REVIEWED: Lululemon Para backpack
It takes just 23 litres, but this backpack easily takes enough gear for short or well-planned longer trips
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Backpacking & Outdoors
REVIEWED: Icebreaker Cool-Lite Compass II shirt
Part merino wool, part awesome, this quick-drying technical layer is ideal for when you need to look smart while on a
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REVIEWED: Icebreaker Cool-Lite Sphere Tank
Super-light and quick-drying, this mainly merino vest for women is the perfect travel all-rounder for hot and humid countries
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REVIEW: Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod
Excellent build quality on this lock ‘n’ load mini-tripod, but it lacks positional flexibility
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REVIEWED: Solartab solar charger
This great looking, brilliantly designed, iPad-sized solar panel is essential if you’re heading off-grid – and great around camp
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REVIEW: Native Union TAG Cable
This nicely disguised Apple Lightning cable is perfect for fastening to a backpack for tangle-free travel
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REVIEW: ExOfficio BugsAway Sandfly trousers
Ultra-lightweight and quick-drying, these are perfect for hot days and for keeping mozzies at bay, but only if you can hack
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REVIEW: Manfrotto TwistGrip
This universal tripod clamp for smartphones & compact cameras is high quality, but perhaps overkill for travel
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The digital outdoors
Enjoying nature means harnessing new technology, not leaving it at home
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REVIEWED: TravelPod
TripAdvisor’s travel journal app is great for backpackers, but has it been surpassed by social media?
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Five packable storm shells for city breaks & hikes
Watery walking tour? Dodge downpours but travel light with these highly compact raincoats that pack into their own pockets
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REVIEWED: Teva Fi Lite sandals
Comfy hard-wearing, these men’s sandals prove just secure enough for a spot of light hiking
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REVIEWED: Marmot Simpson Convertible Hiking Cap
Straightforward & lightweight cap with added neck UPF 45 protection for hiking, running and outdoor travel
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REVIEWED: Marmot Quasar Hoody
Super-warm and super-light, this goose down jacket proves a must-have for mountain trips, hiking and camping
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REVIEWED: Marmot Rolling Hauler Carry On
A mid-sized roller that’s well organised and travel-tough enough for backpacking trips, fly-drives and skiing holidays
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REVIEWED: Tilley Wanderer
Does your travel hat have a passport pocket? This all-weather hat offers UPF 50+ protection, and it even comes with an
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REVIEWED: Hunter Balmoral II MFT9015RPO
There are wellies, and then there are Hunters; these wellington boots were made for walking
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REVIEWED: Superfeet merinoGREY
Do your shoes fit like a glove? They will after inserting a pair of these travel-friendly insoles
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REVIEWED: Trespass Faris TP50
Good value 3 in 1 waterproof jacket stuffed with handy pockets
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PREVIEW: Sony Xperia Eye
#MWC 2016, Barcelona: Could this wearable camera with face recognition stop travellers being slaves to their phones?
