Whether you’re travelling as a tourist or a townie, you shouldn’t be without your gadgets. Everyone has their favourites, but here are a few extra toys that you should seriously consider taking along with you.
SteriPEN
Personally, I hate water. I think it’s boring, colourless and tasteless. That said, however, it’s certainly not to be sniffed at when there’s nothing else available. But if you’re in the middle of nowhere, and your only source of water is a nearby stream or river, a lack of taste isn’t the only thing you’ll need to worry about. The average stream can be swimming with bacteria and, if drunk from, is likely to make you feel very ill indeed.
The SteriPEN works by using the near-magical properties of ultraviolet light to sterilise water. The UV light disrupts the DNA of any bacteria, viruses and protozoa that might be lurking in the water, which prevents them from reproducing. If they can’t reproduce, they’re not able to overwhelm your immune system and make you feel sick. Using the SteriPEN couldn’t be simpler – just dip the pen in the water and turn it on. After just a few seconds, you’ll be left with a sterilised glass of water that’s perfect for drinking. Although small, the SteriPEN isn’t cheap so make sure it’s covered by your travelers insurance before you set off.
Tourist Remover Software
The thing that most often ruins a good photo isn’t a lack of exposure or even a massive thumb over the lens. It’s tourists. They stand around, shouting to each other and just generally getting in the way. Whilst you can’t physically remove them, you can edit them out of your photos with this handy piece of software, which is very aptly named Tourist Remover.
It works by comparing several photographs of the same scene, and digitally removing anything that isn’t part of the background. You’ll need to take a minimum of three photos to get the best results, and obviously it won’t work if the tourists are standing in the same place in each photo. Tourist Remover is completely free and comes with 100MB of online storage for your photos.
The Good Book Flask
Do you like alcohol? Do you like religion? If the answer to both of those questions is “yes” then you’ll love the Good Book. Fashioned to look like some kind of hallowed book, the Good Book is actually a very cleverly concealed drinking flask. Simply perfect if you want to give the impression that you’re a very spiritual tee-totaller who, every now and again, needs a bit of Dutch courage from Heaven.
The “book” is very cleverly detailed; the inside pages are made of paper with golden edging, and the front and back feature elaborate golden designs. The flask itself is made of very good quality stainless steel and can hold up to 4 oz. of “spirituality” – or whisky or gin.
Grilliput
When it comes to travelling cuisine, nothing really beats eating out under the stars. I’m not talking about sitting outside a restaurant by the side of a busy street, with an ice bucket of champagne. I’m talking about eating “à la wilde”; just you, a few friends, some good food and nature. The only problem with this is that most portable barbecues on the market still take up quite a lot of room. And that’s where the Grilliput comes in…
The Grilliput is everything you could want from a portable grill; it’s light, compact and easy to put together. In fact, it’s so compact, that it’s probably the smallest barbecue grill around. When you’re done using it, it folds down into the size of a ruler. It’s made from stainless steel and weights a mere 560 g.
