If you're looking for a cheap place to stay — and who isn't these days — Airbnb might work for you. The site works like www.Match.com for travelers, pairing those who need a bed with those who have one to spare.

"It's anything between couch surfing and a hotel," said Brian Chesky, 27, who co-founded the site with his two roommates. The good news: Air beds aren't involved.

Since launching one year ago, Airbnb boasts accommodations in 1,108 cities in 77 countries, including 64 listings in Hawai'i and more than 870 properties in New York.

By the founders' definition, a crash pad can be a gym mat on a rooftop deck, a futon in an apartment, an aerie in a Ritz-Carlton residence, a treehouse in the woods or a berth on a boat.

You won't find a standard hotel room here, but you will find everything else. Hosts and guests are equally diverse.

Anyone can post a lodging, and any renter can take them up on the offer. Prices start at youth-hostel levels and rise, though most are $150 or less. www.airbnb.com.

— Washington Post

ONLINE

NIFTY LITTLE GADGET ENSURES YOU'RE ALWAYS PREPARED OUTDOORS

If you can't leave home without at least one gadget, make it a multipurpose one. Perfect for day hikes in the mountains or more extreme adventures, the Leatherman Juice C2 comes well equipped with a knife, openers, pliers, wire cutters and four screwdrivers. The Juice C2 is the slimmest of the Juice models, but still has a corkscrew, so even those who travel lightest can enjoy the finer things in life.

This handy little device won't cut into the travel budget either; it measures 3 1/4 inches closed and weighs just over 4 ounces — no plug required. $31.99 at www.amazon.com.

— Advertiser Staff

WORLDWIDE

SEND IN YOUR BEST PHOTOS FOR A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CONTEST

National Geographic Traveler's amateur photography contest is seeking submissions for its World in Focus contest. Categories include: Travel portraits, outdoor scenes, sense of place, spontaneous moments, and a photo essay of up to six images that tell a story around a particular theme.

Entrants may choose between two levels of competition: amateur, judged by NGT editors, or professional, chosen by Photo District News judges.

The grand prize is a 10-day safari for one person to Tanzania with National Geographic Expeditions. Digital entries only. $12 per entry. Deadline: Aug. 24.

Entry forms, contest rules and submissions at www.worldinfocuscontest.com.

— Advertiser Staff