Gear Guide: Into the Wild

Half of the fun of an expedition is planning for the unexpected. How can you make yourself comfortable in the world’s wild places, and what will you see once you’re out there? Just imagine the adventures you can have out in the outback … or maybe just out in the back yard. Either way, it never hurts to be prepared!

Rainbow on the Ground

“Veldskoen” means “savanna shoe” in Afrikaans, but the leather artists at Groundcover have elevated this outdoor footwear to comfortable, customized fashion pieces with their “Build a Veldskoen” system. Choose your width and size, and colors for three components. Want turquoise suede with pink laces on a green sole? Yours!

Travel Without Limits

Starting a family might slow down some travelers, but for author Kate Wickers, kids have only made the adventures more fun. Shape of a Boy: Family Life Lessons in Far-Flung Places is her memoir of favorite places and unexpected discoveries. Partner Neil and sons Josh, Ben, and Freddie laugh through life lessons ranging from etiquette in Japan to yoga in Mauritius.

Yell-oh!

Live out your wackiest spy fantasies with Banana Phone, a fully-functional Bluetooth handset that connects to your smartphone. It doesn’t have a touchscreen, but it does raise money for a good cause: Banana phone has a partnership with Gearing Up for Gorillas, supporting conservation of great apes in the Democratic Republic of Congo.