We have a great round-up of products to share with you this week – everything from bags to bikes. Whether you’re heading out to explore the outdoors, wanting to wrap up warm for the forthcoming ski season or currently in the market for travel-friendly apparel or an affordable digital camera, we have a slew of items to interest you! Please read on and, as always, we welcome your comments and questions at the end of the post.
MX4 mountain bike from Ridgeback
We’ve been road-testing – or rather trail-testing – these bikes over the last few weeks and will have some great content to share with you over the coming months, detailing some of our off-road rides around the English Lake District. What I can tell you so far is that they are truly great bikes built with a lightweight alloy frame and, for those in the know about these things, come complete with Shimano gearing, Suntour suspension forks and Tektro Novela disc brakes. The upshot of all this is that it’s a robust all-round mountain bike from the very people who introduced mountain biking to the UK in the early 1980s – Ridgeback.
It’s the top of the range in Ridgeback’s MX series and with good reason. We’ve taken them on some pretty rugged terrain already and they’ve handled the ground admirably – apart from the time when I found myself going head-first into a pile of ferns (a mis-judgement on my part rather than anything else!).
Ski jackets from Simply Hike
Shop Simply Hike‘s ski jacket range for women’s, men’s and kids’ clothing for your next skiing holiday. They have a wide range of ski jackets to suit every budget and sell stock from top quality brands including North Face, Salomon, Schoffel and more. For example, this Salomon Men’s Brilliant Ski Jacket in black.
It’s a tried and tested ski jacket that is Salomon’s best selling style – waterproof, breathable and insulated, the Brilliant Jacket gives 4 way stretch for comfort and freedom of movement and has a sporty bomber jacket design. Salomon’s fabric technologies ensure you’ll stay warm and dry on the mountain.
PIXPRO AZ652 digital camera from Kodak
Here’s something you don’t often see on a camera at this price point (RRP £349.99): the Kodak PIXPRO AZ652 is a bridge camera that offers astounding 65x optical zoom. Yes, you read that right! It comes with an incredible 20-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and 24mm-1560mm zoom lens: that’s one hell of a zoom for a camera at this level.
The Kodak PIXPRO AZ65 is also capable of 5 fps multi-burst and has a 3” articulating LCD. Photos and HD videos are crystal clear with amazing, razor sharp detail, although you’ll probably need to use a tripod if you’re using the full capabilities of the zoom. What’s more, you can share your moments instantly with your friends and family via WiFi connectivity. Finally, if you want more out of your photos, you can switch to RAW files when shooting with this camera, giving you lots of post-processing flexibility to get the most from your shots.
W Paramount Softshell Jacket from Helly Hansen
This double weave, lightweight, and water resistant softshell jacket from Helly Hansen is made from stretch fabric and is suitable for a variety of weather conditions. This performance jacket will look the part not just at ski resorts, but also on boats and in cities the world over. With its athletic look, it is both warm and protective, and the quality of the softshell fabrics will be familiar to anyone who has previously owned a Paramount jacket.
Perfect for those days where there is light drizzle or wind and, with its adjustable wrists, also great for layering under larger, heavier Helly Hansen jackets.
Shirts from Fisher + Baker
Founded by designer and craftsman Greg Horvitz, and named after two of his maker passions, Fisher + Baker‘s concise collection of shirts comprises men’s functional lifestyle clothing that is timeless in style, offers purposeful details and performs to meet your everyday needs.
Not only are they super-comfortable but they are also very versatile: they can be worn in the city or out in the outdoors. These are shirts that are built to last, with purposeful details and performing to meet your everyday needs. Timeless gifts for the timeless man.
Travel bags from NomaticNomatic is a Utah based backpack company that is focused on life on the move… they have a huge selection of backpacks that really helps to simplify the packing process. They folks behind Nomatic have been all over the world and tried several methods of packing and have found it all comes down to the bag – if your bag has features that help you stay organised, then maximising your space is easy.
Their bags have features like shoe storage, a vacuum bag to fit more in less space, and a shirt organiser so that everything has a place. They have different bags to suit trips of different lengths. As seen on Kickstarter.
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.
