Travel Games
Once you get rolling, it’s hard to stop playing some games. And speaking of rolling, Sondergut produces a chess/checkers game and a backgammon game on lightweight travel boards that can be rolled up (to a size of 10 inches by 2 inches by 2 inches) and taken anywhere. The games are marketed through The Grommet.
Both sets feature hand-sewn leather boards with suede backs. The boards have a zipper pocket for storing the playing pieces, which are included. (The chess pieces, which are flat, flip over to become checkers.) Each game is 14 inches by 10 inches when laid flat and weighs about half a pound. The chess/checkers and backgammon games each cost $39.95.
The Grommet
87 Elmwood St.
Somerville, MA 02144
(617) 229-7140
www.thegrommet.com
Talking Alarm Clock
When it comes to reminding you to take your medication or vitamin supplements, the MedCenter Talking Alarm Clock works like, well, clockwork.
Up to four daily alarms can be set. At each time you specify, you hear a friendly female voice. For example, she may say, “Good morning! Please take your morning pills for the 20th.” The alarm, which has loud and extra-loud settings, continues to sound until an “alarm acknowledged” button is pressed. The clock’s display is backlit for nighttime viewing. The clock is 5 inches wide, 1.75 inches deep, and 2.75 inches high. It requires two AA batteries or an AC adapter. The price is $39.95, or $44.95 with the adapter.
MedCenter Systems LLC
10179 Commerce Park Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45246
(866) 600-3244
www.medcentersystems.com
Work Light
Old proverb: “Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Better yet, zap darkness with a 1,100-lumen BriteZone Go Anywhere Handheld LED Work Light from Grote Industries.
The light’s polycarbonate lens is housed in a black-powder-coated die-cast aluminum case, which has a stainless-steel bracket/handle. A magnetic polymer base allows the light to be secured to most metal surfaces. The base is 4.9 inches wide, and the light is 9 inches high with the handle up. The light is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery; a DC vehicle charger and an AC wall charger are included. The light, model BZ501-5, generally sells for $70 to $80.
Grote Industries
22600 Lanier Drive
Madison, IN 47250
(800) 628-0809
www.grote.com
Multiuse Cooker
Your motorhome might lack space for a pressure cooker, a slow cooker, a rice cooker/porridge maker, a steamer, a yogurt maker, a warmer, and a saute/browning pan. But there might be room for Instant Pot, which is all of the above.
Instant Pot, which operates on 120 volts AC, is available in 6-quart and 5-quart sizes. Features include a stainless-steel cooking pot and a brushed stainless-steel exterior; 14 microprocessor-controlled programs; high- and low-pressure cooking settings; three saute temperature settings and three slow-cook temperature settings; an adjustable slow-cook setting with cook times of 30 minutes to 20 hours; a delay timer that can be set up to 24 hours in advance; and an automatic keep-warm setting that stays on for up to 10 hours.
The 6-quart Instant Pot, model IP-DUO60, weighs 14.6 pounds and measures 13 inches by 12.2 inches by 12.6 inches. The suggested retail price is $119.95.
Instant Pot Company
11-300 Earl Grey Drive
Suite 383
Ottawa, ON K2T 1C1
(800) 828-7280
www.instantpot.com
Foldable Kayak
When blue water beckons, it’s a bummer to be bound to land. One option is a foldable kayak. Yes, foldable. (Can you say origami?)
Oru Kayak’s open-cockpit Beach model is designed for calm waters. It weighs 26 pounds and folds to a box that measures 33 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 30 inches high. The kayak unfolds to 12 feet long and 28 inches wide. It can be put together in three minutes, according to Oru’s website, and is “great for day trips, picnics, and casual fun with family and friends.” It has a 300-pound weight capacity. The handmade boat’s polypropylene hull has been rated to withstand 20,000 folds, and has received a 10-year ultraviolet treatment. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $1,175.
Oru Kayak
354 Fifth St.
San Francisco, CA 94107
(844) 365-3678
www.orukayak.com
Portable Table
A portable table must be stable. And sturdy. And lightweight. And easily stored in the RV. Yep, all that. Which brings us to the Helinox Table One Hard Top.
The 2-pound folding table is designed to hold 55 times its weight, or up to 110 pounds. (But it’s not a chair, so sit elsewhere.) It features a single shock-corded pole structure for quick assembly. When in use, the hard-surface tabletop measures 23.6 inches by 16 inches and sits 15.4 inches off the ground. (It pairs nicely with Helinox chairs, which are low to the ground.) When packed into its storage case, the table measures 15.7 inches by 4.7 inches by 5.1-inches. The suggested price is $129.95.
Big Agnes
735 Oak St.
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
(970) 871-1480
www.bigagnes.com
30-Amp Connector
Shore power connections that become loose or overheat can increase the risk of fire or electrocution. With safety in mind, SmartPlug Systems has upgraded the internal workings of its 30-amp shore power connector, which features a straight-in connection and blades designed to replace twist-type shore power connectors. The straight-pin design is said to offer more than 20 times the metal-to-metal surface contact than the twist-type system.
The SmartPlug 30A Retro-fit Connector, model BF30, is designed for use with the SmartPlug 30-amp Inlet. It now has a wire capture system with setscrew wire clamps instead of Phillips screws with wire plates, as well as color-coded wire guides, and a mechanical cord restraint that replaces the plastic jaws in the older model. Instructions are included for using your existing cord and replacing the old connector with the BF30. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $77.
SmartPlug Systems
2500 Westlake Ave. N.
Suite G
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 285-2990
www.smartplug.com
Slideout Guards
You think it’ll never happen to you, and then #$@&%*!!! You bang your head against a sharp corner of your motorhome’s slideout. Camco’s Slide-Out Corner Guards act as a cushion to help protect against such accidental injury.
The guards are made of soft, flexible UV-stabilized resin. Simply install a guard — no tools are needed — on each exterior corner of a slideout, and bingo, you’ve made your little corner of the world safer for your noggin (as well as for kids, dogs, and other adults prone to bumping into things). Slide-Out Corner Guards are available in black or white. The suggested retail price is $11.49 for a pack of four.
Camco Manufacturing Inc.
121 Landmark Drive
Greensboro, NC 27409
(800) 334-2004
www.camco.net
Multipurpose Oil
Howes Multi-Purpose Lubricator and Penetrating Oil is made from a secret formula of highly refined petroleum ingredients. On each can is the claim: “1001 uses.”
According to the Howes website, the oil loosens rusted nuts and bolts; prevents corrosion; lubricates locks, cranking windows, awnings, sliding doors, bicycle chains, and garage door and trailer rollers; stops squeaks on door hinges; removes bugs and tar; cleans and protects chrome wheels and rubber bumpers; and prevents snow from sticking to plows or shovels. There may be 983 other uses, but we don’t have space to list them. The suggested retail price for an 11.25-ounce can of Howes Multi-Purpose is $9.99.
Howes Lubricator Products
60 Ocean State Drive
North Kingstown, RI 02852
(800) 438-4693
www.howeslube.com