It’s up to you whether you think the Bodum Bistro Flatbed 4-Slice Toaster (Amazon, $69.95) is better than the traditional two-slice model or just a hunk of overpriced junk. Before you judge though, let’s go over the facts. It’s got to be hard to rethink a toaster, but the general idea is that a toaster’s walls were way too confining when it came to large bread items. This design cuts out the walls completely and gives you a flat toasting surface that works with any size or type of bread. If you’re working with a standard piece of bread, you can fit up to four slices on at a time but you are limited to toasting one side at a time so your total crisping time may increase. That’s pretty much the only difference here as all the other usual toaster amenities can be found: variable shade settings, defrost and reheat options, slide out crumb tray, and on/off indicator light. You’ve got to admit, it does a lot cooler than your mom’s toaster.

A lot of people like to complain about how you can’t use this toaster under a cabinet and that it doesn’t have any safety restrictions. I guess this is a toaster for capable adults then.

4 out of 5 stars.

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You can stick all the important documents you like in a fireproof safe or in a safety deposit box at the bank, but nothing is as securely portable as the Mobi Safe (Convenient Gadgets & Gifts, $13.95). Just large enough to protect the essentials, this safe comes complete with a 4-digit combination lock and a vinyl coated aircraft steel cable. So you could even tether this safe to your wrist if you felt that such a drastic action was necessary. Personally, the combo lock is enough peace of mind for me.

Why trust a sketchy hotel safe when you can lock up your cash in this thing instead?

4 out of 5 stars.

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To-do lists are great, if you can manage to keep track of them. I mean, what frazzled person hasn’t attempted organization only to lose the very thing holding it all together? To save yourself from this maddening frustration, why not just write your list on your morning cup of coffee? The Memo Mug (Perpetual Kid, $14.99) helps keep your notes with something you’ll be hard-pressed to misplace – your caffeine fix. One side of the mug is curved like a normal coffee cup, while the other is flat to allow for maximum writing space. The side of the mug even has a slot for the included pen so as long as you can keep a hand on your java, you won’t be without your notes or special writing utensil. Once you’re done with your list, wipe it off and your mug is back to square one.

Some of you might set down your coffee in the morning and then be unable to find it later, rendering this gadget totally useless to you. Not me, though. My coffee cup is glued to my hand until the last drop has been consumed. In fact, the only issue here is that I might guzzle up all that caffeinated goodness before I start in on my to-do list.

4 out of 5 stars.

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Certainly not the first thing on the list (poncho, anyone?), but the Grandpa’s Firefork (Not On The High Street, £4.50) would be a handy tool to have whilst being one with nature. Depending on your level of camping skills, you might have a grill to cook your food on or you might just have to settle for an open flame, campfire style. If it’s the latter, you’ll probably want this contraption because it’s a great alternative to poking your food onto a stick you found in the woods. Don’t get me wrong, you still need the stick to use as a handle, but at least your food will stay on the clean metal part while it roasts instead of marinating in unknown woodsy bits. And since we talked about overpacking yesterday, you’ll be happy to note that this camping companion takes up barely any space and is fairly multi-use. Heck, you could even use it as a fire poker if you really wanted to.

You know what’s more fun than camping? ANYTHING.

3 out of 5 stars.

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I feel the worst overpacking happens when going to the beach because you actually might need all of the things you’ve packed. Sunscreen? Necessary. Sunglasses? Necessary. Book? Necessary. Music? Necessary. Towel? Ultra necessary. Too bad that your towel takes up the most space or else you’d totally be able to get by with just one small beach bag, right? The Pocket Towel (Latest Buy, $22.95) makes packing for the beach easy with a magical towel that is small enough to fit in your pocket. Inside its handy little pouch is a nearly full-size bath towel made of ultrafine microfibre that can absorb three times its weight in water! You could probably fit at least two dozen of these super absorbent pocket towels into the same space as a regular beach towel. Plus, instead of putting a soggy towel back into your bag just so it can soak everything else inside, you can simply fold it and put it back in its storage pouch.

A towel like this might also be helpful when you find yourself caught in a torrential downpour (like the ones we’ve been experiencing lately) without an umbrella or poncho.

4 out 5 stars.

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