Check out this selection of gifts and gear for adventure travelers. The choices range from fat-wallet presents, such as a LuxuryLink.com gift certificates, to the mid-priced Solio Hybrid1000 charger for your electronic gadgets, and inexpensive stocking stuffers such as Smartwool's colorful Adrenaline socks.
That thief couldn't cut through the strap on my hip pack. He tried, but the wire-reinforced slash-proof belt wouldn't give. If you want some terrific anti-theft travel gear -- for yourself or holiday gifts - check out the Pacsafe line.
Fueling your electronic gear is a cinch with the next generation Solio Hybrid1000. This handy, rugged universal charger can power an array of mobile devices, from MP3 players and cell phones to digital cameras, a GPS, and game consoles. Solio claims a full H1000 will charge a typical mobile phone once or give 10 hours of MP3 music. The H1000 has a rechargeable lithium ion battery that can store power for up to one year. Not near a plug? No problem, you can plug into the sun for free green energy.
Give your favorite person a LuxuryLink.com gift certificate (knowing that most of the deeply discounted packages on the website are for two). Browsing is half the fun on this site, where you can bid in an auction or choose a buy-it-now price. The other half is, of course, taking the trip. (My husband and I had the winning bid on LuxuryLink.com for ten nights in suites at Orient Express Hotels in Peru, including a visit to Macchu Pichu and Colca Canyon (twice the depth of the Grand Canyon. The price was a fraction of the cost of similar packages from high-end tour operators.)
Picture a steel spider web surrounding your backpack or bags. The PacSafe luggage protector is made of an adjustable high-tensile stainless steel designed to protect your pack or bag from tampering, pilfering and theft. It can be secured to something fixed - whether a tree in the wilderness or a pedestal sink in a hotel bathroom. PacSafe, a winner of Backpacker Magazine's coveted Editors' Choice Award, comes in four sizes.
Skiers have been using Smartwool socks for years (because the company was started by a former ski instructor) and now hikers, mountain bikers and other active sports enthusiasts are opting for the Adrenaline socks, with a special design, knit contours and padding to ensure the socks flex without unwanted bunching. These socks are made from the soft wool of New Zealand's merino sheep. The wool is porous, so wicks moisture away. Smartwool also has a Lifestyle socks line with stylish, at times entertaining, and extremely comfortable. This super-fine wool doesn't itch; in fact it feels more like you're wearing soft bedroom slippers, and the company claims the socks won't shrink with proper washing and can be machine dried.
Here's a gift for women who hate restricting waistbands, especially when skiing, snowboarding or leaning over to buckle boots. Mountain Hardware's Insulated Stretch Piste Pant is made of very tough fabric, and the cut makes them exceptionally comfortable to wear. Fashionable and functional – what more can a woman want?
Whether you're watching wild game in Africa at night or stumbling out of a tent in the wilderness for a "bathroom" stop, Bushnell's StealthView digital night vision monocular will be your best friend. The 5x magnification and 42mm objective lens combine to provide 600 feet of viewing range, and a powerful infrared spotlight illuminates subjects up to 200 feet away. The StealthView is rubber armored and weatherproofed, and includes a built-in tripod mount and video output port.
Heading to a country or region where you're leery about drinking the water? The SteriPEN Traveler is a handheld water purifier that's smaller that a typical remote control, so it's easy to put in a backpack pocket or a purse. Just push its button twice for 16 ounces, or once for 32 ounces, wait for the blinking green light, then dip the device into a container of clear water. It takes the Travelers 48 seconds to purify 16 ounces of water and 90 seconds for a quart of water. The Traveler, a miniature version of the popular SteriPen, weighs less than 4 ounces with batteries and comes in a carrying case. A solar charger is additional.
Sure doesn't sound like a sexy gift, but your weekend athlete who gimps around Sunday night with sore legs after a day on the slopes or a 50-mile bike ride will love them. The Australia-based company is just now bringing its clothing to the U.S. but it's already popular down under. On the SKINS website, there's a lengthy list of professional rugby, basketball, snowboarding, skiing, cycling and other athletes who shimmy into the tights at night, swearing that the unique gradient compression system really moves the lactic acid out and preps their legs for another day of play.
The PacSafe TravelSafe 100 is very handy if you're staying in a hotel room that doesn't have a safe, and you don't want to carry your passport or extra money around while touring. Just hook this lockable bag, with a steel-mesh lining, around the hanging bar in the closet or a fixed pipe in the bathroom.
