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Sustain your travel wardrobe with these essentials

Who says you can’t be comfortable while looking stylish? Here are a few style tips to follow for the ultimate travel wardrobe.

Be it vacations, work-trips or a weekend getaway, we all require a capsule collection dedicated to travel. A travel wardrobe requires a lot of deliberation and should consist of versatile pieces that work well with your travelling needs. Having travel basics help you save the effort of curating last-minute look when packing for a trip.

“Back in the day the only thing people used to look for when packing, was a comfort but thanks to Instagram and the growing rage of celebrity inspired airport looks, a stylish travel wardrobe is a must-have”, says Vikash Pacheriwal, Co-founder of Raisin.

Who’s says you can’t be comfortable while still looking stylish? Here are a few style tips you can follow for the ultimate travel wardrobe.

Right fabric

The biggest perk of having a travel wardrobe is that it can cover your daily needs as well. When making a capsule travel wardrobe make sure to add pieces with the right fabric that are wrinkle-free and don’t take up much space in your bags.

Minimalist quality pieces

While a lot of people prefer going minimalist when travelling, you don’t have to give up on the style quotient. It can be slightly difficult to look stylish considering people want to travel light and not carry too much. In this case, the key to travelling in style is to invest in quality pieces that not only look smart but are also practical.

Denim on denim

Invest in a pair of denim overalls as they are fuss-free and easy to carry but also look totally chic. The neutral nature of denim allows you to pair it up with any and every colour of accessory.

Add some bling

Carry minimalist and inexpensive jewellery to add some bling to your outfit, they require no space and work well with almost every outfit.

Neutral colour

A neutral colour jumpsuit is a great idea when travelling as it saves you the time of coordinating outfits and is super-comfy. A solid coloured jumpsuit or a printed one no matter the style, jumpsuits will always make you look trendy.

A statement scarf will go a long way in taking your basic outfits up a notch. Pair a nice printed scarf with a basic neutral colour dress or a plain kurta, and these scarves will also protect you from unpredictable weather changes which a great perk.

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travel

The Fifteen Most Thrilling Roller Coasters in the World

Road trips, drinks with tiny umbrellas in them, baseball games, weekend beach vacations, BBQs, camping, and picnics are some of the most exciting things people are going to do this summer. For the rest of us who need a little more adrenaline in our lives, we skip all the boring cliché summertime events and map a road trip to a theme park that features one of the world’s scariest and most thrilling roller coasters.

Roller coasters have been around longer than you think. Since 1794, the idea of a ride that sent you through a trip that produced negative-G’s has been around and perfected time over time. Today, we wanted to take a look at the most thrilling, or scariest, of roller coasters in the world, just in case you are looking for something else to do this summer. Buckle up!

15. Intimidator 305

  • Theme Park: Kings Dominion
  • Location: Doswell, VA
  • Type: Steel Giga Coaster
  • G-Force: 5
  • Top Speed: 90 mph
  • Biggest Drop: 300 feet

What do you expect from a roller coaster that is designed after the late NASCAR legend, Dale Earnhardt Sr.? Of course this thing is going to be one of the most thrilling roller coasters in the world, have you ever been inside a NASCAR going 200 mph?

14. Banshee

  • Theme Park: Kings Island
  • Location: Mason, OH
  • Type: Steel Inverted Coaster
  • Inversions: 7
  • Top Speed: 68 mph
  • Track Length: 4,124 feet

An inverted roller coaster means that the riders will be sitting down as their feet dangle below the open air. It is the opposite of a roller coaster in that you’re secured into the track above, not below. The Banshee is the longest inverted coaster in the world.

13. Sky Scream

  • Theme Park: Holiday Park
  • Location: Habloch, Germany
  • Type: Steel Launched Coaster
  • Inversions: 1
  • Top Speed: 62 mph

Not many of the rides on this list have such a scary theme but the Sky Scream at Holiday Park in Germany features a horror theme designed to create a ride through an industrial complex you might see in an old scary movie.

12. Ultra Twister

  • Theme Park: Nagashima Spa Land
  • Location: Mie Prefecture, Japan
  • Type: Steel Pipeline Coaster
  • Inversions: 3
  • Top Speed: 44 mph
  • Max Vertical Angle: 90 degrees

The Ultra Twister doesn’t last very long but it gives you the chance to experience being lifted straight into the sky before blasting you through a tunnel that twists you completely around. Then, when you think it is over, it sends you backwards.

