There's no better time of year for travelers to save on luggage, outdoor gear, tech essentials, home goods, premium beauty, clothing and shoes, and just about everything else than Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While we still have a few weeks to go until the mega-sales officially begin, many travel-friendly brands have already started rolling out early Black Friday deals. We're seeing discounts on everything from headphones and fitness trackers to weekender bags and luggage sets from popular retailers and brands like Amazon, Calpak, Target, Sephora, and more. Below, we rounded up the top deals for travelers to jump on now, so you can start your holiday shopping early and save on popular products before they sell out. We'll be updating this page as more sales go live, so be sure to check back here for the very best early Black Friday deals for travelers.
19 Best Hiking Boots for Women on Every Type of Trail and in Any Climate
13.10.2023 - 19:43 / cntraveler.com / Madison Flager
Whether you’re going for a 30-minute stroll along a neighborhood trail or tackling a multi-day trek in Alaska’s Denali National Park, one thing’s for certain: “hiking” can mean a lot of different things. No matter where your adventure may take you, it’s crucial to find a pair of hiking boots or shoes with excellent grip, good ventilation, and solid waterproofing—if you expect to encounter inclement weather.
We’ve enlisted the help of some of our favorite female trekkers and adventure professionals who’ve hiked loads of big miles and know a thing or two about the good, the bad, and the ugly of hiking boots. We’ve narrowed down their top picks into a list of the 19 best trail shoes for every kind of traveler—from seasoned backpackers, to mellow day hikers, to city strollers who simply want something comfy on their feet.
Keep reading for the best hiking boots for women on the market today (and for men's styles, head here). Once you've got the goods, find a little outdoor inspiration by checking out these off-the-beaten-path Alaska parks or perusing the best national park hiking trails.
When browsing the myriad of available online hiking boots, the lists of features, specs, and tiny details can seem endless and dizzying, but the most important things to seek out are weight, waterproofing, and grip.
There’s an old backpacker saying that “a pound on your feet is like five pounds on your back.” While that may not be factually true, being bogged down by heavy hiking boots can really dull the mood of an otherwise dreamy hike. A good rule of thumb is to look for trail shoes that are around two pounds for a pair, and definitely not more than three, unless you’re buying insulated mountaineering boots to summit Mount Everest. Which, if you are, you might not need this article.
Many boots will list themselves as waterproof, which means that they are equipped with a membrane that tiny droplets of water cannot get through (often, this is where the Gore-Tex label comes in). This is great if you expect to be trekking through streams and occasional afternoon showers, but keep in mind that most waterproofing isn’t very breathable. If you’re mostly going to be hiking in hot or arid climates, consider a lighter shoe with ventilating mesh side panels.
Lastly, the lugs on the bottom of a hiking boot or sneaker are what give the shoe its grip. The deeper and more pronounced, the more the shoe is able to grab whatever trail surface you’re strolling on.
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date. Additional reporting by Madison Flager and Elaheh Nozari.
If you know you’ll be hiking through rugged, gravelly, or muddy terrain, here’s an excellent pick for grip: Merrell's ankle-height
51 Best Gifts for Women Who Love to Travel
With seemingly endless options to choose from, finding the perfect holiday present for the women in your life is by no means an easy feat. These guidelines can help narrow it down: The best gifts for women are those that combine their individual interests with functionality, ensuring your recipient will not only enjoy the gift, but also get great use out of it. To make the shopping process a little less stressful, we compiled 51 of the best gifts for women who love to travel, and then further sorted them by category. Whether her day-to-day and on-the-road interests gravitate toward food, tech, wellness, beauty and skincare, or fashion, we’ve scoured the internet to uncover the holiday gifts she'll love and put to regular use—and no, we wouldn’t blame you if you ended up snagging one or more for yourself.
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The Best New Wine Resorts, Antigua’s Villa Papillon And More Travel News
There are plenty of dazzling luxury resorts in the Caribbean, but people who like to fly private often like to stay private on vacation. One of those dreamy, secluded getaways is Villa Papillon in Antigua. Listed for $9.5 million, the 9,700-square-foot villa is located at the tip of Reed’s point, overlooking the water. For $8,000 to $12,000 a night (depending on the week), the villa can accommodate up to 12 people—but expect to spend your time on the vast terrace (on a clear day, you can see to Nevis and St. Kitts) or in the infinity pool.
Bali's 5 best road trips, plus tips on scooter hire and more
Driving in Bali is not for the faint-hearted, but it does offer rewards. You can get off the beaten track and away from the crowds that besiege the southern highways, savoring soaring views over mountains and rice terraces, and pausing at simple roadside eateries for signature Indonesian meals of ikan bakar (grilled fish) and babi guling (suckling pig).
Do You Sometimes Confuse Sweden With Switzerland? Many Americans Do
The good people of Sweden are well aware that many United States citizens not only mix up Sweden with Switzerland geographically, but also, culturally. The tourism board, Visit Sweden, has recently authorized an analysis on this phenomenon in partnership with the data platform Dynata and the results are just what you might expect: Half of Americans are unsure about what makes Swedish culture different from Swiss culture. According to research and data from MyTelescope, for example, 85,000 Google searches in the last year coming from the U.S. inquired, “Are Sweden and Switzerland the same?”.
Rhodes, Split, Istanbul: Which are the best European cities for solo travellers?
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24 Best Disney Gifts for Adults (2023)
We all have at least one friend or family member who’s a bona fide Disney adult. They likely spend all of their PTO on trips to Disneyland or even an Adventures by Disney vacation, can be spotted wearing Mickey Mouse Crocs outside of the theme parks, and will always say yes to a Disney-themed trivia night. If you’ve already started thinking about that person, and you have a big celebration or holiday coming up that includes gift-giving, then you’re in luck.
14 Best Men's Hiking Boots for Every Type of Trail (2023)
Your favorite running sneakers might fly on a quick jaunt around the big city when you’re out traveling, but when it’s time to hit the trails, you’re going to want something with excellent traction, waterproofing, and solid support on uneven ground. Water bottle and cozy layers aside, nothing is more essential for comfortably exploring the wilderness (sans blisters) than a solid pair of the best hiking boots for men. Experts agree that the right boot and fit could mean the difference between a mood-boosting experience and the never-ending drama of jammed toes and ankle blisters.
8 Best Travel Pillows for Long-Haul Flights (2023)
If you travel regularly you’ve probably learnt to spot the difference between a frequent flier and a rookie—the most obvious tell-tale sign being a bulky travel pillow, typically carried by an inexperienced flier, hanging from a backpack or being worn (wrongly) around the back of their neck before they even get on the plane. Many of us are guilty of buying one of these beanbag worms from the airport duty-free shop, only to realize that they’re more trouble than they’re actually worth.