Matador Network's Blog, page 996

What plus-size travel is like

I was compared to a sumo wrestler the first time I went to Japan when I was 20 years old. It was the first time I’d been anywhere outside the US, and I quickly realized I was bigger than the majority of people in the entire country.

Since that first trip, I’ve been to 34 countries in the past 13 years and have lost count of the number of times I’ve flown across the ocean. I consider myself a seasoned traveler, but I’ve gotten my fair share of questions about whether I’ll be physically fit enough to make it up that volcano in Guatemala or be able to ride on that horse in Belize. Last year, I started a new venture — a travel blog that helps chubby people travel around the world. This was inspired by a conversation with my wife on an airplane.

My wife taught me I think differently about travel.

Photo: Jeff Jenkins

Boarding a plane to Italy, we realized it was a full flight and my wife was going to have to sit in the middle seat. To my surprise, she took the seat without hesitation.

I asked if it bothered her to sit in between two people, but she said she wasn’t concerned about it at all and hadn’t even considered it an issue before. Skeptical, I asked her if she ever worried about weight limits, and she responded with complete confusion, as though the thought had never crossed her mind.

In disbelief, I asked her if she was ever concerned she wouldn’t be able to fit in a seat in an airplane or amusement park ride. She had never even thought about it before. I sunk into my seat as I looked out the window into the clouds. It’s not an exaggeration to say my mind was completely blown.

I realized I approach travel in a completely different way from most people.

When I’m preparing to take a trip, I have to do extra prep work. I have to research my destination before I make travel plans to make sure I can fit on the attractions I want to go on. I find out how much intense physical activity I should expect, and I increase the intensity of my workouts beforehand so I can walk around and enjoy my trip. When I book flights I make sure I can get either an aisle or window seat. And because I wear larger clothes, I have to pack in a unique way so I can fit everything I need into my luggage.

I had an epiphany at that moment. There aren’t that many plus-size people who travel overseas like me, and most people, like my wife, just don’t think about travel the same way I do. More importantly, the travel industry doesn’t see plus-size travelers as a marketable audience.

Current American travel narratives are not inclusive.

Photo: Jeff Jenkins

The US travel industry is a $1.1 trillion industry with a tunnel vision problem. Plus-size, fat, or chubby people are largely excluded. Typically, travel industry social media marketing posts feature slim, fit people who visit immaculate destinations barely wearing any clothing at all. In fact, flipping through the pages of Resonance Consultancy’s 2018 Future of US Millennial Travel Report, every image is of airbrushed physically fit people traveling through cleanly curated scenes.

It’s not just visual representation, though. The report is filled to the brim with statistics about who is traveling (adults between 20 and 36 years of age), where they’re going (40 percent are traveling to major cities), and what they’re doing (56 percent regularly enjoy fun attractions). However, it doesn’t mention any aspect of the plus-size traveler’s experience at all. And the marketing isn’t the only place where we’re excluded. Travel destinations, airlines, and tourism boards rarely provide accommodations relevant to chubby travelers, such as larger seats for airplanes and amusement park rides or accessible harnesses for zip lines and other adventurous excursions.

Consequently, plus-size travelers can experience embarrassment as we board planes, unsure if we’re going to fit into the seat, and trying to fit as the attendant voices their concern that it’s not going to work and other passengers watch. We feel isolated as we walk down the aisle of the plane, knowing other passengers are hoping we won’t sit next to them. In order to avoid some of this embarrassment, we often need to spend extra money to accommodate our size by buying an extra seat on the plane or buying plus-size equipment for excursions.

Because we don’t feel welcome in the travel community, we’re afraid to travel. I’ve experienced fear that I’m not going to enjoy myself as much as a skinnier person would or fear that I’ll be stared at or made fun of in the countries I visit. I’ve been afraid I might not be able to finish an excursion because of my size, even if I’ve worked hard to increase my conditioning.

The current travel narrative doesn’t address these concerns in any way, so plus-size people feel excluded from the conversation. It makes us not want to travel when we have to spend a lot of mental and emotional energy considering whether or not we’ll be accommodated while traveling.

As this changes, I hope we see representation for plus-size people in marketing campaigns. I want to open up my social media apps and see travel advertisements featuring plus-size travelers and sponsored trips from plus-size influencers. When I visit a destination’s website, information useful to plus-size travelers should be easy to find and excursions more accommodating.

Inspiring a new narrative, one story at a time

Photo: Jeff Jenkins

Knowing there’s a lack of representation, I made it my mission to be my community’s representation. My goal is to share not just my story but also others’ experiences. The purpose of my work isn’t to promote obesity but instead encourage and inspire underrepresented and marginalized people to live life where they are right now. Plus-size people need to know they don’t have to wait until they’ve reached a certain imaginary physical ideal to go on adventures all over the world.