11. Goliath

  • Theme Park: Six Flags Great America
  • Location: Gurnee, IL
  • Type: Wooden Custom Topper Coaster
  • Inversions: 2
  • Top Speed: 72 mph
  • Biggest Drop: 180 feet

As of now, Goliath is the owner of the world’s steepest and longest drop for a wooden roller coaster while also being the fastest too. There is a ride coming out this year in Dollywood that is supposed to beat these records.

10. Hades 360

  • Theme Park: Mount Olympus Water & Theme Park
  • Location: Wisconsin Dells, WI
  • Type: Wooden
  • G-Force: 3.5
  • Top Speed: 70 mph
  • Length: 4,746 feet

They said you couldn’t do the things the Hades 360 does because it is a wooden roller coaster. Like, the 360 degree roll or the 65 degree drop and that nasty 90 degree banked turn. There are many reasons to ride this bad boy this year, the main is because wooden roller coasters are not supposed to do these things safely. Yet this one figured it out.

9. The Smiler

  • Theme Park: Alton Towers
  • Location: Staffordshire, United Kingdom
  • Type: Steel Infinity Coaster
  • G-Force: 4.5
  • Inversions: 14
  • Top Speed: 52.8 mph

The Smiler has been open since 2013 and has already had several safety incidents, including one where a cart ran into another test cart on the same track injuring 5 people. The number of incidents only makes the case for this one being dangerous and scary at the same time.

8. Full Throttle

  • Theme Park: Six Flags Magic Mountain
  • Location: Valencia, CA
  • Type: Steel Launched
  • Inversions: 2
  • Top Speed: 70 mph

The vertical loop on Full Throttle is 160 feet high, a world record, and at the very apex of the loop, it almost feels as if the ride is about to stop as it slows down just enough to make your brain go into panic mode.

7. Top Thrill Dragster

  • Theme Park: Cedar Point
  • Location: Sandusky, Ohio
  • Type: Steel Accelerator Coaster
  • Top Speed: 120 mph
  • Biggest Drop: 400 feet
  • Max Vertical Angle: 90 degrees

The Top Thrill Dragster is such a popular track that it has been duplicated and is now used in another park on the other side of the world.

6. Formula Rossa

  • Theme Park: Ferrari World
  • Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • Type: Steel Launched Coaster
  • G-Force: 4.8
  • Top Speed: 149 mph
  • Acceleration: 0-149 mph in 4 seconds

Until people realize that going fast is fun, they will not appreciate just how much fun the Formula Rossa ride is when it reachs the top speed of 149 mph. That is not only fast, it is stupid fast.

5. Superman The Ride

  • Theme Park: Six Flags New England
  • Location: Agawam, Massachusetts
  • Type: Steel Floorless Coaster
  • G-Force: 3.6
  • Top Speed: 77 mph
  • Biggest Drop: 221 feet

As of this month, one of the world’s top rated roller coasters, year after year, has added a virtual reality experience that is going to change how we ride roller coasters. Not only are you going to experience one of the best coasters in the world, you will be able to feel like you’re flying and fighting Lex Luthor at the same time.

4. The Gravity Max

  • Theme Park: Lihpao Land
  • Location: Houli District, Taichung, Taiwan
  • Type of Roller Coaster:
  • G-Force: 3.5
  • Top Speed: 56 mph
  • Max Verical Angle: 90 degrees

The track has to connect right before the drop because it is lifted 90 degrees into the sky. There is nothing about that part of this ride that seems safe. What if it doesn’t connect right? What if the brakes don’t hold the cart on while it is moving? The level of danger is the highest of any rides on this list simply because of this first part of the ride.

3. El Toro

  • Theme Park: Six Flags Great Adventure
  • Location: Jackson, New Jersey
  • Type: Wooden Coaster
  • G-Force: 4.4
  • Top Speed: 70 mph
  • Biggest Drop: 176 feet

As with a lot of the rides on our list, the El Toro owns a ton of records including being the second fastest speed, third-tallest lift, second longest drop, and fourth-steepest drop.It was also named Mitch Hawker’s Best Wood-Tracked Roller Coaster from 2010-2013, four consecutive years.

