Travel Gear: pictures and perfect lighting

Ricoh WG-M1 (above)
Ricoh's new entry to the adventure camera arena is small enough to be attached to anything from a surf board to a helmet. It needs to be to take on the GoPro, which has toughed it out as the go-to kit for action filming. The WG-M1 is suitably rugged, with a 160º lens, capturing full HD and even 120fps slo mo at 848x480. It doesn't need a case to go to 10M underwater. Expected in for Christmas, around €300 from good camera stores, see ricoh-imaging.com

MyPassport Wireless Hard Drive

So much media is on our smartphones and tablets now, from movies for the kids to all the photos we rack up, that there’s a whole new niche for portable wireless hard drives. They’re wireless because mobile devices often don’t have USB connections, in particular

Apple

. This is Western Digital’s entry with lots of useful features, including a built-in slot to take SD cards directly. Up to 8 devices can connect at the same time – so the whole family can tap in at once. WD claim continuous video streaming for up to six hours– enough time to make a hole in that box set. Prices TBC, around €250 for 1TB model. see wdc.com.

Sphelar Solar Flashlight

Part objet d’art, part practical tool, the Sphelar Solar Flashlight uses “micro-spherical” solar cells encased in a clear rod to recharge itself. It’s an altogether more stylistic take on the conventional torch. No wonder New York’s Museum of Modern Art carries it in its store. A lanyard can be threaded to hang off a rucksack, but oddly, its Japanese design team haven’t included one. It does come with a wooden base to turn it into a vaguely sculptural piece. $150, from momostore.org

@tomtomkelly