Sailing is the art and technique of piloting a boat using wind power. Sailors manage the force of the wind on the boat’s sails by shifting the rudder, rigging, and center board, which all affect the direction and speed of a boat. While sailing can be difficult to master, and sailing mastery only comes with lots of experience in varied wind and sea conditions, few endeavors are as rewarding as sailing.

Sailing takes place in many varied water environments from small lakes in the Midwestern United States to the azure waters of the Mediterranean, to the wild and unpredictable seas of the Southern Ocean. A huge variety of sail boats exists from small sunfish, to catamarans, to ocean-going yachts. Sailing as an essential means of transport has gradually died out, in all but the most remote third world coastal countries. At the same time, sailing for recreation has become a huge activity worldwide. Sailing races have become big business with small local races to the large scale ocean races like the America’s Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race.

Sailing, of course is all about shifting the the boat’s rudder, rigging and center board in response to the boat’s position to best take advantage of wind conditions. The sail above the water is used to catch the wind. Below the water, the keel or centerboard and the rudder work together to provide and opposing force in response to the sail, and this push and pull is what allows the sailor to direct the boat in virtually any direction.

When a boat is traveling roughly perpendicular to the wind is called reaching. A beam reach occurs when the boat is sailing at 90 degrees perpendicular to the wind, the sails positioned somewhere close to a 45 degree angle to the wind. A broad reach is used when the boat is more than 90 degrees away from the wind. Depending on the boat design, a broad reach or a beam reach may be faster.

Backpacking is hiking which includes at least one overnight stay in thebackcountry. (For backpacking travel, see our section on backpack travel)

Backpackers usually carry a pack on their back containing all of the essentials they will need to camp, sleep, cook, and survive in the wilderness. While some backpackers only do overnights on weekends, other backpackers do through hikes for months at a time. Backpacking is extraordinarily popular in the United States and Canada, with their vast tracts of wilderness land. See our section ontrekking for backpacking trips outside of North America.

Backpacking went through a huge boom in the 1970′s and 80′s, causing some pretty crowded trails. Since the boom years, the number of people backpacking in the U.S. has fallen by about 20% according to recent work by the Outdoor Industry Association. This is actually good news because trails are less crowded and forest management agencies have improved permitting systems for trails in high demand.

While the idea of a big old leather boot with a vibram sole is iconic in the backpacking world, make sure that you really need it. Footwear for backpacking is far more variable than you might imagine, and unless you’re carrying 80 lbs. on your back, for a short weekend trip, chances are you would do just fine in a lightweight hiker, a low top approach shoe, or even a sandal.

Don’t expect to be completely alone, all the time in the backcountry. Chances are if you’re reading it in a guidebook, or here, a lot of people know about it. The extreme example– At the end of the Kalalau Trail in Kauai, groups of dozens of people actually live communally for months at a time. This surprises a lot of people. If you can’t deal with that, be a little creative, find your own secret spot and don’t tell anyone. There’s far more wilderness out there than you’d think, even in the lower 48.

Backpack Travel is a form of international travel that is closely associated withindependent travel and budget travel, and related in many ways to adventure travel. Backpack travel is characterized by the desire to keep costs low, travel for months at a time, and gain a deeper understanding of different cultures. An entire worldwide industry of backpacker lodges, guesthouses, restaurants, transportation, and side tour operators serving backpack travelers has emerged in many third world cities.

Backpack travel and independent travel are in many ways synonymous, except that as the industry matures, more and more backpack travel is done in the form of small group travel tours. Backpack travel and adventure travel are closely related in that many backpack travelers are seeking adventure, but not all adventure travel is of the budget backpack travel variety.

Backpack Travel’s roots go back to the time of Marco Polo on the Silk Road to Asia, but it was the Hippie trail Movement of the 1960′s and 1970′s that ushered in the backpack travel era. The Hippie Trail, originated as an overland road and train crossing from Western Europe to the Southeast Asia. While it followed part of the Silk Road, political expedience meant that travelers headed south of the true Silk Road. Important backpack travel stops on the Hippie trail included Istanbul, Teheran, Kabul, Varanasi, Kathmandu, Bangkok, and Denpassar. Hippies on the Hippie Trail were indeed the earliest backpack travelers. Tony and Maureen Wheeler, the founders of Lonely Planet Guidebooks, were among the early backpack travelers on the Hippie Trail.