2. Takabisha

  • Theme Park: Fuji-Q Highland Park
  • Location: Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi
  • Type: Steel Euro-Fighter
  • Inversions: 7
  • Top Speed: 62 mph
  • Acceleration: 0 – 62 mph in 2 seconds
  • Max Vertical Angle: 121 degrees

The Timber Drop at Fraispertuis City in Jeanmenil, France owned the record for the world’s steepest roller coaster for 15 days before the Takabisha opened back in 2011. It beat the previous record by a total of 8.1 degrees when the 121 degree angle was unveiled.

1. Kingda Ka

  • Theme Park: Six Flags Great Adventure
  • Location: Jackson, New Jersey
  • Type: Steel Accelerator Coaster
  • G-Force: 5
  • Top Speed: 128 mph
  • Max Vertical Angle: 90 degrees
  • Acceleration: 0 – 128 mph in 3.5 seconds
  • Biggest Drop: 418 feet

For comparisons, the Kingda Ka is a bigger, badder version of the Top Thrill Dragster. It has the similar look and feel only this one goes faster and the drop is about 18 feet higher giving you a higher G-Force than anything you will ever ride in your life.

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travel

How I got my kids to love — or at least not hate — outdoor travel

Two years before we had kids, my wife, Cathleen, and I were on the Big Island of Hawaii, where we met a 25-year-old Colorado man and his partner, both of whom seemed relaxed, happy and sane as their toddler ran roughshod in the jungly vegetation between a rainforest hiking trail and the beach. Because I saw children in my future but dreaded the lifestyle shift they would bring, I asked this guy how he was managing it.

“If he sleeps when he needs to and eats when he wants to, we can bring him anywhere,” he replied. “So we get to do pretty much what we want, and everyone’s usually happy.”

Over the intervening years, during which Cathleen and I had two kids and dragged them along on a suite of outdoor adventures, we discovered that getting our children into natural environs indeed benefits us all.

Numerous studies support our experience, finding that time in nature reduces stress and negative thoughts and correlates with higher self-reported happiness among adults and children.

That makes sense, says Patricia Hasbach, a psychotherapist in Eugene, Ore., author of “Grounded: A Guided Journal to Help You Reconnect with the Power of Nature—and Yourself.” “We evolved as part of the natural world, but at this time in our history, we have never been more removed from it,” she says, with about 80 percent of Americans living in urban environs and our society-wide dependence on technology. “It’s all very primal, … and we need this re-engagement with the natural world.”

I never analyzed it to that degree, but I knew that I was happiest when out in the wild and that I wanted to share that transcendental joy with my family. Here are some tips gleaned from my 13 years of trying to shape outdoor-loving kid travelers.

Start early. Toting infants and toddlers outdoors is as much about sustaining your own outdoor travel cadence as it is about engendering a love of nature in them. Because if you start using your spawn as an excuse to loll around sidewalk cafes, malls or (gasp!) your house, you might forever lose your mojo.

Admittedly, dragging tiny humans outside for extended time entails Eagle Scout-level planning — diaper bag, nap time, snacks, toys — which makes it wise to …

Start local. The path to 1,000 awesome trips starts within reach of the panic button. Which is to say, when your baby still has that shiny new maternity-ward smell, get your nature reps nearby. For us, that meant walks in Rock Creek and Great Falls parks, during which we realized that Colorado Man was right: Babies have very simple needs.

Thus emboldened, when Kai was 5 weeks old, we slung him out to southern Arizona, where we cradled his tiny mass on numerous hikes, including one into the depths of Kartchner Caverns. Over the ensuing years, Kai, now 13, and his sister, Christina, 10, have dug in (and surely eaten) sands from such disparate locations as Cape Hatteras to St. Martin, hiked and skied all over the country, surfed waves in Hawaii, and biked, canoed, caved and rock-scrambled throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

They might not vote to repeat it all, namely the 2010 camping trip to a music festival outside Cumberland, Md., when hurricane-force winds and hail drove Cathleen and Kai into a sponsor’s RV for refuge. Or the time 5-year-old Christina rocketed down a natural waterslide in a Shenandoah streambed, lost her footing and disappeared around a blind corner. (By the grace of Mother Nature, she landed in another pool, unscathed, just after I lost sight of her.)

