Gearbox The Best Of November

Here is OT's latest hand-picked list of some of the best travel merchandise available. 

ALPINA STARTIMER PILOT

The 135-year-old Alpina brand has been known for their Startimer Pilot watches&mdashthe chronometer of choice for pilots in the early 20th century. The new automatic range of the Startimer Pilot brings the iconic timepiece down to earth. Water resistant up to 100 metres and with a 38-hour power reserve, the watches are made of stainless steel case with leather straps. Choose a titanium coloured case with a matte dark grey dial for the perfect touch to your get up. (About 900 Euros alpinawatches.com)

WRANGLER TRAVELER JEANS

They are durable, comfortable and look good. Which is why jeans are, arguably, a traveller&rsquos garment of choice. Unless you prefer sweats, of course. Wrangler has just solved the conundrum with the Traveler Jeans. Made out of a knit fabric that is breathable and stretchy, they promise that these jeans will feel like sweatpants while still looking like jeans. The range comes in regular and slim cuts for men and women, and are equipped with a &lsquophone and safety&rsquo pocket. (From INR 3,695 wrangler-ap.com)

HERO LECTRO EZEPHYR 

The idea of an electric bicycle may seem counterintuitive, but if you&rsquore a committed long-distance biker or a daily commuter, it&rsquos actually practical. If you&rsquore feeling especially lazy, you can whiz along without turning the pedal even once (25km on a full charge), the handy throttle providing a scooty-like experience. Or you can pedal, but with electrical assistance (and seven-speed Shimano gears). Trust us, it&rsquos addictive. For a bicycle with a lithium-ion battery, the Lectro EZephyr is surprisingly light. In fact, you don&rsquot even see the battery, which is tucked away in the aerodynamic alloy frame. The battery is very responsive, turning on and off in an instant. There&rsquos even a walk assistance mode which switches the bicycle to a flat 6kmph speed, to enable the rider to keep up with &lsquoon-foot&rsquo peers. Of course, if you want a plain old riding experience, just turn off the battery and sweat your way to beach bod glory. INR 26,999 herocycles.com

ALMITRA SUSTAINABLES

After that last set of alarm bells from IPCC on the desperate need to reverse the clock on carbon emissions, we can no longer defend travellers using pouches of non-renewable gear and accessories unless they have special needs. The rest of us We need to be BYOEverything and get more sustainable. This pack from Almitra Sustainables makes it real convenient. We tried out a biodegradable bamboo toothbrush&mdash delightfully soft and narrow head (bristles are 20% nylon and 80% cornstarch-based, so pluck them out for recycling compost the handle). There&rsquos satisfyingly thick straight and bent 18/8 stainless-steel straws and slender copper ones ditto, with a coir cleaning brush (the copper ones have a slight aftertaste and are better for water avoid alcohol, juice and fizzies) they do some bamboo too. May as well throw in a sheesham comb and stop breaking out the scratchy hotel plastic. Metal straws from INR 110 bamboo straws INR 55 cornstarch-bristle brushes INR 160 onwards (fully nylon bristles with bamboo handle INR 90) combs from INR 150 almitrasustainables.com 

CORNELIANI TRAVEL GUBBINS

Style is as style does, at least according to Corneliani. This high-end Italian men&rsquos fashion brand introduces Travel Gubbins, infusing a dash of sophistication to the discerning customer who wants to keep it classy on the move. The collection comprises backpacks, duffel bags and sneakers, fashioned out of 100 per cent cow leather in blues, blacks and browns, with the same quiet elegance that you&rsquod expect in the &lsquoCorneliani Man&rsquo. (Bags from INR 60,000 sneakers from INR 35,000 corneliani.com)