Mammut's New Protective Airbag for Avalanche Safety

Mammut's PAS adds neck, chest, and head
protection to avalanche suffocation protection

Introduced at the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show that just finished a few days ago in Salt Lake City, the Snowpulse PAS (Protective Airbag System) improves on Swiss manufacturer Mammut's existing RAS (Removable Airbag System) airbag by adding trauma-specific protection.

According to varying reports, mechanical trauma (running into things or being pushed into hard objects) accounts for between 15 and 32 percent of avalanche deaths, something the PAS seeks to address.

As a follow up to our dispatch on avalanche safety (an important consideration for anyone engaged in snow sports in the backcountry), we wanted to direct readers to Outside Online's write-up about the new Snowpulse PAS - Mammut Introduces New Protective Airbag Packs at Outdoor Retailer

Read the Outside article to learn more about the specific benefits the Mammut PAS offers and to see a side-by-side comparison of the PAS and RAS airbags.

Hosteling Bangkok - The Best of Cheap AND Chic

Bangkok used to be well-known as Asia's home for cheap accommodations, affordable drinks, and budget thrills for backpackers and world travelers, but the Asian financial boom of the '90s and Bangkok's financial renaissance have cause prices to move in one direction - up.

CheQinn hostel brings bright color and modern style together

Now, finding cheap room and board can be a challenge for travelers on a shoestring budget, and often "cheap" comes at the expense of cleanliness and comfort (and sometimes even safety).

However, the BBC has set out to remedy that by scouting a handful of Bangkok hostels that are economical without sacrificing the standards of today's "flashpackers."

BBC Slideshow - Bangkok's hippest hostels

If you're looking for cheap digs while you tour Bangkok's ornate temples, instead of reserving a room in Thailand's tallest building, check out one of these modish hostels:

• @Hua Lamphong - No frills but right in the thick of it, @HL is just down the street from Silom Plaza
• CheQinn - Ideal location near world-renowned Bumrungrad Hospital, east of Siam Square
• HQ Hostel - Located halfway between the river and Lumphini park in the Patpong district
• Lub d Siam Square - Right at the flashy Siam Square shopping complex, this is the heart of Bangkok
• Lub d Silom - Another option near HQ Hostel in Patpong district
• Suneta Hostel Khaosan - We weren't able to find an official website for them, so your guess for contacting them is as good as ours
• Take A Nap - Great location near Lumphini Park and the Saladaeng BTS station

What To Order: Switzerland - Rösti

Home to the Matterhorn and precision watchmaking, Switzerland is one of Europe's finest travel destinations.

Iconic Matterhorn in
the Swiss Alps

Officially the Swiss Confederation, Switzerland offers something for every traveler - Europe's best skiing and winter sports, haute cuisine, fine arts, an abundance of tours, river cruises, and adventure sports, fine wines and chocolate, cosmopolitan shopping venues with the most exclusive name brands, and the list goes on.

All of that notwithstanding, finding an authentic "Swiss" dining experience in Switzerland may be harder than expected. A result of its original formation as a confederation, Switzerland has 4 official languages (German, French, Italian, and Romansch) and strong regional identities that espouse sister countries' culture and cuisine as much as they do the Swiss national identity.

However, one dish that is authentically Swiss and can be found in every region of the country is "rösti." Made of pan-fried shredded potatoes, rösti is often available with a meat as an main dish or as an á la carte addition to an entrée.

Originally a breakfast dish eaten by farmers in the Bern region, rösti is now considered by many Swiss to be a national dish.

Finding rösti on a menu will likely come as a welcome sight for travelers shell-shocked by the high food prices in one of Europe's priciest countries, and rösti will also be a refreshing choice for many travelers because of its similarity to dishes in their home countries: 'hash browns' in US, '干煸土豆丝' (gan bian tudou si) in China, 'boxty' in Ireland, and 'aloo tikki' in India, to name a few.

Swiss rösti, still hot in the skillet

Black Diamond to Join Technical Clothing Market

One of Black Diamond's new technical apparel offerings

Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd, respected manufacturer of climbing, ski, and mountain sport equipment, has just announced that they will soon be re-introducing technical apparel to their offerings.

Always putting excellence into their products, Black Diamond's upcoming return to apparel has been two years in development after a 10 year absence from producing technical clothing. Loyal Black Diamond fans and outdoorsmen/women alike are sure to keep their eyes peeled for BD's first line to hit shelves later this fall.

Outside Online broke the news just over a week ago and did a full interview with Tim Bantle, head of Black Diamond's clothing team.

Read the full interview here - Exclusive: Black Diamond Announces New Technical Apparel, then let us know what you think: what strengths will Black Diamond bring to the tech clothing arena?

Washing Your Gore-Tex or Softshell: Tips from Arc'teryx - Video

Want to increase the performance and longevity of your technical outwear? Arc'teryx's warrant rep says to wash your garments more, not less.

Getting rid of sweat and dirt (which inhibit maximum performance by the Gore-Tex membrane) and rejuvenating the water-repellant coating can restore your piece to peak effectiveness, and the process is simple.

Take a look:

[Note: make sure to double rinse the garment(s) to assure that all detergent residue is washed off]

Tibet Travel: The Qinghai-Tibet Railway

In 2006, China made possible a new way for trekkers and adventurers to get to the "Roof of the World" - a high-elevation railway that connects the Chinese province of Qinghai with Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.

Covering over 1,200 miles across the Tibetan Plateau, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway passes some of the most beautiful scenery in Asia.

From the windows of the train, it is possible to take in some of Tibet's most pristine vistas and natural wildlife as the train rolls across the highlands. In the summer, it is possible to see herds of yaks or, if you're lucky, Tibetan antelopes roaming. In the winter, there is a good chance you will roll through at least one blizzard along the way, the route rising as high as 16,640 ft. (5,068m) as it crosses the Tanggu Pass. A winter view from the window makes it easy to see why Tibet is called "the Land of Snows."