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Our Favorite Videos For The Week

The Video Round Up is a new series highlighting videos and multimedia content that caught our eyes. Getting stoked on travel, good food, and extreme sports is best when shared with friends, so we’ll be posting a bi-weekly series on our favorite videos we find from every corner of the web. Have a tip or some awesome footage? Shoot an email to support@themanual.com

Life Beyond Walls: Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands are one of the last real tropical paradises that haven’t been spoiled by over development. Any trip there is unique, and with restrictions on travel and environmental impacts, it’s probably a once in a lifetime experience. For a small crew of surfers with Smith Optics, the combination of wildlife and perfect swell makes for some stunning visuals.

Life Beyond Walls: Galapagos

Salomon Running TV: Trail Dog

Of all the lessons that dogs can teach us, pure unadulterated happiness is by far the best. Your dog doesn’t care how much money you make, how many friends you have, or how far you make it up the mountain. He is simply excited that you chose to spend time with him, even if it’s the same Saturday morning run that you’ve been doing together for years. French runner Gaëtan Ugnon-Fleury’s two dogs Pépite and Jolyn know this secret to happiness. Take five minutes out of your day to get a lesson from these four-legged experts.

Trail Dog - Salomon Running TV Season 05 Episode 02

Get Vertical

One of our very favorite mountain brands, Salewa, was born in the alps. This summer they are hosting a competition to share their vertical heritage with some of their customers. If you’ve ever dreamed of big wall climbing, via ferrata navigation, or driving steep mountain passes, this is the basecamp experience you’ve been waiting for.

SALEWA Get Vertical Summer 2016 - Official Teaser

Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus

Since we constantly haul cameras, GPS, and other electronics into the backcountry, we’re big believers in portable power. Goal Zero launched their completely redesigned Nomad 7 Plus solar panel this week, and we couldn’t be more excited. It features improved internals allowing you to directly charge your phone from the panel, cutting out a battery in between. It also has a power flow indicator, detachable kickstand, and hard points to attach to your pack, so you can get the most out of your portable power.

Nomad 7 Plus Solar Panel

Singletrack Switzerland: Verbier

You might remember the first episode of Singletrack Switzerland from the Round Up a couple weeks ago. We didn’t think we’d find a more gorgeous place to ride than the terrain around Zermatt, but we’re happy to be wrong. The BMC and Teton Gravity team explored the bike parks and steep descents around this classic mountain town and we’re going through some serious trail envy. if you’re smart, then you’re already planning your next summer vacation with a long stop in Verbier.

Freeriding Bottomless Trails In The Heart of the Alps – Singletrack Switzerland Verbier
Austin Parker
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Austin Parker is a former contributor at The Manual Parker is a powder skier and sport climber and is no stranger hauling…
Beginner’s guide to cigar shapes and sizes — and why they matter
Why your cigar choice says more about you than your watch (and how to pick the perfect one)
A collection of cigars

Walking into a cigar shop and facing what seems like a million options is enough to make anyone panic. Cigars stacked everywhere, each with a strange name, size, and a slightly different shape from the last one. If you haven't done this before, it's tempting to just grab something, anything, and run!But hold on a second. Those shapes actually matter. They aren't just there to look fancy or make things confusing. The size and shape change the whole experience of smoking that cigar – how it tastes, burns, and feels. It's kind of like how driving a tiny sports car is way different than driving a big truck. Both get you where you're going, but the experience along the way is not the same.

What are cigar vitolas?

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The writer of one of Netflix’s biggest drama is taking on James Bond next
We still don't know who will star in this new installment.
James Bond at a casino

The news that Denis Villeneuve would be taking on the next James Bond film was certainly exciting for many, and as we continue to speculate about who might take over as 007, we're also learning more about who else will be working behind the scenes on the film.

We now know that Steven Knight, the writer behind Peaky Blinders, will be writing the next Bond movie. While Knight is best known for his work on TV, which includes Peaky Blinders and the recent Stephen Graham series A Thousand Blows, he's also the writer behind Spencer and Maria.

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Every new Game of Thrones spinoff explained
George R.R. Martin's television world continues to grow
Matt Smith starring in House of the Dragon

When it first aired on HBO in the early 2010s, Game of Thrones dazzled audiences with revolutionary special effects and terrific acting in a unique fantasy world. Based on author George R.R. Martin's series of novels, the universe depicts the battles between several different noble families as they try to climb to the top of the continent of Westeros, both politically and figuratively. The war scenes, family drama, and massive number of characters helped make the story feel fresh and new every time a new episode aired.

As Martin's attention shifted to television and away from his books, fans have looked to the TV series to finish some of the stories he couldn't finish on the page. Game of Thrones left fans wanting more, despite its poorly received finale, and a plethora of spinoffs are on the way. House of the Dragon already has two seasons completed, and there are several others in the coming years to look forward to.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon finished its second season in 2024. The show chronicles the heated family dynamics of the Targaryen empire almost two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones. The third season should pick up the civil war between Queen Rhaenyra's forces and King Aegon's after a slow-building conflict throughout the second act.

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