Gadgets that make travel easier

Speed dry your wetsuit, add spring to your step and build your own boat

Hangair wet-suit dryer
Hangair wet-suit dryer

HangAir Wet-suit Dryer
Lose the stinky tangle of neoprene that a wet-suit often becomes with HangAir from water sports specialists Underwater Kinetics. It speed-dries wet-suits (even dry suits or bike leathers) thanks to a pretty powerful, waterproof fan integrated in the hanger body. The hanger itself is reinforced to take up to 45kg (about 100lb) and an overnight HangAir ventilation will see your suit completely fresh and dry. Comes with a 5m cable.
€59 from surfdock.ie


Adidas Springblade
Trainer technology never pauses for breath and this is Adidas's latest brainwave. Eight pairs of forward-angled, elastic blades on each sole propel the wearer forward, giving the runner more pep in their step and using the energy from one pace to spring into the next. As well as an exercise in bio-mechanics, Springblades feature other innovations: the uppers boast a new foot-hugging design and it can take up to seven times the heat of regular EVA soles (good for all that kinetic and frictional energy as the blades flex and compress).
About $180; launching in August, details on adidas.com


Balmain Sailboat Kit
Aussie company Balmain has pinpointed its USP perfectly – making parents and grandparents look like legends. Because who doesn't want the bragging rights of having made their own sailboat? The kit comes with precision-cut plywood, screws, glue and all the components you'll need. It does include a sail and ropes, but no oars. And you'll need paint, a hammer and a few basic tools.

Adidas Springblade
Adidas Springblade
Build your own boat
Build your own boat

Built size is 3m x 1.3m x 0.5m.
Aus$2,853 from the
balmainboatcompany.com