2020 was the year of coronavirus. What will we call 2021?  

It was still a year of COVID-19, but it was also a year of getting back to some semblance of normal — particularly for travel. While not back to its pre-pandemic levels, traveler confidence is rebounding: According to the 2021 Fall Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey, which polled more than 1,500 current and former members, nearly 86% of travelers have taken domestic trips and 42% have traveled internationally since the pandemic started a year a half ago.  

That’s why it’s no surprise that what caught visitors’ attention on Global Rescue’s website this year was a mix of our COVID-19 travel-related blog content, as well as articles focused on safe travel tips: cold-weather camping, satellite phone use in remote locations, the Mount Everest climbing season and more. 

Did you miss out on these essential travel insights during 2021? Marking our 100th — and final — post of 2021, here are the top 10 Global Rescue travel blog posts (ranked in order of most page views) for the year. 

#1 Coronavirus Weekly Update: What You Need to Know | January 22, 2020 

First published in early 2020 before the world was paying much heed to this highly contagious virus, our daily (now weekly) COVID-19 update has evolved into an essential online resource, drawing more than 130,000 visitors to date. Informed by our intelligence teams who closely monitor ongoing developments, it contains the latest travel testing requirements, travel advisories and restrictions, U.S. government guidance, masks mandates and more.  

#2 How Dangerous is Cold-Weather Camping? | December 3, 2020 

cold-weather-camping

If you’ve watched the History Channel reality series “Alone,” you’ve witnessed people trying to survive in the wintry wilderness. Of course, these campers are contestants trying to win half a million dollars, but the message of the show is clear: Winter camping is not for the faint of heart. You must be prepared for every possible scenario. Global Rescue experts and Safe Travel Partners detail eight essential cold-weather camping tips in this post — from testing your cold-weather camping gear to the ideal winter camping diet. 

#3 10 Reasons You Need a Travel Protection Membership | July 22, 2021 

COVID-19 has complicated travel, resulting in unexpected changes to travel protocols and elevated traveler safety concerns. From help with replacing a stolen passport and locating COVID-19 testing facilities while traveling to medical evacuation, this blog post details the 10 most important ways a Global Rescue travel membership has your back.   

#4 Satellite Phones: The Basics | October 9, 2020 

Satellite-phone

Remote, outdoor vacations rose in popularity after lockdown. People found discovered their cell phones would not work in many isolated locations. For Individuals planning excursions to places with questionable cell phone coverage, this primer on satellite communication devices breaks down how they work, the difference between satellite messengers and satellite phones, plus countries where they are illegal. 

#5 What to Pack in a Survival Kit | February 5, 2021 

There are many emergencies or contingencies in the backcountry where you need survival equipment. In “What to Pack in a Survival Kit,” Global Rescue wilderness experts deliver some key considerations when building your survival kit, from packing items with multiple purposes to having a backup plan for anything electronic-related (as phones lose service, GPSs lose connections, batteries die and devices break). 

#6 Rescue to Remote Papua New Guinea | August 12, 2021 

remote-rescue-to-Papua-New-Guinea

You can bet the Canns did not anticipate their son would need emergency medical evacuation when they started their homeschool schedule for the day. But when the unexpected happened in an extremely remote part of Papua New Guinea, Global Rescue got to them fast — and transported them to safety. 

Of the dozen member testimonials published in 2021, the most popular was this heart-wrenching (but with a happy ending) story of 9-year-old Jude Cann, who after suffering a broken jaw in a remote village in Papua New Guinea, was field rescued, then medically evacuated back to the U.S. for a higher level of care. 

#7 What is a Medical Evacuation? | May 16, 2019   

Despite first being published in the middle of 2019, this blog post’s subject matter remains relevant, especially as coronavirus continues to shed new light on the importance of medical evacuation when you are sick or injured away from home. From tales of travelers falling ill to harrowing accounts of seriously injured tourists on safari, it tackles examples of when a medical evacuation is appropriate and the difference between medical evacuation coverage and travel insurance.  

#8 The Ultimate World Travel Safety Kit | August 2, 2021 

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We have created posts around every type of travel safety kit known to man. Going into the backcountry? Be sure to bring your wilderness first aid kit. Taking a fishing trip? Make sure you have these fishing first aid items with you. Traveling to an area prone to extreme winter weather? Pack items you might need for blizzard survival.   

However, “The Ultimate World Travel Safety Kit” is our most comprehensive list. It combines safety equipment, first aid items, survival kit components, necessary gear for all types of travel — business, solo, family — and more for an A-to-Z list of go-to gear. 

#9 What Will the 2021 Everest Climbing Season Look Like? | March 31, 2021

After COVID-19 forced a shutdown of all expeditions to Mount Everest for the 2020 climbing season, it naturally begged the question: What could climbers expect for the 2021 season now that the notorious peak had reopened, but the pandemic still loomed large? 

This post provided one of the most accurate predictions you could get, thanks to the Global Rescue Mountain Advisory Council, comprised of Global Rescue staff, like Dan Stretch, who is stationed in Nepal during the climbing season, mountaineering legends like Ed Viesturs and Nirmal “Nims” Purja, as well as alpine experts like Jed Williamson. 

#10 How to Identify Swimmers in Trouble | June 24, 2021

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Water-based activities provide endless opportunities to have fun in a safe, enjoyable, and healthy manner. However, the danger of drowning is never far away. In this post, we dive in deep on the subject of summer water safety — particularly, how to spot someone drowning (because drowning doesn’t always look like drowning), plus what to do to help facilitate a water rescue. 

Travel Safe in 2022 

Closing out 2021 and looking forward to 2022, we at Global Rescue are crossing our fingers in the hopes that the end of the pandemic is on the visible horizon. In the meantime, we will keep providing the best in travel crisis and medical evacuation services for all our members as well as providing the most up-to-date, useful information to help everyone travel safely.