by Jacob Gordon
Over the last several weeks, we’ve been highlighting gifts for to target for the holiday season. We now wrap up our holiday-themed Five on Fridays by focusing our attention on the technology lovers in all of our lives.
You know the people. If it needs a battery, has multiple or unique settings, and comes with buttons, tech heads need to have it.
But what do you get the tech-head who also loves the outdoors? Well, hopefully something that makes the outdoors a bit more enjoyable, and that’s exactly where this FoF comes in!
1. Protective Touchscreen Phone Case
With the usefulness of touchscreen devices and GPSs, many of us like having our devices on hand when we hit the outdoors. To help prevent any catastrophe, having a protective touchscreen case is a must have. Whether it’s a phone or tablet that is getting protected, there is an array of cases at Appalachian Outdoors. The simplest provide protection from the weather while still enabling touchscreen functionality. Think of these as touchscreen-friendly baggies; they’re not meant to be show pieces, but instead provide protection for minimal use. When the adventurer gets home, these bags get tucked away. Of course, if you’re looking for more durable protection for a device, stronger impact-resistant cases are certainly an option, but they can be nearly 4x the cost of the simple bags.
2. Headlamp
A headlamp can be a great low-tech device for tech heads that provides excellent visibility for safer adventures. Headlamps these days go above and beyond the simple on-off button. With many, you can adjust your light beam with a few taps of your fingers, giving you excellent lighting in distance, close-proximity, or at night. Some even feature rechargeable batteries, which provide a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to standard alkaline.
3. GoPro Hero 4
If you know an adventurer who loves posting pictures or videos, the GoPro Hero 4 is a perfect gift for them. Depending on the model you get, the Hero 4 can shoot HD video from 1080p and 720p to even 4k! The Hero 4 can also synch to smartphones, giving the director-to-be a physical remote and more flexibility. Of course, the base package for the GoPro Hero 4 comes with the waterproof casing, so there’s no worry about it getting damaged in the outdoors.
Best of all? Appalachian Outdoors has an entire line of GoPro accessories for the Hero 4 ensuring the best, most unique shots ever. Whether you’re looking for a harness for hand-free video or you’re interested in the dog harness to see what fetch looks like from the other point of view, GoPro has it all.
The Spot Satellite Messenger is ideal for anyone who takes extended trips, be it a bike tour between countries or taking on the AT. If you’ve known a person like this, you’re familiar with what it’s like not knowing where they are. Well, the Spot helps alleviate a lot of these fears. It helps track the user’s progress from start to end by synching with Google Maps. In the event of an emergency, the Spot can transmit an SOS and the user’s exact location to GEOS Emergency Response Coordination Center to receive emergency assistance. The Spot not only gives your adventurer a device to track their progress, but it provides some peace of mind for you too. It’s a win-win!
Perhaps the techiest of all tech pieces in Appalachian Outdoors, the Ambit2 Watch from Suunto comes loaded with an array of features perfect for anyone who is incredibly active outdoors. The Ambit2 goes above and beyond telling time, offering a fully functional GPS system that plans routes, provides a location in multiple coordinate systems, and features a Track Back system that records the current path in case your loved one gets a bit turned around. The weather features of the Ambit2 help predict incoming storms, so your athlete won’t find him or herself caught unawares. There are even running and cycling features to help track the training of your athlete. And if that’s not enough, there are over 1,000 free apps, allowing for total customization. In fact, it might just be best to consider the Ambit2 more of a wristcomputer than a wristwatch. Got a tech head in your life? Watch their jaws hit the floor as they unwrap the Ambit2 this holiday season.