How does that saying go? "The best things in life are free." Well, they're not. At least not when you're getting the favorite Dad in your life a Father's Day gift. Here are some gear and gadget ideas that will bring a smile to his face -- and go with him on his next travel adventure.
Oh, yea -- some of these ideas are great for people who aren't dads -- you, me, and some of our friends.
Magellan's has a thing-a-ma-gig that prevents other thing-a-ma-gigs from sliding off the dashboard of the SIV, hybrid, minivan or sporty convertible. It's a sticky pad -- sticky enough to hold a cellphone, maps, sunglasses, change for tolls, whatever. No more slipping and sliding. And you can't beat the price -- just $5.85.
There's also a "Eurosurge" adaptor that will protect his precious laptop from getting zapped by the 220-240V current outside North America. The device includes an internal pulse filter that eliminates unwanted metering signals that can interrupt modem transmissions. Consiter it a $49.95 insurance policy.
The drugstore reading glasses are great travel buddies -- effective and inexpensive. But useless when you need to read something in bright light, when what you really need is a pair of combo sun-reading specs. Well, finally, somebody figured it out. There's a new combination of tinted sunglasses and reading glasses now makes it possible to not only see in harsh daylight, but protect eyes from harmful UV rays.
Magnivision Sun Readers use the same principles as bifocals. The bottom half of each lens is magnified, while the top half works like normal sunglasses. And since they look like contemporary shades, no one knows you're wearing reading glasses. They are available at CVS ($14.95).
Never leave home on an adventure travel trip without duct tape. It is an indespensible tool for fixing just about anything, frombroken trekking poles to shredded backpacks. I've even used it on the backs of my ankles to let my hiking boots slide more freely -- and prevent blisters.
Now there's a new tape that may be even better than duct tape. Gorilla Tape is from the people who brought us Gorilla Glue, which just may be tougher than the crazy version. Unlike duct tape, which is silvery and slippery, the gorilla version has a sticky surface. It comes in a 105-foot roll and costs about $12, pricier than duct.
The greatest gift of all just may be allowing dad -- our yourself -- to bypass the hassle of hauling luggage in and out of a car or shuttle bus and checking it the airport. Don't check it -- ship it.
The Luggage Club (www.luggageclub.com) arranges door-to-door pick-up and delivery of luggage, golf clubs or any items anywhere in the USA, including Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, as well as internationally. Depending on size, weight and whether you want it there in one or two days, rates range from around $75 to $200 and more.
Airlines seem to go to great lengths to provide us with first run movies and other high-quality video and audio entertainment programming, but then they give us the lowest quality headphones. So unless you are in business or first class, where they loan you $300 Bose headphones, bring your own.
NoiseBuster electronic noise canceling headphone is the perfect gift for frequent flyers, commuters on buses and trains, and the treadmill crowd. It electronically reduces irritating, anxiety-provoking, background noise by coupling low-frequency noise waves with their exact mirror image waves. It can be used on its own or with an MP3 or DVD portable for clarity without overamplification and distortion, without cranking up the volume to drown out the background noise.
The Bose headphones are great -- they should be for $299. NoiseBuster headphones cost $69.
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