the gadget traveler

KidCo Peapod Portable Travel Bed

Brian — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:22:57 +0000

The last thing you want to be lugging around is a cumbersome travel cot / bed when traveling with your baby. If you have a newborn then you might want to take a closer look at the KidCo Peapod Portable Travel Bed.

The KidCo Peapod Portable Travel Bed provides a comfortable, convenient, and secure place for baby to nap and is suitable for indoors and outdoors use. The compact size makes it easy to take with you where ever you are traveling.

The KidCo Peapod is a miniature tent that comes with and inflatable mattress (pump included) and a wraparound mesh canopy (UV and wind protection) with a wide zippered opening. The Peapod also comes with a washable sleeping pad that can also be used as a sleeping pad.

The Peapod is lightweight and measures 14 x 5 x 14 inches when closed making it easily portable and able to fit in with your luggage. When opened it measures 48 x 30 x 18 inches. Once out of its storage bag the Peapod opens without the need for extra tools.

The KidCo Peapod Portable Travel Bed retails for around $50

Find Your Luggage with the Luggage Protector Pro

Brian — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 14:51:43 +0000

Locating your luggage on the airport carousel can be a challenge at the best of times; unless you have a uniquely designed suitcase. For those with the standard colored suitcases there is the Luggage Locator Pro.

The Luggage Protector Pro consists of a receiver that you attach to your luggage and a remote transmitter that when pressed makes the luggage receiver beep and flash; making it easy for you to pick up the RIGHT piece of luggage.

The Luggage Protector Pro has a range of about 60ft and the transmitter works with more than one luggage receiver.

The Luggage Protector Pro retails for around $30

Logitech V550 Cordless Clip and Go Notebook Mouse

Brian — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:09:58 +0000

I have never had any issues about forgetting to pack my notebook mouse (and even if I did there is always the scroll pad); but the folks over at Logitech believe that some people at least would like to be able to attach their mouse to their laptop.

The V550 cordless laser mouse with it’s ‘Clip and Go’ dock lets you snap your mouse onto your laptop and away you go. Added bonus; mouse switches off as soon as it is snapped into place. The mouse comes with an extra long battery life of up to 18 months and also includes a plug and forget nano receiver that you can leave in your laptop (it’s that small). You also get hyper-fast scrolling for documents and web pages, as well as advanced 2.4 GHz cordless technology

The Logitech V550 Cordless Clip and Go Notebook Mouse retails for around

BottleWise Duo Wine Travel Bag

Brian — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:10:25 +0000

So you have spent you hard earned cash on your vacation, you’ve had a great time and now you want to bring back some of that local wine you’ve been drinking all week. With the current airline restrictions on taking liquids in your carry on, your only option is to put the bottle in you suitcase. Now you can of course wrap them in clothes or towels or better still why not use BottleWise Duo - Wine Travel Bag. Designed in response to the latest airline regulations, the BottleWise Duo is a soft sided bag designed to keep your wine bottles or other liquid bottle safe during travel.

The bag has 2 removal padded bottle packs that fit standard 750ml bottles. Each pack includes a puncture resistant re-sealable liquid-tight liner that protects your luggage should the bottle break.

The BottleWise Duo - Wine Travel Bag retails for around $60

PowerMonkey eXplorer Solar Charger

Brian — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:38:41 +0000

The PowerMonkey eXplorer lets you charge your gadgets wherever and whenever. The eXplorer is compatible with most moble phones, iPOds, MP3 players and portable games consoles.

You can charge up the eXplorer using the included solar slave that can be attached to a rucksack while hiking or hung from a window. The solar slave can even be used to charge your gadgets directly.

