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Luxury travel treats: Farpoint Wheels 65, the PLIQO, Helly Hansen jacket and more

Whether you’re a backpacker or a business traveller, there’s something for you in our latest round-up of ‘luxury travel treats’. In this edition, we have some really versatile luggage – a rucksack that can be wheeled around and a revolutionary garment for those of you who travel on business – not to mention more great apparel from Helly Hansen, a super-compact and lightweight drone from DJI and a beautiful timepiece from Patek Philippe. Farpoint Wheels 65 from Osprey The Farpoint is Osprey‘s award-winning travel backpack series… and with good reason. And the Farpoint Wheels 65 is the perfect travel companion, with plenty of space within it, along with the flexibility of being able to wheel your luggage around in places such as airports, as well as carrying it on your back like an ordinary backpack in places where you might be a little more restricted for space or when you need to navigate more quickly. The luggage comes complete with internal compression straps to secure your luggage and plenty of pockets to help organise your belongings. Additional features include the AirSpeed™ ventilated trampoline suspended mesh backpanel, an extendable ergonomic handle, ID card holder, key attachment clip and zippered scratch-free sunglasses and electronics pocket, to name just some. The PLIQO Compact Garment Bag “The future is unfolding” reads the tag on my PLIQO garment bag and, if you could see it for yourself, you would see we have come a long way since the days of traditional suit carriers. Awarded a US Patent for its unique folding system, PLIQO has changed business travel for good. Its unique design allows you to to travel with your suit or formalwear as comfortably and conveniently as possible, even on the longest of journeys. It’s large on the inside but ultra-compact once folded, with a footprint that’s smaller than a broadsheet newspaper. This quality garment bag can be carried on its own, packed into other bags, or be integrated with other luggage. Racing jacket from Helly Hansen At just 470g, this lightweight waterproof jacket is perfect for keeping the chill off on those cooler days whilst you travel. Its technical, all-purpose marine design that Racing jacket from Helly Hansen is so well-known for is thanks to the input from professional racers. The jacket gives unrestricted freedom of movement whilst still providing warmth and protection against the elements. It also features a full-stretch construction along with a mesh lining, fleece collar and hand-warmer pockets. The highly technical and versatile design makes this a favorite jacket for teams and a go-to everyday jacket for those looking for an authentic marine style. Mavic Mini from DJI Weighing under 250 grams, Mavic Mini is almost as light as the average smartphone. This makes it perfect for travel – exceptionally portable and one of the lowest and safest weight class of drones, which in many countries may exempt it from certain regulations. This compact yet powerful drone is the perfect creative companion, capturing your moments in a way that effortlessly elevates the ordinary. Together with the easy-to-use DJI Fly app, you’ll enjoy a simplified flying experience and a perspective unlike any other. Mavic Mini supports 12MP aerial photos and 2.7K Quad HD videos. A 3-axis motorized gimbal provides superior camera stability and ensures clear, ultra-smooth footage. World Time watch from Patek Philippe The famous World Time watch, highly coveted by frequent flyers and collectors, is being relaunched with a carefully evolved rosegold or white-gold case, a newly designed, pierced hour hand that reflects the exclusive Patek Philippe style, as well as a manually guilloched dial center with a motif inspired by a historic model in the Patek Philippe Museum’s inventory. The model shown here is model number 5230G-014 in white gold. If you have a product you’d like to see featured in the ‘Luxury travel treats’ series on A Luxury Travel Blog, please contact us. We also post occasional gift round-ups. If you have a luxury travel product that you’d like to see featured in one of those, make sure you sign up on this mailing list in order to receive an alert when we are compiling the next one.

Paul Johnson

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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19 Comments

  1. The Patek Philippe World Time watch is the ultimate gift for jet-setting globetrotters who need to know what the the time is in their time-zone.

    1. That watch should certainly be on my list to Santa. My company send me on so many missions around the world that sometimes I don’t even know what day it is, let alone what the time is.

  2. Isn’t less than 250 grams the key stat now for drone users in the U.K. now? I think that at 250g and above you have to take a users exam and get a license. If I’m right then DJI have sensibly positioned the Mavic Mini as an attractive purchase.

    1. Yes, in the UK as of last month… “Anyone responsible for a drone or unmanned aircraft (including model aircraft) weighing between 250g and 20kg needs to register as an operator.” This basically involves paying a fee of £9 and taking a multiple choice exam in which you need to score at least 16 out of 20. You can take the exam as many times as you wish and, once youi’ve passed, it’s valid for a year.

