The free Moosejaw X-Ray App for iPhone, iPad and Android is an “augmented reality experience” designed to compliment the Moosejaw Winter Catalog and let you see models—men and women—”nearly naked.” The X-Ray App is just the latest in a long line of tongue-in-cheek marketing efforts designed to set Moosejaw apart in the crowded outerwear industry. As the company’s tag line says, “Love the madness.”

“Our goal at Moosejaw is to always create a unique and notable customer experience,” says Moosejaw Creative Director Gary Wohlfeill. “Something that everyone who shops with us will want to tell 10 friends about. The X-Ray catalog and X-Ray App are designed to create an incredibly cool, interactive and fun experience that breaks the barrier between our print and digital brand. It’s also very much about seeing people in their underwear, something we’re constantly prioritizing at Moosejaw.”

Customers can use the app with the print catalog, the digital catalog (MoosejawCatalogs.com) and store signage. For a print catalog, email your street address to request@moosejaw.com with “ASAP-Winter Catalog Mailing Request” as the subject. The Moosejaw X-Ray App is free and available from iPhone and Android app stores and by visiting moosejaw.com/xray.

The starting line

I ran my 3rd New York City Marathon for Team Fox on November 6th, 2011, with a GoPro Hero 2 camera strapped to my head. The camera took a photo every second to create this time-lapse video, which was edited with Quicktime 7 and Final Cut Pro.

Music: “Midnight Sunset” by Anoraak:
itunes.apple.com/​us/​artist/​anoraak/​id287932648

I run to find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease. To find out more, please check out:

teamfox.org
michaeljfox.org
and my fundraising page
goo.gl/​7KA61

Andrew Lees

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage… all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ….into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films…..

= a trip of a lifetime.

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

move, eat, learn

Rick Mereki: Director, producer, additional camera and editing

Tim White: DOP, producer, primary editing, sound

Andrew Lees: Actor, mover, groover

All Music composed and performed by Kelsey James

Music Recorded and mixed by Jake Phillips

Colour Grade: Edel Rafferty and Roslyn Di sisto

Online Edit: Peter Mirecki

Assistance in titles and production design: Lee Gingold, Jason Milden, Rohan Newman

Big Ups to Michelle, Kiri, Renee, Hana, Andre, Ross, Bernie & Julie for your patience and support and awesomeness…..

Huge Thanks to :

Marco, Juliana and Julio at GAP Argentina and Peru

Ariana Cardenas, Toni Figuera and cooltra scooters in Barcelona,

Abete Zanetti Glass blowing school, Murano, Venice

Annabel, Rosario and Carolina (Pitu) in France

Juane and Andrea from the Princeca Insolenta hostel in Chile

And …. a very special thanks to Adam, Brendan, Simon, Crissy and all at STA travel without whom this would not have been possible and we would all still be stuck in Argentina.

Section 2

The High Line is New York City’s newest and most unique public park, built on an abandoned elevated freight railway that ran from 1934 to 1980 through Manhattan’s West Side.

Section 1 of the High Line opened in June 2009, with restored Art-deco railings, concrete pathways, seating and an otherworldly landscape inspired by the wild flowers, grasses and trees that took hold during the decades the railway was abandoned.

Section 2 opened in June 2011, doubling the length and adding new features such as a great lawn, a woodland flyover and several lookouts.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-BJM6IswiA

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Phone It In features galleries of photos taken by TrekWorld travelers on their mobile phones. Photos can explore a location, a journey, a theme or just about anything else you can imagine. If you’d like to contribute a collection, email PhoneItIn@TrekWorld.com with a description of what you have in mind.

Dominic Boudreault

Locations include :

- Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Quebec city, Quebec, Canada
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Manhattan, New York, USA
- Chicago, Illinois, USA

Remember to crank the volume way up before watching this and turn HD on!

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Berber rug market, Morocco

Bargaining is a way of life in many cultures—a normal and often expected part of the day-to-day shopping experience. For many people, however, including me, haggling over a price can be somewhat uncomfortable and tedious. Will the local shopkeeper or merchant be insulted? How low is too low? Did I get a good deal?

