Summer isn’t quite here yet, but it’s already time to start looking at the strange gadgets that aim to keep you cool. I’m really not sure what to think about the Spritzer Cup. It seems like it would work well, I guess I just can’t see myself carrying one of these things around with me.
What you see here isn’t an ordinary cup, as you might have noticed. Don’t worry though, that sprayer isn’t pumping out of the same liquid that you’re drinking, so you won’t have to worry about getting juice all over your face. They’ve thoughtfully included two separate chambers for holding liquid.
If your favorite way to cool off is to spray yourself in the face with water, then I’d suggest picking one of these up for just $15.
With the rising gas prices, it’s natural for people to look for alternative methods of transportation. This of course means that people are going to come up with some crazy contraptions. I can only guess that this is how the Magic Wheel was conceived.
Basically what this appears to be is a bike wheel attached to a rollerblade wheel with a couple of footrests. What you end up with something that is about as useful as a skateboard, without the ability to actually do cool tricks. If you’re looking for a different way to get around and don’t mind getting a lot of weird looks, then by all means drop $250 (plus $325 shipping from Singapore) on one. I’ll just stick to a bike.
When I go camping, there aren’t usually a lot of foods that we can cook, and the ones we can are usually prepared by holding them on sticks over an open flame. Being in the great outdoors, we usually just use a branch from a nearby tree, or one of those fancy roasting sticks. However, if you want to be a bit of a show-off next time you’re around a campfire, you should pick up the BBQ Sword.
This product isn’t any more useful than any other roasting stick, however, it is much cooler. As you would imagine from the name it is shaped much like a fencing sword. What’s more is that they also include a mask such as the one Zorro would wear. Despite the lack of extra functionality, I would definitely take one of these to my next camp-out.
There’s something about summer that seems to bring out the lazy person in all of us. When it’s beautiful outside, there’s little more that you want to do than sit out and enjoy the weather. Unfortunately it gets warm out there, and you need to keep hydrated with a cool drink or two. Rather than getting up to go get something, or even keeping a cooler sitting next to you, why not get a remote controlled cooler?
This little cooler might not hold the most beer of any other in town, but it’s likely the most convenient. You can have it filled with six cans of your favorite drink, and call it over from 30-feet away with the remote. When it’s empty just send it back inside and have someone refill it for you. If you’re truly lazy, then I’m sure it will be a $70 well spent.
When you were a kid, did you ever get so dirty that your mother would actually make you hose yourself off before being allowed to set foot in the house? For those that think I’m nuts, I grew up in the country, and spent a good portion of my youth outside (which is interesting because these days it seems I never leave my desk). It wasn’t all that uncommon for me to get quite dirty, especially if it had rained in the previous day. This cool Screw outdoor shower might have came in handy.
One other activity that usually required us to shower off was getting in the pool. If we’d been off playing in the dirt, we’d have to get cleaned off so as to keep the pool water sparkling. (I was more than happy to do so, as cleaning the pool was one of my chores). This Screw is simply an attachment for your garden hose that turns it into a stand-up shower.
While this produces nearly the same result as using a typical hand sprayer on your hose, there are two major differences. First, the Screw doesn’t require the use of one of your hands (or another person, which is great because then you don’t have someone with a hose that seems to think your face needs a little extra washing). The second, and largest different is that your sprayer attachment will cost only a couple of bucks while the Screw runs $830. Seriously, $830 for that? Screwed is more like it.
If a perfectly grilled steak isn’t enough to impress your friends at your next barbecue, I’m sure that personally branding their piece of meat will do the trick. And to do that you’ll need this customizable BBQ Branding Iron.
Instead of spending a small fortune to have the local blacksmith create a custom branding iron with just a single message, you can get this version which includes a set of 55 interchangeable aluminum letters (plus 8 blank spaces) for spelling out almost anything. (PWNED!) Creating a new message is as easy as sliding the individual letters into the two line track, but you’ll probably want to make sure the previous message has sufficiently cooled before swapping in a new one.
