Gifts for the road-tripper
You might consider anything longer than four hours in a moving vehicle as pure torture, but there are those who will choose the circuitous scenic route over the drab highway that shortcuts through the land anytime. Road trips are not for the easily bored — there’s a certain tediousness to driving despite the excitement of the destination or the surprises along the way, like rural diners, creepy motor lodges and brokedown farmhouses, and conversation is bound to come in ebbs and flows. So gift them with fun and practical items that will become a part of their road trip and their Instagrammed memories.
For the record
Okay, so a portable turntable isn’t exactly practical, unless they are driving an RV and can stash a crate of records next to their beer-filled mini fridge. It’s a cute nod, however, to last year’s most stylish hiking movie, Moonrise Kingdom. Music is absolutely essential on the road and the right playlist can set the tone of your trip, the wrong one can cause road accidents.
Crosley Radio Cruiser Turntable, P8,200, Heima.
Proof of life
Forget lugging around a bulky DSLR when your iPhone, amped up with filter-to-death apps and a do-it-all protective covering works just as well. This case is shockproof, weatherproof and you can take photos underwater, should they decide to jump into a raging river for their latest profile pic.
Lifeproof iPhone 4/4s case, P3,752, Squires Bingham Sports at The Fort.
Shaded glory
A great pair of sunnies, of course. If the road tripper in your life is your partner, you know you’ll be chasing sunrises and sunsets and will need the right protective eyewear. Also appropriate for masking road-wearied eyes. Oliver Peoples eyewear popularized the retro look back in the ‘80s –– they were hipster before there were hipsters.
“Wilder” sunglasses from Oliver Peoples, P19,990-22,990, Adora
Keep calm and carryall
A rough-and-tumble bag that one can take shopping, trekking, and to dinner, and still look good in your holiday photographs. New weaving techniques have taken R2R bags very far, stylistically.
Amina Aranaz for Rags2Riches, P2,589, www.ava.ph.
Kicking it old school
Road trips are start-and-stop affairs, hardly ever linear and never under time. Sturdy shoes are essential for those breaks where one might have to hike up a hill just to take a leak. These redesigned boots from Kickers, a brand we used to associate “school shoes” with, have the look and feel of a hiking boot without being technical, heavy, or basically uncool.
Kyla boots from Kickers, P4,490, Bauhaus at TriNoMa, Shangri-La and Alabang Town Center.
Road trip literature
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a true account of one man’s extreme (and fatal) journey to the edge of the Alaskan wilderness. Definitely reading material to psych you up for that upcoming hike of yours (that or 127 Hours.) Meanwhile, How to Shit in the Woods is a practical guide to well, pooping in places where there isn’t any plumbing –– how to do it with privacy, dignity and minimal harm to the environment.
Available from Amazon.com.
Write away
The best way to chronicle one’s journey is really to write it all down at the end of the day. All the small details that give life to a story — like the fleabag motel you stayed in, or the brand of beer drunk by the locals — will eventually fade away if all you have are the highlights. Moleskines and their ilk are always classic gifts, but notebooks of funny dogs with iconic hairstyles are perfect for the pop culture lover.
TeNeues notebooks, P450-550, www.zalora.com.ph.
Kicking it old school
Road trips are start-and-stop affairs, hardly ever linear and never under time. Sturdy shoes are essential for those breaks where one might have to hike up a hill just to take a leak. These redesigned boots from Kickers, a brand we used to associate “school shoes” with, have the look and feel of a hiking boot without being technical, heavy, or basically uncool.
Kyla boots from Kickers, P4,490, Bauhaus at TriNoMa, Shangri-La and Alabang Town Center.
Road trip literature
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a true account of one man’s extreme (and fatal) journey to the edge of the Alaskan wilderness. Definitely reading material to psych you up for that upcoming hike of yours (that or 127 Hours.) Meanwhile, How to Shit in the Woods is a practical guide to well, pooping in places where there isn’t any plumbing –– how to do it with privacy, dignity and minimal harm to the environment.
Available from Amazon.com.
Blanket statement
The Aztec and Southwestern print has had its moment. Lets support an endangered local craft by popularizing the Abel Iloko weave, which has many striking designs from rich stripes to stately checkers to funky optical-looking patterns. Keep a blanket in the back of the car to double up as a wrap on cold days or to throw on the ground for impromptu picnics.
Custom-made fabrics from Balay Ni Atong, prices vary, balayniatong@yahoo.com. Plain white Vigan blankets are also available at the Sunday Legazpi Village Market.
