Hey Reader!

It's getting hot out there in the northern hemisphere and so this month, we thought we'd keep it light and share a few pieces of equipment that you should have with you in these extra hot summer months.

Here's what else we have in this month's newsletter:

• 😎 Trying to stay cool

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Must-Have Summer Travel Gear

We're in the middle of summer with crazy heat waves in different parts of the world. We've certainly experienced it here in Toronto but we've been hearing the same from those in Europe and Asia.

So this gave us the idea to put together a list of a few things that can help you cool down when it feels like you're walking around in a sauna.

1) UPF 40+ Sun Hoody

If you're going hiking and know that you're going to be exposed to a ton of sun, this is going to make a huge difference. By being covered up, your whole body stays cool under the sun and thanks to the moisture-wicking and breathable fabric, you never burn up.

On a trip to Mt. Rainier National Park, I made the mistake of only bringing dry fit t-shirts and vowed to not make this mistake again. That's why for our trip to the Atacama Desert, I made sure to wear the full long-sleeve sun hoody.
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2) Cooling Wipes

We first learned about these in Japan and South Korea but turns out we can find them here as well. These are cooling wipes that give you that instant chilling sensation and helps with oil as well.

These cooling wipes are extra large in size and also have the bonus of being deoderizing as well.

3) Neck Fan

If you're chuckling, I don't blame you because that was definitely my reaction when I first saw these but they're becoming more popular and that means they're a less silly of an idea than a few years ago when they first came out.

You have to charge these devices but the nice thing is that you can be hands free when you're travelling. It's great for walking around the city and also places like theme parks when my buddy used them at Disneyland and Universal Studios.

TIP: Make sure to look for one that's 6,000 mAh so it lasts longer.

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4) Collapsible Water Bottle

Yes, you could use a hydration pack but we've found that this isn't as practical for non-trekking trips. That's why we started using collapsible water bottles. The beauty of these is that when they're empty, you can collapse these down to a significantly smaller size.

In addition to staying hydrated, we love that this reduces our dependency on plastic water bottles.

5) Cooling Vest

I admit, we haven't tried this one ourselves but we recently saw this used all over Japan. These are vests but with two fans on each side that blows air to cool you down.

Yes, you'll have to walk around with a power bank but from the smiles from the people we saw rocking these, they seem to work quite well.

What did we miss? What's your favourite tip or piece of equipment that you swear by when the going gets HOT?

This Month's Travel Deals

Here are a few offers that we wanted to highlight for end of June and early July. Remember, we have our deals group on Facebook. It's free to join if you haven't yet!
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• MEC: Get 25% off all MEC Label camp gear. Save on tents, camp chairs, sleeping bags, and more campsite staples for every season to come. This promo is valid until August 6, 2025.
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• Radisson Hotels: Stay longer and save up to 35% at participating Radisson Hotels using the promo code RESORTW2. Book between July 17 and August 11, 2025, for stays from October 27, 2025, to February 28, 2026.
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• Avis: Free upgrade plus save up to 35% off when you pay now. This deal is valid until September 1, 2025.
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• Columbia Sportswear: Get up to 40% off new markdowns for their Summer Sale. Ends August 10, 10, 2025.

✏️What's New on the Site

In case you're not subscribed to our "let us know whenever you publish something new" list, here are our new posts. We aim to publish posts twice a week so if you subscribe you are always kept in the loop!

☝️ What's Next at Going Awesome Places

We spent the beginning part of July in Laval and Québec Maritime and since then we've been working on producing the content so look out for that soon.

We've already started sharing our adventures on our Instagram account so if you're curious about unique places to travel to in Québec, you'll be in for a treat!

🍪 Travel Tidbits

Travel News

Here's the latest from the industry with a few articles that we think you'll enjoy.

• ​World’s biggest LEGOLAND resort opens in Shanghai: With buildings made of blocks!
• ​Changes to European hand-luggage rules: Packing for vacations in Europe could be about to get less stressful.
• ​Which country has the best wines in the world for 2025: Scoring a bumper crop of medals at Decanter World Wine Awards 2025
• ​New Eurostar lines from the UK across Europe: Travel to Germany and Switzerland by train
• ​Mount Etna volcanic eruption: Is it safe to travel to Sicily and are flights cancelled?
• ​Say Goodbye To Travel Warnings: Why Croatia Is Now A Safe Destination For Canadians
• ​Japan’s Hidden Gems for Tourists: Kyoto joins Onomichi, Fukuoka, Nagano, Kanazawa, and Setouchi Islands on the list

This is us right now

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We would love to hear about your exciting plans this summer. Where are you now or heaed to soon? Let us know by replying to this email!

Cheers,

Will Tang
​Chief of Awesome, Going Awesome Places

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