Travel gadget gift guide: Part 1

There’s something to be said about detaching from technology when we travel – I like to drop off the radar to truly get away from it all. But I also realize that’s not always practical, and there are a lot of cool gadgets out there designed to make life easier and more comfortable on the road less traveled. Here are a few gift ideas for the traveler in your life, most for under $100:

Whether you’re crossing the globe in search of adventure (or just crossing the country to brave your in-laws), protect your iPod with the Grip Ergo with Hand Strap from Belkin. Made of rugged silicon with contoured ridges to give good grip, the ergonomic design lets you text, game and surf the Web.

When you’re stuck on a 14-hour flight or an overnight bus in Vietnam, that iPod can be a lifesaver – or at least a sanity-saver. The TunePower Rechargeable Battery Pack from Belkin keeps the music playing, even when your internal battery is drained – great for flights, hikes or anywhere you don’t have access to an AC outlet (like in that $1-a-night thatch hut in Laos). The TunePower provides an additional eight to 10 hours of additional playtime on all iPod models and includes a detachable DC/FireWire cable that will charge both the iPod and TunePower simultaneously.

If you’re trying to drown out that Bollywood movie blaring at top volume on a local bus in India, try the EarPollution Plugz noise-isolating ear buds from iFrogz, which come in a variety of colours and work with the iPod, Zune and other portable entertainment devices. (Keep in mind, these are noise-isolating, not noise-canceling.) If you want to go high-end, check out the Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones, considered the company’s best headphones yet, reducing more noise across a wider range of frequencies.

Photo Credits: Belkin (Grip Ergo); Belkin (TunePower); iFrogz