ADAM HARVEYpicks the best of this week's travel gadgets
Mountain mainstay
Via Ferrata, or the Iron Way, is a relatively safe way of scaling mountains and cliff faces that has been a popular summer alpine sport in Europe for decades – it’s a big part of the off-season for ski resorts in the French and Italian Alps. Climbers ascend under their own steam, but are clipped into a steel cable bolted to the mountainside and are assisted in the trickier bits by ladders, steps and bridges. The Great Outdoors (www.greatoutdoors.ie) on Chatham Street, Dublin, has all the essentials: a Petzl Adjama Harness (€79.99), a Petzl Meteor III Helmet (above, €85), and a Petzl Zyper Y Lanyard to attach you to the cable (€59.99).
None of the above safety equipment, however, will protect you from the most common high-altitude peril: sunburn. Try Lifesystems Expedition Sun SPF50 “mountain formula”, sweat-resistant sun cream that is designed for thinner atmospheres. (€12, www.lifesystems.co.uk).
On the subject of safety, the Lodger Shelter Cotton (above) is a baby sling for newborns that keeps them in a foetal position rather than upright against your chest. It’s certified for use as car-seat snug, which means that the clasps can be unclipped with the baby asleep inside, allowing you to put them into a car carrier without waking them. Made of a polyester and cotton mix, and suitable for babies under eight kilogrammes. (€70, www.cleverclogs.ie)