New 4x4 Gear: Garmin Inreach, Keen boots, Napoleon's Australia

So you manage to conquer the slopes, forge relentlessly through the bush, and find yourself on a pristine patch of nature at last where it is time to pitch tent and crack open a cold one. But is that it?

Though the fun in any 4x4 adventure is mostly in the journey, the destination is also worth the effort, so pick up a good book, boots, and GPS gear to spend some quality time while you are there.

Garmin inReach Mini

Honey, Garmin has shrunk the inReach! The new inReach Mini is tiny – 100mm x 50mm and a paltry 100g in weight – but packs plenty of punch when it comes to comms capability. The inReach Mini (when combined with an Iridium satellite subscription) features two-way messaging, 24/7 SOS and GPS tracking.

When paired with the Earthmate app (via a smartphone) the Mini gains access to unlimited aerial images and mapping. That app also means inReach Mini users can access all the inReach features through the paired smartphone, enabling, among other things, easy messaging via the contact list.

The inReach Mini is impact resistant and rated to IPX72 for water-resistance. The internal battery offers a claimed 50 hours of use (10-min tracking mode) and 20 days if you extend the interval to 30 minutes using track mode 3.

RRP: $499
Website: www.garmin.com.au

Keen Targhee EXP

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A great all-rounder trail shoe that is equally at home on a family camping trip as it is on an overnight hike, the Targhee EXP from Keen is built tough as you’d expect from this popular footwear brand.

The all-terrain outsole is grippy on all surfaces (wet, dry, rock, mud) and you can happily plough through any puddles and mud thanks to the waterproof membrane which also offers excellent breathability, meaning no sweaty feet at day’s end. The Targhee EXP’s metatomical footbed moulds to the natural contours of your foot, ensuring maximum comfort and minimising fatigue.

Further reducing fatigue is the light weight of the Targhee EXP: at only 455g it offers the stability of a more ‘heavy-duty’ boot without the additional weight. This light weight is achieved via its mix of leather and mesh upper, along with the internal nylon shank.

RRP: $269
Website: www.keenfootwear.com.au

Napoleon’s Australia

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Yep, you read it right – or you will if you grab this book – France’s diminutive boss-man in the early 19th century had big plans to invade Australia, turf out the Poms, and convert our predecessors into advocates of French cuisine.

It sounds ludicrous, but Napoleon Bonaparte was very serious about conquering the then relatively young English colony, and renowned Aussie writer Terry Smyth writes a cracking account of this little known ‘nearly’ part of Australian history.

Proving that love is indeed grand, Bonaparte’s designs on Australian conquest stemmed from his great love, Josephine, who was an avid fan of all things Australian. The story is brilliant and well worth a read.

RRP: $35
Website: www.penguin.com.au