Ask Trip Coach: Holiday Travel

BINOCULARS Splurge: Released this year, the Nikon Monarch X binoculars allow you to see more color in low-light conditions thanks to a first-of-its-kind "dielectric high-reflective multilayer prism coating." Translation: With these, you'll be able to spot that rare bird at dawn—while others can't. nikon.com, $600. Save: The Bushnell Legend Ultra-HD actually beat the Nikon Monarch X in several categories: They're 13 percent lighter, and the field of view is wider. From a distance of 3,000 feet, for instance, these binoculars will show a 340-foot-wide swath of landscape; with the Monarch X, you'd see 330 feet. bushnell.com, $300. HEADPHONES Splurge: A new gold standard in noise-canceling, the Bose QuietComfort 15 headphones were unveiled in August. Earlier versions had a single microphone in each ear cup to detect sound that made it past the physical barrier. The QuietComfort 15 adds a second microphone outside each earpiece. bose.com, $300. Save: Remarkably lightweight and compact for noise-canceling headphones, especially ones of this quality, the Panasonic RP-HC101 Slimz filter out 83 percent of the rattle and hum of a typical airplane engine—nearly as much as devices three times this price. panasonic.com, $100. CAMERAS Splurge: With a weather-resistant magnesium-alloy body, the Pentax K-7 14.6-megapixel DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) has automatic bracketing that combines three exposure levels into one image to extract detail from shadows and light. The K-7 (priced here with an 18–55 mm lens) also records HD video. pentaximaging.com, $1,500. Save: At 16 ounces, the Nikon D3000 is about half as heavy as the average DSLR—and less than half the price. The sensor on the 10.2-megapixel camera compares your exposure conditions with a database of 30,000 scenarios and adjusts accordingly. The D3000 has a 3.1-inch screen and comes with an 18–55 mm lens. nikon.com, $600. WATCHES Splurge: As if an altimeter, a barometer, and a digital compass weren't enough, the top-of-the-line Suunto X10 adventure watch also has a GPS receiver, reducing the risk that you'll ever get lost again. After your hike is over, connect the watch to your PC with its USB cable, and Google Earth will plot your trek. suunto.com, $599. Save: The do-it-all Highgear Axio Max covers the adventure basics: a digital compass, an altimeter, a barometer, a hydration alarm (it goes off at regular intervals to remind you to drink water), and a thermometer. Best of all, it's water-resistant to 164 feet and has a highly durable resin wristband. highgear.com, $150.

Best for the plane: HP Mini 110 Just an inch thick and weighing less than three pounds, the Mini 110 has a nearly full-size keyboard (92 percent) and an LED antiglare display that's good in bright and dark conditions. High-definition audio plays through built-in stereo speakers, so you can listen to your personal playlist in your hotel room. Another nice touch: The Mini 110 comes with software that lets you automatically synchronize music, videos, and other files with your primary computer when you're logged in to your home network. hp.com, $330, in black, pink, or white. Best for kids: Disney Netpal by Asus The company that kicked off the netbook trend two years ago, Asus, released the Disney Netpal this summer. The tiny machine, just 2.65 pounds and about the size of a hardcover book, has a spill-proof keyboard and parental controls that allow you to specify which websites and e-mail addresses your kids can access, as well as limit the hours they can surf the Web. The Netpal comes with a large, child-friendly touch pad and a customizable, Disney-themed desktop interface. disneystore.com, $350, in pink or blue. Best for the long trip: Toshiba Mini NB205-N325 Yes, it's priced a little higher, but what really sets the Toshiba apart is its nine hours of battery life (most netbooks last between three and six hours). This 2.9-pounder has a full-size touch pad and special key commands that allow you to zoom in and out on images and Web pages. A USB port charges gadgets even when the computer is off, and if you drop the machine, a Hard Drive Impact Sensor minimizes damage by instantly separating the moving parts inside. toshibadirect.com, $400, in brown, blue, pink, or white.