To eliminate all the angst, the best approach is to consider bargaining as more of a social interaction than a mind game. Here are some tips that will make you a better bargainer while keeping the exchange casual:

1. Study the market that caught your eye
Look around, scope out the market and ask for prices before you begin bargaining. This will give you an idea of what to expect.

2. Learn a few phrases in the local language
Nothing opens the door for you more than saying “How are you?” or “How much?” in the native tongue. You don’t need to know much—just a few words will bring a smile and set things flowing with the vendor.

3. Strike up a conversation first
Spend a few minutes chatting with the merchant before you attempt to start negotiating. Short conversations are a great way to connect. A merchant will be more inclined to make a deal if he or she has already invested time in you. At a street market in Cuzo, Peru, I spoke to a merchant in Spanish for a few minutes and walked away with a scarf for 10 soles that cost my friend 70.

4. Be friendly
Always keep it cool and polite, and be respectful at all times. Casually mention that you’d be happy to refer your friends to the shop if the merchant is willing to work with you on lowering the price.

5. Know what you want, but look indecisive
Look around and admire the merchandise. If you like something specific, don’t let on that you’ve fallen in love with it or you will lose your bargaining power.

6. Don’t make the first offer
When you find something you like, ask the merchant, “What’s your best price on this?” This straightforward question forces the seller to make the first offer. If, on the other hand, you suggest a starting price, you’ll limit your ability to bargain because the amount can only go up from there.

7. Start at a fraction of the asking price
If a merchant doesn’t give you a best price, start your offer at 25 to 50 percent below the marked price. It’s almost guaranteed that won’t be your final price, but it gives you room to play. There’s nothing more disappointing than realizing you started too high.

8. Practice on inexpensive items
Before you go for the big items, practice bargaining on items you are less attached to and can give up if need be.

9. Decide how much you’re willing to spend
Even before you start to haggle, decide the maximum price you are willing to pay for an item. This will help you focus on bargaining and when the price goes over what you want to pay, you can make an informed decision.

10. Don’t be afraid to walk away
If the merchant doesn’t accept your final offer, say thank you and slowly walk away, looking at other items. More often than not, you will be called back and your final offer accepted. Occasionally you won’t, but you can either hop around other stalls and shops or just resign yourself to paying the lowest price offered.

11. Think of it as a cultural experience
No matter how much you haggle or what price you end up paying, always approach the haggling process as a way to experience the character of the souks, bazaars and street markets all over the world. This is a lively activity that often provides a taste of a local culture and way of life.

And remember: Even though you might want to pay the cheapest price possible, in many cases, every cent you spend supports a merchant’s family. Sometimes parting with a little more than we would have liked actually does some good in this world, especially in poorer countries.

Zach Lyon

Matterhorn Peak

“Today is not a good day to die.”

Larry Closs

The inspiration

So, we lit out from Reno early one fall afternoon, driving a few hours south on the 395 to Bridgeport, into the Eastern Sierra for another 15 miles to Twin Lakes and then to the trailhead at Mono Village Resort. We traveled light—after all, Kerouac had done it in the 1950s with sneakers and minimal supplies.

We spent the afternoon lazily trudging up the path and enjoying the nearly tame wildlife. We had no goal other than to get out of town and relax in the wilderness, but as the sun went down and the wind picked up, we decided to find shelter rather than pass out under the stars. A cave provided the perfect refuge. Climbing partners for many years, Zach and I had learned how to improvise when the situation called for it. We tarped up the entrance to keep the wind out and went to sleep.

We awoke to the season’s first snow. Surveying the beautiful blanket of white that already covered the golden aspens, we decided we had gone as far as our limited rations and my mesh footwear could take us and we retreated amidst the softly falling flakes, vowing someday to return.

Jason Guinter

White, gold and green: Snow on aspen and pine

As we started to climb, we reminisced about how we had mistaken the trail on our previous trip, realizing where we’d been thrown off course and choosing the other way around. But when the trail didn’t ascend as much as we remembered, I went off-trail, up the hill to where I hoped to intersect our intended path. It wasn’t there. I thought for a moment and then proceeded to bushwhack-traverse across the steep hill until I was back on the trail, pausing for a few minutes to wait for Zach. Once again the universe had spoken: Never underestimate, stay focused.

