 1939 to 1961. It was here where Hemingway wrote “Whom sound the bells for” and the “Old man and the sea”.

Music National Museum

Address: Calle Cárcel, Havana

Schedule: 9-17; Sundays 8-12; Closed on Mondays

Entrance is paid

There are exposed numerous Afro-Cuban musical instruments, besides the Fernando Ortiz anthropologist’s private collection. Disks, scores and instruments are sold, also some concerts are presented in the museum saloon.

CUBAN CUISINE

The traditional cuisine in Cuba is excellente and it would be a sin to get lost looking for other inetrnational plates, proposed in other local. The Cuban culinary art is born from the encounter of the precolumbian cuisine with the African, French, Spanish, English, and the Hindu and indonesa. The result of this is a miracle of the balance. There are fruits very often so as (mango, papaya, avocado,) mainly to accompany salted plates and to form part of the base of cocktails and drinks.It is used a lot the pig meat, lots of chicken, mainly in the inside of the country, while in the coastal restaurants are intend exquisite sea plates: fish, crustaceans cooked in several ways. The national plate is the “ajiaco” a soup with the help of potato, banana, corn, calf meat, Chicken, and dry meat. Another typical food is the “congri”, made with black beans and rice cooked all together , accompanied by “pig pork cracklings”. The “fufú” is on the other hand a banana puree seasoned with “mojo”, a fried lightly of oil garlic and cumin. Do not loose teh oportunity to taste the “Creole lobster” that is nothing else but a fried lobster with tomato, onions, peppers, spicy pepper and sour orange juice. Among the candies the “boniatillo”, made of sweet potato and sugar and the “coquito acaramelado” also “la mala rabia” also made of sweet potato sugra cane sirope, cinnamon and sweet orange shell. The diffused drink is the coffee, served to the American way, that is to say not few, and the rum is pure that serve as base to any prepared swig or the numerous cocktails so as Cuba Libre, the Rum punk or Piña Colada. Cuba also produces an excellent beer. The diffused national marks are the Mayabe and The Lagarto.

FUN/SHOPPING

Who doesn’t know the Cuban rum and tobacco, known for everyone as best in the world? In the island there are lots of opportunities to return home with some good music, revolutionary souvenir and why not an automobile of the fifty years.

Tobaccos

The tobaccos or cigarettes are of different sizes, they are sold loose or in elegant wooden boxes. Just to see them makes yoy buy them although you are not a smoker, maybe for a beautiful gift. The prices are almost half of the prices in Italy. For example a box with three Montecristo Sigars N.4 costs at about 10 American dollars. They can be bought in the stores. At Havana in the House of 5a and 16 (5a Ave y 16). In Santiago in Casa del Tabaco (Ave. Jesus Menéndez 730). Pay attention to the conservation of the tobacco. An adequate humidity is needed for them.

Craft

Cuban craft reflex the influence of diverse cultures, mainly the African. Many objects are related with the santería, the Afro-Cuban religion diffused per excellency in the island. There can be dolls of pieces and ceramic, masks made of paper maché and wooden sculptures. Puppets of tamarind seeds are also made. Pretty hats palm feathers fibers or of knitted coconut. Baskets and bags are also made. In old Havana there is the Craft Palace (Calle Cuba 64). In Santiago in the Craft House (Cathedral Plaza).

Foods

The rum is bought obligatorily and the most famous mark is The Havana Club in several versions: Liquor, the most economic; Carta Blanca 3 years and particularly used for the cocktails. Carta Oro, 5 years, and the most refined matured during 7 years. The precise goes from 4 to 7 American dollars each bottle. For adventurers the most valuable rum in Cuba is the retained Matusalem, product from Santiago de Cuba matured during 25 years, it can be around the 15 dollars the bottle in Casa del Ron de Obispo y Bernaza in Old Havana.

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Earning Free Air Travel with Credit Cards

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Posted by admin | Posted in Airline Travel | Posted on 29-07-2010

3491973794 f1b9a02e27 m Earning Free Air Travel with Credit Cards
As we all know, air travel can be expensive. There are ways to earn free air travel, and one of those ways is to use a card for your day to day purchases which earns free tickets or frequent flyer miles on many of the major airlines.

There are two basic types of credit cards that do this. The first is known as an airline mile card. The miles earned can be used for free tickets on over 250 major airlines. Many of these types of cards also allow the credit card holder to cash in their points for other travel rewards such as rental cars and hotel stays.