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REVIEWED: The North Face Men’s Gordon Lyons Full Zip Fleece Hoodie
With plenty of zips and a handy area for a phone or lens cap, this great-fitting fleece-lined hoody is perfect
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REVIEWED: Thule Atmos X5
Great for skiing and the great outdoors, this waterproof, drop-proof case for the iPhone 6/6S is worth its weight
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REVIEWED: EDZ Merino Wool Touch gloves
Keep that smartphone in your hand even in freezing conditions with these touchy-feely gloves
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FOCUS: Three #travelproof #tablets
The must-have travel accessory toughs-up for the great outdoors, but only if you know where to look
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REVIEWED: Classic Fisher Space Bullet Pen
Write anywhere, anytime and in any gravity with the planet’s most versatile travel pen
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REVIEWED: Pen Heaven Ravello Small Recycled Leather Journal
Sturdy and stylish, this 128-leaf notebook is a real page-turner on long trips
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REVIEWED: Scrubba Wash Bag
Even a capsule wardrobe needs washing; this portable ‘machine’ gets clothes clean and doubles as a stuff-sack
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REVIEWED: MPOWERD Luci Outdoor Inflatable Solar Light
A collapsible, inflatable, waterproof solar lantern that weighs just 113g and is perfect for camping trips
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REVIEWED: Keen Owyhee sandals
Great for lounging and a casual hike or two, but on beaches these all-rounders too easily collect water and sand
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REVIEWED: ExOfficio Minimo Plaid Long Sleeve Shirt
Super-thin and light yet too easy to crease, this travel shirt goes too far in the right direction
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REVIEWED: Kanex GoBuddy+
Charge, sync, then have a beer. This clever two-in-one gadget that reduces cables is a long, cool carabiner clip away
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REVIEWED: Divoom Voombox Travel
It’s rugged, it’s splash resistant, it’s Bluetooth, but does a speaker really deserve a place on your packing list?
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REVIEWED: Thule EnRoute Triumph 2 daypack
Perfect protection for a MacBook Pro and a pair of sunglasses, this cabin-sized daypack’s clever design proves ideal as a
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REVIEWED: Night Sky MiniScope
A telescope for your iPhone? This portable 50x optical zoom super-charges phoneography, but lacks focus finesse
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REVIEWED: AquaStorage RoguePak
Sick of cleaning your bulky hydration bladder? This reusable system eliminates both hassle and bulk with compact, lightweight bags perfect for an itinerary
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REVIEWED: Patagonia Houdini windbreaker
Weighing just 110g and easy to clip on to a belt, this anatomically designed pac-a-mac is perfect for ultra-light travel
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REVIEWED: ExOfficio BugsAway Ziwa convertibles
Travel light and keep your passport safe with these versatile, comfortable and well-designed travel trousers/pants ideal for backpacking
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REVIEWED: Keen Uneek sandals
An open air design and a comfortable fit make these ‘rope shoes’ great for beaches & boardwalks
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REVIEWED: NomadClip for Apple Lightning & micro USB
Getting in a tangle on your travels? These clip-on carabiners are clever companions on any journey
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REVIEWED: Case Logic Kontrast DSLR Camera Bag
Great value, comfortable all-in-one capable of storing everything a photographer needs for a short trip
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REVIEWED: Osprey Axis 18L daypack
Hard-wearing and comfortable, this versatile bag with a sunglasses pocket is a fine companion for short trips, hikes and more
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REVIEWED: OverBoard Waterproof Map Pouch
D-rings on each corner and a carabiner make this pouch the ideal attachment for all-weather hikes and sailing trips
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REVIEWED: OverBoard Pro-Sports waterproof SLR camera bag
Dunk-proof roll-top one-trick wonder that keeps rain and sea-spray at bay, but can’t hack a long hike
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REVIEWED: Tech21 Patriot protective case
Well designed and good value travel-proof protection for the iPhone 5S & iPhone 6, with cutouts for cameras and a gap
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REVIEWED: Canon 10x42L IS WP image stabilized binoculars
The last word in rugged and judder-free binoculars are pricey, but scream quality
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REVIEWED: GlobalStar GSP-1700 satellite phone
Leave the dodgy mobile network behind with this ‘eye in the sky’, but check a map first
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REVIEWED: Asolo Tribe GV hiking boots
Technical, tough and fully waterproof, these boots were made for walking
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REVIEWED: iFrogz Golite 2.0 portable charger & flashlight
This soft-touch battery-cum-torch is handy for short trips, but lacks capacity and brightness
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REVIEWED: Alpine Labs Michron
Great value tiny black box that turns your phone into a remote control to automate DLSR photos and time-lapse videos
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REVIEWED: Petzl Tikka R+ head-torch
Comfier but tricker to operate, this rechargeable bonce-beamer’s appeal quickly fades
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