My website, Chubby Diariesf, features firsthand accounts from plus-size travelers as we overcome obstacles. For example, one of the stories I featured on my blog was about one man’s experience with taking his shirt off in public for the very first time while on vacation in Jamaica. He talked about how he had been fearful of what other people would think of his body, but on this vacation, he decided not to allow the opinions of others to stop him from enjoying himself and living his life the way he wanted to. I hope my readers felt inspired by his story to confront their own personal fears, specifically the fear of public opinion and judgment.

Another recent post was by a woman who talked about her experience riding a camel in Egypt. She discovered anyone can ride a camel because a camel can carry up to a thousand pounds on its back. Knowledge of this simple fact helped her feel free to enjoy the excursion without anxiety or fear of embarrassment. By sharing this liberating experience with the rest of the community, she’s helping others open up to new travel possibilities they might not have considered before.

Aside from personal stories like these, I also post practical travel tips to help my readers prepare for their upcoming trips. I’ve discussed skiing tips, packing for extreme temperatures, and how to prepare for a long airplane flight, as well as destination-specific information based on personal experiences.

I want members of my community to feel empowered to travel and to know they have more options than they may have previously considered. When I think about how many countries I’ve visited and cultures I’ve interacted with, I realize how much my travels have enriched my life. It’s painful to confront the idea other plus-size people would miss out on experiences like mine because they feel like they’re not welcomed by the travel industry. The industry’s been missing out by not opening up its narrative to include the curious and adventurous people who haven’t been represented until now.


More like this: How group travel can actually be good for your mental health

The post Traveling while fat: How I’m changing the narrative appeared first on Matador Network.

Transylvania’s fortified churches

One of the three historical provinces of Romania, Transylvania features a vast tableland dominated by undulating hills covered with orchards, vineyards, and huge untouched forests. In this picturesque scenery, countless fortified churches tucked away in side valleys create a unique architectural style present only in this part of Europe. A fast way to visit a few accessible key sights requires only a car, but you will get a better understanding of the region’s history and traditions if you cycle between villages. Here’s why you should cycle to the fortified churches in Transylvania.

There’s more to Transylvania than Dracula.

Photo: Hurghea Constantin/Shutterstock

Vlad III, better known as Vlad the Impaler, may have been the inspiration for the fictitious Dracula character, but Transylvania has an intriguing history that goes well beyond a bloodthirsty 15th-century prince. The region has always been at the crossroads of various ethnic groups and nations. Eight hundred years ago, the Hungarian King Géza II invited Saxon settlers to populate the southeastern part of Transylvania for religious, economic, and defensive matters.

The newcomers built around 300 settlements — the most important of which later developed into cities — each one centered around a church gradually fortified with tenable, high walls and defense towers. In some regions, Saxon villages with fortified churches alternate with Romanian shepherds villages and create a unique cultural mix.

If you cycle through the countryside surrounding the medieval city of Sibiu, you’ll discover a diverse scenery punctuated by both defense towers of the fortified churches and scattered shepherds settlements at the foot of the mountains. The region is called Mărginimea Sibiului, which means “At the margins of Sibiu.” You can explore Cristian, Orlat, and Sibiel villages, key stops in this region, as a cycling day trip from Sibiu.

You can choose from a wide range of routes.

Photo: Oprea George/Shutterstock

Nowadays, over 160 Germanic Saxon villages with fortified churches still exist in the southeastern part of Transylvania. With so many churches to choose from, you can create your own unique cycling route. Likewise, if you have already been in the region, you can easily explore alternative routes and discover new places.

In terms of planning, you can set your base camp in one of the big cities where German settlers lived hundreds of years ago — like Mediaș, Sighișoara, Sibiu, or Brașov. From there, you can cycle on different day trips throughout the surrounding countryside. Or you can embark on a longer cycling trip of two, three, or even seven days and stay overnight in lesser-known, more remote villages.

One of the popular routes crosses the Transylvanian tableland from Sighișoara to Sibiu, following asphalt roads and passing hidden peaceful settlements such as Bârghiș, Pelișor, or Richiș. As an alternative, from Richiș you can pick a more demanding dirt track that crosses the forests surrounding Alma Vii village; once you reach Metiș village, continue towards Sibiu on an asphalt road passing the villages of Alțâna and Nocrich.

Routes are suited for pleasant cycling.

Photo: Aecofoto/Shutterstock

Transylvania’s terrain alternates between gentle valleys and hills filled with a dense system of villages and hamlets. When the Habsburg Empire ruled over Transylvania in the 18th century, numberless roads were constructed to connect all the Saxon villages. Away from heavy traffic, many of these roads have remained unpaved and create an ideal network for cycling enthusiasts, with pleasant and easy ups and downs. Only in some rare cases, you might have to push the bike uphill for a few hundred meters — but the views you have along these routes will eventually compensate your efforts.

A few old roads have been opened as official cycling trails, as is the case with the Viscri Cycling Trail. In many other cases, all you have to do is to follow tarmac or dirt roads between villages. Unless you download GPS tracks from specialized sites, roads connecting neighboring villages usually follow the course of the valleys or they climb up to a pass from where you can see and descend to the next village. Locals don’t usually speak English, but if you show them the name of the village you want to go to, they’ll point you in the right direction.

