The Gadling gift guide for the outdoor traveler

by Scott Carmichael on

In our third gift guide this season, we’ll show off some of the best gear for the traveler who loves the great outdoors, or at least for those travelers that pretend they do, because most of these gadgets will work just as well for someone who thinks of a Holiday Inn as “camping”.

Other guides in our 2010 lineup: gifts for iPhone/iPad owners and gifts for the business traveler

T-Mobile Motorola Defy

The Motorola Defy (on T-Mobile) is the first rugged 3G Android phone. This smartphone will actually survive a swim, or a drop on the ground. Its Gorillaglass screen means it won’t shatter when impacted.

Price: $99.99

Product page: T-Mobile

Gadling review

Scottevest Pack Windbreaker

Imagine a lightweight and waterproof windbreaker that folds into a package compact enough to also act as a small pillow. Now imagine that jacket with handwarmer pockets, an integrated cable management system and 17 different pockets. That is, in a nutshell, the Scottevest Pack Windbreaker.

Price: $75

Product page: Pack Windbreaker

SteriPEN Traveler

Only able to find “questionable” water? Once passed through a filter to remove particulate matter, stick the SteriPEN in your container, and lets its UV light purify it to drinkable quality.

Price: $59.95

Product page: SteriPEN

Pelican i1015 rugged Phone case

Who says enjoying the great outdoors means you can’t travel with some music? The Pelican i1015 iPhone case will let your device survive just about anything your throw at it. A pass-through headphone jack means it can stay in its case, while you enjoy your tunes.

Price:$26

Product page: Pelican

Otterbox cases

Otterbox cases provide protection in several levels – their basic case will protect against scratches, and their top of the line cases will handle water, drops and more. Best of all, the cases look great and are reasonably priced.

Price: from $19.95

Product page: Otterbox

Cannondale Jekyll bike

If you are looking for the ultimate bike for outdoors, then you won’t find anything better than the Cannondale Jekyll. This bike also has the honor of being the most expensive product in all of our gift guides, and at $4,249 it may not suit those that usually settle for the $200 bike at the local mega-mart. Its dual shocks, torsion control and carbon or alloy frame make it the ultimate in outdoor pedal power. Other models in this range start at $2,999, up to $7,999

Price: $4,249

Product page: Cannondale bikes

Gorillatorch Switchback lantern/headlamp

Gorillapod made a name for themselves with their neat flexible camera tripods, but this year they expanded their assortment with flashlights. One of the most impressive additions is the Switchback. This ultra-bright headlamp turns into a powerful lantern. Its five different LED’s can switch from a red night vision lamp to a 130 lumen floodlight.

Price: $59.95

Product page: Gorillatorch

ContourGPS

The new ContourGPS HD camera is at home in outside – but it really gets in its element when you strap it to your helmet and take it downhill, or when you try to record a really stupid stunt to show off on Youtube. But best of all, the camera also records your location, making it easy to plot your trip on a map.

Price: $349.99

Product page: ContourGPS

Goal O solar panel

Need some REAL power on the road? There are plenty of small solar power kits that promise to recharge your phone when they get a day or two of sunshine, but the Goal 0 Nomad 7m delivers 7 watts of power in 5 volts (USB) or 12 volts (DC plug). This will charge your phone just as fast as a wall outlet, assuming you get enough sun.

Price: $99.99

Product page: Goal 0

Disney World at Christmas: Expect crowds. BIG crowds.

by Leigh Caldwell on

I spent many a childhood vacation driving back and forth to Florida. My family loved to vacation here. We went to various beach communities around the state, and our trips would often involve a day or two spent at Walt Disney World.

So the whole family was excited when, in 1984, one of my aunts moved to Florida. It was immediately decided that the extended family would spend Christmas there. Not only that, but we were all going to Walt Disney World. On the day after Christmas. Because, surely no one is on vacation at Walt Disney World at Christmastime.

On Dec. 26, the whole extended family – grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, probably 18-20 of us – loaded up in a motor home for the 1-hour drive to Walt Disney World. It was smooth sailing for the first 45 minutes, and then we hit the traffic. It took an extra hour to get into the parking lot, and the lot closed practically right behind us.

I still remember the nervous voices of my parents and the other adults in the car, quietly discussing the crowd levels.When we got up to the Ticket and Transportation Center, there were people everywhere. Into the Magic Kingdom we went, and it was packed, as well. I only remember riding one ride that Dec. 26 – It’s a Small World. I also remember waiting at least an hour in a 2-hour line for Dumbo before being forced to leave the line because some younger cousins had to use the bathroom.

Our expectations of an empty park and lots of rides and shows were not met, and the whole day was way less than magical.

I have now lived in Florida myself for 17 years. And almost every January or February, I run into someone, new to Florida, who decided that Walt Disney World would be empty around Christmas and it would be the perfect time to take the family. And their tale always ends up like mine. I listen, and then explain that there are certain times of year that we locals – and that includes them now – don’t go the parks. Christmas is tops on that list.

What I know now is that many families have made a trip to Walt Disney World their Christmas tradition. And with good reason, because there are a lot of Christmas sights to see at Disney World. But those folks go in with their eyes open to the crowds.

So, trust me, Walt Disney World is crowded at Christmas. While Disney doesn’t release attendance figures, the two weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Day are widely believed to be the highest attended times in the Disney theme parks every year.

Top 5 luxury travel gifts for the holidays

by Melanie Nayer on

‘Tis the season of giving! Whether you’re looking for something that sparkles or maybe just something to set the mood, we’ve found a few things sure to please any intrepid traveler (especially those with a taste for the finer things). Of course, it might cost you a little extra, but isn’t the excitement worth it? We think so, which is why we’re naming our top five luxury travel items for the holidays:

The Oscar de la Renta iPad clutch in Red Python. Why should anyone with an iPad not have a designer iPad clutch to keep it safe and fashionable? It’s a logical question and we turned to our friends at Oscar de la Renta for the solution. The iPad clutches come in a few various colors and styles, but the red python certainly makes a statement. At $390, your iPad will be safe in the comforts of luxury.

