Why climb mountains? Because they're there? Tosh, paf and piffle - you climb so you can toss off about "bagging a 20,000 footer" to your mates back home. And the Avocet Vertech Alpine altimeter watch will supply - with real-time confirmation - that, yes indeed, you have sullied the roof of the world with your mucky boots.Vertech Alpine: £130. Available from outdoor pursuits shops, or on the Web at www.avocet.com/.
Rock climbers give good fetish. Aside from a penchant for hanging upside-down wearing lycra tights, they also love cramming their oversize feet into bizarre rubber footwear. And climbing boots do not get more eccentric than the banana-shaped Mirage, designed to force the toes into the optimum position for strength and sensitivity.La Mirage: £74.95. La Sportiva: (01286) 872 222, on the Web at www.sportiva.com/.
Take the Tribal prototype off-road surfer down to your local park and watch jealous jaws drop. The Tribal, the ultimate snowboard/skateboard crossover, boasts a glass fibre composite construction rugged enough to handle any slope, whether grass, mud, tarmac or grit. The wearing of shades is strongly advised.Contact Peter Wilson: (0181) 878 3685.
No more lame I-was-never-in-the-Scouts excuses; getting lost is unforgivable with the XL1000 electronic GPS hand-held navigator from Silva. The XL1000 employs a combination of global positioning satellites and a dinky built-in electronic compass to point you in the right direction. It will even tell you how many miles of foot-slogging remain.XL1000: £584.60. Silva UK Ltd: (01784) 471 721.
Simulating the Universe is one of the more ambitious multimedia projects. With video, computer and laser displays aplenty, Minolta's Infonium gives it a darn good try. Add a Space Travelling System for simulating romps through the solar system, and you're looking at a planetarium fit for the 21st century.Infonium: from ¥170,000,000. Minolta Planetarium Company: +(81) 6 386 2050.
Analogue synths are the hottest retro item in the techno music armoury. Those fat noises. Those knobs, so satisfying to twiddle. But somehow - so grey. The Yamaha CS1x Blue Synth rectifies this major style problem. Its analogue-style controls operate a full digital set-up. And it's beautifully blue. Hence the name.CS1x Blue Synth: £599. Yamaha-Kemble Ltd (01908) 366 700.
If you fancy the benefits of an Olympic-sized pool measuring a mere 4.5m by 2.5m, the Endless Pool is for you. Its 40cm diameter propeller creates a non-turbulent current capable of testing even the most pharmaceutically-enhanced swimmer; if you swim at the same speed as the current, you are effectively swimming in place.Endless Pool: standard system US$14,250. Endless Pools Inc: +1 (610) 497 8676, on the Web at www.endlesspools.com/.
There is something delightfully decadent about carrying a laser in your pocket. Maybe it's just that phallic thing. The Laser Key Chain is a dinky hand-held laser, capable of throwing a thin red beam up to 180 metres. What's more - no giggling at the back - it's less than three inches long.Laser Key Chain: US$65. The Sharper Image: +1 (415) 344 5555, on the Web at www.sharperimage.com/.