This graphic reminds me of the days I use to watch Survivor.  You know…way back in season one.
What would it take for a piece of gear to win you over that is not a hat or beanie?  Perhaps a great design, or perhaps a piece that you could wear just about anyway for any occasion?  Well Buff Headwear gives you both.  I am impressed with this company.  They have great products that are all versatile with great designs.  I’m picturing myself in Vilnius with a neckerchief right now.  Ahh.

NOTE: This is a continuation from Stage 1 – Setting Guidelines. I encourage all travelers and those at home to participate and create your own drink. Think of this project as your own drink you will want in your hand when you die, the drink you want when celebrating, and the drink to toast to the world.

Stage 2 – Roughing in Ingredients
From the beginning I knew I wanted to use rum as a major ingredient in the ‘Izuno’ cocktail. Rum has been a staple of the warm zone I love so much, and the Caribbean is a major player in the rum industry, which I enjoy visiting. So I first needed to study rum. After a jaunt to wiki-load myself with facts on rum, I realized most cocktails use light rum. However most light rum is produced faster and cheaper out of a by-product of sugarcane (molasses based). I wanted this drink to be about discovery and truth (stage 1 guideline #4). So I think to be true, rum should be made straight from the product and not the by-product. The rum must also be able to be infused and mixed with different ingredients, so a long aged rum in oak barrels to add hints of spice, nuts, etc. wasn’t necessary. It is not going to be drunk straight, so a premium aged rum is just a waste of money. After a few trips to the store, I decided on Agua Luca. It fit my requirements (mixable, straight from the sugar-cane, and not premium aged) plus the clerk recommended it based on what I wanted.

Next, I need to add some uniqueness to it. Agua Luca is from Brazil, so I wanted to find out the exact opposite area (globe and weather wise) and what that area produces so that there is a balance in opposites which will fit my global requirement (stage 1, guideline #3). So I went to look at a globe. What is on the other side of the world from Brazil?…The Philippines/Malaysia area. Naturally, the weather is similar since both locations are close to the equator, but that is okay. After more wiki-ness and searches, I found a few potential fruits that might play a part. The papaya, mangosteen, lime, or pineapple are all potential fruits that just might find a home in the ‘Izuno.’ I will have to do some testing to get a final decision.

More ingredients I might choose to add later may be simple syrup, sugar, soda, or really just some standard cocktail ingredients. Those will have to be on trial during Stage 3 – Testing and Elimination – Coming Soon.

“Lightspeed Station…The Future of Travel” t-shirt by Pinhead Industries.  A little overpriced at $27.53?…sure, but ultra trendy.  If you visit the site, it’s got major city hubs connected like a rail map.  I love this.  Red Bubble also has some other travel tees/t-shirts worth a looksie.  (I’m not sure whether to say ‘tee’ or ‘t-shirt’ or ‘tshirt’)

Escape – Travel – Live appears to be the theme behind Island Company.  They have some very cool shirts and travel wear…problem is…it’s not cheap.  $48 for sandals is too much.  $48 can buy you 2 nights in a descent European hostel.  But I posted this because I like their site and their tag lines.

People always seem to be baffled when selecting which shoes to pack while traveling. In addition to the obvious need for comfort, there is more to consider. A lot of companies make shoes that will fit your needs, Merrell is good, Rockports are probably the most comfortable if you don’t mind wearing old man looking shoes, Dr. Martens, Ecco’s are also good all-around. When you are shopping online for shoes, I think you’ll have the best luck searching the site’s casual, trail, or walking categories. Street shoes are common and you will see those a lot while traveling, buy my argument against those are comfort. Most street shoes are generally for the flat footed. Here’s my short list for selecting travel shoes:

Comfort: Sure this is the most important factor because if your shoes are so uncomfortable you can’t walk in them, it may ruin your trip. So be sure to go with a pair you have worn and tested for at least 2 weeks before you travel. Comfort doesn’t just apply to sneakers or casual shoes, it also means comfortable sandals as well.

