Gadling

We all try to travel light and avoid those pesky baggage-check fees, but it can be difficult to cram all your goods into your suitcase and "small personal item" (which, for most people I know, has become a pretty big bag). So, when I received a SCOTTEVEST/SeV jacket to try, my hope was that it would be the ultimate, wearable, third carry-on of which I've been dreaming.

The "technology-enabled clothing" from scottevest.com has a lot of secret pockets, from attractive casual men's shirts with 3 hidden compartments to superjackets like the Scott Jordan Signature System combo (which our own Scott reviewed last September here), which features a fleece and jacket with a total of 52 pockets, many of them specific to particular items like water bottles or pens, and a patented "Personal Area Network for earbud wire management." The jackets also have a "Weight Management System" which helps distribute the weight of all your worldly belongings evenly on your shoulders.

You probably have the same question I did: "How much can it really carry?" Not only could this jacket potentially save you money at the bag check, but it could also mean no more carrying a bag (or dreaded fanny pack) while sight-seeing, or even replace a backpack on a hike.

I decided to test out the 18-pocket, $120 SCOTTEVEST Women's Essential Travel Jacket by attempting to load everything from my gigantic handbag into it (thus freeing up my hands for a whole other "small personal item"). Check out my findings in the gallery below.

Gallery: Can the SCOTTEVEST be your third carry-on?

Whether you're trying to save money or shrink your vacation's carbon footprint, you probably know, deep down, that road trips suck. There are definitely good things about the open road; the unexpected detours, the wind in your hair (or exhaust in your face, eyes) ... but for the most part, sitting in traffic in a closed vehicle for untold hours with people you may or may not normally tolerate for long stretches would probably be one of Dante's rings of Inferno, had he thought of it. Road trips suck. Just in time for Thanksgiving, let's go ahead and talk about it. It might make you feel better.

Top Ten Reasons that Road Trips Suck

1. Time. Driving takes forever. You're cramped up in this tiny little space (especially if someone's behind you and demanding leg room of any kind), and even if you speed, you will probably only end up shaving like fifteen minutes off of your trip -- that's if you don't get arrested. A flight from New York to LA is about 6 hours and 45 minutes. The drive? According to Mapquest, it's 42 hours and 45 minutes from Times Square to Laurel Canyon and Sunset Boulevard. And you can never have those 42 hours and 45 minutes back.

2. The whole car has to pull over if one person has to "go." It's not fair. The whole trip has to stop because someone had a Mountain Dew. Rest stops have gotten better over the years, but it's inevitable that you will end up at the one with townies who look like they want to bash your head against the condom dispenser and "Beware Cat Burglar" on the back of the restroom stalls.

3. It wrecks the car. Road trips may stress you out. Well, they also put stress on your car. The miles depreciate its resale value one by one. Your vehicle could also break down, leaving you stranded and having to fly or rent, or worse yet, you could just be stuck knowing that "my car has never run the same since that road trip." A lot of people will tell you to make sure to get your car serviced before your trip. Ever been to an auto body shop that can't find something wrong? Me neither. There goes whatever cash you were saving by not flying.

Rosetta Stone contacted me and (full disclosure) sent me a free trial of their new Totale program. This online-based language learning system includes:

• Social networking capabilities
• Coach-led practice sessions
• Engaging language games and access to native speakers
• Encouragement from customer success agents

But can you really learn a language online? This is what I set to find out, because quick online language learning would be really helpful for travelers like you and me.

I chose to receive the Mandarin Chinese course, as I have four years of Mandarin under my belt. I wanted to be able to properly assess the way the language was taught. I donned and tested my headset (which they make very easy), and jumped in to Unit 1, Lesson 1.

My immediate reaction was that, firstly, it's really fun. The program uses photos and tries to get you to intuitively understand the subjects, for example, that one photo is of a young girl, and the next photo is a group of adult women. The system says the words in Chinese and displays them on the screen, and you click the picture to which you think the phrase corresponds. If you're right, you get a satisfying "Ding!" of approval. It makes you feel smart.

When it came to the computer recognizing my speech, I was very impressed by the speed at which I could speak and still be understood (and really glad I don't have roommates). One thing that concerned me about the program was the reading/writing. Chinese doesn't use regular letters (though a Pin Yin system of letters is widely used in teaching the language), nor do they even have an alphabet. Could this package teach anyone to read and write? I'll come back to that.

On your last visit to New York, did you notice the colors of the Empire State Building? And, when they changed the next night, did you find yourself wondering what the devil was going on?

You're not alone. Most New Yorkers feel the same way -- we look up at the glowing wash of color and go "hmm ... is that ... for a sporting event? Is it a random national holiday today?"

We think about it, we ask each other; but often, we're stumped and never do find out the truth.

No more! Our queries are finally addressed here on WhatColorIsTheEmpireStateBuilding.com. Not only will it tell you what color the Empire State Building is today (in case you're out of town or it's daytime), but it will tell you why.

You can even RSS it. Thank you, internet!

(Today it's orange, black and white for Halloween.)

Here's an interesting idea from the folks at The Affinia Manhattan: Cheaper rates late at night.

NYC commuters know that it's sometimes hard to wrench yourself out of the city in time for that last train, and sometimes, well, you're just too tired to make the trip; or maybe you've had a bit to drink and you'd rather not drive.

Head over to The Affinia, conveniently located right across from Madison Square Garden and close to both Penn Station and Times Square. They're currently offering special rates for rooms booked after 10:00 PM from just $159.00. That's $100 off the regular price -- and what we like about it is that it's fair. Why should you pay the same as a guest who checked in at 3 and took advantage of all the hotel's amenities when you just need a place to crash?

