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Would You Camp In A Tent Shaped Like The Sydney Opera House?

There's a certain class of people who enjoy the idea of being in nature but are less than enthusiastic about the "dirt" and "sleeping on the ground" and "being outside" parts of the experience. Their idea of roughing it involves a covered caravan, a $750 credit card bill at REI, and a case of white wine. Not red wine, because that would be too luxurious. Within that group, there's a certain subclass of folks who also have something of an nouveau riche air about them. In addition to actually "camping" in decadent comfort, they need to look like they're camping in decadent comfort. The new Opera capsule caravan, styled after the Sydney Opera House, is designed with them in mind:

We can't believe we're saying this, but this "tent" has a wine cabinet and more. Find out what else after the jump.

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Tags: Costa Rica Field Trip / Corcovado National Park / Hiking / Camping / → All Tags

How to Hike Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park

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.

While the list of natural wonders in Costa Rica is practically endless, few are more revered by the locals (and industrious tourists) than the Osa Peninsula. Located in the far Southwestern portion of the country, the Osa is the home of Corcovado National Park, a dense swathe of jungle that National Geographic once dubbed “the most biologically intense place on earth.” The place is absolutely teaming with wildlife of all shapes and varieties, and contains a greater variety of birds, insects, trees and mammals per square kilometer than almost anywhere else in the world.

Thanks to Costa Rica’s commitment to protecting its most valuable natural resources, primary rainforests once slashed and burned in Osa to make way for pastureland and farming back in the 70s have almost completely returned as secondary forest—and so have a multitude of species that were headed for extinction.

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Tags: Bears / Wild Animal Travel / Camping / Gadgets / → All Tags

New York Bears Prove Smarter than Average, Learn to Open High-Tech Pic-A-Nic Baskets

The bears of California are never going to hear the end of this one. The New York Times is reporting that a group of bears in the Adirondack Mountains has figured out how to open the BearVault 500, a high-tech, supposedly bear-proof container that campers use to safeguard their food in the wilderness. The double-tabbed lid of the BearVault functions like a child-proof top to a medicine bottle, requiring a certain amount of dexterity and intelligence to figure out. It's the latest thinking in bear country food protection, as the old "hang your food high in a tree using a rope" trick is no match for a crafty bear. But New York bears, being mentally superior to other bears, have cracked the BearVault code, which has stymied bears elsewhere in the country.

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Tags: Camping / Kampgrounds of America / → All Tags

Recessionary Travel Trends: Camping's Making a Comeback

This nasty recession we're in has millions of people scaling back their summer vacation plans, but there is one growth area in the travel industry that seems to suit the times perfectly. Campgrounds are going gangbusters, reporting a surge of visitors who can't afford to go the standard air-car-hotel route this year. As a nifty NPR story points out, tent camping is up by 10% this year, and RV camping is robust as well, reflecting a broad trend toward modest, inexpensive vacations close to home. If the economy remains depressed, could this be the summer that old school camping reasserts itself as the quintessential family vacation?

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Tags: National Parks / Camping / Hiking / Great Outdoors / Utah Travel / → All Tags

The New York Times Goes Camping, Nobody Gets Hurt

In southern Utah the forecast this week calls for thunderstorms and possibly snow, but don't tell that to the New York Times travel section: Writer Tony Perrottet reminisces about last year's trip to the unmarked trails of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, little changed since John Wesley Powell and others traversed its canyons for the first time.

The sun-baked expanses peppered with friendly-enough locals are tempting even this close to spring, but the use of the word "outback" though is, for us, a little problematic: As we learned about from the end credits of "Australia," the land Down Under wasn't always so benevolent towards its aboriginal tribes -- but they managed to let them alone to the extent that they can still live on their tribal lands. Explorer Frederick Samuel Dellenbaugh had a Ute Indian to guide him through America's outback; Perrottet had park rangers.