LUXE Bespoke Travel Guides. Heading to a new destination and need a new guide? Go luxe! With LUXE Bespoke, you can choose your own exquisite handcrafted box and select from our range of 31 LUXE City Guides to fill it, making a truly personalized gift. The LUXE Bespoke Box in Red Velvet holds 5 LUXE City Guides and comes embossed with the gold LUXE logo. LUXE prices range from $55 to $125 (excluding gift wrap) + Shipping.VIP Las Vegas Experiences. If you’re going to do Las Vegas, you might as well do it in style. Total Experiences is offering an “Ultimate Holiday Gift” card that provides lucky recipients with an unforgettable VIP Las Vegas getaway to Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas or Planet Hollywood. This exclusive gift includes two nights’ accommodations, exclusive “Diamond Level” status, elite VIP treatment; $200 food & beverage credit for use at any of Harrah’s Entertainment’s Total Rewards resorts in Las Vegas; Round-trip limo transportation and their own personalized trip concierge to assist with all arrangements. The “Ultimate Holiday Gift” package is available for purchase through December 30, 2010, and costs $899 for stays at Caesars Palace, $749 for stays at Paris Las Vegas and $769 for stays at Planet Hollywood (two-night minimum).

Noise-canceling earbuds from Shure. No one looks good in those big, bulky, black headphones. Sure, they cancel out the noise of the plane (and those aroundyou) but you can do better. Shure’s SE535 noise-canceling earbuds for $500are a much more fashionable way to fly, and you’ll look good, too.

Kelly van Halen luxury travel blankets. Everyone likes to be comfortable in flight, and Los Angeles interior designer Kelly van Halen has just released a new line of luxury travel blankets available exclusively at Fred Segal. The Kelly Van Halen Cashmere Travel Blankets are 4″x6″ and made of 2-ply cashmere. For $425, you can choose your color: black, charcoal gray, heather gray, chocolate brown, red, peony, light pink, blue, ivory and orange. (We’re partial to the ivory and red, but the options really are endless).

OK luxe-lovers… we’ve armed you with a few of our favorites, no go forth and purchase! Remember: a little luxe around the holidays (or anytime of year, really) is always a nice treat.

How to buy a Disneyland candy cane (and why you would want one)

by Leigh Caldwell on

Disneyland candy canes are a sought after item during the holidays. In fact, they are in such short supply that Disney has devised a ticketing system for buying them. That’s right, you need a ticket to buy a candy cane. For $9.95 each, no less.

The sweets are made at Candy Palace on Main Street U.S.A. at the California theme park.

To get one, you’ll need one of those magic tickets. They are handed out on a first-come, first-served basis each day at park opening. Get your ticket, and come back later in the day to buy up to two Disneyland candy canes for $9.95 each. If you didn’t get a ticket, you can wait in a stand-by line at the Candy Palace beginning at 3:30 p.m., to see if any of the canes are left over to buy.

So, what’s all the fuss about a candy cane? The Disneyland creations are handmade — a lost art, according to Disney. It takes a crew of three candymakers two hours to make a batch of about 45 candy canes.

The candy canes have to be made in a sealed room heated to 90 to 100 degrees. They are 5 ounces and 10-12 inches long. On a candy-cane making day, just three batches are typically made, so they are in short supply.

This month, Disneyland plans to make them on Dec. 9, 11, 13, 17, 21 and 29, according to the Disney Food Blog. But those dates are subject to change because of temperature or staffing changes. If you really must have a Disneyland candy cane, call (714) 781-0112 to verify they are being made before you head out to the park.

Disney’s Spectacle of Dancing Lights: By the numbers

by Leigh Caldwell on

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is one of the most popular holiday events at Walt Disney World.

Each night at dusk, the lights are turned on at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It is impossible to take a picture that shows the magnitude of Disney’s dancing lights display. It completely covers the buildings in the theme park’s Streets of America section. So, to try to give you the big picture, here are some of the numbers that go into making this display.

1,000 – The number of lights this display started with when Jennings Osborne put some lights up outside his Little Rock, Arkansas, home at his daughter’s request. When the exhibit grew into millions of lights, it drew too much traffic to his neighborhood and was moved to Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida.

16 – The number of years that the spectacle has been lighting up the night at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where it was first displayed in 1995.

5,000,000 – The number of individual lights now in the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights display.

350 – The number of miles the strings of lights would cover if laid end to end.

40 – The approximate number of “hidden Mickeys” in the lights display. Disney designers add Mickey shapes to the display, and many guests try to find them all.

%Gallery-108574%1 – The number of black cats in the Christmas light display. When the Osborne family’s lights were transported to Walt Disney World, a cat from the family’s Halloween display wound up with the Christmas stuff. Each year, the Disney designers put the cat in a different location in the display for guests to find.

66 – The number of machines used to make the “snowflakes” that fall periodically during the display, according to Studios Central.

5 – The number of songs the Christmas lights are programmed to “dance” to. This year’s songs include “Christmas is Starting Now” by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and “A Mad Russian’s Christmas” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

3 – The number of “Phineas & Ferb” characters heard in the audio track that plays on the Streets of America. A bit with Phineas, Ferb and Dr. Doofenshmirtz has been added to the Spectacle of Dancing Lights this year.

21,000 – The approximate number of hours that Disney employees work to install the display.

53 – The number of nights that Disney’s dancing lights display can be seen this holiday season. It runs through Jan. 3, 2011.