By 1980, with the Soviet invasion of and guerilla war in Afghanistan and the Iranian revolution, the Hippie trail was dead. In its place, what many refer to as the Banana Pancake trail, became the de facto rite of passage for backpack travelers. Fueled by higher disposable incomes and lower international airfares, backpack travel in Southeast Asia became a major phenomenon in the 1980′s. As more and more travelers came, more and more guesthouses and lodges and infrastructure emerged. Some good, some bad. Backpack travel ghettos with guesthouse, lodges, restaurants, and souvenir shops catering to those on a budget, sprang up in places like Thamel in Kathmandu, Jalan Jaksa in Jakarta, Kuta in Bali, and of course the infamous Khao San Road in Bangkok. Throughout the 1980′s and 1990′s, the Banana Pancake trail pressed out in multiple directions, down into Goa, India, up into Lhasa, Tibet, and over to Dali Lake and Chengdu in China.

Backpack Travel’s roots go back to the time of Marco Polo on the Silk Road to Asia, but it was the Hippie trail Movement of the 1960′s and 1970′s that ushered in the backpack travel era. The Hippie Trail, originated as an overland road and train crossing from Western Europe to the Southeast Asia. While it followed part of the Silk Road, political expedience meant that travelers headed south of the true Silk Road. Important backpack travel stops on the Hippie trail included Istanbul, Teheran, Kabul, Varanasi, Kathmandu, Bangkok, and Denpassar. Hippies on the Hippie Trail were indeed the earliest backpack travelers. Tony and Maureen Wheeler, the founders of Lonely Planet Guidebooks, were among the early backpack travelers on the Hippie Trail.

By 1980, with the Soviet invasion of and guerilla war in Afghanistan and the Iranian revolution, the Hippie trail was dead. In its place, what many refer to as the Banana Pancake trail, became the de facto rite of passage for backpack travelers. Fueled by higher disposable incomes and lower international airfares, backpack travel in Southeast Asia became a major phenomenon in the 1980′s. As more and more travelers came, more and more guesthouses and lodges and infrastructure emerged. Some good, some bad. Backpack travel ghettos with guesthouse, lodges, restaurants, and souvenir shops catering to those on a budget, sprang up in places like Thamel in Kathmandu, Jalan Jaksa in Jakarta, Kuta in Bali, and of course the infamous Khao San Road in Bangkok. Throughout the 1980′s and 1990′s, the Banana Pancake trail pressed out in multiple directions, down into Goa, India, up into Lhasa, Tibet, and over to Dali Lake and Chengdu in China.

Backpack travel has become very mainstream, and with that most of the formerly great backpack travel destinations have one by one started to lose their authenticity. This is inevitable. Don’t complain. By going there, you’re part of the problem. While almost everywhere on the backpackers circuit is still worth going to, don’t be surprised by backpacker ghettos with hoards of souvenir shops, run down guesthouses, and prostitution– use them as bases to find those still untouched places with real authenticity. Definitely go to Angkor Wat with it’s hordes of tour groups, buy some souvenirs, and eat a few banana pancakes in Siem Reap, but by all means, take the time to see the real Cambodia and find a village off the beaten track to see real Cambodian life.

Be especially wary of small group travel companies selling “off-the-beaten-track” cultural adventures. Ask a lot of questions about itineraries- some itineraries are good, and some are not so good. In some locations they are pulling an elaborate charade on clients making them think they are going someplace “real” when in reality, you’re the fourth group of tourists those monks at that perfect temple have seen that day from your company.

For more and more families, simply traveling somewhere and seeing the sights is not enough. More and more families are venturing out into the wilderness. Traveling internationally as a family has become more common. Now, sharing in-depth cultural experiences and age-appropriate adventure activities is bonding more families closer together.

While some may consider a trip to Chili’s with children a “family adventure” for many families, a family adventure trek to Machu Picchu is replacing Disney World. Instead of simply peering over the edge of the Grand Canyon and continuing on to the next sightseeing destination on those classic family road trips we all cringed at as kids, other families are now river rafting through the Grand Canyon. Families have become by far the fastest-growing demographic segment in the adventure travel industry.