Discover remote sites and have them to yourself.

Photo: Kartinkin77/Shutterstock

Sheltered by the high peaks of the Carpathian Mountains, Transylvania has a unique geographical position. Each valley and settlement is in a captivating setting. Pedaling between the bigger Saxon villages, you will inevitably pass smaller, hidden ones. In more remote and isolated settlements, you may discover well-preserved frescoes inside ancient fortified churches or old gigantic bells in mighty defense towers.

Depending on the route you choose, expect to be the only visitors in the area. Many of the fortified churches are fairly remote and difficult to reach even by car, so fewer cyclists will set off to explore this totally unspoiled countryside.

Photography enthusiasts won’t be disappointed either. Transylvania’s varied scenery features arresting views at every turn, so no matter which village you choose to go to, the setting will be unique and absorbing. Add extra time for shutting sessions, especially at dawn and dusk, and climb the churches’ towers for expansive views.

Stay with locals and maybe milk a cow.

Photo: Angyalosi Beata/Shutterstock

Tourism infrastructure in the region includes only traditional homestays and, in some cases, guest rooms refurbished in the parish house next to the church. Several community projects have started during the past decade, and local people are now welcoming visitors to their houses. In Apold or Pelișor villages, small NGOs manage the process on the ground, but you can also book a few online in advance by searching “homestays” on sites like booking.com (less charming for sure, but definitely more convenient). In these places, old houses have been rehabilitated to accommodate guests, but expect small rooms and shared bathrooms.

Even though locals don’t typically speak English, body language can get you a long way in communicating. Staying in these houses, you will witness the slow pace of the local lifestyle, how people work in the village and the household, and maybe you will even milk the cow in the evening. Show to them that you are curious and you might get more authentic experiences than you could have hoped for.

Eat traditional Saxon dishes.

Photo: salajean/Shutterstock

There are no restaurants in most of the Saxon settlements, so during the day, you will have to buy and eat cold food from the only shop available in the center of a village. But in the evenings, staying in homestays comes with traditional meals included in the price of the room. Locals will cook a lot of dishes for their guests, maybe more than you can eat. Try potato dumplings called knodel, sausages, or liverwurst, and don’t miss the traditional Saxon cake called hencleș.

If you are cycling during the weekend, many local communities organize brunches in the center of the village or the courtyard of a traditional household. Stop and take part in these locals events. It will add a genuine dimension to your experience in Transylvania, one completely different from that of most tourists.

And don’t forget to listen to a true organ concert.

Photo: Cartophil/Shutterstock

Even though the majority of the fortified churches feature medieval architecture, their current furniture, altars, and organs date back to the Baroque period — also known as the “Golden Age” of the organs. Many organs have been restored, and organ concerts take place regularly in the churches, especially during the weekends in the summer months.

If you are not so fortunate to visit the fortified churches during a concert, ask the key-keeper or the administrator of the church if they can play a sample for you. For example, the church in Dupuș is pretty small, but the sound of its organ will hypnotize you. The acoustics inside the fortified churches are incredible, and you’ll remember them always.


More like this: 9 amazing castles you didn’t know existed in Romania

The post Cycling the medieval fortified churches of Transylvania appeared first on Matador Network.

National parks, monuments, forests

Gaze up at Half Dome, and it’s obvious why Yosemite has national park status. Witness the wildflower bloom in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park during spring, and it may be less clear why California’s largest state park doesn’t.

The United States’ parks and public lands fall under a number of designations. Most of us have probably not reflected on what it means to be a national park rather than, say, a national monument, and those who have likely stumbled over the confusing nomenclature. To make things simpler, we’ve unpacked some of the most common and coveted designations, from what it takes to become a national park to who’s responsible for national forests. Here’s our handy guide to the US’s big, beautiful backyard and the different ways we protect it.

What makes a national park?

Photo: Vaclav Sebek/Shutterstock

At its most basic, a national park is a federally protected area of great natural importance. Yellowstone was the first, declared a national park in 1872, and by 1916, President Woodrow Wilson established the National Park Service (NPS) to manage the dozen-plus parks that would be designated over the following decades. Today, there are 61 national parks across the US.

Prospective parks must meet strict criteria to qualify for the park system. According to the NPS, all national parks share four characteristics: Each is an “outstanding example of a particular type of resource” and offers a “true, accurate, and relatively unspoiled example of that resource.” A national park must also showcase “the natural or cultural themes of our nation’s heritage” and provide “superlative opportunities for recreation for public use.”

Aside from these essential qualities, prospective parks are evaluated for suitability and feasibility, meaning they must bring something new to the park system that is both worth preserving and able to be preserved. After being thoroughly scrutinized by various agencies, all new additions to the NPS must be approved by Congress.

What’s the difference between national and state parks?

Photo: Steven Russell Smith Ohio/Shutterstock

The biggest difference between national and state parks is right there in the names: national parks are managed by the federal government, whereas state parks are operated by state governments. As a result, upkeep and regulations can vary dramatically depending on where a state park is located. While national parks, like all public land, officially belong to the American people, state residents have less control over how their parks are managed.

