Travel gear: Making travel easier

Skylock Whether the key-free Skylock will take the rough and tumble of street life will only be seen in time. For now, it's the smartest bike lock around. From remote and proximity locking and unlocking via your smartphone to being solar powered, the technology covers all angles. It'll notify you if someone tries to tamper with it and even functions as an accident alert if you come a cropper. Skylock's makers are confident about its robustness too, claiming it matches best in class locks. And it's another reason to check your phone. $169 from skylock.cc for a limited period

JunoJumpr This is said to be the most portable jump starter available and it's not a surprising boast given its tiny size compared to traditional alternatives. With a footprint little bigger than many smartphones and the thickness of a set of playing cards, the JunoJumpr can jump start most dead cars thanks to a 6000mAh Lithium polymer battery pack. It comes with its own proprietary jump leads and remains packable at about 200g (about 7oz) $100 from unopower.com

Road Shower Here’s an eco-friendly way to keep hygiene levels up on that camping road trip you’re planning. The aluminium body bolts on to most roof racks and might even deliver hot water when you’ve a bit of sun. You can pressurise it with a bicycle pump or a small compressor up to 15psi and the Road Shower comes with all the hoses, shower head and clips to let you go hands-free. $300 from roadshower.com betweenideas.blogspot.com