Hiking and camping as a family is a great option for families new to adventure.

There are literally thousands of hiking trails near every metro area in the world that would be appropriate for children. Let kids do the hiking themselves wherever possible, and don’t push them too hard. When hiking with children for the first time, it’s quality over quantity. Amazing first hikes for families with young children abound at National Parks like Yellowstone National Park. Down under at Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park, families can hike to wilderness beaches on gentle trails and see exotic birds and fish.

Camping as a family can be a challenge, but the more interesting the camping spot, the better the experience you’re going to have. Stay away from any sort of developed campground, especially a KOA, and give most National Park and National Forest Campgrounds the miss. Instead, camp for free on BLM land anywhere. Camping out at the Horseshoe Canyon trailhead on BLM land at the entrance to Canyonlands national park, you’ll be on the canyon rim in a red rock wonderland, and the kids will have fun playing with lizards galore. Best of all, you can take a day hike the next morning down into the canyon to see the Horseshoe Canyon petroglyphs, one of the largest panels in the world.

Raft trips on gentle whitewater, a canoe trip on flatwater, adventure cruises, and safaris are all great options for young families looking for just a bit of adventure. A classic rafting family adventure is a 3-day raft trip on the Colorado River, down Ruby and Horsethief Canyons provides an amazing do it yourself family wilderness experience that’s age-appropriate for water-safe children. Because the rapids are never more than class 2, it’s not uncommon to see families with toddlers. Camping on sand bars ripe for sand castle building, and plenty or water fights, make this section of the Colorado River, America’s best rafting family adventure.

It’s hard to backpack as a family, but with canoes families can carry all their gear. The best family canoe trip in America is an 8 day Green River canoe trip through Canyonlands National Park. Camping on pristine sand bars every night and canoeing though flatwater desert canyons by day, families have a true wilderness experience without having to carry anything. Side hikes to ruins more intact than any at Mesa Verde and lots of petroglyphs are icing on the cake.

A small boat family adventure cruise to Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands affords families with children the opportunity to see an ecological wonder of biodiversity and the birthplace of Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Swimming with turtles, and seeing giant lizard and shore birds up close are just a few of the great things about the Galapagos for family adventures.

If your children love animals, why not take a family adventure safari to Africa to see the animal life in its natural habitat? Safari operators were some of the first in the adventure travel industry to really gear up to be family friendly and thousands of families go on safari together every year.

For more adventurous families, the sky is the limit, within reason. Kids are more resilient than you think. Consider a visit to the Jungles of Costa Rica or a trip toIndia or Thailand for an amazing family adventure.

Even a trek in Nepal is not out of the question for a family with some hiking experience – with sherpa porters you can pull off an amazing family adventure. Nepal is unique country with few roads, where adventurous families who like to hike will be right at home. You will trek from village to village with guides and friendly porters, in some cases women, who can expertly carry any child in the family under 40lbs on the narrow mountain trails. We’ve seen children as young as 12 at Everest Base Camp, and children as young as a year old routinely enjoy treks in Nepal at lower elevations.

If going with a family adventure tour company, don’t get stuck in a group with a toddler and a some teenagers, when you’ve got a 7 year-old. Ask and make sure the ages of everyone in the group will mesh– try to arrange a private family adventure trip otherwise.

Family adventure is a new concept and many tour companies are still tweaking their itineraries. Make sure that the itinerary has plenty of time for just hanging out and is not jam packed with too much adventure. Additionally, a red flag would be more than 50% of days on the trip being travel days. Kids need time to chill.

If you’re going on a family adventure internationally, make sure you start the process of inoculations and passports well in advance of the departure date.

Mountain Biking is the sport of riding bicycles off paved roads on dirt trails, slick rock, and in some cases modified ramps. A huge array of specially modified bikes exists, from simple steel “hard tail” bikes to full suspension bikes made out of space age materials.

Back in the mid-1970′s groups of innovative mountain bikers in Crested Butte Colorado and Marin County, California, working separately but in parallel timeframes, modified bicycles with fat tires, called by some “Klunkers,” which became the ancestors of the modern mountain bike. Improvements in technology and design caused a virtual boom in Mountain biking in the 1990′s. Today, mountain biking has grown to be an international sport, which now even includes Olympic Mountain bike competition.