State parks often get overlooked, but several are as spectacular as any national park. Most are also nice alternatives to national parks for quick trips, family outings, and mixed groups, either in interests or abilities. State parks are generally closer to urban areas and have more amenities than national parks, which regulate development more strictly. To top it off, many state parks are free, and there are over 10,000 to choose from across the nation.

What about national parks and monuments?

Photo: Zack Frank/Shutterstock

The line between national parks and monuments is thinner. Both are managed by the NPS, though federal agencies like the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management also oversee some monuments. Although national monuments emphasize the historical and scientific, both designations also protect the natural world. In fact, several national monuments have gone on to become national parks, including Death Valley, Joshua Tree, and the Grand Canyon.

One of the primary differences between national parks and monuments is who creates them. Congress decides what deserves national park status, but national monuments are generally declared by presidential proclamation. National monuments may also be smaller and focus on a single attraction, rather than offer various points of interest or “resources” like national parks.

What differentiates national parks from national forests?

Photo: Don Mammoser/Shutterstock

National forests often surround or neighbor national parks. Both are federally operated, though the US Forest Service manages national forests with priorities that differ from the NPS. Where national parks aim to preserve the natural landscape, national forests take a conservationist approach, allowing commercial activities like logging and mining, as well as fewer recreation restrictions. For visitors, this generally means more relaxed rules at national forests, which may permit hunting or allow dogs on trails, for example.

What about the others designations?

Photo: Craig Sterken/Shutterstock

Click around on Google Maps and you’ll see any number of wilderness designations across the US, both common and obscure. The NPS alone manages several types of naturally significant sites, including national rivers, trails, seashores, and lakeshores. Other land is designated as a national recreation area for its leisure potential, be it water sports or urban park activities, and still other areas are named national preserves, which share similar characteristics to national parks but allow hunting, trapping, and oil and gas extraction.

Even more designations exist outside of the national park system. Each state hosts at least one national wildlife refuge, which is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management oversees around 34 million acres of National Conservation Lands across the US. It’s a convoluted, nuanced system that can be frustrating to sort through, but at the end of the day, it’s hard to complain about a park system so extensive that we can’t keep up with the nomenclature.


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The post The actual differences between national parks, monuments, and recreation areas appeared first on Matador Network.

Oktoberfest scooter drunk driving

No Oktoberfest story is beyond the realm of possibility, but hundreds of drunk scooter drivers losing their licenses probably wasn’t what you were expecting. Indeed, German police have revoked the licenses of hundreds of electric scooter operators who were riding while drunk at Munich’s legendary beer festival. According to a police statement issued Monday, 414 people total were caught riding e-scooters while under the influence, and 254 lost their driving licenses.

E-scooters are technically categorized as motorized vehicles in Germany — a fact that probably escaped many prior to drunk riding. The scooters were only officially legalized in June, and their recent popularity has posed a problem for Munich police during the already chaotic beer festival. Keeping the festival grounds clear of the scooters proved to be a tall task.

Riders were prevented from logging out of the scooter app while on-site in order to keep people from abandoning them everywhere, but nonetheless clusters of abandoned scooters were removed each night from around the city. As anyone who lives in a major city with scooters knows, they have a tendency to pile up on sidewalks and at heavily trafficked destinations. A study conducted earlier this year found that one in three injured riders were hurt on their first trip — so it goes without saying that massive amounts of beer and scootering don’t exactly mix.


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The post Hundreds lose their driver’s licenses after drunk e-scootering at Oktoberfest appeared first on Matador Network.

BLM to move to Colorado

The Bureau of Land Management is moving over 200 jobs from Washington, DC, to the western United States, with its new agency headquarters soon to open in the city of Grand Junction, Colorado. The move is concerning, in part because the agency’s headquarters will share a building with oil and gas companies, according to a report from Colorado Public Radio. But through activism and constant engagement, residents of the West can turn the decision into a positive for conservation efforts. Here’s what the decision to relocate the BLM’s headquarters means for public lands, what the main concerns are, and what you can do to stay vocal.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s coming west.

Photo: Paul Gana/Shutterstock

Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt explained the move in an official statement: “Shifting critical leadership positions and supporting staff to western states — where an overwhelming majority of federal lands are located — is not only a better management system, it is beneficial to the interest of the American public in these communities, cities, counties, and states.”

The agency headquarters will be in western Colorado and the bulk of the top-level jobs, with the high-level employees being stationed in the new headquarters in the city of Grand Junction, on Colorado’s western slope. Other relocated staffers will work from the Federal Center in Lakewood, a suburb of Denver, about four hours east of Grand Junction. State offices in other western states, including New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, will also see transfers or new hires. The bulk of the BLM’s staff of 9,000 are already located outside of Washington, and following the move, the agency will have just three remaining employees in the capital.

Some are concerned that the move will make it easier for the agency to sell off public lands.

