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 and heted gloves toinexpensive stocking stuffers such as Smartwool's colorful socks.
These top-grade Zanier Heat-GX heated gloves have an adjustable, integrated heating system that keeps your fingers warm for a full ski day without a bulky pack of two D-cell batteries on your wrist, or using chemical packets stuffed in your gloves that only heat your palms.
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.
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?
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.
Cloud 9 Living offers more than 1,000 experiential gifts that make extravagant presents for family and friends. The 'Action & Adventure' category lists such choices as a 10-story bungee jump, private rock-climbing lessons, a day in a bull-riding school, or an intro to avalanche safety class. You can buy gift certificates for adventures in or near major cities throughout the U.S.
Pacsafe's carrysafe 100, 200 and 300 are all slashproof straps with anti-theft features. The slim carrysafe 100 is a neck strap that attaches to most SLR cameras, binoculars or their carrying cases. It has a cushioned, breathable neck pad, user-friendly disconnects so the strap can be quickly clipped to a camera case and neoprene sleeves covering joining clips. The carrysafe 200 is a cushioned, shoulder strap for carrying laptop cases. Each connecting end has screw-down locking metal nuts, which when tightened with the included wrench means the strap can not be quickly removed. The carrysafe 300 is the biggest strap, with a built-in 3-dial combination lock and a wire cable to feed through zipper pull so the bag can't be opened.