Mountain Biking has branched out into different specialties. Downhill is essentially the original form of mountain biking, with the focus on going down at high speeds with heaver bikes, often assisted with lifts or vehicles. Cross-Country is the most common form of mountain biking, riding under one’s own power on trails and dirt roads. Freeride encompasses jumping and riding ‘North Shore’ style on elevated trails made of interconnecting bridges and logs. Trials riding consists of balancing and hopping bikes over obstacles.

In the U.S., Moab, Utah, and its extremely technical slickrock trail and the 100 mile long White Rim Trail is ground zero for mountain biking. Lake Tahoe, along with Marin County in California, Sun Valley, Idaho, Crested Butte, Boulder, and Durango, Colorado, Bend, Oregon, Asheville, NC, and the Monongahela National Forest in Virgina are each important mountain biking centers. The most up and coming mountain biking hot spot in the U.S. is Fruita, CO with it’s extraordinary high desert single track.

Canadian Mountain Biking’s soul center are the North Shore forests of Vancouver island, where enterprising riders, to deal with the mud, built elevated wooden ramps and technical obstacles on dozens of secret trails. This practice has expanded now into hundreds of bikers parks in the forests of Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. In addition, great trail systems exist in Whistler, Squamish, Golden, and Rossland, BC.

Morzine, France is the soul center or Euopean mountain biking with hundreds of miles of trails and a mind-blowing location in the Alps. In addition, Chamonix, France, Sardinia, Lake Garda and the Dolomites, Italy, Fort William and Glentress, Scotland, Blandford, Dorset, England, Afan and Cwmcarn, Wales, Mount Parnitha, Crete, and Mikonos, Greece, as well as Cyprus all have great trails.

Down under, Hobart, Tasmania, Canberra and Cairns, Australia, Whakarewarewa and Makara Peak in New Zealand each are mountain biking hot spots.

Mountain Biking has become an important part of the larger adventure travel industry and mountain bike journeys to Vietnam, China, Morocco, Ethiopia, Malawi, Peru, Chile, and Argentina are popular. Kathmandu, Nepal with it’s ancient system of trails and roads has become the center of mountain biking in Asia. Mountain biking from Lhasa Tibet to Kathmandu and from Kashgar, China to Pakistan are rapidly becoming classics.

At the cutting edge, Intrepid mountain bikers like Martin Adserballe and Janne Corax have been making ground-breaking, extraordinary long distance mountain biking journeys over 5,000 meter passes across the Tibetan plateau and Western China.

Mountain bikers to tend to be regarded by those of other communities as brash and reckless. This impression isn’t helped by the fact that there have been a number of high profile incidents of mountain bikers colliding with hikers. These incidents have led to considerable tension between the the mountain biking and hiking communities. You can do your part by knowing and observing the right of way. Yield to hikers and horses on the trail. This means stopping, getting off your mountain bike and letting them pass. Be as friendly as you can with people you meet on the trail. It’s only by doing this that mountain bikers will rebuild their reputation in the adventure sport community.

Mountain bike participation peaked after the initial boom years in the 1990′s. As an industry exec. said confidentially, “people all bought bikes in the 1990′s. . . then they found out that mountain biking was hard.” Indeed, mountain biking takes effort, but with impressive trail systems going in at ski areas like Winter Park, Mammoth Mountain, and Park City in the U.S. and Les Gets in France there’s no excuse not to get out there.

If you get the urge to go out and do some “North Shore” freeriding, make sure you’ve got the skills to do it, or better, take a class and learn the skills. A lot of people are getting hurt riding on ramps and logs. Wet, muddy wood can be slippery- ride smart.

Adventure Travel is the fastest growing area of the travel industry. Traditional travel is all about seeing and observing, often though the lens of a carefully scripted tour. Adventure Travel, on the other hand, is all about doing, actively participating in activities which help you gain a deep understanding of a country, a people, and yourself.

Because adventure travel could be as wide ranging as bird watching in Columbia, cruising the Galapagos Islands, rafting the Cumberland River in Kentucky, an Antarctic small boat adventure Tour, or climbing Everest, you might think of adventure travel as more of a state of mind than any particular activity.

