Current Giveaway Details: January 2022

This month, we have two awesome giveaways for you. We’re giving away a Level8 carry-on suitcase and a set of winter photography gloves of your choice.

Giveaway #1: Level8 Full Aluminum Carry-On Luggage

Brand/Manufacturer: Level8
Prize: 1x Full Aluminum Carry-On
Retail Value: $399.99 USD
Giveaway Open to: Worldwide

We’ve been traveling for a long time, and we understand the importance of good luggage. Whether you pack light and travel carry-on only, or like to travel with checked luggage, you want to choose a brand of luggage that will keep all your gear safe on your trip.

This month we’re delighted to be partnering with Level8 to give away one of their lovely aluminum carry-on cases. Level8 have been making a range of checked and carry-on luggage since 2008, and they have a wide range of styles and luggage sizes to choose from.

For this month’s giveaway, we have a Level8 Full Aluminium Carry-On to giveaway. This won a 2019 red dot award for its design.

The Full Aluminium Carry-On, as the name suggests, is designed as carry-on luggage, meaning you can save checked bagged fees and look stylish whilst doing so. It’s crafted out of aircraft grade aluminum magnesium alloy, meaning it’s both very strong and also relatively light given the metal construction.

It’s easy to move around thanks to the four spinner wheels, and your gear will all stay organised because it has interior mesh pockets.

The key features are:

• Aerospace-grade Aluminum Magnesium Alloy
• Keyless and Zipperless: Dual TSA-approved Locks, Ensure Your Belongings Safe Throughout Your Travels.
• Slow-release Handles Without Noise and Avoid Pinching Your Hand
• Ultra Quiet 360° Durable Spinner Wheels
• Mesh Pocket Interior Divider
• 20 inch Suitable for most aircraft overhead compartments
• Comes With a 4 Piece Organizer Bag Set
• Lifetime Warranty

This being a carry-on, size is obviously important. The bag has a 36-litre capacity, which should be enough for most trips of up to a week.

It has dimensions of 15” L X 8.5” W X 22” H (38cm L x 21.6cm x 55.88cm). That fits within the majority of airlines carry-on requirements, although you will definitely want to check the airlines you regularly fly as requirements do vary.

The bag weighs 10.14lb (4.6kg). That is heavier than some carry-ons, and is down to it being made out of metal rather than lightweight plastic. The advantage of course being that it’s pretty tough!

Thanks to Level8 for providing this awesome carry-on luggage for our giveaway this month!

How to Enter the Giveaway

Please read the rules below to enter the giveaway:

1 – You need to be signed up for our newsletter.

If you get our monthly newsletters, you are eligible!

If you are not a subscriber, you can sign up using the form at the top of the page, or on this page.

If you’re already signed up you don’t need to sign up again and you can skip to the newsletter entry form. When you sign up for our newsletter, you’ll be sent an e-mail to asking you to confirm your sign-up. You’ll need to click the link to confirm and activate your subscription.

2. Check the rules of the giveaway

Before signing up, read over the rules (listed in detail below the entry form) to make sure you are eligible to apply. While we strive to have our giveaway open to all subscribers, some of the giveaways have geographical, residency, age, or other restrictions.

3 – Use the form below to enter the giveaway.

You must use the same e-mail address that you used to sign up to the newsletter with, as we’ll be checking e-mails this way to validate your entry. You must be an active subscriber when we make the draw to be eligible to win!

Enter the Giveaway!

Winners will be randomly drawn with the winner receiving the prize as described above.

The retail value of the giveaway is $399.00 USD.

Applicants must be 18 years or older, have a valid email address, and have a valid mailing address.

Winners will be contacted by the email provided (so please use an email to enter that you check regularly). If a winner does not respond to email within 72 hours, another winner will be chosen.

The winner will be contacted via email by us. We will pass on the winner’s details to Level8 who will fulfill the prize. Shipping will be included for free.

Note you can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time, but you must be an active subscriber when the draw takes place to be eligible to win. Draws take place within a week of the contest closing.

The data entered into the giveaway form will solely be used for the purposes of verifying your entry, checking you are an active newsletter subscriber, and contacting you if you are a winner.

Winners (first name and last initial, and country of residence) will be announced on the bottom of this page and in our monthly newsletter.

Full Giveaway Terms and Conditions

These are the full terms and conditions!