Jason Guinter

Where the trail is no longer a trail

Neither of us was greatly concerned. We’d studied the map and Google Earth so we believed we had everything under control. And, perhaps, I thought, another hiker would find the map, see us on the trail and return it. But, no matter: We decided we’d come too far to turn back.

Jason Guinter

Trailmarker

Up we went, convincing ourselves that we were still seeing the ducks every few yards. I led the way with Zach’s encouragement, as we leapt from boulder to boulder through a scree field, up a 45-degree slope, at night, with headlamps and full packs. I started to doubt our ascent but kept going since I’d made out some solid vertical rock not far ahead. We were hoping for a place to pitch our tent till morning, or at least a place that offered a view. After 20 minutes of scrambling between snow and rock, however, I’d still found no suitable camp and we continued up along the cliff.

Zach Lyon

Reflections

Just below a snow patch, we came to the east bank of a creek, following it past a slippery cascade to a small pond where we put up our tent, made tea and campers meals and then retired to the comfort of our sleeping bags. The next day we awoke to a beautiful morning, clear skies with a slight wind. Our plan was to leave the overnight gear behind in the tent and take daypacks with our fishing gear to the summit. Meandering with the stream, we kept our eyes peeled for any signs of life that hinted at the alpine trout we were hoping to have for lunch, but, alas, there were none. Eventually, we arrived at the intersection of two valleys directly below the Matterhorn and continued up the ridge, surveying the mountain from every perspective.

It seemed hopeless to try it from the North or East without gear, so we decided to hike up the valley glacier in search of an easy way up. If we didn’t find one, we would continue to the end of the valley and hopefully find a path to the ridge top that could lead us back around to the Matterhorn. With fingers crossed, I stayed on the rocks on the edge of the glacier while Zach used his traction enhancers (YakTrax) to walk on the ice. As we got further and further apart, however, Zach seemed ever smaller as the mountain loomed ever larger behind him, and the enormity of what we were attempting to tackle became increasingly apparent.

Jason Guinter

Zach on the glacier

I kept climbing as Zach watched for falling rock. Going down seemed as crazy as continuing and going up seemed hopeless.  We had already leaned on a large boulder and discovered just how easy it would be to start a rockslide. I asked Zach to let me survey one last route. He obliged and I soloed about 50 feet of loose sharp red rock. A fall would send me all the way to the bottom of the valley on scree—if I could stay upright. As I crested the vertical section, Zach’s words hung in the air.

“Today is not a good day to die.”

Jason Guinter

Almost to the top

A short scramble later we found ourselves standing on a ridge at the head of the valley, looking at a higher ridge to the northwest. We weren’t at the top after all. It was after 6 p.m. but we continued on, determined to reach our destination before nightfall. Down the ridge and back up around more snow we went, only to realize that there was yet another ridge beyond that one. We scrambled over only to realize that the last one was the highest of all, so back we went. I scoured the area for the summit log and found it amidst the rocks in a thick aluminum can. The first entry was from 1964 and had been placed by the Sierra Club. We were proud to scribble our names alongside the recreation pioneers from almost 50 years ago. Until we read the cover: Twin Peaks.

What?

We had climbed Twin Peaks—at 12,323 feet, the higher of its more significant twin to the Northwest, the 12,279-foot Matterhorn.

Jason Guinter

The summit log

Damn Kerouac for not including better directions and maybe a map in his masterpiece! We decided to sort it all out back in civilization.

A treacherous descent to camp in the dark left us too exhausted to do anything but remove our boots and toast our success with the Crown Royal we’d toted up the path. It had been a very long day and it was time to relax under the stars. The next morning we slowly packed our gear and made our way down the trail.

“That mountain’s not going anywhere, man,” said Zach, glancing over his shoulder. “We’ll do it next year.”

