We regularly go over backpack packing and one-bag packing tips, but we haven't spent as much time talking about the actual backpack you're supposed to use. That's obviously a huge consideration if you're planning a Costa Rica trip where you're going to be living out of your backpack for 12 months. But it also needs to be on the radar for: students, bloggers, hikers, campers, virtual office denizens, bikers, and any urban dwellers who don't like awkwardly rolling their belongings along the sidewalk.

The main problem, of course, is that an ill-fitting backpack can be pure murder on your back. The weight distribution is always awkward, the bottom of the bag presses against the bottom of your spine, and having it on your shoulders throws off the natural and healthy way you'd normally walk. Enter the Ivar line of backpacks, which are built with internal dividers to distribute the weight inside your backpack.]]> Omri 2010-06-23T15:35:31-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/25/11258/3368

All this week, Lost Girl Amanda Pressner will be bringing us reports from her recent trip to Costa Rica with her entire family. Any questions about traveling to Costa Rica or family-oriented activities to do while you're there? Let us know.

When I returned from my yearling round-the-world adventure with The Lost Girls back in 2007, I swore that I’d retire my trusty blue Snowgum backpack and only travel with a rolling suitcase from now on. Fast forward two years to July 2009, and you’ll see me digging around my aunt’s basement in upstate New York, trying to find the only bag I really trust to get me and my three weeks worth of clothing—across rives, through jungles and overnight buses in Costa Rica.

The first time that I had to traipse through two feet of seawater to board a boat that took me across the Gulf of Papagayo from one destination to the next, I realized that it would have been near impossible to accomplish the task with a big suitcase on wheels. Not getting rid of Big Blue was the best travel decisions I ever made (that and running away from an insane cab driver in Vietnam, but that’s another story).

While living out of a backpack for 12 months straight got pretty old on my last big trip, it did teach me one important life lesson—how to pack effectively (if not exactly lightly). Some may look at the list below and think “holy crap, girl…that’s way too much stuff!” but I truly did utilize each and everything below at least once, and usually many times during my recent Costa Rica trip. ]]> The Lost Girl 2009-08-27T17:04:41-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/6/18/15423/8268

Unless you are taking JetBlue from JFK, or one of the small planes from Logan, you are more than likely boarding a ferry in Hyannis, Mass. to get yourself to Nantucket.

Last Friday we took the high speed Hy-Line, which transported us from Hyannis to Nantucket in one hour flat.

As for the Nantucket walk of shame, oh yeah, we did it.

MORE]]> markj 2007-06-18T15:20:43-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/6/13/164359/077

·   Ditch The Wheeled Luggage Crowd [Red Oxx]
·   They Are Already Offering iPhone Cases [EBcases]
·   Digg Says Tom Bihn Makes The Best Laptop Bag [Diggvertisement?]
·   Packing Tips From The Jolie-Pitts [Jaunted]
·   The Ultimate Jedi Packer [One Bag]

[Photo: Aviation Week]]]> markj 2007-06-13T16:43:59-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/6/6/04646/44490

It sort of makes sense that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie would show up to the Los Angeles premiere of "Ocean's 13" in black. Our super world travelers know nothing travels like basic black, although Ms. Jolie would probably not be caught dead in a Travelsmith little black dress... unlike some of the rest of us.

The best packing tip our world-jaunting mum ever gave us was to pick one dark color and coordinate with it, as Team Jolie-Pitt has done. Doesn't matter how much you love your navy-blue polo shirt, it's that OR the black pants. Your weapon of choice may even be khaki if you're headed to a hot place, but then you have to leave that brown skirt at home. Your luggage will thank you. Need more help? Onebag is one of the best sites on the web when it comes to actually useful packing tips. And while you're streamlining your travel must-packs, why not make a list so you can use it next time -- or better yet, send it to us and show off your awesome travel mojo.

Related Stories:
· Super World Travelers [Jaunted]
· Packing Tips [Jaunted]

[Photo: Just Jared] ]]> egw 2007-06-06T09:00:11-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/1/24/104334/415
Food Network head minx/bobblehead flirt/movie biz heiress/chick with the actual culinary chops, Giada De Laurentiis, has hit Los Angeles and is done with it. This Friday, her weekend getaway in Jackson Hole, WY, will premiere at 9:30 p.m., and the episode guide promises spicy Mexican hot chocolate and a real cowboy breakfast.

Giada's also on the most recent cover of Life Magazine, and the story inside reveals that she's collected "more than 17,000 frequent-flier miles" during the show's filming. Miles that she should clearly donate to us because you know she doesn't need them anyway. But which of the genius travel tips Giada goes on to share is your favorite?

Plan Ahead
Before I leave, I figure out all of my outfits, down to which socks and underwear I'm going to wear. Then I put each outfit in a two-gallon ziplock bag so the clothes stay ironed and clean. It takes a little extra time to pack, but it makes the vacation so much more relaxing.