Are you a traveler who doesn't want to fight the crowds on Black Friday but you still want the great deals? From Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, retailers catering to adventure traveler are offering excellent online discounts on high-tech gear and toys, outdoor gear, clothing designed to keep adventurous men, women and kids comfortable, and much more. For links to special discounts and free shipping offered by Magellan's, eBags, Lonely Planet, Eastern Mountain Sports and the Discovery Channel, visit Black Friday -Cyber Monday Big Deals on Adventure Travel Gear, Trips & Clothing.

My husband, a gadget geek, tested the DiCAPac Alpha waterproof camera case using his Casio Exlim underwater in the Pacific Ocean, on the beach around sea lions kicking up sand, and river rafting near Telluride, Colorado. He got some excellent pictures underwater and on land that he would otherwise have missed. Here's his review of the DiCAPac waterproof camera case.

Photo © Dick Friedland

Coca-Cola has named a team of three adventurous young adults as "Happiness Ambassadors" to travel around the world to find out what makes people happy. The team, chosen partly by a world-wide vote during which fans registered their preferences on the Coca-Cola site, will travel 275,000 miles and visit 206 countries in 365 days. They are already being prepped on fitness, fast packing, eating exotic foods and more, so they'll be primed for the journey which starts in January, 2010. You can influence who they meet and where they go by following Coca-Cola's Expedition 206.

There may be some snow outside my window this morning  and the rivers are low in Colorado,  but elsewhere it's not too late to go rafting on many rivers. Rafting America says you can watch the bald eagles alongside the banks while rafting down the Skagit River in Washington December through February, when the water is calm. If you want lots of action, consider heading to Chile, where it's summer in December.

Photo by D Friedland