Solar-charged jacket
The jacket may be solar-charged, but it’s free from electronics. The secret is a phosphorescent compound embedded in the fabric which absorbs light (whether sunlight or artificial) and then glows in the dark. Its makers claim a couple of hours “charging” delivers up to 12 hours of green luminescence. The jacket itself is lightweight, compact and waterproof, with tape-sealed seams and waterproof zipper. Albeit, being seen in the dark does come at a price.€325, check out vollebak.com
Klymit Litewater dinghy
Packability is the order of the day here. Folding up into a 12cm by 24cm dry bag pouch and weighing less than a kilogram, the dinghy may look a little like a lilo on steroids when inflated, but is still responsive in the water. Needless to say it’s not intended for whitewater rafting, rated for class 2 conditions: mild, flat water to small waves. One smart feature is the dry bag which comes with the dinghy doubling-up as a pump so you can save your puff for the water. $170 from amazon.com
My UV Patch
Skincare brand La Roche-Posay is hardly expected to break new ground in wearable technology, yet My UV Patch does just that. The patch in question is about the size of a two euro coin and as unobtrusively thin as a layer of skin. Stick it anywhere exposed, (back of a hand or wrist is recommended), set up a skin profile on the associated free app and you're set. Photosensitive dyes in the patch react to sunlight and scanning it with the app advises on calibrating exposure to keep your skin healthy. And most of us need a prod in the right direction – skin cancer is the most common form here – marking this as a worthy wearable tech debut. See laroche-posay.ie for more.
@tomtomkelly