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10 Comments
Last year I paid only £100 less for a digital camera that is a mere shadow of Kodak’s mighty offering. The statistics for this camera are simply astounding. If you think back a decade or so you would have been carrying around some very heavy equipment and have shelled out a lot of money for this sort of performance.
I still have the DSLR I bought just over a year ago. And I thought it was so advanced already! The technology of our gadgets today just keeps getting more hi-tech.
Say no more! After reading this, I can’t wait to head out and check the Ridgeback’s MX4 mountain bike. The light frames are perfect for transporting the bike, and Shimano gears are a staple in high-end bikes. I think that aside from its great specifications, it really is an eye catcher as well.
The Nomatic stuff is well-planned. I try to travel light and be as minimalistic as possible.
There’s an art to packing though having bags that are well-organised helps but I still always take stuff I don’t need and regret not taking other things.
Can’t wait to hit the slopes in mid-January once the New Year rush has died down. It sounds as if The Brilliant jacket does what it says on the tin. So what to wear is solved. If only getting back to ski fitness was as easy.
I kept leaving my laptop open on this post, in the run-up to Christmas, with the MX4 bike from Ridgeback showing but it just didn’t work. My partner just didn’t see it. Santa never bought me a bike.
So, it looks as if I’m going to have to put my hand in my pocket and buy a present for myself.
I bought the Paramount jacket from Helly Hansen a while back, having seen this blog post, and absolutely love it!!! It’s a nice cut and fit – stylish for a variety of different scenarios – and just so versatile!
It’s the first time I’ve had anything Helly Hansen but I am impressed by the quality and would definitely order again!!
Yes, the nights are drawing in and it’s that time of year again. I know it’s early but it’s time to start thinking about Chrissie presents again. Thought I’d do some searches to see what inspirational
gift ideas I came up with. Thinking this post helps me tick off a few people.
It’s the top of the range in Ridgeback’s MX series and with good reason. We’ve taken them on some pretty rugged terrain already and they’ve handled the ground admirably – apart from the time when I found myself going head-first into a pile of ferns (a mis-judgement on my part rather than anything else!).
Ski jackets from Simply Hike
Shop Simply Hike‘s ski jacket range for women’s, men’s and kids’ clothing for your next skiing holiday. They have a wide range of ski jackets to suit every budget and sell stock from top quality brands including North Face, Salomon, Schoffel and more. For example, this Salomon Men’s Brilliant Ski Jacket in black.
Perfect for those days where there is light drizzle or wind and, with its adjustable wrists, also great for layering under larger, heavier Helly Hansen jackets.
Shirts from Fisher + Baker
Founded by designer and craftsman Greg Horvitz, and named after two of his maker passions, Fisher + Baker‘s concise collection of shirts comprises men’s functional lifestyle clothing that is timeless in style, offers purposeful details and performs to meet your everyday needs.
It’s the top of the range in Ridgeback’s MX series and with good reason. We’ve taken them on some pretty rugged terrain already and they’ve handled the ground admirably – apart from the time when I found myself going head-first into a pile of ferns (a mis-judgement on my part rather than anything else!).
Ski jackets from Simply Hike
Shop Simply Hike‘s ski jacket range for women’s, men’s and kids’ clothing for your next skiing holiday. They have a wide range of ski jackets to suit every budget and sell stock from top quality brands including North Face, Salomon, Schoffel and more. For example, this Salomon Men’s Brilliant Ski Jacket in black.
It’s a tried and tested ski jacket that is Salomon’s best selling style – waterproof, breathable and insulated, the Brilliant Jacket gives 4 way stretch for comfort and freedom of movement and has a sporty bomber jacket design. Salomon’s fabric technologies ensure you’ll stay warm and dry on the mountain.
PIXPRO AZ652 digital camera from Kodak
Here’s something you don’t often see on a camera at this price point (RRP £349.99): the Kodak PIXPRO AZ652 is a bridge camera that offers astounding 65x optical zoom. Yes, you read that right! It comes with an incredible 20-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and 24mm-1560mm zoom lens: that’s one hell of a zoom for a camera at this level.