  3. Some great suggestions here. I bought a suitcase as a gift the other year with a built in digital scale so you can pick it up and know how much it weighs. Handy to have if you travel a lot to avoid last minute hiccups at the baggage check in. I’m not sure that the Osprey one has that feature but it seems well suited for organisation and it’s brilliant you can wear it as a backpack because sometimes that’s easier than wheeling it along, especially if it’s not too heavy. Definitely a better idea for a panic dash to the terminal or train.

    1. This Osprey item doesn’t have that feature but then again, if you’re putting it on your back, you probably don’t want it to be much than 20kg anyway… :-) As you say, though, this item is definitely useful for a variety of situations.

    2. Maybe that can be the decider for whether it’ll pass check-in with your baggage allowance. If you can get it on your back and race to check in then you’re good to go. If not, you might want to double up on the layers you’re wearing to make the suitcase a bit lighter! I’ve never come across the Airspeed material before either, pretty distinctive to have ventilated trampoline suspended mesh back panelling as a feature. It certainly all looks the part and the main thing is it’s practical and keeps you organised, which is crucial for low stress travelling.

  4. I always end up buying things for myself from these sorts of gift guides, oops! That garment bag would definitely come in handy, I nearly bought one the other year but it seemed a bit too basic. I think it pays to invest a little more otherwise if you get one that’s too faffy or ends up screwing up your clothes then it’s pointless. I’ll have to check out the Pliqo one, cheers.

  5. My son is a fanatical sailor though always reluctant to spend his own money updating his gear. That Helly Hansen jacket would be an ideal present for him. Not just for sailing but could be essential if The Beast from the East returns again.

    1. So are my sons, Carolyn! They wear Helly Hansen gear exclusively and love both the quality and the branding. Whilst this isn’t a jacket that will offer maximum protection for the harshest of conditions (they have plenty of other jackets in that range to fulfit those requirements), it does protect from the chill whilst still being lightweight. It looks very smart, too, so can be worn in multiple situations, whether it be just keeping warm whilst rigging the boat or – fingers crossed – looking the part at prize-giving after a weekend of sailing!

  6. Many of my work colleagues go to great lengths and expense to have bespoke suits created to their precise specifications. Some then crush the suit into their suitcase whilst others carry it in a basic dry cleaning carrier. I can not understand why they don’t get themselves a PLIQO carrier.

    1. When you weigh up the cost of something like the PLIQO versus a bespoke, tailored suit, you would think it would be a no-brainer, wouldn’t you? :-)

  7. On my business travels I am increasingly finding that airports and railways are linked together. Often it’s only short walk to my next mode of transport, particularly in Europe. Having luggage, like the Farpoint Wheels 65, where the wheels work slickly, makes travel so much easier, especially when you are racing for the next connection.

  8. Very swish watch. My father’s a bit of a watch collector so I imagine he’d love one like this. It’s nice to see the standard watches are still popular, I imagined them going out of flavour with smartphones and smart watches. Can’t beat a good old classic watch though. I’d also recommend H/H as a brand for jackets. Mine’s lasted me four years now and it’s still going strong.

  9. I’ve been to a couple of events lately which were crying out for some drone photography. One was a wonderful wedding in a big house’s grounds on the River Mole. There would have been some great shots as the sun set. The other was a friend’s 50th again in his rather extensive garden. If only we had a drone to get some aerial shots.

  10. My husband travels far too much on business. Consequently his luggage is beginning to look quite battered and tired. Nor does he take much care over his suits when travelling. I can’t ever imagine him going out and getting himself a top quality case and garment carrier.

    The Farpoint Wheels 65 and the PLIQO garment bag solve my problems of what to give him for Christmas. They are far from romantic gifts but both are badly needed.

  11. Both my son and daughter are addicted to travel, so much so that they never have the money they ought to have to buy the gear that they need to make their travels a little more comfortable.

    I like these annual suggestions for travel gifts as I know that I can usually find something here that will make their future travels more enjoyable.

  12. I’m not sure whether “Luxury Travel Treats” is the best heading for this collection of more than useful equipment.

    Let me tell you, from painful experience, of having luggage virtually self-destruct whilst I’ve been hoicking it along, that having dependable, good quality, reliable kit that is fit for purpose isn’t a luxury at all. Travel without the right gear can be a miserable experience and use up more of your time than it should when things go wrong.

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