1. The promoter is: Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats
2. Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats contributors, and their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the giveaway including helping to set up the giveaway shall not be permitted to enter the giveaway.
3. The giveaway is only open to active newsletter subscribers of the Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats monthly newsletter.
4. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this giveaway.
5. Route to entry for the giveaway and details of how to enter are via this blog post
6. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate in the giveaway.
7. You must fill out all the requested information in the entry form to be eligible. Incomplete entries will not be considered.
8. Closing date for entry is January 29th, 2022 at midnight EST. After this date no further entries to the giveaway will be permitted. Only one entry may be submitted per participant. Multiple entries will not be considered, and will invalidate all entries by the participant. Incomplete, incorrect, or otherwise invalid entries will not be considered. The Promoter reserves the right to verify the eligibility of all participants.
9. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
10. The prize is as follows: 1x Level8 Full Aluminum Carry-On
11. Any tax liability, including import taxes and duties due to international shipping, is the responsibility of the prize winner
12. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the giveaway and these terms and conditions without notice and for any reason. Any changes to the giveaway will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
13. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and the promoter reserves the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
14. Winners will be drawn at random from all valid entries. The odds of winning will depend on the number of entries received. Promoters are not responsible for prize fulfillment nor for any technical failures. The winning entry will be verified. A list of winners will be displayed on this page and published in the monthly newsletter.
15. Promoter reserves the right to publish winner’s first name and last initial and country of residence. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
16. The winner will be notified by email within 10 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within 72 hours of notification, the promoter reserves the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
17. The winner consents to providing their name, email, mailing address, and mobile contact number to the promoters for the sole purpose of enabling their prize to be delivered.
18. The promoters’ decision in respect of all matters to do with the giveaway will be final.
19. By entering this giveaway, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
20. The giveaway and these terms and conditions will be governed by UK law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the UK.
21. Images included in the giveaway post may not depict the exact prize, and are for illustrative purposes only.
22. Residents of Canada will be required to answer a skill-testing question to claim their prize.
23. Void where Prohibited

 

Giveaway #2: Winter Photography Gloves & Beanie worth up to €132

Brand/Manufacturer: Vallerret
Prize: 1x pair of Winter Photography Gloves, 1 x Stash Beanie
Retail Value: Up to €132, depending on glove choice
Giveaway Open to: Worldwide

Our second giveaway this month is all about keeping your hands (and head!) warm in cold weather. As you might know, Laurence is a professional photographer, and he likes nothing more than getting out into nature and shooting landscapes.

In winter, the cold weather makes it more challenging to stay warm while out photographing. Operating a camera tends to need the fine control of your fingertips, especially with some of the smaller buttons. Most gloves don’t offer this level of control, so it can come down to a choice between warm hands or taking photos.

The good news is that there’s a Norwegian company called Vallerret, who recognized this problem and decided to do something about it. Since 2019, Laurence has been wearing their photography-focused gloves which allow him to both operate his camera and keep his hands warm. You can read his full review of their winter photography gloves here.

These gloves can also work great for when you need your finger free at times to operate other things like outdoor machines, scopes, or even your smartphone.

In summary, their gloves have a range of features to make using them for photography a lot easier. These include flip back finger and thumb caps so you can control camera settings without having to take the whole glove off, as well as built-in lens wipes. Naturally, they also work well as gloves, keeping your hands nice and warm in even the coldest conditions!

Today we’re giving you the chance to win a pair of Vallerret winter photography gloves from their selection. They have a range of gloves available, and the pair you choose will depend on the conditions you shoot in. They have gloves for everything from mild, wet winter conditions through to deep Arctic conditions.

Laurence personally has a pair of Markhof 3.0 gloves which work well in most mild to mid-winter conditions. However, if you are somewhere where it is much colder, or planning a trip somewhere like Lapland, you might find a heavier pair like these to be more suitable. For the prize, you can choose any pair of gloves from the Vallerret store, with the exception of the Alta Over Mitt.

As well as the gloves, Vallerret are also giving away a Vallerret Stash Beanie and the winner can choose the color! Keeping your head warm is also important, and this beanie will do just that.

Thanks to Vallerret for providing this awesome prize for our giveaway this month!

How to Enter the Giveaway

Please read the rules below to enter the giveaway:

1 – You need to be signed up for our newsletter.

If you get our monthly newsletters, you are eligible!

If you are not a subscriber, you can sign up using the form at the top of the page, or on this page.

If you’re already signed up you don’t need to sign up again and you can skip to the newsletter entry form. When you sign up for our newsletter, you’ll be sent an e-mail to asking you to confirm your sign-up. You’ll need to click the link to confirm and activate your subscription.