The majority of those voicing these concerns are worried about special interests impacting the management of the lands that the BLM oversees. After all, the acting director of the BLM, William Pendley — who was appointed and then reappointed as “acting” director and has thus skirted the Senate confirmation process — has made a career out of advocating against public lands protection and in favor of oil and gas development. He also has a record of avoiding public comment on issues that matter to others.

As the head of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, Pendley routinely pushed for the scrapping of clean air and water regulations and for the opening of open public lands to development. In his current role, he’s in a fine position to sell off public lands at record rates — should he see fit to do so.

“From the very beginning moving the BLM’s headquarters West has always been about strengthening the BLM’s relationship with local officials, moving the decision makers closer to the lands they oversee and the people they serve, and making better land management decisions,” said Colorado Senator Cory Gardner, a Republican who has advocated for the move, in a press release. “This commonsense move will save taxpayers money and solidify Colorado’s legacy as a responsible steward of public lands.”

On the other hand, conservationists are concerned at the possibility that local oil and gas executives could more easily meet with Pendley or other BLM brass to advocate for their interests, arguing, say, that the addition of a few oil rigs could increase profits and boost the economy.

This is a legitimate concern and should be monitored closely. But our glimmer of hope lies in Colorado’s long status as a swing state. Not in its voting history, per se, but in the fact that Colorado is an undeniable haven for outdoor recreation and, across political lines, Coloradans love their open space. Access to — and funding for — public lands for outdoor pursuits ranging from camping to hunting to fishing in the state are broadly popular across the aisle. In January, Colorado Public Radio cited a Conservation in the West Poll, which found that 73 percent of those surveyed supported taxation for the conservation and betterment of public lands, no matter where their political views fell.

The same holds true across the West. Proposed sell-offs of public land will continue to meet resistance from both liberals and conservatives in Colorado and beyond. Should Pendley attempt to privatize vast swaths of public land, he can surely expect a diverse group of picketers out front of his new office just up Highway 50.

Opening public lands to previously restricted uses

Photo: Reinhardt and Co/Shutterstock

Another concern that has been raised is that by moving out of Washington, the agency’s voice for conservation will lose impact in current affairs. In the Digital Age, when video conferencing can in many cases relieve the necessity of face-to-face meetings, the idea of moving federal organizations out of Washington is actually nothing new. The USDA recently moved 550 positions from Washington to Kansas City, for example, in a stated intention to put the staffers closer to the nation’s agricultural industry.

Recent moves by the BLM have decreased regulation of potentially harmful activities such as off-road vehicle use on public lands, including an August 2019 decision impacting Utah’s Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. In the first year of his presidency, Donald Trump effectively negated much of this monument, stripping away a portion and opening much of the rest to potential oil and gas extraction leases. The BLM released its official plan for this on August 23, which also calls for the opening of the land not removed by President Trump — the land under threat of oil and gas leasing — to use by motorized vehicles and organized events, which basically strip the “protected” aspect straight off the page.

“These management plans seek to cement the Trump administration legacy of destroying the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument,” Steve Bloch, legal director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, told the Salt Lake Tribune. “That seems to be the objective certainly for excluded lands, which are going to be in large part available for mineral leasing and extractive development. To make matters worse, the BLM is going to prioritize motorized recreation across a large swath of the original 1.9 million acres.”

The BLM’s move to Colorado can be a good thing if we hold the agency accountable.

Photo: Brent Olson/Shutterstock

As valid as these concerns are, public comment and input is not lost. The BLM’s move to Colorado isn’t the issue for the everyday citizen. For those of us who enjoy using public lands in the west, this move may actually give local representatives, who understand the importance of conservation and of public lands in our economy, easier access to the BLM. The move also takes BLM office jobs out of the Washington partisan bubble and puts them in the place where the use of public lands is the highest and activism for its protection is the strongest.

If conservationists remain loud and active with our local representatives and elect people who value conservation, the decision by the Trump administration to move the BLM out West can be thrown right back in its face. We saw the effect of public advocacy in February of this year when the Senate passed a monumental package protecting millions of acres of open land and rivers across the country and created four new national monuments. Bill S-47 passed the senate by a vote of 92-8, easily winning support from both sides because representatives in nearly every state were able to go home to their vocal constituents with something to brag about.

Conservationists across the country had fiercely advocated for the measures, and although the bill was tweaked to appease many of its signees, it still removed 370,000 acres of oil and gas access around two national parks and committed a portion of offshore drilling revenue to conservation efforts, in addition to its protections designations across the country.

Pendley himself, after spending years advocating for the rights of the oil and gas industry, has walked back from that stance. This is apparently because he now represents the public lands he previously worked against. “I understand the chain of command. I understand and know how to follow orders,” he said on Montana’s KBUL-AM. “I get it, so whatever I’ve said and done in the past is irrelevant.”

Time will tell how true this statement is, but the actions of outdoor recreationists are sure to play a part in holding him to it. It’s not the move to Colorado that is the imminent threat. It’s a combination of Pendley’s past actions and any future inaction on our part. The current administration has shown that it’s plenty effective at ditching regulations no matter where the BLM is located.