The LCD screen displays battery capacity and the level of charge, the PowerMonkey eXplorer also has short-circuit protection, over-charging protection and over-discharging protection

What you get:
1 x Power 1 x solar-slave
1 x universal mains charger which will work in over 150 countries and has interchangeable heads for UK, Europe, US & Australia
1 x mini USB for Motorola RazR V series, Blackberrys and Bluetooth headsets
1 x USB for smart phones, PDAs and other devices
1 x iPod connector
1 x connector for Sony PSP and most digital cameras
1 x Black travel pouch
1 x Storage case
1 x User guide

The PowerMonkey eXplorer retails for around $112

Zap Mosquito Bites with the ZapperClick

Brian — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:07:48 +0000

Not sure if this is available stateside, but is available in the UK. The ZapperClick produces 5 - 10 electrical impulses that are created by a piezo crystal that inhibits histamine build up on the mosquito bite; so in theory no scratching and reduced swelling.

The ZapperClick requires no battery and is good for around 1,000 bites

I’m not sure that this device will work, but if you are one of the many that have minor or even severe reactions to mosquito bites, the ZapperClick could be an option

Pocket Shower from Sea to Summit

Brian — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:00:42 +0000

Here is another space saver for those backpacker / camping travelers out there. The Pocket Shower from Sea to Summit is made from heat-resistant waterproof fabric with a roll top closure. Built into the base is a compact showerhead that works with a simple on/off twist mechanism. The shower head can be adjusted to allow just a trickle of water or a full flowing down pour.

The Pocket Shower holds up to 10 liters (2,6 gallons) and can be hung from the tough Delrin™ D rings with the 20 feet of lightweight cord provided. The black fabric allows the sun to warm the water during the day.

Note: The shower gives you about 8 minutes of water when fully opened, so be quick.

The Pocket Shower when not in use fits into its own pouch and measures in at just 3” x 6” and weighs just 4.25 ounces

Added bonus - the Pocket Shower ca n also be used as a regular dry sack to transport clothes or sleeping bag - just make sure you have dried it first.

The Sea to Summit Pocket Shower retails for $26

Coleman Pack-Away Lantern

Brian — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:00:47 +0000

Whether camping or just in case of emergencies, it’s good to have a light source available. The Pack-Away Lantern from Coleman measures in at 3.2″ x 2.7″ x 1.9″ closed and 4.875″ x 2.7″ x 1.9″ open.

It has four settings Off/High/Low/Emergency Strobe and is powered by 4 AA batteries. It will illuminate on high for 5 hours or 12 hours if switched to low. Small and light, the lantern weighs just 8 ounces so its easy to pack away for your next camping trip or store ready for your next power outage.

The Coleman Pack-Away Lantern retails for around $35

Search Amazon for more Search Pack-Away Lanterns

Mobile Edge ScanFast Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bags

Brian — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:29:49 +0000

With the recent TSA announcement that will allow travelers to pass through security checkpoints without having to remove laptops from cases, there is bound to be a host of offerings from the various laptop bag manufacturers.

One of the first to announce a new lineup od ’checkpoint friendly laptop bags’ is Mobile Edge. The ScanFast lineup includes a backpack, briefcase and messenger style bags suitable for most sizes of laptops. These bags have been designed to conveniently open for airport screeners so that you can pass through much faster.

The Mobile Edge ScanFast line should be available later this summer

Source: Mobile Edge

Trak T-1600 Collapsible Kayak

Brian — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:17:37 +0000

Could this be the ultimate in collapsible kayaks?

The Trak T-1600 comes with hydraulics in the cockpit that allow you to instantly change the shape of the hull allowing you to adjust for speed, improve maneuverability or even neutralize for cross winds without the use of a rudder.

The Tri-active Performance System consists of 3 self-contained hydraulic jacks in the cockpit that adjusts the shape of the hull by a simple pull of the handle. This allows you to adjust for chaging wind and water conditions.

The VariTRAK Adjustable Rocker allows you to adjust the actual shape of the hull in seconds making it easy to maneuver no matter what the conditions

With just 8 pieces the Trak T-1600 goes from pack to water in around 10 minutes. When packed in the bag the T-1600 measures 52 x 17 x 15 in

All this technology comes at a price with the Trak T-1600 retailing for $4,900.

You can find out more about the Trak T-1600 at Rethinkkayak.com