I shudder every time I recall that episode, but, as Hasbach says: “Our species has always been adventurers and risk-takers. That’s part of our deep memory, and when young people don’t get those opportunities to have close calls in the wild, they’re going to seek other channels of risk: drugs, promiscuity and other things. If a kid falls out of a tree and breaks an arm, it can be set. But what if the kid never gets to be in a tree? What are we missing?”

Still, it can be tough to pry children away from sedentary entertainment, which is why you must …

Think like a kid. Maxims such as “We’ll all feel better after we do this,” “No pain, no gain!” and “GET IN THE CAR THIS INSTANT SO WE CAN GO HAVE FUN!” don’t resonate well with the under-10 set.

One tactic: Channel your inner child. On an early-pandemic Saturday, as Kai and Christina were upending our living room in a medieval battle and fiercely resisting our plans for a hike, Cathleen suggested relocating the drama to the evil lord’s fortress — in George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. By midday, armed with foam axes, plastic swords and a convoluted storyline, we were powering through an eight-mile tromp with nary a complaint.

When all else fails, invite their friends. Kids would rather crawl across broken glass in a vacant lot with their friends than ski in Aspen, Colo., alone, so recruit accordingly. And once you’re out there …

Don’t push it too hard. My cousin Timmy, a former ski patroller in Utah, recounts the time he led his 4-year-old son, Griffin, down a double-black-diamond run after Griffin had successfully skied a couple of single-black-diamonds. “I knew he had the skill to ski it, but he just freaked out,” Timmy said. “I had to carry him down. He refused to ski for three years after that.” Although now, Griffin, at age 16, is a world-class competitor in the grueling sport of ski mountaineering, so make of that what you will.

In general, it’s best to open the door to possibility and let the child determine the intensity level. Have patience, grasshopper: They’ll ramp it up soon enough.

But definitely push it. Children are factory-set for adversity, insulated with fast-healing bodies and an innate sense of adventure and danger. “Things rarely go as planned out in the wild,” Hasbach says. “So kids have to learn flexibility, problem-solving, resilience, and all those things contribute to self-confidence.”

A couple of years ago, we found ourselves pedaling mountain bikes up a seemingly endless Appalachian fire road, and the long, flowy, downhill trail we’d heard about was nowhere in sight. With a mutiny brewing, I recalled the Navy SEAL tactic of assessing a big challenge as a series of smaller ones.

“If we make it around that next bend, it’ll get easier,” I lied to Christina. (Cathleen, with far more sincerity, promised her a cookie.) When the next bend, and the three after it, revealed only more uphill and Christina summoned curses upon my soul, I pushed both of our bikes while singing show tunes with her until we crested the ridge and rolled, to her audible woo-hoos, down a laurel-lined, three-mile trail and back to our campsite.

Never show you’re worried — especially when you are. Lost in the Adirondacks? Out of water in the desert? Fighting upriver in a canoe as a thunderstorm bears down on the gorge? Been there, and even as the hair on my neck sprang to attention, I managed a cheery, all-in-a-day’s-fun demeanor. Ask my children for the first rule of adventuring, and you’ll hear, in two-part harmony: “Never panic.”

What matters most to children is the same thing that matters to us: sharing invigorating experiences with the people we love. And for that, I have yet to find anything that measures up to the outdoors. One day way too soon, Cathleen and I will be excluded from many of our children’s adventures. But until then, they’re stuck with us, somewhere outdoors, living wild.

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travel

12 Smart Airplane Hacks for a Super Comfortable Long Distance Flight

Are you about to spend hours cramped in coach? You’ll want to use these airplane hacks to make the long-distance flight super comfortable and stress-free.Twelve Airplane Hacks that will allow you to have a better time during your next Long-distance Flight.Take a look at these Airplane Hacks.

Are you wondering how to survive long flights?

Flying can be stressful for anyone and having to sit in a cramped cabin with a bunch of strangers is just unbearable for some people.

Luckily, there are certain things that you can do during your flight to make it easier on yourself!

You may be interested in learning about some airplane hacks that will give you new motivation to fly. Keep reading and see if some of them may be just what you need.