It’s up to us to act — through voting, signing petitions, filing objections, and contacting representatives. Residents of the western US must act cohesively and effectively, because we now have the decision-makers on the same side of the country as the lands they represent. To keep our lands public and free of drill rigs, we must be constantly active and engaged. Casting a line or setting up a tent is itself a worthy act of public lands support, but real change happens when we momentarily put down our hiking poles in favor of a pen.

Resources for staying informed and engaged

Protect Our Winters — an organization started by pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones that advocates for climate and land protections and, according to its website, “turns passionate outdoor people into effective climate advocates”

Public Lands Foundation — a non-profit organization that advocates for public input and management of public lands

The Wilderness Society — an organization working to safeguard wilderness and open spaces by working on activism campaigns in local communities


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The post The Bureau of Land Management is moving to Colorado, and it could spell trouble for public lands appeared first on Matador Network.

What to do if airline goes bust

It’s, to most people, the worst-case travel scenario that doesn’t involve a plane full of wild, man-eating hyenas. You’re on vacation in some far-off land, thanks mostly to a super-cheap fare you found on a discount foreign airline, and while you’re busy soaking up the local culture, your airline goes bankrupt.

You have no backup plan. You’ve emptied out your bank account spending on vacation fun. And the only way home is a last-minute ticket on a major airline, which costs more than your mortgage payment.

“Surely someone has to pay for this!” you scream at no one in particular while staring at an airport departures screen, with “Cancelled” written 14 times in a row.

Sadly, you’re wrong.

“If an airline goes bankrupt, the situation is not very good for the passenger,” says Chrystel Erotokritou, the legal advisor for AirHelp. “There’s a priority for [who the airline has to pay] — employees, then the state administration, then all the partners like catering and fuel suppliers. Unfortunately the passengers come at the end.”

Effectively, if you’re trying to get your money back from the now-defunct airline, get in line.

A belly-up company won’t have much money to give, that is, if you can even get a hold of anyone. Typically when an airline goes bankrupt all its employees get laid off too, so that customer service line you plan to call won’t pick up. And the ticket counter will be closed.

Since the airline won’t be of any help, what is one to do now? Well, you have a few options.

The first thing you must do, obviously, is to find a way home. In some cases, Erotokritou says, competing airlines have offered deeply discounted fares to stranded passengers. This past September when French carriers Aigle Azur and XL Airways both went belly up, Air France stepped in and offered cheap flights home to passengers stuck in Nigeria and Mali.

But this is never a guarantee and is based on availability. If bankruptcy hits during a busy time, it likely won’t be an option.

When Thomas Cook declared bankruptcy later in the month, the Civil Aviation Authority — the UK’s version of the FAA — stepped in and literally chartered flights to get many of the estimated 150,000 stranded Brittons repatriated. It was dubbed the largest peacetime repatriation mission in history. But it also cost the government about 600 million euros.

Odds are, the USA won’t be quite as generous.

“The best thing (passengers) can do is buy a new ticket to fly to where they were supposed to fly, then contact banks, contact insurance, and they can come to AirHelp for us to try to take action against the airline,” Erotokritou says. “But in this kind of situation you can never expect miracles. Bankruptcy means there is no more money. So it is always a difficult situation.”

Even if you had to max out your credit cards to get home, you may still have recourse to get that money back. Travel insurance is your best bet, and though most people don’t purchase it, Erotokritou says if you’re traveling with a discount airline it’s the best way to ensure this nightmare scenario doesn’t happen to you.

If you paid with a credit card, you can also ask for the charge to be blocked, or for a refund on the purchase since the merchant did not live up to delivery of its goods or services. That little tidbit is actually written on most credit card agreements. Some cards, like Chase Sapphire, also offer coverage for new tickets home, so look into that when shopping for travel credit cards.

Again, Erotokritou stresses getting to your destination should be your first step before pursuing any claims. This may involve fronting some money until everything is back to normal, but in the wake of a bankruptcy you won’t be getting much out of the airline anyway.

So while your options aren’t great when your vacation ends with an airline going bust, all is not lost. Travel insurance and credit cards may well have your back, if other airlines and the government do not. An ideal situation it is not. But still probably better than a plane full of hyenas.


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The post What do I do when my airline goes bankrupt? appeared first on Matador Network.

Best ways make coffee while camping

Good coffee isn’t just for coffee snobs anymore, and people are no longer restricted to specialty cafes when looking for something better than the average drip. Quality coffee can be had just about anywhere — including campgrounds.

“While camping, you have the convenience of making coffee similarly to how you would make coffee in the comfort of your own home, only you are in the great outdoors,” says Jackie Newman, vice president of the New Jersey-based specialty roasting company World of Coffee. “Surprisingly, not many modifications need to be made in order to do it right.”

To get the obvious out of the way, it’s not going to be like your home brew if you’re accustomed to using something plugged into the wall. Yet it doesn’t take much extra equipment. If you don’t want to deal with brewing at all, of course, there are the high-caliber canned options out there from Rise and La Colombe (as well as delicious alcohol-infused options like Newground’s Hard Dutch Latte). For some people, though, nothing beats a fresh-brewed hot cup of coffee in the morning.