Yes, I agreed. Third time’s the charm, right? As Gary Snyder tells Kerouac in “The Dharma Bums,” quoting a Zen proverb: “When you get to the top of a mountain, keep climbing.”

And so we will.

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Raam Dev

Know Thyself

It was an odd thought, but I went with it anyway. I was sitting in an office, peering into the darkness that enveloped the city of Boston. The shapes of buildings were outlined with tiny lights, and red, green and white colors flowed on the streets below.

“What would I tell a clone to help him better understand me?” I began jotting down specific points that came to mind and stopped when I reached 33.

“Was this me? Did this list convey the essence of what it’s like to live in my head?”

Over the course of the next few days, I went back to that list and spent time pondering each point. I jotted down stories, described examples and otherwise tried to define what each thing meant to me.

Now I’m sharing that list here with you in the hopes that you will glean something useful from it.

1. Know Thyself
I’m always questioning who I am and what it means to be me (this post is evidence of that). But I’m not searching for a definition. I don’t expect to find an answer or reach a moment in time when I’ve defined everything it means to be me. I am the essence of that which cannot be defined.

But in asking myself who I am, I remain humble to the fact that I don’t know everything. I remain open-minded and always ready to learn new things. When I’m wrong, I learn to accept it. When I’ve made mistakes, I learn to recognize them.

The very act of asking myself who I am forces me to remain objective. To ask myself who I am, I need to stand in a place where only the true me exists.

Raam Dev

Reflect from Another Perspective

But what do people see when they look at me? When I smile, what do I look like? When I talk, what do I sound like? When I interact with people, what does my body language say? As I make choices throughout my life, how do others perceive those choices?

When I catch my reflection, I think about these things. I don’t feel a strong association with the person in the reflection, but instead I see it as an opportunity to learn something about myself that I couldn’t otherwise learn.

When opinions and judgments are passed on to me, I take the reflective position and allow those opinions and judgments to become building blocks for further growth. I allow them to give me a more complete picture of who I am to the external world. This lets me grow in ways that otherwise would have been impossible.

3. Cultivate Curiosity
How is a skyscraper built? How does a gun work? What exactly is color and how do we interpret it? How does propulsion work in space? How is sound saved to a CD and then converted back through speakers?

What is a headache? How does the world financial system work? Who or what determines the current value of money? What influences the weather? How much water is contained in a cloud? Why do babies cry? How are images stored in the brain?

Are ghosts real? Where do we go when we die? How do cavities form? How does text from one computer screen travel thousands of miles to another computer screen almost instantaneously?

Raam Dev

Cultivate Curiosity

This is your world. If an alien came from another planet, teleported into your home and then started asking you questions about how various things worked, how much would you be able to explain? When you look at something, try dissecting it down to the molecular level. Do you understand all the parts? Can you describe roughly how a light bulb works? What about your car, the water heater in your basement or your refrigerator?

4. Strive for Perfection
When I’m driving, I drive. When I’m walking, I walk. When I’m speaking with someone, I speak. When I’m being spoken to, I listen.

In each task, I strive for perfection. I aim to be the most skilled driver, the most conscious walker, the most thoughtful speaker, the most attentive listener.

When we strive for perfection, we give the task at hand our very best. We don’t cut corners or do things half-assed. It’s true that perfection doesn’t exist, but don’t use that as an excuse to be sloppy or careless.

You are an incredibly powerful and intelligent being, a member of an elite species. You should conduct yourself with a high level of professionalism and good character.

5. Be Present
Have you ever talked to someone when they were busy doing something and they responded with “Uh huh…” to simply acknowledge that they heard the sounds coming from your mouth? They hear you, but they’re not listening. They’re here, but they’re not present.

When that happens to me, I feel like the other person is disrespecting my time. I feel like they’re treating my words as a cheap accessory that doesn’t need to be cared for or considered.

In that situation, I’ve learned to stop talking and leave my sentences half finished. It catches them off guard because then they’re forced to be present to figure out why the sentence wasn’t finished.

To ensure I don’t pass on the same disrespect to others when they’re talking to me, I’ve formed the habit of politely asking them to hold their thought until I’m finished with the task at hand. When I’m finished, I give them my attention and hear them out.