Still, the lure of hiking these deserted locales, even in a few months, makes us want to get our hiking boots on posthaste. And in this economy, camping sites on national park land may be gearing up for the best summer ever as budget-conscious Americans dig out the tents and propane grills. Any national parks (American and otherwise) you think we should check out in '09?

Related Stories:
· America’s Outback: Southern Utah [NYTimes]
· Utah coverage [Jaunted]
· Making You Feel Bad About Not Going Outside [Stuff White People Like]

[Photo: vtveen]

Tags: Things That Are Awesome / Active Travel / Gadgets / Camping / Outdoors / → All Tags

Stay Safe While Camping by Sleeping Inside a Big Bear

Don't you hate it when you're camping and you get mauled by a bear? I do, and apparently, so does Eiko Ishizawa. That's why the eclectic designer invented "The Great Sleeping Bear," a sleeping bag made to resemble a big brown bear. The idea is simple: if you're sleeping in one of these and a bear comes across your campsite looking for a meal, it will think you're a fellow bear and opt to eat your friends and family instead. (Apparently, bears are pretty dim.) Of course, there could be a downside as well. What if you make a particularly attractive bear?

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Tags: It's Summer Somewhere / Camping / → All Tags

Camping In Madagascar: No Penguins Here

Sometimes, you just need to go somewhere where you can get away from everyone. (We're looking at you, Christian Bale.) As we sit at our desks annoyed by Griffin the Loud Talker one cube over, we're dreaming of a departure to a far-distant locale, somewhere way off the beaten path. Say... Madagascar.

Don't be alarmed by the political protests currently going on in its capital of Antananarivo. Much of the country is protected forest or beach, which means a lot of wildlife to spot -- and with such a young industry, a camping trip is probably the best way to make sure your visit leaves as little a trace as possible.

We're digging the Mandrare River Camp outside of Fort Dauphin. Its six tents get light and hot water from solar panels, and morning and night visits into the local rain forests are included. All-in packages start at $3800 for a tent share -- and just like that, we no longer feel like screaming at the (nonexistent) Jaunted lighting crew.

Related Stories:
· Hey Look, Amazing Race 10 Went To Madagascar [Jaunted]
· ...But Watching Madagascar 2 Won't Prepare You For The Visit [Jaunted]
· Warm-Weather Destinations For Cold Months [Jaunted]

[Photo of Belon'i Tsiribihina: doganowscy]

Tags: New South Wales Field Trip / Australia Travel / Islands / Camping / → All Tags

Seeing Sydney Without Being In Sydney

Our very own Aussie, Amanda Kendle, just returned from a trip to New South Wales, where the summer fun is in full swing.

If Australia's biggest city is too big for you, we've just discovered a laid-back way to enjoy it. The trick to being in the middle of Sydney without being surrounded by tall buildings and crowds is just a 10-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay to the quite remarkable Cockatoo Island.

Don't be expecting pristine wilderness from Sydney Harbor's largest island--it's been a prison and was a working shipyard until 1992. But now the Sydney Harbour Trust is turning it into a historical site for locals and tourists to enjoy.

We headed out to Cockatoo Island to stay overnight at their campsite. At just A$75 ($50) for two people--much less if you bring your own tent--you get to wave to all the yachties passing by in the evening then wake up to amazing sunrise views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Add exploring the old shipyards with spooky tunnels and eerie warehouses, and we reckon it's one of the best days (and nights) out in Sydney.

Related Stories:
· Cockatoo Island [Official Site]
· Camping Out in Sydney Harbour [Jaunted]
· Sydney Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: Design Travel / Camping / RV Travel / Architecture Travel / → All Tags

RV Travel: Now Actually Stylish?

Most campers and RV's on the road are unattractive and plain. They're unwieldy, lumbering beasts that function well enough as a mobile living space, but fail in the looks department. But fortunately for caravan enthusiasts, a gust of fresh air has blown in from Austria.

The Mehrzeller caravan concept by Christian Freissling and Theresa Kalteis from Graz University of Technology, looks like no other camper you have ever seen. Think cool space ship not beige metal box.

