Best gear and gadgets 2019: Traveller's top picks

Peak Design's Travel Backpack 45L is specially designed to help carry your camera gear.

Every 12 months our writers take the world's pulse, they weigh up the good and the bad, track the major changes, assess the current trends. Here are Traveller's picks for the hottest gear and gadgets in the world right now.

THE SECRID CARDPROTECTOR WALLET

This wallet ("secrid" means secret) is small (8-millimetre thick), smart (stitched cowhide), safe (protects against cracking and unwanted scanning) and, best of all, has a tiny hidden ejection lever that causes up to four cards to pop out on display, ready for business. Created in 2009 by Dutch product designers Rene Van Geer and Marianne van Sasse van IJsselt, it's available in Australia at Henry Bucks, Top 3 and Peters of Kensington. See secrid.com

The new Panasonic Lumix GH5

CLEAR APP

Standing in the line to Damascus to clear airport security is easily the most draining aspect of regular airline travel. Happily, this can be mitigated with an annual Clear membership. Once you're signed up, all you need do is scan your fingerprints and a steward at selected partner US airports will personally whisk you to the front of the queue, all with a cursory wave of your passport. Just ignore the hateful glares of those stuck in line. See clearme.com

AWAY LUGGAGE

These suitcases are an Instagram favourite, and for good reason. Founded by two Warby Parker executives, Away has transformed a boring necessity into a statement piece that comes in fashionable colours including forest green and blush, with an affordable price-tag. The lightweight, hard-shell suitcases streamline packing with features such as inbuilt wash bags and zippered mesh dividers to keep clothes unwrinkled, and have inbuilt USB ports to charge on the go. See awaytravel.com

BABYZEN YOYO

Anyone planning to travel with a child should have one of these lightweight strollers that folds up small enough to fit in the overhead compartment on a plane. No more checking your stroller at the gate. Carry the YoYo on board, and use that extra bit of check-in luggage for another baby item. See babyzen.com

PEAK DESIGN CAMERA GEAR

With an emphasis on careful, extremely well thought-through design and execution, this San Francisco camera gear company is second to none. Its range includes photography backpacks, cases and slings as well as clips, straps and now even tripods all of which have been meticulously crafted by people who actually photograph on the road. And not only is the gear highly functional, the attention to aesthetics would do Steve Jobs proud. See peakdesign.com

BEASTGRIP PRO

Cameras in smartphones have come a long way, and the Beastgrip puts your creativity on steroids. Snap your phone into the spring-loaded cradle and you have a rugged tool that gives you added stability and a super-wide angle lens, transforming any smartphone camera into a professional tool for shooting high quality video and still images. See beastgrip.com

OXFORD PACKABLE DUFFEL BAG

Here's a fantastic idea for those times when you're coming back from a trip with more than you can stuff in your suitcase. The Oxford Packable Duffel Bag from Travelust & Co packs down into a tiny pouch but it unfolds to a zippered 40cm x 32cm x 15cm bag. Toss in your excess and away you go, and remember that most airlines give you two check-in bags, even in economy. See travelustco.com

PANASONIC GH5 CAMERA

Yes, full frame cameras often yield spectacular results but these days, why carry a baby hippo around your neck when you can shoot 4K video and high-resolution stills on a comparatively tiny camera with far smaller interchangeable lenses? It's true the GH5's real strengths are its video chops, but the stills capacity is still decent and for the price tag, the specs on this little powerhouse micro four-thirds camera are off the charts. See panasonic.com

HIPCAMP APP

If the idea of residing at one of those campsites filled with gigantic RVs and flat-screen TVs hooked up to generators doesn't thrill you, check out Hipcamp. This clever little app has intel on more than 300,000 campsites, ranches, vineyards and more, with several out-of-the-way spots available on privately rented land. There are also handy tips on everything from the best swimming holes in the area to beginners guides to group camping. See hipcamp.com

Contributors: Ben Groundwater, Jill Dupleix, Terry Durack, Michael Gebicki, Belinda Jackson, Julietta Jameson, Brian Johnston, Ute Junker, Nina Karnikowski, Rob McFarland, Catherine Marshall, Alison Stewart, Craig Tansley, Guy Wilkinson, Sue Williams, David Whitley