12 of the Best Airplane Hacks for Your Next Flight

No one likes a long flight and some people don’t even like short flights. Here are some things that you can do to make your flight a little bit more tolerable.

1. Charge and Load Your Devices

Charge up any device you may want to use on the plane before you even leave for the airport. Make sure that your chargers or extra batteries are with you during the flight as well.

You need to double-check that you have any downloaded music, movies, or TV shows that you plan to watch ready to go as well.

It can also be helpful to download the airline’s app just in case you may decide you want to use their service.

2. Dress for Comfort

You want to be comfortable when you fly.

Remember that you want to go for clothing that is breathable and easy to move in. You want to be able to relax on your flight!

While you can be comfortable, you may not want to look like you just rolled out of bed.

If you’re wondering why you should wear leather sandals on your next flight, you should know that they go with a lot of different outfits and they are easy to relax in.

3. Get a Good Seat

Your definition of a “good seat” will depend on what you need.

If you want to sleep, you should go for the window seat closer to the front of the plane. The front of the plane is quieter and by the window, you aren’t disturbed as often by others.

If you need extra legroom, you need to choose an aisle seat or (even better) the exit row.

If you’re looking for the best service, you should try to get an aisle seat that is close to the back of the plane. This is where the flight attendants are generally placed in the plane and you can get their attention easily.

4. Bring a Travel Pillow

Although a lot of people associate a travel pillow with sleeping, it is also about comfort. Your body needs support and the pillow can help you better than the back of the seat can.

You also may want to consider a lumbar cushion for your long flight if you have lower back pain.

5. Drink Water

One of the most important things to remember when flying is to drink water.

You get dehydrated very easily from flying and drinks like coffee or alcohol make matters even worse.

Get a large bottle of water at the airport or even bring an empty one through security to fill on your own.

Try to finish the whole thing before the end of your flight and you’ll feel better than you would have without it.

6. Enjoy the In-Flight Entertainment

There are generally a lot of great movies that you can watch with most airlines and they are provided with the price of your ticket.

This is great news for people that like to be distracted while flying because you can easily take the time to see that flick you haven’t had time for when you’re on a long flight.

7. Prepare Your Mind

A lot of the time we get so stressed about the flight that it ruins part of the travel experience.

When flying, you are generally going to visit a new location or somewhere you haven’t been in a while. Fill this time with stuff that you enjoy doing so that you don’t have to dread it quite so much.

Use your time to prepare for your trip, read a book, listen to music, or even just have a good snooze.

Think of things that make you feel relaxed and try doing some of those activities during your flight.

8. Bring Anti-Bacterial Wipes

Let’s face it. Planes can be pretty gross.

Minimize the amount of risk you are exposing yourself to by wiping off all of the areas that you might touch around your seat during the flight.

Long flights mean being in the same space with lots of people for a long time, so staying healthy while flying is as important as being comfortable.

This will help you relax a bit easier and give you one less thing to worry about.

9. Have Some Snacks

It’s a good idea to have some snacks with you in case the in-flight service doesn’t start for a while. You want to eat on your own schedule, so come prepared.

10. Be Friendly to Others

This may seem kind of strange, but when you’re nice to other people, it makes you feel better.

It’s a good idea to be kind to all of the people that you come across on your journey and that includes the people you may meet before you get to your destination.

So, put on a smile and remember the golden rule. You’re all going to get through this flight together!

11. Try Not to Sit By Kids or Babies

It may not seem like a big deal, but sitting by an infant that won’t stop crying halfway through the flight or a kid that is so restless he can hardly focus is not fun.

Avoid the hassle by trying to find a seat farther away and scope out an empty seat before the plane takes off to ask if you can move.

12. Get Plenty of Rest

No one likes to be grumpy, but people especially don’t want to be grumpy before a long flight.

There are too many other things that can potentially irritate you, so put your best foot forward and get a good night’s sleep the night before take-off. It will raise your spirits and help you feel more positive about the journey ahead.

Take Charge of Your Next Long Flight

With these airplane hacks, your next flight should be a piece of cake.

The name of the game is relaxation, comfort, and a peaceful demeanor. Flights don’t have to be terrible and doing at least a few of the mentioned things will help.

For some more travel tips, keep browsing our website and see what else you may be able to learn!

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