The second is known as a frequent flyer card. It allows the credit card holder to earn frequent flyer miles on a specific airline and its partners.

For people who are responsible with card debt, getting a card to earn free travel can be a smart idea. For those who are able to pay off most or all of their credit card bill at the end of the month, charging day to day purchases such as groceries, clothing, and gas makes sense.

So the question is, which card is better? An airline mile credit card or a frequent flyer credit card? The answer lies in the needs of the traveler.

If you need flexibility, an airline mile credit card may be the best choice. Since these cards earn points instead of frequent flyer miles, the rewards are not subject to the same restrictions as frequent flyer miles. Also, since the points can be used on a variety of airlines, you aren’t boxed in by the schedule and availability of just one airline.

Some of the airline mile credit cards also allow the credit card holder to convert their points into frequent flyer miles on specific airlines. They can then be added to frequent flyer miles that the credit card holder has accumulated from actual flights and other sources, allowing the traveler to earn free flights more quickly.

The down side of airline mile credit cards is that the rewards may not add up as quickly frequent flyer mile credit cards. Many of them work on a $1 dollar spent = one point system. Since it averages about 24,000 points to earn one free ticket, it may take some credit card users a few years to rack up enough points for a free flight.

If you are a frequent traveler on one specific airline, then a frequent flyer card may be your best choice. Often these cards offer bonus miles just for opening up the credit card account once you’ve made your first purchase. It’s not unusual for the bonus to be 15,000 miles or more which can be added to miles earned from actual flights.

Most frequent flyer cards offer one mile for each dollar spent, but some offer double miles for purchases at specific places. Again, these miles earned can be added to miles earned from flights.

The downside to a frequent flyer card is the limited choices you will have when booking travel. There are often black out dates associated with frequent flyer miles and a limited number of seats available on flights for those redeeming miles.

Whether you choose an airline mile credit card or frequent flyer credit card, it’s a good idea to research all of the terms and conditions including all reward conditions, credit card fees, interest rates and late fees associated with the card before you make your choice.

Breakfast Backpacking Recipes

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Posted by admin | Posted in Backpacker | Posted on 28-07-2010

176149065 47d37951f0 m Breakfast Backpacking Recipes
Most backpacking recipes focus on lunches and dinners. But a good breakfast is a great way to start a day of hiking. Here are a few ideas for keeping it simple and easy.

Cereal

If you are used to eating cereal with milk, you might think you have to skip this when backpacking. Fortunately there are at least two good ways to still have your morning bowl of cereal. The first is to simply bring powdered milk. Add a little to the cereal and pour a half cup of water into the mix.

Some of us don’t like the taste of powdered milk much. The alternative for us is to just add water. This may sound too plain, but there are some ingredients you can add that will make you hardly notice the missing milk. One is shredded coconut. In fact, if you let the coconut flakes soak for a few minutes before you add the cereal, the water will have more flavor and a better consistency. Coconut goes especially well with granola cereals, but works with almost any of them.

Adding dried fruit makes the lack of milk less noticeable as well. Raisins or dried strawberries can be used. It may help to soak the fruit for a few minutes before adding the cereal.

A fourth option is to use freeze-dried ice cream. Having just recently tried this for the first time, I was surprised by how tasty it is. It’s great by itself, but you can also soak it in water and mash it up until it liquefies to use it with cereal. You’ll have to experiment at home to see which cereals go best with the ice cream flavor.

Cold Weather Backpacking Recipes

If you are backpacking in cold weather you may need recipes for hot foods. You can still keep breakfast relatively simple though. Instead of foods that need longer cook times, bring simple cereals that can be eaten as hot mush. All you need to do then is get the water near boiling and pour it into the bowl of cereal. Add raisins or other dried fruits for a healthier start to the day.

Not having to actually boil the food or cook it for a long time, will save you stove fuel and therefore pack weight. But what if you are out in the cold and like myself you still prefer not to bring a stove at all? In that case you will want some fatty foods to start the morning. Fats create heat as they digest, warming you up from the inside.

I have no fancy backpacking recipes for this purpose, and there is no need for them. easy and fast is my own preference. A piece of bread covered in butter will do the trick. Bring cinnamon raisin bread if you have a sweet tooth. In cold weather you can also bring bagels and cream cheese. And if you really aren’t picky about what you eat in the morning, plain corn chips have a lot of oil to warm you up.