1. Gogo is the go-to network One network, Gogo Inflight Internet, supplies Wi-Fi to the four main U.S. carriers currently offering the service: AirTran, American, Delta, and Virgin America. A competing company, Row 44, recently got FCC approval and has signed up Southwest and Alaska Airlines. 2. Costs are the same no matter the carrier Gogo charges $6 for Wi-Fi on flights of up to 1.5 hours, $10 on routes between 1.5 and 3 hours, and $13 on flights over 3 hours. Those are laptop rates; it's $6 to $8 if you're surfing with a smartphone. Row 44 is letting the airlines that use its service set their own rates, so we've got our fingers crossed for price wars with Gogo. 3. Monthlong Wi-Fi passes are only valid with one airline A $50 pass gets you 30 days of access to Gogo Inflight on AirTran, Delta, or Virgin America (but only one of them, alas). 4. The connection is good Gogo's service is fast and consistent, about the same quality as you'd expect from the Wi-Fi in a coffee shop. 5. Hotspots don't extend beyond U.S. borders If Wi-Fi is offered on flights to Mexico or Canada, you won't be able to surf once the plane flies out of range. In fact, even if your destination is a U.S. airport, Wi-Fi may not operate if your plane crosses into Canadian or Mexican airspace. That's because Gogo is a land-based network, which means connection requires proximity to its towers—and those are located solely within the continental U.S. 6. You can sign up in advance To save hassles, create an account and register your credit card ahead of time at gogoinflight.com. This way, buying a session is just a click or two away as soon as you're above 10,000 feet—the threshold for "approved electronic devices." 7. No phone calls; no porn Let's dispense with the biggest moot concern. While flying, you can't make calls via the Internet using Skype or other VoIP services—they're blocked. Also, most airlines have instructed Gogo to put filters in place to block obvious porn websites. 8. Just because the airline has Wi-Fi doesn't mean your flight will Only AirTran and Virgin America currently have Wi-Fi on all planes in the U.S. Other carriers are ramping up, but it's still hard to know if your flight will have service. Your best bet is to call and ask. 9. Airline seats aren't made for laptops Sitting in coach gets even more cramped when you open your laptop, especially if the passenger in front of you has tired of the "full upright position." Consider paying extra for a bit more space (AirTran's upgrades to an exit row start at $6) and, if possible, use a more compact netbook (see "Slimmer Surfers"). One helpful industry trend is the addition of in-seat power outlets. Check seatguru.com to find out which rows are wired. 10. International access is on the horizon Unlike Gogo's land-based network, Row 44 uses satellites. That means its service could easily extend beyond U.S. borders—once the technology is installed on carriers that fly overseas, that is. AIRLINE WI-FI GUIDE Airtran Airways 100 percent of planes flying domestic routes have the Gogo service. Alaska Airlines All planes flying routes within the U.S. will be outfitted with Row 44. American Airlines Has Gogo service on 15 of its 767-200s (primarily used on cross-country flights) and later this fall will have it on 150 MD-80s (the airline's workhorse, used on all kinds of routes). Delta Air Lines The entire domestic fleet is expected to be outfitted with Gogo by the end of this year. Southwest Airlines Will begin installing Row 44 on all of its planes in early 2010. United Airlines Has signed on with Gogo to outfit 13 of its planes—those flying transcontinental routes—beginning late this year (i.e., right about now). US Airways Plans to start installing the Gogo network on 50 A321 planes in early 2010. Virgin America Gogo service is up and running on all planes flying routes within the U.S.

$6 Olives Mark and Melissa van Hoogstraten opened their first specialty food shop, Melissa's, in 1996. Now, nationwide grocery chains like Pick 'n Pay stock their line of homemade snacks, which includes regional goodies like Cape gooseberry jam and South African olives—an increasingly popular export. At select Pick 'n Pay stores, pnp.co.za. $20 Bangle A copper bracelet engraved with Nelson Mandela's prison identification number is the ultimate feel-good souvenir: All sales proceeds go toward funding the Mandela Foundation's efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. American Swiss, U60 Upper Level, Rivonia Rd., 011-27/11-685-1434. $9 Soap Native honeybush and rooibos plants dominate the tea selection in South Africa, but their subtly sweet scents and natural anti-inflammatory properties are put to new use in Essential Earth's shea-butter-based Ultimate Cleansing Cubes. Chocolate, cinnamon, and ylang-ylang extracts add to the aromatic brew. Essential Life, 17 4th Ave., 011-27/11-447-2142. $1 Postcards In a nod to South Africa's status as one of the world's biggest diamond producers, graphic designer Katy Taplin prints four-inch-by-six-inch, black-and-white illustrations of cut gemstones. They're technically postcards, but they also double as affordable (and frameable) art. Dokter and Misses, 44 Stanley Ave., 011-27/82-952-7798. $11 Tea towels The patterns of antelopes, zebra colts, and Nguni cattle on designer Heather Moore's Skinny LaMinx cotton tea towels were inspired by millennia-old cave drawings in South Africa's Cederberg Mountains. Abby & Ross, The Parks Shopping Centre, Jan Smuts and Wells Aves., 011-27/82-825-1834. $25 Plush toy Artists Elaine and Pete Woo employ a small team of stitchers—Elaine's mother and a handful of Congolese refugees among them—to sew up their whimsical Woo-men toys, including a special-edition set of four dolls modeled after members of local-sensation rock band Cassette. The African Toy Shop, 7th and 4th Aves., 011-27/11-442-2643. $23 Candle shade As part of an Aid to Artisans project, a group of carvers transforms translucent segments of cow's horn into decorative shades like this one, perfect for tea lights or votives. Imagine Nation, 44 Stanley Ave., 011-27/11-726-8865.