2. Check the rules of the giveaway

Before signing up, read over the rules (listed in detail below the entry form) to make sure you are eligible to apply. While we strive to have our giveaway open to all subscribers, some of the giveaways have geographical, residency, age, or other restrictions.

3 – Use the form below to enter the giveaway.

You must use the same e-mail address that you used to sign up to the newsletter with, as we’ll be checking e-mails this way to validate your entry. You must be an active subscriber when we make the draw to be eligible to win!

Enter the Giveaway!

Winners will be randomly drawn with the winner receiving the prize as described above.

The retail value of the giveaway is up to €132.00, depending on the gloves chosen.

Applicants must be 18 years or older, have a valid email address, and have a valid mailing address.

Winners will be contacted by the email provided (so please use an email to enter that you check regularly). If a winner does not respond to email within 72 hours, another winner will be chosen.

The winner will be contacted via email by us. We will then pass the winner’s details onto Vallerret who will handle prize fulfilment and shipping.

Note you can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time, but you must be an active subscriber when the draw takes place to be eligible to win. Draws take place within a week of the contest closing.

The data entered into the giveaway form will solely be used for the purposes of verifying your entry, checking you are an active newsletter subscriber, and contacting you if you are a winner.

Winners (first name and last initial, and country of residence) will be announced on the bottom of this page and in our monthly newsletter.

Full Giveaway Terms and Conditions

These are the full terms and conditions!

1. The promoter is: Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats
2. Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats contributors, and their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the giveaway including helping to set up the giveaway shall not be permitted to enter the giveaway.
3. The giveaway is only open to active newsletter subscribers of the Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats monthly newsletter.
4. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this giveaway.
5. Route to entry for the giveaway and details of how to enter are via this blog post
6. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate in the giveaway.
7. You must fill out all the requested information in the entry form to be eligible. Incomplete entries will not be considered.
8. Closing date for entry is January 29th, 2022 at midnight EST. After this date no further entries to the giveaway will be permitted. Only one entry may be submitted per participant. Multiple entries will not be considered, and will invalidate all entries by the participant. Incomplete, incorrect, or otherwise invalid entries will not be considered. The Promoter reserves the right to verify the eligibility of all participants.
9. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
10. The prize is as follows: Any pair of winter photography gloves from the Vallerret online store (with the exception of the Vallerret Alta Over-Mitt) and one Vallerret Stash Beanie
11. Any tax liability, including import taxes and duties due to international shipping, is the responsibility of the prize winner
12. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the giveaway and these terms and conditions without notice and for any reason. Any changes to the giveaway will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
13. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and the promoter reserves the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
14. Winners will be drawn at random from all valid entries. The odds of winning will depend on the number of entries received. Promoters are not responsible for prize fulfillment nor for any technical failures. The winning entry will be verified. A list of winners will be displayed on this page and published in the monthly newsletter.
15. Promoter reserves the right to publish winner’s first name and last initial and country of residence. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
16. The winner will be notified by email within 10 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within 72 hours of notification, the promoter reserves the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
17. The winner consents to providing their name, email, mailing address, and mobile contact number to the promoters for the sole purpose of enabling their prize to be delivered.
18. The promoters’ decision in respect of all matters to do with the giveaway will be final.
19. By entering this giveaway, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
20. The giveaway and these terms and conditions will be governed by UK law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the UK.
21. Images included in the giveaway post may not depict the exact prize, and are for illustrative purposes only.
22. Residents of Canada will be required to answer a skill-testing question to claim their prize.
23. Void where Prohibited

We wish you the best of luck!

If you have any questions or concerns about the giveaways, please let us know in the Comments section below or email us directly.

Past Winners

Here is a list of our past giveaway winners:

December 2021:

• Gillian R. of Scotland, UK won a TravelWifi Sapphire 2 Portable Hotspot worth $149
• Alexa L. of Ontario, Canada won a Travel Photography Course worth $129

November 2021:

• Lucy B. of England, UK won an Insta 360 GO 2 Action camera worth $299
• Julie B. of Ontario, Canada won $150 worth of Etsy holiday gifts of her choice

October 2021:

• Phil D. of England, UK won a GlocalMe U3 hotspot, worth $119.99
• Sara B. of Illionis, USA was the winner of the TropicFeel Shell Backpack plus 3 travel accessories, worth $477.00

September 2021:

• Joseph M. of Minnesota, USA was the winner of a pair of GoCity attraction passes of his choice, worth up to $270
• Margaret W. of England UK was the winner of a Fifth Origins cape of her choice, with a retail value of up to $175

