Tie, socks, bottle of Old Spice? If these are your choices for Father’s Day (19 June) you might want to rethink your gift. It’s not 1976.
Cheapflights.co.uk’s tech experts have come up with their top ten travel gadgets wish list, designed to put a smile on Dad’s face without causing too much pain in another area – the wallet.
FOR SOCIAL MEDIA DAD
Kodak Playsport Video Camera The palm-sized PlaySport is a nifty alternative to a large camcorder. It shoots in 1080p HD video and has software for simple social media sharing to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Perhaps its most family-friendly feature is its toughness. It has great image stabilisation, a hard shell in case it’s dropped, and is water resistant to nearly three metres (10 feet).
FOR FREQUENT TRAVELLER DAD
Walkin’ Bag – Finding a place to sit in a crowded airport terminal can add to pre-holiday stress levels. Swany America makes a line of carry-ons and suitcases that have built-in, fold-out seats. They hold up to 136kg (300 pounds). With one of these, there’ll be no more sitting on the floor or crushing luggage by using it as a makeshift seat.
FOR ADVENTURE DAD
Revolve Dead batteries while exploring the Great Outdoors is frustrating in the extreme. Revolve’s solar-powered chargers will, em, charge to the rescue, allowing Dad to recharge more than 3,000 different types of devices – including iPhones, iPads and Blackberries. The built-in battery also doubles as an emergency power source.
FOR CAREFUL DAD
Otterbox An “otterbox” (there’s a clue in the name) will keep your essentials dry as a bone. As the company explains on its website: “similar to an otter’s fur, our original line of cases is waterproof.” You can buy cases for a raft of 2011-gadgets – iPhone, iPod and iPad, Kindle, e-Readers and Tablets, BlackBerrys, HTCs, Motorola and Nokias. The list is near endless.
FOR ‘NEW MAN’ DAD
Bento Diaper Bag by Skip Hop This might strike readers as an odd gift for Father’s Day, but this is more than a changing bag. This is a multi-functional bag with enough compartments and pouches to carry everything needed for a day out with the little ones. They attach to almost all types of buggy and even have insulated cooler compartments for snacks. So cool, Dad may swipe it from the buggy and use it on his morning commute.
FOR SECURITY-CONSCIOUS DAD
PacSafe Well known for its lockable, steel-mesh backpack protectors, PacSafe also makes a wide range of passport holders, bags, pouches, backpacks, and even wristbands and belts so your travel gear doesn’t take a trip without you.
Theft Defender The growing inclusion of Radio Frequency Identification Tags (RFID) into passports, debit, and credit cards has spurred criminals to wirelessly (and unknowingly) harvest people’s information for identify theft, and worse. Fortunately, Theft Defender makes passport and ID/credit-card sleeves that block the RFID signals your documents emit to prevent them from being read without your knowledge.
Belle Hop Travel Door Alarm This alarm attaches to the inside of a hotel room door, and emits a piercing 91-decibel alarm if someone tries to enter. It’s ideal for those who prefer their wake-up calls from the front desk, rather than a burglar. It’s also suitable for women travellers and families with young children staying in separate rooms.
FOR PREPARED-FOR-ANYTHING DAD
Eton Raptor Emergency Radio This might just do it all. The Raptor is a solar-powered multi-functional outdoor radio. Its list of features goes on and on – AM/FM Bands (ten AM and ten FM station memories), a digital clock with alarm, a carbiner and a bottle opener. Oh, and it’s splashproof too.
FOR LUXURY-LOVING DAD
Lotuff & Clegg – If your Dad appreciates old-style craftsmanship, consider investing in one of Lotuff & Clegg’s handmade leather items, such as a briefcase, duffel bag or wash bag. They make reasonably priced iPad cases, Kindle sleeves and luggage tags too. Made in Massachusetts, they’re the type of bag that becomes a family heirloom so choose wisely.
With thanks to Martin Clinton
(Image: Dharion)