Get off the beaten track– get creative and you’ll have a better experience. The vast majority of adventure travelers have a very limited number of experiences in mind when they consider an adventure travel trip. Trekking routes to places like Machu Picchu and Everest Base Camp, Kilimanjaro, and wildlife safaris to the Serengeti tend to be overcrowded paths. Head for lesser-known adventure travel destinations or even do a variation of these popular destinations for far better experiences.

Be careful with the adventure tour company you choose. Make sure they’re not just a glorified old-school travel company with a few activities that make you simply think you’re really going off the beaten track. Many adventure travel companies go to great lengths to make you feel like you’re having a truly unique cultural experience, for example going to the house of a one-armed hat maker in Hue, Vietnam, when in fact your group may be the 3rd or 4th group from that company that has visited today!

You can save an enormous amount of money by planning the trip yourself. You’d be amazed by you can do with a few evenings of planning and some good guidebooks. You’ll save a ton of money and go farther off the beaten track.

Consider a local adventure tour operator in the country in which you’re visiting. Most adventure travel tour operators use the same local operators you could simply book yourself and save hundreds of dollars.

Best known as one of the most challenging sport, Parasailing is harnessing in a parachute and swinging into sky, a little high above the below waving boat and the beach or jumping off a very steep hill to be able to fly in the wind, enjoying the man made and the natural beauty.
Being at a height a of 1000 ft or so, above the ocean trying to touch the sky and landing in the sea is a different experience in all.

The Parasailing Equpiments mainly consist of a Glider, which in its inflated form offers resistance to the wind and the air. Then there is a harness which is attached to the paraglider and the pilot for safety purpose. A helmet and a extra parachute is there for the safety and the emergency landing of the pilot.VARIOMETER is the main instrument for gaugingthe ascent and the descent of the pilot.
Types Of Parasailing
In India, mainly three type of Parasailing are the most popular ones:
»Winchboat Parasailing : In this sort of Parasailing the ascent and descent of the parasailor takes place from the boat itself. The boat in the sea is well equipped with parasailing equipments. It has a parasail inflation system and hydraulic winch powered by the main drive engine. These two help in launching and retriving the parasailorfrom the flight deck.
»Beach Parasailing : As the name suggests the beach is the main ground for the ascent and descent of the parasailor. It is much more complicated than the Winchboat Parasailing. Even the most experienced parasailors are not approved for this without prior permission.
» Platform Parasailing : In this sort of ParaSailing one flies under the winds which are below 5 to 15 mph, away from rough ocean and poor weathe conditions and other things close to proximity.

The Sport of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains is known as Mountaineering. Also known as Alpinisim it has branched out into specializations like rock craft, snow craft and skiing.Fitness of body and mind along with good athletic and technical ability is required to conquer this sport.
Ötzi the Iceman, was the first person to land at 3000ft, about 5,300years ago.Also known as Frozen Fritz, his well preserved Mummy was found in 1991 in the Schnalstal glacier in the Ötztal Alps, between Austria and Italy. It is considered to be the beginning of the Sport called the Mountaineering.
The world’s highest mountain (above mean sea level), Mount Everest (8,848 m) was first climbed on May 29, 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay from the south side in Nepal.

» Snow : Rough, hard snow with spikes is one of the major dangers which one encounters. For such hard non – crushed snow, Crampons 10-12 point spikes which are attached to the mountain boots are used on the hard snow. Snow Shoes can be used to wlk through the deep snow, skis can be used everywhere boots can be used.
» Ice : Ice can be dangerous in the sense if one slips, then there is no stoppage. But then there are methods to stop the Snow. Pickets or screws can be used if the terrain is slippery. Each climber on the team must clippast the anchorand the last climber picks up the picket. This is known as Simul – Climbing. If the terrain is vertical then normal ice climbimg technique is used.
» Glaciers Crevasses : These ( deep slits or chasms) are a g reat danger while walking on Glaciers. These giant cracks are not always avialable as the snow can be blown and makes the difference impossible for the ametures to decide.For this Crampons and Ice Axes are used. The team of two to five climbers tie themselves into a rope equally spaced. The members of the team enact a Crevasse rescue to the fallen climer, if any.
Avlanches : These are the biggest dangers in the ice clad mountains.There are two types of avlanches:
# » Hard slab avalanche : Formed by hard packed snow in cohesive slabs which are very hard to break, sometimes impossible.It results in large blocks tumbling down the mountain.
» Soft Slab Avlanche : This sort of Avlanche ice tends to break easily. It is very dangerous one as it can knock down th eclimber instantlyor sweep them over a cliff into a terrain trap.