August 2021:

• Ilya E. of Russia was the winner of three products from KobraTech, 1 Apex A70 tripod, 1 TriFlex Mini Tripod, & 1 TabMount 360 iPad Mount with a retail value of $149.97

July 2021:

• John R. of England, UK was the winner of the Vanguard VEO 3 GO 235AB tripod and a Vanguard VEO Range T 48 Backpack, a retail value of $399.98.
• Liesl L. of Gibraltar was the winner of the Hydaway collapsible travel bottles giveaway, worth $83.85

June 2021:

• Janet B. of Texas, USA was the winner of the Cornwall Mystery Box, full of prizes from the region of Cornwall, retail value of over $100.

May 2021:

• Linda H. of British Columbia, Canada was the winner of the $100 Localbites cooking class voucher
• Carol C. of Texas, USA was the winner of the $200 Plum Guide voucher
• Lou F. of England, UK was winner of a Taotronics Mesh WiFi system (2 pack), a retail value of GBP £209

April 2021:

• Phil H. of England, UK won a Netgear Nighthawk M1 4G mobile hotspot and router which has a retail price of $349.99 USD.

March 2021:

• Robin M. of England, UK, won a Vanguard VEO 3 GO 204CB carbon fiber tripod worth $199.99, as well as a VEO GO 34M KG shoulder bag worth $69.99.

February 2021:

• Raymond S. of Maryland, USA was the winner of a $120 Context Travel gift card for use for any virtual seminars or courses
• Anisa A. of England, UK & Sumandeep K. of England, UK were the winners of 18 travel-related books

January 2021:

• Kim C. of Ohio, USA was the winner of the Standard Luggage Travel Backpack  giveaway worth $228 USD
• Brooke P. of Spain was the winner of our tech travel bundle giveaway worth approximately $117 USD

December 2020:

• Michelle P. of Minnesota, USA was the winner of the Travel Gifts made in USA giveaway worth $262

November 2020:

• Louise H. of England, UK won a box full of travel-related gifts made in the UK worth $195
• Bianca P. of North Carolina, USA won $100 worth of PortaPocket travel gear
• Wendy S. of England, UK won £100 of ASDA Photos credit for photo printing and photo gifts

October 2020

• Stephan G. of California, USA won a copy of our travel photography course worth $129 USD

September 2020

• Charlotte T. of Alberta, Canada won a $125 USD voucher good towards any products on the Koy Gear online store
• Sarah D. of Belgium won a France mystery box filled with hand-selected French treats and gifts, worth over $150 USD.

August 2020

• Skye T of South Dakota, USA won an AKASO Brave 7 LE Action Camera, worth $142.99 USD
• Samantha W. of England, UK won a $150 Civitatis voucher to use on any ticket, tour, or activity of her choice

July 2020

• Julie D. of England won a 2-night stay in a 4-star hotel in Bali, Indonesia, plus 2 guided tours with ForeverVacation. The prize was worth around $500 USD

June 2020

• Will E. of Rhode Island, USA won a 3-year NordVPN VPN subscription with a total retail value of $125.00

May 2020

• Rae H. of England, UK won a watch, cuff links, leather cord organizer, a travel coffee mug, a travel photography course, & several other travel gifts with a total retail value of $534.85
• Pamela S. of New York, USA won her choice of travel inspired home decor items from Etsy, worth $125

April 2020

• Joyce W. of Wales, UK won a Kameleon Rose Ultimate Travel Dress and 5 Way Cardigan, worth GBP £146
• Nick B. of Italy, Wayne K. of South Africa, and Kandy K-L. of Michigan, USA won a copy of Skylum Luminar 4 photo editing software worth USD $89 each
• Susan C. of Ohio, USA who won a travel coffee maker of her choice, worth up to USD $100

March 2020

• Anthea H. of England, UK who won a cashmere scarf, jewelry, and travel gifts with a value of over $500
• Kate W. of Ontario, Canada who won a USD $200 voucher for any walking tour on the Take Walks website

February 2020

• Scott F. of England, UK won two 2-day Paris Passes, worth 260 euros
• Regina R. of Portugal, won a copy of our travel photography course worth 129 euros

January 2020

• Ricky J. of North Carolina, USA won two framed prints of our photos, worth $125
• Jodie R. of Australia won a Tropicfeel bundle including 1 pair of Canyon shoes, 1 pair of Havasu flip flops, 1 Cruiser backpack, and 1 reusable Shopper bag, with a value of $166

December 2019

• Janni N of Denmark won a pair of Vallerret Photography gloves and Beanie, with a retail value of $136
• Louis D. of Illinois, USA won a GetYourGuide gift card worth $250

November 2019

• Kiara G of England, UK won an Ovcio Featherlight cashmere scarf worth $125
• Barbara C of Idaho, USA won her choice of gifts worth up to $200 from our gift guide for travelers and gift guide for photographers.

