If your dad is anything like mine, he spends most of his free time tinkering on outside projects. Whether it’s tending to a rose garden or building a brand new koi pond filtration system, it’s a fair bet that your dad is the outdoorsy type. The biggest problem with spending most of your time outdoors is the unpredictable weather that threatens to ruin tools, iPods, and precious blueprints.
I can’t help you with the first two, but if your dad wants to make sure his notes are intact then he should check out the Rite in the Rain (Firebox, £7.99 – £17.99) notebooks. Using 100% recyclable paper, these notebooks are chock full of all-weather writing paper. What that means is that your dad can scribble away and not have to worry about the pages getting wet and ruined. All he needs is a traditional pencil (or a fancy all-weather pen) to write his notes with and he’s all set. Available in either journal or field formats, each notebook is outfitted with a Polydura cover. The main difference between the two formats is that the journal has 64 basic ruled pages while the field notebook’s 160 pages are in a graphing format.
I guess there notebooks would be good for shower notations, too.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-All weather writing paper
-100% recyclable paper
-Use traditional pencil or all weather pen
-Available in Journal or Field
Journal:
-Dimensions: 4 7/8″ x 7″
-Side wire spiral binding
-Polydura yellow cover
-64 pages (32 sheets)
Field:
-Dimensions: 4 3/4″ x 7 1/2″
-Sewn binding
-Heavy Polydura yellow cover
-160 pages (80 sheets)
I’m pretty sure I have the tiniest bladder in the world. I must get up to go to the bathroom at least four or five times a night. The worst thing about getting up in the middle of the night, besides being ripped from your sleep and cozy bed, is that you have to stagger to the bathroom in complete darkness. Some people are lucky enough to have a bathroom right inside their bedroom, but even that won’t keep you from stubbing your toe or, worse yet, failing to notice a lifted toilet seat.
Who needs to turn on a light when you have the Glow in the Dark Loo Roll (Firebox, £4.12)? You can pee in obscurity by the glow of the toilet paper roll because it uses energy from a sufficient light source during the day to power itself at night. Now, I’m not saying it’ll be like you have a couple of floodlights in your bathroom, but it should be enough to make out the toilet bowl and any other immediate obstacles.
Great Scott!
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 9cm diameter
-Glows in the dark
-No batteries required
-Glows thru contact with sufficient light source during the day
-Illuminates immediate area only
I love the summertime, don’t get me wrong, but I could do without all the insects. There’s nothing better than hanging out with friends, barbecuing up a storm, and enjoying the sun – except for the bugs. It’s like they know when you’re having a good time and they’re just waiting for you to turn your back so they can attack. You can slather yourself up with bug spray to ensure they won’t devour your flesh, but what about your precious food? Is there no saving it?
The Giant Food Umbrella (Taylor Gifts, $9.98) is exactly what it sounds like: a giant umbrella for your food. The umbrella design allows you to place the cover over an entire table of food without having to worry about your food being subjected to the elements while you chat with friends, finish grilling, or even hang out indoors for a bit. Made of nylon mesh attached to a metal frame, this cover is sturdy but probably won’t help you if it rains (bummer). Then again, who’s hanging around in the rain?
It’s your job to make sure there aren’t bugs inside the umbrella before running off to frolic in the sunshine.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 17″ x 49″ x 27″ (open)
-Covers food to keep away bugs
-Button press open
-Made of nylon mesh with metal frame
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Besides eating some tasty tacos, most people are out enjoying an adult beverage or two in honor of the holiday. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little imbibing as long as it’s done responsibly. This of course means not having too much to drink and not drinking while driving, but it also applies to safe beer holding. Are you practicing safe beer holding? Are you sure?
The Beer Pouch Sweatshirt with Hood (Vat19, $29.95) nestles your beer close to you while leaving your hands free to, um, hold things (like tacos). You could certainly just hold your beer, but there are a lot of dangerous factors involved in beer holding. Did you know that you could get frostbite from a super chilled beer? I didn’t either (probably because it’s not true), but if you want to err on the side of caution, you can stash your beer in the conveniently insulated beer pocket of this sweatshirt. The pocket also boasts an elastic band at the top to keep your beverage snugly burrowed inside. I’m not saying it’ll protect your brew from a gang of ninjas or a rogue cartwheel, but it’s pretty close.
If you’re not a big alcohol drinker, don’t fret. It’s not like this pouch can sense nonalcoholic beverages (wouldn’t that be awesome though?). You can just as easily use the insulated pocket for soda, water, or even a cup of soup. Whatever floats your boat, man.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 5.5″ x 6″ (pouch)
-Sweatshirt features drink pouch
-Elastic band on top of pouch
-Insulated liner inside pouch
-Available in M, L, XL, and XXL
-Only available in grey
-Made of 90% cotton/10% polyester
As convenient as taxis are, they’re not always the best option. There are a lot of reasons why it might be easier to crash at a friend’s place rather than calling cab. For example, you probably spent all your cash at the bar so you’re unlikely to even be able to afford chauffeured transportation. Also, like my friends who live in the boonies keep telling me, not everywhere is cab friendly. Did you know some towns even stop cab service at midnight? I’m just going out to the bars at that time! Lastly, just because you called for a cab doesn’t mean it’s actually coming. I once waited over an hour for a cab that never came and ended up hitchhiking home. True story.
Instead of laying your money (and possibly life) on the line, wouldn’t the Crash Pad (Taylor Gifts, $99.98) be the better option? This portable bed fits easily in the trunk of your car when you need to transport it to a friend’s house for the night or underneath your bed when you get back home. Portable and lightweight, you can cart this thing pretty much anywhere and you’ll always be guaranteed a place to sleep that night. Whether you’re camping out in the woods or on your friend’s kitchen floor, you’ll be sleeping comfortably because this sleeping solution features all over padding and a built-in pillow. Sure beats sleeping in the bathtub, doesn’t it?
I wish I had one of these when I was staying the night at a friend’s dorm in college. Have you ever slept on a concrete floor? It’s about as comfortable as sleeping on a concrete floor.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 75″ x 35″ x 3″
-Includes storage case, carry strap, and attached pillow
-Padded all purpose bed solution
-Ideal for homes, dorms, RVs, etc
-Fits easily in closet, car trunk, or under bed
-Portable and lightweight