Just show up late at The Affinia Manahttan (371 Seventh Avenue) and ask for the Midnight Rates deal -- go in on it with whichever buddy kept you out so late for extra savings.

You may be able to run 26 miles, but can you climb 73 stories? Singapore's Swissötel is holding its annual vertical marathon next month to, once again, test human strength and endurance.

On November 22, 1,600 stair masters from across the world will gather in Singapore to race up 73 stories of glory. This year's race will include 12 of Singapore's top youth athletes as competitors, and there is an assortment of age and gender groupings for you to try and conquer.

1,336 steps. I don't even do that on a gym machine. The world record is currently held by German stair climber Thomas Dold, who made it to the top in 6 minutes and 52 seconds in 2008.

There's also a little something new this year:

"A brand-new category called the Lovebirds' Challenge will witness more than 80 pairs of lovers taking their relationships to unexplored new heights, with potential marriage proposals awaiting atop the helipad, upon completion of the vertical race."

Would you climb 73 stories to get someone to marry you? That's love.

Adding insult to injury, the run takes place at 7:00 AM (but don't worry, that's 7 PM in New York). Click here for more information.

Halloween is a-comin'. In the mood for some scary movies? So are we! That's why we've made a list of the Top Ten All-Time Scariest Travel-Themed Movies for you. Don't worry, we won't spoil the endings, just give you the gist and the Netflix links. Watch at your own risk; you may never travel again.

The Top Ten All-Time Scariest Travel-Themed Movies

1. The Exorcist -- It all goes to Hell (somewhat literally) when Father Merrin is leading an archaeological dig in Iraq and pulls Pazuzu out of the sand. Be careful what you dig up on your trips to ancient cities!

2. Psycho -- Gadling does not recommend the showers at the Bates Motel.

3. The Shining -- This Kubrick classic starring Jack Nicholson takes place in a hotel which gets snowed in for the winter. All hotel hallways have a similar look to them, and all will feel a little more dangerous when you've seen what little Danny sees.

4. The Strangers -- The most recent scary flick on our list (2008) stars Liv Tyler and Australian supermodel Gemma Ward. You know that isolated vacation home, or perhaps cabin, that you long to escape to? Watch this first. (Or don't.)

Some people think the best shopping in America is in New York City. It's true, we have all the Diors and Guccis you could want, but our vintage shopping can be just as expensive as designer shopping, which, if you ask me, just ain't right. Sure, we have used-clothing shops like Beacon's Closet in Brooklyn, and Cheap Jack's (which has truly fabulous vintage clothing, but is not all that cheap), but what most savvy New Yorkers know is that vintage clothes can be bought much more inexpensively in other states, or at least upstate. In New York City, the demand for vintage clothes is high, and sellers know when they have a great item -- and they price it accordingly.

In my travels across America I've always found the very best vintage clothing, shoes and even jewelry in small towns, where the cost of living (and demand) is low. A size 2 vintage dress priced at $150 might sell in a day in New York City, but in the middle of say, southwest Michigan, it might never leave the mannequin in the window. Jewelry enthusiasts might have an eye for a setting that a used-clothing store owner in the middle of Kentucky might not notice; and in some rare cases, designer labels are all but ignored, and you'll find Prada on the same rack as Express. There is no Antiques Roadshow for clothing, but if there were, contestants would flock to tiny shops two hours from nowhere.

Salvation Army and Goodwill are also not to be ignored once you're out in small towns, as in some cases, these are the only places for miles around where people can bring their used stuff.

With that info covered, here are five tips for great vintage shopping -- specifically for those out-of-the-way towns you pass on your way to Grandma's for Thanksgiving.

We all usually try to travel light, but when you succeed, do you feel a little nervous? I do. If I can lift my suitcase without grunting, I'm fairly certain I've forgotten something. Here's a list of the Top ten things not to forget on a trip -- hopefully both you and I can remember to check it next time we're about to head out of town!

1. Cell Phone Charger. They've started carrying universal chargers (with multiple heads) at places like Walgreens, but that's $15 to $20 you really shouldn't have to spend.

2. Program Your Phone. Do you have the airline and hotel phone numbers in your phone? You should. It's also a good idea to list your destination's number for taxis, and someone with ICE (In Case of Emergency) before their name.

3. Passport and Tickets or Itinerary. You need some form of photo ID to travel even domestically, so don't forget it. The passport is obviously important for foreign travel, but make sure it isn't about to expire; many countries won't let you in with under six months left. Also, even if you booked all your travel online, customs will sometimes ask to see your full itinerary, so bring tickets or print it all out.

Holy "New Moon," I was joking when I referenced a cruise for "Twilight" fans in my article Heterosexual couple booked on a gay cruise sues cruise line, but thanks to the wonderful and well-informed commenters on Digg, I have learned that it's actually a real thing (thanks, darkmagic311).

Billed as a "Convention at Sea for Twilight Fans," the Alaska Twilight Cruise will take place on August 8-15, 2010, beginning and ending in Seattle -- and they intend to make it a yearly event. The cruise will feature a Q&A and autograph session with "Twlight" actors Ashley Greene, Alex Meraz and Michael Welch (and they're hoping to add a fourth), a costume ball, a charity auction and all the glory of Glacier Bay, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria, B.C. "Imagine an Alaska Cruise Adventure with a Twilight Convention at Sea ... it's the best of both worlds ... for sure," says Linda Wolf, owner and "Captain."

The operating company, Cruises Cruises Cruises, has previously arranged Star Trek, Barbie and Beatles cruises. How's that for versatility? Prices range from $1049 per person in a 2-bed inside room to $3299 per person in a 4-bed deluxe verandah suite, convention fee and fuel surcharges not included. Visit TwilightFansCruise.com for more information.