If I’m feeling daydreamy while listening to someone, I force myself to focus on their voice and remind myself there’s a time and place for daydreaming.

If you’re with a group of people having a conversation, be present. The time for daydreaming is when you’re alone, not when you’re supposed to be listening to the person beside you.

Not being present in the company of others is disrespecting their humanity. Pay attention or leave.

6. Listen
“The human body has two ears but only one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we speak.”

That’s something my dad would always say when I was younger. It stuck with me and I learned to become a good listener. (Some might say that I took it a bit too far and that now I don’t talk enough, but I digress.)

Hearing and listening are not the same thing. Hearing is passive and doesn’t require any effort. Listening requires effort. Listening leads to inner growth and greater understanding.

Raam Dev

Treasure Solitude

When we listen, we have to give up our own selfish desire to be heard and face that inner beast that thinks it’s always right. When I feel that urge to interrupt, it feels like a bubble of energy building up in my chest or behind my throat, just itching to explode into a spew of words.

Taming that urge to interrupt is one of the toughest things to do, but forcing ourselves to listen and take the opposing view into consideration causes us to grow from within. It forces us to remain humble and open-minded.

7. Live by Your Values
What do you believe in? What do you consider right and wrong? What is important to you? Those are your values and principles. They make up the tiny rulebook that helps govern your life.

That rulebook shouldn’t be cast in stone and never looked at again, but it also shouldn’t be made up of words in the clouds. Never assume the validity of anything, even your values. Always test your assumptions. Re-evaluate. Does the core of your being say those beliefs still hold true?

Define your values. Write them down somewhere and then ask yourself if your current lifestyle and associations reflect those values. When it comes time to make a decision, no matter how big or small, ask yourself if that decision is in agreement with your values.

8. Become Your Best Friend
When I’m traveling alone, I never really feel alone. I always feel like there is someone else with me. It might sound a bit odd, but think about this for a moment.

When you talk to yourself, who’s doing the talking and who’s doing the listening? It’s you, but a separate part of you. There really is another person that exists within, an entity separate from what everybody else sees.

Learn to develop a relationship with your inner self. Grow that relationship and really become your own best friend. Learn to love and support one another. Talk to yourself. Hold conversations. Laugh together. Cry together. Lean on one another.

Friendship involves trust. Do you trust yourself? Can you depend on yourself when you’re in need? How well do you know your inner self? Can you predict how you will feel, react, and respond to things before they even happen?

9. Treasure Solitude
I thoroughly enjoy spending long amounts of time alone and I will often go out of my way to create opportunities where I can be alone for days at a time. It’s not that I dislike people. I just find solitude incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating.

Solitude allows us to focus on ourselves. It gives us a chance to look inward and develop the relationship with who it means to be us. Just as spending time with a loved one is important to keep the relationship healthy, spending time with one’s self is vital to inner growth.

Raam Dev

Water Your Potential

Figure out what works best for you but remember that solitude is an opportunity to interact with yourself, to connect with your soul. If you’re afraid of solitude, you probably haven’t developed a good relationship with yourself.

10. Know that Anger Is a Dead End
When I feel myself getting angry, I quickly ask myself where the anger will lead me and I always conclude that anger is a dead end and that it’s not going to solve anything.

Let anger become an indication that you need to slow down and take a step back. Instead of diving in with the anger, release the frustration and tension. Clear your head and view the situation objectively.

Hours, weeks, months and even years of life can be wasted simply because anger got in the way. Anger doesn’t solve problems. Learn to really be grateful for every moment and anger will have no place to thrive.

11. Water Your Potential
Your potential is like a freshly tilled field on which millions of random seeds have been thrown. There could be flowers and oak trees, vegetables and fruits, grasses and vines. But none of that potential will ever sprout if it’s not watered.

Water your potential with confidence, curiosity and exploration. Never stop giving yourself new ways to grow. Find new situations to put yourself in that virtually guarantee you’ll uncover a new seeds of potential that were just waiting to sprout.

If you’re not pushing yourself and discovering new limits, your potential will forever remain locked away and you’ll live your life never knowing what was possible.

