Stay warm and dry away from your 'van
£ (yet to be announced)
Often the best way to explore a new destination is on foot, yet it can be all too tempting to stay in your end lounge if the weather looks dodgy. But with this fully waterproof, lightweight jacket from Victorinox Swiss Army waiting in your wardrobe, you can venture out in confidence.
Unusual features include a watch window for checking your timepiece and a front pocket which is perfect for a hand-held GPS or iPod. Just plug in your MP3 player and listen to downloaded walking tours of the area you're exploring (www.tourist-tracks.com).
It also has Hi-Brite panels and an LED torch – useful if you get a little too adventurous, and lost. This new jacket should be available from April.
Tel 020 74910029 (UK distributor) for stockists
Web www.swissarmy.com

Keep in touch with a high-spec laptop
£1900
Okay, we know it's not cheap but if you want a laptop so you can stay in touch with your loved ones then this is one of the best on the market. Apple systems are famed for being more intuitive and easier to use than PCs. But if you'd rather stick with what you know, the Apple MacBook Pro will work as a PC, too, as the Intel Core 2 Duo processor is compatible with both types of software.
Also, with a 2Gb memory and whopping 160Gb hard drive, you've got plenty of room to store music, movies and photographs for display on the beautifully-defined 17in screen.
Tel 0800 039 1010
Web www.apple.com/uk

Watch your iPod movies in comfort while on the move
Around £77*
iPod's are perfect for on-the-road passenger entertainment, as you can store thousands of albums and entire movies on one small, portable device. But watching films on their minuscule screens is a chore. However, the Philips DCP750 has a docking station for your video iPod, so simply plug in your Apple gizmo and enjoy a film on the 7.5in screen. It even charges your iPod as you watch. But if you would rather travel with hard copies, then don't worry – it plays DVDs, too.
You can access media off a memory card, and the battery lasts for up to two and a half hours, away from hook-up. *It's currently only available in the USA, but is due for release in the UK soon.
Tel 0906 1010 016
Web www.philips.co.uk

Enjoy your hi-tech toys with a clear conscience
£30
If you carry a lot of electrical devices with you on tour but are feeling pangs of guilt about the juice used, invest in a green and affordable solution with the Free Loader. It has solar panels which fire up its internal battery within five hours and it can charge a whole host of electrical devices, including: phones, cameras, PDAs and MP3 players. Apparently it can breathe up to 44 hours of life into a phone and 22 hours-worth into a PDA.
The Free Loader is compatible with the majority of modern electronic gadgets and is connected via a USB cable which is included.
Tel 0845 0099 016
Web www.ethicalsuperstore.com

Ultra-compact camcorder and much more besides
£220
The Archos 404 camcorder (pictured, left) fuses many multimedia gadgets into one handy, compact whole. Essentially, it's a camcorder for you to record the places you visit. And with a 30Gb hard drive, it has the capacity to store up to around 40 movies, depending on their length.
It also stores photographs – about 300,000 of them – and can play back WMA music files as well as feature length films. All of this on a small, 3.5in LCD screen. It's so compact, in fact, that it fits snugly into shirt pockets.
Available from Boots the Chemist or online
Web www.archos.com.