10 Gifts for Traveling Dads

Give dad the travel toys he’ll love.

Available for purchase at The Travel Store at EllenBarone.com

Ready, Set, Adventure: Olympus Stylus 1050SW

I’ve taken this little dynamo skiing in Utah, snorkeling in Baja and mountain biking in New Mexico. I even dropped it onto my ceramic tile floor  - and it’s still shooting like the little pro that it is. Shockproof, waterproof (to 10-feet underwater), freeze-proof (to -14°F) and basically life-proof, if I can take it, so, it appears, can the palm-sized Olympus Stylus 1050SW.

The folks at Olympus seem to have thought of everything any adventurous shutterbug could ask for – rain or shine, underwater, on the slopes or on the run. Boasting 10.1 megapixel high-quality photography, image stabilized video, scene specific shooting modes, quick-access buttons for flash and exposure control, this svelte little number screams Yes You Can!

Favorite Feature: Topping my list is it’s pocket-sized convenience assuring that I’m never without a camera. Better yet, at 10.1 megapixels, if I do happen to snap the shot-of-the-century, it’s publication-quality. Did I mention it shoots YouTube ready video, too? Very fun.

Not-so-favorite Feature: No viewfinder means that I have to compose my shot in the LCD screen. But every shutterbug under the age of 30 that I voice this complaint to tells me to “get over it!” Okay, okay, I get it, viewfinders are sooo middle-age, but I still don’t like it.

Bottom-line: I wouldn’t even think of adventuring without it.

$299.00 suggested retail price: www.olympus.com

Also available at The Travel Store at EllenBarone.com powered by Amazon.

Tilley Shoulder Bag

This day bag by Tilley Endurables is the perfect city carry-all, yet tough enough for adventure. I prefer the ease of access of this padded, rainproof shoulder bag to that of a backpack. Not to mention the handiness of eleven pockets, inside key-clip, conveniently located pen pockets, Velcro-closed side pockets perfect for a water bottle and cell phone, and waterproof interior pockets that’ll keep important documents dry even in a downpour. It’s spacious enough to carry a bulky zoom lens and conceal an expensive SLR while you dine or in a pub, where you’d rather not rest it on the tabletop or sling it over a chair back, while its school-bag look doesn’t scream camera bag to thieves. It also passes macho-muster with my husband who I’ve finally trained to carry his own stuff (no more, “honey, can you put this in your purse?”).

$185.00; www.tilley.com

Patagonia Freewheeler Suitcase

By now you probably suspect that if I can go ga-ga over a laptop bag, the right suitcase could probably send me over the moon. You wouldn’t be wrong. My husband and I both own this bag and won’t even look at another. Why would we? We’ve watched our Patagonia Freewheeler take a fall from the top of a heap from a makeshift luggage cart on a rustic airstrip in Myanmar, without so much as a torn corner or bent frame. It’s trailed after us over cobbled streets and bounced up railway station steps, been dropped roughly from the rooftops of third-world buses and lashed to camels in the Sahara. And, when it finally did, after a decade of traveling the world, tear slightly along a seam, when we returned it to Patagonia for repair, they sent us a new one - free.

Made from tough ballistic cloth nylon, this water-repellent free-wheeling suitcase sports the same wheels as those found on the best inline skates. The designers at Patagonia seem to have thought of everything a traveler needs: Its duffle-style top compartment collapses snuggly into a hard-sided bottom to slide easily under a ship’s bed or the floor of a hotel closet and a zippered lower compartment keeps your shoes and dirty laundry separate. $350.00; www.patagonia.com

 

Brenthaven Prolite II Laptop Case

Don’t let its plain-Jane looks fool you. My quest for the perfect computer case ended when a fellow road warrior turned me onto this winner. The glazed look in my friends eyes as I rhapsodized about the distinguishing qualities of the bag pegged me as the hopeless gadget geek I am. I can’t help myself. I’m prone to extolling the bag’s virtues – superior padded protection, rugged ballistic nylon construction, convenient compartments for files and data media storage, front loading access to AC adaptor cables and cords, a multi-pocketed easy-access organizer panel for cell phone, iPod, GPS unit and other accessories, felt-lined quick-access pocket for sunglasses or tickets, and wheelie strap for attaching to wheeled luggage – with the zeal of a religious convert. Oh, and did I mention that it’s ‘carbon balanced’? All purchases on Brenthaven.com will be offset with carbon credits. Hey, quit rolling your eyes! $99.95; www.brenthaven.com

 

About Ellen Barone: Consumer travel expert Ellen Barone is the founder and publisher of EllenBarone.com and YourLifeIsATrip.com. Learn more here and connect on Twitter at,Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn.

 

Nissan Leak Proof Travel Mug

No matter where my travels take me, I gotta have my morning java jolt. Try scoring a take-out cup anywhere outside the coffee crazed U.S. and you’ll understand my affinity for this go-anywhere, leak-proof, shatter-proof, 14-ounce, stainless steel travel mug. And, I’m not the only one to appreciate its appeal. Thanks to its convenient carabiner that lets you hang it from your backpack, purse strap or belt, a slick fingered pickpocket in the Nairobi airport grabbed my morning cuppa. Now, as I grip the rubber padded handle of Nissan travel mug number 2 and sip the caffeine nectar, I imagine a happy thief somewhere in the world enjoying a savory brew, and smile. $23.99; www.thedailymug.com

 

About Ellen Barone: Consumer travel expert Ellen Barone is the founder and publisher of EllenBarone.com and YourLifeIsATrip.com. Learn more here and connect on Twitter at,Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn.

 

 

Eagle Creek Packing Cubes

It’s day three. You swear you packed your favorite fleece zip-up. But where the heck is it? Not a problem you’ll ever experience again if you learn to organize your clothes in Eagle Creek Packing Cubes. With a different color for shorts, socks, t-shirts and undies, you’ll find what you’re looking for, fast. Better yet, no more blushing with embarrassment as the hot guy in line behind you watches the security inspector riffle through your Bridget Jones underwear. www.eaglecreek.com