Its supposed to be a recreational activity for the people who love adventure and sports.Its done on white water or different degress of rough water or other water bodies.It has become popular since 1970s.!
Rafts were the original means of transportation on the oceans.Nowadays, inflatable boats are used as rafts.It consists of very durable, multi-layered rubberized or vinyl fabrics with several independent air chambers. Its length varies between 3.5 m (11 ft) and 6 m (20 ft), the width between 1.8 m (6 ft) and 2.5 m (8 ft). The exception to this size rule is usually the packraft, which is designed as a portable single-person raft and may be as small as 1.5m long and weigh as little as 4 lbs.
The concept of Rafting begun in 1842, with Lieutenant John Fremont of the U.S. Army journalising his rafting expedition. In 1960s The Great Canyon was routed by rafting. Then in 1970s, Rafting was included in Munich Olympic Games.1990 s saw rafting in Barcelona Games (1992) and Atlanta Games (1996). In addition to this, the International Federation of Rafting was instituted in 1997 and in 1999 the first Official International Championship was held.
Levels Of Rafting
People vary in their choice of Camping -
» Class 1 : This is the easiest one as it requires no skills and covers very small rough areas.
» Class 2 : In this Basic Paddling Skill is required.Covers some rough water, small rocks and requires maneuvering.
» Class 3 : In this experienced Paddling Skills are required. White water and small waves are involved in this, sharp maneuvours are essential in this Class.
» Class 4 : In this Class White Water experience is a must. Medium waves and small rocks and sharp manevours are involved in it.
» Class 5 : Advanced White Water Skills are rquired in this class. White water, large waves, large rocks and hazards , large drops of water and precise manevering are involved in this Class.
» Class 6 : Successful Completion of this Class is considered a matter of Luck. Very high waves, cery large rocks substantial whitewater, substantial drops that cause severe impactsbeyond the structural capacities of rafting equpiments.There are chances of serious injury and even death in this class of rafting.

Life Jackets, Waterproof cases, inflatable hand pumps, river safety, gear knots, ovens, griddles, stoves, tables, inflatable boat – the raft are some of the basic requirements for rafting. Quality and durability should be checked properly before purchasing any one of them.

Types Of Camping
»Backpacking : Is one such sort of Camping. Its a mobile variety of tent camping. Backpackers use lightweight equipments to be carried for long distances, camping at places of their own choice – within the stipulated limits. It is less costlier than any other type of Camping and takes more time.
»Canoe Camping : It is another sort which uses Canoe for moving from one place to another. In this a lot amount of weight can be carried and a large number of things can be put on. It is a bit expensive than the Backpacking Camping. While Camping on the beach watch the tides come in a way and then choose the place to camp. Camping next to a soggy meadow or a lake can lead to mosquitoes and insects. Keep a distance here.
»Bicycle Camping : It involves touring andcamping both. The touring is done by bicycle, covering big distances. It has less carrying capacity then the Backpacking but the time takenis less. It is also cost effective. Do not camp near the large or beneath the dead trees. Branches can crash at any time.
»Motocycle Caming : This one makes for mobile camping. In this the storage capacity is more than the bicycle camping and the time taken less.

The Camping Pack

Certain things become a pre – requisite for any sort of camping. A sleeping bagseems worth a while. If you don’t get a nice sleep, then the whole idea of camping gets disrupted. A Sleeping Pad or a Mattress placed underneath the sleeping bag for cushioning from twigs and other wilds is one of the best prepositions to work out folding chair, lantern, flashlight , hatchet, axe, or saware some of the basic requirements for digging and paving space for camping. Ropes and Tarps for stringing clothes, Chuck Box for holding varied camp kitchen items for food preparation, consumption and cleanup.(Cleaning up the area is one of the most important things to do while on Camping – it keep the Ecological Balance maintained and the place good for further Campers).