Gadgets

Scrubba Washing Bag
Aussies are such inveterate travellers, it's no wonder this is from Down Under. The Scrubba is a bag-sized, personal portable washing machine. The trick is a flexible, bendable wash-board inside the bag that lets you scrunch it up to pack away. And a matching grippy area on the outside for traction. Throw in the laundry, add some water and soap, seal it up and make with the elbow grease. Needless to say, the Scrubba's success is predicated on its owner remembering to wash their clothes in the first place.
Scrubba Washing Bag, AU$60 thescrubba.com

Alpaca Travel Guitar
If you're looking to busk the globe with your Stairway to Heaven solo (acoustic version), the Alpaca is eco-friendly and roadie-tough. Built from carbon fibre, flax fabric and bio-derived resins, with Steinberger Gearless Tuners, it weighs just 1.2kg (2.6lb), yet delivers full-bodied sounds. And despite the hi-tech styling and materials, each is hand-crafted in Vermont.
Alpaca Travel Guitar, $575 alpacaguitar.com

K2 Rescue Shovel Plus
Ice Axe
No doubt a German version of that name could roll all the words into one gobstopper, but suffice to say, everything else about this is concisely pared-down. Designed for cross-country, far off-piste skiing, it's a multi-functional avalanche shovel that transforms into an ice axe and the shovel head can also angle like a hoe for clearing snow. And for true snow scouts: it comes with kit that can build a rescue sled along with suitable K2 skis.
K2 Rescue Shovel Plus Ice Axe, Around $140, see k2skis.com for details
Tom Kelly
betweenideas.
blogspot.com