If you have an outdoors loving sports enthusiast in your circle of family and friends then the chances are they would love to receive a gift they can use in their sporting endeavours. Instead of taking the easy option and buying them socks, multitools and similarly unimaginative presents invest in some of the great hi-tech gadgets currently available and give them the gift of excitement, great memories or enhanced safety.
Helmet Cameras
For adrenaline junkies there is nothing better than being able to capture the excitement of their activities on film. Helmet cameras are lightweight, portable digital recorders that attach to sporting head gear to film live action footage from the point of view of the participant. Skiers, mountaineers, bikers, cyclists and even kayakers can capture the essence of their experience on film and often record surprising and amusing events into the bargain. Helmet cameras are a great gift for any outdoor enthusiast and are now available at very reasonable prices.
Portable DAB Radio
What could be better as you ski or hike than listening to your favourite tunes and radio stations as you go? A portable DAB Radio is lightweight and can be listened to either through its speaker or via headphones and enables the owner to keep up with the news and weather whilst they are out and about. Give the gift of crystal clear sound and hours of entertainment both in an out of the sporting arena.
Two Way Radios
Radios are very popular with skiers who may spend time separated from their colleagues and need to locate them. They can also prove very useful in times of trouble as they enable members of a party to locate friends in distress after a fall or avalanche. Most models operate on multiple channels to avoid congestion of the airwaves and have no license fee or airtime charges. These devices are small and easy for all of the family to use in the great outdoors.
GPS Receiver
GPS Receivers use The Global Positioning Satellite system to pinpoint your exact position to an accuracy of 10 metres and can even tell you your altitude. These devices are a great help to hikers, off-piste skiers and cyclists if they get lost. They can establish their current position and the distance and direction to specific points. Users can also record points of interest and create routes for use in the future. This is a marvellous gift of practicality and safety.
Crash Sensor System
The ultimate safety tool has to be a crash sensor system which can be mounted to your helmet. These devices carry sensors which recognize when you have experienced a serious impact and send a signal to your smartphone which initiates a countdown. If you fail to stop the clock, emergency contacts are called with your GPS co-ordinates. The devices were developed for cyclists but are also finding favor with skiers, mountaineers and skateboarders.
Great Gifts
Whatever sports your friends and family are involved in they will be delighted by your choice of any of these exciting technologies as a gift. You will enhance their experience, enable them to record it or perhaps even save a life!
S. Stacey is a guest blogger and total outdoor freak herself. That’s what inspired her to write this article! She uses Contour helmet cameras to record her action which she picked up at her local MX shop Vision MX.