We reached out to 10 coffee and outdoors experts to narrow down the best ways to make a cup of Joe at your campsite. They didn’t always agree, except when it came to the opinion that cowboy coffee (course grounds in water boiled over the open flame) is bad. Instead, go for these five expert-approved methods.

1. AeroPress

Photo: Bogdan Sonjachnyj/Shutterstock

“If you’re keen to get back to basics and simplify life while, you know, getting back to basics and simplifying life by being out in nature, look no further than the trusty and wonderfully simple AeroPress,” says Jordan Rosenacker, co-founder of Atlas Coffee Club.

It’s lightweight, packs well, and you can use pre-ground coffee or grind your own beans.

“The hardest part of brewing with an AeroPress while camping is, well, probably just starting your fire to boil the water,” Rosenacker says.

“The AeroPress is an excellent option whether you’re camping, or just traveling in general,” says Asser Christensen, a coffee expert, freelance coffee writer, and founder of The Coffee Chronicler. “It’s lightweight, and you don’t need any accessories to brew a solid cup. For couples and solo campers, that would be the ideal choice.”

The key to good AeroPress coffee is a fresh grind. Christensen uses a manual coffee grinder, and suggests the Porlex Mini and 1Zpresso Mini Q as both fit inside an AeroPress. For something a little fancier, there’s the similar Delter Coffee Press.

Caffe Umbria’s quality and education specialist Antonio Madeddu also suggests an AeroPress, and is looking forward to a soon-to-launch travel version from the brand. Just don’t forget to bring a way to make hot water, a way to measure the water, and a filter (Madeddu suggests a reusable filter from AeroPress, Fellow, or DISC).

2. Turkish coffee

Photo: Elvan/Shutterstock

While not the fastest method in the world, Turkish coffee is a slow-burn option for a solid cup at the campsite.

“Turkish coffee isn’t meant to be instant and can easily take 20 minutes to prepare,” says Sam Maizlech, outdoors and survival expert for the adventure products company Glacier Wellness. “This method is ideal for camping because it utilizes the burning coals from the previous night’s campfire. Traditionally, Turkish coffee is made over hot coals that have burned for a while and begun to turn to ashes. Simply place your Turkish coffee pot onto the hot ashes and coals and carefully insulate the pot with more hot coals.”

This method does, however, require some special equipment. Turkish coffee is made in a similar way to the dreaded cowboy coffee with the grounds in the pot. But these grounds are extremely fine before being put in a sturdy Turkish coffee pot. Cold water is poured on top and the whole thing is put on the coals to slowly heat up. Take it off when it starts to foam — don’t let it boil. Carefully pour the coffee into a mug (Maizlech suggests the YETI Rambler Stainless Steel Mug) without disturbing the grounds at the bottom. And just like that, your very strong cup of Turkish coffee is ready.

3. New wave instant coffee

Photo: Alpine Start Foods/Facebook

There wasn’t a single coffee expert out there who suggested traditional instant coffee, but the coffee style with the worst reputation isn’t what it used to be.

“Not the instant coffee you’re probably thinking of, the stuff that’s been around since 1890 that your grandparents drank,” says Jelynn Malone, co-founder of Mostra Coffee, a micro-roaster and coffee shop in San Diego. “We’re talking about the new wave of instant coffee. Instant coffee so good it tastes like a cup of coffee from you favorite Mostra Cafe, but with the convenience of brewing it anywhere by just adding water (hot or cold).”

Malone isn’t alone. Steve Silberberg, owner and head guide of Fitpacking, has found Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee a favorite for hikers and campers. He even adds, “Most of them prefer VIA to percolated Starbucks or French press coffee.”

New wave instant coffee has all the same benefits as regular instant (easy to make, convenient to pack, minimal equipment) without the bad taste. There are a number of companies producing premium instant coffee with quality beans and less harsh extraction now, including Alpine Start, Swift Cup Coffee, Sudden Coffee, and, in 2020, Mostra.

4. French press

Photo: Planetary Design/Facebook

“Using a French press is the best way to get a bold, delicious cup of gourmet coffee in camp, especially when car camping, RVing, or overlanding,” says Jess Nepstad, CEO of Planetary Design. “It’s a relatively compact and efficient brewing method, plus it’s simple to use — all you need is the French press, coarse coffee grounds and hot water.”

The downside to a French press is that traditional glass presses are too easy to break. For that classic French press flavor without the risk of broken glass, there are stainless steel French presses like the one from Planetary Design’s BruTrek.

Brian Abernathy, master roaster at Grumpy Goat Coffee Company in Bonita Springs, Florida, is another fan of the French press while camping.

“The reason being is that the morning after a day of hiking, fishing, and other outdoor activities, the bold flavors that come from a French press are exactly what you need to get yourself ready for the day,” Abernathy says. “Additionally, this method requires the least amount of equipment and gear.”