October 2019

• Ian F. of England, UK won an AKASO V50 Elite action camera worth $140.
• Stephanie L. of California, USA, Heather S. of Ontario, Canada and Christopher S. of New York, USA won a Wanderchain and set of 10 engraved tokens from The Wander Club. A $67 value each. Jill T. of Pennsylvania also won a Wanderchain.
• Jarna P. of Finland won a Tinggly holiday gift card, a $119 value.

September 2019

• Linda K. of Michigan, USA won a 3-piece Happyluxe travel set. A $88 value.
• Catherine R. of Ontario, Canada won a pair of travel shoes of her choice. She chose a pair of Sorel Joan Explorer winter boots, a $150 value.

August 2019

• Cynthia R. of Arizona, USA won a $150 gift credit to use to book camping and glamping sites on Hipcamp.
• Kelly J. of New Zealand won her choice of a set of Shacke Pack packing cubes, a Vera Bradley travel pill case, and a Zoppen travel wallet.

July 2019

• Julie W. of Michigan, USA won a Vanguard VEO 2 GO 235CB carbon fiber tripod and a VEO GO 34M bag with a total value of USD $339.98. Philip B. of England, UK won a VEO 2 GO 204AB aluminum tripod with a value of USD $149.99. Megan K. of England UK, William B. of North Carolina, USA, and Robin S. of Ontario Canada each won a VESTA Mini Tripod with a value of USD $43.99 each.
• Rachael B. of Ohio, USA, won a RavPower Filehub Plus travel router with a value of USD $42.99.

June 2019

• Ashley S. of Florida, USA won a USD $150 voucher for ScotteVest travel clothing of choice.
• Iain M. of Scotland, UK won a My Webspot Individual Edition WiFi Hotspot and a 20 day usage pass with a retail value of USD $299.

May 2019

• Gerri T. of Wales, UK was the first prize winner for the online travel photography course and Skylum Lumniar photo editing software, worth USD $198. Abbas K. of Turkey and Patsy B. of Canada also each won a free copy of the Skylum Luminar editing software.
• William T. of Georgia, USA who won a Pad & Quill TechFolio Pro Cord Organizer worth USD $140

April 2019

• Rotem A. of Israel, Cassandra C. of Missouri, USA, and Carolina R. of Argentina, each of whom won a day tour of their choice for 2 persons from Iceland Travel worth up to USD $700
• Sheila H. of England, UK who won a Melifluos travel wrap worth USD $32
• Carolyn  E. of England, UK who won a Happyluxe travel wrap worth USD $56
• David S. of Wisconsin, USA who won 3 custom vintage travel posters from Just Go Travel Studios worth USD $135

March 2019

• Delyna B. of Australia, who won a Rabbie’s Tour in the UK or Ireland worth up to USD $500
• Goretti R. of Catalonia, Spain, who won a Sony compact camera valued at USD $200

February 2019

• Becky P. from London, England, UK who won a tour from Travel Talk worth up to USD $1,200.

January 2019

• Anissa E. from Washington D.C., USA, who won a USD $200 voucher for use to buy a backpack on the Arcido store
• Anke K. from South Africa, who won a USD $200 voucher for any walking tour on the Take Walks website

December 2018

• Michelle B. from Germany, who won a Travelccessories Toiletry Bag & Travel Laundry Kit with a retail value of USD $100
• Russell C. from England, UK, who won a 5-piece Manta Sleep travel package with a retail value of USD $90

November 2018

• Toni K. from Kentucky, USA, who won OOO Traveling luggage with a retail value of USD $298
• Gary R. from Ontario, Canada, who won a Tinggly Best in the World travel gift card with a retail value of USD $119

October 2018

• Tracy C. from Australia, who won a free lifetime subscription to our travel photography course with a retail value of USD $129
• Vicki L. from the USA, who won a custom Passport Map with a retail value of USD $129

September 2018

• Toni A. of Evansville, IN, USA won a Vanguard VEO 2 235CB Carbon Fiber tripod with a retail value of USD $199
• Kevin C. of Wales, UK won a Thule Subterra Carry-On 55cm with a retail value of GBP £215