Style: I argue style is a bigger decider while traveling than when at home. Here’s my point, while at home, we can pick out a shoe for every occasion, but on the road, we are limited to whatever shoe we packed, which is generally just one. Most backpackers I’ve met pack one pair of sandals, and one pair of shoes, hence that pair of shoes needs to fit all occasions you will be facing while traveling. For instance, you may want a pair to wear with shorts and long pants both. You may need a pair that will be good for the discos & clubs, and that same pair will need to get you up 1000′s of stairs to reach the top of that famous monument. So always consider what you’ll be doing before picking out shoes.

Running: Make sure you can run or at least move quickly in your shoes. Why would you need a pair that you can run in? Let’s see…you’re being chased by thugs…you’ve got a train to catch…you’ve got to jump out of the way of bicyclists & city buses. At least once If you are a backpacker city hoping, you will find yourself in a situation like this. If you are wearing heels or slip-on’s, you’re going to lose your shoes eventually…which is a bad thing.

Color: In general, it’s better to pick a darker shade. White just doesn’t blend in with the crowd most of the time, and if you’re wearing white Nike’s or Adidas, you’re probably going to be pegged for a tourist. Also, dark colors seem to work in more situations. The only real challenge is finding a pair that works with shorts and pants alike.

Destination: Depending on where you travel, it will make a difference which shoes you pack. This article covers the backpacking hotspots such as Europe, Central America & Mexico, Austrailia, & New Zealand. One option is to purchase a pair of local shoes when you arrive at your destination. Wear a really old pair of shoes you want to get rid of to your destination, and then throw them out and buy a new pair wherever you are. This let’s you see what the locals wear and also makes sure you don’t stand out in a crowd.

Activity: I wasn’t going to include this category, because it’s almost common-sense. But out of my need for thoroughness I opted to add it. If you are traveling for a specific activity, don’t forget to think about that when packing shoes. I’m talking about bicycling shoes, competitive running events, hiking…etc. Often for this type of travel, you’ll be packing more than one pair of shoes and one pair of sandals. If that’s the case, you might want to get an external shoe bag you can clip onto your pack. I’m a big fan of not having to pack shoes in my pack, purely because they take up so much room. A small external pack for shoes will anchor on nicely to any good pack.

Not my favorite Havaianas sandal, but not bad, I see the application, but the heel hook in the back just looks a bit off to me. A warning tho if you are on a slow connection, as their website takes f..o..r..e..v..e..r to load. Also, if you’re interested, I just learned today that Havaianas Austrailia call them “thongs.”

I was lucky I stumbled across Bernos.org. They have some suuuuuuper sweet t-shirts. Great designs, however a few are sold out. The artists, obviously inspired via Africa, tag their designs “uniquely Ethiopian.” Where else can you get that?! All this about Africa, and luckily they are located in LA. Where they print their shirts on American Apparel. In case you were wondering what I like best, the $19.99 price tag on the d’afrique shirt. Overall just great travel tees.

Practically every page you visit on Patagonia’s website has some mention about giving back or environmentalism. Which is why I can justify spending $29 on one of their sweet Travel Tees. Check out their Artist’s T-Shirts and I would guess they will have something you like there. Patagonia started as an alpine company making tools for outdoors enthusiasts. Now they have a pretty big catalog for apparel as well.

Jytte is the proud producer of some of the most unique and well-designed beanies you can find online. They have light-weight and mid-weight beanies depending on how warm you want to be. But why I really like this company is explained on their “About” page. If you will be travelling somewhere cold soon, pick one up. I’m wondering if all my readers even call a stocking hat a “beanie?” I’ve heard them called Tuk’s, Tabogins, and skull-caps. Anyways….Jytte is prounounced You-Tay if you were wondering.

Okay all you rich kids out there. This post is for you…because these shirts are n-i-c-e. A little too nice for my budget. Anyone who wants to see state of the art high end travel wear and travel apparel, check out icebreaker. They sell men and women’s travel apparel, have lite wear and ultralite wear…which looks to me like a base layer from Mountain Hardwear or North face. They’ve also got some cool graphic tech tees that are only $69.99, and by only I mean “ridiculously priced at.”