WHETHER YOU WANT TO SATISFY YOUR CURIOSITY OR SET OFF WITH YOUR COMPASS, THE LATEST ATLASES MEET ALL YOUR TRAVELLING NEEDS
| CLAUDIUS PTOLEMY HELPED put us on the map in 1477, when his drawings of the world became the first ever atlas. At a Sotheby’s auction this year, his book sold for £2.1 million, establishing atlases as highly desirable property. Put the world at your fingertips with these latest editions, hot off the press. |
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| The Times Concise Atlas of the World, 10th Edition, £75 (www.collins.co.uk) is the ultimate contrast to Ptolemy’s work. It will help you to navigate the globe today and also answer your crossword questions, as its detailed cartography is combined with information on world population, cities and telecommunications. |
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| Take a step back to Ptolemy’s time and look to the stars with The Finest Atlas of the Heavens, £69.99 (www.taschen.com). This is a collection of amazingly intricate celestial cartography by Andrew Cellarius, a 17th-century mathematician and cosmographer. It has been updated with explanations about his extraordinary images and is sure to inspire the astronomer in you. |
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| Back to earth with a bump and we get into our stride with the Trekking Atlas of the World, £35 (www.newhollandpublishers.com). Get ready for the challenge and excitement of hiking through some of the world’s most beautiful scenery. From Europe to Africa to Australasia, there is a wealth of choice. And there’s no excuse to get lost, even in the Himalayas, as there are plenty of maps to make sure you reach your destination |
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READY FOR ACTION
A JACKET THAT BOUNCES YOU BACK UP AFTER A TUMBLE? A RUCKSACK THAT HELPS YOU SURVIVE AN AVALANCHE? SKI EQUIPMENT HAS JUST GOT HIGH-TECH
AS THE WINTER season gets into full swing, over 70 million people worldwide are heading to the slopes. Whether you are a beginner starting on the green runs or an expert heli-skiing off a glacier, you need to be kitted out properly. Here is a selection of the latest equipment to keep you safe, warm and on the move.
BOUNCE BACK
It’s easy to take a tumble when skiing, but just imagine if your jacket could protect you from the fall. Schoeffel’s Protector S2 Jacket (
www.schoeffel.com) may be the answer. Filled with clever molecules, the jacket keeps you warm, even when it’s wet. Better yet, the molecules link together on impact, which not only lessens the force of the fall, but actually helps to bounce you back up onto your skis.
OFF-PISTE
Far from the madding crowds, high up on a mountain with soft, untouched snow at your feet… there is nothing like heading off-piste. However, avalanches can happen and even James Bond wouldn’t head off without taking Q’s special kit with him. The ABS Airbag (
www.abssystems.com) is good enough for any secret agent. It looks like an ordinary rucksack, but in a crisis gas is released into sacks in the bag, and these explode outside it. This makes a person larger and propels them to the top of any sliding snow.
HATS ON
Forget your woolly hat this year and don a ski helmet instead. No longer just the uniform of racers, everyone is now wearing them. Keep your head warm while getting essential extra protection. Get kitted out in the Pro-Tec Scotty Arnold B2 Snow (
www.snowandrock.com), £54.95.
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