I’m sure we’ve all seen our share of garish barbecues, and by that I mean those giant brick and mortar temples to meat that people erect in their backyards. But if you prefer to barbecue with a little more style, this stainless steel barrel model from Eva Solo is as cool a BBQ as you’re ever going to find. Designed by Claus Jensen and Henrik Holbaek, the barbecue’s stainless steel finish should make it last longer than other barbecues that are finished with enamel, chrome or nickel-plating. Stainless steel also just looks really cool which is why some people cover their entire kitchens with it. In fact you’ll probably be more inclined to leave this barbecue out on the patio when it’s not in use, just so you can look at it.
But like a lot of things that have been crafted by a talented designer, the Eva Solo Stainless Steel BBQ doesn’t come cheap. A 19.3-inch diameter version costs $680 while a 27-inch diameter version is $1,070. You can get them from Unica Home along with a similarly priced line of Eva Solo barbecue accessories.
While the Freebord might resemble a regular skateboard, there are a few key differences that make riding it feel more like racing down a ski covered mountain than gleaming the cube. For one, the traditional 4 corner wheels are pushed out and away from the deck making them work like the edges of a snowboard which gives you more control over your speed when racing downhill. The other obvious difference is a set of center wheels mounted underneath the deck which are free to turn in any direction. They end up working like the petex base of a snowboard (the extremely durable and slippery bottom layer) allowing you to slide sideways while riding or even use them to ‘edge in’ and come to a stop.
And while I’m sure the Freebord experience does probably come close to riding an actual snowboard, you’re unfortunately missing that soft layer of snow to cushion you when you fall. The Freebord Basic Setup kit which includes everything you need to get started plus your choice of deck is available from the company’s online store for $209.99.
I was never a fan of cutting the grass as a kid, but it was less about having to do work and more about our gas-powered lawnmower which was loud and reeked of fuel and oil. But back then, electric powered mowers were tethered to a power cable that I’m sure I would have accidentally run over at one point or another. Fast forward 15 years and battery technologies have finally reached the point where you can buy an electric mower that doesn’t need to be plugged in while you’re cutting the lawn. The Neuton CE 6.2 model features a removable rechargeable battery that’s ideal for lawns up to 1/3 of an acre or about 15,000 sq. ft. in size. (Or about 45 to 60 minutes of mow time per charge, depending on the grass type.)
Since the battery is removable, you can swap it out with a backup if it dies before your lawn is finished or if you want to use the optional trimmer/edger accessory. The batteries charge in about 8 hours and will supposedly last for about 5 years with proper care. And since the Neuton CE 6.2 is an obvious choice for those who aren’t thrilled with running a gas-powered mower, they’ll also be happy to know that the battery is 95% recyclable when it does reach the end of its life.
You can buy the Neuton CE 6.2 Mower directly from the Neuton website for $479, while spare batteries run $99.95 each.
If you’re an avid cyclist who’s always been frustrated that your local lakes, rivers and ponds are off limits to your bike, then Hammacher Schlemmer has the solution for you. The Performance Water Cycle is a single seat bike designed for use on water instead of land. You’ll have to sit in the same position as if you were riding a recumbent bike, but the pedal-powered 15-inch 2-blade propeller will allow you to reach speeds of up to 7 mph. I guess that’s where the ‘performance’ part of Performance Water Cycle comes in. While you won’t be hydroplaning across the surface of the lake, it’s apparently faster than an Olympic swimmer or a traditional paddle boat.
The Water Cycle can support up to 350 lbs and the fiberglass-covered high-density foam core features precisely balanced pontoons on either side for a stable ride. It needs at least 2 feet of water in order to operate, but it can apparently remain upright even in waves as high as 3 feet. You can get it from Hammacher Schlemmer for $2,995,95, which is smart pricing because if they had listed it for $3,000 I would said it was too expensive.
Related Tags: Outdoors
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By Andrew Liszewski