Laurence Norah

Clouds over sand dunes, New South Wales, Australia

You may be a seasoned veteran traveler, or you could be off on your first big adventure. Whichever part of the traveling spectrum you fit into, I thought some ideas on how to make the most of your travels, based on my various traveling experiences, could come in handy. In no particular order therefore, here are my 10 tips to get the best from your travels.

Tip 1: Tear Up the Plan
Having a plan is certainly a good idea, particularly if there are certain places or things you are keen to see. But don’t be too inflexible, or unwilling to throw your plans out of the window and head off in a new direction. You never know who you might meet, or what you might learn on your trip that could cause your travels to go in a new direction. Often it is the unplanned things that we cherish the most from a trip.

Laurence Norah

Champagne Pool, Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, Rotorua, New Zealand

Tip 3: Meet New People
Often it is the people you meet that make the trip. Traveling is a tremendous opportunity to meet folk from all kinds of backgrounds and places, with stories to tell and information to swap. But don’t expect people to come flocking to you–it may be that you have to make a bit of effort, or leave your comfort zone a little in order to make first contact. I found this particularly true when traveling as a couple. The rewards are worth it, though. And don’t forget to exchange details when you part. Something as simple as exchanging Facebook details will let you keep in touch with your new friends even as your travels draw you apart physically.

Tip 4: Stay a While
If you are on a long-term trip, don’t be afraid to put down roots for a while in an area. Often as travelers we find ourselves rushing from destination to destination, skimming the surface and “checking off” a place before heading on. Slowing the pace down and absorbing an area more fully can be highly rewarding as you get to know the people, culture and place more fully.

Laurence Norah

Cathedral Cove, Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand

Tip 5: Keep a Record
Take a lot of photos, keep a journal, write a blog. However you want to capture the experience you are having, just do your best to capture it. Once your trip is over you’ll want to look back it, and if your memories fade, you’ll be able to remember the experience in much greater detail with some aids.

Tip 6: Traveling Companions
If you are going to be traveling with one or more people, make sure you are likely to be a compatible traveling group. If you plan to spend your whole trip hiking up giant mountains, whilst your companions are more of the beach-dwelling type, then you could have a problem. There is no right or wrong way to experience a trip, but ensuring you are all looking for something similar before you set off, or at the least, planning to satisfy everyone’s needs, is a better way to start. And don’t be afraid to part ways if a trip isn’t working out as you had hoped. Often this can be better for everyone involved rather than trying to keep something going that clearly isn’t working for everyone.

Tip 7: Pack Appropriately
Essentially, do some research into where you are heading and try to avoid taking anything unnecessary. The world isn’t quite as remote a place as we like to think, and often if you are short on something you will be able to find it where you are going just as easily. One more thing: Don’t take anything that is irreplaceable. You never know what might happen.

Tip 8: Get Insurance
Okay, there had to be one sensible tip that sounded like your mother. But seriously, you have no idea what could happen to you when you are on your trip, so insurance, and in particular medical insurance, is a must for any trip. Long-term travel insurances are available, and could save you an awful lot of money if you end up in trouble.

Laurence Norah

Beach at Francois Perron National Park, Western Australia

Tip 9: Budget
Lordy, these are getting a bit serious. But money makes the world go round, and running out of it at an inappropriate moment could really mess up your trip. Keeping track of your money, maybe setting yourself a daily or weekly amount you are happy to spend, could help you avoid issues. But don’t skimp out on a possible great once-in-a-lifetime experience for financial reasons. More money can always be worked for. And it’s amazing how easy it is to save money. From shopping in second-hand shops to CouchSurfing, there are a myriad of opportunities to save money. And remember the old adage: The best things in life are free.

Laurence Norah

Choosing the right traveling companions needn't be risky business.

Finally, the best advice I can give you is to enjoy yourself. Soak up the new experiences, revel in the adventure. We only get, as far as I can tell, one go at this whole thing, so we may as well do our best to have fun on the way. If you’ve got any tips to add to this, feel free to share in the comments below!

Originally published on Finding the Universe.

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