As the holiday season is approaching fast, I wanted to share my recommendations for the year. While I kept most of the gadgets from my prior guides, I made a number of upgrades and started introducing kid-centric gadgets.

Laptop: LG Gram Pro 17 & Asus ProArt P16 (H7606)

I will grant you that these notebooks are not for everyone, but they happen to meet my requirements. My prior LG Gram 17 was 3 years old and started feeling very slow, so I upgraded to the latest version. I am loving the latest LG Gram Pro 17. It weighs only 3.26 pounds despite having a huge 17” screen and an amazing battery life, which are the three variables I am optimizing for. It also has 32Gb of RAM, 2TB SSD, and an acceptable RTX 5050, though clearly you are not meant to be gaming on this notebook (and I don’t).

For gaming, I use the Asus ProArt P16 (H7606). It’s still very compact at 4.08 pounds for a 16” screen. It has the most beautiful OLED notebook screen I have ever seen. It comes with 64Gb of RAM, 2TB SSD, and an RTX 5070 which is plenty for me to game with, even on my external 48” 4K OLED monitor. If the type of game you play requires it, a version with an RTX 5090 and 4TB of SSD is about to be released.

Projector: Valerion VisionMaster Max

I still use the Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS800 I recommended in the 2022 guide in Turks & Caicos. My movie theater space is outdoors, and a fixed projector would not resist the elements. An ultra short throw (UST) projector is much easier to set up, and the Epson is one of the few USTs that supports a 150” screen and has a great built in sound system.

However, for the dedicated dark indoor movie theater in Revelstoke, I opted for the Valerion VistionMaster Max. It is extremely bright with 3500 ISO lumens, has the best blacks I’ve ever seen using a projector, gaming-friendly input lag, and supports up to 300” screens. I paired it with the Valerion 220” Matte White screen.

Video Games: Arc Raiders, Mafia: The Old Country, & Age of Empires IV: Dynasties of the East

In 2024, we played Hellidivers II, the cooperative third-person shooter for a few months until we maxed out our characters and tired of the repeating mission types without meaningful variation.  Arc Divers is scratching the same itch as a super fun third-person co-op extraction shooter with interesting PvPvE dynamics. We are having a blast right leveling up right now and will see how long it keeps us engaged. 

As many of you know, I am a fan of third-person action-adventure games. This year, I loved playing Mafia: The Old Country while waiting for GTA6. The setting was extraordinary with a beautiful rendition of 1900s Sicily that grounds the narrative. The characters are great and elevate the story. Now, I will be the first to admit the gameplay mechanics are a bit dated, and the story will be familiar to Mafia players, but I loved the story so much that it did not bother me and kept me engaged until the end.

You may also recall, I have been playing real time strategy games since their inception with Dune 2 back in 1992. Over the last few years, I have been playing Age of Empires IV, which over the years has become a well balanced and amazing game. I took a 6-month hiatus of the game this year and was happy to dive back in with the latest DLC, Dynasties of the East whose civilizations feel very unique.

Action Sports Camera: DJI Osmo Action 6

I used to be a GoPro fan, but I must admit DJI is better. The DJI Osmo Action 6 has significantly better battery life, especially in the cold, which is my main use case. It has a larger and more advanced sensor. The variable aperture provides much better control over low light.

Wagon: Veer City Cruiser XL with Foldable Storage Basket

For going nearby with kids, nothing beats the Veer City Cruiser XL. It’s perfect to take the kids to the playground, go trick or treat, or on any nearby urban adventures. It holds everything you might want to take, Amélie loves napping in it, and François can hop in when he’s tired of scooting around. It’s also big enough to accommodate future kids should they come along.

Cargo Bike: Urban Arrow FamilyNext Pro

For longer distance adventures, we use the Urban Arrow FamilyNext Pro. It’s perfect for playground hopping along the Hudson river. It’s also big enough to accommodate three kids and everything you might need. There is such a wide passionate community of believers that a robust market for useful accessories has developed on Etsy. For instance, there are amazing hooks you can hang off the side to hang kids bikes off so they can ride for a while themselves and ride in the cargo area when they get tired.

It’s worth noting that it’s humongous. Finding a place to store it can be very challenging so make sure you address that first before you get it! Several garages who told us they could store it reneged on the offer after we got it.

Luggage: MiaMily Carry On

The MiaMily Carry On is genius. Being able to put the kids on the carry-on suitcase while trapsing through the airport is a life saver. This is a must for anyone who travels with kids.