Need to find Christmas gifts for the travel-obsessed geek in your life who loves gadgets? Here’s my pick of the top seven travel gadgets to buy this Christmas.
Lomokino
This frame by frame movie maker is the latest member of the Lomography family I’ve been introduced to. The Lomokino let’s you shoot 144-frame movies on any 35mm film and boasts with authentic and admirable quality. The camera also comes with a nifty viewfinder through which you can instantly view and share your creations. Note that editing and posting these videos digitally could require some time and skill.
Buy for: Those who shoot from the hip
Don’t buy for: Those who lack patience and/or appreciation for the creative process.
Buy from: Exposure Gallery
Example of a Lomokino movie:
Inflatable Fun – LomoKino from Lomography on Vimeo.
Bear Grylls basic survival kit by Gerber
If you’re shopping for someone who would wear a dead seal as a wetsuit and drinks their own urine you might be hanging out in the wrong spots. Non the less I’m sure they’ll be delighted by the Bear Grylls basic survival kit. With a mantra that states ‘Stay prepared. Stay alive.’ this 8-piece kit includes the most basic tools and tricks needed to survive in the wild:
- Waterproof Bag
- Gerber® Mini-Paraframe™ Knife
- Emergency Whistle
- Fire Starter
- Waterproof Matches
- Snare Wire
- Emergency Cord
- Cotton Ball – Fire Tinder
- Lightweight, ripstop nylon bag with waterproof zipper
- Land to air rescue instructions
- Priorities of Survival – Pocket guide contains Bear’s survival essentials
Buy for: Adventurous types, those planning extreme hiking or overlanding trips, Bear Grylls fans
Don’t buy for: Those who suffer from Thanatophobia
Buy from: Find a retailer on beargrylls.co.za
BeerBird
Well, not much of a sales pitch needed here. What says Merry Christmas more than a grill designed to cook a whole chicken mounted on a beer can?
Buy for: The Tongmaster
Don’t buy for: Vegans
Buy from: Find retailers on beerbird.co.za
Fieldcandy Tents
Not for the fainthearted… nor the broke. The Fieldcandy range is a masterpiece in its own right. This design-led brand is injecting flavor and personality into the world of camping with a range of limited addition quality tents, each designed by an upcoming or established designer or photographer. Let’s be honest, aesthetics might be killing functionality here (considering the advance designs and materials used in today’s leading camping brands), and starting at over £400 these babies don’t come cheap. Yet, I’ve never wanted a tent more in my life.
Buy for: Awesome People
Don’t buy for: N/A
Buy from: Fieldcandy
WeWood Watches
A stylish gift with a good cause. These sleek and sexy eco watches for men and ladies are available in a range of colours and styles. The watches are made from quality wood (ranging from Maple to Gualaco) and are ompletely absent of artificial or toxic material. To top it off, WeWood plants a tree for every watch sold.
Buy for: Someone special, environmentalists
Don’t buy for: Swimmers – the watches are splash-proof, but not water resistant.
Buy from: WeWood
A-Stand
Based on a design by PhD Dan Steingart, the A-Stand serves the purpose of improving the ergonomic work position at your work station – wherever it might be. A perfect gift for travel bloggers or those who have to take their work on the road this season. With a design inspired by plumbing pipes, the stand is fully collapsible and mobile.
Buy for: Travel bloggers, workaholics, those with bad posture.
Buy from: aStore
Garageband for iOS
When I first installed Garageband for iPad a few months ago I was impressed by the quality of features Apple has migrated from the Mac app. What blew me away was that it is also optimised for the iPhone. This app is packed with quality features and instruments and is a must-have a for musicians on the road – not so much for actual production, but great for composing and experimenting. Garageband is just as functional for those who have no musical background. Auto-play functions and ‘smart’ instruments will help anyone learn the basics and have fun. A mobile app can be a tricky thing to buy as a present, but an iTunes gift card will surely do the trick. *Headphones recommended
Buy for: Musicians / anyone interested in making music.
Don’t buy for: Android users
Buy from: iTunes
