siddlobo   16 January, 2009 14:15

Planning a winter break? Here are some gadgets that’ll make your trip a lot more comfortable and fun.

Sno-Baller
This is the easiest way to make up to 60 perfect snowballs per minute! With long handles, you’ll never have to worry about wet gloves and frozen fingers. And since Sno-Baller snowballs disintegrate on contact, they don’t hurt like ordinary hand packed snowballs.
http://www.vacationgadgets.com/productmgmt/

Snow Ball Blaster
Or you could go for the Snowball Blaster. This snowballing weapon sculpts up to 3 snowballs at a time and then, using the internal slingshot, fires them at your neighbours, friends and enemies.
http://idleparis.co.uk/snowball-launcher-gun-fun-cold-wars

DOTS gloves
Don’t you hate it when you have to take off your gloves every time your i-phone rings? Fret no more. DOTS gloves are the perfect solution. They have a couple of little balls on the fingertips that let you use your gadgets without freezing your fingers or forcing you to take off your gloves. Only $15 - $20.
http://www.dotsgloves.com

Heated socks
Stay warm and comfy with battery powered heated socks. HEAT SOX are knitted with a combination of Thermastat, high quality wool, nylon and acrylic yarns that form a very soft, yet extremely warm and truly comfortable fitting sock. It also comes with a battery pack and an embedded coil element that generates safe heat to keep your feet warm and comfortable, even on the coldest days.
http://www.vacationgadgets.com/productmgmt/

Boot, glove and skate dryers
Feeling damp and soggy after a day out in the snow? The Dry Fast is a portable footwear & garment dryer that allows you to dry footwear and garments anywhere. http://www.vacationgadgets.com/productmgmt/

Bench warmer
Never sit on a cold seat again with Bench Warmer. This heated seat is operated by a rechargeable battery and makes sure you keep your tush warm. It’s comfortable, portable, lightweight and water resistant.
http://www.vacationgadgets.com/productmgmt/

Make your own snow
And for those who’d like to make their snow, the SnoWonder is for you. SnoWonder looks and feels like natural snow. In fact, if you pour a bowl of it on real snow, you won't even be able to tell the difference!
http://www.vacationgadgets.com/productmgmt/

Shoe, boot warmers
Keep those cold feet warm all winter with boot warmers. These battery operated warmers come in a one size fits all deal. All you need to do is slip it into your sole and say goodbye to cold feet.
http://www.vacationgadgets.com/productmgmt/

g.cell gloves
Bluetooth technology has been finding its way into ski gear for a while now.  The latest is the g.cell gloves. When it detects an incoming call, it gives your wrist a shake and enables you to quite literally talk to the hand. It’s a bit pricey but your hands will feel snug all through your call.
http://www.swanyamerica.com/

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siddlobo   04 January, 2009 16:02

There’s more to winter sports than skiing and snowboarding. If you’d like to try something different this time, read on for alternative ways to keep the adrenaline pumping this winter.

Snowkiting
This is the ultimate winter sport for kiting enthusiasts or skiers and snowboarders looking for added action.  Snowkiting is an outdoor winter board sport that combines kites and techniques used in kitesurfing with the footwear used in snowboarding or skiing. It differs from other alpine sports in that it is possible for the snowkiter to travel uphill when the wind is blowing uphill. No surprise then that it is becoming increasingly popular in places often associated with skiing and snowboarding, such as Canada, Austria, France, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and the Northern United States.
http://www.snowkiting.com

Bobsledding
Invented by a group of Englishmen on holiday in Switzerland in 1890. Their aim was to create a sled that could carry two or more people down a snow covered road between St Mortiz and Celerina. The new sport immediately caught on and a special track, complete with banked curves made of ice was constructed next to the road in 1902.  . Bobsleigh has evolved over the years into a dramatically exciting and demanding sport with competitions run down ice tracks that are at least 1500m long, have at least 15 banked curves which allow speeds of over 90 mph to be achieved.

Dog sledding
Here’s something for the dog lovers. Steer a team of strong and eager sled dogs through the snow-covered wilderness. Dog sledding is an exhilarating experience but can be hard work and tiring. Best places to try this sport out are Alaska, Canada and Lapland.

Tobogganing
If coasting down snowy hillsides or chutes is your idea of fun, tobogganing might be the sport for you. A toboggan is a simple sled used on snow, to carry one or more people (often children) down a hill or other slope, for recreation. A toboggan differs from most sleds or sleighs in that it has no runners or skis on the underside. The bottom of a toboggan rides directly on the snow.

Ice Karting
With its roots embedded deep within go-karting, ice karting is the latest craze to hit the ice. Ice Karting is a very exciting and thrilling activity, it’s fast and furious, even intense at times with your driving skills being tested to their limits. With the introduction of studded tyres, ice karting is a very new driving experience that requires very different driving skills. It is an activity where technique wins over outright speed, allowing drivers of all ages and experiences as long as they are of a certain height to compete on level terms.

Ice diving
This is for scuba diving enthusiasts who won’t let a small inconvenience like ice or snow come in their way of fun. Ice diving as the name suggests is a dive that takes place under ice. This is your opportunity o experience pure escapism beneath the surface of an ice covered lake, marvel at the ice formations and shafts of light penetrating through the frozen surface that create a kaleidoscopic array of colours when day-light is refracted through the ice above. Remember, ice diving should not be attempted by anyone not trained (or in training) by a qualified instructor.

Snowmobiling
Snow Mobiles, are known to many as Ski Doos, Snow Bikes and Snow Scooters. These land vehicles are propelled by one or two rubber caterpillar tracks, with skis for steering. Zip across icy landscapes at 150mph where the only roads are the ones you make.

Ski Joering
A new sport in fashion, ski-joering was originally a simple method of transport used by Lappish who harnessed reindeers. The idea is simple -  a skier is pulled along by a horse on the snow. A bit like waterskiing, the skier lets himself be dragged along whilst holding on to a rudder bar and steering the horse with the reins and a whip. You can try it out at the Meribel and Courchevel Ski Resorts in France.

Sidd Lobo

Freelance copywriter

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