Made up of angular planes and organic cells, the Mehrzeller can be infinitely customized to your needs with an online design tool. Just tweak the settings, hit send and your one-of-a-kind RV is on the way.

The interior is a minimalist, modern mix of light wood and white paint, and is well appointed with everything needed for comfortable living--except a gas card.

Related Stories:
· Mehrzeller [Official Site]
· A New Angle on Camping, the Mehrzeller Concept Caravan [Core 77]
· Design Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: National Parks / Active Travel / Toilets / Bathrooms / Camping / → All Tags

National Parks Travel: The $70,000 Toilet

If going to the bathroom was the one thing holding you back from scaling a mountain, then worry no more. Mount Rainier National Park will celebrate the grand opening of its new $70,000 toilet on Monday. That's right, the park will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for a bathroom at the Cougar Rock Campground.

Surprisingly, this isn't an excessive government outlay. A Japanese environmental activism group donated the toilet, since Mount Fiji is Rainier's sister peak.

The facility uses cedar chips and natural composting to operate with very little water and apparently very little odor. Apparently.

There's only one issue with celebration. According to the park's official site, an unusually high amount of late season snow will keep the Cougar Rock Campground closed till June 13. What if they gave us a new toilet and nobody came?

Related Stories:
· Mount Rainier National Park [Official Site]
· Mount Rainier to Hold Ribbon-Cutting for Toilet [AP]
· National Parks coverage [Jaunted]

[Not a photo of the five-figure john: latca]

Tags: Active Travel / State Parks / Outdoor Travel / Camping / Hiking / → All Tags

Humboldt Redwoods No Longer Doomed

Looks like you'll soon be able to scratch Northern California's redwoods off your "Tourism of Doom" list. But that doesn't mean you should miss camping among the old growth trees or cruising along the Avenue of the Giants--a winding 32-mile stretch of pavement that snakes through a stunning forest landscape.

Last week a coalition of private investors and environmentalists proposed a plan that would take over 200,000 acres of redwood forest in Humboldt County from a bankrupt logging firm, turning most of it over to state parks. (Parts would be left for sustainable logging practices.) The deal has yet to go through, but things look hopeful.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park is a perfect place for travelers journeying down scenic Highway 101 to stop and spend a night. Light up a campfire and marvel at how the trunks stretch into the inky black of night--few things in the world can give you perspective like standing next to a tree that's been alive for 2,000 years.

Related Stories:
· Groups Aim to Save Redwood Forest [San Jose MN]
· Humboldt Redwoods State Park [Official Site]
· World's Best National Parks coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: Stargazing / Stargazing-Map / Rural Travel / Camping / → All Tags

Stargazing In Deerlick Village

We spend our days trying to figure out where and how we can experience the world's greatest cultures. But sometimes a person needs to get away from the crowds, lie beneath the stars and contemplate his or her menial existence. Too bad all the bloody street lamps and headlights make catching the untainted night sky more difficult than snapping a picture of the Olsen twins smiling.

In comes Deerlick Astronomy Village in eastern Georgia. The 96-acre site guarantees its guests the darkness and quiet they need to play Galileo on long weekends away:

"It's like a lake house for geeks," said Chris Hetlage, co-founder of the village, as he tromped through the darkness toward his observatory.

Stargazers have bought the 17 plots on the grounds to build their darkness-friendly cabins. Next to the houses is an observation field where non-residents are invited to camp for free.

Residents are required to keep outdoor lights a dim red--it doesn't affect the eyes the same way as white light--and line windows with foam board or other light-blocking materials to prevent rays from escaping. We're not sure how exactly a housing development combats urban sprawl, but it sounds like it's at least keeping rural Georgia in the dark.

Related Stories:
· Georgia Astronomy Village Fills Up Quickly [AP, via Google]
· Deerlick Astronomy Village [Official Site]
· Stargazing Map [Jaunted]
· Camping coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: marzmyst]