5. Moka Express pot

Photo: Nina Esk/Shutterstock

The Moka Express is a small and lightweight option. Loved for decades by people short on space but big on espresso love, the Moka Express is one way to make your camp coffee not taste like camp coffee (though some, like Christensen, believe it’s a little too finicky for the campsite).

“As a hardcore coffee addict, I feel like getting my morning cup of coffee tasting as good as it does at home is the most important thing here,” says Shawna Newman, founder and editor in chief of Active Weekender. She adds, “Though it doesn’t make a lot of coffee at once, it makes a good, strong brew.”

The downside is the equipment needed. A Moka Express is small, but not as small as some other options. You’ll also need a consistent heat source and a bean grinder.


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The best and worst Halloween candies

The best and worst Halloween candies is a contentious debate that arises every October, and yet no one ever seems to see eye-to-eye. When it comes to people’s favorite Halloween candy, there will never be a unanimous agreement, but CandyStore.com is trying to get as close as possible. The candy website polled 30,000 of its own customers and compared results with rankings from 12 online publications to create the ultimate lists of the best and worst Halloween treats. Spoiler alert: Prepare to take issue with several items on this list.

The 10 best Halloween candies:

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Snickers
Twix
KitKat
M&M’s
Nerds
Butterfinger
Sour Patch Kids
Skittles
Hershey Bar

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are a perennial winner, and it’s one entry we can all pretty much agree on. After all, they’re “sold literally everywhere business is done” (according to a commercial for the candies) for a reason. The rest of the top 10 isn’t too surprising, with all the heavy-hitters featured, including M&Ms, Nerds, Hershey, Twix, and Snickers. These are the no-brainers. The Mean Girls of candy, if you will, telling the less glamorous treats, “You can’t sit with us.”

Speaking of the loveable losers, Here are the 10 worst Halloween candies:

Candy Corn
Circus Peanuts
Peanut Butter Kisses
Wax Bottles
Necco Wafers
Tootsie Rolls
Smarties
Licorice
Good & Plenty
Bit-O-Honey

This list may stir a bit more controversy, as Smarties, Licorice, Tootsie Rolls, and Candy Corn certainly have their following. Indeed, for a certain Matador writer, finding a package of Candy Corn in his trick-or-treat pillowcase was like finding the holy grail, and he’ll defend those weird starchy triangles to the very end. Unfortunately, Bit-O-Honey and Circus Peanuts might have a slightly harder time finding a loyal defender.


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Dog ownership linked to happiness

We have known for a long time that dogs make you happier, but now there’s science to back it up. Two new studies conducted by the American Heart Association confirmed our suspicions that dog ownership comes with several benefits, including an increased chance of a longer life.

Among survivors of heart attacks or strokes, researchers found that dog owners experienced lower rates of death. Compared with non-dog owners who were part of the study, those who owned dogs had a “better outcome after a major cardiovascular event.” The study did not provide an exact explanation for this correlation, but it’s believed that increased physical activity and the decrease in loneliness associated with dog ownership is the cause.

In a statement for the American Heart Association, Dr. Glenn N. Levine said, “These two studies provide good, quality data indicating dog ownership is associated with reduced cardiac and all-cause mortality. While these non-randomized studies cannot ‘prove’ that adopting or owning a dog directly leads to reduced mortality, these robust findings are certainly at least suggestive of this.”

According to a second scientific review, analyzing data on 3.8 million patients from several other studies, dog owners experienced a 24 percent lower risk of death from all causes than those without a dog, a 65 percent reduced risk of death after a heart attack, and a 31 percent reduced risk following other cardiovascular problems.

So if you really needed another excuse to get a dog…now you have it.


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The post Having a dog can lead to a longer life, new studies show appeared first on Matador Network.

Stay overnight in the Goodyear Blimp

Whether in person or on TV, we’ve all seen the Goodyear Blimp soaring high over a college football stadium at some point. Now, you have a chance to see the blimp in a whole new way — by actually sleeping inside it. The iconic blimp is now available for three one-night stays on Airbnb, to celebrate college football’s 150th anniversary. The stays will take place October 22 through 24, and will cost a pretty reasonable $150 for two guests.

Photo: Airbnb

Guests will be received in the blimp’s massive hangar in Mogadore, Ohio, where pilot Jerry Hissem will teach you about what it’s like to fly the Goodyear Blimp for a living. The hangar will be equipped with an AstroTurf football lounge, including a TV and fully stocked bar, so you can enjoy all the college games. If you’d rather spend your time outdoors, however, you can also choose to head to the nearby Wingfoot Lake State Park, with a lakefront area outfitted with a grill, fire pit, and cornhole.

Photo: Airbnb

When night rolls around, you’ll be sleeping in the blimp’s gondola — the bottom part that usually holds the pilot and crew — which maximizes the small space with armchairs, a nook, and a sofa bed.

And once the experience is over, guests will receive complimentary tickets to the Michigan-Notre Dame football game on October 26, which also includes fan gear.

Reservations for the blimp open on October 15.

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