The Kodak PIXPRO AZ65 is also capable of 5 fps multi-burst and has a 3” articulating LCD. Photos and HD videos are crystal clear with amazing, razor sharp detail, although you’ll probably need to use a tripod if you’re using the full capabilities of the zoom. What’s more, you can share your moments instantly with your friends and family via WiFi connectivity. Finally, if you want more out of your photos, you can switch to RAW files when shooting with this camera, giving you lots of post-processing flexibility to get the most from your shots.
W Paramount Softshell Jacket from Helly Hansen
This double weave, lightweight, and water resistant softshell jacket from Helly Hansen is made from stretch fabric and is suitable for a variety of weather conditions. This performance jacket will look the part not just at ski resorts, but also on boats and in cities the world over. With its athletic look, it is both warm and protective, and the quality of the softshell fabrics will be familiar to anyone who has previously owned a Paramount jacket.
Perfect for those days where there is light drizzle or wind and, with its adjustable wrists, also great for layering under larger, heavier Helly Hansen jackets.
Shirts from Fisher + Baker
Founded by designer and craftsman Greg Horvitz, and named after two of his maker passions, Fisher + Baker‘s concise collection of shirts comprises men’s functional lifestyle clothing that is timeless in style, offers purposeful details and performs to meet your everyday needs.
Not only are they super-comfortable but they are also very versatile: they can be worn in the city or out in the outdoors. These are shirts that are built to last, with purposeful details and performing to meet your everyday needs. Timeless gifts for the timeless man.
Travel bags from Nomatic
Nomatic is a Utah based backpack company that is focused on life on the move… they have a huge selection of backpacks that really helps to simplify the packing process. They folks behind Nomatic have been all over the world and tried several methods of packing and have found it all comes down to the bag – if your bag has features that help you stay organised, then maximising your space is easy.
Their bags have features like shoe storage, a vacuum bag to fit more in less space, and a shirt organiser so that everything has a place. They have different bags to suit trips of different lengths. As seen on Kickstarter.
Last year I paid only £100 less for a digital camera that is a mere shadow of Kodak’s mighty offering. The statistics for this camera are simply astounding. If you think back a decade or so you would have been carrying around some very heavy equipment and have shelled out a lot of money for this sort of performance.
Never mind the skiing! If the Beast from the East makes a comeback I bet the Simply Hike will do the job. Stylish enough for a night out too.
I still have the DSLR I bought just over a year ago. And I thought it was so advanced already! The technology of our gadgets today just keeps getting more hi-tech.
Say no more! After reading this, I can’t wait to head out and check the Ridgeback’s MX4 mountain bike. The light frames are perfect for transporting the bike, and Shimano gears are a staple in high-end bikes. I think that aside from its great specifications, it really is an eye catcher as well.
In this winter weather I don’t like traditional V Necked and short sleeved golf shirts.
Four hours in constantly changing weather is a real test of any shirt. Last week it was 10 degrees warmer when I’d played all 18.
I’ve got a Fisher and Bsket shirt which does the job on the course and is then stylish enough for drinks at the 19th watering hole.
The Nomatic stuff is well-planned. I try to travel light and be as minimalistic as possible.
There’s an art to packing though having bags that are well-organised helps but I still always take stuff I don’t need and regret not taking other things.
Can’t wait to hit the slopes in mid-January once the New Year rush has died down. It sounds as if The Brilliant jacket does what it says on the tin. So what to wear is solved. If only getting back to ski fitness was as easy.
I kept leaving my laptop open on this post, in the run-up to Christmas, with the MX4 bike from Ridgeback showing but it just didn’t work. My partner just didn’t see it. Santa never bought me a bike.
So, it looks as if I’m going to have to put my hand in my pocket and buy a present for myself.
I bought the Paramount jacket from Helly Hansen a while back, having seen this blog post, and absolutely love it!!! It’s a nice cut and fit – stylish for a variety of different scenarios – and just so versatile!
It’s the first time I’ve had anything Helly Hansen but I am impressed by the quality and would definitely order again!!
Yes, the nights are drawing in and it’s that time of year again. I know it’s early but it’s time to start thinking about Chrissie presents again. Thought I’d do some searches to see what inspirational
gift ideas I came up with. Thinking this post helps me tick off a few people.