Diwali Gift Guide 2022: 12 gifts for every tech nomad

After all, a rolling stone gathers no moss

If you happen to know or be a travel-happy gadget-head who just wants to take a Diwali trip away from home, it’s time for stocking up on pocketable goodies. This list brings you everything you could need for life on the go, so hey, time to pack up and meet those exact airline weight limits!

1) Apple iPad Mini (₹46,900)

Apple’s teeny slate fills your palm with enough interactive entertainment to make flights, er, fly by. The latest iPad Mini has an A15 chip with a five-core GPU for zipping through games, while its 8.3in Liquid Retina display is ideal for devouring downloaded flicks without taking up too much space on your tray table. It works with Bluetooth gamepads and keyboards (although there’s no official Apple QWERTY to pair it with) as well as Apple’s second-gen Pencil – so you can sketch the scene from high above the clouds to pass the time… or portraits of fellow passengers if you didn’t get the window seat.

2) Urbn Black Edition (₹1,199)

Bulky power banks are a thing of the past. This tiny 10,000mAh 'phataka' will juice up your devices in no time thanks to its 20W output. It uses Lithium-ion cells which are the same ones used in e-vehicles and has a special chip for maximum safety as well.

3) Logitech MX Keys Mini (₹12,495)

Slim, light and good for up to five months of tappy action on a single charge, this mini ’board features full-sized keys, while its solid metal build reduces the rat-a-tat that would otherwise earn the ire of fellow passengers. Backlighting lets you keep on crafting your novella after the cabin lights are dimmed, while an emoji shortcut means you’ll easily find the right smiley to celebrate when you get published.

4) The Indus Valley Pro-hydro (₹1,899)

Sipping from a mountain stream is one of the delights of the great outdoors. So is dysentery. This streamlined cylinder offers hydration that won’t upset your stomach, and its light shell won’t weigh you down.

5) Samsonite Vestor (₹4,700)

From street food to ‘lucky’ statues, there’s plenty to touch when you're on your Diwali getaway. Stash your essential kit in this pouch to keep your hands free. The main pocket holds your phone, with a separate bit for keys, cards and cash.

6) Pocketalk S (₹19,999)

Gone to another country by mistake? Can’t tell the difference between an arrêt de bus and an arête de poisson? For cross-cultural communication that won’t create an international incident, this gizmo knows 82 languages and can translate up to 30 seconds of speech. The Plus version can use its camera to convert text too– so you won’t make the faux pas of asking for directions to the nearest fishbone.

7) Urbanista Los Angeles (₹19,999)

A good playlist can brighten up any trip. Trouble is, life on the road makes regular recharging tricky… so cut free from cords with these solar-powered cans. Unless you only travel by night, you may never need to charge them.

8) WD Elements SE 480GB SSD (₹5,999)

Delayed baggage might mean a short-term pant crisis, but lost files will cause problems for a lot longer. Metal discs don’t travel too well, so stick your stuff on an SSD for safety. WD’s plug-and-play drives range from 480GB to 2TB.

9) Wacaco Picopresso (₹20,800)

Even if coffee can’t cure jetlag, it can at least give you the energy to remember which country you’ve woken up in. Add hot water to the Picopresso’s chamber, pump the hand-powered piston and wait for aromatic rocket fuel to drip through the filter. It’s engineered to produce cafe-quality brews on the move, with a funnel and tiny tamper to help you restore your wide-awake powers.

10) Netgear Nighthawk M1 (₹24,999)

Hotel Wi-Fi is usually fine for social scrolling, but not so much for virtual face time with faraway friends. This router brings fast Wi-Fi wherever you are and can share its brisk broadband with up to 20 devices.

11) Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K (₹11,999)

Superglue a battery pack to your blower and you’ll always have backup juice. You’ll also have a very messy mobile. For neater adhesion, slap this MagSafe number onto the rear of your iPhone 12 or 13. It’ll deliver up to 17hrs of extra leccy.

12) BioLite AlpenGlow 250 (₹16,379)

October isn’t the mildest month for exploring. If you insist on going outside, BioLite’s rechargeable lantern will fool you cosy. Its LEDs are designed for natural tones, so the Warm White setting should feel almost toasty.